I got asked? whats the best single mod for my car?
well I thought about that, that questions usually asked by the newer guys and guys with a limited budget to spend on the car, looking at the hobby long term, .....I'm going to suggest the smart long term approach, here!
WHATS THE best single mod to DO TO YOUR CAR?
unless you've got a huge bank balance some thought needs to go into your goals
now to me its rather obvious that you plan your build to get to a goal, if its stopping faster you need better tires, bigger brakes and a better suspension, etc. but those mods will hardly be the best choice if the goal is keeping the engine from overheating in traffic for example.
FIRST ,you select a goal and do the necessary research, then you collect the necessary components to reach the goal.
and in many cases its not car parts you need as much as a decent place to work on the car and the tools to do that work.
Id say the first goal, is having some basic tools and a shop manual, and a decent place to work on the car, if you've ever been forced to work on your car in a dirt or sloping asphalt drive way without the correct tools Id think you'll agree that having basic tools and a decent flat section of concrete floor with a roof over it, even if its a simple car port beats the hell out of lying in the dirt, fighting fire ants and having the engine,stand or your jack stands tip as they sink into the drive way surface or working in the rain..
as to tools, a LIFT, is nice but not mandatory, (4) 12 ton jack stands and two floor jacks worked for me for several years ,a decent WELDER, is almost mandatory and a decent drill press sure helps, GOOD STABLE CAR RAMPS, and a work bench with a vise sure won,t hurt!
as you read thru the site you'll eventually notice a trend in the advice given, regarding tools to purchase and safety.
in almost every case you'll find the cheaper tool options, either in tools or safety equipment tends to favor the mid-upper range tools, that's HARD WON WISDOM FROM EXPERIENCE!
buying the cheap tools will usually result in you working harder, under less safe conditions or fighting a job that would be far easier to do with the correct tools.
in some cases the difference in quality is not reflected in the price and at times the more expensive tools are not all that much better or more accurate or stronger, but in many cases the cheap tools are basically dangerous, not up to the job, or basically useless for the intended use.
If I point out that you really need decent 12 ton jack stands, a 3 ton floor jack, rather than a couple 3-6 ton stands and a cheap auto store 2 ton floor jack, its because the difference in durability, safety margin, and stability makes it a total no brainer in my opinion, or if I suggest a a 60 gallon/5hp compressor, over a small portable 2hp/5 gallon design, or a 220 volt/160-210 amp welder as the best value, its because over the years Ive used smaller and less capable equipment and found its not able to do the required jobs or its not really safe to use, under all conditions,.
EXAMPLE
it just does not make any sense to me to spend $200-$300 plus on a 110 volt welder if you will eventually find you need to buy a $500-$900
welder later to get the job done, you can beat yourself up over not having welding skills when its the EQUIPMENT your using thats causing at least 50% of your problem,a good EXPERIENCED WELDOR can make decent welds with MARGINAL welding equipment. at times but a decent weldor can make excellent resulting welds with much better equipment and learn far faster. or to buy $30 6 ton jack stands if $50 12 ton stands are far stronger, more stable, and less prone to failure,its just a P.I.T.A. to find youve purchased a 5-10 gallon/2hp compressor if your constantly waiting for it build up enough pressure,to run tools or buy measuring tools that don,t give consistent readings
heres some examples
viewtopic.php?f=50&t=989
viewtopic.php?f=50&t=1689
viewtopic.php?f=50&t=55
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=26
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=1462
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=969
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=1018
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=24
well I thought about that, that questions usually asked by the newer guys and guys with a limited budget to spend on the car, looking at the hobby long term, .....I'm going to suggest the smart long term approach, here!
WHATS THE best single mod to DO TO YOUR CAR?
unless you've got a huge bank balance some thought needs to go into your goals
now to me its rather obvious that you plan your build to get to a goal, if its stopping faster you need better tires, bigger brakes and a better suspension, etc. but those mods will hardly be the best choice if the goal is keeping the engine from overheating in traffic for example.
FIRST ,you select a goal and do the necessary research, then you collect the necessary components to reach the goal.
and in many cases its not car parts you need as much as a decent place to work on the car and the tools to do that work.
Id say the first goal, is having some basic tools and a shop manual, and a decent place to work on the car, if you've ever been forced to work on your car in a dirt or sloping asphalt drive way without the correct tools Id think you'll agree that having basic tools and a decent flat section of concrete floor with a roof over it, even if its a simple car port beats the hell out of lying in the dirt, fighting fire ants and having the engine,stand or your jack stands tip as they sink into the drive way surface or working in the rain..
as to tools, a LIFT, is nice but not mandatory, (4) 12 ton jack stands and two floor jacks worked for me for several years ,a decent WELDER, is almost mandatory and a decent drill press sure helps, GOOD STABLE CAR RAMPS, and a work bench with a vise sure won,t hurt!
as you read thru the site you'll eventually notice a trend in the advice given, regarding tools to purchase and safety.
in almost every case you'll find the cheaper tool options, either in tools or safety equipment tends to favor the mid-upper range tools, that's HARD WON WISDOM FROM EXPERIENCE!
buying the cheap tools will usually result in you working harder, under less safe conditions or fighting a job that would be far easier to do with the correct tools.
in some cases the difference in quality is not reflected in the price and at times the more expensive tools are not all that much better or more accurate or stronger, but in many cases the cheap tools are basically dangerous, not up to the job, or basically useless for the intended use.
If I point out that you really need decent 12 ton jack stands, a 3 ton floor jack, rather than a couple 3-6 ton stands and a cheap auto store 2 ton floor jack, its because the difference in durability, safety margin, and stability makes it a total no brainer in my opinion, or if I suggest a a 60 gallon/5hp compressor, over a small portable 2hp/5 gallon design, or a 220 volt/160-210 amp welder as the best value, its because over the years Ive used smaller and less capable equipment and found its not able to do the required jobs or its not really safe to use, under all conditions,.
EXAMPLE
it just does not make any sense to me to spend $200-$300 plus on a 110 volt welder if you will eventually find you need to buy a $500-$900
welder later to get the job done, you can beat yourself up over not having welding skills when its the EQUIPMENT your using thats causing at least 50% of your problem,a good EXPERIENCED WELDOR can make decent welds with MARGINAL welding equipment. at times but a decent weldor can make excellent resulting welds with much better equipment and learn far faster. or to buy $30 6 ton jack stands if $50 12 ton stands are far stronger, more stable, and less prone to failure,its just a P.I.T.A. to find youve purchased a 5-10 gallon/2hp compressor if your constantly waiting for it build up enough pressure,to run tools or buy measuring tools that don,t give consistent readings
heres some examples
viewtopic.php?f=50&t=989
viewtopic.php?f=50&t=1689
viewtopic.php?f=50&t=55
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=26
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=1462
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=969
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=1018
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=24