- Tires/Wheels-
Tires and wheels are a pretty popular choice for just about everyone I ask this question, and with good reason. A good wheel and tire combo can do more than just make the car look better, on serious track builds the tires are chosen meticulously, and it’s worth taking the time to do some research even if they are just going on your civic. A good set of tires will improve your braking with a shorter stopping distance, they will allow better/more aggressive cornering, and if you are one of those people that want to make a ton of horsepower, a basic set of all seasons will not put that power to the ground very well. You need to consider a few things when buying tires: Price is a big category, tires range from $25 a piece to over $200 a piece, but it’s never worth it to skimp out on something important like tires. The next thing you want to consider is the purpose of the tire, are you trying to squeeze out a few extra MPGs with some good endurance tires? Or are you trying to put 900 wheel horsepower (whp) to the ground so you can run a nine second ¼ mile? Obviously there are far other uses, but you get the idea of the variety of purposes tires can fulfill. Size is also an important factor, for instance a super wide tire will add more grip, but if it’s too wide you will need to modify your fenders (roll, pull, cut, etc.) to tuck all that rubber. Wheels make it into this category as well because not only could you need a wider wheel to fit a wider tire, but wheels also have a plethora of functions besides just rolling. For instance, if you Rally a lot you probably want a forged wheel like BBS, Enkei, Volk, OZ, etc. If you show your car more, you can get by with something less stout like a “3 piece” wheel such as Rotiform, Avant Garde, etc. If your car is a purpose built track car, you need something sturdy and lightweight, many forged wheels are used for this as well (some cast wheels are, but they are not popular with most serious racers) and I always like to mention the Enkei NT03, and RPF1 wheels when talking about this because of their lightweight, sturdy construction, and the NT03 has a second valve stem for more accurate/consistent readings on PSI when adding or reducing pressure.
- Brakes-
An upgraded brake system doesn’t necessarily need to be a full Big Brake Kit from Brembo, Wilwood, or StopTech, however a nicer set of pads and some vented or even slotted (never drilled, or drilled and slotted, especially in colder climates) rotors can really help the car stop harder, be less prone to heat warpage, and topping it off with some DOT4 fluid (if your ABS system allows, always research that before upgrading brake fluid) and not only will the car stop on a dime, but it will make the pedal feel better (depending on exactly what you do with your brakes) and your car will be safer as well.
- Suspension-
I am a firm believer that a rigid and stiff car is a happy car. Now I’m not saying you have to go out and get a track oriented suspension setup, and I’m certainly not saying that you should go out and buy your car a set of bags (bags are for groceries), but a good set of bilsteins are a nice upgrade for most cars and will make it feel a bit more performance oriented, I also am a fan of coilovers but they can get pricey if you’re looking for something a bit nicer than Raceland and BC. To further increase that feel, some urethane bushings here and there, aluminum control arms, bigger sway bars with matching end links, and strut tower bars can really make a car feel more grounded and solid so you can take those turns even faster than before while doing so safely.
- Catback Exhausts-
NOTE SOME CARS REQUIRE A TUNE EVEN FOR A CATBACK, PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE INSTALLING ONE
While on most cars the airflow changes from a catback are far too insignificant to make any real difference, one change is always noticeable: sound. A catback isn’t going to make your car faster (unless the current one was too restrictive, as seen on some of those big turbo builds), your torque curve will see no improvement from one, but they do make the car sound more aggressive, faster, and noticeable. This is purely a flashy thing, there’s no real reason that most “stockish” cars need one but I always like to make a car my own and no better way to do that than opening up the exhaust a bit and giving your car a unique sound.
- Audio/Tint-
Most cars have pretty decent audio setups from the factory in modern days now but adding some nicer speakers can really make your car feel special and it can make the car more comfortable to be in. Also, tint (when legally applied) is also a great modification as it will get rid of the “fishbowl effect” and it will keep the car a bit cooler on those summer days. Tint will keep the car looking aggressive and cool.
