If you are considering doing any modifications to your vehicle, it is advised that you first check your insurance terms and ensure you are not about to breach the conditions of coverage. It is also advised that you first seek professional advice before making any amendments, remember torqueingjapanese accepts no responsibility for any damage caused by performing any of the procedures portayed here.
Air Intake
Let your car breathe easier by installing a high performance airfilter next time you replace it. Brands such as K&N, HKS, Trust and Unifilter are all trustworthy brands worth purchasing. They will allow more air flow through whilst ensuring no contamination into the engine.The result is more efficiency, and more power.
Use Hi Octane
If you are in Australia use 96 Unleaded Petrol and change the sticker on the inside of your petrol flap we actually endorse the use of BP's new ultimate fuel, it is rated at 98 octane and Shell's Optimax. Japanese cars can easily handle 96+, and it won't damage your car. You'll actually notice a little increase in excelleration aswell as a smoother idle and better fuel economy. (If using bottled octanes check spark plug color)
Improve your Exhaust
By adding a better airfilter you have improved intake. Performance can be enhanced much more by allowing improved 'exhaust flow.' The catalytic convertor in an exhaust, is a filter which generally collects poisons and stops them from being emitted into the atmosphere. Catalytic convertors are usually useless after 60,000Km's and because pollution here is'nt as bad as overseas there is no law for us to keep them on. They basically create strangulated airflow and should be removed (or replaced)
Improve your handling and braking.
Many people focus on the 'Go' and often neglect the 'Wo.' Don't become a statistic!
You can in addition fit harder springs which increases rigidity (e.g. King Springs , KYB.) Increasing the size of your wheel rims and reducing the tyre height will reduce the amount of side wall flexion incurred during high speed cornering, and increase stability. Strut brace suspension bars reduce the angular lift in body roll, and will increase your cars ability to sit flat on the road. Your tyres are meant to be on the road, these things will help keep them there! When it comes time to replace brake pads, take into consideration that you have improved your cars excelleration and handling. So invest in reputable brake pads. Safety comes first.
These four steps are a cheap and effective way to get more out of your vehicle. You notice marked improvement by making all of these changes. Modifying your vehicle for improvement comes at a cost and you need to be realistic about what it is that you want to achieve. One thing to be mindful of is how your insurance company feels about mods. Some company's won't want you to do it, and will revoke your insurance if you do, others just want you to pay more, some are happy with whatever you do if you are improving your vehicle and decreasing the chances of having an accident. Whatever you do, take care on the roads!