Performance Mods - Real or Not
11-25-15, 04:25 PM
#1
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
Performance Mods - Real or Not
I just read an article Here Are Five Performance Mods That Are Utterly Useless. It list the five waste of money mods as 1. eliminating cats for straight pipe exhaust 2. Race fuel 3. adjustable lowering springs 4. Ram air intakes and 5. spark plugs. The article is http://thegarage.jalopnik.com/here-a...009588?ref=yfp. Sure made me feel like some of the changes I was considering are more for feel good than actual performance improvements. I did 3 of the 5 mods on my 2002 SC430. This implies I probably did not improve the performance
It will be interesting if anyone measures before and after performance to prove or disprove this article.
It will be interesting if anyone measures before and after performance to prove or disprove this article.
11-25-15, 04:47 PM
#2
Lexus Test Driver
1. Modern day catalytic converters are fairly efficient. Removing them is not going to make much of a difference unless you're making quite a bit of power and you find that as an actual restriction. It also makes it illegal due to smog stuff, so there's that.
2. Race fuel isn't going to do anything unless you're tuned for it, just like running premium in a car that calls for unleaded isn't going to do anything unless tuned for it.
3. It could do something, but suspension is very complicated and simply throwing on different shocks to "improve" feel doesn't mean it actually did anything.
4. The amount of engineering to actually design a ram air system is extremely high, which is why it's very, very, very rare that you'll actually see a ram-air system. And if you do, it's going to be expensive. And it's only going to be effective at speeds that you won't normally see.
5. Spark plugs are another thing that won't make a difference unless you've changed the tune or added power. Sometimes you'll need a hotter or colder plug than stock, but this is with larger changes. We are talking 50-100whp here, not "I added a catback exhaust and header."
2. Race fuel isn't going to do anything unless you're tuned for it, just like running premium in a car that calls for unleaded isn't going to do anything unless tuned for it.
3. It could do something, but suspension is very complicated and simply throwing on different shocks to "improve" feel doesn't mean it actually did anything.
4. The amount of engineering to actually design a ram air system is extremely high, which is why it's very, very, very rare that you'll actually see a ram-air system. And if you do, it's going to be expensive. And it's only going to be effective at speeds that you won't normally see.
5. Spark plugs are another thing that won't make a difference unless you've changed the tune or added power. Sometimes you'll need a hotter or colder plug than stock, but this is with larger changes. We are talking 50-100whp here, not "I added a catback exhaust and header."
11-25-15, 05:07 PM
#3
1. I agree with removing the cats being useless but if you want a better sound there is nothing wrong with a catback or axleback setup.
2. 91 octane is just fine
3. The stock shocks especially on the F-Sport are fine but if you want a firmer suspension with a slight drop a good set of springs does the trick.
4. Intake does nothing
5. Spark plugs do nothing (I thought was a given)
In general, the RC (or any Lexus for this matter) isn't a car to buy if you are looking to heavily mod. However a few subtle mods can make a world of difference and not blow a hole in your pocket.
2. 91 octane is just fine
3. The stock shocks especially on the F-Sport are fine but if you want a firmer suspension with a slight drop a good set of springs does the trick.
4. Intake does nothing
5. Spark plugs do nothing (I thought was a given)
In general, the RC (or any Lexus for this matter) isn't a car to buy if you are looking to heavily mod. However a few subtle mods can make a world of difference and not blow a hole in your pocket.
11-25-15, 08:04 PM
#4
Only true measurements before and after the mod can reveal actual improvements. Years ago... I dyno'd my SC430 before and after, and documented noticeable HP improvements when adding an intake (SRT with ECU) and exhaust (SS Headers, X-pipe, BlitzTT). Both were designed to increase airflow throughout. it added 38HP to the wheels. Some mods do produce improved results. It can be time-consuming and expensive to measure the changes of a mod, let alone the mod it's self. But it is fun.
Last edited by Radical350; 11-25-15 at 08:57 PM.
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