Modify your car or leave it stock? Why we do what we do.

[Brick]

So my heart says modify the car to my desire, but my mind and wallet ask "Why?".

I currently have an Accessport and a Rear Motor Mount, otherwise, stock. When I'm crawling on this website, I see all the goodies and I just think about how they add to the overall experience of either adding performance or making the car unique. However, After driving 200 miles of twisty roads the other day, I am pretty damn happy with the performance of my car in relatively stock form. I'm not sure I would enjoy the experience any MORE than the experience I already had. I priced out the items I would like to buy for my car and it came out to roughly 2500-3000 dollars worth of wheels, go fast parts and what not. However in the grand scheme of things, other than a new set of wheels, I'd be more than happy at the moment with daily driving the car as is. In my case, I'm thinking maybe I just set my Fiesta ST up for the HS class for autocross and call it good, that way I keep the mod-bug at bay and enjoy the car as is. As much as I enjoy the idea of making the car faster, cooler etc etc, I just feel that at a certain dollar point for after-market items, my money can be better spent elsewhere (or saved).

I have LOTS of friends that are into modding their cars, making them beautiful gnarly beasts, but can't drive for squat. I also have friends that mod and drive like champions.


Why do YOU leave YOUR car stock? Why do YOU modify it?

 

[Dylanc]

I really planned to leave this thing alone. I wanted to not touch it and just enjoy.. and then the racer part of me said oh here's a deal on an intake...and on a BOV. And then a motor mount, intercooler. Catless downpipe. Exhaust. Pro tune.. Lol for me. Once it starts there is no stopping until I realize it is no longer a reliable daily driver.

 

[Hijinx]

I modify because it's a hobby. Photographers take pictures, computer guys build rigs, ballers ball, car guys mod. I get personal satisfaction of out of working on my car and knowing I've done the job well AND increased my experience.

Trust me, moar powa doesn't ruin the experience. When you're walking away from a Camaro SS on the highway and can stomp a Viper in twisties in the mountains none of the fun lost.

 

[D1JL]

What he said ^.


Dave

 

[rexdriver85]

All of this plus it's a hobby. It's a way to connect with other like minded people who enjoy the same thing. It becomes a part of daily life.

Some say it's a waste of money and to some degree it's true, but I can think of other things that aren't as fun that wastes money as well.

Some say these kinds of hobbies are just time passers until we are dead, well I wouldn't have it any other way! Hahaha. [emoji106][emoji38][emoji41]

 

[Ken34]

man im going through the same problem. i told myself from the jump this would be a daily drive car while the Acura RSX would be the money pit, but the more i drive the fiesta st, im so tempted to just through money at it, its brand new, only 1800 miles ive put on it so im still under warranty and i bought the extended warranty cause i told myself i wouldnt be modding it....i really am stuck between a rock and a hard place :/

 

[apex]

Ford Motor Company spent countless hours of engineering, R & D, blasting roads and tracks all over Europe to come up with a great automobile that drives better than so called sports cars that cost WAY more. Sometimes enthusiasts modify their cars to make it worse than stock. The FiST is a well balanced package that needs little else from the factory.
With that said, I have driven 36000 miles in a year. Alot of highway jaunts, three autocrosses, daily mountain bike hauler inside the car, and si rthe box. Enjoy it for a year and save you

 

[apex]

Woh...my computer is on the blitz.

However, the car is fantastic out of the box. Drive it stock and drive it hard as the engineers intended. Save your mod money for a year and compile a list of the cars shortcomings...then upgrade stuff like shocks and intercooler, two necessary upgrades to compliment the car. My mods are a Cobb RMM and Michelin Pilot SS and it still retains its stock attitude. My previour car was a E36 M3 4 door Active Autowerked turbo that was both fun but costly. I like my FiST mo betta' though.

 

[Hijinx]

Woh...my computer is on the blitz.

However, the car is fantastic out of the box. Drive it stock and drive it hard as the engineers intended. Save your mod money for a year and compile a list of the cars shortcomings...then upgrade stuff like shocks and intercooler, two necessary upgrades to compliment the car. My mods are a Cobb RMM and Michelin Pilot SS and it still retains its stock attitude. My previour car was a E36 M3 4 door Active Autowerked turbo that was both fun but costly. I like my FiST mo betta' though.

You came from a BMW so it's understandable that you feel the way you do. I'm not knocking you... But what I am getting at is, wait until you ride in at least a stage 3 Fiesta. No matter your opinion/belief/plan it'll change your mind real quick. Ask [MENTION=1579]masonsturbos[/MENTION] lol.

 

[frankiefiesta]

I like having a car that's under the radar, and in the car scene by me that's exactly what the fiesta st is. It handles excellent from the factory (my brother can't even sniff my ass on the twisty back roads in his 09 civic si) and with just a few cheap mods you can run a decent quarter mile time. I think that's why I modify my car. To have it the way I like it and go just as fast as cars that are much more expensive.

 

[Brick]

Ford Motor Company spent countless hours of engineering, R & D, blasting roads and tracks all over Europe to come up with a great automobile that drives better than so called sports cars that cost WAY more. Sometimes enthusiasts modify their cars to make it worse than stock. The FiST is a well balanced package that needs little else from the factory.
With that said, I have driven 36000 miles in a year. Alot of highway jaunts, three autocrosses, daily mountain bike hauler inside the car, and si rthe box. Enjoy it for a year and save you

I couldn't imagine fitting my mountain bike in the back!

 

[Hwy9FiST]

The FiST is like a good Porsche, doesn't NEED tuning. I say you should take your time with modifying your car. Learn the limits of your stock vehicle... and when you get an AP, you can really feel the difference. I only have a Cobb Cat-Back, but my next upgrades will be better tires and brake pads.

 

[XuperXero]

Modify because I have a habit of modifying anything for improvement. Cars are restricted by regulations, "safety", emissions, etc.

I frequently modify my furnitures, computers, phones, machines in our company, etc. Because never settle for less. Room for improvement is room for innovation.

 

[JasonHaven]

Me: Middle class, apartment dweller, 20 mile round trip daily commute... sometimes fun weekend drives, but nothing too serious. Have historically enjoyed cars, and games such as GT/Forza, but have never done any track racing. That all being said I don't consider myself a bad driver, at the same time, I can't heel toe, and I doubt I take the perfect line haha. My previous car was a Scion xA.

Reasons to "mod":

Practicality: Well, one of my first "mods" is gonna be all season tires, sadly... it's just impractical with my living situation for a summer/winter set. And with those tires, I'll likely try to go down to 16" rims, to help ride quality as well, because streets suck around here.

Fun fun zoom times: Coming from the xA, the FiST is a bit of an eye opener to performance. It's a blast, and I want more. Give me more, I want it now.

Reasons not to:

Warranty: I'm paranoid of something breaking and the dealer blaming something relatively dumb, and me being out thousands of dollars.

Money: Well duh. Looking at the warranty approved "mods" that I want, I'm looking at like $3k in costs, that's money that can be used for traveling and photography (my two main hobbies), and well, if I were more responsible, paying down the car earlier, or paying off a credit card or even saving it.

Mods that are definitely happening:

- 16" black Focal F09 or F13 (I think those were the models)
- General G-Max AS-03, 205/45-16
- Shark fin antenna

Reasons why they are definitely happening: Summer tires will do me no good in DC, and 16"ers will hopefully feel better on the butt than 17". The antenna bothers me on the car aesthetically, and it's cheap enough to do something about.

Mods that are maybe happening:

- Mountune MP215 kit
- Mountune Intercooler kit

Reasons why they are maybe: $$$... the sale prices I've seen in the past, would likely make me jump for it, but the regular prices are outside of my comfort zone. But at least they are warranty covered, and will improve power and consistency, so they seem like solid improvements. Will depend on if I want to do something else with that money though.

Mods that I wish were happening, but probably not:

- Limited slip differential
- Cobb tuner
- Various piping and bits
- And some mean sounding exhaust

Reasons why they probably aren't happening: Warranty and $$$

 

[JasonHaven]

Also I used way too many words for the question, it's clear it's been weighing on my mind a lot.

 

[Brick]

Me: Middle class, apartment dweller, 20 mile round trip daily commute... sometimes fun weekend drives, but nothing too serious. Have historically enjoyed cars, and games such as GT/Forza, but have never done any track racing. That all being said I don't consider myself a bad driver, at the same time, I can't heel toe, and I doubt I take the perfect line haha. My previous car was a Scion xA.

Reasons to "mod":

Practicality: Well, one of my first "mods" is gonna be all season tires, sadly... it's just impractical with my living situation for a summer/winter set. And with those tires, I'll likely try to go down to 16" rims, to help ride quality as well, because streets suck around here.

Fun fun zoom times: Coming from the xA, the FiST is a bit of an eye opener to performance. It's a blast, and I want more. Give me more, I want it now.

Reasons not to:

Warranty: I'm paranoid of something breaking and the dealer blaming something relatively dumb, and me being out thousands of dollars.

Money: Well duh. Looking at the warranty approved "mods" that I want, I'm looking at like $3k in costs, that's money that can be used for traveling and photography (my two main hobbies), and well, if I were more responsible, paying down the car earlier, or paying off a credit card or even saving it.

Mods that are definitely happening:

- 16" black Focal F09 or F13 (I think those were the models)
- General G-Max AS-03, 205/45-16
- Shark fin antenna

Reasons why they are definitely happening: Summer tires will do me no good in DC, and 16"ers will hopefully feel better on the butt than 17". The antenna bothers me on the car aesthetically, and it's cheap enough to do something about.

Mods that are maybe happening:

- Mountune MP215 kit
- Mountune Intercooler kit

Reasons why they are maybe: $$$... the sale prices I've seen in the past, would likely make me jump for it, but the regular prices are outside of my comfort zone. But at least they are warranty covered, and will improve power and consistency, so they seem like solid improvements. Will depend on if I want to do something else with that money though.

Mods that I wish were happening, but probably not:

- Limited slip differential
- Cobb tuner
- Various piping and bits
- And some mean sounding exhaust

Reasons why they probably aren't happening: Warranty and $$$

Great response. I have a similar thought when I impulsively look at buying something for the fist. Would i get more joy out of this money using it for a vacation? I dont think I will ever top the bang for buck experience of traveling, especially when the fist already is at 90% of where I would want it.

 

[wrongwheeldrive]

At first, I loved the car stock. I didn't purchase any mods until I felt I needed them. I bought the RMM once I could consistently bang the firewall on launch. I bought an AP because I wanted a boost guage and real-time monitoring of everything that was going on. I bought stiffer exhaust hangers when my exhaust banged against my bike rack (BTW bike racks look sweet on this thing).

But then things took a turn for the worst... and the mods took over. Short shifter, Transmission brackets, playing with intake box. Next mod I plan is a mishimoto intercooler and catless downpipe then I'm done. Well, maybe some red anno lug nuts after that (spoken like a true addict).

When it's all said and done I think I will be out less than $2K and i'll have one of the most fun "sleepers" on the road. The fact that everyone chooses different mods means the car truely becomes theirs. Pulling it apart and putting it back together gives me an opportunity to get to know the car better. Knowing the mechanics of my car better helps me remedy issues down the road (or on the side of the road).

Lastly, initially I was very wary of modding before the warranty was up. But after a dealer denied I had a rough transmission and couldn't tell me why the car was so loud at idle, I realized getting anything warrantied was not going to be as easy as my salesman suggested. At this point, I would rather just fix everything myself, and mod along the way.

-Peter

 

[kjohn09e]

Me: Middle class, apartment dweller, 20 mile round trip daily commute... sometimes fun weekend drives, but nothing too serious. Have historically enjoyed cars, and games such as GT/Forza, but have never done any track racing. That all being said I don't consider myself a bad driver, at the same time, I can't heel toe, and I doubt I take the perfect line haha. My previous car was a Scion xA.

Reasons to "mod":

Practicality: Well, one of my first "mods" is gonna be all season tires, sadly... it's just impractical with my living situation for a summer/winter set. And with those tires, I'll likely try to go down to 16" rims, to help ride quality as well, because streets suck around here.

Fun fun zoom times: Coming from the xA, the FiST is a bit of an eye opener to performance. It's a blast, and I want more. Give me more, I want it now.

Reasons not to:

Warranty: I'm paranoid of something breaking and the dealer blaming something relatively dumb, and me being out thousands of dollars.

Money: Well duh. Looking at the warranty approved "mods" that I want, I'm looking at like $3k in costs, that's money that can be used for traveling and photography (my two main hobbies), and well, if I were more responsible, paying down the car earlier, or paying off a credit card or even saving it.

Mods that are definitely happening:

- 16" black Focal F09 or F13 (I think those were the models)
- General G-Max AS-03, 205/45-16
- Shark fin antenna

Reasons why they are definitely happening: Summer tires will do me no good in DC, and 16"ers will hopefully feel better on the butt than 17". The antenna bothers me on the car aesthetically, and it's cheap enough to do something about.

Mods that are maybe happening:

- Mountune MP215 kit
- Mountune Intercooler kit

Reasons why they are maybe: $$$... the sale prices I've seen in the past, would likely make me jump for it, but the regular prices are outside of my comfort zone. But at least they are warranty covered, and will improve power and consistency, so they seem like solid improvements. Will depend on if I want to do something else with that money though.

Mods that I wish were happening, but probably not:

- Limited slip differential
- Cobb tuner
- Various piping and bits
- And some mean sounding exhaust
Reasons why they probably aren't happening: Warranty and $$$

Got those Generals in 205/40/17 on stock wheels and they are great tires. Once they wear out I'll be getting a set of smaller wheels to go on it. For the sake of smoothing out the ride just a bit. I mean I love how my mongoose handles but I could go without feeling every grain of sand I drive over.

 

[C. love]

I have had my car for about 1.5 yrs now. Over that time I did a BOV spacer like the 1st month. Then after 6 months an Access port, New FMIC, and an intake. Just yesterday some lowring springs. Today I bought a TB rear brace. I have been modifying slow for a few reasons which include: Not wanting to hinder a great car, money (modding cars is a waste of money), this is just my lowly FWD daily, Im an older dude (ok 36) and I dont want my daily to look like a childs car;its already tiny lol.

So although I said points 2 and 4 i also have a very childish drift car which I waste a metric shit ton of money on so the fiesta usually gets gas oil chnages and after that not much cash is left. If I ONLY had the fiesta I would have also added an exhaust, a few more braces, and race wheels/tires. In the end the car is pretty good so why mess with it too much?

 

[JasonHaven]

Great response. I have a similar thought when I impulsively look at buying something for the fist. Would i get more joy out of this money using it for a vacation? I dont think I will ever top the bang for buck experience of traveling, especially when the fist already is at 90% of where I would want it.

Yeah, I'm going to Germany later this year for a couple weeks with my buddy, and I was thinking about how similar the costs are between the trip and the mods I was looking at. Could I do both? Probably, but it'd be tight. So it kind of comes down to... which brings me the most memories.

So basically, I need to win the lotto