10 Best Big Performance Mods
By Joseph Charles
Is it time to step up your race game? You don’t need platinum plugs to get a big horsepower difference. If you want to seriously upgrade your ride, Platinum’s got you covered. Everything from down-pipes to blowers, we’re here to help you reach your dream hp.
1. A FORCED INDUCTION
No single modification can radically increase your engine’s power output and transform your ride like a turbocharger or supercharger. However, if adding 200 horsepower to your auto sounds good, read on.
A Turbocharger
With a turbocharger, the exhaust gases spin a turbine, which then spins a compressor that then forces air at a high velocity and pressure into the engine. That air then ignites with an increased amount of fuel, granting the auto more overall horsepower.
Turbo kit costs depending on turbo size, expected boost pressure, specialized coatings and more. There’s are also all kinds of parts you can upgrade without replacing your OEM turbo if you have one such as: Up-pipes, down-pipes, intercoolers and more. These make the existing turbo more powerful, leaving OEM reliability in place.
A Supercharger
Superchargers work with a belt-driven compressor and are a lot like turbochargers. With a supercharger, your boost builds early leaving lag out of the picture, as experienced with turbos. Generally, superchargers give you more of a power hit low in the RPM range, while turbos need exhaust gases to build up as the RPMs increase.
Built into the existing intake manifold, superchargers match exactly to the engine and the only real maintenance they need are to keep them oiled and occasionally replacing the belt.
2. A NITROUS SYSTEM
Looking for 50 or more horsepower right now, a nitrous kit will more than suffice. At normal temperatures, nitrous oxide is a stable gas abut when heated, it breaks down into a large amount of oxygen. It cools the air as well, resulting in a much denser air charge entering the combustion chamber which causes a more powerful burn. They are somewhat universal but you’ll probably need to buy a few extra parts to get for your specific engine.
Depending on your engine, safe might mean only a 50 or 100 horsepower increase.
Keep in mind, most states ban the use outside of a track, so check your state and local laws before installing. Dragsters reach us quickly.
3. CAMSHAFTS
A performance camshaft or “bump stick” — The bumps are cam lobes that determine when air gets into and out of the combustion chamber by precisely opening and closing the intake and exhaust valves, using these may result in adding 30 more horsepower at the wheels. Another use would be to match it with your current intake and exhaust mods for a potential increase of over 100 hp. We recommend installing a new camshaft with more aggressive specs, engine rebuilders recommend using new lifters.
4. A COLD AIR INTAKE
If your engine has more air means it means it has more air more horsepower. Performance air filters exist to raise horsepower. They raise flow rate which in turn, helps your engine make more power. You can help it out by swapping the restrictive factory intake plumbing for a performance cold air intake. A cold air intake pulls cooler outside air into the engine. You can use them to increase the tube diameter and straighten any unnecessary bends. The result is a higher velocity of denser air reaching your engine.
5. A FULL EXHAUST
Get this for a real increase in power and a quality sound. A full exhaust is considered to be from the headers all the way back. Come in to replace that old and rusty exhaust manifold with a stainless-steel header for increased flow today!
6. RACING BRAKES
To get a performance upgrade racing brake kit you’ll need: rotors, pads, shims and hardware for installation. The pads stay in full contact with the rotor. The holes add lightness and increase heat dissipation. Aggressive street pads facilitate strong pedal feel, stable performance and reliability after repeated stops.
7. A ROAD RACE SUSPENSION SYSTEM
Larger sway bars give larger diameter bar remains stiff despite the cornering forces, preventing the body lean seen in sloppy suspensions. Installation takes about an hour and can be handled by a beginner. Most will lower your ride anywhere from a half inch to 2.5 inches. Understand that your suspension geometry will be uneven with extremely low sport springs, so choose adjustable control arms or relocation brackets specific to your model to fix that issue. We suggest coilovers, as they are the easy way for that slammed look while retaining near OEM ride quality.
8. INCREASE FUEL FOR INCREASE DEMANDS
People used to upgrade Camaro fuel pumps with Corvette pumps for a cheap way to increase gallons per hour by about 50%. Fuel systems and ECUs are much more complex now. If you’re doing forced induction, big cam or other performance improvements above, your fuel demands will increase, period and you will some help increasing your fuel.
The ECU can adjust fuel trim levels to match the upgraded airflow but as performance increases, you’ll need to upgrade the fuel system. We recommend getting a high-flow fuel pump so your new mods don’t starve your engine of fuel. When matched with higher flowing fuel injectors, a high-performance fuel pump is a great upgrade.
9. AN UPGRADE TO EFI
If you’re still running a carb on a street car, your power is escaping with unburned hydrocarbons instead of maximum horsepower. With entirely new parts, a warranty, up-to-date equipment and easy-drop-in installation, you’ll gain a lot in power, gas mileage and reliability. You won’t need to rejet the carb if there’s a 50 degree drop anymore, just turn the key and go.
10. A BADASS TUNE TIMING
The computer ECU controls engine function by taking readings from all the various engine sensors and uses that info to compute the most efficient burn. The ECU won’t necessarily see your new headers or cam, so you need new programming.
Reach us today for a quote and get your performance up!