You always hear about somebody buying a mod and loving it. I'd like to hear the flip side. Has anyone ever bought a mod and hated it?

I guess the vendors won't like this thread, but inquiring minds want to know.

p.s. I'll no longer be stock in the next few weeks. Kevin at UMW is giving me my first hit of crack(flash).

 

congrats on your first mod, you will love it.

As for mods that I regretted, The only one is exhaust. I have been through two now and I wish I would have just waited and gotten what I have now. I wasted money on the first which was ok, but sold it at very low cost to build my new one. I do not regret any of the other mods. I think most regrets come in on cosmetic stuff. I did buy a carbon wing which I did not like when I put it on the car, so I took it off and it sits in my closet. It is nice but I did not like the carbon gray contrast.

 

I had a nightmare with one of the vendors but he is no longer selling kits. I think all the vendors have come a long way and that you really can not go wrong any of them. I think it comes down what you want and who is the closest.
Good luck
Robert

 

The first mods are always hassle free.

The most overlooked mod IMO is upgraded wastegates on K24 cars. HUGE difference that allows your flash to do it's work.

As you start getting more involved, then things need to be matched and the learning curve steepens. I think anything over 700 HP kits start to become too experimental and result in peaky engines due to larger turbos.

 

well gee let me see!!!! nope never a regret. a mistake or two but no regrets mistakes is how we learn.. as long as we don't makes mistakes that kill us we will learn from them....i have always been a great speller he he

 

My pet peeve for other's modifications is when they only change springs instead of doing it properly and going coilovers.

 

I almost did that. HR coil overs are cheap and give the look you want without breaking the bank.

 

Between my GT2 and my M3 I have spent way over 200K and more than 80K of that is money I will never see again.

However I have had a hellava good time in the last 3.5 years. I would not do it again (my next car will probably be a C63 with just a chip) but at that point in my life it was almost worth it.

 

I will tell you one thing that really pisses me off....and this is why I am not going to mod cars too much anymore: when mechanics/shops charge $100 and hour for labor, and bill me for double the time that it actually takes to do the job!!

I have no problem paying the rate....a good mechanic gets at least 20-25 an hour for skilled labor....with benefits it is now 40 and hour...the shop has expenses that double that rate to 80 an hour, and to make a good profit, they need to charge $100 ( a bit less in places like Texas, a bit more in places like CA and NY).

I will pay $100, but stop billing me 10 hours for a job that you did in 5. Thats theft!

 

You need to find a mechanic that you'd send your grandmother to. You're right in that NY is stupid expensive, but we do have the luxury of having several hundred mechanics to choose from within a short drive. The guy who I use was the head mechanic at a Bentley/Rolls/MB/BMW dealer, but got tired of getting paid a fraction of what the dealer was charging, and struck out on his own. He may not have all of the machine tools that he used to have, which limits him to some degree, but I'd give him 99% of the work that my Porsche may ever need. I also give him my credit card before he even starts work on the car. If he says it needs to be done, I know that it does, and he's charging me a fair rate.

 

Sean,

Who have you been using? Was this on the M or 2 or both?

Edwin

 

Kevin's going to be a busy guy, I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a flash, too . Other than an upgraded stereo and the ever-popular clear side markers, this will be my first mod as well

 

1. GMG exhaust: Love it!
2. Shift Light: Stupid. lasted a few days before I ripped it out
3. UMW tune: Great product, but I don't use it. Drive around in stock mode, partly to save my clutch, partly to save my ***!
4. UMW wastegate upgrade: Nice, like it.
5. Audi motorsport diverter valves: I guess it did something?
6. GMG Roll bar: Quality product, but not for me. Had it installed and removed the next day. If you are 5'8", great, I'm 6'4" and the bar took about 5 inches off the seat travel.
7. GMG headers: OK, work well with the exhaust.

 

No regrets on my TT excpet trying RWD.

I regret ever sending my Corvette to MTI in Texas for modifications. They suck!

 

How come you didn't like the RWD conversion chevy?