Momo's 'Final' Mod Thread.. The End All To Be All

OK. At least at somepoint in your post, reply with something meaningful, on topic and serious (the rest do whatever you want), but please provide sound feedback.

My Goal For My Car:

More and more power, but I do not want to negatively impact the car's dynamic handling. I enjoy sprints through the back roads and twisties... I also enjoy straight line acceleration alot. I want the car to be capable of daily driving and without prep work, able to perform in roadcourse and drag-type scenarios. I doubt that I'll be able to forge the bottom end at least for the foreseeable future.

Getting half shafts and DRs are sound choices, but DRs are not good for the twisties... and without DRs, half shafts IMO don't make too much sense... and I haven't found evidence that the Nitto NT555RII tires (good for both drag and roadcourse) come in 20" sizes (I want to keep my chrome OEM wheels).

See my sig for what I'm running with already.

I have a potential list of mods in mind (some taken from Rick's bag of tricks):

Bumpsteer Kit
Chassis Subframe Braces
Rear 2-Point Shock Tower Brace (want my trunk space)
Hotchkis Sway Bars
Labonte Meth Kit
*Another power adder?

EDITS:
1. Performance Tune for blower (see post 3)

So, folks, help me out... mind you this is a work in progress and it'll take me sometime to do it... although most of the mods above are relatively inexpensive. I'll clear up any questions/omissions as this develops.

Thanks for your input.

 

I would start with sways ($375), a bump steer kit (Pedders or Razors Edge) $200, and a "performance" tune ($500-$750). "I" think that will get you dialed in for a bit, and can be done for around $1K. After that you can consider H/C/I combos, sub-frame connectors, strut tower braces, etc! You've got a great power adder...you just need the performance tune!

 

I agree... my concern is this: I get the tune... then decide to buy the meth kit or power mod "X"... then I need to retune... so what I was thinking about is getting the meth kit (plus whatever else I can reasonably do) THEN get the tune, that way it'll save alot of hastle and potentially money.

Does that sound like sound logic?

 

You can throw a baseball at the Proving Grounds. I know the meth kit is a good deal. But, for what YOU are looking for, "I" think sways are a great bang for the buck. I am willing to be that John will tell you the same thing. We have enough cold nights around here...and you get off work later in the afternoon as it is. I think a "performance" tune and sways will be a better bang for the buck than the meth kit and tune for all around driving. (not drag racing)...LOL

 

Well, it sounds like a good attempt. You said you don't want to re-do things but you don't have a plan. You need to decide everything you want to do to the car within your budget and with a time schedule. To do that you need to back up even further and have an end goal.

So far you've just jumped at this and that on the spur of the moment as opportunities came up right? If you continue with that method you're going to be re-doing things, scraping one mod you already have for another that was better suited to what you wanted in the first place. repeat. Or, worse, you're going to be stuck with a mod that doesn't quite meet your expectations and excludes the one that would have. If you have everything mapped out you can budget, plan the sequence so the car stays coherent/balanced as you work towards your goal over time, and end up with what you actually wanted. You'll also be a lot more satisfied on the way there.

Let's be honest on the blower. It's not exactly what you had envisioned is it? It's a fine blower but if you had a choice between any one of the three types of blower for free (and you understood the difference) you might have picked something other than a centrifigul right? Yea, I know, for you it was more of a choice between blower or never seeing a blower but you get the point.

 

Theres plenty of people that spend full retail on the vortech and are more than happy with it.....and could have gotten the harrop blower

Well speaking for the Jeep guys we could use more top end power when our jeeps turn into bricks at 80mph+

do you agree?

 

That wasn't my point at all.

I think the Vortech is a great blower. Period.
It IS a centrifigul type blower. It is different from a roots or a screw type. They have different characteristics and different effects. It depends on what you want and what your application is. One type might suit you better than another.

My point was that my guess is that Momo's initial expectation was what you'd expect of a twin screw. Touch the gas from a dead idle and feel like you've been shot out of a cannon. Of course he doesn't have the traction anyway so it may not have made a difference but he's working on that. I'd also guess that may have changed as he is getting more familiar with it.

You see my point? In the context of the rest of my post above.

 

Hmm, what Quick said and I tried to make a relevant psychological POV post in the Nitrous thread but it got lost in the other posts...If you're serious about modifying your car, then get serious about it, plan, budget and accept that you may not ever be happy with your Charger...at least going on the trend in your threads from the past year or so...

 

Well, I believe Rick is right about the tune. If you want to see a "performance tune", Dynosteve is coming to California. There aren't many people who can tune for Supercharged Hemi applications out there. ETA is about a month. Send him a PM. I believe that he would also revise the tune for the meth kit after that is added.

My opinion: tune, meth kit, sway bars, late on: widened wheels to fit some 305's/315 street tires. Brad Jones has it done and there's a thread on here. This is my plan with the wheels which may take a bit of fabrication to the inner wheel well.

 

jason - modding a car will ALWAYS end up in redoing something, at some point. unless you are building a group up restoration with unlimited budgets, but even those can have midstream changes. bottomline is, modding is modding...... one day you want this and do it, the next things change and so does your viewpoint. even with all this considered, i would do this if i was you and going by your past posts and intial comments in this thread:

sways / susp. bracing
good tune (keep in mind, unless you go crazy different in your set up, most tuners will "tweak" your tune for you without cost!!!)
widened wheels (you have plenty of power, lets get some of it to tht ground!!!! not to mention they look friggin sweet!!!)

btw milan, i got some spacers from scott (1fst4dr) and they are friggin perfect!!!! i got 1/4", but really need 3/8" in my current set up. i have figured out, if i ran a 1/2" spacer, replaced the studs to longer, i could fit a 315 under my slammed car without sticking out of the fender wells!!!! this is what i will be doing when i wear out the nittos!!!

 

Those would be my votes....thought the first thing that came to mind when I saw this was "why not forge the bottom and just up the boost?" ...then its pretty much like having another power adder right there...

I have a feeling momo is pushing his luck here...if hes gotta do a $6k HCI combo he might not be around to enjoy it! LOL!!!!!

 

Hey Momo. since your looking at sways...just wanted to give ya a reminder that we have a good price on them right now!

http://www.bmcspeedshop.com/product_p/hp22101.htm?Click=439

$329.88

 

IMHO get the meth kit. Even with the cool nights it adds octane and drops temps. Then get the tune...then get sways! You have to get your meth kit before your tune...so far Mike and I are doing a full tune with and without the meth kit...Ricks right sways are a great addition and if your able get the end links to go with them.

 

jason, quit fn around and do all these mods. you only live once and you can't take it with you when to go.

 

Problem is Ralph, I ain't got it all to get it all!

Folks (Dave you brought it up):

My end goal for the car is to dial in the handling characteristics AND to add straight line acceleration. I want it to be capable of daily driving. I doubt I'll be running races, but want the feel and capabilities of a car that's ready for the track. I cruise with the car and get on it now and then. I don't want to lose its function... meaning, for example, no 4-point rear stb (I need my trunk space for the baby stuff).

*Maybe I'm not understanding what you mean by end goal

As for the Vortech, I had an understanding of the centrifugal setup prior to install, so I wasn't surprised by anything. It suit my needs just fine, actually... with a Roots/twin screw, I'd NEVER be able to launch at this point with what I've got... the Vortech allows me to roll into the throttle like before I had it, then the power hits. I just need to master high 1st-2nd gear and the resulting spin.

 

then go with the suspension mods!!!!....you got the ricker there....ask stiggy! lol....

and go to BMCP NOW!!!!!!!!!!!...haha

 

I understand what you're saying... and to a point its true. I don't know when/if I'll ever be 100% satisfied... but that's America for ya! Strive for more.

Oddly enough, a tad more power and better handling MAY end my performance quest for the time being... so long as I can beat Rick in a straight line, I'll feel fulfilled... wholesome... and complete!

 

I wont be happy till i have a Fuel Injected supercharged 605 Street Legend Hemi in my car but that will never happen LOL!!!!

I doubt anyones every 100% happy with any car....no 1 vehicle can possibly account for everything you want....So choose a goal and go for it big daddy!....may not get there...but at least set the bar!

 

Ok, maybe a bit to vague yet. JMatt's 300 was track ready and he still had his full trunk. For example,

How much more power? you probably don't want 800hp right? Settle on a number. Figure out what mods would get you there. Go back and re-adjust if necessary. Factor in cost and when, while you're doing it. Do the same for handling. Then decide how much you're going to proportion towards handling vs. power. Some stuff is independent and with some there is overlap. The monster slicks hanging out of your cutout fender wells might conflict with your road handling goals. Without the monster slicks some of the 800hp you wanted might be a waste. You don't want to use up the trunk. That's a start. Are you willing or would you ever want to adjust your JMatt AFCO shocks depending on what was in the plan for the weekend? Exactly how much Pedders were you thinking about? When you lay it all out on your timeline will you be done before you're as old as Stretch? That sort of thing. You need a plan you can execute to. A bit more than "I want a muscle car that can handle (and has room in the trunk to take the baby on a trip)".

 

For what its worth Jason, I just drove 3k miles with two suitcases, baby stroller, two smaller boxes of pottery, a rolled up cot, a couple blankets, california duster, and car cleaning products all in the trunk. The four point acted like a good cargo net for many of these items. Also remember, Pup isn't going to need the HUGE baby Hindenburg stroller much longer! If you need more space than what I've mentioned....drive your SUV.