If there has been a point to the Monster Garage television series on Discovery Channel, it is that, given enough time, money, and talent, anything can become pretty much, well, anything — from an RX-7 sand rail to a Formula 1 road stripe painter. However, just because something can be done doesn’t always mean it should.
Modifying a car means learning to frame your expectations of what your car can and cannot reasonably be expected to do. Every car, to a greater or lesser extent, is over-engineered from the factory to perform better than it actually does when it is released for public consumption. This detuning is done for a number of reasons, including the manufacturer’s desire to
Minimize exposure to warranty claims Keep insurance rates down (and thereby sell more cars) Comply with emissions requirements Manufacturers in the U.S. have target emissions requirements to meet for all models they have for sale in the U.S. Performance levels are often adjusted to attain these figures.
The million-dollar question is whether your own car is over-engineered by
2 percent, 20 percent, or 200 percent.
As an example, Toyota’s MKIV Supra Turbo (1993–1997 models in the U.S.) can readily obtain nearly three times its stock engine horsepower rating before the engine requires additional internal fortification to keep its longevity from being severely compromised. By contrast, other makes and models will begin suffering catastrophic internal failure with a mere fraction of their stock power level added back in.
However, it isn’t always about the amount of power a car can take when you’re deciding whether to take the plunge into modifying for performance. Oftentimes, a car’s motor will be more than willing, but the chassis can become overwhelmed with significantly increased power demands. Likewise, for the aspiring Michael Schumacher, Honda’s popular Civic platform may respond well to additional power and have an enviable level of aftermarket support, but its front-wheel drive configuration makes it less desirable, in the eyes of many track enthusiasts, relative to the handling dynamics afforded by a rear- wheel drive car that can more easily be steered with the throttle.
On the flipside, sometimes a car will have all the right ingredients, but it simply doesn’t have a high volume of aftermarket support, never really having caught on as a popular platform for upgrading. Here, the car gains points for unique- ness when someone finally appreciates its true potential and shows the world what the car can do, but generally the cost in sourcing and fabricating compo- nents is financially and logistically prohibitive.
When in doubt, it is helpful to look into enthusiast clubs for the particular make and model of car you are seeking to modify. Many enthusiast discussion forums and message boards exist on the Internet and can provide a wealth of information by owners and would-be owners of the car you are considering modifying. By seeing what others have or haven’t been able to achieve with the particular car, you can better assess whether your car is even a viable candidate for its intended path.
