Manyflow5

 Shopping Typical shell-type seats cost from $250 to $1,500 each, depending on -  Design -  Construction method -  Weight -  Certification by either • FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, which is French for International Federation of Automobiles) • TUV (Technischer Überwachungsverein, which is German for Technical Inspection Association) Neither sanctioning body’s approval is necessary for a safe, high-quality seat, but a manufacturer that goes through the expense and red tape of submitting a seat for approval with these organizations definitely has done its homework. Safe installation of aftermarket seats often requires use of model-specific slid- ers. Sliders are what connect the seat to the car, and allow the seat to slide forward and rearward in the cabin. A major consideration for many, especially those long-limbed folks, is helmet clearance. Different seat and slider combi- nations yield unique headroom. For this reason, some dedicated (and ta...

 Knowing When to Stop Perhaps the most important mistake novice enthusiasts make in modifying their cars is not recognizing when to step back and leave it alone. Modifications are a tricky business. They can bring out the very best in your car, and set it apart from the crowd in a good way, or they can bring out the very worst and make you the subject of ridicule. Even the best and most experienced car modders strike out once in a while, so if your last few mods have been home runs knocked straight out of the park, don’t feel pressure to swing and miss. Experience teaches that, with rare exceptions, the most impressive cars from both a performance and cosmetic standpoint came together over a long stretch of time. The 1992 E30 BMW M3 that looks so terrific today may have been in the works for over 12 years. Odds are that it did not come together in a flurry of activity in a couple months. Cars that are built quickly fail to pro- vide a sense of perspective on the overall project. Th...

 Free Advice As the old adage goes, free advice is worth what you pay for it. People edu- cate themselves and train to carry out expert modifications, and when they have become competent and recognized in this arena, tend to charge for their services either as tuners, crew chiefs, or build consultants. If someone offers you their advice on how to create the perfect fuel map, properly set up your suspension, or take out a stain on your hood with a Brillo pad and a jar of mayonnaise, they may know what they are talking about, or they may be certifiably insane — but one thing remains clear: They will not take liability for any harm you cause to your car or yourself. This point may seem fairly obvious, but too many people rely on free advice because it is free and available everywhere. Your mailman, your mom’s friend, and your local priest probably all have opinions on what would look/work great on your car. Are you going to listen to them? The funny thing is, if you are getting your i...

 Warranty Concerns Modifications that are easily reversible and undetectable are also of para- mount importance when it comes to maintaining your new car’s warranty. Let’s face it: Cars break. They are mechanical objects consisting of highly complex systems, some of which fail prematurely. If a new car dealer can find a way to void your warranty — even if in outright violation of the Magnuson- Moss Warranty Act — you better believe that it will. If a number of cars are suffering from, for example, a main bearing failure which would otherwise be covered under the manufacturer’s powertrain warranty, and your car happens to have a modified air intake — something that has noth- ing to do with the longevity of the main bearing — you better believe that your local dealership service center is not only going to deny the warranty coverage that would otherwise have applied to fixing your car, but is going to log a note in your file accessible by all dealers in your region (some can even do ...

 Plug and Play Perhaps the most exciting recent development in the world of standalone ECU replacements is the new breed of plug-and-play ECUs that come preloaded with base maps. Buy the least expensive system that meets your needs. If there’s a plug-and-play solution for your car (they don’t exist for every model), go with it. It drastically reduces the cost and time of installation and tuning. The Power FC and the AEM are basically competing products that do the same thing. Their technical specs might be slightly different, but they have roughly the same functionality at the same price point: -  Base maps. The AEM starts as a more open interface because you don’t have the locked-out sections that the Power FC has. The Power FC base maps, in my experience, tend to be more reliable. -  Handheld controller. The Power FC has from the very beginning come bundled with a commander unit. A company called Gauge Ware now offers a Commander-style display for the AEM EMS. -  P...

 Tuning for the real world Many tuners spend quite a bit of time going for a perfect power curve on the Dyno. The problem with this approach is that the Dyno is an artificial environment. If no time is invested in logging data on what the car is doing in the real world, you may end up with terrific full-throttle acceleration maps and horrible part-throttle maps (where you’ll likely be doing the majority of your driving). Tuning is a science, and a good tuner works with you to ensure that your car is set up to meet your goals: -  If your car is nothing but a straight-line drag racer, then the only time it ever goes any- where, the gas pedal is buried in the carpet, and part-throttle response may not matter much to you. -  If your tuner is accustomed to going for the gusto with wide-open throttle (WOT) tuning only, and your car is only driven at WOT a fraction of the time, then spend the extra time to ensure that the part-throttle response is tuned properly for your driving...