Modified Cars, a Technicians Point of View

[EricTheCarGuy]

I won’t lie, as a technician modified cars are a PITA to deal with. What do you think?

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[EricTheCarGuy]

[quote=”Fopeano” post=114097]I can’t even explain how much money my service department and it’s techs have lost because of the front allowing modified cars (Mitsubishi Evolutions mostly) into the shop without ever charging them extra for it. They also price installation of aftermarket parts using flat rate times for factory parts. It’s insane but it happens because the manager is a EVO fanboy and wants to make all the other EVO fanboys happy

One guy’s car I’ve sunk so much free labor into that I outright refuse to work on it anymore. Everytime the car comes in the shop I tell my boss that he is an asshole, and everytime I see the customer I taunt him about his obnoxious shitmobile and how much money he owes me. I told my boss if he ever MAKES me work on that car despite my refusal, I’ll sabotage it and play dumb when it comes back with a light on. The car’s owner just more money than brains and he keeps showing up with parts he doesn’t understand, such as a turbo with the bearing section clocked to a different position to the oil and coolant lines don’t line up anymore.

“We’ll get ya right in” 🙁

Thanks again for all of your ‘virtual empathy’ Eric, you do a good thing for all sides of this business.[/quote]

That’s an extreme case for sure. It never got that bad for me, but there were certain customers that I didn’t like to see come in. In particular a guy with an RSX that he obviously raced which often came in for warranty work. Sigh, I suppose the dealership has to make money somehow.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[Brian Barrett]

Not really a mechanic or a machinist, but I play one at the machine shop where I work. The mod thing has come up, I’ve thought about it. I have an LX Civic, not a race car. It would pretty much ruin the whole point of owning that car. I wish more people understood “the mods that you have done don’t necessarily increase the value of the vehicle.” Also the fact that the work you put in it or the parts you put on it doesn’t increase the value. If you have XYZ vehicle that is running it is worth $XXXX. Especially if I’m the buyer and have to take all that stuff off (currently looking for a mid 90’s jeep wrangler w/o lift) to make it highway speed worthy. I also like the “I’ve done XYZ to it, (usually non-stock mods) and I’m an engineer/machinist, so you know it was done right.” Uh huh, sure.

[Kris]

I work at a Mazda dealer so occasionally we get a modified MPS or rx8/7 and for the most part there alright, generally theres no real deep work done on them ( engine,transmission,turbo etc ) more of the Ooo i can see that lets make it stainless steel or try and make it look pretty, which with dodgy threads or slightly miss matching parts causes problems with Engine Management stuff. We had some bloke try and fit a pod filter on a rx8 with some dodgy stainless intake piping, so much pirate air

[Fire]

Hi Eric

I asked this in the Youtube comments but i thought i would come on over to the discussion thread and put it hear as its bugging me.

I need ask you something. I am in limbo about this topic of mod but is there any benefit to it or not. I currently have a Plastic Intake Manifold. I am looking at pulling a similar intake off a different model which is an alloy intake manifold that fits. Which is better, an alloy manifold or a plastic manifold? I am getting the feeling my plastic manifold is more prone to create a vacuum leak in comparison to an alloy manifold.

So yes what is the take on Alloy vs Plastic inlet manifolds and changing a plastic manifold for a alloy one, is it worth it and what benefits and advantages are their. Most importantly, which is most reliable?

[Tim Brown]

Hi, I’m new to the forum and would like to share my car mod story:

Back in the mid ’80s I owned an ’81 hatchback Accord.
Had a friend who was a tech at a Honda dealership who had a tweaked Civic.
After a couple years running stock, with friends help and my life long propensity to take things apart, we gave the Accord a makeover.
We freshened the bottom end with new rings, rod bearings and honed cylinders.
I ordered a non-CVCC head with 2mm larger valves, a higher performance cam, a re-curved distributor and MSD performance coil.
Fed it with a Weber DGEV carb and added a second snorkel to stock air filter, routed the intakes to a cold air zone, but kept the warm air stove with thermostat set to 90F for winter drivability.
Added 4 into one tube header, 2″ (up from 1 3/4″) pipe and free-flow but not too noisy muffler.
Hollowed out the cat converter, spent months tweaking carb jetting (primary bore a bit lean, secondary a bit rich) and timing to get MPGs as good as stock with 89 octane gas.
Used an exhaust analyzer to find settings that passed idle emissions test (retard timing and lean idle mixture).
The downside? Due to increased torque transmission bearing failed in less than a year.
Second time I heard the trans start to whine/growl the bearing self destructed on the way to the garage and knocked a hole in the trans case: ugly scene!
A trans from a Prelude turned out to be stronger and lased the duration.
I don’t miss having to adjust valves every 5000 miles.

Suspension mods:
Thicker front sway bar and rear sway added. Tokiko gas shocks.
Downside: aftermarket front sway bar bracket broke and I didn’t know it until the car spun out on a curve in heavy rain: exciting oversteer!
I managed to stay in my lane going backwards at 30+ mph.

I also added cruise control, vacuum gauge on the center console and a vacuum switch that cut off the AC compressor under heavy throttle.

Alas it was totaled by a teenager zooming over a blind hill in an old V8 Malibu when I was double parked.

[Author]

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