car mods /upgrades that actually worked?

[steveo3002]

im sure weve all wasted money on shite that didnt work or made things worse 

 

what have you upgraded /modded that worked a treat?

 

mine are

headlamp relay /loom - transformed the shite headlights

hefty battery cables and earths -sorted hot start problems and it turns over like a mofo now

weber carb convo- runs like a swiss watch and easy to retune

[Richard]

VW Relay 99 mod. Gives infinitely variable intermittent wipe just by swapping the wiper relay for the VW one. Works on Volvo 850/V70 and a load of other cars.

[DVee8]

I fitted Osram nightbreaker bulbs,there is a marked difference.

[Tamworthbay]

Stage one kit on a mini.

Winter tyres

Mintex 1144 pads on anything

[pshome]

Weber conversion is a good thing, did spice up my 504 GL and is much simpler to service and maintain than the original Zenith.

Taking the concept further, replacing the 4 pot Solex fed Simca steel lumb with a triple Weber fired 6 pot PRV did wonders to Tagora No 3.

 

Always makes me feel good to give advise that is relevant to the majority of shiters... 

[steveo3002]

hell yeah to winter tyres....they certainly work as advertised on snow

[pshome]

A short cable from battery and a relay to get full voltage into ignintion helps cold starts a lot.

[dave21478]

Second vote for Osram Nightbreakers.

 

Points-assisted electronic ignition. A basic kit from Maplins years back made a noticeable difference on various minis I owned.

 

Not really a mod but if stuck, letting air out the tyres makes a MASSIVE difference. 

[RoadworkUK]

Grabhandle-mounted overhead reading lights in a Mk1 Rover 800. The sockets are already there ready and waiting for the lamps to be installed.

[Junkman]

Replacing this newfangled H4 tosh with proper sealed beams enables one to actually see what's going on ahead of the car at night.

[320touring]

Nightbreakers make e30 headlamps acceptible.

 

a well set up LSD helps no end with a rwd car

[twosmoke300]

Having proper Lucas sealed beams in the Landy and modern tosh h7's in the Saab I call bollocks on that !

[lisbon_road]

Electronic ignition on Vauxhall Viva.  Totally transformed it - Delco distributors are dreadful.

Webber carb on Viva, much better than standard carbs.  CD150s were ok but went out of tune quickly.

LPG conversions on Astra is cheap to run, cleaner and does not foul the oil at all.

Multipoint injection on Astra instead of CFi, more power and more economy.

Higher ratio back axle on my fathers Vauxhall VX1800 estate.  Made it much more pleasant.

[sofarsogood]

Poly bushes on a Range Rover

[fordperv]

a multi layer steel head gasket from a 2.0 16v scorpio on a granada/sierra dohc

[seth]

Re-engineering the top mounts on my Hillman's front struts to give me about 3/4" more suspension travel was a great success.

 

 

 

 

[Mr A Lawrence]

A cheapo cone filter and a universal back box gave me at least 50bhp extra AT THE WHEELS.

 

Also increased my mpg by at least 25%. fact.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll get me coat.

[tooSavvy]

BleachBottle washers.... well, you did ask!

 

TS

[pshome]

A cheapo cone filter and a universal back box gave me at least 50bhp extra AT THE WHEELS.

 

Also increased my mpg by at least 25%. fact.

 

mind sharing the brand name?

[mat_the_cat]

VW Relay 99 mod. Gives infinitely variable intermittent wipe just by swapping the wiper relay for the VW one. Works on Volvo 850/V70 and a load of other cars.

 

Including the BX, and (unsurprisingly) the LT35...

 

That'd have been one of my mentions, but aside from that, putting a drain hole in the BX subframe seems to stop the corrosion of the rear suspension cylinders. Both mine corroded through (bizarrely within a week of each other) at 11 years old, as the subframe shrouds the cylinder and allows it to fill up with mud which is then held against the aluminium cylinder.

 

12 years later they are still intact, and looked pretty good a couple of years ago at last inspection.

[Negative Creep]

A cheapo cone filter and a universal back box gave me at least 50bhp extra AT THE WHEELS.

 

Also increased my mpg by at least 25%. fact.

 

 

 

U SHUD FOLD THE BACK SEATS DOWN. MY M8 GAZ DUN IT TO HIS CORSA AN HE SMOKED A SKYLYNE OF THE LHIGHTS LAST WEAK LOLZ

[egg]

I was driving a base....

 

 

Then l was driving a Ghia....

 

[Split_Pin]

I always upgrade interiors from a better equipped model. It's more fun that actually buying the better model to start with. I've also added things like cd holders, cup holders etc.

 

Absolutely nothing to do with performance though.....

[dollywobbler]

Another vote for transistorised ignition - ie points-assisted. Have had three fully electronic ignition units fail on me, but no failures with points-assisted. Well, the 2CV developed a misfire in France once, but that was a broken heatsink on the weather-proof box that the Maplins hit lived in. Sorted by aiming more air at it until I could get the heat sink reattached.

 

That said, the fully electronic ignitions are better if deep water is encountered. Points still don't like damp.

 

Another vote for winter tyres. 

[Supernaut]

This thread has reminded me I need to get some nightbreakers and some winter tyres for the Xantia...

 

I've had nightbreakers in almost every car, and a pair for the Xantia is something silly cheap like £10 on Amazon.

 

With winter tyres, I usually try to find a whole separate set of wheels to put them on, so I just swap them over. On that note, does anybody want some 16" Audi alloy wheels with Michelin Primacy Alpin tyres on them...? Maybe swap for some 15" Peugeot / Citroen wheels with winter tyres?

[Dave_Q]

Remaps for diesels. Yours for a £20 ebay wire and a bit of research. Very effective.

[Richard]

I prefer Silver Stars to Nightbreakers. Nightbreakers have a blue filter to make them look whiter, which I don't approve of.

[Asimo]

New Michelin radials really are much better than old crossply remoulds.

So much so, I now put them on the front as well!

 

Seriously, EBC brake pads. More expensive but worth every penny, last longer, cleaner wheels, better pedal feel. No idea about fade or peak deceleration because not a trackday wannabee.

[AMC Rebel]

VW Relay 99 mod. Gives infinitely variable intermittent wipe just by swapping the wiper relay for the VW one. Works on Volvo 850/V70 and a load of other cars.

This is the best thing ever.  Missed that since having it on my 96 Pasttit and was annoyed others didn't fit it - but as it happens, it is fitted to my Puma.  It's the best system - why doesn't everyone fit it instead of silly little wheels etc?

[155V6]

I always upgrade interiors from a better equipped model. It's more fun that actually buying the better model to start with. I've also added things like cd holders, cup holders etc.

 

Absolutely nothing to do with performance though.....

The Volvo has got a complete black interior to replace the tired beige one it came with,including leather gearknob & cupholder upgrades.I also changed the single disc cd player for the 3 disc version,& added a multichanger in the boot as the cables are already there.There's a chunkier steering wheel from a later model too.

More recently,I fitted aftermarket projector headlights which meant I could put HID's in without blinding everyone