Overrated fox upgrades and trims

[Boosted92LX]

As far as overrated, I would say anything billet that is not a mechanical item. Why in the heck does anyone need billet A/C knobs? I don't know, I've been in the machine trade since 1989 and made plenty of go fast goodies on a bridgeport mill, but anything made BILLET just to look pretty is dumb.

As far as coupes go, back around 1988 all you had to do to see which was more popular was drive to the Ford dealer. Rows and rows and rows of hatches and one or two coupes. I'm still trying to figure out how the popularity grew the way it did. All I can figure is they were lighter and the drag circuit immortalized them. In the late 80's people threw rocks at them.

Black interior, I don't know, I now own my first fox with all origional black interior and I really like it. It looks nice. It's funny to me how it became so popular too. Although I had an '85 ranger with tan interior and after driving that thing for six months and looking at that tan I had to tear it all out.

 

[Adams91LX]

Honestly... the thing I hate most...

Truly fast cars on stock fox brakes.

 

[NIKwoaC]

Here's my number one most over rated.
Custom chips or tuners.
You guys can plead all the crap you want, i've seen it tested every way.
Driveability my ass, if you picked and installed the parts right there is no driveability issues.
On a properly built car the stock computer will beat a chip every time.
Not sure there is a bigger waste of money.

I have to say that I'm extremely skeptical about this attitude. You can get CLOSE without a tune by just matching the right parts. CLOSE, but not necessarily PERFECT. Just google "mustang dyno tune" and you'll see 100 guys who pick up power from a good tune, even though they used the "right" parts the first time. Adaptive strategy seems to be able to pick up the slack a little bit, too, but what happens when you unhook your battery and clear the computer memory?

I've also been reading up a bit on the negatives of using a "calibrated" meter versus just tuning the computer to correctly recognize the injector size and MAF. The effects are longer reaching than I'd initially realized, and it seems that the bigger the injector/engine size ratio, the bigger the effect. It's kind of lead me to believe that some of my funky startup issues are a result of the 30s on my 302, though I can't say for sure just yet.

Also, without a tune, you're basically handcuffing yourself to the stock rev limiter, which I'm already suffering the consequences of that. :evil:

As for the large hood thing. I agree completely, but i think it falls under a different catergory than "over rated".
More in the Stupid catergory

+1

 

[skunk21]

Well I'm f'ed. I'll never be able to post on here again. I have many of the over rated crap mods on my car. all you guys really suck!!

I know, I know :violin:

 

[2000xp8]

I have to say that I'm extremely skeptical about this attitude. You can get CLOSE without a tune by just matching the right parts. CLOSE, but not necessarily PERFECT. Just google "mustang dyno tune" and you'll see 100 guys who pick up power from a good tune, even though they used the "right" parts the first time. Adaptive strategy seems to be able to pick up the slack a little bit, too, but what happens when you unhook your battery and clear the computer memory?

I've also been reading up a bit on the negatives of using a "calibrated" meter versus just tuning the computer to correctly recognize the injector size and MAF. The effects are longer reaching than I'd initially realized, and it seems that the bigger the injector/engine size ratio, the bigger the effect. It's kind of lead me to believe that some of my funky startup issues are a result of the 30s on my 302, though I can't say for sure just yet.

Also, without a tune, you're basically handcuffing yourself to the stock rev limiter, which I'm already suffering the consequences of that. :evil:



+1

The computer doesn't need to relearn how the car runs. It adapts to the current running conditions upon start up.
I've always used my battery switch as an anti theft switch. Car never once changed or had a problem. And the switch is connected properly to kill the computer.
I also used 30lb injectors with my old 302 setup, never had an issue.

My buddy now does a combo for people custom cam, afr 165's, rpmII intake with 30's and a PMAS meter, and all the cars make high 330's to the wheels on stock 302's. No chip, no driveability issues. People here come up way short of that even after their $750 chips and dyno tunes. Why bother?

People mistake first time start up issues to be with the computer or tune, it's not, it's mechanical. Yes sometimes you can bandaid it with a program, but it's still easier and cheaper to fix it the right way.
I've first hand seen the stock computer run to the 650rwhp mark, but i'm told it will work into the 700's.

I don't say these things because i have a vendetta against chips or programs, i just hate to see people waste money on crap. Between chips and electric fans people can blow a grand and get almost nothing in return.
All that money should go into the heads.

As for the limiter, that can be an issue, but for an extremely low amount of people. Unless you have an aftermarket blow there pretty much is no point in passing the limiter anyway.

 

[NIKwoaC]

As for the limiter, that can be an issue, but for an extremely low amount of people. Unless you have an aftermarket blow there pretty much is no point in passing the limiter anyway.

Why not? If an NA car wants to be shifted higher than 6250, like mine seems to, I don't see that as pointless. Otherwise you're short-shifting and giving up ET at the track.

 

[ReefBlueHatch]

Sorry, but I love black interior.

 

[NIKwoaC]

Sorry, but I love black interior.

Damn. Your car looks fantastic with those new wheels, BTW.

 

[jcsperson]

Maybe a better title would've been Least Bang For The Buck or Smallest Benefit For The Time & Effort Expended.

My pet peeve is "custom" paint. I've been shopping CL for just the right car. Sometimes, as I'm reading through the description, condition and mods on the car, I catch myself thinking, "This one sounds nice." Then I get to the bottom and see the picture and my heart sinks.

One guy had an otherwise outstanding Fox hatch painted an odd dark gray with metalflake the size of dimes in it. There is certainly nothing wrong with painting your own car any way you want, but these guys don't seem to realize that when it's time to sell their cars, not everyone is going to share their "vision," no matter how many compliments they get at Cruise Ins.

Odd custom-painted cars are a double whammy; not only do you pay extra for the paint, but they're harder to sell and it's likely you'll get less than a comparable stock-colored car.

 

[old_blue]

Sorry, but I love black interior.

most overrated mod.... steering wheel covers.


too bad that is the only thing I picked out on that car. I love the wheels.


On a more serious note. I guess the worst thing I hate is a GT body kit on a coupe. Just never looks right. Or a GT front end on a LX (no other trims past the nose). Do it all or not at all.

 

[RUNINAGT]

I'm on the fence with the 5lug swap. I like the idea of Cobra breaks but not sure about what wheels I would run. I really like my 17x8 Black Saleen 4lug replicas. Alot of the 5 lug wheels are 17x9 which requires bigger tires. Not sure how the car would ride with that much rubber in the front either.

Any way to get a better pic of your car with the Black saleen repl ? I have the chrome's and have been wanting to see what blacks would look like.

 

[ReefBlueHatch]

most overrated mod.... steering wheel covers.


too bad that is the only thing I picked out on that car. I love the wheels.


On a more serious note. I guess the worst thing I hate is a GT body kit on a coupe. Just never looks right. Or a GT front end on a LX (no other trims past the nose). Do it all or not at all.

Trust me, you don't want to see what's under that cover. It's the last thing that need to be done on the inside. I'm thinking about trying one of LRS re-wrapped wheels.

 

[wythors]

Trust me, you don't want to see what's under that cover. It's the last thing that need to be done on the inside. I'm thinking about trying one of LRS re-wrapped wheels.

Wheelskins - The World's Finest Genuine Leather Motoring Accessories, Steering Wheel Covers, Driving Gloves and Shift Boots If you take your time with the installation, it almost can't be told from original.

 

[2000xp8]

Wheelskins - The World's Finest Genuine Leather Motoring Accessories, Steering Wheel Covers, Driving Gloves and Shift Boots If you take your time with the installation, it almost can't be told from original.

Good link.
I cut my stocker off so long ago, i haven't even given it a thought for years.

 

[mg92calypso]

#1 HUGE cowl hoods on otherwise bone stock car
#2 TERRIBLY DISGUSTING chrome alteza tail lights
#3 JUST AS DISGUSTING as the tails, the LED HALO headlights

these seem to be the "THING TO HAVE" around here.

i have a coupe and a hatch, love a clean coupe but wouldn't turn away a nice hatch either. and i would ABSOLUTELY love to have my black coupe back with the red interior! i love the red!!!

 

[Gearbanger 101]

I really don't have an issue with cowl hoods. Even semi large ones. They can make, or break the look of a car.

I drool everytime I see this pic and would love for mine to resemble something similar in the near future....

View attachment 184826

 

[LarsD]

I don't say these things because i have a vendetta against chips or programs, i just hate to see people waste money on crap. Between chips and electric fans people can blow a grand and get almost nothing in return.
All that money should go into the heads.

I can't agree on the efan. If done right they are great. I have less then $200 in my Taurus fan setup and it cools a lot better here in the Texas heat then the old mechanical fan did (Autometer verified).

 

[2000xp8]

putting LX tails on a GT are also on the top of my list of overrated mods.

That my friend is NOT overrated. It's a necessity to change out cheese graders for 86 tailights or lx's.
Not sure i've ever looked at a gt and thought the cheese graders looked good.

 

[Chuckman]

That my friend is NOT overrated. It's a necessity to change out cheese graders for 86 tailights or lx's.
Not sure i've ever looked at a gt and thought the cheese graders looked good.

i love em as long theyre in decent shape, and not on a lx body (theres an lx vert around here with em, they just dont look right without the gt ground effects)

 

[reddevils86]

The majority of overrated parts on here are one persons view vs another lol if a person does one thing and a guy does another there will be conflicting view points like smoke lenses and cowl hoods. A person might hate it and another likes it but if not for the varying view points all stangs would be the same the uniqueness of our tuning market is the varying views I personally like the clear smokes and little to no cowl increase but guys that like the mega hoods that keeps our prices low b/c a company cant sell a part at outrageous prices b/c we can go around it and get another thing due to demand and varying tastes. Nothing makes me feel better than telling f body owner what I pay for parts and see em turn red b/c theirs are two to three times more b/c their market is pretty much the same everyone wants fast intakes and certain pipes and a certain this and that variation in our market keeps things down so I love this post b/c it shows just how unique a fox can be.