by mattyboyl » Wed Apr 07, 2004 10:37 am
Ok Chip, I'll try to help you since I tricked out my 3000GT and have experience with both performance mods and aesthetic mods which would be mods that make the car look good. I have had everything from exhaust to rims, to an interior wood kit to tinting. If you are going for all show and no go, I would recommend a set of rims to start. Since we have such a huge wheel gap, I would probably go with 18" or 19". If you want to keep the same ride quality, get thicker rubber (tires) to wrap around the rims. People don't realize how much tires have effect on ride quality. They are the first shock absorbers of the car when going over a bump. Remember, its the only part of the car touch the road. Now to finsh the look of the rims, a set of lowering springs drops the car, which gives it a more aggressive stance, fills the wheel gap more, and makes the rims look a little bigger. Performance wise, the lowering of the car will give you better handling since the springs are stiffer than stock and your center of gravity is lower to the ground. Now back to rims. Chrome rims are heavy and will slow the car just a tad and make the brake system work harder due to the added weight. I don't think your autocrossing or street racing, so I wouldn't worry about that.
Now if you are going for performance (going faster), I would seriously save up for that TRD supercharger. That should make you as fast as many of the sports cars we brag about like the 350Z or S 2000. A supercharger can add up to 60 - 90 hp depending on application. Now you can get an exhaust and intake, which will give you alittle more hp and torque. These products can cost you up to $3-400 for a customized cat-back system including install and around $50-150 for an intake. Sure these are basic mods that are helpful with the exhaust note and give you alittle more hp, but these items would be a nice compliment to the supercharger when that comes out in the summer. The exhaust and intake would help you get the most out of the supercharger setup. I've had exhausts and intakes and other "little" items. These just didn't due it for me and I wished later that I saved for the "bigger" hp items like a turbo or supercharger set-up. I wouldn't recommend NOS (Nitrous Oxide) unless you are a serious street racer. Dollar for dollar this is the best money to hp ratio. But, if in the wrong hands can be just plain stupid. A Solara with NOS just doesn't fit IMO. This is a luxury/sport car. I understand adding items to make this car perform like a Mercedes or BMW, but remember, you didn't buy this car to race. If you did, you made a bad choice. Yes, it is a fast luxury/sport car, but it isn't a sports car by any stretch of the imagination. I hope this helps. Let me know if you need any more information.
