VW Performance Parts – Engine Upgrades
If you are much like me you want your vehicle to visit faster. There are a few easy ways to get more “fast” from your volkswagen. Based on what type of VW you have the selection of parts available to you will be different wildly. There are plenty of individuals out there tuning their Golf/GTI but obviously there are a lot fewer Toureg parts out there.
There’s a large community of VW tuners available and visiting the forums where these folks spend time is an extremely wise decision. They are able to provide you with a concept of what to anticipate from various aftermarket parts. When the part exists the probability is good that someone on these forums has used it out and written about it. This might sound silly but a few the best things you can do to make sure your vehicle is running its best is to buy your vehicle a tune up and an oil change. Adding performance parts to a car that’s not already running its best won’t be nearly as effective. Another essential but overlooked thing is making sure your tires are properly inflated. This can improve the handling of the VW in addition to ensure you’re getting optimum fuel useage. Once these steps have been completed there is a hardly any other things you can do to upgrade your ride.
Engine / Power Upgrades
1) Upgrade your intake. This can be as easy as making sure your present air conditioning filter is clean. The more air your engne can get the better it will run. The following easiest choice is to install a high performance air filter that replaces the stock one. These provide better ventilation that ought to increase engine power slightly. The next step next is always to use a complete aftermarket intake system. Cold Air Intakes draw cool air externally the engine compartment rather than regular systems which suck in heat from around your engine. Many of these systems are simple enough to set up and can be done yourself in several hours or less. An aftermarket intake can cost between $50 all the way as much as $300.
2) Change your headers: The headers and downpipe is how the exhaust first leaves your engine on its way toward the climate. Higher performance headers allow more exhaust fumes to flee, which could give a dramatic increase to horsepower. Aftermarket header prices ranges from the couple hundred dollars to well over $1000 based on which kind of vehicle you have and what get you noticed choose. Think about look out for is that cheaper headers generally have fitment issues (you cannot get them to fall into line correctly for a simple bolt-on installation), plus they might have resonance issues. Resonance is caused by the exhaust vibrating the metal and will create a noise that bothers many people. Headers could be installed yourself if you are experienced enough.
3) Catback exhaust: These exhaust systems start in which the headers end. They connect with the Catalytic converter and replace the entire exhaust system towards the back of the car. Depending on how free flowing the stock exhaust is on your car this can be among the last upgrades you choose to do. These exhaust systems aren’t cheap and may require welding and/or professional installation. They often give your vehicle a higher performance sound over the stock setup. It’s also possible to simply replace the mufflers if all you worry about may be the sound.
4) Tires. One of the most overlooked performance enhancement you can do for the car would be to replace the tires. Adding lots of engine power won’t would you any good if you cannot get that capacity to the pavement. Replacing your tires with a wider tire or tires having a stickier compound will help you have more traction. Choosing tires is usually a compromise between Performance, Ride Comfort, and Tread Life. High end tires don’t last as long as regular ones. High performance tires may cost quite a bit of money too.
5) Underdrive Pulleys. You can reclaim some lost power out of your engine by installing a light-weight crank pulley. These are made from aluminum and often weigh several times less than the stock ones they replace. Underdrive pulleys are slightly smaller than the stock ones, meaning they turn the accessories they operate in a slightly lower speed. This is not a problem for most of us unless there is a huge stereo system. These pulleys are often just one approximately 200 dollars, and can be installed yourself. You will need a breaker bar to find the old one off, and a serious torque wrench to attach the brand new one. The last thing you want may be the pulley coming off while you are driving down the freeway!
6) Turbochargers. For those who have lots of money and therefore are serious about upgrading your vehicle a turbo kit might be the thing you need. Turbos use the exhaust from your engine to spin a turbine, which forces air into your engine. This pressurizes the air and improves horsepower dramatically. These aren’t very likely to be something you’d install yourself. They also may need other modifications to your car, therefore the cost is out of reach for most of us.