- Oh hey there, buds.
I'm trying to convince the team that we need
to get a T-shirt that is the culmination
of all our questionable sayings,
like, "At the end of the day", or "Bud"
or maybe even an "Oofda".
But they aren't buying it and it kinda makes me sad.
What else makes me sad is watching people run their cars
into walls with their 700 horsepower cars.
That took a turn.
High horsepower cars are absolutely insane!
They are fun as hell and absolutely terrifying.
They make any orifice on your body
absolutely water-tight.
Oof, some good ol' imagery right there.
Not only that, but the rookie mistakes that can lead you up
to turning your EVO or STI into a high horsepower number
is plenty and often the reasons why these "builds" never
leave the jack stands.
Don't worry.
We don't judge.
It happens to everyone.
It happens to me too.
You just don't wanna be that guy that's got a build
on their jack stands for six years and consistently
talks smack about him.
Because that's not what I do-- (mumbles) Nobody likes that.
I'm Alex, @ALEX.FI on Instagram.
And today we're going to be talking about
rookie mistakes people make when they add
horsepower to their car.
Bing, bam, boom, roll the clip!
Boo!
(computer sounds)
(heavy base music)
While you're just getting into it,
don't forget to subscribe if you haven't yet,
and if you're looking for after market wheels,
tires or suspension, go to the
FitmentIndustries.com website.
Because that's what we do and we've got it all.
Like, literally everything.
Probably should be on that t-shirt too.
And if you guys are looking to get entered
in to win a free set of coilovers,
you can actually check the description link below,
where we've partnered with Fortune Auto
to give away a set of coilovers.
Anyway, jumping straight into the bucket list,
the first and biggest rookie mistake
when adding horsepower to your car,
is not having what they would call in modern
21st century, a game plan.
This is notoriously common with muscle cars
that have incredible potential for power
but the owner has absolutely no clue
where they want to end up with.
They just want more!
Because this is America and
America doesn't settle for anything less!
What I want is more and I always want more!
However, when you're adding horsepower,
you should probably be looking for a
specific number to try and hit or stay around
and get the mods that are built around that number.
Aiming for a 700 horsepower build for your Corvette
and getting caught with a
100 or 1100 horsepower capable tune,
with cams that are rated for 540 horsepower
and an exhaust off Ebay and 22-inch wheels
is not going to get the job done
because they're just all over the place.
You kind of want to bring it in to what you plan to do.
If you label a number with the build,
you know what you're going to have to invest in the car
and it makes it a bit easier to follow.
It's also going to be easier on any sort of tuners
that you're trying to bring in
or any mechanics that you're looking to get involved.
Having a plan, gets the car off the jack stands faster,
and the dug is away from the non-dugga areas.
Another massive rookie mistake
is forgetting about leg day.
And that goes out for all of you
and I'm not just talking about your car.
In all honesty, when people end up blowing up
and going all in on a car, they usually miss a few points.
Probably because they didn't have a plan.
But one of those bigger points is the car's legs.
Or the actual wheels, tires and suspension.
Gears banging 700 horsepower, all-wheel drive monster.
And you're running out on some like rusted out coilovers
that you bought with the car.
Or tires that are rated for about, like 70 horsepower.
Because tires are lame.
Don't forget about the fact that is likely the most
important part of your build.
Which is how the power is going to get to the ground.
How much those items actually weigh,
and how the car handles that power
under load and driving conditions.
You should be focusing on your suspension and tires.
Just as much as those big ol' cam boys.
Just trust me on that one.
Because it's going to come down to how the car feels,
when you're driving the actual car.
And if you're going very, very fast,
and your tires decide to just no longer want to live,
it's going to be a bad time.
But forgetting about certain parts
of the car can happen quite a bit.
It'll happen even more so once you're done
with the build and you just think,
"Wow, I will never have to look at any of this again!"
- You're watching burn up biahh--
- Then you close the hood for nine months
and send it because pfft--
Why would you need to look back at your garage build
after 100 miles to make everything is still Kosher
and working as intended.
Not me, because I do everything right
the first time when I build my cars.
Every time you go to add power to your car,
always do a spot check after you're completed
the installation, or tune, or whatever it is
that you're looking to add numbers to your car.
It'll help you catch like little weird things,
like leaky oil points, ticking, disconnected clamps
because those little (beep) never stay on.
Or whatever else you can possibly have played with.
You know, with newer cars you're playing with
a lot of like
(sped up) little like snapping pieces
that kind of go back and keep everything organized.
(Normal voice) And nobody wants to put that stuff back
and that stuff gets loose and then it rots or gets heated.
And then it melts, and then you have electrical powers.
It's kind of, it's kind of rough, you know?
And even though everyone and their mother loves
adding more horsepower to their car,
(screams)
It's so good!
(screams)
It's so good!
It's actually a rookie mistake when people put too much
in their little baby, tiny little tinker car.
Because when you throw too much horsepower at a car,
I know this is hard to believe,
on a car that is not originally built to handle that power,
it can make the car, un-fun to drive.
I know, I know.
Then you end up losing the reliability of the car,
in and of itself, and then you just never
drive the car to begin with.
When adding horsepower, go slow
and work into the power numbers you want.
Because you may find that you'll hit a ceiling
of what you find enjoyable and reliable,
and then what you actually want to go
brag about on the internet.
But what I can say is that when people built
ridiculously high horsepower cars,
a lot of times, they never end up driving them
because they're just too difficult to drive.
Specially when it's a garage build.
Because it's not as "refined"
as something that comes out of the gate.
And last thing,
when you're looking to add horsepower to your car,
make sure all of the car can handle
what you're about to throw at it.
Things like, oh, your differential.
The old drive line, perhaps.
The U-joints, if you've got an old car.
Brakes, half shafts, and all that stuff,
is actually going to be ready
for the beating it's about to receive
when you launch it in first gear.
And it's not uncommon for us to forget about
those little guys underneath the car
because, (pfft)
those aren't cool, or shiny or neat.
However, they do make your car actually, you know, like, go.
And don't forget that those pieces, and if you're looking
to add a ton of horsepower to an older car, like let's say,
(sped up) a 1976 Datsun 280z,
(normal voice) it's just better off
to replace them right away so that they
don't blow up on the highway
when you're going to a Cars and Coffee.
I feel like half these videos
are just me talking to younger me.
I think that's really all this is.
So what do you think is the biggest
rookie mistake people make
when adding horsepower to their car?
What rookie mistake did you make?
Drop a comment and let us know so that we can either
laugh or cry with you.
And if you're looking for aftermarket
wheels, tires or suspension,
you know where to go!
Be sure to check out FitmentIndustries.com,
where we have it all.
I'm Alex, from Fitment Industries,
and we will see you later.
Peace!