Coprolite

Historically, I have been through a lot of cars. Not many make it past 2-3 years before something newer/better distracts me. I am currently loving the new '11 coupe and it should keep me happy for a while. Part of the enjoyment I get is in the planning and researching. I have included approximate times for replacement, but would love feedback on timing and order of mods. I wouldn't mind ending up with a "sleeper" TT after a couple of years. Reliability is paramount as this will be a daily family driver for at least the first few years. I would need to buy a new house to fit more cars. That won't happen until after June 2012 when I won't have to pay the $8k back to the federal govt.

No real plans to track the car. I have to start learning karts if I hope have my upcoming kid ready for racing school in 5-6 years.

Considerations:
Oil - Going synthetic/top end at 3 months
Intake - No need until F/I
Tires - Wear them out first
Rims/Tires - 5 years of free repairs (excluding treadlife)
Grill - Buy a blacked out one but keep the OEM - rotate when bored.
Exhaust- What is usually OEM life? Replace when OEM dies or upon TT.
Body Mods - prefer the sleeper look or very subtle...
Suspension - Sport suspension is stiff enough for right now.

TT- Most likely with a GTM system after 3ish years. This gives time to get bored of the current set up and put 30-40k miles on to the car. It may also coincide with a new house. Ship off one car, buy a new one and move before the G is ready. 3-4 car garage ready when the G gets back. The specific components of the TT will probably be much different by the time this happens, so I am not worrying about it now. Strengthening any failure prone engine components can be done at TT time to ensure the best reliability.

I have also heard great possibilities about fuel efficiency/parasitic power reduction mods, like electric A/C compressors, etc.

What do you all think?

DmfG37sTT

Sounds like you got a plan. But its funny how your plans seem to change up on you. Wish you the best of luck and im sure you will have tons of fun with your G. I sure have.

TheIvoryG

iTrader: (3)

You make some great points...but I don't get it. The title indicates to do mods to keep it fresh, and you admit you get bored of cars quickly, yet you don't plan to really do any mods for a few years when you drop the TT into it?

DmfG37sTT

And if your going to TT I would just go ahead and do it instead of waiting till the motor has more miles on it. I can see waiting till after the break in period but 30-40k miles. I wish I just would have done mine when the miles were lower. Or just decide to build the motor before the TT that way its as reliable as you want it to be.

Steveo47

iTrader: (8)

break in the engine first before tt imo. I guess it doesnt really matter. Do what you want. Hell ive spend a lot more money on the g then i ever thought i was going to. At the start i didnt think i would ever mod the car. its REALLY easy to buy things especially if they are relatively small (~100$). Just pick like 3 things you wanna buy, save up and buy them. leave the small stuff till last. I didnt, i dont regret it, but if i did i would have a BBK right now instead of a different lights, and dress up bolts ect

jarborn1

iTrader: (5)

So what are you modding? Only thing it looks like from here is the grill?

Should change the title to... When i am bored with my G after 3 years i will TT to keep it fresh.

Coprolite

If you look at it from the standpoint of having the car less than a month and not knowing what is out there, it may make more sense. I don't even know how to use all the systems that are there now. As I noted it takes me a while to wish for more, then move to shopping around, then hold off until I can't resist it anymore. This works out to 2-3 years on exciting cars.

Perhaps I wasted too much on the background and never got to the questions...
1)Based upon your experience, what order do you think is the best?
or
2)OMG, I can't believe I waited so long to install XXX!
or
3)Things that you wished you had done right the first time...
4)Why did the Cobb Accessport get discontinued?(haven't had time to investigate that one)

I know that all the plans will end up changing. After all, I bought a coupe with our first baby on the way. Who knows where my priorities will be in a few years. I do know that if/when I buy a new (family?) car, the G will be available to go crazy on...hence the TT.

The exhaust might have to go early though...and maybe some led turn signal mirrors or whatever new thing I haven't discovered, yet.

Steveo47

iTrader: (8)

not sure about cobb, but as far as i know it was only available for the MT G's. Anyways if you dont plan on getting an intake as your first mod. I would go:
BB grounding kit
Coilovers

BB grounding kit will help with the tranny, and coilovers will allow you to mold the feel of the car to whatever you wants.

Coprolite

I'm stuck in the transition of wanting to do everything I used do but saddled with the responsibilities of a house(that I am renovating), kids and a job that requires travel all around the US. If a simple powder room mod took me over a month, I am trying to be realistic with the car changes and get the most out of the changes that I have time to make.

Would it make any sense to do all the mods associated(exhaust/suspension?) with the TT before the actual engine tear down? If I get into the TT process, the questions become endless.

Steveo/DMF - What would consider broken in enough for the Turbo? Given that I anticipate a good TT will be from $10-20k, I can't do it tomorrow and stay within cashflow...

BB grounding kit is definitely on the list. Does it really have a noticeable impact or mainly a feel good one? In either case, it is my kind of change. Make the car how it should have been OE, like real time tire pressure readings, etc...

Some of the cool mods like rims are limited by the fact that I couldn't turn down the $0 deductible rim and tire insurance. With my business travels, the rims will suffer along the way. Last January, I was driving around Midland/Odessa through 1-2 foot deep rivers that they called roads, looking for a new tire after a blowout and rim road rash... I will have to over the fine print and cancel it if it has geographical limits. I would then be free to put on some nice Vossens or the like...

Doggy

iTrader: (12)

Ok IMO the mod bug will bite you, trust me! First get intake and exhaust, lowering kit it a must, springs or coils if you can afford, I'd get wheels too but if you wana be a sleeper then nm,

Steveo47

iTrader: (8)

nn makes a big different in shifting a a mild difference in throttle response imo. I dont personally have a TT kit, but most say you engine isnt fully broken in till 20-30k km. So around that time would be good. But to be honest i dont think its a big deal if you dont drive like a sh!thead

Coprolite

As this is related to the mod plan, I am asking it here.

Does the sport have the same sway bars as the journey? I read that upgrading them doesn't change the ride, just the cornering, right? Do skid pad #s go up?

If I did any kind of lowering, I would want to do a variable set up. This part of Texas is not set up for low riding cars, unless you don't care about your front lip. I bet the average family car here is an f150 4x4 that never leaves pavement.

Not enough time for this stuff. I got the mother load shipment from DI, but the weather is crap for the next few days. Now I am stuck reading about all the stuff that could be done to mod the car...

Need
to
fight
the
urge
to
splurge

xyz

iTrader: (1)

I vote for sways.

Sport has different sway bar than Journey, but an after-market one will put a bigger smile on your face.

Coprolite

I think that the mods that involve a lot of crawling around on the ground will wait until late spring, when I won't freeze myself too much. I will be doing the BB grounding sometime soon, but the initial home detail is first on the list. It just needs to stop raining and being so "cold".

I have learned to imitate surprise when new boxes show up at the door. After all, why bother owning a hand truck if you can't move big and heavy boxes around?

I only wish that I had known about the HRE rims when I paid for the tire/rim insurance....

Steveo47

iTrader: (8)

imo leave sway bars and to coilovers. Granted sway bars are a big deal, coilovers will get you the most results all the time, not just when turning. granted they are more expensive then sway bars.

TRY TO NOT SPLURGE, i did it, and im poor now :P. too much too fast, its so easy to spend 50 here, 150 there. Go big first imo or youll buy red start buttons and HID fogs and dress up bolts like me haha. If i could go back, i would have gotten coilovers and exhaust first.

MY current mods are strut bar, intakes, dressupbolts, hid fogs, 6000k headlights, BC coilovers, SPC cambers, LED upgrage, BB grounding kit, and test pipes in my garage to instal later and soon spacers.

Imo get coilovers first, youll gain alot of variablility when it comes to your ride height and stiffess and have a better drive feel. At the same till you drop 20-40 pounds of weight which is always good.