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Car tuning
Car tuning is both an industry and a popular hobby, in which a car is modified in order to improve its performance and handling and better suit the owners driving style. As most cars leave the factory set up for average driver expectations and average conditions, tuning has become a way to personalize the characteristics of the vehicle to the owners preference. For example cars may be altered to provide better fuel economy, produce more power at high RPM or the ride comfort may be sacrificed to provide better handling.
Car tuning is related to auto racing, although most performance cars never compete. Rather they are built for the pleasure of owning and driving such a vehicle. Another major facet of tuning includes performance modification the car exterior. This includes changing the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle via side skirts, front and rear bumpers, adding spoilers, splitters, air vents and light weight wheels.
Areas of modification
Engine tuning
Engine tuning involves modifications designed to increase the power of the engine. These modifications can range from a simple chip tuning, to adding nitrous injection, to a complete engine swap.
"Tuning an engine" has many different meanings today. Traditionally, to actually tune an engine meant adjusting the timing and the air/fuel ratios. Today, many people consider tuning to be adding cold air intakes, exhaust systems, turbochargers, or any other part that could conceivably make the car faster. It is important to note that the two different meanings behind the word tuning refer to two completely different methods of making a car faster.
Adjusting engine timing and air/fuel ratios generally improves power and reliability of an engine without any further modifications. On the other hand, tuning an engine becomes incredibly beneficial after already heavily modifying the engine with upgrades, like forced induction (including nitrous) or adjusting the internal parts to increase engine compression.
Adding parts to increase horsepower and torque is mechanical tuning, but adding body kit or/and modify interior is optical tuning.
Suspension tuning
Suspension tuning involves modifying the feathers/springs and absorbers of a vehicle. Here shorter feathers/springs and stronger shock absorbers are mostly used, in order to reduce body roll during cornering. Often the vehicle is lowered somewhat, reducing the vehicle's ground clearance and lowering it's center of gravity.
For offroad vehicles, the emphasis is on lengthening the suspension to increase clearance.
Lowriders with hydraulic suspensions are another unique kind of suspension tuning.
Body tuning
Body tuning involves adding or modifying spoilers and a body kit. Sometimes this is done to improve the aerodynamic performance of a vehicle, as in the case of some wings or bumper canards. More often, these modifications are done mainly to improve a vehicle's appearance, as in the case of non-functioning scoops, wide arches and the like. Very rarely does an after market body kit improve performance, the majority add weight and make the car handle worse.
Interior modifications
Interior modifications often call for a change or upgrade from factory-installed equipment. Seats may be upgraded for performance or styling reasons. Some car modifiers add such products as lava lamps or electric balls to make the car look classy or different from other modified cars.
One common type of interior modification is the addition of multimedia devices, for example audio amplifiers, speakers and subwoofers, DVD players, and televisions.
Exterior modifications
Exterior modifications could include body kits, spoilers, HID( High Intensity Discharge) Xenon & Neon lights, Alloy Wheels, and carbon fiber body components.
Whether external modifications offer any actual advantages in aerodynamic performance is highly debated. However, it stands to reason that the addition of a rear mounted wing on a front wheel drive vehicle will adversely affect the vehicle's performance, if the wing provides any significant downforce at all.
Terms
"Pimped" cars are usually classic convertibles.
"Streeted" cars are Japanese imports, such as a Toyota Supra or Lancer Evolution series, these cars are most commonly modified with the more expensive mods available. The most popular modifications include neon lights and vinyl stickers.
"Tasteless" car modifications
Cars are often modified in a manner that is considered to be "tasteless or unsightly ", an example of this being bright colors and low-cost exterior/interior modifications. Tasteless car modifications are one of the components of the British stereotype of the "chav". Note that the crucial aspect of car modding associated with this stereotype is its superfical nature (Bean can tail pipes, cheap "blow-over" paint jobs, redundant spoilers etc.). Other British subcultures engage in car modding, with the focus on "under the hood" modifications (customised engines, brakes etc.), without incurring the same criticism or condescension. British car show Top Gear has a "Carbage" section on their website featuring numerous photos of tackily modded vehicles.
Legal Requirements
Many countries have legal requirements in regard to what car owners can and can't do in relation to vehicle modifications. For example, all vehicles in Victoria, Australia, must conform to construction standards to ensure vehicles provide drivers and passengers with a minimum level of safety. The construction standards are contained in the Vehicle Standards Information Bulletins. There are also High Powered Vehicle Restrictions for P Plate drivers which can prevent young drivers from driving modified vehicles.
Sanctioning organizations
Many organizations involved in competitive motorsports establish safety guidelines that far exceed legal requirements when viewed in terms safety. The NHRA, IHRA and SOLO programs all require that vehicles pass inspection to ensure that all regulations are being complied with.
