For starters, if anyone recognizes me, the only new developments on my project are an ebay T5 shifter and blue smoke out of my passenger side tailpipe. No garage yet.
Saving money for a house yet wanting more than ever to hotrod, I thought of all the money I’ve spent on my clean slate bone stock Regal over the past 13 years. Here’s what I have to say:
- I never should have bought Viking “coilovers” (they weren’t) but I enjoyed their adjustable shocks. Eibach springs have treated me just fine while racing or on the street. I would just go with that Bilstein/Eibach package that used to be super popular.
- Tall ball joints are an enjoyable modification, but racecar alignments on stock a-arms leave something to be desired in drivability. You at least want adjustable uppers if you go that route.
- Blazer spindles were a cool upgrade but I’m worried about finding new hubs or cool brakes in the future. My wheels probably can’t fit C5 brakes... Stock spindles would have been okay. Drop spindles are neat but be careful with wheel clearance.
- If you want your car to feel like a sporty machine, just buy sway bars and tires. Especially sway bars. They’re my favorite upgrade. But great tires will transform your lap times completely.
- I love my Buick 350, even though it’s only 216hp with a cam and bolt-ons. But I totally should have T5 swapped the Olds 307 first, if possible, and then built my own 350 using a cheaper core instead of buying an abandoned rebuild from a random shop.
- 3.73:1 was AMAZING compared to 2.56:1, but it’s too much gear for me. 3.42 would have been fine. Maybe less.
- Transgo made an excellent shift kit for the 200-4R. I would use it again.
- Only strip out your accessories and sound deadener if you’re making a race car. In the grand scheme of things, you lose more than you gain.
So basically, from stock:
-T5
-245 Summer tires on GM 16s (unless you want spinny tires)
-Sway bars
-Bilstein/Eibach suspension
-Tall ball joints
-Adjustable upper arms for alignment purposes.
Anything else for me is extra.
You can take this big post as a testimony from someone that just enjoys a spirited drive. Feel free to post your own revisions and must-haves below.
Saving money for a house yet wanting more than ever to hotrod, I thought of all the money I’ve spent on my clean slate bone stock Regal over the past 13 years. Here’s what I have to say:
- I never should have bought Viking “coilovers” (they weren’t) but I enjoyed their adjustable shocks. Eibach springs have treated me just fine while racing or on the street. I would just go with that Bilstein/Eibach package that used to be super popular.
- Tall ball joints are an enjoyable modification, but racecar alignments on stock a-arms leave something to be desired in drivability. You at least want adjustable uppers if you go that route.
- Blazer spindles were a cool upgrade but I’m worried about finding new hubs or cool brakes in the future. My wheels probably can’t fit C5 brakes... Stock spindles would have been okay. Drop spindles are neat but be careful with wheel clearance.
- If you want your car to feel like a sporty machine, just buy sway bars and tires. Especially sway bars. They’re my favorite upgrade. But great tires will transform your lap times completely.
- I love my Buick 350, even though it’s only 216hp with a cam and bolt-ons. But I totally should have T5 swapped the Olds 307 first, if possible, and then built my own 350 using a cheaper core instead of buying an abandoned rebuild from a random shop.
- 3.73:1 was AMAZING compared to 2.56:1, but it’s too much gear for me. 3.42 would have been fine. Maybe less.
- Transgo made an excellent shift kit for the 200-4R. I would use it again.
- Only strip out your accessories and sound deadener if you’re making a race car. In the grand scheme of things, you lose more than you gain.
So basically, from stock:
-T5
-245 Summer tires on GM 16s (unless you want spinny tires)
-Sway bars
-Bilstein/Eibach suspension
-Tall ball joints
-Adjustable upper arms for alignment purposes.
Anything else for me is extra.
You can take this big post as a testimony from someone that just enjoys a spirited drive. Feel free to post your own revisions and must-haves below.
