What to do first?
 

I have a question.....What do you do first when you tune up a car(Exterior,interior,performance) I've tuned 2 cars and I've always done the interior first then the exterior and then toy with the performance. But I want to know...How do you do it?

please dont do any ricer crap...

whell depends what uwant the car for... preformance do first if u want speed or something for the track... and if you dont like the way the car looks inside or out do one one thos first... it doesnt matter really what ever u want because u can just come back to it later

I'm sorry if I somehow "offended" you with this post but was that post really necessary if that was all you were going to say?

Thanks for responding. I'll keep that in mind. :)

In my opinion:

Bolt-ons ----> Interior -----> Suspension/Chassis/Brakes/Tires -------> High-level performance (engine swaps/bigger turbos, etc) -----> exterior

However, you should mod whatever part of the car bugs you the most.

No legroom? Get a steering wheel and a spacer.

No headroom? Get a bucket seat.

Car has soft brake pedals? Get stainless lines (assuming they've been bled properly and that the softness you feel is line expansion).

Car nose-dives during braking or lifts during acceleration? Change the spring rate (stiffer).

etc, etc... make a list of all the things you need to change to fix what you don't like before you start on things you simply want to improve.


Of course, don't bother with all this stuff till everything mechanical is sorted out, at least as far as you can tell.

here's my opinion:

reliabiltiy mods should come first:
AST or AST elimination, Boost Gauge, Radiator, Vacuum Lines (if they're factory lines, theyre most likely brittle, no matter how many miles are on it), spark plugs, plug wires, undertray (if you dont have one,)and change all fluids (brakes, transmission, coolant, and oil.)

performance should come second: (why have a fast looking car if it isn't fast, right?)
Exhaust, Downpipe, Intake, Computer (Steps of 3- every 3 mods made to change intake, exhaust, or fuel set up, you want to tune), fuel system (injectors, rail, and fuel pump) Hi-Flow Cat or Mid Pipe, Intercooler, and boost controller (the Power FC computer has one thats good up until 14psi, but if you're runnin factory twins, you dont wanna run much more then that). this is a pretty basic performance set up. there are a myriad of other things you could do such as an ignition amp, pullies, y-pipe, oil pan, blow off valve, or single turbo kit.

Transmission (to handle all the new power):
Clutch, Flywheel, Short Shifter, Transmission Bushing, Limited Slip Differential, driveshaft, and Rear End gears.

Brakes (cause "60-0 is as important as 0-60")
Rotors, Pads, and Lines.

Suspension:
Strut tower bar, Front sway bar, Rear sway bar, Springs and strut (or) Coilover kit, solid upper pillow ball mounts, trailing arms, toe links, suspension bushings, and motor mounts.

Rolling stock:
better grip=better performance, lighter rims=better performance. don't go taller then 17" rims, if you want maximum performance.

Interior:
Gauges (Boost, Wide band Air/Fuel Ratio, Water temp, Water Pressure, Exhaust Gas temp, Oil Temp, and Oil Pressure), pretty much whatever makes you safer (roll cage and harnesses) and more comfortable (seats and shift knob).

Exterior:
id look at functional mods first: wider fenders for wider tires, vented hood to vent air or draw air in, and front fascia for extra cooling space.

im sure you know what you're doing, so i dont mean to spoon feed you. thats pretty much my order of operations when building a car. i also built my car for track use, and not as a show car, so im sure your order could be different, depending on what you want from your car. i would just make sure that everything on your car is as safe and reliable as possible. check it over or have a professional who knows RX-7s look it over and make sure everything looks good. the last thing you want to do is have a part blow out on you or have the engine blow up on you. for your safety and your vehicles longevity, do this first. from there, the skies pretty much the limit. good luck.

here's how i did mine,

reliability mods
bolt ons and suspension
everything else comes by:
-finding the right price
-price that suits my budged

yes i'm poor so that's how i do things..