Hi all,

I plan on getting an Evo very, very soon. Most likely a 2005 VIII.

Anyway, I'm not a gearhead, so I don't know a ton about the ins & outs of modding cars,
but I do know I'll want an extra boost in speed AND looks without spending a fortune.

Any suggestions where to start? I was thinking, air filter, exhaust, wheels, suspension.

Also, do you all find when you want to mod, like say, exhaust, do you order online and do it yourself? Or, actually go somewhere?

Just don't laugh, I am a noob to modding

 

Intake, exhaust, boost gauge, fuel pump, flash. After that you can think about cams and other internals. Do a search on "first mod" and you'll get a ton of results that will answer your question better. It all comes down to personal preference.

 

start with the basics. I would start with the exhaust. try to get turbo back. That alone will yeald a good kick in the but. I went through the vishnu route and went with exede. both combos are great. If you don't want to go to crazy just do tbe and piggy back. you wont be disappointed and and you'll spend less than 2k.

 

Search, search, and search some more.

Now that you know to search, here are my answers:

1) Standard route - Intake, TBE exhaust, Flash w/boost control, boost gauge (if you don't get the factory gauge package), BOV (replace plastic stocker). This is good for 50-70whp I'd say, but would cost ~$1500 if you install it yourself.

2) My cheapo route - K&N drop-in filter, cat-back, S-AFC, MBC, JDM MR BOV = spent about $900, installed it all myself, and looking to go 12.4-12.5@109-110 next time at the track on 93oct.

I don't think you need to do suspension unless you plan on doing some serious racing. In stock form, the suspension makes you faster/better than 95% of the cars you'll encounter in an auto-x, so think twice before spending money on that, especially since you want to keep cost down. Also, wheels are VERY expensive...you will spend more for set of rims than I will on all my mods combined, yet you will not be any faster. You may look better (rims are definitely nice), but that definitely doesn't fit within the boundaries you set if you want to be frugal.

 

Thanks guys, I'll do some more searching too.
Really appreciate the help!

 

Evo Dream, you and i aren't that different. as far as modding goes, taking your time is a definate. see the thing is, its all about who you can trust to do the mod for you and get genuine parts. ask most people, the first exhaust you get won't be your first and there will be possible issues. it may not fit perfectly, missing nuts and bolts, no gaskets... the whole thing may not even be stainless steel, but being not a "gearhead" you won't know the difference. you need help in choosing what you want and getting the best price possible. you need friends for any kind of work that requires mail ins. intakes, no big deal, jus get a reflash after you've done it, this u can do on your own... but for exhaust, suspension, and any further serious delving into the performance arena... seek help, suggestions, and don't be in a rush or you'll throw away money.

 

I've taken a similar approach as Warrtalon.. With my 2005 SSL Evo with simply a APS cat-back ($~420 used), UR 3" Test pipe ($85), K&N (~$60) and a Hallman (~$85) holding 19psi till about 5000 RPM then loosing boost to around 11-14psi through the latter half of the 1/4 mile I ran a 13.291 @ 102.54 w/ 1.787 60 ft. (damn intake tube pins + dead stock bov)

 

CHECK MY SIGNATURE.... did this all within a week of owning my Evo

car feels awesome

 

intake, turbo back, bov, boost controller

 

just a fair warning: you'll be married to the mods, once you start this.

i think '05s have the same hotside as the MRs so you'll benefit more and spend less if you'll do this simple mod: custom tt flash and hallman mbc, net is 50 whp
for less than $500. Compare to a tb that may cost you more than $500 to $1500 and will only give you a measly 10-15 more ponies. Don't touch your intake/bov unless you are ready for an ems upgrade. Always remember what application you want before spending anything on an upgrade, this will save you a lot of money and headache.

good luck

 

Get a feel for the car stock first, then mod the hell out of it.

 

a good quality boost gauge

 

Hmmm, no. 05s already run 20.3psi from the factory, so an MBC + flash does not net +50whp, unless you try to run some crazy boost. Even then, it's not likely to provide 50whp. On an '05, the MBC is more for controlling/removing the stock boost taper, and to maybe increase the boost a little (21-22psi on 93oct). This DOES free up some power on the top end that was lost due to the taper while also adding hp across the band from the increased peak boost. A full TBE can easily give more than 10-15whp. Look at Buschur's test thread...he got 15-20whp just from an axle-back exhaust. The full TBE with cat delete should give closer to 30whp with NO other mods. It should also cost only 800-900.

I agree with not having to touch the intake, but the stock BOV definitely is a weakness. During my pressure test, it started to open and leak pressure at ~13psi. That is not acceptable, especially if you have an MBC that runs higher-than-stock boost all the way to redline.