This is the best advice on this whole entire thread. Learn the car. Work on your driver mod. Go to a HPDE, and learn what the car can do.

If you want, throw a drop-in filter in it and maybe a cat back. Other than that, bag mods until you can fully push the car.

 

i wished i had done all the research before as well. I did on the car bone stock an AMS mail in flash. Then that got boring. Then i did a TBE, drop in filter, UICP and a WAI kit and i thought i would never need more power than that. Paid for pro tune and dyno time etc. Then, that got boring, now my car is at my local shop having an fp red, cams, ets intake, perrin FMIC, fuel pump, injectors, 3 port, etc installed. Now i gotta pay to have the re tuned and more dyno time. So i say, if you want, just get a basic OTC Ecuflash map to take care of the pig rich factory tune. Save your money, decide what you want to do with the car and then buy all your parts. I wish i had done that.

 

drop in
uicp
cbe/tbe
tune

 

Agreed

 

Ihave my AP, and it's fine

 

personally i'm very glad i decided against AP years ago.

 

Yes, me too. Pushing 360+ whp / 370+ ft lb reliably. I would never think of getting rid of my AP because I like to get in and drive and don't make every trip a tuning exercises. It's also debatable what is really the most cost effective option, I believe the AP is.

I just wonder why these threads ALWAYS degenerate into open source vs AP? Personally I think it's great we have options.

 

I have a nice Buschur Bullet muffler you could buy lol.

 

there is no answer because the question is too open-ended. hence the off-the-wall replies you're getting here. it just leads to more questions before you get to an answer. the most obvious: what are your goals for the car? The 'best' first modification is different if you're going for road racing, auto x, rally, drag, show, dyno, or dd.

i mean, not one suggestion has included a rear swaybar, wider wheels/tire or coilovers

 

And that reason would be...?

 

I'd rather not derail the thread with another AP vs Open Source. There is plenty of debate out there to read up on. (if you want to know pm me)

 

Thumbs up

 

someone already said it...first mod should be the driver. if you can't drive the car to it's limits stock, then why raise the limits before you even find them? you'll be a slow driver with a fast car. one of those guys who's car is capable of very fast lap times, but you're 2-3 seconds off the pace. or a guy with an 11 second car that can barely break 12's. don't mod to overcome your deficiencies as a driver. become the best driver you can, then mod to overcome the deficiencies of the car as they relate to your driving style.

 

Cmon guys... just post your suggestions! dont argue over which is better! just leave your response and then no more... let the person that is looking for good first mods research those parts so they know what the parts do and what they are capable of!

 

autocross to learn limits of stock setup then figure out which things you want to improve or adjust