The Fast Rise And Furious Demise Of The Car Tuning Industry With C5 Corvette Parts

When it comes to car tuning, and despite it becoming a global phenomenon in no small part due to the Fast and Furious franchise the spiritual home of the process is arguably still Japan. Probably why even the makers of Fast and Furious felt compelled to pay tribute to the country in the form of C5 Corvette parts.

A decade ago, though, things were not looking quite so optimistic. Speed-junkies the world over caught wind of the fact that one of Japans leading names in the automotive enhancement industry, Trust, was going out of business for good. It seems Japanese sports cars had become a luxury. And too impractical with all the turmoil brewing in the global economy. Plus, with environmental affairs making headlines, many prominent public figures got behind the push to go green. Hybrid cars some even solar-powered were finally being allowed onto public highways, to the utter dismay, and even disgust, of petrolheads everywhere.

Eventually, the dust settled and everyone realized the notions of far-reaching cataclysmic consequences were really just an indication of the financial climate in Japan at the time. An event more local than international in nature. So once gearheads worldwide had gotten through their mourning period, and were finally able to lay the iconic Trust to rest after all, Trust still exists. Just in the guise of GReddy, Stateside everyone was able to get back to the drawing board and start planning their next vehicle modifications. Only difference being, it started coming with a more exorbitant price tag.

Gone are the days of having automobiles tuned to perfection by above-average mechanics, simply out to make a name for themselves. These days, a person also needs to get an electrician in on the act, or risk losing themselves (and their minds!) in the maze of electronics found under the hood of the average production vehicle.

The automobiles ECU (Electronic Control Unit) being the main obstacle to the ride being easily pimped out. As an example of just how much influence gets exerted by an ECU, in automatic transmissions, the ECU can even be adjusted so that the transmission shifts faster in short, the ECU is capable of modifying the vehicles gear ratios.

So especially when deciding to install any turbo or supercharger kits, special consideration must be given to how they might affect the ECUs day-to-day functioning. The ECU needs to be reprogrammed to take any engine enhancements made into proper consideration. Or else it might not be able to properly interpret the significant changes in horsepower it is detecting, leading to malfunctions too numerous to list in one article.

And remember, more speed also means more overall wear and tear. So, tyre longevity might be reduced, and one would have to budget for buying more tyres than usual. Being able to travel faster also means brake pads are being put through their paces more often. Additional torque could lead to cornering at higher speeds than usual, rapidly take a toll on the vehicles suspension. In short, the true cost of making modifications never end with the modifications themselves.

For the time-being, leave terms like supercharger, short-shift, torque, and torsion on your local mechanics garage floor. Where, soon enough, they are bound to be picked up by someone more advanced in such matters anyway. Instead focus on things like getting a spoiler fitted to give your vehicle that sporty-looking edge. Or, perhaps, bucket-seats and a new body kit with a decent paint job would be all that is required to have one looking at their old rust bucket as if it was a Ferrari Enzo! As with all things, remember, baby steps.