Advice please. Noob question regarding mods

PdxJose

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Hey everyone, a few noob questions here. I’ve never had anything close to a performance car and I want to build my 2020 Si Coupe as best as I can. The performance mods I am considering right now are an exhaust, CAI, MAYBE down the road Ktuner, and some cosmetic mods as well. I’m concerned about the performance mods because I still want it to be reliable with the least headaches down the road. My question, can I add all of these mods without having to tune if I decide not to get the Ktuner? Can the stock Intercooler, clutch, etc handle it all without needing to upgrade. I honestly just want it to sound nice and add some horsepower (because the car is already fun to drive as is!). Any tips or recommendations are welcome. I’m new to this but I’m really interested in learning more. I’ve done a little research here and there but I thought I would also ask people here.



These are the specific parts I’m referring to:

  • PRL Cobra cold air intake (street MAF)
  • Invidia R400 catback exhaust OR HKS Hi-Power Exhaust




Thanks in advance.
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Pur3MotioN770

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Hey everyone, a few noob questions here. I’ve never had anything close to a performance car and I want to build my 2020 Si Coupe as best as I can. The performance mods I am considering right now are an exhaust, CAI, MAYBE down the road Ktuner, and some cosmetic mods as well. I’m concerned about the performance mods because I still want it to be reliable with the least headaches down the road. My question, can I add all of these mods without having to tune if I decide not to get the Ktuner? Can the stock Intercooler, clutch, etc handle it all without needing to upgrade. I honestly just want it to sound nice and add some horsepower (because the car is already fun to drive as is!). Any tips or recommendations are welcome. I’m new to this but I’m really interested in learning more. I’ve done a little research here and there but I thought I would also ask people here.



These are the specific parts I’m referring to:

  • PRL Cobra cold air intake (street MAF)
  • Invidia R400 catback exhaust OR HKS Hi-Power Exhaust




Thanks in advance.
The car should run absolutely fine with those mods.
 

IronFusion

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Those mods won't net much performance. Intake claims were debunked last year or two ago. The one you specified pairs well to feed the engine with an aggressive tune or more involved mods. Exhaust is basically preference for sound. Neither will require a tune.
Best bang-for-buck is tuning. Non-tuning, one of the best improvements is, universally, getting performance summer tires on wider and lighter wheels. Less unsprung weight to spin, and a wider patch to apply it, will make the car feel and drive amazingly compared to factory.
Try a washable air filter and maybe a used aftermarket (check ebay or civicx fs/ft) airbox for a tiny hp gain and increased sound. I have the AEM DryFlow filter. If you wait until ~15k miles and replace the factory disposable filter, the contrast from a used filter to a more free-flowing one will feel like a performance mod. Washable filters also save on costs (and wasted material) over the life of a vehicle.
If you just want to drive hard, wrapping the turbo, downpipe, turbo inlet/tube will help keep the power output high longer during drives.
There are DIY intercooler enhancements that can be done which bolster factory charge cooling and will increase power: Water/chilled-water/alcohol spray systems as a packaged kit or homebrew from guides can be found online.
How new is your car? How many miles on it?
 
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PdxJose

PdxJose

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Those mods won't net much performance. Intake claims were debunked last year or two ago. The one you specified pairs well to feed the engine with an aggressive tune or more involved mods. Exhaust is basically preference for sound. Neither will require a tune.
Best bang-for-buck is tuning. Non-tuning, one of the best improvements is, universally, getting performance summer tires on wider and lighter wheels. Less unsprung weight to spin, and a wider patch to apply it, will make the car feel and drive amazingly compared to factory.
Try a washable air filter and maybe a used aftermarket (check ebay or civicx fs/ft) airbox for a tiny hp gain and increased sound. I have the AEM DryFlow filter. If you wait until ~15k miles and replace the factory disposable filter, the contrast from a used filter to a more free-flowing one will feel like a performance mod. Washable filters also save on costs (and wasted material) over the life of a vehicle.
If you just want to drive hard, wrapping the turbo, downpipe, turbo inlet/tube will help keep the power output high longer during drives.
There are DIY intercooler enhancements that can be done which bolster factory charge cooling and will increase power: Water/chilled-water/alcohol spray systems as a packaged kit or homebrew from guides can be found online.
How new is your car? How many miles on it?
Ok, thanks for your input. I appreciate it. I don't plan to drive it too hard. I do want it to last me quite a while. I at least want to hit 120k without having to do more than just maintenance to it. I got the car 7 days ago. It has 230ish miles on it right now.
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