Every time I’m in a group of enthusiasts the subject of performance quickly becomes the center of conversation. Eyes are drawn to the shiny new parts that we’ve added and opinions of what works and claims of overwhelming results fill the air and add to the enthusiasm, but within a few moments the inevitable happens, the conversation moves to the things that haven’t worked.

At this point the mood changes from enthusiastic to one of frustration. The stories of dollars spent versus desired results are filled with statements such as, “it has never run right since, the power they promised isn’t there, the ride is horrible, and I can’t get it to stop now,” seem to dominate the conversation.

The question arises as to what is the problem. Since money has been spent to buy and install quality parts and positive results are claimed by both the manufacturers and other users, what is the common denominator causing these complaints and frustration?

Rather than discussing the pros and cons of various manufacturers’ parts I believe that the answer to this question is fairly straight forward. When designed and built by the manufacturer, our cars were looked upon as a whole unit and whenever modifications are considered they should be looked at the same way. Unfortunately this is too often not the case. It is always tempting to believe the claims of more HP, coupled with aggressive looks for only a few dollars, but as most enthusiasts know, a few dollars always leads to a few more.

Since real results in performance are the desired outcome we should begin with asking ourselves a question. What are my driving goals for this car? Do I ever plan to take it to an autocross, road course, drag strip, or am I using it for street driving only? The answer to these questions as well as knowing your budget is going to direct our thinking as to how to design the overall performance upgrades so that the car continues to work as a whole unit of HP, handling, braking, ride and overall appearance. Without answering these questions first it is easy to make the common mistake of spending dollars for parts that don’t work together, or were not designed for your application, thus producing unwanted results.

Performance done right begins with a clear understanding of your goals and budget, as well as looking into the future for continued upgrades. We have accomplished this by looking at each performance project as a complete unit, and have designed our upgrades in recommended stages which lend themselves to be installed separately retaining balance while adding overall performance. This method also provides the opportunity to add future upgrades in every area without the unpleasant necessity of discarding expensive parts along the way.

In closing this segment, balance and planning are the keys to any performance upgrades. With them you will be able to project the outcome of your investment and be satisfied with the end result. Without them experience has shown that imbalance and dissatisfaction abound!

John Brooks
BROOKS Performance
www.brooksperformance.com