SolaraGuy.com

Saw this on a mustang forum and thought it'd be extremely useful for the noobs, and even some of the regulars who are debating on what to mod next.

List the 3 best mods you've invested in, and the 3 mods (if any) you regret getting.
Optional: reasons why.

Gen1/1.5, Gen 2/2.5, Camry's welcome!

Best Mods:
1) cp-e SRI (first mod, hard to drop the $300+ but it made the car feel great and high quality)
2) TRD RSB (I thought it'd be overratted but this mod should be at the top of my list. Did it at the same time as the lowering springs but it greatly improved handling)
3) TRD exhaust (when the cp-e sound wasn't cuttin it for me anymore, I picked up the exhaust. Great purring sound, not raspy fart-can sound... although I feel like it could be a little louder)

*if there was a 4th option, I'd add my SolaraGuy.com decal. Great advertisement and max hp gain!

Regret Mods:
1) TRD lowering springs (only because I did this one wrong by running TRD springs with SLE suspension. It's like driving in a bounce house)
2) Missing out on several opportunities for Gen 2.5 lights

I guess I'll contribute to this thread also.
I currently have a gen4 Camry V6 by the way:

Best Mod's
1. Injen intake w/UPFD CAI extension (added a little power and sounded throatier)
2. TRD exhaust (also added a little power and sounded hella better than the dinky OEM one)
3. Torque Rod (helps out by putting more of the lost power to the road from a dig)

Mod Regrets
1. eBay intake (sounds great but makes the fuel economy go down the crapper)
2. JDM pure white corner bulbs (just doesn't look right on a Camry)
3. Don't have a third one because I didn't really put much onto the car until now lol

I have more to add to the Best Mod's section such as a TRD strut brace, SuperPro poly dogbone mounts (not installed yet), and NST lightweight crank pulley (not installed yet), but since the OP wanted the top 3, I just put what I thought was my best 3.

Best mods:
1. JPP headers and y-pipe
2. CP-e intake
3. Tints

Mod regrets:
1. Lowering springs w/out changing struts
2. Returning to stock to raise funds for a ring for a bitch who "doesn't want to worry about the feelings of someone in another state anymore" <\rant>

Best mods:
1. Injen intake
2. Coilovers
3. TRD lip kit

Mod regrets:
1. Buying USED coilovers.
2. ebay intake
3. hmmm...

pwizzle wrote:2. JDM pure white corner bulbs (just doesn't look right on a Camry)

what year is your camry? i want to do the clear side markers, (switch from amber to clear) or are you talking about actually just the bulbs?
pm me, cause i dont wanna spend money and the regret it... thanks

mine

Best 3
1. HID (will never own a car without them)
2. subs
3. custom exhaust (it has a lot of drone at 2300rpm, but is not a fart can, but it sounds amazing when flooring it!!!!)

worst 3
1. buying neon and not LED for my interior lights (am slowly switching them over to LED though)
2. custom intake (cant get the filter off to clean it or change it.... :/ opps, version 2 coming soon lol)
3. buying cheap all season for summer time, ya there quiet but traction is terrible, next year im buying some nexens or toyo's

Top Mods:

1) Cpe
2) Suspension (TRD coils, F/R bars)
3) Audio

Audio can easily be argued #1.


Regrets?

1) Waited until 50k miles to make mods #1~3.
2) Not fixing the "pull left" issue DEFINITIVELY through the dealer. (Resolved when drop was done... took x2 tries.)
3) The day I sell the car.





-crisp

best 3:
1) pinstripe removal
2) debadge
3)cp-e intake

worst 3:
1)n/a
2)n/a
3)n/a

My best three mods are exactly the same as my worst three mods. They are:
1. Installation of a car computer
2. Upgraded suspension
3. Replacement black headlights.

The car computer is really cool, but it is hard to get a reliable front end to easily control it, has all the functionality I want, is easy to use and looks good, so I wind up spending a lot of time in the Windows operating system on a little tiny screen trying to "double click." Boot times are long too, and the power supply that was supposed to keep the computer powered for two hours when I shut off the car doesn't work meaning I either have to wait for a minute for the computer to boot or drive home on a short trip to the store in silence because it's friggin' dangerous to use that little screen while the car is in motion. The list goes on and on. Many of these things are correctable, but the free time it consumes is a PITA. The upside is that any audio format can be heard, videos and games can be played under the right circumstances, car diagnoses can be performed and of course web surfing and navigation rock!

The suspension upgrade is more or less positive. The car rode really well on the highway prior to upgrading, but felt damn near dangerous in an emergency braking or maneuvering situation. The upgrade has progressive springs that still feel pretty good on the highway but make the car way more capable. What I don't like about it is, the kit I bought lowered the car as well as stiffened it. It is a little bit lower than I would prefer, especially in the back and when the car is heavily loaded, I get scraping.

The eBay headlights look awesome with the black car, but with them adjusted fully upward, they still point downward too much, rendering the lighting close to dangerous.

Eventually when I'm done with my car, I will tend to these things on my wife's car.

Best mods:
-TRD SC
-Greddy catback system +OBX headers
-CPE intake
Worts mods
na

Best
1. Coilovers
2. TRD Rear Sway Bar
3. Wheels

Best
1. Injen with the UPFD cold-air extension
2. Gregtrd rear engine mount
3. Megan Street coilovers

Regrets
1. Ultra Racing 4-point brace (great piece, but not if you're slammed!)
2. rear Tein S-Tech springs (if you go with Teins, keep the fronts, but get Eibach Pro-Kit rears; raked stances on Solaras blow!)
3. Being the guinea pig for Megan's Street coilovers (hassle, but still worth it)

And GzNutz, ouch. That #2 regret sucks, sorry to hear that.

Best Mods: TRD sc, OBX catback with y pipe, JIC coilovers.......now worst: ebay intake when i first modded the car, lowering it on cheap springs plus not doing the struts, trying to paint my bumper myself lol

Best Mods
1. TRD lip kit + custom grill
2 Injen SRI with corrugated hose for CAI
3 Magnaflow exhaust
Bonus: 4. Paint job!

Regrets
1 tein s tech springs on used tokico blues
2 attempting to make my own custom intake from autozone parts
3 ebay intake

seems like we all have a similar list...i guess this car is not worth modifying unless you go with all the best stuff (JIC coilovers, etc)

My best 4? mods:
-Snow performance meth injection dual nozzle setup: had my SC running ultra cool
-Boost..... so addictive
-Projector Retro - Increased night visibility plus projectors don't glare. 1 less reason for the pigs to pull me over.
- Gabe's insanely built engine. The ONLY part of my car that didn't give up under high power and boost.

Worst 3 mods:
-Boost - So addictive that I blew 3 engines LOL
- IPT Transmission. Its a 3500 dollar paperweight that won't shift and is totally screwed AND put my car down for nearly 2 years... ( can you tell I am bitter? )
- Chrome wire loom/fittings - WTF was I thinking? I never put it on but god, it would have looked like a 90s honda engine bay. FAIL

3 best mods:
1) TRD rear sway bar - significant handling improvement

2) Injen SRI - better sound, slightly slightly faster acceleration

3) Pioneer headunit - now I can listen to my CDs with better quality

---------
3 worst mods

1) Goodyear Assurance Fuelmax tires - good tires but I was wanting to get new 17-18" wheels along with tires but changed my mind the last minute and went for OEM sized tires.

2) 20% tint - I had to have it removed on the front driver and passenger side so I wouldn't get a ticket. I paid $110 to tint all the windows except the front windshield years ago prior removal.

3) N/A