I am new to the sight and also proud new owner of a Challenger, eager to begin adding mods.
To be frank I know very little about Challenger mods in particular as my previous car was a very old Mopar that was more or less stock. Essentially I'd like to figure out some beginner mods to get me started that would give me the most bang for my buck without costing an arm and a leg. That and I don't want to spend money on something that is unreliable or ultimately useless, or that I would regret shortly after buying. From my little bit of research and talk with other car enthusiasts; exhaust and cool air intake are what I've heard thus far. If this is wrong/or right please let me know. I appreciate any and all insight on the topic.
Thanks.
Also on a totally unrelated topic, I am having issues uploading an avatar and profile picture...I have tried multiple and have made sure the specs are 100x100 pixels or less but have had no success...any thoughts?
I hope some of the below helps.
Firstly everyone will have different experiences with different mods and different recommendations as a result.
I can only give you mine based off my own personal experience. Others may agree or disagree.
Mods I've done but put in a list of importance if I was going to do these again are as follows.
1. Catch Can. The amount of oil I have collected on each oil change tells me this is definitely worth the small amount spent.
2. If you are running a auto then a tranzformer shift improvement module is recommended. Easy install, great to be able to set your own shift points and firmness.
3. As you have the RT, Id then put in lowering springs. I have installed the Mopar ones as my car is a Mopar 10 so for me it was important to keep it Mopar branded but there are others out there that are very good. I have done another lowering spring install on a friends RT and the stance and handling improvements was noticeable. You can do this easily yourself in a day if you wish. Just be sure to check your rear shocks as these may also need replaced if you have the self leveling type currently.
4. Lockpic and reversing camera. Absolute necessary in my opinion.
5. Here's where it gets a little bit controversial.
I purchased a Diablo tuner and found by itself there wasn't much point to having it performance wise. Others have said they notice great results. The Mopar 10's come with a performance tune factory so this could be why, I'm not sure. But if I was buying one again and that's all I was doing I don't know if I'd bother. However, for doing other things such as changing other settings (thermostat, tire and wheel aspects etc) this is a great tool to have. I just didn't find the "wow" others have claimed performance wise. But, I did put a 180 degree thermostat in the car and had to get the diablo tuner tomchange settings in the cars computer, so you will need it if you do that also.
If you are buying a tuner I'd look for a second hand one maybe as I don't see that much can go wrong with these. Others may have different advice so be open on this.
I also installed long tube headers and cat-less mids. This will depend on what you want to do, what your state regulations are regarding emissions etc. A lot of people just go short tube headers as they are just bolt up to catalytic mids, so easier to install, but I prefer the long tubes.
This job was a PITA to do in my garage. Not sure if I'd undertake it again but for the two days work I had the satisfaction of doing it myself and saving a few hundred $$.
If you go this way, spend the $ and get the best quality ones you can get. I've gone ceramic coated. But I should have bought a better brand. I paid for my cheapness with some fitment issues and rework so it saved me nothing in the end.
If you install long tubes you will need a custom tune. (Diablo tuner comes into use again and a mail order tune).
My car comes factory with cold air intake and low restriction filter so I am not sure how beneficial making this mad may be from stock.
Wow, Thank you for all of that useful information. I appreciate the time and care you took in providing me with a few ideas and starting points. I've already looked into the catch cans thanks to your post and think I'll be getting one of those for sure. As far as lowering the vehicle and altering the suspension I plan on getting new tires/rims so wouldn't I want to wait until after I do so? I did also look into the tranzformer shift kits and diablo tuners; I do know very little about mods as i was saying before but would it not be beneficial to add the exhaust and intake and things of that sort to add horsepower first and then adjust the tuning and shifting? Plz correct me if i'm wrong. I would like to also mention that this is going to be my daily driver so i don't know if that makes a big difference or not?
As far as Exhaust goes, are there a few specific brands or styles that you would suggest that are quality and a good price as i think this will be one of my first mods simply because I am looking for that deep low rumble and its a very noticeable and immediately gratifying mod. Same with intake and catch cans any thoughts? I don't know what i should be expecting to pay or what good brands are, although I have done a lot of searching on the web i cant quite single out what people typically do for the challenger rt. Maybe you can direct me to a good site or two that has quality parts at a fair price for mopars and challenger rt's in particular? Also im not sure if my vehicle can run the reverse lockpic and reverse cam or not...?
I do understand the need to want to get the rumble sound and HP increase as soon as possible.
I felt the same. However as many have found out, if you want more HP then the SRT is probably the way to go or Supercharging to get great gains on the 5.7. Otherwise its all small numbers here and there in my opinion. You could also do cam and heads etc but once again cost v's end product? And i have not done this so can not give a opinion.
1. Catch can I went with the Moroso brand as it has a drain tube and tap. Very easy to empty when you do your old changes.
Purchased through any website, check for deals.
2. Tranzformer re programmer is a great addition in my opinion.
I like the fact you can shift shift points (you may need a diablo tuner to change rev limits from stock)
You can also change firmness and it gives you the option to also change it depending on throttle position. E.g. When in normal drive mode I have the shift firmer but depending on throttle position will depend on how firm it shifts. As a result it can be tame or very firm depending on how your driving at the time (mild acceleration versus hard acceleration).
3. Changing rim size shouldn't make to much difference for your lowering springs. The Rt's in my opinion look like they are 4WD vehicles the way they sit up so high. I have 20's on my car from factory and the springs not only reduced the unsightly wheel gap but also improved handling.
Handling is just as important as performance.
4. The headers personally I'd go for American Racing Headers. Not what I bought but I now wish I had.
Plenty of vendors out there so look for deals.
Get cat-less mids if you are able to depending on your state laws.
Cat back exhaust is once again up to you but if possible I'd run 3 inch pipes with Magna Flow straight through performance mufflers. But there are other options out there and I am sure others will have a different opinion on this as everyone has their favorite combo.
5. CAI looks cool, don't know if you would get the WOW factor though in performance gains.
6. Diablo tuners as said claim a lot on a stock vehicle with out mods with their 91 and 93 tune. Everyone has different results. So you can use these before doing exhaust etc. However I found it didn't work for me as stated above. But if you do do exhaust up grades you will need a custom tune so you will need a tuner to do this.
A good dyno shop if available would be good also.
Suppliers I have used vary from: Steve White Motors, Summit, Jegs and other internet suppliers.
I have had no problems with any of them so its a case of shopping around for best deals. Just watch freight costs as sometimes these are more than the cost of the product you buy.
Don't forget, often the cheapest is the cheapest for a reason. Buy quality from reputable suppliers as listed above and sometimes its worth paying a little more.
You would have to search or ask vendors re the lock pic being suitable for you year car.
Hi, Hard case we are both Kiwis, I am a few hrs Nth of you and look at my mods. Almost to a tee to what you are recommending, we have both ended up in a similar place with no knowledge or contact with each other! I agree with your advice given here in this thread.
PS Johans tune really woke my car up from the 93 canned tune.
Cheers Phil.
You've received two very good and informative comments already; I won't repeat what they said.
In some ways, the 5.7 is a better platform than the 6.4 if you're into heavy modding; there's a lot more you can do to it. Of course, you have to spend a fair penny to get the 5.7's performance up to the 6.4's baseline, but for many, that's half the fun.
Congratulations on your new car! I noticed the car you took delivery of is a 2011. People usually get so excited about a new car they forget the basics. The first thing I would do is check all your fluids and make sure they have been changed within the proper intervals (brake, oil, rear diff, possibly power steering and transmission). Check your brake pads and rotors, check the tread wear and make sure you have enough life left. Change the cabin air filter and air box filter. If it has 30k+ miles make sure the spark plugs have been replaced. Depending on the mileage you might also want to consider a belt, tensioner and idler pulley change. It might even be a good idea to get an alignment. If you bought it from a dealer they will probably do a crap job looking it over - I can't seem to find one that takes pride in their work.
Once you have the basics done I would think about getting a 9 to 10.5in rear wheel with the proper offset and backspacing and something that will fit up front like a 8.5 or 9in. I'm not sure if you have 18s or 20s but the stock wheels are way to skinny. With enough grip and proper tires you can pretty much eliminate wheel hop unless the weather is too cold and the tire too firm. Shoot for something that's either equal or less than the weight of the stock wheels. I bought lighter wheels but my tires are heavier.
Once you take care of the grip you might want to consider a tuner. I think I am the only one here who bought an SCT X4 with pre-loaded tunes but I've been extremely happy with the 93 octane tune and LiveLink II software. They push out refinements every 6 months. SCT is owned by Derive Systems which is the largest tuning company out there so I trust they have a little bit better R&D than DiabloSport but I know many here who are happy with DiabloSport products. If you have STP on your car I really wouldn't touch the suspension unless you plan on autocrossing. If you don't have STP, consider Bilstein shocks and either Mopar or Vogtland springs and some thicker sway bars.
Have fun!
PS- I can't stand fake things on my car so I shelled out $80 bucks for functional hood scoops FWIW.
PPS - I personally wouldn't start worrying about a catch can until you start messing with the tune. Stock is very conservative.
As far as I know, RPI Designs Stealth Splash Guards or the Dodge ones are about the only options. Many of us went with the Sealth ones because you don't notice them at all. No one sees them on your car, and they do the job you bought them to do. For me, and many others, the Dodge mud flaps are way too thick, and that makes them stand out like a sore thumb. Yes: The Stealth ones are a simple, flat piece of plastic, but that's what makes them blend-in and "disappear" so well.