Attention should then turn to the chassis if it hasn't already. Wheels and tires are a subject unto themselves, so we'll pass by them here, other than to say good tires are a critical performance part. All forces pass through the tires, so they need to be as grippy and predictable as possible. For street use, an ultra-high-performance tire is the ticket-track duty calls for specialized tires, such as DOT road race tires, or drag radials. While a big tire budget isn't necessarily going to change your life on the street, where so much driving is nowhere near the limit, specialized tires make all the difference at the track. Put another way, if track time is your plan, a dedicated set of wheels and tires should be you first purchase, whether its drag, road racing, or slaloms.
Brake options for the '99-'04 cars are varied. A powerful and cost-effective solution is to fit more performance-oriented brake pads, especially the fronts, and keep your pads at no less than 11/43 thickness. A step up to the Cobra 13-inch braking system or equivalent from specialists such as Baer or Stoptech is also a quick mover at tuning shops. Because they come painted a snazzy red with the running horse logo, the FRPP Special Edition Bullitt calipers are very popular. They can be mixed with aftermarket slotted rotors to come up with a dressy brake for relatively few dollars.
Suspension tuning comes in two basic forms. By far the most popular is what we'll call the upgrade approach, where lowering springs, a few urethane bushings, and other replacement parts are fitted. Perhaps the ultimate expression of this strategy is the Eibach Pro System Plus kits. Given the workably rigid SN-95 chassis, these parts provide a definite firming of the suspension and a notable improvement in street handling. They also work well on the road or slalom course until you really start hammering. Then, they prove skittish as the limits of the stock suspension geometry are reached.
The second approach is to essentially replace the suspension with parts from Griggs Racing, Maximum Motorsport, Steeda, and others. These are expensive, no-excuse solutions, but offer truly impressive results.
There you have it, late-model Two-Valve tuning in a nutshell. These cars are ideal as warmed-up daily drivers-we hope you've learned a few tricks to improving yours. And remember-have a plan and talk with your parts supplier.
Don't Forget MaintenanceAlthough still fairly new, many of the GTs we're talking about have reached the age where major maintenance items are due for renewal. This includes things such as brake pads and clutches.
It's interesting that something like a stock clutch hangs in there pretty well behind bolt-on power modifications, but when it comes time to replace it, aftermarket clutches are all anyone buys. Either people believe aftermarket parts are better than factory parts, or preparation for more power production is taking place.
No matter, the point is, budget a little something for all those windshield wiper blades, filters, brake pads, clutch jobs, and so on. You don't want to max the credit card on exciting go-fast parts only to find you need a set of tires, brakes, and a clutch all at the same time.