I posted a week ago asking about limited slip diff's for a recently-acquired 2002 vert A4. I'm getting a Detroit True Trac installed next week and staying with the 3.42 gears. I'm talking over some other mods with the installer. I'm thinking possibly to add the UMI vert subframe connectors, a strut tower brace, then stop there and call it good. I don't drive as aggressively as I did 20 years ago and the car is largely intended as DD for my wife. If she were to get tired of it after a couple years, are the subframe connectors and Hotchkis STB going to diminish its resale value through perception that the car has been beat on? There's something to be said about buying a lightly-used 100% clean vehicle, which is how I acquired it.

 

Honestly, its going to be tough to figure out what the market will hold for the future. Generally speaking, people will look at any modification done to the car as a sign it was "beat" on. Not saying it was, but thats how Joe Public will look at it.

Modifying any car is going to be a losing battle as you will never ever get your money out of it, BUT depending on the market and the buyer, you might get a bit more than you expected if its what they're looking for

 

+1. You are never going to recoup the money you spent on mods when you sell the car. You may be lucky to find someone tha really likes the car, but you still won't get very much over book value. There is little love for modified cars, as to most people it indicates that the car was beat upon.

 

I guess it comes down to how much more driving enjoyment we're going to derive from these mods during the time we own the car. I consider the Torsen-style (TrueTrac) rear end to be at least as much a safety upgrade as a performance upgrade. The SFCs and STB should also contribute to the driveability and handling and I consider a more responsible adult type upgrade than (for example) nitrous and traction bars.

 

Better shocks (SLP Bilsteins or Koni SAs) and Bigger Sways should be at the top of your list -- best handling improvements.

 

I also was going to ask why all the braces on a stock car that is not driven hard? Even the vert 4th gens are fairly stiff cars. Unless you are pushing the car pretty hard the braces are a waste of money. Safety item? maybe in a second gen but in a modern car all crush zone car designed into the car to keep the driver a live. You start adding braces that where not accounted for you will change the crush zone.

I would think you would "feel" a $70 32 mm hollow SS front sway bar way more then any brace.

 

I held off on the SFCs for now and just installed the True Trac differential, the Hotchkis STB, drained and replaced the coolant, the automatic transmisssion fluid & filter, had two leaking transmission seals replaced, resurfaced the disc rotors. The differential puts the power to the ground and stopped the one tire fire effect. The STB seems to make the driving feel more positive and helps with cowl shake. The car has only 18,000 miles and is now fully current on its maintenance.

On the freeway home, a 2000 z28 with t-tops came up from behind, pulled alongside and wanted to race. I let him go unchallenged as his car was quite a bit louder than mine and was obviously cammed.

 

The bigger sways would have given you even more positive feel in turns, and good new shocks -- depending on what shocks you have, it would feel like a new car...

 

It had under 18000 miles on the odometer when I got it. It is like a new car. When these shocks get tired, then I'll put the Bilsteins on it.

Where am I supposed to find a $70 hollow sway bar like Gorn suggests?

 

^ Ebay, classifieds here or LS1Tech.com Look for 32mm hollow front (SS Sway), and 19mm rear (SS solid). Then get Prothane's poly bushings set for front/back and you will be set.