Your first modification!?

[Sig556]

Sequential turn signals = gone.

I'm one of a small handful of people who sincerely dislike the sequential turn signals. Assuming the euro-spec version is without these, I'm hoping I can simply swap them out.

Jonny, I don't know about your laws regarding State Inspection. But changing something that has been Government mandated to suit your taste may cause a problem come inspection time. Something I would check out before tearing into the signals.

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[Jonny11Quest]

Jonny, I don't know about your laws regarding State Inspection. But changing something that has been Government mandated to suit your taste may cause a problem come inspection time. Something I would check out before tearing into the signals.

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety just requires turn signals to be either red or amber in color. Doesn't specify sequential vs non-sequential as nearly all vehicles use non-sequential. The euro-spec tailights will be 100% legal in the US, it's just the other way around that's the problem. But I'll definitely double check when the time comes.

 

[Virtualized]

Looking at going with the Ingot Silver and thinking of adding some Deep Impact Blue stripes. I think that will look pretty sweet on the silver.

I'm an audio car, so I will be adding some custom amps/subs in the trunk...then going with CAI, maybe exhaust.

Having fun dreaming about all this!!

 

[williamwally]

And imho they are as equally cheesy as Ford. The worst are the ones that pipe sound through the speakers to augment engine noise. Again, I'm not trying to offend, just stating my position on the tube. Some will enjoy it and that is fine. Maybe I can make a musical instrument out of mine and sell it on ebay. ;)

To each their own they say.

I don't see how this physical way to bring in sound is a bad thing at all. It's really no different from people putting different pipes on the exhaust system to 'tune' it to their liking.
To make the ride quiet overall and to reject 'offensive' noises you need to isolate the cabin. Once you do that you can't hear the engine/exhaust that well with the windows closed. Then you have people complaining that "it sounds good but its not loud enough" (which I heard a lot on the Audi forums), and adding different exhausts/intakes etc.
Piping in the sound this way is no way fake, its not a recording through the speakers, its the actual sounds again, just thankfully you can tune in the good ones and still get all the good NVH reductions of an isolated cabin.

 

[Free Agent]

I don't see how this physical way to bring in sound is a bad thing at all. It's really no different from people putting different pipes on the exhaust system to 'tune' it to their liking.
To make the ride quiet overall and to reject 'offensive' noises you need to isolate the cabin. Once you do that you can't hear the engine/exhaust that well with the windows closed. Then you have people complaining that "it sounds good but its not loud enough" (which I heard a lot on the Audi forums), and adding different exhausts/intakes etc.
Piping in the sound this way is no way fake, its not a recording through the speakers, its the actual sounds again, just thankfully you can tune in the good ones and still get all the good NVH reductions of an isolated cabin.

I never said the tube was a "fake". I don't like the look of it under the hood. It adds clutter and extra mass (albeit very little weight). I find it looks ugly to my eyes. I will take it off for sure. If I want more noise I will go with an aftermarket exhaust. Or I will just roll my window down. To each their own. I just find it cheesy in the fact that it would be cooler in my eyes if Ford offered an option for an exhaust that would open up a butterfly valve in the mufflers to let more exhaust noise escape. (Like with the Corvette and some Camaros) Of course that is pricier than a $20 plastic tube with some baffling in it. If some enjoy it then no problem. I will be yanking it out of the engine bay first thing.

 

[Tony Alonso]

It adds ... extra mass (albeit very little weight). ... it would be cooler in my eyes if Ford offered an option for an exhaust that would open up a butterfly valve in the mufflers to let more exhaust noise escape. (Like with the Corvette and some Camaros) Of course that is pricier than a $20 plastic tube with some baffling in it.

The second option might be more mass Cool for sure though!

 

[Free Agent]

The second option might be more mass Cool for sure though!

Oh definitely it would. More costly as well. Stock quiet when you wanted it, louder when you wanted to get on it. It would make a cool option.

 

[JoeC1982]

Depends on which model i get, i will drive the EB PP car and the GT. I want the 20" wheels unless they just aren't available on my package or are more $$ than aftermarket.

I can't assess what mods each car needs without driving it but EB i would want to make handle first since it won't be as fast as a GT anyways. The GT i would just make faster most likely...

 

[Norm Peterson]

I don't see how this physical way to bring in sound is a bad thing at all. It's really no different from people putting different pipes on the exhaust system to 'tune' it to their liking.
To make the ride quiet overall and to reject 'offensive' noises you need to isolate the cabin. Once you do that you can't hear the engine/exhaust that well with the windows closed. Then you have people complaining that "it sounds good but its not loud enough" (which I heard a lot on the Audi forums), and adding different exhausts/intakes etc.
Piping in the sound this way is no way fake, its not a recording through the speakers, its the actual sounds again, just thankfully you can tune in the good ones and still get all the good NVH reductions of an isolated cabin.

A sound tube may not quite be "fake" as far as the sound itself is concerned, but it's definitely an artificial means of mimicking the sound of a four barrel carburetor/open-element air filter located on top of the engine only inches and a marginal (or missing) hood seal away from the fresh air inlet. What could be considered "retrograde" or "fake" is trying to make EFI sound like a carb.

There's a whole lot better justification for Chevy's "NPP" exhaust, which allows the car to be quiet when need be and have more "voice" (and maybe a few more HP) when you want that. Downsides are cost ($900!!!) and poor compatibility with cylinder deactivation sound quality-wise.

FWIW, Nissan's Maxima used sound tubes and/or valved dual-path mufflers at least ten years ago (my 2001 20th Anniversary model had - as in past tense - the muffler). Not exactly a high end nameplate, near-luxury maybe.


For me, the first mods would probably be what they've been for most of the other cars I've ever done much with - tires and wheels. Followed by suspension mods once I figure out technically what I'd want to do there. Somewhere along the line I'd probably do a cold air with a conservative tune, something like the existing FRPP kits. And that's it, at least until the OE exhaust system starts leaking due to age and erosion/corrosion.


Norm

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