going to mod, hep me plan!

[stonerboi27]

ok to start off, i own a automatic bone stock 08 tC.. and i plan to spend no more than 1k worth of mods in total. i just wanted others opinions on how to optimize my performance using as little cash as possible. since its an auto, im not going all out on it... but if im spending a grand anyway i do want the most out of it. all recommendations are welcome. looking for parts new and used... prob used if its not a big deal such as intake.

well i havent exactly looked up prices, but heres what i plan so far(give or take):
-injen intake
-trd exhaust
-crank, alternator, and water pump pulleys
-throttle body
-downpipe(necessary without header?)
-not getting header
-tints
-trd springs(how are speed bumps and overall ride comfort?)

-front struts/rear sways
-fuel injectors
-spark plugs

hmm thats all i could think of... i know its too much, but which should i pick? or what might i add thats missing? what can i install at home and what takes proper installment? i figured i could get intake/exhaust used for about $300... leaves me with <$700 for the rest. what to do??

[CadenceScion]

First off I have to ask you, are you looking to go more for performance, handling or more cosmetic appeal?

Here is my suggestions:

Performance:

AEM, Injen, K&N, Weapon-R Cold-Air Intake
DC-Sport, Megan, Weapon-R, OBX Ceramic Coated Header
Down Pipe/S-Pipe
Throttle Body Spacer
Uni-Chip
Decendant Intake Manifold
Cat-Back/Stainless Steel Exhaust System
Agency Light Weight Crank Pulley
Ingalls Torque Damper
TRD Supercharger/Turbo (TRD Superchargers I understand are now discontinued)


Handling:

*Greddy, DC-Sport, TRD, Megan, Cusco Front/Rear Strut Bars
*Hotchkis, Eibach, TRD, Progress Anti Roll/Sway Bars
*Eibach, Tein, TRD Lowering Springs (Buy only if your not concerned with bottoming out/clearance issues)
*TRD, Tokico, H&R, KYB, Bilstein Struts/Shocks (Coil-Overs if your going to be autocrossing or serious track racing, the ride quality varies on how you adjust/set up the stiffness/softness and ride height.
*Wheels (18'')


Another suggestion I can give would be to go online and use (Google) and see what sites are out there selling the parts you want. Shop around for the lowest price you can find. Here are a few that I have used:

Summit Racing - High Performance Car and Truck Parts l 800-230-3030
JC Whitney for all Auto parts - Car, Truck, Jeep, Motorcycle & RV Parts
FastScions.Com
CustomTC.com - your source for Scion TC aftermarket accessories, parts and decals
Racing Solution - Parts for your Scion tC, Scion xB, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra, Hyundai Genesis, Chevy Cobalt
eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Good Luck! :-)

[stonerboi27]

^ thanks for the info, esp for the websites to look for parts, i'll keep them bookmarked.

as for the mods, i plan to just get the basics for optimal engine performance. so far i have planned out the following:
-injen SRI
-megan racing drift spec cat back exhuast
-NST/agency power pulley/s



the most im doing for handling is probably just trd springs, and possibly a sway bar. again i have an automatic DD, so it wouldnt be worth investing in a full suspension setup. i my tC will ever hit the track... maybe a drag strip for the sake of the engine mods

and just a few more questions:
-would bigger injectors help on a N/A 2az? fuel economy?
-better spark plugs?
-torque damper on an automatic?
- http://trdsparks.com/displayparts.ph...&parts_id=3234 ? how would it work in conjunction with the vvt-i?

[CadenceScion]

I presonally don't feel you need bigger fuel injectors. Since your running N/A, the OEM injectors will work just fine. If you were going forced induction, Turbo/S/C then upgrading to a bigger injector would make more logical sence. The stock spark plugs Scion tC's come with are NGK Platinium and work just fine. You could upgrade those to either a double platinium, triple platinium or iridium. A torque damper IMO works whether you have an Auto or Manual Tranny. The torque damper keeps the engine from flexing back and forth and helps to maintain peak power and torque. Also the damper helps the exhaust parts from added wear and tear or flexing/stress.

[navylife59]

Cadence nailed it on the head. Just to follow up on one of your questions, larger fuel injectors means more fuel. More fuel means less MPG. A motor wizard with a stand alone, intake, and cams could probably get better MPG out of larger injectors. Without the need for the magical 14.7:1 Stoimetric, you could increase MPG. More energy potential fuel can also add to MPG+