How to Make a Street Racing Car
by John Hume
A street racing car is a car that is legal to drive on the street but has been modified to increase performance. People who modify their cars to increase performance test their cars out on legal racing courses such as the quarter-mile track or the auto cross (also known as auto x). The quarter-mile track is a race from a dead stop to the first person who finishes a quarter-mile. Auto cross is a series of turns, set up usually with cones, where a driver with the lowest time is the winner.
Step 1
Increase the car's airflow. To increase a car's airflow, the stock intake, exhaust and headers of a car are exchanged for aftermarket parts. The stock options are restrictive for convenience reasons, usually because of sound and economics. Aftermarket parts increase the airflow to and from the engine and as a result increase horsepower.
Step 2
Upgrade the car's stock suspension. Stock suspension car be upgraded to more performance oriented after market options by changing the sway bars, installing strut bars and changing the springs to a stiffer variety. All of these upgrades stiffen the car and prevent car lean during cornering.
Step 3
Switch the stock tires for performance tires. Stock tires are designed to be economic. This makes them last longer but at the cost of having less friction. When a car is stiffed with suspension upgrades, all the force during cornering is transferred to the tires. Performance tires provide more friction and slip at much higher speeds than the stock tires.
Step 4
Install forced induction on your engine. Turbochargers and superchargers compress the air before it flows into the combustion chamber. The more airflows into the engine, the more horsepower it will produce. Turbochargers and superchargers can drastically improve a car's horsepower.
Step 5
Lighten the car. A lighter car is faster and more responsive. Take out the back seats. Switch out the stock hood and trunk for a carbon fiber aftermarket part. Change the stock rims to a lighter aftermarket option.
References
Tips
- Turbochargers and superchargers are sold as kits by many manufacturers, providing everything needed for a complete forced induction system.
Warnings
- Modifying anything on a car will void the warranty for that product.
- Installing forced induction will reduce an engine's life span.
Writer Bio
John Hume has been writing since 2009. His work appears in a weekly fitness newsletter for the Strength & Fitness Club, where he also worked as a trainer. Hume is a certified trainer through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and still works as a personal trainer. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Rutgers University.
