[tim1477]

Im only 16 and just got a '99 9-3. I have about $1000 to put into this car (i know its not a lot), what do you think would be the best thing to spend my money on?

 

[Fast_Ed]

Tim,
Congrats on the purchase of a great car. Is it stick? Do you have pictures?

You're 16, and being that you have just started driving, I'd say get used to being on the road before you make your car faster. A steering rack brack/6point subframe brace will make it a nicer car to drive. Genuinesaab.com has them, between the two they'll cost around 500 bucks.

Not what you're looking for? Then dump the whole 1000 bucks into stereo equipment. Use Ebay, pick nice component speakers for the front (i'd recommend infinity kappa) some decent 6x9's for the back, a sub box in the trunk and amplifiers to match. You can tap into the cars current pre-amp signals and keep your stock stereo/steering wheel radio controls.

Enjoy that car! My first car was a 15 year old volvo wagon. It was good fun though

 

[tim1477]

Tim,
Congrats on the purchase of a great car. Is it stick? Do you have pictures?

You're 16, and being that you have just started driving, I'd say get used to being on the road before you make your car faster. A steering rack brack/6point subframe brace will make it a nicer car to drive. Genuinesaab.com has them, between the two they'll cost around 500 bucks.

Not what you're looking for? Then dump the whole 1000 bucks into stereo equipment. Use Ebay, pick nice component speakers for the front (i'd recommend infinity kappa) some decent 6x9's for the back, a sub box in the trunk and amplifiers to match. You can tap into the cars current pre-amp signals and keep your stock stereo/steering wheel radio controls.

Enjoy that car! My first car was a 15 year old volvo wagon. It was good fun though

Hey thanks a lot. No pics yet, I'll have some soon, and yes its stick What exactly will a steering rack brace/6point subframe brace do?? And yeah i was thinking about putting a lot of that money towards a nice system, but i'd rather have it towards performance.

 

[SPATL]

$1000?

MP Performance

Rear Sway Bar =$79
Steering Rack clamp and brace = $149
2 point sub frame brace=$49

Do intake and Exhaust mods if possible as well.
3" Down pipe and high flow cat
3" Airbox Duct mod
High Flow Air filter
or cone filter setup.

Think about a new Intercooler if your is the double pass IC.

More power once the car is properly setup?
MBC or MBC+A

 

[mike saunders]

I'd look at taking some driving school sessions, some accident avoidance stuff and defensive driving courses. Then go on to high-performance driving courses, and maybe even a couple of autocross sessions.

As the ad slogan goes, "Power is nothing without control"

You need to learn how to control your car before you do anything to make it faster. Don't get all bent out of shape at that suggestion. I'm not telling you to learn differential equations; learing how to drive better is going to be fun...and safer for you in the long run...

 

[tim1477]

I'd look at taking some driving school sessions, some accident avoidance stuff and defensive driving courses. Then go on to high-performance driving courses, and maybe even a couple of autocross sessions.

As the ad slogan goes, "Power is nothing without control"

You need to learn how to control your car before you do anything to make it faster. Don't get all bent out of shape at that suggestion. I'm not telling you to learn differential equations; learing how to drive better is going to be fun...and safer for you in the long run...

Do you think this could just be learned with experience?

 

[stromer]

Experience is the chapest driving school. Just start easy. For one a ticket would really take away from this $1000. I'm not sure if your state has suspension periods for new drivers who get tickets, but this would be a bummer too.

I reccomend all the stuff above. Check out the post mods sticky at the top of this board for more ideas. Stereos are nice too!

 

[ricot83]

u will not learn the same things that u would in school from experience, it takes years and years... i have been driving for nearly 7 years now and still learn new ish everyday.. i only wish i had learned it earlier, though i have yet to have any problems... knock on wood

 

[PMI]

Im only 16 and just got a '99 9-3. I have about $1000 to put into this car (i know its not a lot), what do you think would be the best thing to spend my money on?

Not to take a big bite out of your budget, but for me performance starts with a good set of tires... not necessarily expensive tires, but something reasonably well matched to the car and my driving style (which tends to put more emphasis on holding the road over 0-60 times). After that brakes that won't fade after a couple "spirited" stops... This does not mean running out to replace good parts. More like, choosing what will work well for whatever your driving style is when the tires and brakes on the car wear out.

 

[mg_td]

Experience is the chapest driving school. Just start easy. For one a ticket would really take away from this $1000. I'm not sure if your state has suspension periods for new drivers who get tickets, but this would be a bummer too.

I reccomend all the stuff above. Check out the post mods sticky at the top of this board for more ideas. Stereos are nice too!

yeah, take it from someone who knows, dont get any tickets, i got my first in the third month i was driving, and two in the past three months, and a warning in between those, its not a fun thing. dont start driving fast, youll never stop.:cheesy:

 

[Tweek's Turbos]

With a track, if you screw up, you end up in a hay bail on in the grass.


With a road, if you screw up, you end up in a ditch or in another car.

Alot of us just got back from the Carlisle import nationals, I saw people at the Autocross in thier 50s, still flying off the track. I myself out of 12 runs, only hit 1 cone. But thats cause I'm awesome.

 

[julianBC]

I am also young and am stingy with my mod money. So far everything I have done is great. The car came with a sport exhaust, bilsteins in the rear, and i think i even have a rear sway bar. but no sf brace or steering rack clamp yet.

1st mod: popped out the yellow corners in the headlights (looks much much better)
2nd: sport tranny mount (feels good, not positive if its worth the 150, but def makes it feel better)
3rd: MBC+A as well as the intake mod, boring out the tb, and recharging my K&N in the same day (holy crap, the car is pretty damn fast now. it can easily run v6 camaros and mustangs now, im still working on the v8s .)
4th: mtf0063 tranny fluid (i guess this isnt really a mod, but it improved shifting a little bit, mainly did it due to my driving habbits)
maintinence items: ngk plugs, mobil1, chevron fuel system cleaner (new plugs w/ di grease that are propperly gapped do wonders.

My fav mod was the mbc+a, dirt cheap, big upgrade. But I already had SOME suspension stuff on my car when I boguht it. Next I will probably get a steering rack clamp and im debating on a 3" dp, i also wouldnt mind getting my car a little lower.

I dont know about you, but when i was 16 (a whole 2 years ago) I drove like a total nut. I had a turbo volvo wagon and I would get it sideways and do donuts any chance i got (it was rwd). The car was a peice of **** due to my habbits and I got in about 4 minor accidents (only 1 w/ another car) and I have been pulled over about 6 times. So I know that speed is tempting, I still drive like a wang, just a little more sensible wang. So just be carefull, take care of your car, and don't **** up. My insurance never went up because I paid for all of my accidents out of my pocket and by junkyard parts and my own labor. No matter where you live, if you **** up, insurance will get you.

 

[WyldSaabMan]

Its all About learning limits, and I have to say going to autocross is an awesome place to learn the limits of your car. Everytime I go to autocross I impress myself with how far I can push the limits of the car, doing things I would never try on the road.

Autocross is usually pretty inexpensive, you just need a helmet and your all set.

Go and you'll enjoy it.

Tweek, they let you autocross with no bumper?:roll: :lol:

 

[cpenning623]

your in the SAME position i was a year ago. This is what i did-


you said you were new to cars, so you prolly will want a little help. Ask one of your freinds whos into cars to help you. Go onto erics site...im sure someone will post up the link, i dont know it off the top of my head. and do all the "free" mods. You might have to buy little things here and there, but the good ones are:

removing the turbo silencer
dissconnecting the diverter valve to vent to the atmosphere (to get the blow off valve niose)

For around 100 i would get an intake to make the turbo spool sound alot louder but it wont increase performance right off the bat.
for 350 i would go for the saab sport exhuast and get your freinds to help you install it.

The suspension usually isnt on the agenda for many 16 year olds, but i would highly recomend the mods that fast ed stated

if you have the extra cash, go for the downpipe for around 250 as well

That should take care of performance for the most part.

if you really wana get into it an ECU will change your car darasticly...the cheapest setup i know of is around 800 for the ECU though. That will take full advantage of all the hardware mods

I would buy a box and subs and amp off ebay. I have 2 10's now and they hit really hard and i got the whole setup for around 400, some of it off ebay.

Rockford's punch series
Xplod stuff
and a standard box are all pretty cheap but a good performance to price deal.

I would also look into a head unit. You could get them cheap from ebay as well.

Then with whatever money you have left over....

buy a can of high temp paint and a spray can of whatever color your car is(get this from paintscratch.com) and paint the brake calipers and heat shield(high temp paint)
and paint your grille and spoiler to match the car.

you could prolly also make a piar of eyelids for pretty cheap as well
also spend 3 bucks and do the gutter guard grille mod-you'l find it on this site

alright man, that should help...

 

[Tweek's Turbos]

Tweek, they let you autocross with no bumper?:roll: :lol:

http://www.scca-susq.com/results/2005/05-05-22-CarlisleKitCarAX.html
Car #36 I have no idea how they do the pax handicap, but my best single lap also happend when I almost, and later did hit a cone.

The funniest part is when I sheared the bushings out of my top engine mount. You can actually see in the vid my bushing go flopping out from under the car.:lol:

Back OT. Autocrossing costs like $20 for a session, and they usually have helmets for borrowing.

 

[abdukted1456]

Dude if you are only 16 I would bank the money and save it for repairs. unless mom and dad are gonna maintain that car for you. then go ahead and blow the $$$ on booze and women and car parts.

 

[tim1477]

Dude if you are only 16 I would bank the money and save it for repairs. unless mom and dad are gonna maintain that car for you. then go ahead and blow the $$$ on booze and women and car parts.

yeah not a bad idea, i have a pay for gas and maintenance, and its got 110,000 miles so i actually might need it for maintainence later on down the road. i really need to get a job

 

[Tweek's Turbos]

i really need to get a job

Its easier than you think. I was delivering pizza when I was ur age, and I think I make the same amount a week 10 years later.:roll:

 

[abdukted1456]

Its easier than you think. I was delivering pizza when I was ur age

oh god, the stereotypical crazy pizza delivery driver. :lol:

 

[FlyPenFly]

Would MP Performance be the best place to buy MBC+A didn't SPATL used to sell them too?