Car Mods I Regret Doing (And What I’d Do Differently)

[@prevailz1]

One mod that you'll never regret is buying better tires. It's one of those performance mods that you'll notice immediately and will brings lots of joy.

[@sirndimz3418]

I fully agree, this had me chasing a BMW 3 series in a MK1 Golf

[@FeZerret]

Good tires and better suspension including sway bar and strut bars

[@mureshrajanathan491]

@@sirndimz3418😅😅😊😅

[@HexlGaming]

unless you don't have the power to spin them. Then it just makes the car less fun. low power cars with insanely grippy tires is probably the least fun driving experience. worse than all the power and no grip.

[@Momo_8k]

@@HexlGamingsounds like your commute has no turns. I do agree that an over tired car with stock suspension is not good.

[@postalpancho]

Love how most of us wise car guys eventually get older and we all come to the same conclusion. OEM+ is the way to go. Respect the original design but give it a small touch of your personal tastes using high quality parts.

[@JayChesterman]

my car journey started 7 years ago with a 2013 BRZ, it had an invidia n1 on it when I picked it up and I ended up going catless with an UEL header and I love it at the time. I've had 3 cars since then, and currently own a 2020 s3 that i've got tuned with a high flow catted downpipe, but i ended up having a vibrant bottle resonator welded in because i've reached the point that OEM+ is the way haha, i've been slowly modifying the car while maintaining the stock look/feel with my own touch

[@dashing2293]

This is the way

[@Nicklafuego]

So us ricers had it right all along 😅

[@spaghetti941]

I think in finally getting there now. Loud cars now just feel obnoxious. I've always loved manual and always had manual but I'm almost tired of it. At the moment I just feel like it's a pain

[@somedude2492]

For me, i like having a vehicle that i use every day and that i just don't mod. Keep the maintenance always on time and don't do anything else to it. An OEM+ vehicle is nice if i have the space for it, but something I can't let go of is a car to mod the f*ck out of. It's non-running 90% of the time, but that 10% is the most fun vehicle ever. It also helps me not to tinker with the other nice and actually usable cars.

[@mikekrstevski]

Exhaust. Exhaust. Exhaust. My favorite aftermarket exhausts to listen to can be found on other people’s KZbin videos. And that’s pretty much the only place I care to hear them. Whenever I’ve made the decision to equip my car with an aftermarket exhaust modification I seem to completely dread driving the car. Induction mods/sounds on the other hand, are still very satisfying for me.

[@justinbuice]

Yes! One of my takeaways from all of this is; there’s a reason that the car left the factory the way that it did.

[@corbin4258]

It’s only worth it if it’s a truly good sounding motor. My n55 never gets old. Although it’s not ridiculously loud

[@HPX584]

prob because it's not a v8

[@vahlokprime3175]

Not in Europe bruh. Totalitarian regime here forcing us these sheit OPF filters. If you want something worthy of exhaust sound, there's no other way. It's going to come to US too mark my words

[@Jake-im2lv]

I went with a hks legamax premium on my ND, and it's probably the most tasteful exhaust I've ever put on a car. It sounds almost stock at idle but has a deeper tone when you step on it whilst still remaining sensible and not over the top. Zero drone on the highway too. There are decent systems out there, but mostly people go for the loud, raspy and droning exhausts.

[@starkyslp16]

100% agree with everything you mentioned. I see so many big youtubers making all these same mods on every build like they're completing a checklist. They clearly don't daily the cars like you do though, because most of this stuff is just a waste and becomes a headache with regular use.

[@z3safaripilot]

You realize Justin is one of those guys suggesting these mods. I have been swayed, imagine thousands of people deciding to do a mod because they saw it on Justin's page 😮

[@hyde_official]

muffler delete is my nightmare. I'll never do it again

[@mikekrstevski]

Yup. Had a muffler delete on my 997. WORST DECISION EVER!

[@THECANDYISGONE]

Payed 400 for mine. 3 weeks later, payed another 200 to put it back to stock. Neighbor hated me.

[@mcintosh.motors]

a valved exhaust makes such a difference!

[@ZacSup]

YUP, I had one on my infiniti and it honestly wasnt bad at all, but my BMW it is UNBEARABLE, the drone gives me the worst headaches and makes the interior rattle like hell, definitely gonna be switching to a true catback soon, lesson learned I guess, an expensive one unfortunately

[@domenico7483]

@@ZacSupwhat engine do you have ? My n55 axle back delete is perfect, then again i dont daily it

[@TommyLGarage]

I can relate to it all. A sign of us maturing !

[@ckcharlie56]

yessir! leave the loud exhausts for the college kids and highschool kids, cuz eventually they will grow out of it too

[@zekueterna]

Totally agree. Every single thing he mentioned I’ve gone through

[@mudit0074]

Yeah that's why yt suggested me this vid i guess.. 😅 these online platforms knows a lot about us

[@MrGmilton]

Same! Had a great SAAB 900 turbo that I unintentionally destroyed lowering and modding, growing up has its rewards lol👍

[@mrgizmo182]

I agree with virtually everything you’ve mentioned. I’ve just got my first BMW and the mods will be very subtle. I’ve had Hondas in the past with ridiculous exhausts and far too low. At 42 I’ve finally had enough of a bad back and bleeding eardrums 😂

[@dedan2]

Congrats! What model did you get?

[@bondmcnugget]

You could have done the same with your Hondas as well, they didn't have to be loud or low.

[@jg_media9]

I definitely don't regret it but I totally feel you that a lowered car kinda gets old sometimes and literally forces you to change how you drive. Both my cars are so low that getting in and out of my driveway is an absolute mission lol I have to put rubber ramps and all this wood at the end of the driveway so I don't destroy my front lips 😂

[@justinbuice]

My favorite is having to pull up onto pieces of wood to get my “low profile” jack to fit under it 😂

[@jg_media9]

​@@justinbuicehahaha that too! Gotta love it 😂

[@mgopaul27]

I don't regret lowering, but at the same time, I do. The problem is that when I drive in not so lowered-friendly areas, I get irritated. But when I get out of the car and look at it...I can't make myself raise it up at all lol it just looks too good to mess with it. Thankfully, my ride quality hasn't suffered at all, because I spent more than I like to think about on a set of KW V3 coils.

[@patthonsirilim5739]

maybe do a modest drop like me i went with rsr down which is only 15mm drop all round on the gr supra dosent scrape or change my driving style compare to stock.

[@asianmanfromasia]

I raised my car recently to accommodate for a different wheel, and I don’t know why I even lowered it to the floor in the first place. I don’t gotta worry about scraping anymore and it looks so much more tasteful, AND no more 2x4’s just to jack it up lol

[@Pivotal_Moment]

No mods, personally. But exhausts that are obnoxiously loud are off putting for me--prefer a smooth deep rumble. A few weeks ago a coworker installed aftermarket an exhaust on his Charger, and it's LOUD!! Another coworker has a VW which is even louder. (Makes me want to projectile vomit) But my neighbor has an S6...and it sounds amazing--doesn't wake the neighborhood on cold starts...just a deeeep "therapeutic" rumble. 😁 [Off topic... Yesterday purged my channel subscripts and unsubbed 60+ channels and obviously kept the ones I honestly enjoy. Your channel wasn't even a question, and so here we still are. Thank you, AS ALWAYS, Justin--keep on doing your thing!!! 💯👍]

[@justinbuice]

I’m glad I made the cut, and glad you are enjoying the content! 💪

[@HPX584]

i hope that charger is a v8

[@gibby3820]

I "regret" nearly everything... it was a cool learning experience but I'm over exhaust, downpipe, struts. Wish I could easily go back to stock. All exterior pieces I did eventually became tacky and got taken off. These days oil changes and paint corrections have my attention for the daily. Lowering... that was a short stint that cost me about 4k in suspension damage. Don't do springs kids.

[@jacksnackson3578]

What suspension did you run?

[@otakujayy7979]

Lowering springs is the absolute worst! 😂 I had bought a '08 Civic SI that had some already installed... let's just say never again, will I ever ride in a car with lowering springs.

[@yourfriendlyneighborhoodjinx]

Been hearing a lot of exhaust regrets, but the big thing I know is to heavily research and properly fall in love with a mod before installation. Example, I've been waiting literally years for a car with an exhaust I can show off to friends and picked the perfect one for it: mostly same volume but a little more growl. leads to just a hint of drone, but also just enough where you'll hear yourself (driving manual so that's a must)

[@nickmarsden8129]

100% on the exhaust. I rode in a 440 with an aftermarket catback exhaust. I thought it sounded cool initially, but after an hour of driving around, the drone got old real fast. Sure, it sounds better in the 5% of spirited driving, but the rest 95% is what's really matters. I'm very happy I stuck with stock exhaust in my 340. I have a 200cell catted downpipe and it sounds great for daily driving.

[@ginolorenzo4117]

Totally agree. There's a certain beauty in simplicity.

[@Maddoggy2023]

The absolute best mod I’ve made on my f30 335 was kw v3 coilovers. I bought the car with lowering springs and everytime I hit a pot hole or a bump, the car felt like it was going to break. With the KW’s, I don’t dodge things in the road anymore and and it’s so much more comfortable to drive. If I want to stiffen it up, it only takes the turn of 4 dials. Perfect set up. Great video.

[@mrpmj00]

I love my 2017 Corvette with stickshift which already has the stuff that other cars have to upgrade: - Loud Exhausts: I like my OEM 4 exhausts with open/close baffles that I can control with Mild2Wild (I like loud on the streets but silence on the fwy) - OEM carbon fiber hood / composite body panels - lowered , it's 49 in high stock - wide wheels , mine comes with stock 285 rear (I've replaced with 295)

[@wingedhussar5528]

My favorites. Cold air intakes that make a lot of noise as they pull in hot air from inside the engine bay. Followed by, lowering springs on OEM shocks and struts; great way to reduce the life of your suspension system. And finally, giant wing on the back of a car that can't go faster than 120mph and does 0 to 60 in around 7 seconds. I have used KIES carbon Fiber spoilers on most of my BMWs and they do fit perfectly.

[@Eldaino999]

Big agree on the exhaust. Honestly can’t believe anyone would buy an exhaust that only provides sound and not performance gains.

[@A-BombEnergy]

Another amazing video not only is it highly informative but also the cinematography is perfect. I am a filmmaker, so I really appreciate the quality of the video. You reinvigorated the love I had for BMW, and I recently purchased a BMW M340i because of you. Thanks again for another great piece of content.

[@justinbuice]

I appreciate that! 🙏 I had a lot of fun filming this one!

[@chinoyhouse8247]

When I was younger I modified my cars just like you guys. Lowered stance, body kits, lights and loud exhaust. When I got my first german car 11 years ago which was an E90 I started to appreciate the design language. One factor was I really can’t afford to mod out the E90 as it was costly and labour is expensive just to add some parts. then I began to appreciate BMWs own catalog that can buy you enhancements for the car. They call it BMW performance back then. After years of owning my E90, the only mod i’ve done was install an OEM 18” wheel with a different design, the rest of the money went into maintenance and detailing. When I switched cars to the F30 335i I became more of a purist, I’ve decided to order with a M sport package with the colour I like and the interior colour that I fancy. 3 years later I regretted not getting the MPPK package while ordering it so I had to retrofit the MPPK power package to get that extra oomph. I was also tempted to install the rear foglight mod that Justin was doing. In 2020, the pandemic hit and we decided to get something more practical for the current situation especially at that time where everything was uncertain, so we decided to get a base model BMW X3 30i as our daily with Xdrive so its gonna go anywhere. I didn’t mod the X3, it is all stock until today. At present, the X3 has become a daily workhorse for us and is really dependable but it wasnt as exciting as a 335i F30. We decided to get something fun and all we can afford as a second car is a new 2024 430i. We ordered it in the color combo we liked and the m sport option. Not as fast as the 440i but its enough for me. Happy Driving!

[@davepaturno4290]

Are you okay with the fender/tire gap with your 430?

[@chinoyhouse8247]

@@davepaturno4290 After owning few BMWs over the years, one trick i do without doing some lowering kit, the cheapest way to do it is I buy a 1” larger wheel and give the tires tire shine every time I wash them to have that contrast and illusion that the car has the right fitment. This is even more prominent on M sport models. We have 18s on our 430 now but once the tires need replacing I will get 19s from BMW OEM.

[@DepthsOfOcanthus]

I only have two modification regrets over the last 8 years: 1. Like you mentioned, I slammed both my '04 Toyota Matrix XRS and '98 LS400 on coil overs. I regretted it after I scraped up the OEM body kit on the Matrix and got the notorious front wheel well rubbing on the LS400 (no wiring harness damage, thankfully). 2. Being impatient and not saving up for the wheels I really wanted. I got Avid1 TE-37 reps for my Matrix instead of the real thing because I hated rolling on OEM wheels at the time but couldn't afford to shell out for real wheels and good tires at the same time. I also went through 3 sets of wheels on the LS400 before I stumbled across a set of OZ Racing Operas in 18x8 & 18x9 +35 for sale on my local FB Marketplace and picked them up!

[@justinbuice]

#2 extends beyond cars. I can think of quite a few things I’ve settled for because I didn’t want to wait 😅

[@Kasspirr]

I'm glad I realized how unpractical those things are before I had a money to make them. My philosophy about my car is: I keep it stock, if I have to replace/repair something I use either OE parts or highest quality replacement parts. This way I pump my heart and passion into my car while keeping it good for daily commute. The only visual thing I bought were new rims but I found ones that have 1:1 OE specs and I use OE tyre size.

[@joespittle1]

The older you get the more you realize that manufacturers spend a great deal of time and money developing a car to be the best possible, often times when we go changing things we're really just making it worse.

[@djparra41]

That’s what I think is so hilarious about a lot of these “Spend 3x the value of your car in mods” based channels. I definitely respect that Justin is pointing this out, but these channels as a whole are just primarily two separate money from teenagers via their affiliate links Knowing for well, there are numerous downsides to all of these upgrades. Full disclaimer I’m 35 years old now and had I been in my late teens or early 20s when all of the stuff was around, I would partake in it as well. but you hit the nail on the head with the appreciation of engineering from OEM… now if we can only get mother truckers to change their oil every 3000 miles, we’d make a real difference in this world 😂😂😂

[@thatloserwhoplays]

Manufacturers have to balance noise, mpg, power, and cost Not necessarily better depending on what you're looking for, but more the best all around they can make it you're gonna lose one going for another

[@bondmcnugget]

Not true if you know what you are doing. Some people should not modify cars.

[@Momo_8k]

@@bondmcnuggetmost people stop when they get older. Because a lot of the mods they do when they’re younger are just too extreme. Kits, exhausts, stage 2/3 clutches and slammed suspension. I’ve never been a power guy. So I’ve done the exact same base mods for every car I’ve owned (barely noticeable suspension and wheels). And I never go back and regret anything - because nothing is extreme. OEM+ for longevity.

[@DARKredDOLLAR]

​@@thatloserwhoplaysadd reliability to it. An amg engine with a tune can do much more horse power than stock. But at the cost of longevity.

[@Ayeitsscott]

I used to do muffler deletes and loud exhausts. I recently got a valved catback and can control the volume. Absolute game changee

[@connortidman6925]

Love hearing this, especially from a guy with BMW experience. You should do one with your recommended modifications too! Also, as far as exhausts go, I think there's a difference between loud and too loud. With my e90, I just tell myself that as long as I can put my grandmother in the car without feeling embarrassed, my exhaust isn't too loud, and my ride quality is okay.

[@justinbuice]

That could be a good idea for a future video!

[@north_tracy]

lowering springs, tinted windows, chrome delete & a nice sound system maybe some upgraded oem wheels from higher trim models, that is my go-to list of mods for all my vehicles, & maybe a down-pipe down the road, & tune but definitely no obnoxious catback exhaust

[@nulla9601]

One I didn't regret is upgrading my sound system. I did it on a budget, buying a lot of used parts but the result was great for around 400 bucks. Keep it simple. Change the radio to something with bluetooth if you have an old car and that can drive your new speakers, change the speakers, add a subwoofer in the trunk and you're set. For the subwoofer, get something with a build-in amplifier to keep it simple for yourself. I got the Alpine SWE 815, build-in amp, small but more than enough bass. I kept everything within the same brand (Alpine) to make sure it works together well. This is not needed but something to keep in mind if you don't know much about it.

[@mcintosh.motors]

I have stock cats on my F80 which I daily but with full valved catback so it’s basically stock when closed and I can actually hear my radio lol but then switch the car to sport and the sound just comes to life. especially with the direction everything is going, I can’t recommend a valved exhaust enough for anyone looking to keep an enjoyable exhaust but want the flexibility of sounding stock whenever you want! don’t think i’ll ever own another daily and modify the exhaust without having the functionality of valves

[@justinbuice]

That’s good to know. I will definitely go that route in the future.

[@DanielB-py1yi]

Well done, you've grown up. I think we've all been down the same path.

[@sapphire_m340]

I totally resonate with this video! Coming from a base model Honda civic, I did all of the following: muffler and resonator deletes, lowered the car, tried so hard for it to look like a type r, ended up ruining the car as 1. It was no longer comfortable to drive 2. Fitment was not as good as oem in some parts (not a super big issue) 3. Wanting more power and spending all of the extra money when I could have gotten a Type R was not worth it. Luckily, with my current car, the m340i, it fixed a lot of problems: 1. Superior suspension 2. Valved exhaust (FROM THE FACTORY) 3. Can handle WAY more power than any civic ever could with the b58 and zf8 speed. Final thoughts are just to save up for the better car/part and don’t cheap out

[@automospeedcrew]

You know I have to agree with you on almost all of these. The loudest exhausts are fun for like 2% of the time you’re driving if it’s a daily. I’m going to update my exhaust, but I’m going to go with a milder sound. I prefer a sleeper the older I get

[@BurntOrangeHorn78]

Alcantara is basically polyester. It does not possess good wear capabilities. MSport option is always a base for me on any BMW. A functioning car in the real world is worth more than a curb queen.

[@ABC123er]

That’s just plain wrong. Alcantara is proven to be more durable than leather, and it’s more comfortable in very hot or cold conditions. When maintained, it still looks new after many years. The maintenance shown in the video is not really what you need to do to keep it clean

[@BurntOrangeHorn78]

@@ABC123er Yeah, you have no idea of its wear cycle. It is good unless touched then it just pills.

[@iamyoda66]

@@ABC123er I have M Per Alcântara on mine for 6 years now. Still looks new

[@robgochez4062]

One thing I had buyer's remorse was my bilstein B16 damptronics and H&R sway bars on my F80 M3. This combo made my car very stiff and as you said , I paid so much money to make a car feel like a rock and feel like old car running on worned out shocks.. these suspensions aren't cheap, and I don't even think it improved handling, if anything it made it easier for it to slide around due to stiffness

[@jacksnackson3578]

They weren't adjustable?

[@Radioshack65]

Hi I have a 85 RX7 and a 03 Miata (also a RX8 but it aint running in classic RX8 fashion) I have done quite a few mods, and none have I regretted so far. Most of the things I have done are all things I really have enjoyed or would do again IF I modify another car. I have exhusts straight pipes to full aftermarket with resonators, short shifters, a carb, a intake, braces, roll bar, coilovers, wheels, and other small things with more on the list. Like said in the video, it’s a good learning experience when you mod a car and you end up with a lot more knowledge, experience, memories, and you’ll probably feel more connected to your car and it’ll feel more personal. I will say though, just because you like your mods doesn’t mean your passengers will. I like a loud exhaust, most people that ride with me though? Not really, and the list goes on. Is lowering your car gonna make it a pain? Yeah, you do get used to it though. If you have coilovers I felt opposite as in the video, I felt that the ride quality and handling of my car now that I could dial it in improved greatly along with the looks. So I felt it was worth it and would do it again. In the video he mentioned that he would advise against buying a cheap base model and modding it and instead just buying the fancy spec. This is something I agree with 50%. I feel like those are your two options. Both will probably cost around the same. You could either buy a cheap car, do the work yourself, mod it yourself, make it your own and gain the experience, or you could buy the higher trim car but leave it all OEM. I don’t see either option as being better than the other.

[@medspirit74]

We just put a decent entry level exhaust on my sister's 325i, with a key fob that opens and closes the valves. Huge difference. We don't have to worry about waking up neighbors early or later in the evening. And can adjust the sound according. Best decision for the exhaust tbh.

[@john_does_stuff]

Amen to all of this man. Perfect example of growing up and the mod bug maturing.

[@vamosnippon]

Definitely as I get older, the comfort and quality is where I want to focus more on rather than the sound of the car.

[@exiteternium]

i'm with you on #1, loud exhuast is draining now being older, i don't want loud, i want symphony and theater that integrates in the background, not the foreground. and for suspension.. welll.. i'm going OE on my E90, but addign the M3 control arms for less deflection, and better solidarity over the factory pressed/stamped arms. and will likely add turner toe rods just for ease of adjustment, plus more solid design with machined parts over the stamped metal. the car already came with the M sport package. and sadly had a VRSF exhaust already installed, but i've been lookign at the Turner Ti valved catback, so i have many plans for the car to make it a well performing sweet daily weekend Auto X/track weapon.

[@christopherlowery855]

I don't know man, I have most of these mods, minus the steering wheel and trunk. Different car. Definately have the lowered stance, the loud exhaust, the front bumpercover from a different year/trim. In age, I'm "over the hill" at this point. For sure if someone wants to improve performance on a lower trim vehicle when the manufacturer makes a performance trim for the vehicle they want, just buy the performance package. Examples are Sti and type R. Either get an older year, or save up. Because you're 100% right about the parts changes. The exhaust I have I only get slightly annoyed with depending on mood. (Most of the time I love it) I drive with the windows down anyway, so there's loads of wind noise as is. It's a little like driving a motorcycle. You either love it or you hate it. Downshifting and hearing the crackles and pops coming out of the tail pipe never gets old. The wife has never even sat in this car. But yeah, I have to yell at people if I want to talk to them. The front bumpercover I had to repair because it was broken and started to hang. After the fix, it sits well on the car and looks a lot better than the stock bumpercover. My car sits 3" off the ground. Most of the time, its not an issue. However, I most certainly need to plan my routes. Today even, I took a detour because of an RR crossing that I might have trouble navigating. Parking garage speed bumps are my enemy. There's some places I just won't drive with this car. Road debris is the big one. If you think it will clear, it won't. I nearly put a hole in my oil pan because of something in the road. The debris nailed a cross beam pretty hard. But I don't scrape everywhere I go. Its pretty rare actually. Just be mindful of ground clearance and you'll be fine. I did get adjustable upper control arms though. In 2 yrs I needed to replace my tires because of uneven tire wear. Not doing that again. I have a full contact patch in the rear now. The fitment still looks good. As for the trunk lid, I've been eyeing an aftermarket one with an integrated dovetail like what you have. I haven't pulled the trigger, but it's something I've really been considering. I can address any leaks, I just really want that integrated aero. ~$1500 is about the cost of what I've been looking at. I won't buy something like that off ebay. Mods like these are for toys/projects. A reliable backup vehicle is always needed that is a completely different driving experience. This way, if you don't want to drive the track missle 1000mi, you don't have to. Personally though, I love to daily my project car. I don't know how I would feel driving it all the way across the country though. Being thrown in the air over bumps is a reality. I drive a boosted NB1 miata. A guy in a Z4 gave me props today. I get thumbs up, waves, lights flashed, "hey man I love your car", etc. Other times I have guys in Chargers make fools of themselves next to me. I got this car to embarrass people who hog the left (passing) lane. I had to do that twice today. It's a blast to drive and hugs the road. 70mph feels like 140mph in other cars. The car is just fun to drive during a normal day on the street. Its a driving enthusiast car. Overall, no regrets.

[@amnguyen1659]

I agreed with your list. I did it all. Loud stereo system is on my list. I’m a little bit older now so, I’m trying to save my hearing. Sound quality is better than the “boom”.

[@Mariodicaprio9]

I too regretted some aftermarket mods on my e92. Specifically the m3 rep fenders. The fitment I’d say was an 8/10 and the turn signals started yellowing within months 😅 Now with my 340i, I’ve learned that less is more and have only done oem+ mods. This video was very informative and visually pleasing. Keep up the great work Justin! Oh and I love the M caliper stickers that I bought from your store, they look incredible on my f80 calipers 🤌🏼

[@justinbuice]

Thanks! Glad to hear that the decals worked out! 💪

[@Aurora1337onYT]

What mods did u do on the 340i?

[@justinbuice]

@@Aurora1337onYT here’s the current list of mods www.justinbuice.com/bmw-340i-mods

[@Vikturus22]

I understand a few of these as a 33 year old. I have my MK7.5 Golf R and I did a few things to it Cobb exhaust ( resonated ) IE intake PS5 Tyres and pretoria wheels Bilstein B6 shocks stage 2 tune and thats all I did. It is not loud and it still works as a daily that I occasionally take to the track. Makes 380hp and its not enough to kill you but enough to have some fun.

[@UzzyT.]

9:18 couldn’t agree more, I just got a GR Yaris and this is exactly what I’m doing with it since it’s my daily driver.

[@alexanderlopez4527]

I watched the video in it's entirety and take issue with only one thing: when lowering a vehicle, keep in mind no matter what ride quality suffers. Also run a thicker tire to help somewhat with clearance and make sure if you're going low that you're beefing up the rest of your suspension, trailing arms, bushings, adjustable ball joints, etc. if you're just looking for "low" you'll always have issues.

[@houseking9211]

Exhaust wise, it makes a huge difference if you have a turbocharged car or an na/supercharged car. Turbos do a lot of muffling right at the exhaust manifold which lowers drone a lot.

[@davepaturno4290]

Great suggestions! I've found that OEM wheels are often very heavy. Each of my OEM Mazda 3S GT wheels was almost 10 lbs heavier than the Enkei Racing replacement wheel. Lowering springs: I really don't like the fender/tire gap that comes with an OEM car, even sports cars. Currently I am entertaining getting a set of Dinan springs for my GR Supra. Spring stiffness is 25% greater than OEM. Dinan also has a cat-back exhaust. Decisions, decisions....

[@MrScholarly]

I love the Alcanterra steering wheel. I have one for my M235i. However, I wear BMW leather driving gloves. It still looks new. I would recommend wearing leather gloves. Great for the winter since we loose the heat function.

[@justinbuice]

That’s a smart idea. Is it too hot driving with them in the summer? I suppose with the AC on it wouldn’t be too bad

[@cjmoritz]

LOL great to see you learn all this so young, SMART!!! I bought a 2023 M240 and I had a choice Eibach 2" lowering springs or 3/4" lowering springs, the smarted me chose the ladder : ) now for my one and only regret, I put a chin spoiler on and that was a $500 mistake, I ended up putting the OEM back on and now I have no worries

[@SeanJuan_]

The one mod I absolutely regretted and won’t ever do again is an aftermarket body kit. I loved the look but as soon as I started driving it I knew it was a mistake. The car was lowered but nothing remotely crazy and that never gave me any trouble. Lowered with a body kit made every little bump and incline a nightmare. I’ve never been a fan of most aftermarket exhausts but do appreciate it when they’re subtle, deep, and refined. I like to think that the exhaust I have now and the one I had on my previous car fit this description. My current car is a mk7 GTI, and it’s a fantastic daily driver. It’s got everything save an upgraded fuel system and turbo performance wise, WVR springs, and all the 034 motorsports suspension upgrades. Nothing done cosmetically. It’s compliant enough for me to enjoy daily and performs great in the twisties and on the track. I’m looking at a 2018 Audi RS3 next, probably a couple years out though. That I’m only going to tune the ECU and TCU, everything else is staying stock.

[@aztecvspec002]

I’d say doing Poly bushings was the biggest mistake along with lowering springs on factory EDC. When I hit a bump and blew the rear shock that repair bill was equally as shocking. I’ve only done really small things to my BMW like a M Performance carbon wing and factory shadow line grille. I thought about lowering it but the car rides really well and I’m almost 50 so I want to keep that check engine light in my back off 😊

[@kiwiasian]

Someone once said to me that the final destination of tuning is to put the car back to OEM 😂

[@glendalassiter8857]

As always, I'm impressed with the quality and amount of information in your videos! Transparency is also awesome...not many post regrets!

[@hannialtousy6111]

as someone who bought a base model 4 series, I completely agree with your take on the m sport, its not worth all the trouble doing the conversion... Please to whoever reads this just save up a little extra money and get one with the factory m sport it really isn't worth this extra hassle

[@MrTherandomvidsguy]

Hey man for the exhaust on you red scion, get a vibrant bottle style resonator. Vibrant 17930 (2.5") or 17950 (3"). It'll quiet it down some and kill basically all the rasp depending on the setup (if you have a aftermarket downpipe or headers which are usually catless or with a race cat, you're probably gonna need more than 1). I'd give it two weeks or so for break in period as it initially makes it very quiet but gets louder as it breaks in. But will be a little quieter than lets say your current setup right now. I had to do this with my X-force exhaust when I i had my Elantra N-line. Cheap and effective.

[@justinbuice]

Thank, I’ll look into it!

[@carla6872]

As always, just calling a spade, a spade. Thanks for your honesty so some of us can avoid some of those issues.

[@DrRyan82994]

i’m really happy with the exhaust on my civic, i just swapped the resonator and muffler with aftermarket ones, sounds nice, crackles a bit, isn’t super loud

[@RizzoUnited9411]

Just discovered your channel mate, great videos. I love how straight forward, practical, and down to earth they are. I just bought a 15 535i M sport, and a lot of this is great to know! Thanks lad, keep up the good work!

[@justinbuice]

Thank you! Glad I could help!

[@smiIingman]

Ive always preferred "tasteful" mods. I want only a slightly louder exhaust to give me some of that nice humm and grumble but not the type thats too overbearing. I preferr lowered cars but not the type thats so low that i cant clear a speed bump, just about a 2-3cm lowering is enough. And with that amount of lowering almost any 17 or 18" wheels will make the car look incredibly clean. I also dont mind having a front lip on the bumper as long as it's not the teenager-ish overdesigned transformers type.

[@ptinker106]

My 96 Integra was lowered by more than 2 inches, and it put a significant strain on my suspension. The 17's barely fit inside the wheel well when dropped. I replaced a ton of cv joints, axles and tie rods as a result of it being lowered over the 16 years I had it. The car looked great but now I have a 13 G37 with some aftermarket 18's. I don't have any plans to drop it, maybe add some sway bars, and that's it for the suspension.

[@TimberWulfIsHere]

For your exhaust, your problems could be fixed by installing sound deadening and swapping the axleback to a traditional one vs the cannon style.

[@johnwayne2405]

Aweomse video! I recently bought a 17 340i and been contemplating the M conversion body kit. I think I still want the front bumper but your perspective was great to hear. Extremely worried about spending that money for it to not fit the way I envision

[@justinbuice]

The biggest thing (and I cannot stress this enough) is going to a reputable paint shop and paying to have it done right. Don’t go to the cheapest place in town like I did with my E90 😅. If you buy the bumper from Kies, it’s the same one that I have, and the fitment on it is flawless. Only issue I had was the lower grilles on the bottom of the bumper are tricky to snap in.

[@johnwayne2405]

@@justinbuicegreat advice!

[@nemohoesz]

Invidia r400 was my best purchase as a daily exhaust for my 86. Quiet from 1-4rpms and loud enough from 5-7. And the pops are good if you shift from 3.5-.5.5

[@mattlyman3001]

I definitely agree on lowering and exhaust. Lowered a ‘99 Cobra Mustang and although it looked cool it didn’t handle any better. It’s almost like all those factory engineers know a thing or two. Loud exhaust sounds cool at first but it gets old quick and I don’t want any additional attention. Older and wiser now. Keep up the great videos! I’m a BMW guy now!

[@fuffoon]

I'm adding carplay for android to my Mercedes. I hope there are no regrets. But Mercedes Becker GPS updates are 580 and don't stay current. Google maps knows up to the minute road conditions. The installation is 816.

[@damo1979]

Yep I would agree with most of this...currently suffering from extreme lows in my 330Ci as the previous owner fit aftermarket springs on stock dampers (another big no no on my list)!! Looks great but literally hits & scrapes over everything 😢. Luckily this is getting sorted on Friday with a nice set of adjustable coilovers 😊. Loud exhaust I still quite enjoy 😅!

[@justinbuice]

Nice! What coilovers are you going with?

[@damo1979]

@@justinbuice going with BC Racing BR Series 👍🏽

[@6mtzhp55]

I had a 330ci optioned with the Alcantara wheel (ZHP). Ended up having to put an M3 wheel on there because it just dissolved no matter how I washed my hands, maintained it, and protected it with a windshield shade.

[@chrismax9459]

Engine map mod... spent the money and my Supra got check engine light + slower performance. Car was so low that I made a 3 step 1x6 wood ramp just to put the jack under it. Not going back to those days

[@wildchallenger87]

I agree with all. But you have to do it at least once to really apreciate the simplicity of oem cars. I had a civic build that had coilovers, exhaust, bucket seats, removable steering wheel... you know all that cool jdm stuff you see in videos. After I saw I wasant able to drive it daily I sold it in less than a year after saying my build is done 😅😅😅

[@Ratalala]

Awesome content! When seasons change, car guys always find something “new” for the car :)

[@Zestyclipss]

Going for 18' 8.5j 225/40/18 then swapping to XXR 9j wheels 225/45/17 Where my car came with a 15' 6.5j 185/65/15 Really had my suspension torn apart. After that switched up to a lighter 17' 7j wheels and 215/55/17 meatier tyre really helped a lot. Looking to get OEM+ wheels from Toyota to ease up the comfort more.

[@phiillzzz807]

Maturing for me was installing a valved muffler! Best decision ever on my subaru! It's catless, resonated and had a muffler delete.. i loved it when i was younger but as my ears got older and many attention with cops, i decided to pull the plug and installed a very expensive valved muffler.. i can make it sound absolutely stock and be drone free at the highway, and at the push of a button i can make it louder when im driving spirited on back roads... if i could tell younger myself, i'd say to have wheels and suspension as my first mods instead of performance and aesthetic mods...

[@UltimatumDemon]

One thing I always think about, getting the smallest inch wheel with thick tire walls. Kinda like those old school muscle cars used to have. It’s performance is superior in every aspect

[@ThermalGoguh]

I like the look of wide wheels sticking out from the side of the car. I know a lot of people hate it but I think it looks cool. Just another example of "to each their own" I guess lol.

[@highendtrends3508]

I just bought a 2020 X5 M50i and it’s nice just the way it is, people are telling me to tune and do the exhaust but I don’t want no troubles just a nice car to drive.

[@daize4743]

I'm currently driving a stock Supra as daily. This video gave me great insight what i would be expecting. I probably won't be lowering it now with lowering springs but a good dampner spring setup to make it look good but also still driveable. Thanks for this video

[@amfareed30]

Agree with all you said except the m- sport conversion especially the visual parts (bumpers and wheels) ..it gives you the OEM + you just said by the end of the video

[@justinbuice]

The end result is great, but still more money and effort than just buying the car that way.

[@someone8476]

I agree with you on this but i could understand someone wanting to uprate a base model car to a sport line trim as it means they have the qualities of the sport line trim whilst avoiding the higher vehicle tax and insurance categories. Perhaps that's more of a problem in my own country though. ​@@justinbuice

[@dandreurquhart3511]

The bit you said about turning a base into a sport is facts because I did that with my Q50 and the brakes was the most annoying thing taking the bumper off was also annoying but honestly it was a good experience.

[@wac_]

Side note but the 340 looks great! The dry carbon on the interior has to be my favorite mod, I think it looks so clean

[@justinbuice]

Thank you!

[@Novafro]

Exhaust has been the double edged sword. I like SOME of the loudness but not all of it, and the drone is a headache. I also don't like being so loud early in the morning. I had mine on for a year and took it off for CA emissions, but I intend to put it back on with some modifications to mute out some of the loudness at low mid RPM.

[@ramirezb18]

Downpipes and exhaust fun for short drives drives not for daily driving . Coil overs look cool and handle great on perfect roads . Most roads aren’t perfect and can be Dangerous and difficult to handle

[@dropthebeat3595]

On my 2005 Vitz 2sz-fe I had a pipe made to loop around the cat with switch control valve flaps, when the flaps are closed it sounds stock and I don’t get a ticket for loud exhaust, and when the flaps are open it’s loud. Before I had made my exhaust straight pipe and got tired of it and am 21, been driving for 2 years with the straight pipe, and decided to fit back the mufflers, cat and silencer, and also made a loop pipe to bypass all the filters if I wanted a loud exhaust, it did drop the power about 5HP which I’m ok with it, you can maybe do the same with your exhaust if you have some space under the FRS

[@AthosMackoly]

Perfect video man, I'm starting my F30 project and these are awesome pointers to have before doing anything crazy!

[@justinbuice]

Glad I could help! Good luck on the build 😎

[@martymccord9875]

Unless you are chasing static clout, bags are certainly a viable option. Especially nowadays with companies like airlift

[@justinbuice]

I’d consider going that route next time.

[@RoYaL3796]

I’ve never liked a loud exhaust, i keep getting told to put one but to me is why would I spend money to make my car louder. louder does not mean faster. But man the part about lowering it hits home😭😂. It looks so good just standing there but when I have to drive it I don’t like it. As you say it does change the way you drive and sometimes I find myself dreading going to a new place because I don’t know how the roads will be.

[@chrisbecker3629]

True words of wisdom. We all live and learn about what works for us after buying and installing absolutely everything.

[@matthewnicholas6365]

Years and years ago I was well into modding. I bought a Japanese imported M2R turbo. Had HKS exhaust, Tein coilovers and some unidentified wheels. First MOT it failed because a wheel was bent. No replacement wheel available. Needed it sorted ASAP so new set of wheels. Few years in, exhaust rusts (yes, HKS wasn't fully stainless) so needed a full exhaust as that didn't come in bits) Bit further down the line, had a spin off and damaged a shock. Couldn't repair. No longer sold. Whole new set of coilovers to sort one broken one. The moral of the story is, it's hard to get just the mod part you need, and you'll often need sets of things to fix small things. If it was a standard car, I could have easily got 1 wheel, 1 shock and the part of the exhaust that had a massive hole in it.

[@marcin020799]

I actually don't regret any of the mods I've done to my E46. It puts a smile on my face everytime I drive it. As long as I drive it alone and just for driving pleasure 😅 At some point the car loses its ability to be the daily driver. Exhaust becomes irritating on the highway when I drive it faster and try to talk with my passengers, I'm running BBS RX II wheels with 10mm spacers so the rims' lips are flush with fenders, coilovers set to "last optimal" ride height (top of the tire barely hides under the fender) and I have to deny when more than one person wants to ride with me so I don't rub the fenders. At some point it becomes a whole new mindset. Would not do this to my daily driver but no regrets when it comes to my funcar 🙃

[@dephataznboi]

As I got a little older, I definitely do not enjoy stiff suspension & being super low as I did when I was younger. Also getting good seats is heavily underrated.

[@AaronTremblay]

That FRS may be loud, but it sounds pretty dang good!

[@illestprincessforeve]

I agree! 😎

[@raidden-1583]

Meh, you can't do magic with 4 cylinders, they're still gonna sound kinda bland.

[@ElAndresRodriguez]

​@@raidden-1583tbf it is a boxer so it has a unique sound

[@magnusg720]

@@raidden-1583 lots of 4-cyls sound great... IDK what youre on about. Especially boxers, i vastly prefer 4 cyl boxers to 6 cyl boxers.

[@lukewilson5941]

When it comes to 4 cylinder engines, I only like the sound of boxer engines. But for me, I think the sound of a V8 is top-notch 👌 Especially when you have a sweet exhaust system and lumpy cams with a rough idle like a drag car, so good! When my wife and I are in the car and she's in a stropy tiff, it bothers me nun, cause I'm enjoying the sound of my car. 😁

[@wrecker4267]

💯agree on the loud exhaust, you can have performance and not obnoxious

[@colin19273]

Great video! I have yet to modify any cars, and it’s nice to see another perspective on very popular mods

[@doingyamom]

I did the entire M sport conversion on my F32 435. I wasn’t in the market for a car at the time but it fell into my lap so I bought it. It had no m sport but it was a manual and pretty well optioned so it was tricky to find as it is. I ended up buying all OEM bumpers over the course of a year or two and slowly getting everything together over time. It’s not the bumpers that are gonna hurt your wallet, it’s the plastics. I spent over $500 on plastics alone that go underneath the front bumper to make sure everything fit perfectly. I bought a wheel, shift knob, and some interior trim as well and all in I was probably around $4k on making it look like an M sport. And even still it will technically never be a true M sport. It was a good learning experience and I’m happy I did it but I’ll be buying the car as an msport in the future.

[@Rmmlom]

Justin your right I drove a 328i E92 that my friend owned, a 2007 non M sport stright 6 N52 no mods, car runs very good, no rattles just nice riding car. But as you say to stay away from some big modifications. Well, I also own a 2010 E92 Stright 6 N51 3 stage manifold that is by vin# an M sport with all the goodies seats, M sport suspension, paddles, body trims, lowered and most of all the hydraulic steering. Long story short my friend drove my car now he's hooked and wants to convert his I told him it's not worth the money and you are changing many components you do not want to mess with. I told him that if you want an M sport car, find one stock by vin#. I told him by now it's going to be a little hard to do there prices have gone up. Anyway you are more than right right stay away from mods that distroy your car not help in the long run. Buy it already as it came from the factory with some non invasive personal touches for that ultimate driving machine experience.

[@kai6211]

After watching thicwhips and you for many months I bought a 2014 f30 335xi base couple months ago, just got an m sport bumper and now I’m watching this video after having it on for couple of weeks. I won’t lie, I do look back and already prefer the base bumper even though the m sport just looks like how a bmw should look in my opinion.

[@zilchthegrate63]

to me, the biggest mistake with modifying a car is over-prioritizing power and treating suspension as an afterthought. I did that to my WRX and the moment I got a good suspension setup on the car I wanted to return the engine back to stock because the suspension made the car significantly better to drive than the power mod ever could.

[@baileyf1998]

If you daily the car that your building then I largely agree. Most of this video i can't relate to because I have never used any of my build cars as anything more than weekend cruisers or track cars. The key is to lightly modify or get a cheap daily that you don't modify.

[@Wheeler.47]

Biggest regret is the m3 style bumper on my f30. Will be buying the m-sport soon and wishing I didn’t make this mistake when I first started🤦‍♂️

[@magnusg720]

The F80 M3 style rear bumpers for the F30 just looks so "chad", not in a good way... They look like they got huge chins.

[@k.skyl1n3zz]

for your loud exhaust droning, you should sound deadening the spare tire area and doors, make a large difference.

[@justinbuice]

I will look into that, thanks!

[@x18shadow3]

loud exhausts are nice man. except for when you have to daily it, gets annoying real quick.

[@NineSins]

I personally regret decating my car. The sound difference is there, but in front you can mostly hear the metal parts, pumps and stuff, instead of the engine itself. Also my biggest mistake was going cheap on painting the front bumper I swapped to M pack version. I've only painted the bumper, so the color didn't match perfectly, it was bugging me so I wrapped the whole car, but no vinyl is going to look as good as proper paint job. Definitely learned one thing there: don't mess with the exterior too much (actually I've replaced the grill, mirror caps and indicators and those look great). But the bumpers and especially paint, just don't. Buy a car that has a good paint, and the bumpers you want. I don't regret changing mine, but I do regret not buying an actual m-pack in the beginning.

[@DrEtzor]

I have a wagon that's on coilovers (last owner didn't want to replace the magnetic suspension so they put it on coilovers instead) the coilovers make the car lowered by like 40 millimeters or so, normal car has ground clearance of about 16 centimeters so 40 millimeters is already 1/4th of the ground clearance gone which already makes the car very close to scraping all the time. But i can also see why they went with coilovers as the coilover set is like $300 while the original shocks alone refurbished (not new, refurbished.) is like $1300 with shipping and then you pretty much should put something like Eibach sport (not lowering) springs on it which is another $200 and then you add all the protection bags, top-ends of the suspension and all that into it and suddenly it costs like $1800 to have new (refurbished) magnetic suspension, so i can see why they went with the coilovers, but the craziest thing is, to bag the car is only like $2100 compared to the $1800 for the magnetic suspension so again it's like- want to go with what your supposed to go with or want to throw it on bags for just 300 more and assumedly bagging it is the expensive way to go but also the most comfortable.

[@carsinruin6102]

I preach Shock/spring combos over Coilovers to everyone and they look at me like I’m crazy. But the simplicity and comfort make them the best for daily.