0:00 / 0:00
From Stock to Built: The Logical Mod Sequence

From Stock to Built: The Logical Mod Sequence

Konig - Behind The Wheel Podcast Mar 04, 2026 28 min
0:00
0:00

About this episode

The discussion dives into the typical progression of car modifications, emphasizing the importance of tires and wheels as foundational upgrades. The hosts share personal stories about early mistakes like cutting springs and highlight the necessity of pairing shocks with springs for optimal handling. They debate the balance between practical, useful upgrades versus over-the-top modifications, and reflect on how modern access to information and pre-tested parts has changed the DIY tuning experience, making it easier but perhaps less creative than in the past.

Filter:
|
Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Concept

mod ladder

"talking about the mod ladder. What is the mod ladder? So we were talking about sort of the steps that people take when modifying their cars,"

The mod ladder is like a step-by-step plan that shows what changes people usually make to their cars first, then next, and so on. It helps people know what to do to make their car better.

Term

track car

""whether it's a daily driver, a weekend warrior, a full blown track car, or maybe something that kind of does everything.""

A track car is a car made to drive fast on race tracks, not usually for everyday use.

Term

weekend warrior

""whether it's a daily driver, a weekend warrior, a full blown track car, or maybe something that kind of does everything.""

A weekend warrior is a car you mainly drive for fun on weekends, not every day.

Term

daily driver

""whether it's a daily driver, a weekend warrior, a full blown track car, or maybe something that kind of does everything.""

A daily driver is the car you use most days to get around, like going to work or running errands.

Term

wheels and tires

""I think a lot of people will assume, Nick, that because of where we are, we're going to save wheels and tires first, right? What do you think? So give me some scenarios.""

Wheels are the metal parts your tires sit on, and tires are the rubber that touch the road. Better ones help your car drive better.

Brand

Michelin Pilot Sport

"putting Michelin Pilot Sports on and good quality and some of the extreme contact stuff"

Michelin Pilot Sport tires are special tires that help cars stick better to the road, especially when driving fast or taking turns.

Brand

Continental ExtremeContact

"and some of the extreme contact stuff from Continental."

Continental ExtremeContact tires are made to help cars drive better and safer when going fast or around corners.

Car

Civic Type R

"A Civic Type R or something is going to have better tires than a base model."

The Civic Type R is a sportier and faster version of the regular Honda Civic. It comes with better tires and parts that help it drive better and faster.

Term

drag slicks

"Like I'm not saying go out and just throw a set of drag slicks on your car all of a sudden, but something that is balanced for the vehicle will increase the performance"

Drag slicks are special tires that help cars go really fast in straight lines during races, but they don’t work well on regular roads or in bad weather.

Term

summer tire

"Don't throw a summer tire on if you're going to be driving six months below freezing temperatures."

Summer tires are special tires made to work best when it's warm outside, giving your car good grip and control, but they don’t work well in cold or snowy weather.

Term

R compounds

"Yeah, you probably don't want to grab, you know, a set of R compounds if you're if you're daily driving in New York, especially right now."

R compounds are special tires that stick really well to the road but wear out fast. They're great for racing but not good for everyday driving, especially in places with rain or cold weather.

Car

1990 Honda CRX Si

"I had bought this, this CRX 1990 CRX SI."

The 1990 Honda CRX Si is a small, fun car that many people like to drive and change to make it faster or look cooler.

Term

cutting springs

"And so at that time it was pretty common to cut your springs. That was like a normal thing, right?"

Cutting springs means cutting the metal coils of the car's suspension springs to make the car sit lower. People did this to make their cars look cooler or handle better, but it's not the best way to do it.

Concept

car modification

"That was like the first mod you would do."

Car modification means changing parts of a car to make it look cooler or perform better. People often start with easy changes like taking off parts or lowering the car.

Term

air box

"So that and taking off the air box or something stupid like that."

The air box is like a box that cleans the air before it goes into the engine. Taking it off might make the car sound cooler but can hurt how well the engine works.

Term

mudflaps

"It looked good, but, you know, it was, it was like a rite of passage to have like your mudflaps scraping on the ground a little bit, you know what I mean?"

Mudflaps are like shields behind the wheels that stop dirt and rocks from hitting the car or other cars. When they scrape the ground, it usually means the car is lowered or modified.

Part

coil

"I may have cut off a coil of those two just because I was stupid, but regardless, you made those kind of mistakes."

A coil is one loop of the spring in the car's suspension. Cutting it changes how high the car sits and how it feels when driving.

Company

KYB

"So a lot of, a lot of times when we would do that, we would switch over to like KYB yellows, tequico blues, something like that."

KYB is a company that makes parts called shocks, which help your car ride smoothly. Their special yellow shocks are good for cars with upgraded springs.

Company

Koni

"...there was Coney adjustables and things like that. Most guys weren't doing that at the time..."

Koni makes special car parts called shocks that help your car ride smoother or handle better. You can adjust them to make your car feel softer or firmer when driving.

Part

shocks

"car and you don't change the shocks, it's, you know, life and death. It's just going to change the handling characteristics. It's not going to be as good as it could be. You're leaving performance on the table, so to speak. You also shorten the life of the shock."

Shocks are parts in a car that help smooth out bumps when you drive. They stop the car from bouncing too much after hitting a bump.

Company

Ohlins

"wheels and tires on it, maybe going with like an Olin's like, you know,"

Ohlins makes special car parts that help your car's suspension work better, especially for racing or sporty driving.

Term

spherical bearings

"it's not necessary to have spherical bearings and it's not necessary to have a, you"

Spherical bearings are special parts in a car's suspension that let the wheels move more precisely, but they can make the ride rougher for everyday driving.

Term

dyno tuning

"Maybe they didn't, there weren't even dyno tuning that much. So it was more like, you know, a seat of the pants filling,"

Dyno tuning is when a mechanic uses a special machine to test and adjust your car's engine so it runs better and makes more power. It helps make sure the car is working just right.

Car

Infiniti Q50

"I, I, I order parts from them constantly, but like, let's be honest, the same parts are on a G 37 or 370 Z and a Q 50. I could park in a parking lot with other modified ones and they'll be crossover"

The Infiniti Q50 is a fancy car that is similar to some other Nissan and Infiniti cars, so many parts can be used on all of them. This makes it easier and cheaper for people who like to change their cars to find parts. It’s a nice car that is both comfortable and fun to drive.

Car

Nissan Z32

"I got, it creates these possibilities that you weren't originally looking at before, like when the reason I started, did my RB swap on my Z 32 originally is cause the King, the crankshaft keyway sheared off in my crankshaft on the"

The Nissan 300ZX is a sporty car from the 1990s that many people like because it was very advanced for its time and goes fast. People often change its engine to make it even more powerful and exciting to drive. It’s a car that helps people try new things and have fun with their rides.

Concept

project car

""...modifying my project car, my daily car anymore, but I know I have a project.""

A project car is a car that someone is fixing up or changing to make it better or different. People usually spend time working on it instead of driving it every day.

Part

wiring harness

"I need an engine, a transmission, a wiring harness, fuel system, and you start piecing those together."

A wiring harness is a bunch of wires bundled together that helps the car's electrical parts work by connecting them.

Part

rear differential

"Like, Oh, I'm going to do the rear end. So let me get diff bushings. Let me get the, the, you know, upgraded diff carrier housing. First of all, what's, what's a rear diff?"

The rear differential is a part at the back of the car that helps the wheels turn at different speeds so the car can turn smoothly.

Part

rear main seal

"Um, I did have a leaky rear main seal. So I did have to, uh, sort of drop it down a little bit, but not all the way out."

The rear main seal is a part that stops oil from leaking out of the engine at the back. If it leaks, oil can drip and cause problems.

Part

brakes

"And she's doing everything on her own and she did like the brakes on her own"

Brakes help your car stop when you press the pedal. They need to be kept in good shape so your car can stop safely.

Part

suspension

"and the suspension."

Suspension is what makes your car ride smooth over bumps and helps it handle turns better. It’s made of parts that connect the wheels to the car.

Part

head gasket

"she changed her head gasket recently as well in that part"

The head gasket is a part inside the engine that keeps oil and coolant from mixing. If it breaks, the engine can have big problems, so fixing it is important.

Car

Honda CRX

"... swap. I was able to put a B series in my 88, 89 CRX or whatever. And the only thing I've ever done u..."

The Honda CRX is a small, sporty car from the 1980s that many people like because it's light and easy to fix. People often put in different engines to make it faster and more powerful. It's a popular car for those who want to change things and make it their own.

Term

horsepower

"You go ahead, you put 160 horsepower engine in it."

Horsepower tells you how strong a car's engine is and how much power it can make to move the car. More horsepower usually means the car can go faster or accelerate quicker.

Brand

BMW

"Nowadays, you can tune a, you know, BMW and make that same, that same come up and not do anywhere near the work."

BMW is a car company from Germany that makes cars known for being fun to drive and often used by people who like to improve or customize their cars.

Term

tune

"Nowadays, you can tune a, you know, BMW and make that same, that same come up and not do anywhere near the work."

Tuning means changing the car's engine settings to make it more powerful or run better. People do this to make their cars faster or handle better.

Car

Ford Mustang

"...ing cars. It was always, um, let me put a set of Mustang wheels on my S 13 because Cobra ours were 17 by ..."

The Ford Mustang is a popular sports car from America that many people like because it looks cool and goes fast. Car fans often like to change parts on it, like putting different wheels to make it unique. It's a car that lots of people talk about because it's fun to drive and easy to customize.

5 cars featured

Request an Explanation

Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.

Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.

Want to learn more?

Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.

Explore Terms

Help improve this episode

See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark. Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.

Report incorrect info
Suggest better explanations
Flag missing cars