If you have wondered what steps it takes to start upgrading your vehicle so it gets down the track faster, or even to merge on the highway quicker here are some basic steps that can really improve the power of your vehicle without risk of damage to your engine and in some cases BETTER fuel economy.

Step 1. Intake - Your engine is simply put it, a vacuum pump. The engine 'sucks' in air and pushes that used air out the exhaust. By opening up the intake it allows the engine to take in a higher amount of air allowing the engine to work less to 'breath in' and the potential to get additional air when the time calls for it. This is almost always the first modification an owner will do to their vehicle to gain horsepower, torque, and in some cases better fuel economy.

Step 2. - Exhaust (after the catalytic converter) - Exhaust is the same theory as Intake as you allow the engine to 'exhale' the used air out of the engine quicker. Most people install Exhaust because of the difference in sound and usually like their vehicle to have some volume out of their exhaust. The amount of volume can be adjusted depending on what you would like to hear (quiet, moderate, loud)

Step 2b. Header(s) - Headers are the component that allow the engine to get rid of the used air as quickly as possible. They replace the factory manifolds with a more efficent setup that adds power and can benefit in fuel mileage. Headers are the first component in an exhaust system and are before the catalytic converter. Headers are one of the easiest bolt-on accessories you can use to improve an engine's performance. The goal of headers is to make it easier for the engine to push exhaust gases out of the cylinders.

Step 2c. - High Flow Catalytic Converters - Catalytic Converters are the component on the exhaust system to burn the excess amount of fuel that was not burnt up by the engine. This helps the emmissions and allows for a cleaner running vehicle. High Flow Catalytic Converters allow the same burning process and allow the exhaust to flow quicker, resulting in added power. This is a common upgrade for drivers who want the added power for the drag strip for better times.

Step 3. Gears - Referred to as gears, the final drive is the component at the back of the car that determines how quickly the car will get up to speed. Changing gears allows the vehicle to get 'out of the hole' quicker and is a common upgrade for stop light warriors who like taking their car to the drag strip to out launch other cars and keep ahead of them.

Step 4. Tune - The most important aspect of any vehicle. Without a good tune, all the above may not benefit that well. Newer vehicles with adaptive strategy will actually need a tune performed to benefit the above upgrades. Tuning your vehicle to the performance add-ons will allow your vehicle to really perform AND outperform the competition.