| If you own a Golf, GTI or Jetta, and you’re | | | | now disperses the shock of a bump more evenly. |
| looking for some inexpensive upgrades, read on. | | | | When cornering, you'll find that there's not as much |
| We’ll start with two Volkswagen performance | | | | lean in the car. This will add to the 'ride on rails' feel as |
| upgrades that are going to make the biggest impact | | | | you continue to upgrade suspension parts. If you want |
| for the lowest cost. The first area of topic will be your | | | | to stiffen up the back end a bit, a rear stress bar is |
| VW's suspension. | | | | about the same price as a front. |
| An upgrade to your suspension is a night and day | | | | Our next area of topic is the air intake system. If |
| difference from stock. Let's start at the strut towers. | | | | you're looking for a little pep in your step, and some |
| When you turn corners, your strut towers do not | | | | growl under the hood, then you've found your next |
| move in sync, they move independently. That | | | | modification. Several companies put out good quality |
| movement is called stress. Thus, when the car leans, | | | | cold air intakes, but Euro Sport Accessories' Cool-Flo |
| different stresses occur to each strut tower. To | | | | Race Air Intake System seems to accommodate the |
| reduce give in your car, it's best to install an upper | | | | widest range of VW models. Even if you've got an old |
| stress bar. Take for instance the ABD Racing Upper | | | | Volkswagen with a CIS/E fuel injection system, you |
| Stress Bar. It's got a twin tube design which helps | | | | can still boost performance and feel results. Don't let |
| reduce flexing and twisting when cornering. The install | | | | that fuel dizzy fool ya! Install is relatively easy, more |
| for an upper stress bar is relatively simple. Set stress | | | | time consuming than hard to understand. |
| bar into place, mark holes for drilling, drill, drop hardware | | | | The other great perk about Euro Sport's Cool-Flo |
| into holes, place in stress bar, and bolt down. | | | | Intake is that there are no more filters to buy, the filter |
| For the test drive, head out to to the freeway and | | | | is re-usable! Simply remove filter, rinse with water until |
| take a spin. The first thing you're likely to notice is that | | | | clean, let stand to dry, re-oil, and back on she goes! |
| bumps will feel more stable and even. Without a stress | | | | That's roughly $10.00 savings every time you go to get |
| bar in place, you'll feel one corner of the car rise up | | | | your oil changed. (ok, maybe every other time) Either |
| when bumps are hit. With the stress bar in place, it | | | | way, it's money in the bank for two more cheap |
| should be blatently obvious that one side of the car no | | | | upgrades! |
| longer flexes and gets pushed up. The whole front end | | | | |