Piston Slap: Tuner Talk, Debunked

Sajeev Mehta
by Sajeev Mehta

TTAC Commentator Rehposolihp writes:

I drive a MKV GTI and despite it being a car that always brings a smile to my face when its working…well, just having to make that last qualification doesn’t bode well for me.

Combine that with a warranty on the verge of expiration and I’m fairly sure I should run away now.

The only thing I’ve done to it is popped on a boost gauge, and purchased an ECU flash (which can be locked back into stock), because I wanted to be reminded that I drive a turbocharged car from time to time. Before I start snapping photos and trying to sell should I replace it back to stock? I may have possibly broken the poor original vent assembly into tiny little pieces in my clumsy attempt to remove it, but the surrounding bits still look good. So – is the minor hassle of replacing it back to stock going to net me a profit, or am I over thinking a boost gauge?

Sajeev Answers:

You aren’t over thinking this situation, “shifting” a modified car to a new owner is big money. And it’s a buyer’s market. So return it to stock and sell your mad-tite boy racer parts on a VW forum who might have better luck with them.

But let’s cover the spectrum of modified whips. Big name tuner creations like those of “Rad Rides By Troy” rarely change hands publicly, because they are commissioned like works of fine art from centuries past. I suspect their owners adopt a wait and see approach to selling: once the buyer with the right bankroll shows up, the vehicle is then for sale. Not a moment sooner. And it’ll sell for something close to the six-figure build cost. More to the point, you don’t understand what I’d do to have The Blowfish in my garage. From what I’ve seen, cars of this caliber (pun intended) are just that NSFW-ing impressive.

A tuner car from a mid-level shop (Lingenfelter, Hennessey, Dinan, etc) is a different story. Everyone from overcompensating men with an addiction to Ed Hardy clothing, easy credit and spa-perfected girlfriends, to a self-made man who refuses to “tune” in their spare time buys these cars. While I am sure women do buy these things, I’ve yet to meet one. No matter, these cars are more dispensable than anything in Rad Ride’s portfolio. Expect that, after Hennessey finishes stitching his name in the headrests of a Camaro, the “investment” will sell for 20-40% of its original value. While Yenko, Shelby and others show that things change after three decades of marinating, tuner cars have a short shelf life in the meantime.

And if you’re desperate enough to dump a tuned car on the last-chance folks in Carmax, don’t be surprised if your cash offer is thousands less than a stock version. I coulda sworn I saw a Ford SVT Lightning owner on the verge of tears when he dumped his pulley/tune/exhaust’d ride at the local CarMax. Ouch.

All of which doesn’t especially bode well for you. So, again, sell your car with stock parts, and let someone else deal with its problems. Here’s to your next car being stock, or on a more robust platform that won’t rob you blind when the boost comes on strong. Or even stronger than strong.

Send your queries to mehta@ttac.com

Sajeev Mehta
Sajeev Mehta

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3 of 22 comments
  • Richard B Richard B on Sep 02, 2010

    Here in California, with our smog laws, I'd be really wary of buying a car with a modified engine. On the other hand, if the owner struck me as a conscientious autocrosser and had (properly)installed suspension that I liked, I'd be willing to pay extra. Bouncy cars, ginormous wheels, no way.

    • Itsgotvtakyo Itsgotvtakyo on Sep 02, 2010

      I've read about the plight of some Californian enthusiasts on some of the Honda boards and I'm super sympathetic, what a raw deal! There are ways around the smog laws but it seems to be an epic PITA.

  • LUNDQIK LUNDQIK on Sep 02, 2010

    Seriously? The OP is talking about a gauge and a chip! These are really really mild modifications. This is hardly a tuner car. This isn't a JC Whitney catalog car gone horribly wrong - or some backyard racer who took a dremel to the airbox for some "speed holes". In this specific case I'd return the engine software to stock (its probably just a regular handheld device anyway) and leave the guage. Assuming his Golf doesnt look like the one pictured he'll be fine. On the larger discussion, yes a full blown tuner car (even one done well) is questionable for reliability as a used purchase. All those mods do typically say something about the driver and how the car was used / abused. Guage and a tune? Probably OK. Tints and Rims? Still, probably OK. Truck Nutz and Calvin? Tacky, but still safe. Hacked Air Box, DIY CAI, craptastic exhaust system, dropped cars, etc - I'd personally stay away from. That being said a guage and a tune are hardly grounds for this guy losing money on selling his car. Its a Golf, ppl know there's gonna be problems anyway.

  • THX1136 Always liked the Mustang though I've never owned one. I remember my 13 yo self grabbing some Ford literature that Oct which included the brochure for the Mustang. Using my youthful imagination I traced the 'centerfold' photo of the car AND extending the roof line back to turn it into a small wagon version. At the time I thought it would be a cool variant to offer. What was I thinking?!
  • GregLocock That's a bodge, not a solution. Your diff now has bits of broken off metal floating around in it.
  • The Oracle Well, we’re 3-4 years in with the Telluride and right around the time the long term durability issues start to really take hold. This is sad.
  • CoastieLenn No idea why, but nothing about a 4Runner excites me post-2004. To me, they're peak "try-hard", even above the Wrangler and Gladiator.
  • AZFelix A well earned anniversary.Can they also attend to the Mach-E?
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