Hey all, I am new to SL (as you can tell). Been reading for a few months, now its time to say hi I have to admit, all of my cars up to now have been American made (Ford). My last car was a 01 Mustang GT and I traded it in for a 08 Scion TC.

So far so good - I love my new car. It handles very well and I just love the car as a whole... I am very very happy with it...



Now my debate... I really don't know what to do with the tc.

1) Keep it stock, and don't modify a thing
2) Work on the engine and go either NA or SC
3) Work on the sound system and leaving everything alone

I want more power, but for the price (around 4) for a TRD SC with install (to keep the factory warranty). I could go with NA, but I heard that our engine doesn't respond that well to mods (please correct me if I am wrong). I know my car is not a Mustang, and I don't expect it to be one.

Now I can go with a better sound system, but I have a feeling that won't feed my need that much (even though I love my music).

So in short, what is the best bang for the buck? Does everyone think a sound system is the best way to go, or engine mods (thinking money wise). Please help!!!

Some pics of my new car:

 

Welcome to SL!!!
You definitely don't want to leave it stock
Its a tC, the best part about it is modifying it

and where did you hear that our engines don't respond well to mods?

If you have money for a SC, get it, if not, then you could get intakes, exhaust, etc

The best bang for your buck to me would be getting springs and sway bars, big differnce

 

Congrats on the new wheels and welcome 'officially' to SL!

I think your #1 upgrade should be the suspension. What good is it to S/C the tC if it doesn't have great traction and handling? This includes a new set of tires also. Stocks are poo for traction. If I could do it all over again, here's the order...

1. Suspension. (Sway[s], Springs, and Shocks if you get Springs that drop it 2" or more.)
2. New tires. (And rims if you can swing it.)
3. Tint.

That should hold you over for a while. Steer clear of the system upgrade because (a) the stock system is actually really decent and (b) it sounds like no matter what you put into it, you won't be happy. Put your $$$ in something you actually want. (S/C, Pulleys, etc.)

 

Glad to meet yeah! Dont be a post ***** like cruz! haha im sure he'll post soon. anywho. first off do these 2 simple mods...

Tint

and

Lower!

 

sound system. lower it. get your gauges swapped (unless you like amber). and take it from there. lol

WELCOME! :D

 

yes yes. very good sir.
keep modding till the day you get rid of it.

 

haha dakine :D. Lets see Lower it,tints, maybe a lip kit ,wheels, VRd grill,exhaust, theres alot more you can do i cant really think right now

 

You are totally right. I have a full trd tc, and the best way to start is to get the suspension knocked out of the way first.
If you have the money do the trd shocks/struts (one package) and the trd spring at the same time. IF you dont have money for the trd shocks/struts, Id recommend the TRD rear sway bar and the lowering springs.

Also, get your parts on the cheap side from www.trdsparks.com, and your local dealer will install them if you need to have it done.

 

Sounds good, but do I have to worry about alignment issues if I lower it that amount? Do I need an caster-camber kit like I had to do with my mustang? Please let me know

 

After you lower it, wait a week or two, and then get an alignment.

About the camber kits, a lot of people don't get them, so I don't know, If you get anything other than s-techs, I wouldn't suggest it, unless you want too

 

my fav mods so far are my suspension mods.. and YES drop it 2" or more... i have TRD drop and wish i went lower

 

thats one shinny looking tc. #1 priority mod = slam.

 

where did you hear that?

couldnt be farther from the truth, the 2az-fe motors respond extremely well and is capable of huge power even without massive internal work.

 

you dont need a camber kit with a trd drop. so dont worry!

 

car looks great
i'm thinking of getting one that color
could u take some pics of it in the sun??
oh and u should get a cf hood and window tint
and before i forget put a cai on it..it'll sound great

 

I just got mine like 3 months ago....so i know how you feel, but the first thing i did was HIDs....i went 8000k and its my fav mod so far....im installing my suspension on wednesday so ill post up pics when its done....im going TRD by the way....and after im getting tints maybe 20% all round...so it depends what you want to do first.....

 

in the 08s the gauges are in a orange/redish color....no more amber...FYI

 

i personally would leave the engine stock till the warranty ends.