I'm planning a build right now... and it seems like I got bit by the bug you all have here (gee... thanks guys... I blame you all on this forum for this...): where you chase a horsepower number, and forget what the actual cost is!

So I got to wondering: What is the maximum you would pay to increase your car by 1rwhp?

 

Well, I'm working with Mamo right now. The motor in progress he says will be 650-675 crank hp naturally aspirated. At around $14,000 estimated, about $21 dollars per horsepower lol. However, mine will drive like a dream and be retarded efficient, while also maintaining incredible reliability/longevity. Its a no expense spared build, and I'm planning to do this only once. So I'd rather spend the extra and leave nothing on the table. If I don't, I'll always wonder what could have been.

 

Well if you consider my latest purchase apparently I'm willing to pay around $50 per hp at this point lol. The more modded you are the more it cost in the hp per dollar department unfortunately

 

$21 an hp isn't bad. Even $50 doesn't seem rediculous.

 

Don't want to know.

 

Oh man. NEVER EVER do the math!

 

Math is not fun. years ago I hit $100 / 1hp. This year I spent a little over $12k building a new short block, not sure the jump in power from the old engine, but when I add a lot of nitrous, I can bump that number to a more reasonable number

 

I'm in a really good place to answer this question....I sell horsepower all day long....been at it for decades....and I'm one of those **** types of guys to quantify the value of it all day long....LOL

I have spent the time to analyze whats a good value and what isn't and of course to reiterate whats already been said....the more your making the costlier it will be to add power.....its a financial X-squared curve going against you unfortunately.....once you have a stout package.....a hundred or more per pony is right in line.

Honestly "par" is $50-60 a pony.....spend less than that and it's good value.....spend alot less than that and its a bargain. Spending $70-75 per pony....if your baseline is reasonably stout that will be simply what it costs....your "par" is already starting higher than the typical norm and if you can still find power for $50 or less you should be all over it. In fact really any time you can get a legit $50 per pony you should really be all over it. Think about it.....your sitting at 430 RWHP now and figured out a way to get to $470 for only 2K!?!? Hell yeah.....count me in.....LOL

Average H/C package....call it 5K ish installed and tuned.....maybe adds 70-80 HP.....do the math.....about $65 per pony but your getting alot of them.

CAI and headers.....two of the greatest first mods on any car.....2K ish invested with a tune (maybe like $2500 with a tune).....you add a legit 40 HP....maybe more.....about $50 per pony once again.

Add just a CAI to a stock car.....BIG value.....$500 or less for 15-20 HP....$29 per pony.....bargain time but it makes sense as your baseline is low and a CAI is just one of thise big value power adders and should be the first thing anybody does thats embarking on modding their car.

The number is $50-60 guys.....about the average cost per pony for the average baseline car. Find it for less don't even think about it....just take the credit card out.....LOL

And regarding Sawblade's post (a few up from here) about the complete engine package we are working on, even though it will cost him a good deal more than that when the smoke clears, the value of that proposition from a guy that has a bone stock vehicle was alot stronger than I would have guessed (I never did the math on a complete engine purchase) but if you figure he will pick up 300 HP over his stock 350 ish HP, even adding the few thousand additional I know he will be spending, puts his rather large gains in power at the magic number once again....about $60 per pony (you cant figure it based from zero....only from the existing baseline).

Hope this post helps guys....don't forget the more you make the more you will be forced to spend to improve on it so if you find yourself at 470 RWHP and you realize it will take $3500 to get to 500 RWHP (about $115 per pony), don't be put off by that figure.....its the nature of the beast at your current "baseline" power. But if you see a way to get to 485 at $60 a pony you should do that all day long and twice on Sunday.....at your level that's excellent value.

Good stuff!



-Tony

 

Good post Tony! Why I love nitrous lol

 

Doh! Didn't even think about the baseline lol. Should have just let me bask in my ignorance for a moment!

In this hobby, it's all about the smiles per gallon anyway. The pain of cutting that big check will be the long gone the first time the tires hit the pavement for me.

 

And thus we have an entire industry built on this simple principle.

Jason

 

Do you want to start cutting corners on parts is the question also. you can have two motors that are only a few horsepower apart but could have a vast difference in cost because of the price of lighter/better parts.