1. Replacing the am only radio with an am/fm entertainment system .

2. Installing a ham / cb / scanner system.

3. Installing a synthesizer audio system to give your tiny 4 banger the sound of a full blown Lamborghini V - 12 .

After doing the upgrades the thing I like about older cars is the fact you can work on and around the engine with ease and even climb into the engine compartment and sit on a mudguard/fender. There is none of this removing three hours worth of shatterable plastic to replace a sensor that resides down under, not that there is anything wrong with down under I live there, several layers of knuckle barking protrusions.

Give me the older vehicle any day, like my 25 year old Nissan 4x4 diesel.

Some of these things apply to domestic cars, but not import.

For instance:

1. Bigger wheels and tires aren't a good thing for a car like my Alfa Spider. No power steering = can't put wider tires or it's too hard to turn when parking.

2. Oil shocks (hydraulic) like Koni's work great on lighter imports. Gas charged shocks require too much energy to get them to move on light cars. The best shocks for the Alfa Spider are Koni's - Bilstein's don't work well on the car.

3. A rear antiroll bar will limit the natural roll of the car- Older cars are engineered to roll - the energy of the turn will push the outer wheels down, which increases grip on the tires. The right tire carcass will allow the tire to roll, which dissipates some of the energy. Those tires are also designed to roll, so they hold better. At higher speeds, the tires start to lose grip and the car will go into a natural four wheel drift. Look at Pirelli Cinturato CN36 - the perfect tire for an Alfa Spider! The Vredstein's are also good.

4. Some cars have an overdrive. The Alfa Spider has a 5 speed manual!

5. EFI vs carbs. Yes, it's more efficient and cleaner burning, but you lose a lot of the personality of the motor. Dual Webers on a 1971 Alfa Spider 1750 motor is one of the sweetest, fast revving, twin cam motors!

6. I've thought about changing the gear ratio, but the 4.56:1 sure lets the motor rev fast. A 4.10:1 is better for highway driving, but it changes the driving dynamic on city streets. Depends on how you're going to drive it.

Upgrades I recommend:

1. Two stage urethane paint vs single stage enamel.

2. Upgrade the seat from vinyl to leather or alcantara.

3. A gorgeous Nardi wood steering wheel.

4. Aftermarket wheels like BWA, Momo, Cromodoro, etc. Same size, but wheels that look better.

5. Carpeting vs vinyl flooring.

6. Modern radiator vs old style radiator.

7. Electric high volume fuel pump vs original.

8. Three point seat belts vs lap belt.

9. Better fluids like Redline for the tranny/diff, Royal Purple oil, etc

10. Silicone hoses vs rubber.

11. Cloth top vs vinyl.

12. Throatier muffler.

13. Radio delete on a twin cam, European, dual Weber, cammy motor on a convertible.

14. Cam upgrade

15. Frame stiffener for a convertible.

How do you find the silicon hoses, apart from finding them at the auto parts store, I am told that water can migrate through them and require the checking of coolant level more often? From your experience have you found this?

The only problem I've found with silicone hoses is the fit is sometimes a little off. If it's not tightened enough, you'll have seepage. If you overtighten, you'll damage the hose (same as rubber). I've never seen the coolant leak through the walls (migrate) - I think the leaks are due to improper installation - this is from my personal experience.

One other issues with silicone hose - you can't use it where petroleum based liquids are used. For instance, fuel lines (but I hear there is a special silicone hose for this).

The two benefits I see are that the hoses last longer and they can take a lot more heat. There is a price you pay, but if it's a hose that could be tough to get at (think heater hose or lower radiator) or there's a lot of heat (turbo or near exhaust), it makes sense. Oh yeah, they also look pretty good and you can color coordinate.

I've been thinking of using silicone tubing for vacuum lines, but I have rolls of rubber tubing and most times a cracked vacuum line is easy to change (and easy to diagnose).

Where to buy? I go on Ebay. Prices are better.