Here's my ramble:
When I was in my teens and 20s, and even into my 30s, I loved to tinker with engines. Back then you could get considerable gains with headers, intake, and a bigger carb or jets; all fairly easy jobs for a weekend mechanic with a Chilton's and a torque wrench. The parts were readily available and relatively inexpensive. And the only electronics was in the radio. Not so much nowadays - on all counts. Still had to be careful to make sure the mods played well with each other but not as critical as with today's high-tech stuff.
And we didn't have The Intertubes back then, so getting good info could be difficult and expensive. Most of my car buddies and I had large stacks of car magazines with DIY articles stashed away for reference. I still have several hundred dollars of FSM, parts catalog, and assembly manuals for a '67 Mustang in the back of a closet.
It was a LOT of fun. And a lot of headaches and dumb mistakes (AKA a Learning Experience). Oftimes, it's all about the journey. I'm sure many of the modders today feel the same way about what they are doing - it's just more expensive and not as productive as it was in The Good Old Days.
My Z already has more than enough power for me. Any mods I may make will be more about efficiency/taste than HP. I may have lost a few HP with my exhaust mod but should be able to get that back when/if I get around to getting a tune.
/ramble
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