TL;DR
Track each mod with five essentials: what, why, cost, result, and one short detail for future-you. Keep vehicle photos up to date, and when you change parts, record the change so you don’t lose recall later.
In Drivurs today, you can track mod name/brand/category/cost, optional HP/torque gains, and quick ratings—plus a vehicle photo gallery. Drivurs does not provide a dedicated “removed parts” history view yet.
Why most build logs fail
Build logs don’t fail because you’re lazy—they fail because the system is too hard to maintain.
Common failure modes:
- Tracking requires “desktop time” instead of quick updates on your phone
- Entries are unstructured (“Installed turbo kit lol”) and impossible to search later
- Costs live in receipts/screenshots, not in the build history
- You remove a part and erase the context that would help you troubleshoot later
The build log fields that matter
If you’re tracking mods, start with these fields:
- Name (the part or change)
- Category (engine, suspension, brakes, etc.)
- Brand (optional but useful later)
- Cost (even if approximate)
- Result (what changed—feel, reliability, data, or just “fixed the issue”)
Optional but helpful:
- Difficulty (1–5)
- Satisfaction (1–5)
- Estimated gains (only if you have real data)
Start with a baseline (so comparisons mean something)
Before you add the first mod, write down a baseline:
- Stock horsepower (or your last known dyno number)
- Current mileage
- Current tire/wheel setup
- Any existing issues (“boost leak at high load,” “brake fade after 3 pulls,” etc.)
This isn’t about being scientific—it’s about giving future-you context. Without a baseline, every mod feels like “it made it faster” even when it didn’t.
Drivurs garage tracking (what it supports)
Drivurs is designed so you can track mods without reinventing a spreadsheet:
- Mod name, brand, category, and cost
- Optional horsepower/torque gains
- Install difficulty and satisfaction
- Vehicle photos (gallery) and a clean garage overview
If you want the full feature overview, start at Digital Garage.
Step-by-step: track mods in Drivurs
- Add your vehicle
- Add year/make/model and baseline info.
- Add a modification
- Pick a category so it stays organized.
- Add cost (even approximate) and any optional gains/ratings you know.
- Update as the build evolves
- Update your mods so the garage matches what’s installed today.
- If you care about a full change history, keep a lightweight log for now (until Drivurs adds a dedicated history view).
- Keep vehicle photos current
- A clean hero photo makes your garage easier to recognize at a glance.
Track changes over time (without a dedicated history view yet)
Real builds aren’t linear. You swap parts, revert changes, and iterate.
If you want “why/result” context and a real revision history, you need a place to store it. Today, Drivurs is optimized for tracking your current mod list (plus cost/gains/ratings).
Until Drivurs ships a dedicated history view, use a simple external log:
- One note per change (date + “replaced X with Y” + 1–2 bullets on why/result)
- Keep it linkable/shareable (Notes app, Notion, Google Doc, etc.)
- Treat Drivurs as the authoritative “what’s installed now”
Power vs reliability (write the tradeoff down)
Some mods are pure performance. Others are reliability, drivability, or safety.
When you log a mod, capture the tradeoff somewhere:
- “This is for power.”
- “This is for reliability.”
- “This is for safety.”
- “This is for drivability/comfort.”
This keeps your build honest and makes future planning easier. It also helps you explain the build to a new owner or to a shop/tuner.
Maintenance counts (log it like a mod)
Oil changes, brake fluid, tires, alignment—these are part of the build.
If you want a garage log that stays useful, log maintenance with the same structure:
- What
- Why
- Cost
- Result
- One detail for future-you
“Maintenance” is often the reason a car feels good. Don’t let it vanish from your history.
Photo strategy (so the build story is clear)
Three photo habits make a build log dramatically better:
- A “current state” hero photo every few months
- One photo per major install (before/after)
- A photo of any problem area you fixed (so you remember what it looked like)
The point isn’t aesthetics—it’s recall.
Common mistakes (why mod tracking goes stale)
- Not updating your current mod list after swaps (the garage becomes fiction)
- Logging “gains” without a repeatable baseline (placebo math)
- Dumping everything into “Other” instead of using categories
- Tracking cost but not tracking satisfaction/difficulty (you repeat painful installs)
- Assuming the app will preserve removed-part history automatically (use an external log for now)
Comparison table
| Option | Best for | Pros | Cons | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drivurs Garage | Tracking what’s installed today | Fast updates, structured fields, clean overview | No dedicated removed-parts history view yet | Treat it as “current state” + keep a lightweight change log elsewhere |
| Spreadsheet | Deep custom tracking | Fully customizable, easy to export | Hard to maintain on mobile, becomes messy | Great if you actually keep it updated |
| Notes app | Lightweight history | Fast, flexible, low friction | Hard to search/filter by category/cost | Works well as a “change log” paired with Drivurs as “current state” |
| Receipts/photos only | Proof of purchase | Easy to capture at the moment | Not searchable as a build history | Use as backup evidence, not as the primary system |
Template: a perfect mod entry (copy/paste)
- Mod: [Part name]
- Category: [Engine / Suspension / Brakes / …]
- Why: [Goal or problem you’re solving]
- Cost: [$ amount, parts/labor note]
- Result: [What changed? Any issues?]
- Would I do it again? [Yes/no and why]
Who this build log system is for (and who it isn’t)
This approach is for you if you:
- Change parts often and forget what’s installed
- Want to track costs and decisions over time
- Care about reliability and repeatability, not just the highlight reel
It’s not for you if you only want a photo album with no tracking.
FAQ
Should I track exact horsepower gains?
Only if you have real data. Otherwise, log the mod and your subjective result, then compare later under similar conditions.
What if I don’t know the exact cost?
Estimate. “~$500” is better than nothing. Add a note if labor was bundled.
How detailed should notes be?
One short detail is enough if it captures the why and the result.
Next steps (Drivurs)
- Feature page: Digital Garage
- Use case: For Builders
Related guides
- Pillar: Managing a car build (mods, logs, ROI)
- Same cluster: Should you use a build log or spreadsheet to track car mods?
- Same cluster: How do you track ROI on car mods? (Cost vs results)
- Different cluster: How accurate is GPS for racing apps?