Chat And Spotted In Canberra

[Danielsmith]

Don't think that I will be able to make it. But enjoy guys. I might be able to swing something yet I am not sure will be a spur of the moment thing for me. And yeah loving the Plastidip looks good mate

[Danielsmith]

I would love to do something to my car to make it a little different from others, but I simply cant afford it. I am going to have to start to think about things. I am just starting to think that I have the dreamers bug at the moment. Although the wife has given me the go ahead to get some mods done to my car which will be happening in around May this year providing things don't go wrong and I dont have to spend money on other things.

After reading a heap of posts in these forums about mods to peoples cars. It seems many different people do many different things to reach the same sort of powers from their cars. What I would like to hear from you guys is what you reckon would be best. I guess I am wanting to hear it from you guys being that you guys are local and we all have a decent rapore with each other.

I suppose I should say what I am wanting to acheive from this car, that way you can all recommend what you reckon would be best I am really open to any suggestions.

I dont want to have to change the turbo over so I am looking to keep it below 320 rwkws but that is around the power I am after. If possible I dont want to have to really change any of the hardware on the motor other than the injectors. I know I need to upgrade the cat convertor but am thinking about changing the whole system from the turbo back, depending on budget. Looking at a bigger air intake, and maybe upgrading the intercooler to something bigger and of course x3 tune to top it off. I also hear that if you increase any level of power to your car all the hoses should be replaced? When you upgrade your intercooler do you get all of these hoses as part of a package?

Any advice you guys can offer it would be really appreciated,

Thanks Dan.

[Bulletime]

I know what you mean! There's way to many non turbo nitro xr6s around and I hate looking the same, even though I know my car is super awesome. I've definitely got big plans too, getting a few things sorted on the car first and then ill go for power. Done brakes, although they need doing again since I destroyed my pads at the track in goulburn lol.

I plan on around the same power too but I want to use eflex (e70 ish). Some people do full exhaust others don't, obviously adds to cost but yeah depends on budget, the stock exhaust once the cat is done should max out the lil turbo anyway, but there are some benefits to changing it still, but I might end up leaving it, have to see on total costs.

Basically as said around here a lot, injectors, cat, cooler and tune to 300, then fuel pump (and probably surge), dump and maybe some work on the turbo for the rest, turbo side air intake gets done a lot too or the old xr8 air box or holes in the stocker.

Ill leave u with that as the iPad is about to die lol.

Cheers.

[mcinnes]

1st thing you will need to do is upgrade injectors and valve springs (I'd do the valve springs as a failsafe, the stock ones can screw out when modding and damage your engine).

I would also recommend doing the bigger piping in the engine for the intercooler. The stock piping will crack and break if you start modding.

This is the set up I run in my car:

Air intake: https://www.plazmaman.com/shop_itemdetail.php?itemid=81&cate=29 - highly recommend this if you want the flutter noise and whine as you accelerate and let off the gas (you'll notice it straight away if you hear my car)

Battery relocation: https://www.plazmaman.com/shop_itemdetail.php?itemid=84

Intercooler: https://www.plazmaman.com/shop_itemdetail.php?itemid=79

Surge Tank: https://www.plazmaman.com/shop_itemdetail.php?itemid=88&cate=29

3.5" Di Filippo Exhaust (something like 2k mark I think?)

xcal3 and tune

[Danielsmith]

1st thing you will need to do is upgrade injectors and valve springs (I'd do the valve springs as a failsafe, the stock ones can screw out when modding and damage your engine).

I would also recommend doing the bigger piping in the engine for the intercooler. The stock piping will crack and break if you start modding.

This is the set up I run in my car:

Air intake: https://www.plazmaman.com/shop_itemdetail.php?itemid=81&cate=29 - highly recommend this if you want the flutter noise and whine as you accelerate and let off the gas (you'll notice it straight away if you hear my car)

Battery relocation: https://www.plazmaman.com/shop_itemdetail.php?itemid=84

Intercooler: https://www.plazmaman.com/shop_itemdetail.php?itemid=79

Surge Tank: https://www.plazmaman.com/shop_itemdetail.php?itemid=88&cate=29

3.5" Di Filippo Exhaust (something like 2k mark I think?)

xcal3 and tune

Wow mate sounds like you have a pretty decent setup under the hood. Thanks for all the info. Would like to catch up with you if your in Fyshwick working one day. Who knows you might even take me for a spin and show me first hand what 300 + kws feels like. But then again that may be a bad idea you could lead me and my wallet a stray. spending spreeeeeeeeeee

[Danielsmith]

I know what you mean! There's way to many non turbo nitro xr6s around and I hate looking the same, even though I know my car is super awesome. I've definitely got big plans too, getting a few things sorted on the car first and then ill go for power. Done brakes, although they need doing again since I destroyed my pads at the track in goulburn lol. I plan on around the same power too but I want to use eflex (e70 ish). Some people do full exhaust others don't, obviously adds to cost but yeah depends on budget, the stock exhaust once the cat is done should max out the lil turbo anyway, but there are some benefits to changing it still, but I might end up leaving it, have to see on total costs. Basically as said around here a lot, injectors, cat, cooler and tune to 300, then fuel pump (and probably surge), dump and maybe some work on the turbo for the rest, turbo side air intake gets done a lot too or the old xr8 air box or holes in the stocker. Ill leave u with that as the iPad is about to die lol. Cheers.

Hi mate thanks for your response. I have also been thinking about running my car on the e fuel but the e85 which is more common I believe. But also its a cheaper fuel to buy and gives a little more power, win win really. I am lead to believe that you need to run bigger injectors for the e fuel like the 80's or 1000cc so will be looking at those if I do upgrade. There are just so many different combinations you can use makes it hard to just make a decision. I just find it hard to spend money on things when I don't really know what I am doing lol. For me it's a little frustrating cause I want to make sure I am buying good quality stuff without going over the top with prices. Lol I guess I am like everyone else out there who wants the best without having to pay for it. Worst thing is I deal with these sort of people every day in my job and they annoy the crap out of me lol.

[Bulletime]

Yeah so many choices so many different ways, doesn't make it easy but good in a way that you can make your own way to a certain degree.

Canberra only has at the moment two outlets selling eflex and none doing e85 so can't do much about that at the moment. There's a couple of united around so who knows maybe we'll get e85 but it is Canberra.

I'm thinking either 80 dekkas or one of the Bosch 1000 variants. Valve springs are one of those things where u can have problems or none at all. Some go just above stock others are right til near 400rwkw. Most ppl don't really do them unless they have to if they are watching the pennies. Exhaust is a personal thing to, I know a guy from Sydney who does about 10 track days a yr and has 350rwkw on e85 and still has the stock exhaust. Btw my exhaust keeps getting louder and I love it so ill prob stick with the stock one till it holds me back.

[Bulletime]

I also want the turbo side Air intake and battery relocation but its not necessarily a problem until high 300s anyway, plenty of ppl hit mid 300s with just k&n air filter and either a bigger airbox or cut holes in it like bellato lol. So u can save there too.

[Bellato]

Thanks for all the kind words guys! Fryer they look better in pics than in real life because it was so hard to get perfect, but still can't complain with how they came out.

As for dan and bullet being different can be quite simply and cheap. Something I would recommend just as a temporary and cheap thing:

1. Take rear spoiler off - free

2. Plug holes in boot with rubber grommits from supercheap - $10

3. Buy 4 cans of plastidip - $110

4. Spray wheels, door handles, mirrors, boot garnish thing and bonnet garnish thing

5. Debadge or spray badges with plastidip - free

Different you have for $120 lol. There's no guarantee it'll look great or even good but theres no harm in trying and not much $$ to spend to try it.

As for mods theres a million things that can be done and what mcinnes has done is probably the best set up possible to get easy and 'safe' power and has already set himself up if he decides to upgrade the turbo down the track. Depending what injectors used, all he has to do is change the turbo and he'd be looking at 380rwkw.

However, given the parts used, it wasn't a cheap build lol. Some people, much like myself, are going to take a cheaper route to get to 300 and then if I want bigger power in the future just means I have to spend more then rather than now. I've looked into mods for FG's for about 8 months now and trying to find the best value for money items that still perform well. Just need Gentech to approve my choice in brands to make sure they're happy to tune with them but once given the all clear I'll start buying bits and pieces.

Injectors - KPM 1000cc Bosch EV14 - $650 + post

Cat - Venom 3" inlet/outlet with 4.5" body - $220 posted

Intake - 4" rapid turbo side intake and battery relo (included in rapid v 2 kit)

Cooler - Rapid V2 kit - $2000 + post

Walbro gss340 fuel pump in cradle - $300 posted

X3 + Tune - $795 + $990 = $1785

Now I'm going to install the rapid kit and fuel pump myself. The install costs on the injectors and cat are about $150 each.

So all up I'm looking at around $5,300 for mods that should get my comfortably into the 300rwkw region. Won't quite make the 320 mcinnes made though but the extra $ that are needed to get there I just can't afford. Both surge tank and valve springs are something to consider but hopefully at this power level and with another other supporting mods they won't need to be done at the time of tuning. ANd if they go soft it hopefully won't be for a year or so and I'll be able to afford to have them done then.

Now beyond this I'm also doing a range of things to go with the tune to help the car last longer.

Engine oil and filter change

Diff oil change

Fuel filter replaced

ZF gearbox service

NGK iridium 0.8mm spark plugs

Possibly replace coils

Possibly remove heat exchanger and upgrade to external cooler on gearbox

These things alone will cost me about $1000 with me sourcing most parts myself and doing most of the work myself too.

So all in all I'm looking at around $6500 to get about 310rwkw on 13-14psi on a smooth power curve. I hope that with all this maintenance I can get smoother shifts and less wear on the motor and driveline hopefully prolonging it's life. Each to their own, but from my research this is what I'm going to do as I'd rather spend an extra $1k on maintenance stuff than say a surge tank if I don't quite need it yet.

Also hoping that I can sell my stock intake and cooler, stock injectors, stock fuel pump in cradle and sell my cat for scrap and hopefully recoop about $500 back. Every bit counts when you're a uni student lol

Edited 12/02/13 11:34 PM by Bellato

[mcinnes]

I got raped on the installation price :/ labour hurt my wallet heaps.

The parts were close to 7k I beleive. And then something like 4k in labour -.- was pretty pissed off about that, but eh, my bad for not trying myself.