Mild upgrade to '03 Astina 1.8L

[gunners]

Hi all

Thought I'd post in here to get some local feedback (cool)

I'm in Sydney and own a stock 2003 Astina (1.8L) with 14' factory alloys...

I'd like to do a mild upgrade to the car soon and would appreciate any suggestions on doing that. My priority is to achieve a balance between performance and looks.

I want to buy a new set of wheels and tyres .. I'd probably go for 16" wheels.. will that affect the performance of the car? I believe the lighter the wheels the better .. right?

I am also thinking of changing the exhaust system but I'd like to keep the noise level as low as possible since my partner also drives the car.

I've also read that changing the air filtering system (through a ram-pod) could improve performance.. same as upgrading the spark plugs and wirings. Do all this really impact a lot on performance? Which one/s would you recommend?

Basically, what will ideally suit me is improving the car's low to mid-range torque as this is more realistic for urban driving.

Any other suggestions? How much do you think this will cost roughly?

Looking forward to your replies.

p.s i've included a pic of my ride

 

[twilightprotege]

well welcome to this area. dont think i've seen you in the aussie section b4.

yeah wheels, lighter the better, but also the closer the weight is to the centre of the wheel the better. ie a lighter 16" wheel will still loose power over a heavier 14" because the weight is further out from the centre of the wheel. however, the increase in rotational weight will be outweighed by greater traction and handling. i'd say go for 16" wheels, 7" wide with 205/45/16 tyres. a very common wheel and tyre so you will have lots to choose from. if you want a really lightweight wheel, dont expect change out of $700 per wheel - the lightest wheel i know of for 16x7 is the racing hart CP-035R @ 4.9kg. the stock sp20 wheel (16x6) is around 7.3kg. just before you finally choose a wheel, ask for its weight. ask for the tyre weight as well. i know toyo proxes t1-s used to be the lightest tyre, but now i dont know as they have a new model, the t1-r

exhaust system gives a good upgrade, so long as it's a full system. a cat back wont do much except make more noise. and you can have them pretty quiet. i have 2 resonators inline and with the silencer in the muffler it's not much louder than stock. - cost $1000

in terms of air filter, injen cai is the go. plugs and wires wont give you much extra power, but will help. cost $330 for cai, $150 for good plugs and wires

 

[gunners]

Thanks twilightprotege for the useful feedback!!
I'll probably go for a middle of the range set of wheels.. nothing too pricey ... as my budget is about two and a half grand max for the whole project.
It will hopefully be just enough to get me the whole package (air/wheels/exhaust)
At the end of the day, do you think that the overall power gain will outweigh the loss of power from using bigger wheels?
Furthermore, does the installation of the exhaust, wheels and air filter void the warranty (its less than 3 years old).. can this be done legally by any shop or does it have to be done by a certified mechanic (so that the car is street legal)?

 

[twilightprotege]

dont worry about the warranty. they can only void the warranty on parts that your mods directly damage. ie full exhaust, o2 sensors and exhaust (obviously as it's not on the car anymore), wheels, NOTHING, air filter, nothing (unless you run a sh!t air filter and it sucks up rocks or something, but that's not likely)

even with all my mods, i got my clutch replaced under warranty!

 

[gunners]

Is it easy to buy an Injen CAI in Sydney? is there anything else that goes with the CAI? you mentioned "O2 sensors" ... could you please clarify (sorry i'm so uninformed...)

 

[chicaboo]

Hi Gunners,

Here is a list of what I have on the 1.8:
K&N panel filter - $100
80mm Automotive flexpipe CAI - $40
Jspec (SP20) Intake camshaft - $180*
OBX header - $350*
2.25" s/s Midpipe +header installation - $208
Magnaflow 91005 hi-flow cat - $95 (needs to be fitted yet)
Underdrive pulley - $150 (needs to be modified to fit yet)
NGK Iridium sparkplugs - $49 (needs to be fitted yet)
8.5mm Magnecor plug leads - $126 (needs to be fitted yet)
* Purchases 2nd hand but not ever been used.

Here is a list of what I want on the 1.8:
2.25" s/s mandrel bent catback with muffler - $500ish
2nd hand Injen 2.5" RD CAI painted in black - $2 (kissass)
Exhaust camshaft (custom) - $400ish
Intake manifold (custom) - $n/a
Microtech LT8s ECU - $1050 + fitting/tuning!

OK, so your $2500 won't go very far...
PM me if you want particulars of where to get this stuff.

 

[twilightprotege]

the injen cai has everything. pipe and filter. ready to fit. the o2 sensors refer to the exhaust, but they rarely die.

gee chicaboo, i see a trend here....so many things for me to fit to your car hehehe

 

[twilightprotege]

oh and forgot - place in sydney? just import it from america. cheaper, even with shipping

 

[chicaboo]

gee chicaboo, i see a trend here....so many things for me to fit to your car hehehe

I can't have you go hungry or thirsty now can I? (thinkbeer

 

[tidy protege]

oh and forgot - place in sydney? just import it from america. cheaper, even with shipping

And if you cant be bothered just go to Street Dreams from memory they sell injen CAI's but you will pay considerably more than just importing,


Good luck and if you want you can come and meet a few of us on an up coming astina gt cruise on the 26th of this month (Australia Day) in Newcastle both Chicaboo and Twilight are coming along with many other 323 owners.

Take it easy and Happy New Years

Cheers, Tidy

 

[HI-RES]

as far as mild engine mods go, thats pretty much my car - k&n panel filter, standard airbox with mildly modified inlet, NGK iridium IX spark plugs, NGK ignition wires running on synthetic oil (castrol formula r 5w30) & 98octane pulp. The combination of those things has made quite a difference compared to stock. It revs easier, off the mark is smoother, no shuddering & start ups are smoother.

mind you I have a 1.6, but when its running completely stock with normal fuel & oil etc it's very sluggish. now its alot more peppy & smooth.

I have an injen on the way and exhaust & pbv are next.
But I still recommend the combination of all of the above as a budget way of making your drive a damn lot smoother & a mild accelleration boost. The thing to remember is that they all compliment one another in the combustion process.

oh yeah and 16" wheels - like twilight said, the handling improvement is worth the change. I have roh adrenalin, even though they look great, roh wheels are heavy, I would've got something else if I had of known the weight.
but those stock 14s are pretty crapola

 

[twilightprotege]

oh and dont forget to lower it! king springs make the cheapest ones, about $300 i think?

 

[ahb11m]

i don't think that street dreams do the injen

BUT there is a place in brisbane who will do mail order, but the pricing is insane!! better off to go direct


HI-RES, i'll be having a chat to you shortly in regards to intakes!!!

 

[chicaboo]

Just wondering if Gunners is coming along to the Newcastle cruise? This way he can experience a quickish 1.8 auto vs his own car...

 

[gunners]

Sorry Chicaboo
Don't think I can make it for the cruise.. I got an auto too btw... and it's stock.. so you'd probably win 1-on-1...
However, I'm still thinking whether I should invest in the mods or maybe upgrade to another car (Accord EURO - 140 KW! Hello!!!!) ...

 

[twilightprotege]

with a bit of work you can beat a euro. i can keep up now and i really need ecu tuning