engine and drivetrain Bang For Your Buck Go Faster Mods

[glemon]

Thanks Henry will look into it--Greg

[harry6422]

Harry

 

 

how can I find such numbers?...Id love to investigate the facts on my coupe.... such as numbers produced etc etc..

 

thnx

Here is the site address:http://www.bmwmdata.com/Home.html

[gliding_serpent2]

I look at it this way. This is my upgrade importance hierarchy, you get more expensive as you go down the list.

1. Drivers education. Cheap upfront, expensive if you become addicted.

2. Tires: a good set helps handling (track/autocross) astronomically and can be a reasonable price. Will not directly help power, but you will carry more speed out of corners. To get the most out of them you need...

3. Suspension: sways, springs, shocks and camber plates. Lets you keep the tubber on the road. Essential for the track/autocross if you are serious.

4. Stage 1 weight reduction: you are getting serious so throw out non essential things like the spare, tools, etc, but everything can be put back in if needed. You might even put in light race seats or remove the rear seats.

4. Engine: cams, exhaust, headers, pistons, carbs, bigger rad, light flywheel, you name it. How much power do you want? How much do you want to spend? I saw a race m10 claiming over 200hp. Big buck to do this right and durability will always suffer.

5. Engine v2: turbos/engine swaps etc. custom costs a lot, but dont underestimate the costs of 4. Power is expensive either way.

6. Stage 2 weight reduction: screw this you want a race car. Rip anything out not welded down and replace as much as you can with fiberglass or plastic. Throw in a cage.

7. Realization: it would be much cheaper to buy a modern car to get the same performance. But then where is the fun in that?

Edited November 23, 2013 by gliding_serpent

[glemon]

7. Realization: it would be much cheaper to buy a modern car to get the same performance. But then where is the fun in that?

Oh absolutely, it is easy to get higher performance numbers with a modern car, but please let me know where I can get a modern 2200 pound rear wheel drive sporty coupe that is fun to fling around, let alone one with a little style and panache, and I will buy it.

Edited November 23, 2013 by glemon

[mikesmith]

Oh absolutely, it is easy to get higher performance numbers with a modern car, but please let me know where I can get a modern 2200 pound rear wheel drive sporty coupe that is fun to fling around, let alone one with a little style and panache, and I will buy it.

 

FRS / BRZ. Your question is the entire reason that vehicle exists (I'm not kidding, go read up on its history). The FRS / BRZ will cost you less to buy/finance & run than it will to restore & tune & run an '02, and it will run rings around it all day. Plus you get comfy seats and AC and traction control and a nice stereo.

 

I have a coworker (no joke) that sold his 2011 GTR to buy a BRZ. His rationale; apart from the occasional track day, he never got to use the GTR. With the BRZ, he can wring its neck every day on the way to the office, and it's still fun (if slower) on the track. If you are serious about just wanting a car to *drive*, then you ought to be shopping for one.

 

Do check the seats though, first. I didn't fit, or I'd have bought one a week after he did.

[john7890]

To feel that bump in the back I recommend you pull off the bumpers ( about 30#), remove the spare tire and jack (about 30#), take out the back seats (about 20#) and lose 25 pounds!  Store everything but the 25# you get rid of in your garage.  If you assume your car weighs about 2300 pounds each removed pound will seem like adding about 0.05 horsepower.  My estimates above, about 105# would make it feel like you sudenly found 5 HP.

 

The fun thing is it cost nothing,  saves gas and is apparent through the full range of your acceleration not just when you are whacking along at 6500 rpm.

 

If you have some original wheels they may be considerably lighter than your "alloy" wheels.  Rotating stuff gives you double the weight bonus so if you save 20 pounds on your 4 wheels it would be worth 40 pounds of weight reduction.

 

Have fun

[gliding_serpent2]

Oh absolutely, it is easy to get higher performance numbers with a modern car, but please let me know where I can get a modern 2200 pound rear wheel drive sporty coupe that is fun to fling around, let alone one with a little style and panache, and I will buy it.

The new little alfa 4c comes at 2000lbs euro spec, 2200lbs us spec w rwd and a turbo 4-banger that shoots it around at a super car like pace. 240hp.

The out of production lotus exige s 240 also has identical power and weight. However, for both cars wave practicality goodbye.

[ray_]

The new little alfa 4c comes at 2000lbs euro spec, 2200lbs us spec w rwd and a turbo 4-banger that shoots it around at a super car like pace. 240hp.

The out of production lotus exige s 240 also has identical power and weight. However, for both cars wave practicality goodbye.

 

Unless you consider corrosion resistance an aspect of practicality.

[AustrianVespaGuy]

FRS / BRZ. Your question is the entire reason that vehicle exists

 

+1 for this answer to the answer for a modern lightweight RWD coupe!  This is going to be my next car; just have figure out how to justify having one in addition to the 2002  Rainy days vs. Sunny days is the best I've come up with so far.  But seriously, if you're after a modern contender to the 2002 I think this is it.  One major advantage the the 2002 still has though is that wonderful greenhouse with P-51-esque visibility, something that I find to be extremely lacking in all modern cars

 

-Carl

[glemon]

Funny you should mention the visibility, I was going to mention that I did drive an FR-S, but it was a little submarine-like with bad rear quarter and limited rear view, plus as I recall no hatchback, I know it supposed to be all about the driving experience, but if you are buying a 2 door fastback as your daily driver, a hatchback adds a lot of utility. Had both an MGB-GT and a first generation RX-7, very practical two seaters with the hatch to throw groceries and such in. Will also add that I noted the 2002 was a 2200 pound car, the BRZ/FR-S are about 500 pounds more than that, the RX-8, no longer in production, is an interesting alternative too, and a great ride, but has MPG and and engine reliability issues.

I am really intrigued by the Alfa 4C (as a used car in a few years) but would like to see what the actual weight and performance of the US version ends up at. Sounds like it keeps gaining weight as it gets federalized.

Edited November 24, 2013 by glemon

[gliding_serpent2]

I will eat my shorts if we get the 4c at 2200lbs as an option. After it is slathered with 50 airbags to make it safer without wearing a seatbelt as per the standards, it is rumored to go upwards of 2600+ lbs. press cars to date have been stripped out lotus style, hense lotus weights.

Likley they will pull a porsche and slap a rs on the stripper version, and sell it to you for more.

I would love a 1.8 exige... But without the new exige s coming stateside, prices are still astronomical, even for a base elise. Hoping the 4c tempts a few lotus guys over, puting more lotuses on the market, and bringing prices back to reality.

Edited November 24, 2013 by gliding_serpent

[Brandon Howard]

I agree w/ Rocan.  Go to a Driving School.  Except in a straight line from a stop light, this will do more for your "speed" than anything else you could spend your money on.

 

Bob Napier

this would be my suggestion..

 

also, get in tune with your car. learn where that ol powerband is.

i dont care what any one says... your car will tell you how it wants to be driven.

[jgerock]

this would be my suggestion..

 

also, get in tune with your car. learn where that ol powerband is.

i dont care what any one says... your car will tell you how it wants to be driven.

Good comments and suggestions.  As with any enthusiast, learning how to drive a slow car fast is a truly enjoyable experience.  Just make sure the vehicle is up to snuff so you don't experience break-downs.  A sorted out 2002 on any track is fun.

[bob02]

Glemon,

 

    I would suggest moving the battery under the rear seat using a battery cable from an e30, and perhaps a lighter battery. I used a yellow top Optima sealed battery. May not make extra power, but you sure can feel the difference.

 

     Yeah, the new FR-S is designed for the enthusiast, but as you know from seeing it yourself, a 2002 is way more practical....aside from being 40 years older! For me, practicality is key in a car. I need a boot that accomodates two bikes and a months worth of luggage for two....not happening in that Subaru.That car is simply not fast enough to justify the consessions one has make with regard to practicality.

 

      The e36 M3 however...let's see, you could buy three nice examples for the price of the Subaru. You'll get torque on demand, unreal handling, great reliability(assuming the car is maintained), and many of the sensations one finds when driving a 2002. Did i mention fold down seats? Two bikes, no sweat! Yes, i'm biased because i own one, but what can i say, i've yet to find a better performing,more practical car for the money. And most important, Never Boring!!!

[Colin]

I've autocrossed several BRZs FRS cars and found them too be very boring to drive.  If you push them too hard, they understeer, just like front wheel drive cars.