Best Modifications for under 50 notes

[waynne]

Put your suggestions here. What gives more power for so little cash.

Mine are:-
Drill out bottom of airbox. (Free)
Full up with superunleaded (thats the whole 50 notes gone.)
Bend the turbo actuator arm (Free an old Rover trick!)
Upgrade brake pads. (Around 50 notes.)

[the_names_james]

Drilling the airbox is hardly going to increase power, it'll just increase noise.
Brake pads won't give you more power.
Higher rated fuel won't give you more power unless you alter the timing, increase the compression ration or the car has a knock sensor.
Bending the actuator arm is just plain dodgy.

It's highly unlikely £50 is going to get you more power. Better off spending £50 on tools to help you strip the car of weight. This will increase the power to weight ratio.

[Freddie]

Cor', that wasn't the most friendly of replies James!

And I agree with Wayne's higher octane fuel.

Stripping the car is a good one, it's free, and makes you feel like you own a track day slag! Next on my list once I've got the buckets and harnesses sorted

[waynne]

Fair play to james - i did say increase power and brake pads don't do that! (In my defence can I argue that the pads I was thinking of were 2oz lighter so the car is quicker )

The airbox mod will increase airflow and top end power. In a recent road test a modified airbox actually out performed an induction kit.

Super unleaded does increase power in most modern cars as the ECU controls fuel rate with emissions. I agree that for best effect a remap would help.

50 notes is not much but so many people ask me how much power they can get for this much and I do struggle to think of anything! James may have the answer that it can't be done but lets see what the general consensus is?

Losing weight seems to be the way to go. How much do you reckon you can trim off a car - keeping it a 4 seater and without it falling apart when you brake?

[Freddie]

Thats an impossible question to answer! I know that the people who made the Z-Car's Saxo cut holes in most of interior metalwork to reduce weight.. I odn't think you would lose much weight if you wanted to keep it as a 4 seater, unless they were 4 super-light buckets with no padding!

I know people on the SSC go to extremes, hacking up wiring, removing sunroofs, poly windows, dashboards out!

It's amazing how much difference weight makes, there is a video of a super light, throttle bodied VTS beating an Impreza round the track at Bruntingthorpe proving grounds!

A few engine Modifications.. Lots of weight saving and decent suspension and brakes and you can have a car which is a lot faster than standard.

[the_names_james]

My reply wasn't supposed to sound unfriendly, so I apologise if it did.

Originally Posted by waynne

In a recent road test a modified airbox actually out performed an induction kit.

I can believe this. An induction kit without a suitable heatshield is going to be sucking warm air.