Hello, Pleasure to be here

[DJLogan]

The reason i joined this site is because i having great difficulty in finding modifications to my car, which is a Smart Roadster Coupe Brabus Xcluisve, which is a mouth full :blink:

i read all the sections under my car and was very impressed so i thought i'd join this forum, after i dont have too much motoring experience, my first car for 18 months was a 1977 Triumph Spitfire 1500, aged 18, now im 19 with the smart car and insurance is a nightmare!!

Any Questions you wish to ask, dont be shy. :amuse:

 

[T9 man]

Greetings and a Warm Welcome to our TorqueCars Forum my Friend!

Good to have you along with us


So let me see if I have this correct buddy - You are 19 years old with a Brabus Smart Exclusive, insurance is currently a nightmare for you and you would like some tips on modifying :blink:


You do know that any tuning or modifying which gets done to your car after you have made your initial policy active; needs to be fully declared to the insurers! If you have an accident, God Forbid but highly likely due to your age, then you would have handed your insurers a get out clause when it comes to making any kind of pay out to you.
In fact they will take you to court and the cleaners once a single item has been found on the car which has not been previously mentioned to them.


OK, dutiful TC member bit out of the way; have a look at these two sites for a little guidance and some ideas:

http://www.brabus.com/en/raster.php?page=5&sub=1&klasse=6008&modell=6009

http://www.modifiedcars.com/cars/smart-pictures

 

[DJLogan]

Yeah but when it comes to my car, money is near enough irrelevant, especially when i get my pay rise. insurance is already a stinker, so i'm sure a few modifications wont hurt too much.
i want my Roadster to standout, the next modification is the wheels, although i love them, the previous owner hasn't looked after them so they need refurbishing, i'm thinking of going for a smoked chrome look on them. Then in January i'm going for the Re-map and gearbox remap.
i will declare all this to my insurance company, but i think after this year policy is over i'm going to have to move to a more specialized cover. unfortunately only had the car like 3-4 months.

 

[T9 man]

Well looking at some internet photos the Brabus model that you drive is already quite striking in the looks department. To be honest with you, anything much over the slight body kit enhancements that are available, will make your roadster stand out alright but I am afraid for all the wrong reasons :sad2:

Wheel change yes, remap yes, gearbox remap yes, and possibly a more free flowing exhaust system would certainly help things along. There is certainly one Smart car that has been fitted with a 1300cc Hayabusa motorbike engine, this was and still is to be fair, a Lambo killer! But for a young lad your age I fear it may kill you too :sad2:

We all had dreams of having big power available at our right foot when we were young, hell I dream of it and to a certain degree, I have that now!

But as the saying goes - Power is nothing without control! So brakes and handling should in all honesty be the first things you touch and then the engine.

You may find that as you grow older your thoughts about the car and its limitations will change, so be careful with your modifications as at some stage you will have to sell the car for something else - think of who will want to buy your car; be prepared for a figure that is nowhere near the value that you think it will command.

We are here to help and guide you buddy, I hope you take my comments positively and constructively.

 

[DJLogan]

To be fair i wanted a car that would stand out, and to be honest i feel i have achieved this. this car handles superbly, and stops well considering it has advisory brakes on the recent MOT, already found the drilled and grooved brembo disc and pads, quite cheap too, £96?

as much as an engine conversion sounds appealing ts not quite for me, yet... i just want it to be flowing, new exhaust which will be ceramic coated and better breathing also.

there are like no aftermarket modification for this car, so if i want something its got to be custom, which means expensive, but at the right cost i think its fair to say it'll get done.

i like to think im a good driver, hell, the amount of times my road awareness has saved my life in my '77 Spitfire was countless, other road users are my problem not my right foot or over eagerness.

i think this car will stay with me for some years because dispite its lack of power, my father and i are looking into starting a racing team, once money come availble and my education is out the way.

i joined this forum for your input so comment away

 

[st24]

Unlike most 19 year old by driving the Spitfire you have seen driving without abs pas
and all the modern safety features and creature comforts.
With luck that's made you a better driver.
All the best with the Smart.

 

[T9 man]

^^^ That's a valid point buddy, a distinct advantage you might say.

 

[DJLogan]

Well I certainly feel i'm at no disadvantage, after all if i crash at 18 in the Spitfire, there would be a high chance i'd die, so it does heighten your awareness for other road users.

believe me i cherish that Smart car, the most unfortunate thing is that i have to drive past a coal field everyday to get to work, so i'm going to need a regular filter change/wash, anything else i should think of in such a dusty atmosphere?

 

[obi_waynne]

Hi there, I hope you are well. May I wish you a warm welcome to TorqueCars, it is a pleasure to meet you.

You'll find us a pretty friendly bunch and I'm sure you'll start to love and enjoy the forums as much as we all do. (It gets quite addictive at times.)

Feel free to get involved in our other threads, all opinions are welcome and as they say "the more the merrier"! (It's also great when people start new threads and discussions and all adds to the great debate.)

Keep us up to date with your project as well, we like to see what people are getting up to with their cars.