now im after a new car atm, now i would love an audi A4 but the insurance is just a bit to much for me. so now im thinking of getting one of two cars for road use. another one for track/strip use but the cost of insurance on that doesnt matter too much as i will only get insurance for it for a few days at a time when im using it to race. anywho, what is the general view on a pug 306 1.8 xs to a focus 1.8 zetec? there both the same insurance group and same size engine. i know the focus goes quite well as a mate had one, but i dont know which one to go for. any kind of info on either would be handy.
new car
- Thread starter steve09
- Start date
HDi fun
TC ModFather
Personally I'd have the Ford over the 306 for it's sheer handling brilliance.
Prince
Torque King
What kind of Focus...my brother has an 06 plate (1.6) and it feels heavy and sluggish until it gets moving. I quite like 306s so I'd probably go with the 306. My family has put me off ever owning a Ford (unless its a GT or Mustang! 
). Have you looked at A3s?
). Have you looked at A3s?HDi fun
TC ModFather
Hunt down a Focus TDCi 110 (don't bother with the 90bhp one) - that will flatten the 1.8 petrol easily.
Prince
Torque King
Zetec's aren't all that powerful anyway. For the price of a new Zetec, you could find and older ST!
HDi fun
TC ModFather
Isn't the ST a 5 cylinder petrol turbo?
pgarner
TC ModFather
the st is a 5clyinder turbo. and a think itll be more than the audi on insurance
ah see, i would love an st, but its the insurance im trying to keep low. as the 1.8 is a group 6 i can get away with a few mods an still have faily low insurance. i've just had a look round an the 110 tdci is over a grand what im after to spend. i only want to spend 1000-1800 on a car so then i can spend some more on a few mods an then still have money to get a car for track days/strip running. if i were to get a tdci and then a remap what sort of power am i looking at (with an air filter and fast road cam?
HDi fun
TC ModFather
A remapped TDCi 110 should give a comfortable 150bhp without any other changes. Don't bother with cams on a diesel, they don't rev high enough to take advantage. I might even upset the exhaust gas velocity, thus reducing boost pressure.
The remap will also buy you 250lbft of torque, which is similar to a tuned 3 litre petrol. Which means lots and lots of shove in midrange.
The remap will also buy you 250lbft of torque, which is similar to a tuned 3 litre petrol. Which means lots and lots of shove in midrange.
HDi fun
TC ModFather
Not a lot unless you want really silly money stuff. Hybrid turbos can run over 2.0 bar boost but you'd need uprated injectors to get the fuel in fast enough.
I think you'd be surprised how quick a remapped diesel is. Mine can squeal its tyres in third if you over accelerate, for example.
It's no longer the case that we have to use the phrase 'not bad, for a diesel' when discussing performance.
I think you'd be surprised how quick a remapped diesel is. Mine can squeal its tyres in third if you over accelerate, for example.
It's no longer the case that we have to use the phrase 'not bad, for a diesel' when discussing performance.
HDi gets another diesel convert! mabye, i dont know tho, cos of the huge price of diesel. i know that diesel cars have more torque than petrol but they dont sound as good as petrol and they dont handle as well cos of the heavy iron engines. if hdi can sell it a bit more he has got a convert :cheesy:
HDi fun
TC ModFather
I agree that some diesels can sound a bit rough at idle when cold and outside the car. A remapped one running higher boost sounds stunning under acceleration though.
Handling, yes, agreed they can be nose heavy but it's not all that bad. We're only talking small engines here not big 6 litre jobbies. I can quite see why the idea of a 911 diesel would be scary.
The torque really is the winner though. Torque isn't what allows your grandad to take a mini roundabout at 5mph in third gear. Torque is what flings the car down the road when you press the pedal.
There's a lot of conjecture about performance - 0-60 times etc.
Diesels are extremely good in real driving conditions with massive midrange wallop. Not that I consider my car's 0-62 time of 7 seconds exactly slow either.
Handling, yes, agreed they can be nose heavy but it's not all that bad. We're only talking small engines here not big 6 litre jobbies. I can quite see why the idea of a 911 diesel would be scary.
The torque really is the winner though. Torque isn't what allows your grandad to take a mini roundabout at 5mph in third gear. Torque is what flings the car down the road when you press the pedal.
There's a lot of conjecture about performance - 0-60 times etc.
Diesels are extremely good in real driving conditions with massive midrange wallop. Not that I consider my car's 0-62 time of 7 seconds exactly slow either.
one for hdi here... is the tdi different to the tdci on the focus. or have people just typed it wrong? if there is a difference what is it do you know? im a bit ignorant about fords so i dont really know about the different letters after the car
pgarner
TC ModFather
dont now about the fords but the "c" is pretty much to do with common rail.
its the newer style diesel injection which utilises 2 fuel pumps one low pressure to take it from the tank to the engine and the other a high pressure pump which injects it directly into the cylinder at silly pressure, a petrol car 3 bar is sufficient a diesel your looking at 1800 bar.
basically all post 2000 cars will use common rail technology, these are where they stop being the older style lumpy no pull cheapskate diesel to the im going to kick you ass mid range diesel.
now im hoping HDI will back me up on this :embarrest: if not im sure he will correct me
its the newer style diesel injection which utilises 2 fuel pumps one low pressure to take it from the tank to the engine and the other a high pressure pump which injects it directly into the cylinder at silly pressure, a petrol car 3 bar is sufficient a diesel your looking at 1800 bar.
basically all post 2000 cars will use common rail technology, these are where they stop being the older style lumpy no pull cheapskate diesel to the im going to kick you ass mid range diesel.
now im hoping HDI will back me up on this :embarrest: if not im sure he will correct me
ah i see so pre2000 diesels will not be common rail? is that in all cars?... i know its a bit off topic but i have heard of people when they have tuned up a car they have raised the redline of there car. is it just that they have taken the rev limiter off or actually done something to the engine so it can rev more, and does increasing the red line allow the car to peak torque higher up the revs? is there any point in doing this ?
pgarner
TC ModFather
it was around 2000 that common rail started on mainstream diesels. this technology is starting to filter through to petrol engines as well
raising the redline can come from balancing the engine more
raising the redline can come from balancing the engine more
HDi fun
TC ModFather
It's hard to raise the red line with diesel engines. Also, it's pointless because peak power is usually produced much lower down. The peak torque in mine is at 2200rpm, and peak power is a 4300. Red line is 5300! That's very high for a 4 cyl diesel engine. You don't need to rev 'em anyway. I rarely go over 3000rpm.
The ford TDi is a mechanical injection engine, old school thing, rough and not as lively as the TDCi. They're not tuneable electronically either.
The ford TDi is a mechanical injection engine, old school thing, rough and not as lively as the TDCi. They're not tuneable electronically either.
It's got a lot to do with the slow burning nature of diesel and the way combustion works. I've heard that prewarming the fuel gives a quicker burn but as HDI says peak power will always be low down.
