Aftermarket air intake sys...

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appadv wrote: »

I'm not looking for performance with these "mods." I usually go slow, like 50-53 MPH in a 55 zone. So my goal is fuel economy.

Skinnier tires?

Or possibly the ultimate upgrade...PRIUS:)

Serendipity

audiobliss wrote: »

You're not talking about what you 'take off at'. As in, what rpm your engine is turning when you start moving. You're talking about the rpm point at which you (or the tranny) shifts.

Well, I don't know much about this stuff, but anyways I was trying to say when going around town the RPM is usually within 1500-1700. When you start moving the RPM is somewhere between 1700-2000.

Edit: You're right, I was wrong.

auto_pilot

appdav: On a more serious note...I got an email regarding how to conserve gasoline, and stretch out your gas tank. There were two main suggestions that I remember:

1. Fill up your tank using the lowest setting on the gas nozzle (the first click setting when you are setting the trigger). The tank will fill slower, and there will be less vapors in your tank, therefore more gasoline entering the tank. I believe the vapors trick the nozzle mechanism into thinking the tank is full when it is not.

I've tried this, and I've seen my gas tank go a lot longer.

2. Fill up your tank when it is half-full. This will again, reduce the vapors. I haven't tried this, but I've heard it works too.

Hope these help...happy motoring.

audiobliss

Neither of those things will 'conserve gas' or increase fuel economy. You're just, theoretically, getting more gas in the gas tank. All this does is postpone your next re-fueling a little bit.

Which is a noble goal. Certainly, go for it. But still, neither have to do with fuel economy.

MKZ

Happy with the subway, no gas. I normally don't drive on weekdays at all. Enjoy while you drive don't mind on gas much, doesn't worth it. I used to had maxima, they are good on gas compare to others 6 cylinders. 20~25 city and 28~35 on highway.

Serendipity

MKZ wrote: »

Happy with the subway, no gas. I normally don't drive on weekdays at all. Enjoy while you drive don't mind on gas much, doesn't worth it. I used to had maxima, they are good on gas compare to others 6 cylinders. 20~25 city and 28~35 on highway.

Agreed. 28 mpg from a 6 cylinder car is amazing. Even in NYC, it gets between 23-25mpg, which is pretty good.

Although a Prius would be nice

ilikesound

i put an AEM V2 intake in my car, and before i installed the exhaust, it boosted my miles per tank up fifty miles. yea, FIFTY miles a tank more. i don't know why it was so dramatic a change, but it dropped to around 25-27 after the addition of the magnaflow, but y'know, whatever. that's what i wanted to hear anyways. but it's totally worth it, and you should do it. the main thing is that it brings in COLD air, not stagnant hot air from your engine. they are a simple thing to install, if not the easiest thing ever, (getting your old one out may require removal of the bumper, probably not though in an old truck) and yea, you can feel very accomplished by doing it. it's been one of those things that i'll do to every one of my new cars from now on, trust me on that. but in the end, it's really up to you. like everything, ever...

Serendipity

ilikesound wrote: »

i put an AEM V2 intake in my car, and before i installed the exhaust, it boosted my miles per tank up fifty miles. yea, FIFTY miles a tank more. i don't know why it was so dramatic a change, but it dropped to around 25-27 after the addition of the magnaflow, but y'know, whatever. that's what i wanted to hear anyways. but it's totally worth it, and you should do it. the main thing is that it brings in COLD air, not stagnant hot air from your engine. they are a simple thing to install, if not the easiest thing ever, (getting your old one out may require removal of the bumper, probably not though in an old truck) and yea, you can feel very accomplished by doing it. it's been one of those things that i'll do to every one of my new cars from now on, trust me on that. but in the end, it's really up to you. like everything, ever...

Yes, that's what I am looking for. The feeling of accomplishment by doing it myself.

In the meantime, the car is getting a set of high-quality (Hawk Performance) brake pads and rotors Friday!

MKZ

ilikesound wrote: »

it dropped to around 25-27 after the addition of the magnaflow, but y'know, whatever. that's what i wanted to hear anyways. but it's totally worth it, and you should do it.

HKS or Greddy Catback Exhaust works best for me.

MKZ

appadv wrote: »

In the meantime, the car is getting a set of high-quality (Hawk Performance) brake pads and rotors Friday!

Try these pads with Brembo rotors.
http://www.nopionline.com/nopistore/dsp_parts.cfm?vpcid=655&vcatid=1&vcatyear=2000&vmodelid=060&vmakeid=270&vL1id=0&&vtitle=2000%20NISSAN%20Maxima

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MKZ wrote: »

Try these pads with Brembo rotors.
http://www.nopionline.com/nopistore/dsp_parts.cfm?vpcid=655&vcatid=1&vcatyear=2000&vmodelid=060&vmakeid=270&vL1id=0&&vtitle=2000%20NISSAN%20Maxima

I just installed Axxis Ultimates with Brembo Slotted rotors...my car stopped pretty good before...Now it feels like my eyeballs are gonna come out of the socket when I panic brake. Better feel, better stopping power...no fade.

I've heard that the aggressive Hawk Pads tend to tear up rotors.

Try here for best pricing on PADs for: http://www.importrp.com/home.php

heiney9

I always hate to jump into these threads because different things work for different auto's and can be pretty subjective, but here goes.

1997 Volkswagen GTI VR6.

Itg-Induction Technology Group cold air intake large cone type with heat shield.

Magnecor- High Performance racing wires

GIAC-Performance chip

Techtonics/Borla cat back stainless steel performance exhaust system

Bilstein Sport shocks all 4 corners

H & R Sport Springs (lowered 2.0 inches)

205/45/VR 16 Yokohama AVS100 tires on BBS licensed ASA rims

Running stock vented rotors with some sort of aftermarket street pads (can't remember which ones) Stock 11.3" rotor in the front and 9.1" in the rear are more, and I mean more than adequate for everyday spirited driving

Each upgrade made a difference

chip gave a huge bump in throttle response as well as better mid-range and hi-rpm punch.

ITG- Absolutely incredible intake sound and a little better breathability

Exhaust-less restrictive really added mid-range punch, difference was really noticeable. The sound is unbelievable, throaty and deep without sounding raspy. VR6's have their own unique sound with stock exhaust and the TT/Borla combo is excellent.

Suspension is almost to stiff for midwest roads which are riddled with pot holes and expansion joints everywhere. May switch to 50 series tires next summer.

All these things together made a huge improvement in driveablitly, mid range punch, sound and overall sportiness.

Downside have to run 93 octane because of the more aggressive fuel maps the chip runs. Poor economy because I can't keep my foot off the throttle. The mid-range punch is addictive and pushes right back in your seat, not to mention the music the exhaust and intake make together.

To me just adding a filter or CAI is a waste unless you do some other things too. I may add cams someday but working on a VR6 beyond bolt ons is a very pricey proposition.

H9

Serendipity

Thanks for all the advice. I really appreciate all your help and time spent explaining things to a guy that doesn't know much about cars.

MKZ

Those VWs are very fun to drive but I felt it tends to roll off on high speed since the chassis are not rigid enough. My friends' uses those neuspeed tie bar and sway bar. http://www.vwvortex.com/ is informative enough for me.
Changing the Cam and port and polish the Heads helps. It adds 5~10hp on the wheel. Modded bugs are costly and killing me as well.
upper tie bar
FRONT ANTI-SWAY BAR
Rear Anti-Sway Bar

heiney9 wrote: »

I always hate to jump into these threads because different things work for different auto's and can be pretty subjective, but here goes.

1997 Volkswagen GTI VR6.

Itg-Induction Technology Group cold air intake large cone type with heat shield.

Magnecor- High Performance racing wires

GIAC-Performance chip

Techtonics/Borla cat back stainless steel performance exhaust system

Bilstein Sport shocks all 4 corners

H & R Sport Springs (lowered 2.0 inches)

205/45/VR 16 Yokohama AVS100 tires on BBS licensed ASA rims

Running stock vented rotors with some sort of aftermarket street pads (can't remember which ones) Stock 11.3" rotor in the front and 9.1" in the rear are more, and I mean more than adequate for everyday spirited driving

Each upgrade made a difference

chip gave a huge bump in throttle response as well as better mid-range and hi-rpm punch.

ITG- Absolutely incredible intake sound and a little better breathability

Exhaust-less restrictive really added mid-range punch, difference was really noticeable. The sound is unbelievable, throaty and deep without sounding raspy. VR6's have their own unique sound with stock exhaust and the TT/Borla combo is excellent.

Suspension is almost to stiff for midwest roads which are riddled with pot holes and expansion joints everywhere. May switch to 50 series tires next summer.

All these things together made a huge improvement in driveablitly, mid range punch, sound and overall sportiness.

Downside have to run 93 octane because of the more aggressive fuel maps the chip runs. Poor economy because I can't keep my foot off the throttle. The mid-range punch is addictive and pushes right back in your seat, not to mention the music the exhaust and intake make together.

To me just adding a filter or CAI is a waste unless you do some other things too. I may add cams someday but working on a VR6 beyond bolt ons is a very pricey proposition.

H9

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heiney9 wrote: »

To me just adding a filter or CAI is a waste unless you do some other things too.

H9

So what else would be on your "high-priority" list? I've already installed a K&N air filter and noticed, to some extent, a significant improvement.

heiney9

MKZ wrote: »

Those VWs are very fun to drive but I felt it tends to roll off on high speed since the chassis are not rigid enough. My friends' uses those neuspeed tie bar and sway bar. http://www.vwvortex.com/ is informative enough for me.
Changing the Cam and port and polish the Heads helps. It adds 5~10hp on the wheel.
upper tie bar
FRONT ANTI-SWAY BAR
Rear Anti-Sway Bar

Very familiar with VW's and very familiar with Vortex. My mechanic actually races a couple Golf's. I don't autocross so adding the sway and strut tower tie bars would really hurt (my kidneys) . Seriously our roards here are horrible w/the Bilstein Sports and H&R springs that I was even thinking of using a regular height or perhaps 0.5" lowered Neuspeed soft sport spring because the car beats the hell out of me sometimes. Our roads are horrible.

I run 195/50/15 Blizzak snow tires on the stock rims for winter and they ride a lot better so I was thinking since I need new summer tires next season I would go with 50 series tire rather than a 45 series. It should help a little bit.

Sway bars with the associated bushings would really make the suspension unbearable most of the time for everyday driving. I;ve discussed it with my mechanic/racing friend.

H9

MKZ

heiney9 wrote: »

Very familiar with VW's and very familiar with Vortex. My mechanic actually races a couple Golf's. I don't autocross so adding the sway and strut tower tie bars would really hurt (my kidneys) . Seriously our roards here are horrible w/the Bilstein Sports and H&R springs that I was even thinking of using a regular height or perhaps 0.5" lowered Neuspeed soft sport spring because the car beats the hell out of me sometimes. Our roads are horrible.

I run 195/50/15 Blizzak snow tires on the stock rims for winter and they ride a lot better so I was thinking since I need new summer tires next season I would go with 50 series tire rather than a 45 series. It should help a little bit.

Sway bars with the associated bushings would really make the suspension unbearable most of the time for everyday driving. I;ve discussed it with my mechanic/racing friend.

H9

Absolutely right. Those not suitable for daily commuting. Sometimes I felt my balls left off on the street when I drove.:p It is hard to stay between sportiness and smooth ride/luxury.

Face

Sway bars don't make the ride much harsher. I've upgraded them on a few of my cars and have hardly noticed a difference while driving around town. Strut tower braces are even less noticeable. It's springs and struts that can make a big difference.

heiney9

Face wrote: »

Sway bars don't make the ride much harsher. I've upgraded them on a few of my cars and have hardly noticed a difference while driving around town. Strut tower braces are even less noticeable. It's springs and struts that can make a big difference.

Strut tower braces usually have minimal effect especially on Volkswagens. Sway bars get rid of the naturak tendency for a chassis to flex, this flex (forgiveness) can sometimes be described as being "soft" and it certainly lends itself to a less harsh ride.

Sway bars tighten up the chassis significantly when done right and while it's not noticeably more "jarring" the reduced flex in the chassis translates to a stiffer, harsher ride.

I will agree that where you tend to get the harshness in a ride is from the shocks and springs, especially if they are done incorrectly to being with. Suspension tuning is somewhat of an art and some things work well together and others don't.

H9

Face

heiney9 wrote: »

I will agree that where you tend to get the harshness in a ride is from the shocks and springs, especially if they are done incorrectly to being with. Suspension tuning is somewhat of an art and some things work well together and others don't.

You got that right. I had to install 12 way adjustable shocks on my C5 since the stock shocks were bottoming out at the track. It took me a little bit to get them so they work well at the strip. But I find it nearly impossible to get them so they work well on the street. The ride is either bouncy or like a rock. :rolleyes:

MKZ

Face wrote: »

You got that right. I had to install 12 way adjustable shocks on my C5 since the stock shocks were bottoming out at the track. It took me a little bit to get them so they work well at the strip. But I find it nearly impossible to get them so they work well on the street. The ride is either bouncy or like a rock. :rolleyes:

Corvette C5??

Face

Yes.

Serendipity

Wow you have a Corvette? Those things are super fast! A while back my car friend was telling me how those could go like 160MPH! (don't remember the exact number)

Serendipity

heiney9 wrote: »

Sway bars tighten up the chassis significantly when done right and while it's not noticeably more "jarring" the reduced flex in the chassis translates to a stiffer, harsher ride.

I'm currently looking into sway bars, and I was wondering, is there a way to have sway bars without having the stiffer/harsher ride?

audiobliss

Hahahaha. It's kinda comical to see a non-car guy become better acquainted with the car world.

I don't know exactly what the top speed of the C5 is. The C6 Z06 will do 197, though.

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audiobliss wrote: »

Hahahaha. It's kinda comical to see a non-car guy become better acquainted with the car world.

I don't know exactly what the top speed of the C5 is. The C6 Z06 will do 197, though.

197MPH - That's like light speed! I usually go like 25% of that speed.

AB - you talking about me?

audiobliss

Indeed I am. It's not an insult, just a statement. Should I have put a smiley with it? Here ya go...

Serendipity

audiobliss wrote: »

Indeed I am. It's not an insult, just a statement. Should I have put a smiley with it? Here ya go...

Gee, thanks.

I'm just beginning to get acquainted with car stuff...

heiney9

appadv wrote: »

I'm currently looking into sway bars, and I was wondering, is there a way to have sway bars without having the stiffer/harsher ride?

Not really, depends on what your goal is and what kind of suspension you currently have (stock or modified) Depending on the car and suspension set-up *sometimes* sway bars can be installed instead of springs and shocks to tighten things up a bit.

You should also compare the stock sway bars (if installed) to the aftermarket choices. For some cars you get NO benefit going to aftermarket sway bars UNLESS you upgrade the whole suspension.

Best to consult someone very familiar with your type of car and what suspension set-ups work best for whatever your end goal is. Soooooo many people just buy stuff and put it on to get that cool :cool: look and the car actually handles and rides worse and in some extreme cases is unsafe.

H9

audiobliss

appadv wrote: »

Gee, thanks.

I'm just beginning to get acquainted with car stuff...

That's basically what I said, no?

I wasn't being condescending. It's just great to see someone who is so interested in a hobby that I love so much.

Usually I see people who are car guys, and then people who aren't car guys. I don't typically see people being interested and learning more about the hobby.

This has been a great thread. You've asked so many good questions, gotten good advice, and you've acted on it!

There was nothing negative to what I said.