Help with upgrade planning

mitsumikey · Jul 4, 2008

Hey everyone I have lurked this site for 3 years, and have a bunch of basic knowledge. I got my 1998 GSX a few weeks ago, and am thinking of what I can do to it when money comes eventually. First I will do typical maintenace(timing belt and fluids recently replaced) -get some new plugs,wires, sensors if necessary. When I am confident with the mechanical condition I want to start with a ETS 3 inch intercooler(probably the race core), and exhaust. I am confused on a good exhaust, the apex'i N1 is very popular but I have never heard it and it sounds like it will be very loud and "obnoxius"? I like an agressive note, but the volume could be too much. I already hace a K+N Filter so that will be OK for now. I think for a BOV, maybe HKS, or TiAL? Now all this as far as I understand will be better for the engine milage and reliablity wise, correct me if this isnt so. As for a turbo I have no clue there are so many factors it is very confusing. I may look into garrett, I also read alot on FP turbos, they seem vey good high quality,or else some sort of mitsu turbo(16g,14b). If I need a wastegate probably will be TiAL. Now goal wise, I want it to have a reasonalbe amount of power for now, while keeping it reliable, and fuel efficient. I figure as soon as I mess with injectors and such, it CAN, depending on how I drive, suck more fuel. I dont know much about the fuel rails and O2 sensor stuff, and would rather get parts for now that dont require messing with the ECU, and having to get SAFC or DSMlink. I realize depending on turbo setup they are necesarry to up the boost to prevent boost creep. So basically I need some help with my idea of a setup that doesnt have worse mileage, or if possible have better milage, and not worsen engine wear. So give me your help everyone, thanks,
Mike

pj91gsx · Jul 4, 2008

check out the guide under the tech tab.

mitsumikey · Jul 4, 2008

I have seen the upgrade paths, but specific part choice to work with other parts is confusing

pj91gsx · Jul 4, 2008

well my upgrade path is like this. First I would get a FMIC. Then you would need to reset the ignition timing. If you want to add a bigger turbo you will need to tune and bigger injectors.
1st FMIC
2nd Dsmlink
3rd Wideband
4th Bigger turbo
5th Bigger injectors
You will need to know what size turbo you want to run to decide what size injectors to run.

bluegs03 · Jul 4, 2008

Heres my opinion on what upgrade path you should choose.
Pre-mod Maintence
1st exhaust
2nd Hard Intercooler pipes
3rd 1g Bov
4th FMIC
5th wait for problems if none come then move on
6th a good used 14b turbo with injectors, fuel pressure regulator and a SAFCII to learn tuning. (this will allow you to learn about turbos and injectors and tuning)
7th suspension/ wheel tire combo
etc etc etc

pj91gsx · Jul 4, 2008

suspension and wheels are not necessary but are more of a looks thing.

tlikethedrink · Jul 4, 2008

i would go exhaust first,
my ebay n1 is just right IMO. then downpipe.
add a basic MAF adapter and pod filter from autozone.
BOV will hold more psi if you "flip" it, that is till you decide if what FMIC kit or hard pipes your getting and what BOV its flanged for. personally i would go with the SSAC unit and a 1g BOV.
Boost control.

Then as stated.... wait for problems.

next would be fuel and tunning till you feel your turbo just isnt cutting it anymore.

The path i went for was close to this....
i went with
ETS street kit with a Greddy BOV- good deals i couldnt let pass by
MAF adapter With 4" Pod Filter- Set up cost 40bucks from autozone...
Ebay N1- fit perfect and isnt too loud. (my spyder lets alot of road noise in, my exhaust is barely noticable at cruising)

mitsumikey · Jul 4, 2008

thanks guys, Im still thinking the ETS intercooler though, but now debating between that and a GOOD set of tastefull rims, right now I really like WORK VSXX, but they are pushing into 3 grand for 18X8. I dont need all this power at a young age, and figure get it looking good and running well. My head is set on the HKS BOV for some reason, I assume you all say 1g because it is better for being cheaper? Im thinkin top 5 are rims, suspension, brakes, exhaust, FMIC.

edit: I read somewhere that the N1 sets off car alarms LOL

, seems a bit stretched, it isnt bad then? as long as it doesnt resemble a honda fart can as im shure it doesnt

Gstclipse69 · Jul 5, 2008

18's are a bit too large for performance standards. I'd say 16s or 17s at most. I'd say hks or a tial bov. You can run a 1g bov and "crush" it and it will not leak at higher boost levels, or you could get a tial or hks and not have to worry about anything in the future.
As far as hp goes to start monitoring things you need a logger of some sort. And a boost controller + gauge. You can only turn up the boost a little on stock fuel but you'll need these in the future.

mitsumikey · Jul 5, 2008

yeah, I want to get the A pillar gauge pod. Tons of people on the site do have 18 s though, its really quite torn between 17 or 18, personally I think the 18s look stunning and really arent at a big disadvantage from 17s

KDub · Jul 5, 2008

imo a lot of the opinions posted are too much for your goals. a fmic kit from ets is what $700? to me thats a lot more than you need. id go with...

supra smic
14b
hard pipes
1g bov
boost controller
boost gauge
full exhaust no cat
1g throttle body or the 91-94 63mm n/t throttle body
TOTAL: no more than $600

and thats all you should do before you with bigger turbo and start doing some engine management. and for your fuel rail question, the 1g fuel rail is efficient enough for a while. i know its good for 600whp for sure. dont get me wrong, im not telling you what you should do, im just giving you options that can give you some pretty good performance.

tlikethedrink · Jul 5, 2008

18s are a kick in the nuts for performance standards... but they look so much better than 16s LOL

. 17s are ok, but 18s are close to perfect imo. my spyder could use a drop, but not as bad as some others ive seen with 17s

the SSAC FMIC is flanged for the 1g BOV i believe. plus its a fairly cheap reliable set up. looks good adds perf and runs right. just what your looking for.

my N1 hasnt set off any alarms... its noticable but not loud. maybe with a cat'less DP at wide open throttle it'll set off a sensitive alarm. but turbos are pretty good mufflers for the most part : )

oops i forgot to mention a boost gauge. save up your first hundred bucks and hit autozone asap. buy a gauge for about 45-50 buck and the air filter set up. you dont need a cluster really. if you dont smoke you can cut a hole where the cig lighter is. worked for me. i would do it before anything really. then you'll see what mods free'd up how many lbs of boost.

KDub · Jul 5, 2008

^^^ Prosport gauges look a lot better and are more reliable than anything autozone sells.

mitsumikey · Jul 5, 2008

that doesnt sound too bad, but with the intercooler, to me its part aesthetics, when you fill the opening with it it looks badass! Hopefully I get an apprentiship next semester and money wont be as huge of a deal to me. I plan on putting alot of money into this car. Lol i saved three years for this car and i am only 17, driving responsibly is the main goal right now(as well as getting this thing on the road). Haha to bad they arent as easy to find here in Canada...

there are lots of options for guages, I think autometer will be golden

tlikethedrink · Jul 5, 2008

an autometer boost gauge can be found for 60 bucks at Autozone. a VDO gauge from Checkers should be cheaper, or a 20 dollar Sun-Pro... im just throwing the options out there. they all look the same really. white or black with numbers and an orange needle. just get one that works....

yea filling in the bumper with a FMIC is the way to go. leave the steel mesh for the gutters! just be careful to expect issues related to mods. my FMIC and Cooling system arent getting along to well right now. so save a few bucks to support mishaps and things you might not expect.

mitsumikey · Jul 5, 2008

i wonder if you could make ducts to the rad through the right and left vents?, and maybe a fluidyne would do some good?

KDub · Jul 5, 2008

you shouldnt have any cooling problems with a fmic if your system is up to par. my buddy runs the stock radiator, condensor, and has a huge fmic without any cooling problems with his 2.4 and 35r and his ramhorn manifold really close to the radiator. man that was a run-on sentence LOL

. throw some water wetter in there to make up for the cooling "loss" you may have.

mitsumikey · Jul 5, 2008

hahha laughed at you comenting on your own grammar. I am happy to say my car seems to have been well taken care of, he was a 30 year old engineer at GM, never winter driven, hopefully maintence was all truthfull

tlikethedrink · Jul 5, 2008

ducts to the the Rad from the IC help alot... so they say. i havent really got around to making them myself. i made mocks of cardboard but it rained the next day so they turned soggy on me.
I was thinking of some kind of dryer duct hose to rout the air from the fog light holes to the engine bay. Im gonna go ahead and make a duct out of sheet metal to the rad from the ic too, but im gonna add 2 small fans while i have everything off again- i dont wanna have to do it again anytime soon...

what ive done so far is 30/70 Coolant mix with Water Wetter and a 1.1 bar rad cap. the rad cap made one of my lines bust tho. it was only 10bucks to fix... but its little things like that and taking the time to fix it that are what you should look out for.

buy a tool set, you'll need it. if and when you work on your car, have a friend with a car help you. a 2nd opinion is always nice + he can give you rides to parts stores while your car is being worked on.

mitsumikey · Jul 5, 2008

I LOVE THE FOGLIGHTS! LOL

as long as you keep the bezels it would be good, I am way against hacking the bumper and losing foglights, which kind of restricts me to a 3 inch intercooler for minimal hacking and I need a kit that keeps the lights(ETS>GRredey 24 v) It seems this site is most active this time of day, I dont know bout you guys, but its comin on 2 30 in the morning for me LOL

Edit: and goin to bed LOL

kanderson · Jul 5, 2008

Upgrade paths totally depend on what you plan to do with you car.

If you plan on road racing or autocrossing your car at all, tires, NOT 18in wheels, and some stiffer sways will be very good first mods.

If you plan on drag racing than you will probably want to focus on power, FMIC, BOV, etc.

For pure road use it really is up to you. An FMIC isn't really needed for the road at your power levels, unless of course it is a visual thing. Same goes for the wheels - 18's sure look nice, but they won't help your performance. I agree with everyone else that maintenance comes first, change your plugs, wires, all fluids, then start looking into hard pipes, BOV, intake, boost controller/gauge, etc.

That's my opinion, but it's your car and your money, have fun.

toojung2die · Jul 5, 2008

mitsumikey said:
I dont need all this power at a young age, and figure get it looking good and running well.

This is a great quote, mitsumikey. I want you to remember you said it because the day will come when "running well" comes before "looking good". Life is like that and so are cars.

mitsumikey · Jul 5, 2008

Lol, as I said I ve saved for it for 3 years, and dreamed of owning it for four, and now I finally have it, be assured I will take good care, and baby it. I also dont want half ass mods

, I would rather go as full out as possible the first way though, limited to what my car and funds can handle of course. I ve seen it so many times on here where everyone wishes they did it right the first time, changing out parts a bunch of times, I d rather get what I want, and stick with it

tlikethedrink · Jul 5, 2008

well like he said he just plans on driving it responsibly. hes not setting up for any form of racing.

FMICs dont have to be huge, niether do his rims tho. i personally like the GSX rims and i would keep those on. but if he wants to change em up to "black with a polished lip" for looks he should go for 18s while hes at it IMO. after all there just to look good. not to add performance.

im gonna have to say the ETS FMIC kit took alot of cutting. well more than i was comfortable with... but is well worth it now. I dont have my foglights on- they broke. so i dont mind making ducts out of the bezels.

im sure if your like me you want an all around NICE car. look good, sound sweet, run cherry... < no particular order cause you want it all right. but the biggest factor is going to be $. shop around for deals and parts you can live with for the $. why pay $500 for a catback when you can get one for $150 that is exactly the same thing. shop used parts for killer deals.

mitsumikey · Jul 5, 2008

Lol that sounds like exaclty what I am doin, I have put WORK VSXX rims on a eclipse in need for speed LOL

, and black with a polished lip looks deadly! By the way tlikethedrink, would you mind PMing me all the cutting/modding required with the ETS?, Im shure its the same deal with the race core, except you must trim the bumper support for the race core.

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Help with upgrade planning

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mitsumikey

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tlikethedrink

mitsumikey

Gstclipse69

mitsumikey

KDub

tlikethedrink

KDub

mitsumikey

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mitsumikey

KDub

mitsumikey

tlikethedrink

mitsumikey

kanderson

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mitsumikey

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