noob 93 laser mod questions

[cheeplaser]

Hey guys my names Bobby. I just picked up a 1993 Plymouth laser RS n/a automatic (unfortunatly).

I paid $200, yes $200 dollars for this car from a friend who moved out of town and his parents didnt want to deal with it so I literally put a battery in it and drove it around town!

Goign to put plates on it sometime next week so this week im really going to modify a few things on it.

I already painted the hubcaps black which actually looks pretty good, i got some 35w 6000k hids from vvme.com,

and i got a nice 4" farter off ebay for $26.99 which im going to install this week.

i just have some simple questions and rather than having you guys answer them maybe you could just point me in the right direction because im sure they have been asked before.

Trying to get an intake for this car and all i can find is a $175 k&N on ebay that looks just like a filter, is it possible to modify the stock airbox and just throw a k&N filter in it so its louder? maybe cutting open the cover a bit to give it that short ram sound?

also, on my last two cars (98 svt contour, 2003 mercury sable which i still drive)

i have "JDM'd" or whatever you call it, to the headlights and im just wondering if theres any special precations that i should take on doing these, putting them in the oven and such, ive done it before so i know how i just want to make sure theres nothing that i would miss that could melt or anything.

And finally, i really dont know much about lasers/talons/eclipses, but what is the best way to get some power out of this car, i have a xcal 3 tuner from my last car but i believe it wont work because the car is obd1 correct?

and what are some other restrictions i can get out easy? ex restrictive stock header or whatever,

I know i might get the SEARCH scream but im just completely blind to these cars so someone help me out!

I also have basic mechanic knowledge and tools.

also, how hard is a 5spd conversion in this car ive got the money for it now and id like to do it if it isnt too hard

 

[fstfcs]

Sell the Xcal man.

I had a turbo ford focus on which i used the xcal. And your right it won't help at all being OBD1. And i have a 2g and even though it's OBD2 i don't think SCT supports the DSM's ECU's.

I know you said you have the farter, it will only make it louder. You might sell your xcal and in exchange for it i would buy a full exhaust to help open it up and breathe better. Also check out some of the vendors for intakes, i know they sell them. Because i would never buy a true K&N not worth the dollars IMO. Outside of that the mods are in your hands as to how much you want to do and what kind of power you want.

Good luck on it man. Welcome to the DSM community.

P.S. Make sure your Xcal is unlocked.

 

[cheeplaser]

just put it up in a few forums and on craigslist, it doesnt do much to a n/a car anyways.

also, what do i need to look for in rim fitment because it seems like 75% of cars on the road has the same bolt pattern but will they all fit? i was thinking some maxima/350z wheels, or any 18's that i can get under $500 bucks.

 

[fstfcs]

18's? Any reason for going that big?

It may look like any wheel would fit, but what you have to take into account is the offset on the wheel. Bolt pattern might be right on. But sometimes the offset can be what kills it for you in the end.

I would go up and search on here and find out all what kinds of wheels and certain offsets have been able to fit with and without spacers and so forth.

 

[cheeplaser]

i dont feel like 18's are that big i have them on my sable and i want to get 20's.

maybe this being a small car they might be big but im not sure.

but id like to get a some cheap 17's or 18's curb rash whatever ill probably paint them black either way.

 

[Bluefire16]

Here is an idea...keep the car. Dont put ANY MONEY into it other than making it a reliable DD, save up the extra cash for a car worth modding like a gst, tsi, or gsx...

 

[TheAButton]

I've always thought to never go over 17's ### it's looks like they'd rub or be really close to rubbing. I have some 17's that i run for autocross and they fit the wheel-well just fine and they look great (i dont think i have any pics of them on DSMtuners tho) As for horse power gains, it just depends on how much money you wanna throw at it (speed cost money). But for some cheep mods i think you can put on a turbo head, do a cat-delete/ full exhaust, cold air in-take (which you could probably make with a trip down to the hard-ware store), but truth be told i dont really know how to make cheep easy horse power unless it's turbocharged, which I've never coverted a non-turbo but i wouldn't think it would be too much money though

 

[Achelea]

Alrighty, here's the run down. The reason we snap at people for not searching, is these cars are 10-20 years old. There is next to No new questions. Some one on here has asked the question before. Read the Rules. Threads about bench racing, street racing, or similar threads gets shut down quickly. We are performance oriented, and do NOT support illegal and dangerous activities.

Most of the tuners here would say keep it as a daily and a learning experience for working on these cars. Keep maintenance on it and then save up for a turbo fwd or awd. The other detail is the Automatic. Great for Legal drag racing, but most pefer manual transmission if you can get it. That and manuals are cheaper to repair.

IF you absolutely HAVE to use this car, you need to set an ideal goal for the car. Quick street car, drag race, auto cross, road course, rock climbing. (the last one is a joke by the way).

As said by fstfcs said:
Fart can makes it loud, but does nothing to improve performance. Look for a performance intake.

As for how much power, IIRC you have the 420a or 4g63 non turbo motor.

1.) First things first with these cars is do repairs first. A $1 washer or gasket that takes a few hours to replace, can save you from rebuilding your entire motor.

2.) Second thing is Maintenance. Get caught up on the required maintenance because it's cheaper to do the maintenance than it is repairing. IE a timing belt job is time intensive, but it's cheaper and better than rebuilding your head cause the belt snapped.

3.) Supporting mods come next. Look through the list for the NA motors and do the supporting mods. Throwing parts on without things to support can get expensive. IE Big turbo, big exhaust and you blow your motor cause you have stock fuel and injectors.

4.) If you can, do them in the right order. Some early mods might be expensive, but they make later mods more effective. There are people that buy boost contollers and crank them up cause it's $50, but they didn't do anything else cause the injectors cost 120 for all of them. They end up blowing the motor cause the injectors run out. There is an Order for a reason

Listen to people with experience, cause they've already made the expensive mistakes before. They know.

As for the wheels, how is the suspension? 17" from the Evos is as large as you can go and still have comfortable driving and performance on a first gen, but if the shocks are bad, you'll have crappy ride, and be replacing tires cause of wheel hop. Any larger and you won't be able to turn because the the tire is rubbing the inside of the fender. We can offer help, but if you don't search yourself, you'll end up not getting any responses because no one wants to hold your hand through everything.

Sorry to preach, but if it's not said, some people start to say they wasn't warned.

Pay attention, listen, and learn. And have fun. Happy Tuning. ^_^