Power On A Budget

[Espress]

My R33 series 1 was stock for ages until my housemate decided he wanted to race me in his Manual VY SS. We raced (On a private road of course) and I got slaughtered so I decided i wanted to do just enough to beat him. I think Manual LS1 commies are a good yardstick for a quickish car so my goal was to be able to take down any close to stock ls1 i came up against on the street.

I added a catback, pod and got rid of the 2 stage boost so it ran 7psi. 0-100 came up in 7 secs timed from a video. Still not quick enough.

I Then added a manual boost controller and guage and set it to 11.5 psi. It seems to cope well especially because I only drive the car hard every now and then. 0-100 was now achieved in 5.7 secs with wheelspin thru first and snapping to second.

Maybe quick enough to take him from a dig but not from the 80kmh rolls we would be doing. So last night we raced again, it was a nice cool night so i decided to crank the boost up to 14psi, dangerous i know but this would only be temporary. I added a bottle of octane booster for safety sake.

We both cant drive for shit especially launching for the first time on 14psi so it was a bit hit and miss from a dig. The rolls however were dead even. We raced about 10 times with whoever got the better change or start just nipping ahead. I have never seen 2 more evenly matched cars in my life. (his car just has a catback by the way but he is a mechanic so its well looked after with low kms).

So the next step is to be able to comfortably beat him and hopefully even be a match for the 6.0 VE commies, I just wanted to know what my next mods should be with a budget of about $1000? FMIC? tune? Full Turbo Back exhaust?

[SKITTLES]

Learn to drive first, it's not that hard. Launching is pretty easy, just get used to riding the clutch a little. I personally back off the accelerator to get my traction back, but I only had 152rwkw in my GTST.

Recipe for basic power:

- FMIC

- Exhaust

- Pod w/ piping routed from underneath foggies, up onto pod.

- Basic server, remember to flush your coolant completely.

- Increase boost to around 12psi - which can be done safely.

- Nistune

Those things ontop of my already tweaked 32 GTST were going to get me around 180rwkw, which *should* be enough to take down a VY SS. Just remember, if they've got an 8cyl, you'll get rippped at higher speeds.

[ARTZ]

by higher speeds you mean anything over 200km, anything under that you'll b fine..

[DVS JEZ]

For 1k

Definately do 3 inch bellmouth dump pipe and a proper high flow cat.

And a front mount cooler kit

[ZED X]

For $1k i would say your best bet would be to upgrade to a nistune, anything upward of 10PSI on a stock ECU (RB25) would be running rich as hell.

I managed to purchase my nistune for $200 directly from Matt and had my GTR tuned for around $500. So realistically if you look at $800 as a target, you'll have another $200 left for a semi decent front pipe (perhaps second hand).

I would be fairly shocked if you didnt pick up ~20kw from just a tune. Realistically your not going to get much more then 200-210rwkw from a stock turbo though.

[HEKT1K]

Up your budget to ~$10k and waste him

[Beer Baron]

hmm, my advice. save a bit more cash and then do the following:

by second hand 3inch (or bigger) turbo back exhaust (or if you have catback just the bits you need). you can get good used gear pretty cheap.

get a front mount. again, if you go used you can get one nice and cheap. even better you might be able to score a used blitz or other jap brand cooler used for the same price as a new china one ($500 or so).

add a high flow panel filter to the airbox (K+N are very good and last forever) or if you want get a pod (if fitting a pod get a alloy intake pipe made up at the same time). edit: just saw you have a pod, ok just add the metal intake pipe.

the manual boost controller is fine for this level.

once you have the full exhaust and the FMIC it's time to get it tuned. either get a nistune or get a used power FC. unfortunately R33 power FCs can be pricey so in your case nistune is probably the way to go.

all up to buy the nistune and have it fitted and tuned should be around or just under $1000.

the used exhaust and high flow cat less than $500

alloy intake pipe $200

used jap front mount in good nick $500 (or china kit $350)

The other big thing is tyres. no use having 180rwkw if you're on linglings. save up some dough and get some good tyres. you can get a full set of dunlop Z1* for under $1,000 from tirerack in the US. they will turn that wheelspin into forward motion and give you a good edge on your mate.

I'd say all of that including tyres will be under $3K. and possibly as low as $2500 if you do it slow and hunt out some real bargains.

[Hanaldo]

IBTL...

[itsme]

Sigh.. How about don't race, regardless of the road being private and especially when noting you 'both can't drive for shit'. The genius of making your car faster so you can beat commodores just spells disaster, one would safely assume that you aren't going to always be going up against them on 'private' roads and you've also mentioned there is video footage to measure the 0-100 time. The media is just lurking for any opportunity to pin something on import car owners and people going around racing certainly won't help our image. Do quarter mile times on a track somewhere with the appropriate safety measures in place and without breaking the law or looking like ye' average commodore driver who feels a need to prove themselves at every red light. =)

Edited July 21, 2011 by itsme

[tridentt150v]

so my goal was to be able to take down any close to stock ls1 i came up against on the street.

I'd save all that $$$$$, you'll need it for your court case and bus fares!!!

[ARTZ]

For $1k i would say your best bet would be to upgrade to a nistune, anything upward of 10PSI on a stock ECU (RB25) would be running rich as hell.

I managed to purchase my nistune for $200 directly from Matt and had my GTR tuned for around $500. So realistically if you look at $800 as a target, you'll have another $200 left for a semi decent front pipe (perhaps second hand).

I would be fairly shocked if you didnt pick up ~20kw from just a tune. Realistically your not going to get much more then 200-210rwkw from a stock turbo though.

nistune doesnt fit r33 ecu man...so you need another coupla hund for a z32 ecu if u can find one..but dont bother just start saving for a PFC and a turbo..in the meantime ..

Copper plugs gapped at .8

3 inch bellmouth dump from just jap 200$

cooling pro return flow cooler from just jap 450$

decat or hiflow cat...??

Good tuner and a dyno run 150$ maybe

it wont make alot more power but it will free up your rev range and feel more lively.

And NOS 2 of the big ones..

[BMYHOE]

add 2 bottles of octane

[On Edge]

Nos and a strengthened manifold

[Espress]

K so far got:

Rollin Imports intercooler $400

Rollin Imports dump pipe $220

Just Jap Hiflo cat $175

Got a front pipe waiting to weld in 02 sensor hole $20

Nistune $250?

Tune from PITS engineering: $???? surey getting an r33 tuned would be quick and easy?

Total Mod list:

rollin FMIC

Turbosmart boost tee

Full 3 inch frankenstien exhaust

Nistune

Blitz Pod

Estimated power: 180+rwkw?

An a side note thanks for the concern against streetracing but Im not silly, I show restraint in urban areas, I know there is no such thing as safe speeding at all that but if ur not gonna have a little fun against other modified cars whats the point of modifying in the first place?

[045HOW]

An a side note thanks for the concern against streetracing but Im not silly, I show restraint in urban areas, I know there is no such thing as safe speeding at all that but if ur not gonna have a little fun against other modified cars whats the point of modifying in the first place?

I'll just leave this here. thought you might have grown up by now..

you didn't need to say why you wanted more power... 180rwkw is peanuts anyway.

[Espress]

Not funny in the slightest, so 180rwkw is not enough for the street but you dont want me racing people? bit contradictory dont you think?

[045HOW]

There is a time, and place for everything, and our PUBLIC ROADS are not the place to do your shit.

Well, even if you are really doing stupid shit on public roads, don't publicise that.

i may or may not have driven dangerously, but i sure as hell don't publicise whatever i do on a public forum.

this isn't Boostcruising.

We all say some shit but there's no need to publicise crap like this. "hey guys looking to make some more power on a budget" not "need more power to be called a gen3ater at the lights".

Your views on why we modify cars seem a bit close minded and juvenile. there are many reasons to modify a car.

[AngryRB]

why not just go to the drags and do it the proper way?

Those R8's are my bench mark, most between 13 and 14sec quarters

for $1000, second hand intercooler $300, dump $200, cold air intake $50, clean out the cat for free, and ( cough cough advance the ignition a fair bit, cough cough and lots of octane booster, cough )

shortshifter for $100, new plugs $30, and then $300 for a dyno check and tune??

Edited July 21, 2011 by SliverS2

[Cassbo]

Weld your wastegate shut for infinite boosts

[lilcrash]

^ agree. The r8 is a good benchmark, average 0-100 times and pretty close match for any slightly modded rb