Where do i start? - Advice wanted

[KittyKatSmack]

[quoteost_uid0="rupewrecht"][color=#000000ost_uid0]i think a few worthwhile mods would be:

Power:
*Catback exhaust, as the standard system is 2" pre muffler anyway(so i've been told)
*Cold Air induction + Panel filter - pods arent that much better if at all
*Rising Rate Fuel Pressure Regulator - only a maybe, but makes a difference on an NA car -mine did

Handling:
*Rear Sway Bar - one of the best mods i did
*Front Tower Brace/Strut Brace
*Adjustable Camber Bolts - for the front, only a maybe, but if you have a tower brace you need them

i know you didn't want to go bigger wheels, but the handling benefits of a set of 16x7's would make a huge difference to the handling and grip of the car

cheers
Dan[/colorost_uid0][/quoteost_uid0]
[color=#736AFFost_uid0]That is great Dan!!!!

Next step is who and how.

For the exhaust, I can pretty much go to an exhaust shop I know of. Hopefully he will do right by me there.

Cold Air induction + Panel filter ~ where do I get them, who can fit them, how much will it cost?

I really want to do this stage in May when I get back from QLD. Prolly at same time I get exhaust done.

Fuel Pressure Regulator????? This one is new to me...
*goes off for more research* but still interested in the how much for parts, who will fit it, is it simple enough to do at home, how much difference did it make on your car????

Sway bar has been ordered, w00t!
The rest of your handling suggestions will have to wait until after I get prices/costs/research completed, and of course the October rubber change methinks...........

I just cannot afford the 16x7's, although there was a set of something similars for sale..... hrmmmmm, depends on how cheap and as long as they aren't chromies, much prefer alloy!
We shall see......... And I will be honest and say I prefer to pay for replacement rubber at 15" prices!!!!
Call me cheap and all I will say is that I have to afford to live as well as have a car.
I would rather be honest and up front about where I am at and what I want to achieve than pull your chain and bull**** on.

Now... about this rising rate fuel pressure regulator...???[/colorost_uid0]

[Rupewrecht]

[color=#000000ost_uid0]okey dokey...

Cold air induction you can do yourself if you're handy with a drill and hacksaw :: All it consists of is:

* removing the resonator (in the front passenger side guard behind the bumper)
*running some tubing (agricultural pipe/drainpipe) from the hole in the bottom of the airbox to the front of your bumper

And a panel filter (like a K&N) can be obtained from Autobarn or online at Autospeed.com. A K&N is about $80 i think, and will last for years if you clean it every so often, as they're designed to be reusable unlike the standard paper filters.

A rising rate FPR basically supplied more petrol (when needed)than the standard FPR. The Standard one supplies fuel at a 1:1 air/fuel ratio, while an adjustable one supplied at it 1:1.7. It just makes the car a bit more nippy - but it only supplies ythe extra fuel when you put your foot down.
I've got one, and so does ToyBoy and one or two others.

A few people make them - Malpassi, FSE - and we both have the FSE version. i've never had a problem with mine, but Theo has i think. They cost about $350-400, and anyone can install them.

i think i covered all of it ::[/colorost_uid0]

[JynX]

[color=#000000ost_uid0]Hiya.

I went through most of this not so long ago... so here are some thoughts.

Be carefull with your exhaust, there are some really dodgy shops around which will tell you one thing but install another... ask the canberra guys to recommend a local installer who is reputable. I had a 2.5" cat back install w/ extractors. Put me back somthing like $600-$700 at the time and its ****. ( The work that is )

You can get the panel filter online from http://www.autospeed.com. The price is reasonable and they deliver to the door... no hassles. Part number is KN33-2034 and its as simple as pulling out the old filter and sloting in the new... might want to get some cleaning products while u there. I clean mine every 2/3 months.

CAI u can do yourself with some ag pipe from the hardware store, but Dan has alot he wants too offload (as you need to buy it in 20m rolls) so you can grab some off him and save buying 20m's. I want some too so we just need to work out how to get it up from Melb and will save us some dosh too.

You need to pull out the resonator box sitting in the left wheel guard and then u run the pipe from where the old pipe was around via the new hole in the wheel guard and to the front grill. We may need to enlarge the hole in the air box, im not sure what diameter ag pipe dan has, im sure he can tell us though. I think tony had a chrome pipe which joined the air box to the hole in the chassis if you want somthing that looks abit fancier.

Another simple enhacment is some mesh behind the front grill. Simple cosmetic change and looks alot better then std. Some pics at http://www.focus.net.au/images/astina/mesh if u want to know how to do it... simple as cutting the mesh to shape and screwing it into existing screw placements on rear bar.

erm front bar.... i need a beer.

P.S u pic dosnt work

Cheers
Jim.[/colorost_uid0]

[MrShadow]

[color=#810541ost_uid0][quoteost_uid0]removing the resonator [/quoteost_uid0]

heard of this a few times, but not quite sure what it does?[/colorost_uid0]

[Rupewrecht]

[color=#000000ost_uid0]The resonator is supposed to smooth the air flow, therefore allowing more air in...but it's a crock, well at least the astina one is...if you look at it it's got so many restrictions in it as to be completely useless.

And it pulls hot air from the engine bay from a tiny little hole! How is that supposed to aid performance??? you need cold air, Mazda! ???[/colorost_uid0]

[MrShadow]

[color=#810541ost_uid0]Ahhh, so I [iost_uid0]SHOULDN'T[/iost_uid0] run my CAI through a shroud around my exhaust? So that's what I've been doing wrong... ::[/colorost_uid0]

[Toyboy]

[color=#000000ost_uid0]:O :laugh:[/colorost_uid0]

[mrpayner]

[color=#000000ost_uid0]The replacement K&N panel filter is now $98.41.

DIRECT LINK TO AUTOSPEED K&N PAGE HERE



Adam[/colorost_uid0]

[Rupewrecht]

[color=#000000ost_uid0]wow that's gone up in price! :O

oh, and FYI peoples, the V6 BA Astina uses a different filter...[/colorost_uid0]

[JynX]

[color=#000000ost_uid0]I think i paid around $80ish 12 mnths ago.[/colorost_uid0]

[sik astina]

[color=#0000FFost_uid0]i know it aint no performance mod. i think u should lower the car. better handling and looks better too. ( about $350)

put a panel fitler like the guys have been saying. pod filter too much heat gets in em unless u make a box around it like theo or move it somewhere else. ( $100 arounds)

i dont think u should put a FSE. got told by my mum's b/f (he owns a rotary shop and races them too) its not for a n/a motor. waste of money there. with that money u can get a nice set of wheels. Know some of the guys on the board have had a little power increase but its a lot of money for such a small impact.

and with the exhaust i got 2 1/4" mandrel bend with a high flow cat and extractors. that made a difference in performance and it sounds great too.

This is just my opinion anyways, hope it helps...


-Mick[/colorost_uid0]

[Cosmo Dude]

[color=#810541ost_uid0]Hi all,
The cold induction sounds like a fun weekend project. I may just pop down to Bunnings this Saturday and pickup some palstic pipe and an elbow to plumb a new duct from the front to the bottom of my air box. If it looks good I'll paint it to match. ::
A nice induction system adds a couple of Kw's and adds a nice subtle growl.

Start a fuel log book with normal unleaded petrol (include odometer, litres, price of unleaded petrol [ulp] and premium unleaded petrol [pulp]) and after three or four weeks change to premium for the same time and compare the price per Km.
Confused?
I found pulp to be better value, now you can crank up the ignition two or three degree.

Now you should have a bit more zip with little outlay, fifty bucks or so, and more of a smile when you push down on the right foot.

Rod[/colorost_uid0]

[mrpayner]

[color=#000000ost_uid0]General Tips on CAI found here. Have fun kiddies.

Oh yeah, Rod. Keep that CAI pipe as straight as possible. IE don't have that elbow you were thinking of, it'll restrict the airflow.


Adam[/colorost_uid0]

[Cosmo Dude]

[color=#810541ost_uid0]Thanks Adam,
I'll look at that info.

btw
I believe that Kittykat's quesetion is how to add some zoom, zoom, zoom to a 1.8 BA Astina without blowing the budget. Adding the smile factor to driving the great little car we all enjoy [/colorost_uid0]

[.::Astina|Brad::.]

[color=#728FCEost_uid0]Sorry to do this to you guys but... you've all completly lost me. Your talking about adding a resonator to the exhust. then removing the resonator in the stock intake??? getting alittle confused here... exhust resonator aside... what does this intake resonator look like? 2nd thing is... i have pulled my filter out of my box and found a tube running down in behind the bumper.. i can't find where it goes, but it seems to me it's already set up like a CAI... 3rd... i probably really need a digital camera to get this across properly.. but there after the filter and alittle way up the pipe towards the sensors and wires... there is this tube that stems out of the intake pipe (is this the resonator?) what does this thing do? and finaly... for now.. what is the difference between the V6 BA K&N filter and the 4cyl Filter...

Sorry if i'm not making sense... but i'm in the same boat as kitty. and at the moment i'm quite tired and grumpy and just want to go home...

.::Grumpy|Brad::.[/colorost_uid0]

[ABC]

[color=#000000ost_uid0]Difference *between filters - about 10 bucks - probably just a different size/thickness. Had a look around and this was the only 2.0L Mazda filter there even though it comes up and says its for a Probe. Autospeed direct link Would call them just to make sure or measure before ordering. Have been thinking of doing the same myself but $$$ are tight at the moment.

From what I can work out, the intake resonator is inside the front guard/bumper. Haven't taken the bumper off yet to take a look (I've only had the car for two years! ) but that will be next weekend's project so I'll see if I can take some photos of the V6.

Dogo is the one to ask I think. I think he's the one that's done the most tweaking to a V6 - no disrespect to anyone that has, just can't remember.

cheers,
Andy.[/colorost_uid0]

[JynX]

[color=#000000ost_uid0]Brad,

If you were to follow that little pipe into the wheel arch, the resonator sits on the inside the wheel arch.

http://www.focus.net.au/images/astina/mesh/DSC00229.JPG

This show where the resonator "Should" be, mine is removed, but you can see the old intake pipe still sitting there. You cant really call it cold air, as nothing is flowing into that area, but its "colder" then taking air directly from the engine bay.[/colorost_uid0]

[Rupewrecht]

[color=#000000ost_uid0]The white thing under my arm is the intake resonator. We soon got rid of that ::

And where we ran the piping[/colorost_uid0]

[BigMal]

[color=#000000ost_uid1]The resonator takes out the thump, thump, thump sound
from the exhaust of each cylinder firing. Believe it also
straightens out the molecules to make them run all the same
way. Similar thing with the front res which gives the air
particles chance to settle so that they go into the maf and
piping all traveling the same way so the air is more dense
that way.

Regards

Mal[/colorost_uid1]

[.::Astina|Brad::.]

[color=#728FCEost_uid0]Sweet... that's cleared up heaps... no wonder i couldn't find where the intake went...it was behind that stupid big white thing!!! wouldn't it have been better to not have that white thing in the 1st place???

one thing that isn't clear is the little pipe that extends out of the intake pipe... u can see where it should be in the second pic of dans showing insid the engine... and i noticed you have 2 pipe coming up as the intake now dan... is this second pipe going into that hole in the side of the intake pipe??? i'll try edit the image to eplain alittle more... and post it up...

Thanx Again ABC JYNX RUPE MAL!!!

oh and Kitty... when do u get your sway bar?

Brad[/colorost_uid0]