When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
When I think of having a fast car I think of the quickness to be determined by a combination of different requirements. Sure running a fast quarter or eighth mile is awesome. But to me the ability to run the cones on an Autocross Course quickly and competitively would be a more important metric. This involves many factors other than brutal horsepower. Suspension, brakes and of course, YOU determine the performance of the car. Just about anyone can learn to drive a car fast going straight down a piece of pavement.
First thing I did on my A3 was a bigger rear sway bar, trans stabilizer mount and new better rotors and brakes. Don't get me wrong, I have a down pipe and plan to go Stage II very soon.Also, the idea of being on the freeway and zipping up to 120 mph. is always fun too.Nothing gives me greater pleasure than beating some redneck on a 5.0 Mustang!
I like this prospective as well - I loved how my S2000 was setup because it had a few modifications that made the driving experience that much sharper and it performed damn good on a track.
As for the B5, I don't have pockets deep enough to make it great in the twisties.
i never created a thread to update ... what thread are you talking about
Well you know this is my 3rd F3X... got tired of it very quickly, but it is reliable.. no drama no issues, no excitement... i am just counting down the days when i can get a new one.... in 2 years...
I need to get my self an Audi!!!
you got rid of the S2000! you don't care about the twisties!
Okay how about this...you have reliably made this car as fast as it can be while being reliable and reasonably trouble free...
get rid of the fit and get your miata like you originally planned...it's good enough to be fun in the canyons, a daily, and a fun
project you will recover your money from when you're done...it'll also force you to stop fucking with the B5.
Newer Taco for wifey...bam...done.
you got rid of the S2000! you don't care about the twisties!
Okay how about this...you have reliably made this car as fast as it can be while being reliable and reasonably trouble free...
get rid of the fit and get your miata like you originally planned...it's good enough to be fun in the canyons, a daily, and a fun
project you will recover your money from when you're done...it'll also force you to stop fucking with the B5.
Newer Taco for wifey...bam...done.
There's one thing for sure, I will never daily another roadster again .. especially since I drive over 300 miles a week.
I've had my eye out for a dirt cheap project Miata but ... as it stands, wifey needs a new car before I even think about a project, let alone pitching the idea to her
I moved into a house, got engaged, got married, did a bit of traveling, house projects galore, and now we have a little one on the way. Where does the time go?
I moved into a house, got engaged, got married, did a bit of traveling, house projects galore, and now we have a little one on the way. Where does the time go?
you forgot to mention how much time you spent on the S4 to keep it running
I moved into a house, got engaged, got married, did a bit of traveling, house projects galore, and now we have a little one on the way. Where does the time go?
Into removing the engine every time you have to change the oil.
Admittedly, I've gotten a bit bored of my wheels and I've been on the hunt for some light weight wheels for some time.
I originally purchased some OG NT03s but they turned out to be a lot more work than they were worth initially ... I sold them and the hunt continued.
I found a set of Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 in 18x8 +45 with some brand new Falken FK510 Summer tires - Few curb marks but otherwise, wheel finish is mint - I'm extremely happy with condition / tire setup, but most importantly with the functional look and massive weight savings. I've always liked Team Dynamics wheels. . always considered a set for the S2000 but never found a set worth jumping on.
Only drawback is - I will need 10mm spacers all around in order to make it flush / clear front brakes.
Weight savings:
Hartmann RS4 wheels: 50.8lb per corner.
New wheels: 43.8lb per corner.
Test fit with 10mm spacers:
Now that power is "done", I am going to focus on making the car more enjoyable to drive .. this includes a bit of weight savings (goal would be ~150lb out of the car) and getting my Toureg 4 Piston brake setup ready for install.
Looks good! I'm kinda partial to lighter coloured wheels but these cars pull off many-spoked wheels well. Plus a change of pace is always nice.
More details on Touareg brakes!
Edit: Pics work for me... Something is just wrong with Morgan don't worry about it
I bought some huge 4 piston V8 Toureg Brembo brakes last year but they haven't had the chance to put them on - they're basically Brembo 17/18z levels of braking performance for a 1/3rd of the cost.
For me, they mount pretty much directly to the B5 spindle, just need a special hardware kit and rotors. Slowly but surely
I still can't get over how much weight you are saving with these...
hot choice. For the record I was with you on this purchase from the first time you asked.
It was probably my works VPN that was blocking them, but yes, I can see them now. And they look great, from what I can see! More pics!
What size rotors are you going to run? How do these affect brake balance?
330mm C230 Kompressor or 350mm ML55 front rotors should work with these.
From what I can gather, upgrading the rear brakes on these cars are a bit overkill when upgrading to 17Z, so I think with these particular calipers I will be fine.
It's always on the back of my mind though .. my buddy picked up some brackets where you can upgrade to larger rear calipers / rotors but I haven't seen a deal come along in awhile.
Originally Posted by rockstar143
I still can't get over how much weight you are saving with these...
hot choice. For the record I was with you on this purchase from the first time you asked.
Don't get me wrong, I love my old wheel setup but after while I get the itch ... I'm much more of a function over form kind of person so these wheels kind of made sense from a weight prospective alone.
I dusted off my old Sony 5N 16mm and plan on doing a shoot with this car once it's all situated .
I don't think it'll ever be as sexy as your B8 doh.
Hmmm...me thinks a heat exchanger or something.
And please, yours is paid off and arguably a classic style that's well maintained in a highly desirable color.
King Kong and the B8 ain't got shit on you.
Great choice, lightweight and a nice "LM race" look. Mine have held up perfectly in the six years I've had them.
Sweeeet - I have the same thoughts ... love the look and weight of them so far. They aren't on the car yet ... I had a mishap with ordering the wrong lugs
I should be able to have them on by this weekend.
Originally Posted by SamDoe1
It is quite a lot of fun though I haven't ridden in it since he did all the work lol. Even in stock-ish form, it goes like a bat out of hell.
Next time you're in SD I will happily take you for another spin. Car has picked up around 175-200whp since you last rode in it
Next time you're in SD I will happily take you for another spin. Car has picked up around 175-200whp since you last rode in it
Or...drive it up to MN and we'll go up the north shore!
I'll definitely let you know next time I'm in your area and have time. The latter is the hardest part. I've actually been in SD a bunch of times in the past year but never for more than 1-2 days so I never have time to do anything lol.
As far as updates, I won't be working on my B5 for awhile .. but somebody elses
My buddy and I took in our first "customer" on Sunday night and we plan on getting her car back to it's former glory - not aesthetically, but power wise.
Cliffs:
Stage 3 2000 S4 6MT
Frankenturbo F4Hs (K04s)
Full Exhaust
Intake
Custom Tuned (91 oct)
240,000 miles
Motor is very tired (tons of misfires, last shop claimed the headgasket is going) and rear main seal is blown out to the point it's causing her clutch to slip.
We plan on doing a motor swap, clutch replacement, and re-doing small stuff like wastegate lines.
Good news is, motor has paperwork and pretty low mileage for it's age - has fresh timing service, waterpump, rear main seal, valve covers, etc.
Some extra cash in the bank will be nice .. this is a very routine job for us and I suspect we'll be done in under 2 weeks from A to Z.
We've already kind of hinted at it, but it looks like we're going to get a free motor out of this, too.
I think we'll use it as spare parts for now, but there's nothing cheaper than free but I'm curious what it'll look like when it's torn down. If the block / crank are in good shape, this could potentially be the motor we build .... stay tuned