What Have You Done To Your Stagea Lately?

[Jezboosted]

I have been tinkering with underbonnet temps and air intake temps lately and had a go at making my own air intake.

I already had made a perspex heat shield quite a while ago, but there was nothing to help get cooler air to the filter. Our cheap, nasty mistral dryer karked it the other week and when it did i noticed it's air duct at the back was quite nicely shaped. But it wasn't long enough to do what i needed.

Oh, Hi there black plastic garden barrier roll !!

So i cut up various shapes of plastic to do what i needed. Then I used a heat gun to shape the plastic to the dryer intake and to clear engine bay stuff. Glued it all together and sprayed some matt black on for good measure.

It definitely works. On the highway, i can feel a quicker response from the engine. Would love to run a temp probe of some sort and do back to back testing with it on and off so i have some figures to match what i think is a very positive improvement.

The other thing i have done, is cut away a section of the rubber at the rear that seals the bonnet to the engine bay. This is on the exhaust/turbo side and lets alot of hot air out. After stopping the car i can tell the difference just by touching the bonnet in different places. It's alot cooler at the air filter end, and just warm at the turbo/exhaust end. I've felt my bonnet temps for along time prior (just for curiosity - ok, i'm weird) and this small mod has definitely helped alot.

[Commsman]

Nice one Jezza . Stuff like that provides maximum bang for buck because you hardly spend a buck (just a bit of time).

I couldn't let it pass without giving you the thumbs up; my sig says it all.

[Jezboosted]

Thanks heaps Commsman. Ok this one's for you then

Take 2 -3 old 3.5" Desktop hard drives. Dismantle, and retrieve awesome magnets. Link together with wire and wrap around oil filter.

Now people are gonna say, whatever, there's alloy filings that it isn't going to get etc.... well non ferrous metals can still get energy from friction motions (crankshaft rotation etc) so they will be attracted to a magnet.

[Commsman]

Haha. ummm, yeah, that does qualify I suppose.

I'd be concerned about that bouncing off under the car & giving me a mild panic attack as I (however briefly it may be) think something important has busted & fallen off. You probably won't see that one appearing on my car anytime soon, but I'm sure it is effective nonetheless. Looking thru the emoticons for a 'half thumbs up', lol, but no luck.

[Dunc]

Haha. ummm, yeah, that does qualify I suppose.

I'd be concerned about that bouncing off under the car & giving me a mild panic attack as I (however briefly it may be) think something important has busted & fallen off. You probably won't see that one appearing on my car anytime soon, but I'm sure it is effective nonetheless. Looking thru the emoticons for a 'half thumbs up', lol, but no luck.

HDD magnets are absurdely strong, they wouldn't 'bounce' off imho

[pipster11]

Off to the mission shop for some old hdds then!

[Commsman]

HDD magnets are absurdely strong, they wouldn't 'bounce' off imho

Oh?

Ok then, Jezza for you recycling junk into performance & maintenance enhancing thingos.

[bigkevracer]

Norwood Auto Services dropped off the car this morning...

New ball joints

New SuperPro bushes

New SPC camber and toe bolts

New adjustable rear toe arms

Handling is much improved. Much less freeplay than previously, feels great.

Still feels like it pulls to the right, going to switch the front tyres around tomorrow and see if that fixes it. Regardless, I'm going back next week to get wheels and tyres sorted, so all good.

Also test fit the new wheels, fit perfect. 18x8 +34 Braid Winrace A, white. In stock with SA Motorsport Tyres, Just trying to decide on tyres now. Looks like 235/40 R18 of some description.

Had plenty of time to drive it, 800k's over to Calder Park for Rally Calder this weekend. Cruise control is a godsend Leon! Works great!

[Commsman]

Also test fit the new wheels, fit perfect. 18x8 +34 Braid Winrace A, white. In stock with SA Motorsport Tyres, Just trying to decide on tyres now. Looks like 235/40 R18 of some description.

Had plenty of time to drive it, 800k's over to Calder Park for Rally Calder this weekend. Cruise control is a godsend Leon! Works great!

White on white hey.... look forward to the pics when fitted.

Why so small on the tyres? Is 235/40 a common size for ones you're considering? 245/45 is much closer for speedo accuracy, plus a bit of extra sidewall to absorb big holes. Of course if you want more of the low profile look then they would be ok, but I'd consider going to 19's if that"s the case.

Yeah, I'm loving the cruise too. I use it nearly every time I take the car out.

PS For those last few guys waiting on theirs, I'm in contact with my buyer every week & they assure me they are going to be sent soon. I think the factory has discovered what country they are coming to & is taking their time sending the last of the harnesses, just to punish me.

[bigkevracer]

White on white hey.... look forward to the pics when fitted.

Why so small on the tyres? Is 235/40 a common size for ones you're considering? 245/45 is much closer for speedo accuracy, plus a bit of extra sidewall to absorb big holes. Of course if you want more of the low profile look then they would be ok, but I'd consider going to 19's if that"s the case.

Yeah, I'm loving the cruise too. I use it nearly every time I take the car out.

PS For those last few guys waiting on theirs, I'm in contact with my buyer every week & they assure me they are going to be sent soon. I think the factory has discovered what country they are coming to & is taking their time sending the last of the harnesses, just to punish me.

They did look good on the car but we ran out of time to do it on Tuesday.

235/40 looked like it'd measure faster than 245/45 but I'll check when I get home again. not really after low profile, more the right size. Staying 18 though.

[PN-Mad]

245/45 is much closer for speedo accuracy, plus a bit of extra sidewall to absorb big holes. Of course if you want more of the low profile look then they would be ok, but I'd consider going to 19's if that"s the case.

+1

With that offset you can easy fit some 245s in there. Do it. Fill the guards with rubber!

[slippylotion]

Ryan on my 18's I run 245/45-18 and the speedo is now only out about 2-3km instead of the previous 10km I had measured. Deffinately go a 245/45. So when the speedo shows 60 I'm now doing about 58 actual speed, before it was closer to 50 actual speed when speedo showed 60.

[bigkevracer]

Weird that yours was so far out, must have been the snow tyres. Mine is about 8% out I think.

will go the 245/45s, just limits tyre selection.

[slippylotion]

Can you get those wheels in a +20? I think they will sit in the guard a little to far in the size your looking at. Not sure if you remember where mine sit but the size your looking at will sit inside another 16mm from my 18x9+30. Mine sit very flush and don't scrap at all with my tyre size and ride height.

Edited February 29, 2012 by slippylotion

[Daleo]

Weird that yours was so far out, must have been the snow tyres. Mine is about 8% out I think.

will go the 245/45s, just limits tyre selection.

245/45/18 is OEM VE Commodore sizing; plenty of reasonably priced choices in that size.

[bigkevracer]

All good Paul, happy with the offset on mine. Look good!

Thanks for that Dale. Of the two tyres I'm looking at, one comes in 245/45, one doesn't. Cheaper one does!

[czeno]

The other thing i have done, is cut away a section of the rubber at the rear that seals the bonnet to the engine bay. This is on the exhaust/turbo side and lets alot of hot air out. After stopping the car i can tell the difference just by touching the bonnet in different places. It's alot cooler at the air filter end, and just warm at the turbo/exhaust end. I've felt my bonnet temps for along time prior (just for curiosity - ok, i'm weird) and this small mod has definitely helped alot.

I have been thinking of doing something like that for a while but can't bear cutting away stuff, good idea to dump some heat out there. My bonnet lining was getting all tatty looking & fibres dropping out onto the motor so I removed it, bothers me that the paint is feeling more heat. Still heat can radiate out better and a bit more air space.

Back in the jurassic era when my old holden 186 turbo roamed the earth, under bonnet temp got way higher than any of it's peers. The 3" dump pipe and Rajay turbo scroll and cast manifold would regularly glow cherry. Think I had spacers under the bonnet hinges to lift the back a little.

[one more chance]

Is this the factory Bose spare wheel sub into a non Bose factory head unit? Please PM connection details if it is.

Cheers

Hey guys

it really wasn't so difficult. All you need is to find the wires for the power, earth, remote and speaker and fiddle with it. I had it connected into the amp so it didn't come directly from the HU. It still uses it's in-built amp though.

It honestly wasn't hard you just need the patience to still there and play around with it.

[import_zone]

received my order of LED T5 globes for dash last night. work really well few darker spots but better then previous cars i have had.

also received my front and rear strut braces today. fitted, but need to loosen up rear sway bar i think, went from understeering a fair bit to oversteering now. otherwise still plenty of fun

[rosella]

Here's what I've done to the car since purchase...

Hdi FMIC, Transgo shift kit, Brembos from 60th Ann 350Z, custom 3" exhaust with Scotty's dump pipe, uprated sway bars from Selbys/Fulcrum, PWR transmission cooler, LED daytime/fog lamps, air horns above FMIC.

Still to do - bonnet strut kit (no garage and it's been raining constantly in the Mountains), EBC, possible info meter and double DIN DVD/CD + reversing camera + navigation. Considering a Scheel drivers seat I've had since 1988, big wrap around shoulders and still in good nick. It's migrated from car to car.

Some new wheels to replace the T7s.

Attached is a photo taken before the foggies and transmission cooler.

More photos to follow.

Edited March 8, 2012 by rosella