Time to see another GM Grey Colt

[Payload]

Been hanging around for a while and figured it was time for me to add to the members rides section. Just got my exhaust done today so i figure what better time than now and i get to show off my latest mod too :)

The aim for the car is to eventually make it a track car for the weekends... firstly i'll have to finish uni for that to happen with the costs of racing, plus i'd like to turn it into a dedicated weekend car and get a daily driver so that i can go a little more crazy with the mods and keep it safe in the garage from all those mean people at the shopping centre who cant open their doors without hitting you. But thats a story for another day.

Anyway so far i have...

K&N Panel Filter
Autometer Mechanical Boost Guage
Scanguage II
Alpine iDA-X300 Headunit

and now the RPW catback exhaust.

Next major mods will probably be to get it lowered and get some new wheels. Looking at probably the buddy club P1's in 16x7 with some 205/50R16 rubber on there. Possibly the yokohama S.Drive.

And here come the pictures. Last 2 show my new exhaust and the rest are me trying to develop my photography skills :p


http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/2643/dscf0452lf8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/dscf0452lf8.jpg/1/w640.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img530/dscf0452lf8.jpg/1/)
http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/4557/dscf0692ok5.jpg
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/3860/dscf0733fe5.jpg
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/9424/dscf0741te3.jpg
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/4564/dscf0780rs0.jpg
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/9075/dscf0756dm5.jpg
http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/7214/dscf0807ke0.jpg
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/6671/dscf0803kx6.jpg
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/8162/dscf0812resizeoe2.jpg
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/7417/dscf0814resizems2.jpg

[27AME]

I'll just advise against the S.Drives. When I had the stocko's on still I had 2 x AD07's and 2 x S.Drives. Rotated as per usual and when I took them all off the car to put on my Buddyclub's, te S.Drives were finished and the AD07's honestly still look brand new (still have the little spikes on them like new ones).

Not to mention at the time they cost me $235 each and I could have got AD07's for $220 if there were any in the country. Way over priced for what they are, I don't feel they grip any better than the Toyo's I have now.

[why_bother]

Welcome to the forum.

[Adam]

Welcome man,

nice looking exhaust

[Payload]

I'll just advise against the S.Drives. When I had the stocko's on still I had 2 x AD07's and 2 x S.Drives. Rotated as per usual and when I took them all off the car to put on my Buddyclub's, te S.Drives were finished and the AD07's honestly still look brand new (still have the little spikes on them like new ones).

Not to mention at the time they cost me $235 each and I could have got AD07's for $220 if there were any in the country. Way over priced for what they are, I don't feel they grip any better than the Toyo's I have now.

Yeah well the Toyos were my other option... the T1R's or possibly even the R1R's since they are a similar compound to the AD07's and from what i have read provide the same level of grip if not better.

Havent priced up the R1R's though so depending on what they go for they could be a good option.

[ommeh]

wow is tha the RPW cat back?

how come yours sticks out sooo much! And i thought mine stuck out a bit thats like heaps :eek:

Nice ride btw :)

[Payload]

yeah it does stick out a bit... when looking down from the top of the car though it lines up with the furtherest part of the bumper that sticks out. Some pictures make it look like it sticks out more than others, i think it looks fine irl though.

[GM Grey]

God ... i look at the title of the post and thought "how the hell did you took photo of my car without me knowing ... lol"

Nice photo shoot. Very nice and neat ... compare to my car which is full of stone chip, dent and insect ... sigh

[aby82]

lol yeh gm_grey i briefly thought the same thing too :p

nice looking ride payload - ur xorst looks pretty sweet too :D

[fauxpas]

Mr Load, that alpine head unit. When you have a usb stick in, and switch the car off, and then back on again, does it play from the middle of the track or start at the beginning?

[Payload]

Mr Load, that alpine head unit. When you have a usb stick in, and switch the car off, and then back on again, does it play from the middle of the track or start at the beginning?

"Mr Load"... lol

Anyway to be honest i havent really payed much attention to it. So i went and checked for you. When you turn the car back on it will start again from the middle or wherever you left off.

[fauxpas]

Cheers mate, that's the HU I been looking at. Sounds OK? I'm not expecting audio nirvana, just a bit more quality that the stock pos.

[Payload]

yeah i suppose its better than stock, would be better with some decent speakers too but im not looking to spend huge on audio.. i prefer to spend it on making the car faster.

I got it mostly for the USB functionality as buring CD's every time you want a new song is a pain in the ass, plus it free'd up a DIN slot.

[Payload]

Well i got my YR-Advance Solenoid in the mail this morning and fitted it up in the arvo. Went on pretty easy, i needed to remove the pipe section that attaches to the airbox as well as the intake snorkel thing to give myself some more room but otherwise a pretty quick and painless install.

Long story short though, im very impressed with the results.

Now time for the long story :P ... well i have run the car with stock boost, with the pill removed and with a turbosmart dual stage MBC. Stock boost got boring so i removed the pill however it seemed to be rather laggy in low revs and boost still had a huge drop as you all know from where it spikes. So next thing i tried was the MBC. I was runing around stock boost on level 1 and about 16psi on level 2. This was ok for a while however it was a bit of a messy install which i didnt like with all the aditional wires and pipes etc. although as a side note i had no issues with CEL or anything like that so all good.

After having this for about 3 months i would guess i decided it still wasnt doing what i wanted, boost still dropped off quickly after spiking. Basically was running same boost as pill removed on my high setting and got more or less the same results as far as i could feel.

So i then decided to give the YR-Solenoid a go. Much easier to install than the MBC, and it still offers some controll over boost via the different hose combinations. Naturally i went straight for the blue ( 0.2bar increase ) hose. With testing this seems to spike around 16-17psi as i expected although the boost seems much smoother and for lack of a better word "stronger". I havent really given it a good test to the redline but from just planting 2nd gear upto 60kms the boost seems to drop off slower than it did previousley although that may or may not just be my imagination, cant be sure without a proper test though. But it definately does seem smoother and more responsive than any of the boost control methods i have tried previousley. Also seems to pull alot harder in a high gear at low revs than before and is basically more responsive all round.

All in all, very happy with the purchase and wish that i had got this the first time round. I would however love to chuck it on the dyno sometime and check the A/F ratios just for curiosity sake.

As a side note, all these boost control options have been tested with both the RPW catback exhaust and K&N filter installed.

Next up im working on getting the ralliart exhaust sheild and greddy intercooler pipe for some bling. Coilovers will probably be next. Still undecided weather i want the tein basics or fork out the extra for the HKS.

[lovecolt]

Good to see another happy customer on the YR product :) Try the 0.3 bar increase that i pm-ed you about and see again.

[filofaith]

every time i read something on the YR-Advance Solenoids makes me want to try one...

[Payload]

Well i got the evo MR bov on there now too. Got the ralliart exhaust protector sitting in the box waiting to go on, possibly tomorrow. GReddy intercooler pipes should be on the way when there is stock, and im going to order the YR-Advance airbox and intercooler pipes next week. So its all coming along nicely :)

next on the list after that are some coilovers, though still not sure what i want to get there. Probaly just go for the tein basic at this stage.

[why_bother]

dude get the rpw down pipe if you want to reduce low down lag issues.. it brings it foward 500rpm, i'm pretty confident i'll be getting at least that with tax return this year.

yeah the airbox looks cool, but for the same cash you could get the down pipe & the k&n pod filter kit ($400+$200).. boost coming on sooner.. benefits of the pod filter up top?

[Macca]

mmmm nice plans man, I want an exhaust protector what they worth?

[Payload]

Dont worry, ill be getting the exhaust completed eventually as well. Its all on the list along with all the other things. Though from RPW's testing the pod didnt really show any gains so im looking for another solution. Also i have never had an aftermarket airbox so im keen to have on this time around... and like you said it does look cool as well.

I guess someone has to be the guinnea pig and find out how it goes :)

Hmmm.. exhaust protector doesnt come cheap being a genuine ralliart part. I think it set me back around $250 from memory.

[filofaith]

does that meana dyno sheets :D

[Payload]

If someone wants to pay for my dyno runs, sure. haha :) My review will just be based off my seat of pants dyno. Im not so much interested in power figures but more how it drives and feels. However i will probably chuck it on the dyno once i have a few engine mods just out of curiosity to see what its doing.

[Payload]

Well my YR-Advance airbox and intake pipe arrived this morning. So my G-Reddy pipes along with these 2 items went on tonight. Took me like 3 hours from start to finish, most of that time spent trying to do up hose clamps in the impossibly tight spaces.

The japanese instructions werent that great, although thankfully the YR-Advance stuff has quite sharp colour pictures so it does the job. It was a simple enough thing to install anyway.

Couldnt have done it without removing the battery. The instructions when you look closely show that they have removed the strut brace which i didnt notice untill i had some trouble getting the airbox to get in its space. However removing the 3 bolts from the battery cradle thing which the airbox also bolts to alows you to place it at enough of an angle to get it in there easy. So its a much better option than removing the strut brace.

Since it was mentioned that the airbox results in 0.1bar boost increase i decided to use the low boost hose on my YR-Advance solenoid which worked out well because this turned out to be true. I am now boosting at the same level as with the high boost option on the solenoid.

Overall the car seems stronger through the rev range but the first thing you notice is the difference in sound. Much nicer and louder spool sound than with just the upgraded filter. I would imagine it would be as loud as just a pod filter. Gets a nice BOV sort of noise when releasing the throttle in particular when its just starting to boost.

And heres the pics... before
http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/8108/dscf0920r.jpg

After
http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/1566/dscf0925o.jpg

[Danyutz]

That sure looks pro work mate, awesome! - i love the engine cap in red!

[Macca]

thats pritty damn sexual right there and what about $3000 worth :(

[Payload]

I have spent a bit over $3000 on engine mods, including the exhaust. The latest stuff, being the YR airbox, intake pipe and Greddy intercooler pipes set me back around $1800.

[koshy]

that looks awesome spec with the piping, now i know theres no mucking around with it I can put my order in for one :)

[lovecolt]

Certainly looked awesome with those airbox/pipings :)

[filofaith]

well he has one of the nicest engine bays unlike my messy thing

[Payload]

that does look pretty nice, i hope it's got some decent power gains for that much dosh tho :)

might have a bash at making some piping after lookin at that

Its still cheaper than the colt speed airbox :P Dont know how they charge so much for their stuff. Their replacement intercooler is like $1800 just for a small side mount core.

It feels stronger and better throttle response. But no idea of actual power gains. It obviousley must flow better since it has increased the boost though.

From here i will be looking to work on the handling now so the engine mods will go on hold for a little while, i am quite happy with what it is doing at the moment. Looking at getting the rims on there soon, mostly for the looks but they are quite light so should be nice performance wise too, after that will be the suspension and will perhaps upgrade the front strut brace at the same time since everything at the front will have to be pulled apart so ill save some money on labour and get it all done at once, im not confident to do this stuff myself and dont have the tools required either.

I was initially thinking i'd get the tein basics however im now thinking of forking out the extra for perhaps the HKS or at least something with more adjustment. Apparently the HKS front's are adjustable from the bottom which answers my question about the difficulty of reaching the top of the struts at the front to adjust them. I think since my ultimate aim is for track work the fully adjustable suspension would be a better option and the HKS will be much better quality anyway. Suspension is pretty important so its probably worth the extra money.

[filofaith]

Its still cheaper than the colt speed airbox :P Dont know how they charge so much for their stuff. Their replacement intercooler is like $1800 just for a small side mount core.

It feels stronger and better throttle response. But no idea of actual power gains. It obviousley must flow better since it has increased the boost though.

From here i will be looking to work on the handling now so the engine mods will go on hold for a little while, i am quite happy with what it is doing at the moment. Looking at getting the rims on there soon, mostly for the looks but they are quite light so should be nice performance wise too, after that will be the suspension and will perhaps upgrade the front strut brace at the same time since everything at the front will have to be pulled apart so ill save some money on labour and get it all done at once, im not confident to do this stuff myself and dont have the tools required either.

I was initially thinking i'd get the tein basics however im now thinking of forking out the extra for perhaps the HKS or at least something with more adjustment. Apparently the HKS front's are adjustable from the bottom which answers my question about the difficulty of reaching the top of the struts at the front to adjust them. I think since my ultimate aim is for track work the fully adjustable suspension would be a better option and the HKS will be much better quality anyway. Suspension is pretty important so its probably worth the extra money.

BC coilovers are adjustable from the top :)
http://photos.friendster.com/photos/93/01/4181039/1_824090025l.jpg

[Payload]

Yeah but you gotta drill a rather large hole as pictured and not really a fan of the BC ones.... still not sure if i trust their quality. I'd prefer to go with one of the big jap companies. I have heard mixed reviews on the BC's, some think they are great while others have had problems.

[lovecolt]

Its still cheaper than the colt speed airbox :P Dont know how they charge so much for their stuff. Their replacement intercooler is like $1800 just for a small side mount core.

It feels stronger and better throttle response. But no idea of actual power gains. It obviousley must flow better since it has increased the boost though.



According to GM Grey, who test driven Edge's colt with the same YR airbox, he mentioned that the difference's even more on highway. Back before, he felt a bottleneck in power on highway, but with the airbox the power just keep coming in. Woulda be due to the much better air flow i take...?

[koshy]

woh when did edge get a airbox, never told me that hahah

[Payload]

According to GM Grey, who test driven Edge's colt with the same YR airbox, he mentioned that the difference's even more on highway. Back before, he felt a bottleneck in power on highway, but with the airbox the power just keep coming in. Woulda be due to the much better air flow i take...?

I have only had a chanse to take it for a quick 30min test drive after i installed it, i have been off work sick today so i thaught it wouldnt be a good idea to drive since im taking cold tablets ( causes drowsyness ) so i only got upto about 70kmh on morley drive at the time so cant really confirm that. But the high RPM definatly feels much better than before. Seems to top out later than it did before, it feels like it is still pushing for that bit extra after max boost while before it definately felt like it flatened out. But that is only initial impression. Need to test it a bit more. Also intending on hooking the scan guage back up to see what the intake temps are like. Hopefully get a chanse over the weekend.

[GM Grey]

I can vouch for that. Edge's car had much better high end power after installing the airbox. I have driven his car both pre/post airbox probably around 1 month apart and i was very impressed.
1 thing i did noticed was the boost appears to be holding on much better than before (and also much higher). The boost on Edge's was spiking to 1.2/1.3bar and very slowly(and steadyly) tapering to 1.0/1.1 right up to around 5500 - 6000 rpm. Where as before the boost would spike to 1.0 bar and quickly tapering to around 0.8/0.9 bar. So i was very impressed with that.

[Payload]

Took it for a better test drive including some good uphill stuff. Definately feel smoother and stronger, 4th gear pulls up hill alot easier than before. Also as mentioned boost drops down more steadily from spike rather than such a sudden drop.

Hooked the scanguage up as well. It was quite a warm day today and was doing around 29*C while driving at 60-70kmh. Which is the same as what i was getting with the stock airbox on a similar temp day. So temperature wise it looks like that rear intake is pulling from a cool section because temps are staying about the same as stock.

Oh and... of course... no check engine light :D

[koshy]

well i hope there is no engine light! would hate for it to come up and you pay that much for it :D

[Payload]

well he has one of the nicest engine bays unlike my messy thing

Thats my aim. I want to do the black tough look on the outside. Will be getting black rims etc. and keep the outside simple but tough and then i want the engine bay to look special so its like wow when you open the hood.

Haha yeah, its always a relief to start the engine, go for a good run and not get a CEL after you get a new mod.

[filofaith]

Haha yeah, its always a relief to start the engine, go for a good run and not get a CEL after you get a new mod.

i never get that relief feeling... lol