Originally posted by bangau@Dec 30 2004, 15:01
Hi, I've been reading this forum and frankly speaking, I find it very entertaining and very informative.
Can i share with you guys my experience with the gen.2? I don't have one but I am doing up a gen.2 as a project car.
These are the current modifications done:
1. Continental Sport Contact 1 tyres: size 215/40 R17 courtesy of Sime Conti.
-If you use 45 series tyres, you will have fender-scrub problem once you lower the car. Supposedly it should have been CSC2 but they have no such size in their stock that time.
2. 17-inch JRD rims
- Fin type, don't ask why JRD, my company is close to JRD, that's why. But so far the rims are good and I haven't bent them yet.
3. Fully adjustable (ride height and damping) Hot Bits suspension kit with strut-bars (front and rear)
- Superb units, installed by Speedwork. I have no fender scrubbing problem even with 5 occupants inside. It is not really that low and I can pass most speed bumps. But the best part is, this car handles like a race car, with at least some level of comfort dialled in.
4. Complete Hot Bits exhaust system with K&N induction kit
- Nice, and thanks to that, the car has extra 14-ponies to play around. Torque is up 32.8 Nm from stock. Anyway, I did not get the claimed 110hp on the stock car. It was 106.5hp.
5. Torco transmission and gear oil
- I dunno about the engine oil but after dyno, it did increased a bit (1 plus hp). But the transmission oil is great. the gearbox is so smooth now and I have no jerkiness shifting down from 3 to 2 or shifting up from 1 to 2.
6. Pro-RS Braided brake hose
- Great, now brake feel is better, but now the brake fluid reservoir is giving problems due to the extra pressure.
7. Full interior colour change
- Yup, send it to WeColour and change nearly all the colour (red and black), with matching red and black leather seats. The colours are R3 inspired.
8. Upgraded Blaupunkt system
- Installed better front component system, one amp and one active subwoofer. It sounds a lot better and it only costs around RM3600. The active subwoofer is small, but produces real kicking bass sound.
9. Bosch free maintenance battery
10. Bosch tropical wipers
Currently the car is undergoing an exterior change. SUBI of SD Design has designed a bodykit and the car is being installed with the bodykit. Hopefully it will be ready next week.
Future mod will be AutoFoam chassis stiffener/noise damper and of course,new exterior colour scheme and 18-inch tyre-rim combo (which will only be used during autoshows).
The performance of the car is great. Even with the grippy 17-inch tyres we can easily spin them in second gear. It handles very good and I find the car to be very addictive to drive.
For the sake of testing the car, I reached more than 200kmph when the car was stock. In fact, this car is one of the earliest Gen.2. i was driving it around before the cars are delivered to the customers (the stares that I got, wow! it beats driving the cooper s!). After modification, it can easily reach 200kmph without breaking any sweat. But of course speedo error must be taken into consideration. :)
Hope to get your response (good or bad) soon. Would love to have some intelligent discussion about the car and how to make it better.
Cheers!
