Discussion On Your Daily Ride

6UE5t

6,000 RPM
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6UE5t

6,000 RPM
Senior Member
Oct 8, 2010
6,756
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Lazy to start a new thread so I just piggy back here to share my experience with another of our newly acquired daily driven car.:biggrin:

As some of you might have known, I just bought a 2008 manual ZC31S about 2 months back for my son to learn driving. We absolutely love it! I got the car in almost stock condition with only lowered using Eibach springs and 17' black Lenso rims with super thin 205/40/17 tires. I hate the rims/tire size combo coz the ride is damn harsh so within a few weeks I changed them to white 5Zigen 15x7 using Hankook V12 Evo 2 tires size 195/55/15. Now way much better as the ride is much more comfortable without sacrificing the handling and it accelerates even faster now due to less weight. IMHO it looks better too coz more proportional (small car matched with small rims) and more racing look (white rims on white car).

I also have remapped mine using RRP v2, it's highly recommended as the torque response especially from low-mid rpm is much more punchy. I have mod my exhaust using 4-2-1 headers and Suzuki Sport rear muffler, then use Works drop-in filter. Now the response is even more meaty with more top end while sounding sweet all the way!
For the brakes, I have upgraded to ProRS stainless braided hose, Motul dot 5.1 fluid, and install brake stopper.

I also have tried ron 97 & 100 but currently I'm just filling it up with 95 and it still works fine, just a slightly less throttle response than 97 but not so noticeable and more importantly no knocking. Fuel consumption IMHO is excellent as I can still easily get 10-11km/ltr while driving aggressively most of the time. I have tried to drive smoother and more patient and able to get 12.4km/ltr, but for me it's hard to drive slowly with this car as I just feel I want to floor it all the time coz it's so fun!


What I love about this car:
1. Great, sharp handling with good steering feedback. The handling is surprisingly neutral for a FWD car that makes this car loves eating corners fast!
2. Good engine power for its' size, making it a true pocket rocket and can surprise those with bigger cars!
3. Nice manual gearbox with very short ratios and short throw action too, great for acceleration. Like you said the clutch pedal feel is also just nice.
4. Good fuel consumption.
5. Excellent front seats, hugging the body nicely almost as good as Recaros in Evos or WRXs but easier to live with.
6. Good pedal positioning/alignment.
7. Good brakes.
8. Rear folding seats to allow carrying larger stuff.
9. Last but not least 8 airbags for safety! No other cars in this class has as many airbags s this little baby.

What I think are not so good in this car (but nothing major):
1. Seating position just a bit high.
2. No auto up for driver's window.
3. It needs a 6th gear!
110 kph is already @ 4000rpm. That's why ZC32S has a 6th gear.
4. Even though the braking power is good enough but the brake pedal feel is on the soft side.
5. It's slightly nervous at the rear but if this is the small price to pay for making it so neutral and well balanced during cornering then I'll gladly live with it!

6. The turning radius is surprisingly wide for such small car! It's as wide or even wider than my other much longer cars! Feels almost like doing a U-turn in an Evo.

7. Rattling around the driver's side power window switches.
8. Seems to attract other small cars like Myvi and Ford Fiesta S to cucuk from behind to try test you!


For further upgrades, considering to upgrade the brakes maybe with a 2 pot caliper and later better performance pads once the current pads finished. I'm not considering to install any chassis stiffening bars yet since I think the chassis is stiff and sweet handling enough for now.

As for repairs, I have repaired some small oil leaks from the valve cover seal and underneath from the oil filter area, plus replace the V belt and all fluids including aircon flushing. All the bushings and mountings are all still pretty good. Next repair might be the front absorbers but for now still not too bad, just got a bit noise.

So yeah that's my review and impression so far to the ZC31S.
 
Last edited:

gunnerzz

2,000 RPM

gunnerzz

2,000 RPM
Jul 3, 2014
2,109
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Melaka
My update,
1.My daily ride (Honda EX5) has gain a gain a Givi Wildcat box..the smaller size so i securely stove my Givi raincoat and sandal. Leaving the Givi openly in the basket is never a great idea. With the box on, it makes the handle wobble at certain speed as the front end becomes lighter. The box does not seen to reduce top speed as i can still reach 110kmh on the speedo. This 1-2 month will need new rear tire, will go for Maxxis Diamond or try to find Dunlop TT900 for more angle and gravity defying action.

2.After back from long absent and serve me well after coming back,i swap my 1.8 Waja with my bro W124 200. Not sure how long i will use this merc. This old merc can still hold its ground with modern car especially when provoked on straight line. The torque and gearing makes propelling this 2 ton barge effortless.
This car is equipped with;
1. both front powered seat (slide foward/rear, up/down, recline,headrest up/down)...take that all u modern overpriced car.
2.both front auto down powered window, comfort unlock where it will wind down all 4 window(mostly conti have this),
3.u can unlock the car using the rear bonet lock.
4.high quality leather
5.ABS..but u know it comes front the stone age when u feels it operating.
6.blown bulb reminder...smack that in your face u overly price modern car.
7.superb radius turn thanks to the front end setup.This barge makes u turn better and easier than my Waja.

Whats wrong with it...sometimes it jerk and my bro said its the distributor.
Then there is this hard vibration at slightly below 80kmh. suspect coming from uneven wear in the tires due to neglected bad allignment.

Lastly there is mice in the blower....cit2 at speed 2.

3.The BLM is just there...sitting quietly. I have a 1.8 waja which is now temporarily replaced with a W124 so i bet even u guys will let the BLM just sit there
 

vr2turbo

Beyond 20,000 RPM!
Helmet Clan
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vr2turbo

Beyond 20,000 RPM!
Helmet Clan
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May 11, 2010
29,998
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My daily now is between my Sonata III and VR, exchange driving them daily. The Sonata now is not used as my son take the LRT to work....lol
 

MKMD428

500 RPM
Senior Member

MKMD428

500 RPM
Senior Member
Aug 21, 2005
876
190
5,043
johore
My update,
1.My daily ride (Honda EX5) has gain a gain a Givi Wildcat box..the smaller size so i securely stove my Givi raincoat and sandal. Leaving the Givi openly in the basket is never a great idea. With the box on, it makes the handle wobble at certain speed as the front end becomes lighter. The box does not seen to reduce top speed as i can still reach 110kmh on the speedo. This 1-2 month will need new rear tire, will go for Maxxis Diamond or try to find Dunlop TT900 for more angle and gravity defying action.

2.After back from long absent and serve me well after coming back,i swap my 1.8 Waja with my bro W124 200. Not sure how long i will use this merc. This old merc can still hold its ground with modern car especially when provoked on straight line. The torque and gearing makes propelling this 2 ton barge effortless.
This car is equipped with;
1. both front powered seat (slide foward/rear, up/down, recline,headrest up/down)...take that all u modern overpriced car.
2.both front auto down powered window, comfort unlock where it will wind down all 4 window(mostly conti have this),
3.u can unlock the car using the rear bonet lock.
4.high quality leather
5.ABS..but u know it comes front the stone age when u feels it operating.
6.blown bulb reminder...smack that in your face u overly price modern car.
7.superb radius turn thanks to the front end setup.This barge makes u turn better and easier than my Waja.

Whats wrong with it...sometimes it jerk and my bro said its the distributor.
Then there is this hard vibration at slightly below 80kmh. suspect coming from uneven wear in the tires due to neglected bad allignment.

Lastly there is mice in the blower....cit2 at speed 2.

3.The BLM is just there...sitting quietly. I have a 1.8 waja which is now temporarily replaced with a W124 so i bet even u guys will let the BLM just sit there
Nice review for swift
 

6UE5t

6,000 RPM
Senior Member

6UE5t

6,000 RPM
Senior Member
Oct 8, 2010
6,756
1,300
1,713
Kuala Lumpur
Some photos of my son's ZC31S. Currently I'm using the stock rims and tires back just to test them and to save the new V12E2 until my son can drive more carefully (coz sayang tires if he just whack any potholes and stones!).
 

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RENESIS VIII

7,000 RPM
Senior Member

RENESIS VIII

7,000 RPM
Senior Member
Thread starter
Jun 13, 2012
7,063
950
1,713
Ipoh
My update,
1.My daily ride (Honda EX5) has gain a gain a Givi Wildcat box..the smaller size so i securely stove my Givi raincoat and sandal. Leaving the Givi openly in the basket is never a great idea. With the box on, it makes the handle wobble at certain speed as the front end becomes lighter. The box does not seen to reduce top speed as i can still reach 110kmh on the speedo. This 1-2 month will need new rear tire, will go for Maxxis Diamond or try to find Dunlop TT900 for more angle and gravity defying action.

2.After back from long absent and serve me well after coming back,i swap my 1.8 Waja with my bro W124 200. Not sure how long i will use this merc. This old merc can still hold its ground with modern car especially when provoked on straight line. The torque and gearing makes propelling this 2 ton barge effortless.
This car is equipped with;
1. both front powered seat (slide foward/rear, up/down, recline,headrest up/down)...take that all u modern overpriced car.
2.both front auto down powered window, comfort unlock where it will wind down all 4 window(mostly conti have this),
3.u can unlock the car using the rear bonet lock.
4.high quality leather
5.ABS..but u know it comes front the stone age when u feels it operating.
6.blown bulb reminder...smack that in your face u overly price modern car.
7.superb radius turn thanks to the front end setup.This barge makes u turn better and easier than my Waja.

Whats wrong with it...sometimes it jerk and my bro said its the distributor.
Then there is this hard vibration at slightly below 80kmh. suspect coming from uneven wear in the tires due to neglected bad allignment.

Lastly there is mice in the blower....cit2 at speed 2.

3.The BLM is just there...sitting quietly. I have a 1.8 waja which is now temporarily replaced with a W124 so i bet even u guys will let the BLM just sit there
Great info about the old W124 Merc. I din't know all that until now. I like how you write about how it outdid modern overpriced cars today. This reminds me a lot of those luxury or high end Japanese cars back in their bubble era in late 1980s and early 1990s.

But I'm curious on why do you want to swap your Waja with your bro?

Some photos of my son's ZC31S. Currently I'm using the stock rims and tires back just to test them and to save the new V12E2 until my son can drive more carefully (coz sayang tires if he just whack any potholes and stones!).
Very nice and detailed write up 6UE5t. I enjoyed reading your review which sounds honest and fun. I din't know much about brake stopper until I read your review here and I went googled about it. Thanks for letting me learn something new today. Amazing on how Suzuki can get so many things right in a small chassis which shares a similar dimension with Myvi and at the same time, also using a torsion beam rear suspension like Myvi. Swift can handle so well but for Myvi (Even its original Boon/Sirion/Passo variant) is so bad at handling. I've watched before an episode of Best Motoring where they are racing cars like Boon, Swift, Fit at Tsukuba Circuit and you really can see how bad that Boon rolls through corners.

Did you bought the stock wheels or the seller sold them together with the car? To me, the stock wheels looks quite nice with the car already.
 

RENESIS VIII

7,000 RPM
Senior Member

RENESIS VIII

7,000 RPM
Senior Member
Thread starter
Jun 13, 2012
7,063
950
1,713
Ipoh
Looking at the good feedback from you guys over here, I'll share a photo of my Saga here showing how it looks like before and after. This was actually the latest major work done to this car.
 

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Last edited:

gunnerzz

2,000 RPM

gunnerzz

2,000 RPM
Jul 3, 2014
2,109
695
713
38
Melaka
Great info about the old W124 Merc. I din't know all that until now. I like how you write about how it outdid modern overpriced cars today. This reminds me a lot of those luxury or high end Japanese cars back in their bubble era in late 1980s and early 1990s.

But I'm curious on why do you want to swap your Waja with your bro?

.
Its just something i do from time to time.Not permanent but to taste a different feel. I will take back my waja but that all depends on how this merc makes me feel.
I wanted to swap with the iriz at first but the merc is more tempting.

Few more things abt the w124;
1.u can drop the rear headrest using a switch at the center dash for when u want to reverse and the headrest is blocking your view.
2.There is this small key like your office drawer key located at the drivers footwell.it seems to operate the central locking but we still could not figure out why its there or its actual function.
3.it comes with brake pad wear indicator.
4.The emergency reflective triangle is place at the rear boot in a way that everyime u open the boot the triangle will act as additional safety reflector so other road user will see u.
5.if u want to open the rear bonet for a very long time but did not need the bonet light then just pull the plunger at the bonet lid.

Next i might try to live with the Pajero...if i have spare cash for petrol...
 
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gunnerzz

2,000 RPM

gunnerzz

2,000 RPM
Jul 3, 2014
2,109
695
713
38
Melaka
Looking at the good feedback from you guys over here, I'll share a photo of my Saga here showing how it looks like before and after. This was actually the latest major work done to this car.
Nice....
the center cap needs to be black in colour and pls restore with 'Proton' wording at the center cap. That cap is getting hard to find these days.
 

6UE5t

6,000 RPM
Senior Member

6UE5t

6,000 RPM
Senior Member
Oct 8, 2010
6,756
1,300
1,713
Kuala Lumpur
...

Very nice and detailed write up 6UE5t. I enjoyed reading your review which sounds honest and fun. I din't know much about brake stopper until I read your review here and I went googled about it. Thanks for letting me learn something new today. Amazing on how Suzuki can get so many things right in a small chassis which shares a similar dimension with Myvi and at the same time, also using a torsion beam rear suspension like Myvi. Swift can handle so well but for Myvi (Even its original Boon/Sirion/Passo variant) is so bad at handling. I've watched before an episode of Best Motoring where they are racing cars like Boon, Swift, Fit at Tsukuba Circuit and you really can see how bad that Boon rolls through corners.

Did you bought the stock wheels or the seller sold them together with the car? To me, the stock wheels looks quite nice with the car already.
Yeah I was pleasantly surprised myself that this ordinary looking little car with just 120-130hp can be this much fun to drive. Will test it one day to Genting to see how it is, should be fun.

I got the rims together with the car. Yeah the stock rims look nice but I prefer the smaller 15' coz more comfortable and slightly lighter for better pick up.
 

LimauKanker

Known Member

LimauKanker

Known Member
Aug 27, 2018
110
36
28
Lazy to start a new thread so I just piggy back here to share my experience with another of our newly acquired daily driven car.:biggrin:

As some of you might have known, I just bought a 2008 manual ZC31S about 2 months back for my son to learn driving. We absolutely love it! I got the car in almost stock condition with only lowered using Eibach springs and 17' black Lenso rims with super thin 205/40/17 tires. I hate the rims/tire size combo coz the ride is damn harsh so within a few weeks I changed them to white 5Zigen 15x7 using Hankook V12 Evo 2 tires size 195/55/15. Now way much better as the ride is much more comfortable without sacrificing the handling and it accelerates even faster now due to less weight. IMHO it looks better too coz more proportional (small car matched with small rims) and more racing look (white rims on white car).

I also have remapped mine using RRP v2, it's highly recommended as the torque response especially from low-mid rpm is much more punchy. I have mod my exhaust using 4-2-1 headers and Suzuki Sport rear muffler, then use Works drop-in filter. Now the response is even more meaty with more top end while sounding sweet all the way!
For the brakes, I have upgraded to ProRS stainless braided hose, Motul dot 5.1 fluid, and install brake stopper.

I also have tried ron 97 & 100 but currently I'm just filling it up with 95 and it still works fine, just a slightly less throttle response than 97 but not so noticeable and more importantly no knocking. Fuel consumption IMHO is excellent as I can still easily get 10-11km/ltr while driving aggressively most of the time. I have tried to drive smoother and more patient and able to get 12.4km/ltr, but for me it's hard to drive slowly with this car as I just feel I want to floor it all the time coz it's so fun!


What I love about this car:
1. Great, sharp handling with good steering feedback. The handling is surprisingly neutral for a FWD car that makes this car loves eating corners fast!
2. Good engine power for its' size, making it a true pocket rocket and can surprise those with bigger cars!
3. Nice manual gearbox with very short ratios and short throw action too, great for acceleration. Like you said the clutch pedal feel is also just nice.
4. Good fuel consumption.
5. Excellent front seats, hugging the body nicely almost as good as Recaros in Evos or WRXs but easier to live with.
6. Good pedal positioning/alignment.
7. Good brakes.
8. Rear folding seats to allow carrying larger stuff.
9. Last but not least 8 airbags for safety! No other cars in this class has as many airbags s this little baby.

What I think are not so good in this car (but nothing major):
1. Seating position just a bit high.
2. No auto up for driver's window.
3. It needs a 6th gear!
110 kph is already @ 4000rpm. That's why ZC32S has a 6th gear.
4. Even though the braking power is good enough but the brake pedal feel is on the soft side.
5. It's slightly nervous at the rear but if this is the small price to pay for making it so neutral and well balanced during cornering then I'll gladly live with it!

6. The turning radius is surprisingly wide for such small car! It's as wide or even wider than my other much longer cars! Feels almost like doing a U-turn in an Evo.

7. Rattling around the driver's side power window switches.
8. Seems to attract other small cars like Myvi and Ford Fiesta S to cucuk from behind to try test you!


For further upgrades, considering to upgrade the brakes maybe with a 2 pot caliper and later better performance pads once the current pads finished. I'm not considering to install any chassis stiffening bars yet since I think the chassis is stiff and sweet handling enough for now.

As for repairs, I have repaired some small oil leaks from the valve cover seal and underneath from the oil filter area, plus replace the V belt and all fluids including aircon flushing. All the bushings and mountings are all still pretty good. Next repair might be the front absorbers but for now still not too bad, just got a bit noise.

So yeah that's my review and impression so far to the ZC31S.
can i be your son? hahaha, what a cool dad.
 

6UE5t

6,000 RPM
Senior Member

6UE5t

6,000 RPM
Senior Member
Oct 8, 2010
6,756
1,300
1,713
Kuala Lumpur
can i be your son? hahaha, what a cool dad.
Hahaha, thx, got many already say similar things when they found out the car is actually for my son! The main reason we chose this car is because this is the only small Japanese car with manual gearbox that is still fun to drive, still looks cool/not too outdated, around rm30k budget, and has that many airbags! No other car in the market can meet all this criteria.
 

stupidcar

5,000 RPM

stupidcar

5,000 RPM
Mar 18, 2013
5,567
850
713
Kuala Lumpur
Hahaha, thx, got many already say similar things when they found out the car is actually for my son! The main reason we chose this car is because this is the only small Japanese car with manual gearbox that is still fun to drive, still looks cool/not too outdated, around rm30k budget, and has that many airbags! No other car in the market can meet all this criteria.
Chinese saying: NJHL
 

LimauKanker

Known Member

LimauKanker

Known Member
Aug 27, 2018
110
36
28
Hahaha, thx, got many already say similar things when they found out the car is actually for my son! The main reason we chose this car is because this is the only small Japanese car with manual gearbox that is still fun to drive, still looks cool/not too outdated, around rm30k budget, and has that many airbags! No other car in the market can meet all this criteria.
hahaha,of course man. is your son a petrol head? hopefully that car can teach your son what needed to be taught and do what you intend the car to do. haha, actually learning about cars in depth instead of half past six superficial stuff. i guess that's what all petrol head dad would want for a child.
 

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Hi guys, recently bought a new car, would like to ask few general question and get experience from you guys .

Questions​

1. I'd like to modify the exhaust system so I don't suffocate my engine at all. Read that most stock car suffocate the engine a little even if it's stock to avoid sound pollution to pass all countries law. What part should I change? Tail pipe etc. And how much roughly for a good one and any good place to recommend?

2. Sunroof installation...
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