I drive an 1994 Iswara Aeroback 1.3 manual. The car is still in very good condition because I took care of it all these years. I’m located in Ipoh.
I decided it is time to upgrade some of the car’s components to make it handle better and safer. It will not solve the problem of idiotic drivers but at least I improve my chances on the road and that’s always a good investment.
My priority is better road-holding, and better brakes. I might look into improving the engine’s power but that’s not so important right now. Money is no problem. Not really on a budget with this project, but at the same time, it has to be sensible .....so please don’t tell me to spend RM10K on rims :)
I have a competent mechanic who will be doing all the installation but he prefers to leave the choice of components to his customers. I was hoping that all you sifus here can offer some advice and recommendation on the following :-
1. The stock rims are 13” and I like to upgrade to 14” rims. The trouble is there’s not a whole lot of choices available when it comes to 14” rims. Most rims are 15” and above. Can you recommend some good quality light-weight 14” rims for my Iswara ? In general, will 14” rims be heavier than the stock 13” ?? and how much will this affect performance ? … I don’t really care about looks and I don’t think it makes much sense to have good looking rims if they are heavy as hell. Lightweight performance is more important…this is one reason I am aiming for good quality lightweight 14” rims, but are there any available for the Iswara ?
2. I plan to have the car lowered with new shocks and springs. What are your recommendations ? Are Tien or Eibach springs suitable for the Iswara ? If, yes, which Tien or Eibach model should I look at ? Are there other brands that you recommend ?
3. Brakes…..this is one component in my car that is in desperate need for upgrade. The stock ones are functional but have lousy stopping power. The pedal is soft and mushy. Just a few reasonably hard stops will be enough to cause brake fade. Just no confidence with them. I plan to junk the stock brakes and replace with new calipers, disc rotors, brake lines, double layer brake pump and brake pads. I also like to change the rear drum brakes to disc brakes. For the brake lines, I was thinking of getting ProRS brake lines which had been getting good reviews from Hypertune magazine but as for the other components, I have not made up my mind. What are your recommendations ?
I guess that is all I can think of at the moment. Hoping you can give me your opinions on the matter.
Best regards
Fvel
I decided it is time to upgrade some of the car’s components to make it handle better and safer. It will not solve the problem of idiotic drivers but at least I improve my chances on the road and that’s always a good investment.
My priority is better road-holding, and better brakes. I might look into improving the engine’s power but that’s not so important right now. Money is no problem. Not really on a budget with this project, but at the same time, it has to be sensible .....so please don’t tell me to spend RM10K on rims :)
I have a competent mechanic who will be doing all the installation but he prefers to leave the choice of components to his customers. I was hoping that all you sifus here can offer some advice and recommendation on the following :-
1. The stock rims are 13” and I like to upgrade to 14” rims. The trouble is there’s not a whole lot of choices available when it comes to 14” rims. Most rims are 15” and above. Can you recommend some good quality light-weight 14” rims for my Iswara ? In general, will 14” rims be heavier than the stock 13” ?? and how much will this affect performance ? … I don’t really care about looks and I don’t think it makes much sense to have good looking rims if they are heavy as hell. Lightweight performance is more important…this is one reason I am aiming for good quality lightweight 14” rims, but are there any available for the Iswara ?
2. I plan to have the car lowered with new shocks and springs. What are your recommendations ? Are Tien or Eibach springs suitable for the Iswara ? If, yes, which Tien or Eibach model should I look at ? Are there other brands that you recommend ?
3. Brakes…..this is one component in my car that is in desperate need for upgrade. The stock ones are functional but have lousy stopping power. The pedal is soft and mushy. Just a few reasonably hard stops will be enough to cause brake fade. Just no confidence with them. I plan to junk the stock brakes and replace with new calipers, disc rotors, brake lines, double layer brake pump and brake pads. I also like to change the rear drum brakes to disc brakes. For the brake lines, I was thinking of getting ProRS brake lines which had been getting good reviews from Hypertune magazine but as for the other components, I have not made up my mind. What are your recommendations ?
I guess that is all I can think of at the moment. Hoping you can give me your opinions on the matter.
Best regards
Fvel
