So I'm upgrading...
Discussion
C.A.R. said:
I can relate this back to the same level of advice which is given out with RC cars.
Take an entry-level £100 4wd RC car - very nice piece of kit out of the box (like a Suzuki Swift Sport) and with lots of available aftermarket tuning options and 'bling'. However, ultimately the chassis is not competitive no matter how much money you throw at it, until it is a b
disation of its' former self - like if you strapped a supercharger to your Swift for example.
You have to weigh up the bigger picture. The gains will be minimal, but some of them might be worthwhile even if just for the placebo effect. I would suggest limiting what you do to such a car to the intake system and exhaust, unless these two items would make insurance costs prohibitive.
I understand this point, but if you look at some of the Superchargers for the Swift Sport, you are going from 130 ish HP to 188-200 Ish, which I wouldn't call minimal, although you are spending £2-3k...Take an entry-level £100 4wd RC car - very nice piece of kit out of the box (like a Suzuki Swift Sport) and with lots of available aftermarket tuning options and 'bling'. However, ultimately the chassis is not competitive no matter how much money you throw at it, until it is a b
disation of its' former self - like if you strapped a supercharger to your Swift for example.You have to weigh up the bigger picture. The gains will be minimal, but some of them might be worthwhile even if just for the placebo effect. I would suggest limiting what you do to such a car to the intake system and exhaust, unless these two items would make insurance costs prohibitive.
on an N/A car performance gains are minimal, and not worth it IMO.
If you're adament on modifying the car, put some lightweight wheels with good tyres (Michelin Pilot Super Sports are seen as the past) upgrade the suspension and brakes for fast road/track use and the most important thing which you would need to do before you touch a spanner on your car.
Learn to drive it properly, you can have 200hp, but if you can't drive it fast what's the point. It's better to drive a slow car fast than visa versa. Getting some proper tuition will teach you about maintaining momentum, learning about the best way to use the throttle and brakes and teach you, for want of a better phrase, how to REALLY drive and then you'll be able to exploit the performance you have, even if it's not a lot.
If you're adament on modifying the car, put some lightweight wheels with good tyres (Michelin Pilot Super Sports are seen as the past) upgrade the suspension and brakes for fast road/track use and the most important thing which you would need to do before you touch a spanner on your car.
Learn to drive it properly, you can have 200hp, but if you can't drive it fast what's the point. It's better to drive a slow car fast than visa versa. Getting some proper tuition will teach you about maintaining momentum, learning about the best way to use the throttle and brakes and teach you, for want of a better phrase, how to REALLY drive and then you'll be able to exploit the performance you have, even if it's not a lot.
So what I have taken so far.
I am going to be spending a fair amount on training and other days on the track, learning how to become a better driver, before I put the money into the car.
Then I will start with the Basics, Wheels, Breaks, Suspension.
As I get older and Insurance goes down, I may consider supercharging.
All that is to come in the future though.
Thanks to everyone who posted helpful comments.
Everyone else who put useless trash, was there a point?
I am going to be spending a fair amount on training and other days on the track, learning how to become a better driver, before I put the money into the car.
Then I will start with the Basics, Wheels, Breaks, Suspension.
As I get older and Insurance goes down, I may consider supercharging.
All that is to come in the future though.
Thanks to everyone who posted helpful comments.
Everyone else who put useless trash, was there a point?
TacoLimeys said:
I understand this point, but if you look at some of the Superchargers for the Swift Sport, you are going from 130 ish HP to 188-200 Ish, which I wouldn't call minimal, although you are spending £2-3k...
any FI conversion costs a lot more than just the kit. You also need to considerthe chassis, can it handle the power? Will you need to add bracing?
The drivetrain, will the gearbox cope with 40% more power, as will the clutch?
The engine heat, will it cause issues running another hot component, will the cooling system need upgrading, or will heatsoak be an issue?
The driveline, will the diff cope, will it need an LSD/upgrade?
The brakes, they WILL need upgrading, what calipers will fit under the wheels?
The ECU, will that need an overhaul?
Add all that up, you're looking closer to an extra 3k ontop of the 2-3k for the kit itself, that is when it doesn't add up, 3k for the extras, 2k for the charger kit, plus the cost of the car (say 10k) you can get a car that was made to support 200hp+ from the start, and it will drive better, and not cause issues.
8k will put you in a tidy STI Impreza, or a Golf ED30, which for £500, will go from 220 to 300 which is a difference because it's already turbocharged and has the support underneath it with placing for the intercoolers and turbo peripherals that are associated with it.
That is why there aren't many FI conversions done on "mainstream cars" unless you're chasing mental performance, and a FWD hatchback is not where you would start for that.
I agree. To add to this I'm glad you haven't taken another run-of-the-mill Audi/ BMW/ Merc and want to try and make it different, yet comply with the masses (just in case I look different)
Way too many boring fkers out there.
Good for you OP, start with handling and brakes and work your way up. Bit like in GT or Forza, I like to get to really know the limits of a car before I upgrade and then you can then really appreciate it.
Way too many boring f
kers out there.Good for you OP, start with handling and brakes and work your way up. Bit like in GT or Forza, I like to get to really know the limits of a car before I upgrade and then you can then really appreciate it.
Blanchimont said:
any FI conversion costs a lot more than just the kit. You also need to consider
the chassis, can it handle the power? Will you need to add bracing?
The drivetrain, will the gearbox cope with 40% more power, as will the clutch?
The engine heat, will it cause issues running another hot component, will the cooling system need upgrading, or will heatsoak be an issue?
The driveline, will the diff cope, will it need an LSD/upgrade?
The brakes, they WILL need upgrading, what calipers will fit under the wheels?
The ECU, will that need an overhaul?
Add all that up, you're looking closer to an extra 3k ontop of the 2-3k for the kit itself, that is when it doesn't add up, 3k for the extras, 2k for the charger kit, plus the cost of the car (say 10k) you can get a car that was made to support 200hp+ from the start, and it will drive better, and not cause issues.
8k will put you in a tidy STI Impreza, or a Golf ED30, which for £500, will go from 220 to 300 which is a difference because it's already turbocharged and has the support underneath it with placing for the intercoolers and turbo peripherals that are associated with it.
That is why there aren't many FI conversions done on "mainstream cars" unless you're chasing mental performance, and a FWD hatchback is not where you would start for that.
This isn't true, I have looked into the kits and they are designed to fit the car without any other modifications, I will try and find some examples of ones. the chassis, can it handle the power? Will you need to add bracing?
The drivetrain, will the gearbox cope with 40% more power, as will the clutch?
The engine heat, will it cause issues running another hot component, will the cooling system need upgrading, or will heatsoak be an issue?
The driveline, will the diff cope, will it need an LSD/upgrade?
The brakes, they WILL need upgrading, what calipers will fit under the wheels?
The ECU, will that need an overhaul?
Add all that up, you're looking closer to an extra 3k ontop of the 2-3k for the kit itself, that is when it doesn't add up, 3k for the extras, 2k for the charger kit, plus the cost of the car (say 10k) you can get a car that was made to support 200hp+ from the start, and it will drive better, and not cause issues.
8k will put you in a tidy STI Impreza, or a Golf ED30, which for £500, will go from 220 to 300 which is a difference because it's already turbocharged and has the support underneath it with placing for the intercoolers and turbo peripherals that are associated with it.
That is why there aren't many FI conversions done on "mainstream cars" unless you're chasing mental performance, and a FWD hatchback is not where you would start for that.
With an exception to cooling and the ECU.
Also, I don't see why you have suggested other cars, I have said I am sticking with this car...
Edited by TacoLimeys on Wednesday 30th September 11:56
LittleEnus said:
I agree. To add to this I'm glad you haven't taken another run-of-the-mill Audi/ BMW/ Merc and want to try and make it different, yet comply with the masses (just in case I look different)
Way too many boring fkers out there.
Good for you OP, start with handling and brakes and work your way up. Bit like in GT or Forza, I like to get to really know the limits of a car before I upgrade and then you can then really appreciate it.
Thank you.Way too many boring f
kers out there.Good for you OP, start with handling and brakes and work your way up. Bit like in GT or Forza, I like to get to really know the limits of a car before I upgrade and then you can then really appreciate it.
TankRizzo said:
If you are determined to modify then suspension & brakes. Leave everything else alone.
Disagree. If the Swift is as good as people say, then you'll likely make it worse by faffing around with the suspension. And unless the brakes aren't up to the task (very unlikely), why bother?If you get to the point where the chassis (inc suspension) can no longer cope, i.e. more power, then take a look at it. But throwing on aftermarket parts for the sake of it is a silly thing to do when looking at enjoyment and performance.
TacoLimeys said:
C.A.R. said:
I can relate this back to the same level of advice which is given out with RC cars.
Take an entry-level £100 4wd RC car - very nice piece of kit out of the box (like a Suzuki Swift Sport) and with lots of available aftermarket tuning options and 'bling'. However, ultimately the chassis is not competitive no matter how much money you throw at it, until it is a bdisation of its' former self - like if you strapped a supercharger to your Swift for example.
You have to weigh up the bigger picture. The gains will be minimal, but some of them might be worthwhile even if just for the placebo effect. I would suggest limiting what you do to such a car to the intake system and exhaust, unless these two items would make insurance costs prohibitive.
I understand this point, but if you look at some of the Superchargers for the Swift Sport, you are going from 130 ish HP to 188-200 Ish, which I wouldn't call minimal, although you are spending £2-3k...Take an entry-level £100 4wd RC car - very nice piece of kit out of the box (like a Suzuki Swift Sport) and with lots of available aftermarket tuning options and 'bling'. However, ultimately the chassis is not competitive no matter how much money you throw at it, until it is a b
disation of its' former self - like if you strapped a supercharger to your Swift for example.You have to weigh up the bigger picture. The gains will be minimal, but some of them might be worthwhile even if just for the placebo effect. I would suggest limiting what you do to such a car to the intake system and exhaust, unless these two items would make insurance costs prohibitive.
I know it seems horrible and counter-intuitive to think of the next car after the car you've not even got yet, but some careful consideration can see you work your way into faster car territory in the long run. Let's face it; this Swift Sport isn't going to be the car you are lusting after in 12 months' time.
I think a surprising amount of your money will go on tyres, brake pads and trackdays that you won't need to consider forced induction. And when you do, you can weigh up whether it's worth the personal investment of £3k or whether that money would get you into something far fruitier.
TacoLimeys said:
This isn't true, I have looked into the kits and they are designed to fit the car without any other modifications, I will try and find some examples of ones.
With an exception to cooling and the ECU.
I'm sorry, but you're wrong. With an exception to cooling and the ECU.
Edited by TacoLimeys on Wednesday 30th September 11:55
There will be no other modifications to make it work, no. But to make the car able to capitalise on the extra performance you now have and to make it as usable as it is standard you will need to spend money on other things.
Frankly, the fact that you're saying you won't need to upgrade the brakes even though you've dramatically increased the performance is moderately terrifying. the car will be more powerful, so you will need more powerful brakes to stop the thing.
That's before talking about the need for a stronger gearbox and diffs and things like that.
If you want to see the real cost, look at the Mighty Car Mods series when they converted an MX5 to turbo, then you will see what is needed with a large power hike.
300bhp/ton said:
TankRizzo said:
If you are determined to modify then suspension & brakes. Leave everything else alone.
Disagree. If the Swift is as good as people say, then you'll likely make it worse by faffing around with the suspension. And unless the brakes aren't up to the task (very unlikely), why bother?If you get to the point where the chassis (inc suspension) can no longer cope, i.e. more power, then take a look at it. But throwing on aftermarket parts for the sake of it is a silly thing to do when looking at enjoyment and performance.
TacoLimeys said:
This isn't true, I have looked into the kits and they are designed to fit the car without any other modifications, I will try and find some examples of ones.
With an exception to cooling and the ECU.
Also, I don't see why you have suggested other cars, I have said I am sticking with this car...
In 5 years or so you'll likely come back to this thread and either laugh if you have a sense of humour, or think that maybe you'd wished you know a little more.With an exception to cooling and the ECU.
Also, I don't see why you have suggested other cars, I have said I am sticking with this car...
Edited by TacoLimeys on Wednesday 30th September 11:56
Modding is not a bad thing, but it all depends what you are chasing. You seem to be chasing one goal, but starting from a poor position to attain it. But with the blinkeredness that you won't sway your opinion or consider other options.
If you want a Swift - no probs
They are good little cars in their own right.If however you want SPEED SPEED SPEED and POWER POWER POWER, which is what it seems when you read between the lines. Then the Swift simply is a bad choice to use as a starting point.
If you want something unique and different, it's still a bad choice as a fwd mass market hatch is as far as you can get from unique and different.
If you want to mod mod mod for the sake of it and/or to enjoy modding and maybe spannering yourself. There are simply far better cars to do this on.
Swift = good car. But appears to being bought for all the wrong reasons.
Blanchimont said:
I'm sorry, but you're wrong.
There will be no other modifications to make it work, no. But to make the car able to capitalise on the extra performance you now have and to make it as usable as it is standard you will need to spend money on other things.
Frankly, the fact that you're saying you won't need to upgrade the brakes even though you've dramatically increased the performance is moderately terrifying. the car will be more powerful, so you will need more powerful brakes to stop the thing.
That's before talking about the need for a stronger gearbox and diffs and things like that.
If you want to see the real cost, look at the Mighty Car Mods series when they converted an MX5 to turbo, then you will see what is needed with a large power hike.
I already said like 2 posts before that the breaks etc would already be modified and the SC would come after all that...There will be no other modifications to make it work, no. But to make the car able to capitalise on the extra performance you now have and to make it as usable as it is standard you will need to spend money on other things.
Frankly, the fact that you're saying you won't need to upgrade the brakes even though you've dramatically increased the performance is moderately terrifying. the car will be more powerful, so you will need more powerful brakes to stop the thing.
That's before talking about the need for a stronger gearbox and diffs and things like that.
If you want to see the real cost, look at the Mighty Car Mods series when they converted an MX5 to turbo, then you will see what is needed with a large power hike.
300bhp/ton said:
In 5 years or so you'll likely come back to this thread and either laugh if you have a sense of humour, or think that maybe you'd wished you know a little more.
Modding is not a bad thing, but it all depends what you are chasing. You seem to be chasing one goal, but starting from a poor position to attain it. But with the blinkeredness that you won't sway your opinion or consider other options.
If you want a Swift - no probs They are good little cars in their own right.
If however you want SPEED SPEED SPEED and POWER POWER POWER, which is what it seems when you read between the lines. Then the Swift simply is a bad choice to use as a starting point.
If you want something unique and different, it's still a bad choice as a fwd mass market hatch is as far as you can get from unique and different.
If you want to mod mod mod for the sake of it and/or to enjoy modding and maybe spannering yourself. There are simply far better cars to do this on.
Swift = good car. But appears to being bought for all the wrong reasons.
I'm not buying it to Mod straight away... I already own a 1.2 Swift and want the 1.6 sport.Modding is not a bad thing, but it all depends what you are chasing. You seem to be chasing one goal, but starting from a poor position to attain it. But with the blinkeredness that you won't sway your opinion or consider other options.
If you want a Swift - no probs
They are good little cars in their own right.If however you want SPEED SPEED SPEED and POWER POWER POWER, which is what it seems when you read between the lines. Then the Swift simply is a bad choice to use as a starting point.
If you want something unique and different, it's still a bad choice as a fwd mass market hatch is as far as you can get from unique and different.
If you want to mod mod mod for the sake of it and/or to enjoy modding and maybe spannering yourself. There are simply far better cars to do this on.
Swift = good car. But appears to being bought for all the wrong reasons.
I know there are better options, I don't just want speed, if I wanted that I would have spent the £12k originally on something totally different instead of a 1.2 SZ-L wouldn't I?
Thanks anyway.
They are great fun out of the box but with some tinkering will no doubt make it a reliable and fun daily/track toy.
Unsprung mass is the cheapest option to gains, lighter wheels, big brake kits etc will all improve performance and save weight, a decent set of adjustable coilovers and track geo will also make it quicker than stock.
N/A gains are expensive for the gains you will get so FI would be the better option if power is your thing, personally I would concentrate on getting it as light as possible first.
Unsprung mass is the cheapest option to gains, lighter wheels, big brake kits etc will all improve performance and save weight, a decent set of adjustable coilovers and track geo will also make it quicker than stock.
N/A gains are expensive for the gains you will get so FI would be the better option if power is your thing, personally I would concentrate on getting it as light as possible first.
AshBurrows said:
Strip it, cage it, direzzas, dampers, brakes, RS29s.
Capable looking cars around the ring and spa when I've seen em.
OP did you miss this?Capable looking cars around the ring and spa when I've seen em.
If you do this, you'll get low 8s around the nurburgring.
I'm sure a lot of the negative dullards have no interest in track driving or the concept of fun, but this will be a fun car.
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