So I'm upgrading...
Discussion
Coming from my last thread...
At the end of this year I will most likely be part-exchanging my 1.2 swift for the 1.6 Swift Sport.
I will be looking to put a lot of work into this car. I have looked around and there seems to be a lot of performance modifications that can be done! (This will be done in the future, due to insurance etc)
Please don't suggest getting a different car...
Really looking forward to this, anybody here have any good suggestions?
At the end of this year I will most likely be part-exchanging my 1.2 swift for the 1.6 Swift Sport.
I will be looking to put a lot of work into this car. I have looked around and there seems to be a lot of performance modifications that can be done! (This will be done in the future, due to insurance etc)
Please don't suggest getting a different car...
Really looking forward to this, anybody here have any good suggestions?
Edited by TacoLimeys on Wednesday 30th September 10:05
DrTre said:
While all good advice, perhaps we could try to avoid retreading the previous thread.
Yes he possibly could buy a faster car from the off, but maybe not.
Perhaps he wants to spread the cost over a period of time.
Perhaps he, good gods no!, even wants to work on the car himself.
^^ Bearing in mind I am 19, and I have fallen in love with these cars, can people please not carry on suggesting 'other options' 'faster cars' etc...Yes he possibly could buy a faster car from the off, but maybe not.
Perhaps he wants to spread the cost over a period of time.
Perhaps he, good gods no!, even wants to work on the car himself.
Prizam said:
Ahh, the old marque loyalty syndrome.
Ditch the idea that you have friends because of the car you drive. Its just silly. VW fan boys rub up each others rings in the "dubbers clubs". But if you fear you would loose friends by driving a ford, then they wernt really friends.
That said, the Swift Sport is an alright car, for what it is.
I don't mean I would loose them, I just mean, I love the cars and I love being a part of the meetups etc :PDitch the idea that you have friends because of the car you drive. Its just silly. VW fan boys rub up each others rings in the "dubbers clubs". But if you fear you would loose friends by driving a ford, then they wernt really friends.
That said, the Swift Sport is an alright car, for what it is.
aka_kerrly said:
In which case maybe you should be asking your friends in the Swift community what mods they have done!!
I'd put my money into good tyres, fresh bushes, alignment and servicing and spend any spare cash on track days/advanced driving courses.
It's better to drive a slower car fast and to its potential than have a fast car an no clue what to do with it
Thank you for this, this was the kind of answer I was looking for.I'd put my money into good tyres, fresh bushes, alignment and servicing and spend any spare cash on track days/advanced driving courses.
It's better to drive a slower car fast and to its potential than have a fast car an no clue what to do with it
GreatGranny said:
You've taken that all the wrong way haven't you!
He wants a 1.6 Swift. That part isn't going to change no matter how you try and dismiss his enjoyment of socialising with like minded owners.
OP you've obviously seen the supercharger kits :-)
http://www.rsrs.jp/en/engine/zc11.html
Seems that company do lots of nice parts including ECUs, exhausts etc..
Thanks for this, and I know, I have been looking at them He wants a 1.6 Swift. That part isn't going to change no matter how you try and dismiss his enjoyment of socialising with like minded owners.
OP you've obviously seen the supercharger kits :-)
http://www.rsrs.jp/en/engine/zc11.html
Seems that company do lots of nice parts including ECUs, exhausts etc..
Although that would be well in the future due to Insurance aha
aka_kerrly said:
The chap did say he is 19 and from my experience the Swift sport 1.6 16v is bloody good fun and a highly regarded car in the warm/hot hatch arena.
As someone else has mentioned the Swifts are used at the Nurburgring as rentals. Everyone I know whose tried one said it was brilliant an almost all will have driven cars with >3x the power
I was reading up on the Nurburgring and they all said they love them!As someone else has mentioned the Swifts are used at the Nurburgring as rentals. Everyone I know whose tried one said it was brilliant an almost all will have driven cars with >3x the power
rohrl said:
As someone above has said tyres are a good place to start.
I'd also reiterate that if you're interested in cars and driving then driver training is absolutely the best way to spend your money. The money you spend on driver training will equip you with skills which will last you for the rest of your life, long after tyres, air filters, exhaust systems etc. have been consigned to the scrap heap.
Don't necessarily get hung up on track driving skills either. There is of course some crossover between track driving and road driving but not as much as some people like to make out. Perhaps spend half your budget on some track tuition and the other half on improving your skills on the road.
Thanks for this, will look into it.I'd also reiterate that if you're interested in cars and driving then driver training is absolutely the best way to spend your money. The money you spend on driver training will equip you with skills which will last you for the rest of your life, long after tyres, air filters, exhaust systems etc. have been consigned to the scrap heap.
Don't necessarily get hung up on track driving skills either. There is of course some crossover between track driving and road driving but not as much as some people like to make out. Perhaps spend half your budget on some track tuition and the other half on improving your skills on the road.
rohrl said:
As someone above has said tyres are a good place to start.
I'd also reiterate that if you're interested in cars and driving then driver training is absolutely the best way to spend your money. The money you spend on driver training will equip you with skills which will last you for the rest of your life, long after tyres, air filters, exhaust systems etc. have been consigned to the scrap heap.
Don't necessarily get hung up on track driving skills either. There is of course some crossover between track driving and road driving but not as much as some people like to make out. Perhaps spend half your budget on some track tuition and the other half on improving your skills on the road.
Thanks for this, will look into it.I'd also reiterate that if you're interested in cars and driving then driver training is absolutely the best way to spend your money. The money you spend on driver training will equip you with skills which will last you for the rest of your life, long after tyres, air filters, exhaust systems etc. have been consigned to the scrap heap.
Don't necessarily get hung up on track driving skills either. There is of course some crossover between track driving and road driving but not as much as some people like to make out. Perhaps spend half your budget on some track tuition and the other half on improving your skills on the road.
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.
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?
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.
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.
MRobbins1987 said:
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.
Thanks for the input.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.
carparkno1 said:
Taken in context, the swift sport is a great little warm hatch, I know an owner and it does appear to be a lot of fun. At 19 I can imagine this is the be all and end all as these things often are at that age - you're focused on one thing and how to get there. I can't imagine there is a whole amount you can do to it to make it infinitely better, but if it's part of a scene and a thing you like then by all means go ahead.
...saying that, get a Fiesta ST on PCP
I'll get me coat.
Close mate of mine has an ST and I hate it :P...saying that, get a Fiesta ST on PCP
I'll get me coat.
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