Upgrading t350 from standard - what first?
Discussion
I have a 12,000 mile, well looked after, standard t350 (except for TVR Power Sports Exhaust).
What upgrades to engine, suspension etc. would you experts recommend and in what order? What would be most cost effective bearing in mind that in view of the recent TVR collapse I now intend to keep this car forever.
John
What upgrades to engine, suspension etc. would you experts recommend and in what order? What would be most cost effective bearing in mind that in view of the recent TVR collapse I now intend to keep this car forever.
John
i have done nitrons, iridium plugs, magnecor competition leads, tvr power sports exhaust, ferodo ds2500 pads and ferodo brake fluid.
thinking if i am to continue it would be de-cats and some sort of induction modification. otherwise its get the engine out and charged or get close ratio gears and change diff.
thinking if i am to continue it would be de-cats and some sort of induction modification. otherwise its get the engine out and charged or get close ratio gears and change diff.
1. Improve the driver
2. Improve the brakes
3. Make sure the suspension is set up right
4. Change the suspension if you don't think its good enough
5. More power (remap from Austec suits sir nicely)
6. Other stuff like induction kit (above remap can then be easily tweaked to optimize
7. If you're serious about making use of the extra handling and power then I assume trackdays are in order, so put a proper exhaust on and not a boy racer popping 'sports exhaust'.
2. Improve the brakes
3. Make sure the suspension is set up right
4. Change the suspension if you don't think its good enough
5. More power (remap from Austec suits sir nicely)
6. Other stuff like induction kit (above remap can then be easily tweaked to optimize
7. If you're serious about making use of the extra handling and power then I assume trackdays are in order, so put a proper exhaust on and not a boy racer popping 'sports exhaust'.
johnFairfield said:
hollowpockets said:
i have done nitrons, iridium plugs, magnecor competition leads, tvr power sports exhaust, ferodo ds2500 pads and ferodo brake fluid.
So do you think that's the best order (can't afford all at once) - Nitrons first. If so who's the best to do suspension setup?
in no particular order, but in my experience getting the car to handle properly is the most important, maybe not nitrons as there are cheaper alternatives, my standard shocks blew and wanted something reliable with a good reputation, then geometry done properly.
THEN go get yourself some tuition which will help explore your limits and the limits of your car.
after that, for me was just a case of working my way through a list of known common faults and problem parts before they became a problem.
As the others said
Yourself first - then suspension/ geometry set up. Then diff - 3:7 with standard box is quick. Nitron/ Bilstein/ Gaz shocks. Decent rubber. Close ratio box last. Oh and change that shitty personal wheel to a Momo Trek!
IMHO the suspension set up with decent shocks is the single most value for money improvement you can do. If £1300 is expensive to improve the car no end then whats the point in doing anything at all? You either do it properly, dont bother or wait till you can do it properly.
Not meant to be condescending, but thats the way I see it.
Yourself first - then suspension/ geometry set up. Then diff - 3:7 with standard box is quick. Nitron/ Bilstein/ Gaz shocks. Decent rubber. Close ratio box last. Oh and change that shitty personal wheel to a Momo Trek!
IMHO the suspension set up with decent shocks is the single most value for money improvement you can do. If £1300 is expensive to improve the car no end then whats the point in doing anything at all? You either do it properly, dont bother or wait till you can do it properly.
Not meant to be condescending, but thats the way I see it.
johnFairfield said:
I have a 12,000 mile, well looked after, standard t350 (except for TVR Power Sports Exhaust).
What upgrades to engine, suspension etc. would you experts recommend and in what order? What would be most cost effective bearing in mind that in view of the recent TVR collapse I now intend to keep this car forever.
John
What upgrades to engine, suspension etc. would you experts recommend and in what order? What would be most cost effective bearing in mind that in view of the recent TVR collapse I now intend to keep this car forever.
John
When you've sat with Gerry Marshall as he reeled in a chap in an XKR over 4 laps at Castle Coombe while in a standard MG F, drifted past a Boxster in a 406D at Bruntingthorpe or undertaken a Cerb in a 4L Griff while on the grass at Silverstone you realise that it doesn't matter how much money you throw at physical upgrades, if you can't drive well then you won't be going much faster.
Driver Skills. It's more fun to spend a few £ on wanging a car round a circuit with an instructer than watching a mechanic fit new brakes and you'll go faster afterwards.
Just go to a club meet and watch the skilled drivers in piles of dung overtaking the rich guys with state of the art kit.
We buy these cars to drive them and yet we are all guilty of taking the 'Saxo Max Power' route of blowing cash on bits for the car when we need to invest it in our own skills. And when you think about it, it is actually moronic because every single one of us would rather be honing our personal skills on a circuit than watching a monkey work a wrench.
It is human nature for us to feel that the car needs improving rather than recognising that it is ourselves who are inferior, but the fun to be had in recognising this and dealing with it is unbeatable.
johnFairfield said:
Horse_Apple said:
...it doesn't matter how much money you throw at physical upgrades, if you can't drive well then you won't be going much faster.
Thanks.
I suspect that's the best advice that there is. Still...
Indeed. Like most good advice, I'll probably ignore it again
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