Best bang for your buck upgrades.

[A900ss]

I've only just got my 450 Chim and it is plenty fast enough but I.m always thinking ahead......

I guess this must be the best 'bang for buck' in upping the HP but I'm interested in what other good bang for buck upgrades there are.

http://www.actproducts.co.uk/shop/ti008c-chimaera-...

Realistically, I don't think I'll be meddling until next year but you never know.

Thanks

Edited by A900ss on Friday 8th March 17:52

[domV8]

Best bang-per-buck?

Turbo-charging, pretty much irrespective of the car.

[anonymous-user]

Ok, leaving out the usual driving training, suspension, brakes first bit, as you've asked about HP, I would start with replacing the ECU (and dizzy). Reasoning being that some (not all) modifications will require re-mapping which can be a substantial part of the upgrade cost. So better to have a system that gives you a choice people to remap it and keep the costs down at the same time.

[900T-R]

Best bang for buck? Carbon trumpets, thermal gasket between trumpet base and intake manifold and 90 degree bend between air mass meter and throttle body/plenum.
£300 and 10-15 lbs.ft/bhp with better driveability on a car running factory standard everything. This is the cheaperst power you will find on a car that's in tip top mechanical order, anny horses above and beyond that will cost disproportionally more and be far more 'involved' in terms of installation/getting driveability right after the mod.

From my recent experiences, however, I would guess proper ignition management (simplest solution by far is the Windows laptop programmable 123tune distributor unit, is a straight repacement for the Lucas distributor) would be the obvious next step.

[Robert Lees]

Got that kit on my 450, courtesy of prev owner. Don't know what it felt like before the mod, but it shifts now!

[Robert Lees]

Oh and mark Adams chip , not sure that boosts bhp but nicer to drive, idle, starting etc.

[macdeb]

Best bang for buck by a mile is N2O [nitrous oxide] no question. Forget the 'max-power' and 'fast and furious' image. If it's cheap horses you're looking for, this is it. 99% of the time you'll drive a standard un-stressed motor with all the low speed manners you could want and then for that odd moment you want it, instant power.
[waits for the onslaught of people who a)don't know how it works, or b)think it blows engines up]
DBV8

[Julesprivate]

macdeb said:

Best bang for buck by a mile is N2O [nitrous oxide] no question. Forget the 'max-power' and 'fast and furious' image. If it's cheap horses you're looking for, this is it. 99% of the time you'll drive a standard un-stressed motor with all the low speed manners you could want and then for that odd moment you want it, instant power.
[waits for the onslaught of people who a)don't know how it works, or b)think it blows engines up]
DBV8

Is that a "bottle in the boot" wet kit you've got installed, if so is everything else stock? You wouldn't happen to have a photo knocking about of it would you?

I looked at NoS for one of the bikes a little while back and it looked great fun, but that was a simple dry fogger kit as the bike had a sealed airbox, clearly can't do that with the chim so i assume it's "wet".. Did you fit it yourself?


Sorry OP - don't mean to threadjack!

TBH if you're happy with the performance (and you should be LOL) then a track day (or two) is a great way to learn your (and the car's) limits in relative safety.

Tyres, Suspension, alignment, brakes first... Then the distributor (as previously mentioned that's something that's a "gateway upgrade").. TBH if you sleeve the exhaust and put the roof down it'll immediately SEEM faster LOL

[macdeb]

Julesprivate said:

TBH if you sleeve the exhaust and put the roof down it'll immediately SEEM faster LOL

with you. Wet kit by far best. Your not far from me so could show you some time.
[didn't want to hi-jack thread]

Edited by macdeb on Friday 8th March 19:55

Edited by macdeb on Friday 8th March 19:57

[BountyHunter]

macdeb said:

Best bang for buck by a mile is N2O [nitrous oxide] no question. Forget the 'max-power' and 'fast and furious' image. If it's cheap horses you're looking for, this is it. 99% of the time you'll drive a standard un-stressed motor with all the low speed manners you could want and then for that odd moment you want it, instant power.
[waits for the onslaught of people who a)don't know how it works, or b)think it blows engines up]
DBV8

yeah its the best - till the bottle runs out

[APMAUTO]

macdeb said:

Best bang for buck by a mile is N2O [nitrous oxide] no question. Forget the 'max-power' and 'fast and furious' image. If it's cheap horses you're looking for, this is it. 99% of the time you'll drive a standard un-stressed motor with all the low speed manners you could want and then for that odd moment you want it, instant power.
[waits for the onslaught of people who a)don't know how it works, or b)think it blows engines up]
DBV8

+1

[APMAUTO]

BountyHunter said:

yeah its the best - till the bottle runs out

get 2 bottles and start dating a dental nurse

[Chilliman]

A900ss said:

I've only just got my 450 Chim and it is plenty fast enough but I.m always thinking ahead......

I guess this must be the best 'bang for buck' in upping the HP but I'm interested in what other good bang for buck upgrades there are.

http://www.actproducts.co.uk/shop/ti008c-chimaera-...

Realistically, I don't think I'll be meddling until next year but you never know.

Thanks

Edited by A900ss on Friday 8th March 17:52

Hmm, Some of the guys are quoting 20-27 bhp increase fitting Clive's Y piece, and after adding VAT to the ACT kit the Y piece is less expensive, especially if you can get a group buy going. I think if I was starting out on the mod road now I'd go pre-cats out, de-cat Y piece, and after market ECU doing away with the AFM and dizzy. This allows what you've got to be optimised in terms of fuelling and ignition, gives a good bhp hike, provides a sound basis for future modifications, and will sound bloody marvellous....

Just my opinion obviously

Chilli

[BliarOut]

Best bang for buck? A proper 4 wheel geo.

[leerdam23]

..... new tyres, 888s or V70a or similar.

[db418BHP]

As Mac said. N2O is the way to go to getting easy big bhp and performance.

I fitted a simple kit to a Chim 500 and it went from 313 to 383 bhp on the rolling road. No modifications are required on a rover V8 at this level.
Under a £k will get you a nice kit with an 11lb bottle with a heater.

Obviously not every ones cup of tea and the problem of the bottle running out on a regular basis because that 100lb/ft hit from 3000 rpm to peak is very addictive.
With a 70 shot an 11lb bottle should last all day at a RWYB for maybe 12 runs.

[A900ss]

BliarOut said:

Best bang for buck? A proper 4 wheel geo.

This is being done this week with the 12,000 mile service.

[Bassfiend229hp]

macdeb said:

Best bang for buck by a mile is N2O [nitrous oxide] no question. Forget the 'max-power' and 'fast and furious' image. If it's cheap horses you're looking for, this is it. 99% of the time you'll drive a standard un-stressed motor with all the low speed manners you could want and then for that odd moment you want it, instant power.
[waits for the onslaught of people who a)don't know how it works, or b)think it blows engines up]
DBV8

Good call - DBV8 was talking to me a while ago about this and I'm still thinking about doing it...

... OK - I'm still thinking about talking him into doing it for me but that's just semantics.

Phil

[Bassfiend229hp]

db418BHP said:

As Mac said. N2O is the way to go to getting easy big bhp and performance.

I fitted a simple kit to a Chim 500 and it went from 313 to 383 bhp on the rolling road. No modifications are required on a rover V8 at this level.
Under a £k will get you a nice kit with an 11lb bottle with a heater.

Obviously not every ones cup of tea and the problem of the bottle running out on a regular basis because that 100lb/ft hit from 3000 rpm to peak is very addictive.
With a 70 shot an 11lb bottle should last all day at a RWYB for maybe 12 runs.

...and if you're not doing "runs" and just using it for "overtaking" then I reckon an 11lb bottle could last a good while and is about the same as a tank of fuel to refill? (£70?)

[Chilliman]

NOS? Dunno how it works but I've heard it blows engines up