TCS 12 Second Quarter Mile Kit
TCS 12 Second Quarter Mile Kit
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gazm

Original Poster:

886 posts

273 months

Sunday 14th May 2006
quotequote all
Hi Everyone

I was wondering if anyone had seen these http://trackcarsolutions.net/shop/ind it seems like quite a tidy package if your looking for a few upgrades (which I'm in the market for) can anyone comment on the Protech suspension system as I haven't heard much of it before - and obviously the emerald ecu.

Cheers

Gareth

SXS

3,065 posts

286 months

Sunday 14th May 2006
quotequote all
Protech suspension is budget suspension, supposed to stack half-way between AVO and Nitron, similar to the Gaz stuff in what the techies have said in the past.

gazm

Original Poster:

886 posts

273 months

Sunday 14th May 2006
quotequote all
SXS said:
Protech suspension is budget suspension, supposed to stack half-way between AVO and Nitron, similar to the Gaz stuff in what the techies have said in the past.


Cheers SXS - thats what i figured although ive been reading that the Gaz shocks have been comparable with Nitrons even though price wise there is a massive difference

SXS

3,065 posts

286 months

Sunday 14th May 2006
quotequote all
Emerald ECU's are very simple ECU's when compared to the MBE. The only advantage of an Emerald is that 'you can tune your own maps in whenever you feel like playing'... otherwise... I'd stick with the MBE and get a professional custom mapping/tuning session on that instead.

SXS

3,065 posts

286 months

Sunday 14th May 2006
quotequote all
gazm said:
SXS said:
Protech suspension is budget suspension, supposed to stack half-way between AVO and Nitron, similar to the Gaz stuff in what the techies have said in the past.


Cheers SXS - thats what i figured although ive been reading that the Gaz shocks have been comparable with Nitrons even though price wise there is a massive difference


Yeah, depends who set them up though! Some people have said they hated Nitrons, but if they're set-up right, then bobs your uncle, I guess its down to driving style and how well the tuner can interpret your driving style and needs. But being adjustable helps, although the damper valve rates etc have to be pre-spec'd on the Nitrons, so you need to get your needs across to the tuner in as much detail as possible!

gazm

Original Poster:

886 posts

273 months

Sunday 14th May 2006
quotequote all
its a simple one really then I guess - either go to Austec (which is closer!) for an MBE upgrade or to Trackcar Solutions (not so close) for an Emerald upgrade. I think whichever one I go for I would like to upgrade the suspension at the same time - decisions decisions!!

garethgtt

430 posts

263 months

Sunday 14th May 2006
quotequote all
SXS said:
Emerald ECU's are very simple ECU's when compared to the MBE. The only advantage of an Emerald is that 'you can tune your own maps in whenever you feel like playing'... otherwise... I'd stick with the MBE and get a professional custom mapping/tuning session on that instead.


I recall Joolz telling me the Emeralds always give slightly more power than the MBE, that and the other reason, is you can add a Traction Control system to the emerald.
But heyho-- the Emerald is twice as expensive as an upgraded MBE

>> Edited by garethgtt on Sunday 14th May 20:46

SXS

3,065 posts

286 months

Sunday 14th May 2006
quotequote all
garethgtt said:
SXS said:
Emerald ECU's are very simple ECU's when compared to the MBE. The only advantage of an Emerald is that 'you can tune your own maps in whenever you feel like playing'... otherwise... I'd stick with the MBE and get a professional custom mapping/tuning session on that instead.


I recall Joolz telling me the Emeralds always give slightly more power than the MBE, that and the other reason, is you can add a Traction Control system to the emerald.


More power is open for debate - too many variables.
The Emerald has less mapping points as far as I am aware, and also doesnt have the ability to dial in a cold-start map? (something like that).
Traction control is a zombie on the cerb, I havent heard of anyone who has traction control running 'properly' on a cerbie - so again, probably a feature that wont get used by the average punter - I could be wrong

SXS

3,065 posts

286 months

Sunday 14th May 2006
quotequote all
gazm said:
its a simple one really then I guess - either go to Austec (which is closer!) for an MBE upgrade or to Trackcar Solutions (not so close) for an Emerald upgrade. I think whichever one I go for I would like to upgrade the suspension at the same time - decisions decisions!!


Either way you will be well looked after, both Paul and Joolz take their work very seriously.
Austec can also do switchable maps if you're interested!

(personally I'd say go for a set of Nitrons - you wont look back! I've been in NickCCC's car which is running protechs, and it felt a little loose, maybe it was just his roadking driving style, but hey )

gazm

Original Poster:

886 posts

273 months

Sunday 14th May 2006
quotequote all
Quinny said:
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1Here we go


i'm not trying to start one - I know various people have had various upgrades, i'd just like to try and get an overal;l feel as to what worked for different people.

Honest

G

gazm

Original Poster:

886 posts

273 months

Sunday 14th May 2006
quotequote all
Whats the switchable map that Austec do Ash

gazm

Original Poster:

886 posts

273 months

Sunday 14th May 2006
quotequote all
Quinny said:
You'll be even more confused when they've all finished

Great looking Cerb


Cheers Quinny

SXS

3,065 posts

286 months

Sunday 14th May 2006
quotequote all
gazm said:
Whats the switchable map that Austec do Ash



From memory, I believe you can have two maps, and via a switch conveniently located on your dash or somewhere, you can switch between a high-performance map and an economy map - something like that. You'll have to speak to Paul tomorrow to get a better idea.

gazzab

21,637 posts

311 months

Sunday 14th May 2006
quotequote all
The day I can handle all the power of my cerb is the day I look to get it more power. Mine feels like it is a healthy one and so I vote for spending the money on other stuff eg TVs, mountain bikes etc...

SXS

3,065 posts

286 months

Sunday 14th May 2006
quotequote all
gazzab said:
The day I can handle all the power of my cerb is the day I look to get it more power. Mine feels like it is a healthy one and so I vote for spending the money on other stuff eg TVs, mountain bikes etc...


well said

but sometimes gotta spend on the mistress a little for all the joyful pleasurous times

njw 77

17,065 posts

267 months

Sunday 14th May 2006
quotequote all
gazm said:
its a simple one really then I guess - either go to Austec (which is closer!) for an MBE upgrade or to Trackcar Solutions (not so close) for an Emerald upgrade.


Ive been saying this from day one (I think my car was the first Austec car to be mapped?). They are so close in power that IMO it comes down to geography. That and the fact Im hopless with all things mechanical and I had no desire to have a map in the car I could 'play' with as Id probably end up frucking it all up.

BCA

8,651 posts

286 months

Monday 15th May 2006
quotequote all
Does Trackcar not offer the generic MBE chipping anymore?? IIRC its a fair bit cheaper for smoothness and reasonable power (though emeralding is more flexible for getting more power out/ austecs full mbe map - trackcar only does/did generic maps for MBE.)

Steve_T

6,356 posts

301 months

Monday 15th May 2006
quotequote all
If you're looking at a mapping for your car, go with a full map over a generic one, there's quite a variation between cars, in terms of what they're sensitive to.

Steve.

Julian64

14,325 posts

283 months

Monday 15th May 2006
quotequote all
Ran up about Emerald recently and was surprised, and put off, by the fact that Jools/emerald doesn't use the lambdas at all.

For me not using the lamda single at all while the car has working cats is a nono.

So if you have the Emerald you have more flexibility in altering your own map, but no lambda for some reason.

Decisions decisions

ridds

8,372 posts

273 months

Monday 15th May 2006
quotequote all
Not having a lambda sensor will not cause any problems really. depends how well you map it. How well do they currently control anyway?

Does the Emerald only have one input then as I thought it had Lambda control in the system?