Show Us Your Motors!
- Thread starter Lopéz
- Start date
That's a good question and of course not that straight forward as there's hydraulic, electro-hydraulic & electric assist. As pure hydraulic has been around so long the sports car manufacturers had pretty much got that dialled in and then all the emissions and safety requirements came in so cars have just been getting more complicated and integrated.
There's good examples of the electro-hydraulic system on for example the Honda S2000. I can also remember reading several times in reviews of Porches where the "purists" were deriding the assisted steering on later models.
I've had several manual cars including my RX7 for a while and yeah ultimately it's the gives the best driving feedback and feel. However I couldn't live with it on my RX7 as it was just too heavy at low speed speeds so I retro-fitted a Corsa electrically assisted steering column and set it to the minimum assist. It's a good compromise IMHO.
One example where I've seen a very positive result in fitting assisted steering columns was in a friends short oval cars. They have 4 in total and Brian the owner was getting on a bit and was struggling to do all the races as it's a very physical sport with direct contact allowed in the rules. Anyway he fitted a column just to help with the effort really but had an off that ripped a front wheel and steering rack out the car! In the past he would have most likely have suffered injuries including a broken wrist, fingers etc. but he said he hardly felt the impact through his hands as the column had absorbed the steering kick back! Needless to say all the cars were quickly fitted with them.
most of the cars ive had with a manual rack were fitted with a quick ratio rack.
even the standard E30 manual rack wasn't that bad a ratio lock to lock.
as for parking as said above if you kept the car moving while manoeuvring there was no problem.
You must be joking right, the stock e30 pas rack is 4 turns lock to lock which is like an ocean liner and everyone changes them out for quicker e36 or e46 racks because of it, the manual one is even slower still.
3.5 turns lock to lock to be exact on the manual rack but that was the manual rack from a pre facelift 325i sport so may have been different for a facelift car.
I used the same manual rack on about 4 cars as when I was selling them I put them back to power steering.
I did look at fitting the newer rack but I couldn't get it to clear my griffin motor sport 6 branch even with the mods that folk used to get it to fit around the btb manifolds I couldnt get it to clear mine. so I just stuck with the PFL manual rack.
it wasn't to bad considering other cars Ive driven
Soldato
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- 19 Oct 2002
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S2000 is pure EPS.
Thing is EPAS is developing quickly with things like steering column shaft torque sensors and on the rack arms to determine the force from the wheel into the rack to allow tuning for feed and assistance. ie it can react to torque steer so the driver feeds much less corruption.
You can also use them to tune out steering effort phasing you get from non ideal UJ angles, this gives a nice linear steering effort.
Absolutely. People go on about manual racks being better in 205 gti's which are almost 4 turns lock to lock. Mine with a xsara vts 2.4 turn pas rack is loads nicer to drive and still gives the same feedback.
I don't think I could live with a manual rack on a day to day basis, its fine if you have a weekend car or track toy, but a hydraulic pas is the best compromise, you get the best of both worlds, steering feedback and ease of use.
Good luck finding any. Since that post I've only found one within 200 miles of me, and the latest brochure for that generation doesn't list the engine as an option.
That Impreza looks spot on, alloys certainly look good from this distance (don't they all though?)...
That colour certainly pops doesn't it
Thanks
... the wheels are unfortunately kerbed and flaking quite badly! I was thinking about getting them resprayed in a slightly more bronze/gold colour. I think they'd go great with the blue when done! Like you said, the colour pops really nicely now it's been tidied up!
Soldato
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- 18 May 2010
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- 12,832
There were a fair few when I was looking but settled on a 1.8 Civic, luck of the draw I suppose. If you want one bad enough you'll wait for one to come up
I would look at the Civic as a potential alternative though, similar power/performance, better MPG and more space in the boot
Not as much kit though which is the only down side, no Xenons and no Bose stereo which are superior to the Civic's stereo
Blue Impreza is nice, they look their best in that spec
I'll just keep an eye out, it was the same story when I was looking for my current one.
Never much fancied the Civic, the Mazda interior looks nicer and as you said, kit levels are better. I've already got Bose audio, HIDs, rear LEDs etc as standard on my first-gen so I'd want at least that on my next car. Might give the 6 a look instead.
Associate
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- 24 Jan 2008
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Closest it's been to the road but now it's back looking like...
whats the plans for it?
My brother has a 16 valve gti in dragon green.
Ive had a few 8 valve gti's years ago and would like to get another one at some point but im chasing another b2 Audi coupe the now
First wash and polish:
Wow!!! thats a great looking car!!!!
Associate
- Joined
- 24 Jan 2008
- Posts
- 714
It's a 2.0L 16v ABF from a MK3 golf, that came from my old MK2 GTI and was running 178bhp. It's now had more work, 4-2-1 stainless and changing over to EFI aiming for closer to 200bhp.
The car has been stripped to bare shelf and built up but during the restore process I noticed more and more rust so have stripped it back down.
Replaced the scuttle panel, got 2 sills, 2 rear arches and rear lower valance panel too.
Then will be fully repainted same colour Atlas Grey.
7 year project so far lol
yea best thing about a Mk3 gti is the engine if you ask me.. just a pity about the rest of the car. plus there gearboxes were made out of chocolate..
My brothers Mk2 escort 16 sport was about 14 years in the making and my mates 2002 bmw has been about 15 years and still ongoing and I reckon could still be a year or 2
my brothers Mk2 16 sport
his latest project..
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