What have you done to your car today?

Been looking for ways to make my car sound better. Much as I love it, and the engine is a huge improvement over it's predecessor, the engine still leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to noise. Already installed an exhaust (HKS Hi-Power Spec L2) which added a nice bit of bass down low. But not much at the top end; probably not a lot you can do about that with just a catback, without cutting out cats and GPFs, and I don't want to touch any of that. Besides, I don't really want something stupidly loud and obnoxious.

So decided to look at intake mods. The OEM air intake is already very well designed, so its difficult to find something which improves sound without compromising power. Tried the K&N "cold" intake kit, which was a bit poor design wise. Just an intake pipe with a cone filter on the end and an open-topped heatshield sealed against the underside of the bonnet. It sounded good - but I felt like it left the car a bit down on power, probably due to heat soaking. I moved it on.

Then I came across Infinity. I've heard their name come up a few times and they were making a kit for the GR86. Started following them and their design blogs and spoke to another couple of owners who had one fitted. The biggest draw was that it added a nice amount of sound by incorporating a full carbon intake duct, while not losing any power - in fact, they claim a slight increase in power/torque, with independent dyno runs to prove it. I was sceptical, but really only interested in noise, so bit the bullet. Arrived and installed yesterday.

GzWZdP5.jpg


So far, really happy with it. Quality of the part is outstanding, especially compared to the K&N kit, and draws the air from behind the bumper through it's own snorkel, so no less heat soak to worry about. Most of the time, it doesn't sound any different, but if you blip the throttle or open it wide above about 3K RPM, you get a lovely howl from the engine all the way to redline.

So I've now got a good balance, the exhaust adds some tone lower down, the intake adds some drama up top. And while I'm wary of placebo effects, it does feel like the car is a bit more urgent in the midrange, and revs out more easily, so perhaps their dyno claims have merit. Bit wet today to go out and stretch it's legs, but happy with it so far :D
 
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Not done yet but more of a decision

I've had an Ariel Nomad on order for 3 years and with the Nomad 2 being announced I just don't get it as much.

Honda supercharged was some of the appeal for me, the Ford Ecoboost of the new model will surely be decent but just doesn't do it for me.

Combined with another year to two of waiting and the entry price rising from 45k to 70k, I think I've lost the mojo for it.

Not formally cancelled yet but I think I'll start looking at other things
 
Axeboy said:
Not done yet but more of a decision

I've had an Ariel Nomad on order for 3 years and with the Nomad 2 being announced I just don't get it as much.

Honda supercharged was some of the appeal for me, the Ford Ecoboost of the new model will surely be decent but just doesn't do it for me.

Combined with another year to two of waiting and the entry price rising from 45k to 70k, I think I've lost the mojo for it.

Not formally cancelled yet but I think I'll start looking at other things
Click to expand...

Save a heap of money and get yourself something with a bike engine in it for the quarter of the price.
 
Fiancé driving along at 70mph in the Outlander.... Hears a noise and see's something flying out the back of the car unsure what it was.
On inspection the sump guard is missing.... The last people who touched it were a Mitsubishi dealer...
This is going to be an interesting phone call.... Not expecting anything to come of it.

Tomorrow goes into another garage to inspect an oil leak and give me a second opinion...
 
helpimcrap said:
Fiancé driving along at 70mph in the Outlander.... Hears a noise and see's something flying out the back of the car unsure what it was.
On inspection the sump guard is missing.... The last people who touched it were a Mitsubishi dealer...
This is going to be an interesting phone call.... Not expecting anything to come of it.

Tomorrow goes into another garage to inspect an oil leak and give me a second opinion...
Click to expand...
Lucky it didn't hit anyone behind, I doubt you'd have a leg to stand on and the dealer would deny touching it!

Hope you get it sorted mate.
 
D-Ranged said:
Lucky it didn't hit anyone behind, I doubt you'd have a leg to stand on and the dealer would deny touching it!

Hope you get it sorted mate.
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Cheers.

They replaced the sump a few weeks ago so had to come off. Developed an oil leak and went back to be checked which they did. The photos they sent when they checked for a leak had no sump guard on so they obviously removed for the check.
Fingers crossed but I'll not be going back except for this...
 
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helpimcrap said:
Cheers.

They replaced the sump a few weeks ago so had to come off. Developed an oil leak and went back to be checked which they did. The photos they sent when they checked for a leak had no sump guard on so they obviously removed for the check.
Fingers crossed but I'll not be going back except for this...
Click to expand...
They might have screwed up the gasket when fitting it, or didn't put one on at all!

I've been fortunate enough to do all work on my cars myself after a bad experience from a friend destroying the gearbox on my Gtr years ago. My worst nightmare is having to leave my car with a main dealer!
 
Got a call from daughter...
"The car sounds awful like it's going to blow up so I stopped".
*Listens to her start it down the phone line and hears what resembles a steam train mixed with a Harley Davidson starting up.
"Ok I'll come now".

I pack the basics for the unknown. But due to traffic and the spot not being the best and me not being able to see an obvious problem immediately, I decide to drive it the short distance home. It's got minimal power but does run and sounds like a drag car ticking over with a lumpy rough idle.

So I get home and inspect it with better light and find that cylinder 2 has no HT lead plugged in. It's hanging out the back of the engine with the spark plug still inside it. It's melted AF. I go to pull the plug out the lead but the lead falls apart as I do it and is disintegrated. The tip of the spark plug has gone AWOL. Ok. That's new.

So I buy new plugs and leads. The plug in that cylinder wont do up. Stripped thread. Nice.

So today my M14 spark plug repair kit turned up for under a tenner. I rethreaded the hole, vacuumed the swarf as best I could and then inserted the helicoil style insert by way of placing on the plug itself and doing it up. Not easy as the plug on this old focus sits about 2 inches down inside the rocker cover/head. Anyway got it back together. Started up first time and now runs back on all 4 cylinders to live another day. Car just will not die FFS.
 
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D-Ranged said:
They might have screwed up the gasket when fitting it, or didn't put one on at all!

I've been fortunate enough to do all work on my cars myself after a bad experience from a friend destroying the gearbox on my Gtr years ago. My worst nightmare is having to leave my car with a main dealer!
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Yeah, I thought they had screwed up the gasket so asked for it to be put back in the workshop, but they found nothing around the sump and sent pictures of what I think is oil feed return pipe to the turbo leaking.
I only put it with them because it was a first service since buying the car and thought they'd pick up on everything to try and charge me but they wouldn't look at anything unless I paid them. Only replaced the sump because the sump plug had been silicone sealed in by previous owner...
I normally do oil changes myself. Think I will again after this....
 
helpimcrap said:
Yeah, I thought they had screwed up the gasket so asked for it to be put back in the workshop, but they found nothing around the sump and sent pictures of what I think is oil feed return pipe to the turbo leaking.
I only put it with them because it was a first service since buying the car and thought they'd pick up on everything to try and charge me but they wouldn't look at anything unless I paid them. Only replaced the sump because the sump plug had been silicone sealed in by previous owner...
I normally do oil changes myself. Think I will again after this....
Click to expand...
The garage I took it too confirmed an oil leak from the sump.
Makes it easier to see when there's no sump guard on..... Sigh.

This is turning into a saga....
 
Conscript said:
Been looking for ways to make my car sound better. Much as I love it, and the engine is a huge improvement over it's predecessor, the engine still leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to noise. Already installed an exhaust (HKS Hi-Power Spec L2) which added a nice bit of bass down low. But not much at the top end; probably not a lot you can do about that with just a catback, without cutting out cats and GPFs, and I don't want to touch any of that. Besides, I don't really want something stupidly loud and obnoxious.

So decided to look at intake mods. The OEM air intake is already very well designed, so its difficult to find something which improves sound without compromising power. Tried the K&N "cold" intake kit, which was a bit poor design wise. Just an intake pipe with a cone filter on the end and an open-topped heatshield sealed against the underside of the bonnet. It sounded good - but I felt like it left the car a bit down on power, probably due to heat soaking. I moved it on.

Then I came across Infinity. I've heard their name come up a few times and they were making a kit for the GR86. Started following them and their design blogs and spoke to another couple of owners who had one fitted. The biggest draw was that it added a nice amount of sound by incorporating a full carbon intake duct, while not losing any power - in fact, they claim a slight increase in power/torque, with independent dyno runs to prove it. I was sceptical, but really only interested in noise, so bit the bullet. Arrived and installed yesterday.

GzWZdP5.jpg


So far, really happy with it. Quality of the part is outstanding, especially compared to the K&N kit, and draws the air from behind the bumper through it's own snorkel, so no less heat soak to worry about. Most of the time, it doesn't sound any different, but if you blip the throttle or open it wide above about 3K RPM, you get a lovely howl from the engine all the way to redline.
Click to expand...

Is that the OEM bellow to the throttle, looks like its gonna deal with a lot of movement over a short length?
 
Jonnycoupe said:
Is that the OEM bellow to the throttle, looks like its gonna deal with a lot of movement over a short length?
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No, it came with the new intake. It feels softer than the material that the original OEM intake pipe was made off, presumably for that reason.
Also, the bolts attaching the intake and it's support bracket all mount to the chassis using the OEM rubber bushes which used to support the OEM intake housing, so there's allowance for a little flex under engine movement.
 
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