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chazrad

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Everything posted by chazrad

  1. Are you friendly with the tester :norty: :lol: If I thought I'd pass with the de-cat, then nough said! As already said, I think that on an NA engined VR6, there will be little difference between the high flow cat and decat tbh. My advice: Ehem!.. Get yourself a friendly tester! 8) :D
  2. I think Quaife in the UK, might have something to say about your claim that Peloquin make the strongest diffs! Nevertheless, I know opinions are divided over which is best. Whilst I'm no expert, I do know that there are plenty of people running forced induction VRs who have never had a problem with their drive shafts. Others might know better, but I think the standard VR ones have got to be good for at least 350whp. Put another way, I don't know of many people who have uprated them. I am happy to be corrected on this. :D Whilst it is clearly going to depend on what target BHP figure you have in mind, it is not a necessity to upgrade all the internals in the engine before going turbo. I know of several turbo VR cars (incl Sukh's show car VRT Corrado) who run completely stock internals, 400hp and have not had any problems in something like 20,000 miles since it was built and mapped. However, you do need to ensure the engine is in fine fettle before you start strapping on blowers of any kind. You also defo need a spacer gasket and ARP bolts. The point is forged pistons and uprated conrods are not a necessity.
  3. Mate, I am using the standard one at the moment, although it was new only about 5000 miles ago, when the engine was rebuilt. If I go for more power, I would consider the Helix item, as I believe CrazyDave has one and he reckons its very good. HTH Charlie
  4. Not wishing to criticise, but I reckon another 10mm off the fronts and then it will sit about right. Seems to sit slightly too high at the front end in that last pic. It's not easy getting the ride height just right, and the springs may yet settle a little more anyway. :)
  5. I really think you should just take it to a reputable tyre/suspension fitter. Modern laser alignment kits are amazingly accurate, far more so than a spirit level. If its top kit they are using, the computer database will have all the factory suspension settings in the memory anyway, so you won't need to dig them out from anywhere. You should also be handed a printout of before any adjustment and afterwards, which you can then keep with your service history. Remember that the rears cannot be adjusted for toe, so its only the fronts you are really interested in. And finally, often having the alignment checked doesn't cost you anything. Its only when they have to make any adjustments that they charge you. So if your alignment is perfect (I doubt it, given you've had it all apart), it won't cost you anything. I had mine done recently after the coilovers were fitted. There is no doubt that for the £50 or so quid it'll cost you to get it completely sorted, you will be able to rest assured that any further problem is not as a result of poor alignment. The fact is that until you have had it aligned properly then driven it, you will not be able to tell if something else is at fault. HTH
  6. IMO the dragster is pretty cool. :lol: I think its all fibreglass anyway. I remember seeing it at Autosport International at the NEC in January 06. Remainder: unspeakable!!
  7. Well, got home this evening, washed the car and put it to bed ( :lol: ), after an afternoon at the tyre fitters in Salisbury, where I've had a pair of BF Goodrich G-Force Profilers (what a mouthful!) fitted. They are 205/40/17 like the Toyos T-1Rs on the rear, and there's a bit of a stretch over the new wheels, but they look good. The fitter reckoned they are a good tyre, having done a recent track day in a car wearing them. They are also harder wearing then the Toyos - which was not a particular selling point for me, but nevertheless. Still, does anybody any experience of these tyres as I'm new to them? Also, I've fitted the new 10mm HT leads from DubPower, the Peter Collins reckons improves smoothness and pickup on supercharged VR6 cars. He himself uses them on his Rotrex-charger VR. I now need a couple of hundred miles to make up my mind. :D
  8. Cheers to zerocool for the HT lead metal removal tool. Arrived v quickly and well packaged. Thanks. :D
  9. Agree with the comments about Evo losing its appeal. I have everyone since the start, but tellingly, I won't be renewing the subscription in January. :? The letter to the editor re the BMW M3 vs RS4 test summed it up for me: saying just how much more planted, how much more feel, better sounding etc the RS4 is, then gave it to the M3. Utter pap! From what I'm hearing/reading, sounds like PPC will be its replacement. :D The other great read is Octane magazine, but my Dad gets that, so no point in me subscribing too!
  10. Thanks for the comments, fellas. Rob, I think the wheels are quite heavy, and tbh, I've not completely opened up the taps yet with them on, as I need to get 2 new front tyres; but I haven't noticed any torque steer yet. The only thing is that with these schitt Wiltshire roads, I have to take care of potholes and the constant divets and ruts, so as not to damage them. Nevermind...they look ace, and that's why I've always wanted a set. Zak, I'm really pleased with them. I will have to see about the ride height, bearing in mind, the arches are not yet rolled; but I am conscious that the front seems to sit a few millimetres too high. Yeah James, your old car looks pretty similar. I'd forgotten you used to a have a set of RH's. Great minds, mate.... :D
  11. chazrad

    Sports Cat

    I have never has a sports cat fitted, but reckon the improvement in performance is going to be pretty minimal on its own. If you were to change the cams or go to forced induction, then you might see more benefit. I reckon that for the money, there are better mods out there. For instance, spend the money on a set of uprated anti-roll bars instead. :D
  12. Just be aware mate, that I had to remove the wrap on each of the 6 individual headers, simply because we couldn't get to the bottom bolts to screw the manifold to the head. It was just impossible to get any extension bar or even a hand between the wrapped headers to get to the bottom row of bolts. So the wrap came off down to the point at which the 6 headers merge to 2 pipes. Only then could we get it on, and even then it was a shocker really! I hope you have an easier time. :? In future, I think I'd get the manifold ceramic coated. It'll look better and there wouldn't be any issues fitting it. I will be making up a heat shield to fit to the top of the manifold, to prevent any chance of the heat meliting the throttle body, or unnecessarily warming the induction charge. 8)
  13. Well, its been a while since I updated this thread, and a fair amount of work has been done on the car since then... new KW coilies, 288 brakes fitted, 6-branch manifold now on (what a PITA to fit!!), dewipered rear, red tinted rear lights and alu dial rings. The KWs are fantastic. The ride is soooo much better than my old Koni TA's and Eibach set up. Far more OE-type comfort, if a little stiffer, but absolutely no crashiness. The 288 brakes are off a Passat, and have the Banjo bolt fitment, but I sourced the Goodridge hoses from Vince and they've gone on a treat. The difference in braking performance between the standard 280mm set up and these is like night and day. A great mod. ....Oh, and the new wheels! I've always wanted a set of the ZW1's, but the price of them new has always put me off. I got these ones recently from Zak for a pretty reasonable sum. They're in great nick too. There's a bit of stretch on the rubber over the 8in wide rims, as the tyres are only 205 width. I need to replace the front two tyres, which I'll do this week. I also think I might be able to drop the front suspension about 5-10mm, as I think the rears are just slightly lower than the front. However, I am also conscious that at the moment the front arched are not rolled, so want to avoid any rubbage. Oh, and a big thanks to Tekara for sorting out my broken headlight switch recently..top bloke! :D I was speaking to CrazyDave today at Castle Combe, about his Motronic adventures, and I'm keenly following his progress. My car is running well, but I'm not totally happy with the remap, so am considering other options - that involve either a MAF (currently mapped without one)...or standalone, so we'll see. Next mod - I've got some DubPower 10mm HT leads to fit this week. Peter Collins - another top bloke - has sent them over for me to try out. He reckons they'll make a noticeable difference to the performance/smoothness of the engine, over the standard leads I'm running at the moment. I'm looking forward to trying them. :D Even if I do say it myself, I'm pretty happy with the car now. Its just sorting out little bits and pieces. I just need to drive it more! A few pics of the car, taken over the last couple of days.
  14. Well done Rob. Welcome to the FI club, mate. I was with Dave today when you and Karl were speaking to him on the phone, and he was giving you some advice. Glad you got it running even if is a bit rich... The last 10% (ie. getting it running as close to OE smoothness as possible) is what will take the time now. :D
  15. What a quite extraordinary individual you are! This is a tragedy. As Corozin points out, isn't it strange how so many of our homegrown talents have died prematurely in accidents and illnesses completely unconnected with their dangerous day job. Just goes to show, you never know what's round the corner...
  16. Well done mate. Good work there. Your team have done you proud. Looking forward to seeing the car in proper s/c form. :D
  17. Mate, for what its worth, I have a VW VSR fitted with my Stage 2 Vortech. Now, while its not necessarily a recommendation I've had no problems with them working together. Of course, the extra benefit of the VW VSR when you are FI anyway, is going to be slim. There is also the slight risk of the flap fatiguing with the extra pressures acting on it (heaven forbid, a piece ends up inside the engine). Thankfully, my VSR was rebuilt by Stealth before I bought it. And owning one for rareity value alone has, at the moment, persuaded me to keep it on the car. You can always sell it on later if you want to.
  18. Cheers to Zak for the wheels. In excellent condition as described. I arranged to collect and he was a thoroughly nice bloke. ie told me to call him if I had any problems etc. A pleasure to trade with. :D
  19. Good man Chris. Almost there. Sorry to hear about your chain tensioner. Where did it go? I'll have to come and see you the next time I'm down Bristol way, visiting my brother. :)
  20. I'd recommend getting Bonrath top mounts when fitting uprated suspension. Given the greater forces exerted on the top mounts by stiffer supspension, the standard VAG ones wear out (deform slightly) within about 2 years, leading to knocking and an MOT failure. Uprated ones like Bonrath mounts are made of a different compound and are harder to resist this deformation. You can order them from a company called Modworld who have a website. Though I phoned through my order. Google them. Be aware that it took 3 weeks to get them from Germany when I ordered mine, but they are worth the wait. HTH :D
  21. chazrad

    288mm disks

    Give you local GSF a call mate. The only way to be sure. I have got a set of standard VAG discs (not grooved or drilled) to go on with my 288s - when I finally get round to fitting them!! They will be fine. You are right, there is no need to spend a fortune on so called performance discs. The upgrade to the bigger caliper and better pad will make the difference. :)
  22. Another big-up to Torsten for getting my alu dial rings to me so quickly. Yet to fit them, but they look great. Thanks.
  23. ...I have found the threat of negative feedback works well sometimes...worth a try. After all, if he was a decent guy, he'd not want to do you over for the sake of £60. Or has been suggested, sell for scrap then recoup the difference from the seller. Apart from the money, its the hassle of these things. :(
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