Support NeoGAF

[No Love]

My plans right now are power, paint, interior in that order. Next year going for suspension and I'm probably done for a while.

The goal for my suspension is to dial out some of the understeer that these things have. Part of that is reducing some of the weight up front to shift the distribution rearward, and probably doing a skinnier sway bar up front to give that end more grip. And the Konis to just get out some stock-slop. Might look into some other misc parts of the suspension, but I really don't want to go with harder bushings or anything that's gonna make it noisier or less pleasant inside.

@Mattlikewhoa - you're not talking about your S15, right? What is all this going on?

You'd actually want to put a heavier rear sway to dial out understeer. It will reduce grip in the rear and increase it in the front. But thats an ass backwards way to do it... you need to mmakesure you have a rear diff with proper lockup. What I did to my Evo rear diff (because USDM is gimped) was bought the Weir 12 plate setup which adds a lot more lockup, the way its supposed to be. Now my Evo can powerslide and kick the rear out like a RWD in boost. Lets you oversteer and point the front wheels where you want to go.

So, your car is fast... NLFFWD (Noloveforfailwheeldrive) you need to get one of those!

edit: Any Autogaf opinions on Seafoam? I have a bottle and am going to be changing my Lubro Moly oil in the next hundred miles. If I don't use the Seafoam, I will be doing BG fuel system treatment.

I know, in a month or two I gotta pick uo a Z06.

And seafoam is great.

As for coils, first thing I did suspension wise was add KW V3s to my car. I had ordered the V2s but they messed up my order and instead gave me V3s at the same price. Totally transformed the car. After that came the M3 bits, camber plates, toe arms, strut brace kit, etc.

Fuck I'd say easily $6000-7000 on the suspension alone.

I'm done until next spring. LSD.

KW's are awesome. I run the Robispec KW Race coilovers.

Ah, gotcha!


@NoLoveForFailWheelDrive - Do you use an AOS or a catch can? I've been see-sawing on this ever since my swap was done, and no prevailing opinion on em :\

I use neither, I really should delete my PCV valve and run one. I'll look into it. Here read this, I guess it makes a massive difference!
forums.evolutionm.net/evo-engine-turbo-drivetrain/592879-ultimate-oil-catch-can-evo-7-8-9-10-a.html

 

[reilo]

Repost from r3v, wondering if any of you might have an idea what's up with my battery issues on the E30. I have a shut-off switch on the battery because there's a parasitic draw that would drain it. But as it turns out, even after using the shutoff switch, the battery died after 2 weeks or so, and I have to jumpstart the car to get it going. Ideas thrown around were bad alternator and/or bad battery.

Okay, did some more testing. Let the car idle for 10mins.

Car off, battery is 11.25V
Car on at idle, battery is at 13.35V
Car on at idle, loaded system with air to max (AC is blown) and headlights on, battery is at 13.10V

Testing for parasitic draw again, Fuse 21 is causing a 0.7A draw. With trunk light connected, it's around 0.37A. With Fuse 21 and trunk light disconnected, it reads 0A.

Thoughts?

EDIT: The longer I let the car idle, the more the voltage drops on the battery. It's down to 13.25V, and when I just started the car it was at 13.45V. Final readout before I turned the car off was 13.16V.

EDIT2: After letting the car sit for 30 minutes, I checked the battery again and it is now at 11.85V

 

[hobz360]

Very nice. What are the options on that one? Pretty sure that you just have a detuned 328 engine so there are probably going to be some nice options to boost power on that thing.

Thank you! No option, just the 6-speed MT. I wanted to get the sport-line but that's another 1,300 and I'm already $500 above my budget lol. Well, since I plan on keeping this car for 5+ years, there won't be a problem with the mods I think.

About the engine, from what I've read on the forums, the only difference between the 328i and the 320i in the engine are the pistons (compression ratio; 10:1 to 328i and 11:1 to 320i), everything else the same. And yeah a de-tuned engine too.

 

[No Love]

Thank you! No option, just the 6-speed MT. I wanted to get the sport-line but that's another 1,300 and I'm already $500 above my budget lol. Well, since I plan on keeping this car for 5+ years, there won't be a problem with the mods I think.

About the engine, from what I've read on the forums, the only difference between the 328i and the 320i in the engine are the pistons (compression ratio; 10:1 to 328i and 11:1 to 320i), everything else the same. And yeah a de-tuned engine too.

Good, higher compression kicks ass for power. Put it on e85. IIhave seen 328i's make 300 whp/360 wtq on a tune with e85. I bet that engine can be taken to 330-350 whp and 400+ wtq on stock turbo with e85's. Those bmw turbo motors pick up a lot of power from tuning.

I'd love to get a 1M and put it on E85. Maybe in a year or two.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Repost from r3v, wondering if any of you might have an idea what's up with my battery issues on the E30. I have a shut-off switch on the battery because there's a parasitic draw that would drain it. But as it turns out, even after using the shutoff switch, the battery died after 2 weeks or so, and I have to jumpstart the car to get it going. Ideas thrown around were bad alternator and/or bad battery.

You could have a live circuit somewhere. Checking fuses is certainly the right start, but you may need to get a current detector and start checking every wire. Start with the obvious such as light bulbs (doors, trunk, dome lights, visors if you have them, dashboard cluster, etc) and then check electrical such as radio, speakers, antenna, and so forth. You can gain access to two of the modules that control all of this circuitry fairly easily from the interior and start checking each wires' current.

 

[reilo]

You could have a live circuit somewhere. Checking fuses is certainly the right start, but you may need to get a current detector and start checking every wire. Start with the obvious such as light bulbs (doors, trunk, dome lights, visors if you have them, dashboard cluster, etc) and then check electrical such as radio, speakers, antenna, and so forth. You can gain access to two of the modules that control all of this circuitry fairly easily from the interior and start checking each wires' current.

The issue is that the battery died even after I used the shut-off switch (meaning, there was 0 draw from the car). I just had the battery tested and it has "good" charge, but it only has 450CCA instead of the 650CCA it should. The alternator seems to work because the battery was at 11.25V this morning before I jumpstarted it, and it's at 12.2V now after idling/driving it for a bit.

I'll keep checking. I diagnosed it down to a single fuse (21), which covers:

- Auto-charging flashlight
- Ignition key warning/seatbelt warning
- Interior lights
- Radio/antenna
- Trunk light
- Multifunction clock
- Service interval indicator

... which is like, okay. Cool? I'm at 0.7A now, and I think I'm supposed to be at 0.5A?

EDIT: I just turned on the shut-off switch. Battery is at 11.99V right now. Gonna periodically check it to see if it's losing charge on its own "somehow".

 

[No Love]

The issue is that the battery died even after I used the shut-off switch (meaning, there was 0 draw from the car). I just had the battery tested and it has "good" charge, but it only has 450CCA instead of the 650CCA it should. The alternator seems to work because the battery was at 11.25V this morning before I jumpstarted it, and it's at 12.2V now after idling/driving it for a bit.

I'll keep checking. I diagnosed it down to a single fuse (21), which covers:



... which is like, okay. Cool? I'm at 0.7A now, and I think I'm supposed to be at 0.5A?

EDIT: I just turned on the shut-off switch. Battery is at 11.99V right now. Gonna periodically check it to see if it's losing charge on its own "somehow".

My 1st guess is always radio. Make sure the previous owner didnt wire it up janky. Also e30s can sometimes have goofy electrical issues but not often.

Get your multimeter and check the radio and all wiring for that first. Edit: actually go to aanauto parts store. They can test your whole electrical system and charging for free. Ask for the electrical system test.

 

[reilo]

My 1st guess is always radio. Make sure the previous owner didnt wire it up janky. Also e30s can sometimes have goofy electrical issues but not often.

Get your multimeter and check the radio and all wiring for that first. Edit: actually go to aanauto parts store. They can test your whole electrical system and charging for free. Ask for the electrical system test.

I took out the aftermarket radio and all aftermarket speaker wiring the very next day. It looked awful.

I'll get the electrical system test done soon.

 

[N-Bomb]

You'd actually want to put a heavier rear sway to dial out understeer. It will reduce grip in the rear and increase it in the front. But thats an ass backwards way to do it... you need to mmakesure you have a rear diff with proper lockup. What I did to my Evo rear diff (because USDM is gimped) was bought the Weir 12 plate setup which adds a lot more lockup, the way its supposed to be. Now my Evo can powerslide and kick the rear out like a RWD in boost. Lets you oversteer and point the front wheels where you want to go.

See, I know that's the traditional wisdom, but from what I gather, the front macpherson setup is crap on the Impreza, and there's a lot of camber gain on turns. So adding a front bar can *help* front grip somewhat. I think this is going to be a multi-step project, because so much can affect the suspension setup. As to diffs, not even worrying about that yet, but Subaru sells a pressure ring set that ups the pressure angles of the stock diff by 33% or so.

And seafoam is great.

I botched it this weekend. Will need to give it another go tomorrow. Forgot to let it sit for 10 min after!

I use neither, I really should delete my PCV valve and run one. I'll look into it. Here read this, I guess it makes a massive difference!
forums.evolutionm.net/evo-engine-turbo-drivetrain/592879-ultimate-oil-catch-can-evo-7-8-9-10-a.html

Thanks dude, that does help. Man, it's not a cheap mod though. $300 for the Grimmspeed AOS! D:

 

[No Love]

See, I know that's the traditional wisdom, but from what I gather, the front macpherson setup is crap on the Impreza, and there's a lot of camber gain on turns. So adding a front bar can *help* front grip somewhat. I think this is going to be a multi-step project, because so much can affect the suspension setup. As to diffs, not even worrying about that yet, but Subaru sells a pressure ring set that ups the pressure angles of the stock diff by 33% or so.




I botched it this weekend. Will need to give it another go tomorrow. Forgot to let it sit for 10 min after!




Thanks dude, that does help. Man, it's not a cheap mod though. $300 for the Grimmspeed AOS! D:

Well here's the thing... adding grip to the front via sway bars to reduce grip in the rear is the ass backwards way to do it. It's basically forcing oversteer whereas you really want mechanical oversteer.

The way to go about it is:

Proper spring rates/proper dampening (stiffer in rear than front on an AWD car)/Mechanical oversteer via differential locking/sway bars

The first three should be matched together, sway bars would be to fine tune it. This is just IMO based on what I've learned through research, talking to several very skilled suspension tuners and trying out my own combinations. Others may disagree.

But in my school of thought, if the spring rates aren't properly matched, if the rebound/bump isn't set up to give the front more grip, and if the differentials don't lock properly in order to induce oversteer, then it's pretty tough to get the car to oversteer properly.

Here's a good example: Here's a stock diff, gimped USDM Evo (which had less lockup in the rear diff to generate understeer and keep the rear from kicking out):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MswHIdQoUXk

See how it kinda slides but the rear just really follows the front, understeering quite a bit?

Here's what a proper, Japanese spec Evo with AYC and a locking rear diff does:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmsITnbCxP0

See how the rear kicks out? That's what my car does now with the rear diff locking up, generating proper oversteer.

Kind of a lame example but I can find others.

Also, you can get a cheap catch can setup, and rig up your own system. Mix and match parts. DIY can sometimes be superior to brand name shit. You don't have to buy the overpriced Grimmspeed setup.

 

[N-Bomb]

Well here's the thing... adding grip to the front via sway bars to reduce grip in the rear is the ass backwards way to do it. It's basically forcing oversteer whereas you really want mechanical oversteer.

The way to go about it is:

Proper spring rates/proper dampening (stiffer in rear than front on an AWD car)/Mechanical oversteer via differential locking/sway bars

The first three should be matched together, sway bars would be to fine tune it. This is just IMO based on what I've learned through research, talking to several very skilled suspension tuners and trying out my own combinations. Others may disagree.

But in my school of thought, if the spring rates aren't properly matched, if the rebound/bump isn't set up to give the front more grip, and if the differentials don't lock properly in order to induce oversteer, then it's pretty tough to get the car to oversteer properly.

Also, you can get a cheap catch can setup, and rig up your own system. Mix and match parts. DIY can sometimes be superior to brand name shit. You don't have to buy the overpriced Grimmspeed setup.

Not arguing with you, but that seems to be the Subaru community's answer to part of the problem - reduce the excessive camber gain, the front tires stay more upright and grip more. Another problem is the inherent front-heaviness of the Impreza due to how everything is packaged, which is why I'm going to switch to a lighter battery and JDM bumper beams... maybe a couple other tricks, to move weight distribution rearward. Either way, a discussion for next year.

Speaking of AYC - how does this compare to DCCD? I'm gathering that it's somewhat more advanced, but I'm not sure how.

And as to the AOS, I'd rather go w/ a clean low-maint system like that than a can I have to check. I know I'll forget. :\ My other option would be to vent to atmosphere, but that can be a problem for emissions testing!

 

[chickdigger802]

mmmm morning commute after a break.

Some asshole speeds past a red light...on a heavy traffic street... why?

2 miles later, i noticed him in a 4 car accident, his avalon looked totalled.

hubris.

 

[ascii42]

For those still interested, Top Gear USA returns tonight:

On Season 4 of Top Gear on HISTORY®, it’s all about going big. Hosts Tanner Foust, Adam Ferrara and Rutledge Wood embark on a new set of adventures as they test cars in extreme stunts, intense challenges and first-person reviews using their unique perspectives. The guys race coast-to-coast in high-end luxury cars, determine which “land barge” from America’s past is the best, set out to discover who can create the ultimate amphibious vehicle and much more. They’ll also test a range of new cars, from a McLaren to the Corvette Stingray. Each episode follows the guys as they venture down the country’s open roads to bare the past, present and future of everything in American car culture.

 

[No Love]

Not arguing with you, but that seems to be the Subaru community's answer to part of the problem - reduce the excessive camber gain, the front tires stay more upright and grip more. Another problem is the inherent front-heaviness of the Impreza due to how everything is packaged, which is why I'm going to switch to a lighter battery and JDM bumper beams... maybe a couple other tricks, to move weight distribution rearward. Either way, a discussion for next year.

Speaking of AYC - how does this compare to DCCD? I'm gathering that it's somewhat more advanced, but I'm not sure how.

And as to the AOS, I'd rather go w/ a clean low-maint system like that than a can I have to check. I know I'll forget. :\ My other option would be to vent to atmosphere, but that can be a problem for emissions testing!

Obviously Subies have different suspension setup than Evos so I can't speak specifically for them, I just know what works in general car theory for AWD and RWD. What you actually want to do is put a lightweight battery in your trunk if possible. And if you can get away with it (depending on your insurance and how it's handled in Canada), just remove the bumper beams. They are only rated for 5 MPH impacts anyways so they are pointless.

AYC blows DCCD out of the water. It's quite a bit more advanced, especially S-AYC. There's a reason that STI's just can't measure up to Evo handling prowess... I expect the Evo 11 to be truly insane if it really does have a hybrid-boosted powertrain in addition to a more advanced AYC system.

Just vent to atmosphere and change it when you get emissions testing done. Boom! lol

 

[AlphaSnake]

Jaguar's CUV concept is going to look absolutely stunning based on the teaser shown so far.

 

[AlphaSnake]

I did it, guys.

 

[Liquidus]

Dat ass.

 

[hobz360]

I did it, guys.

Got Dayum!!!!! Oh and congrats, she's a beauty!!!

 

[Flo_Evans]

jealousy rising... must resist... new car shopping...

 

[Smokey]

I did it, guys.

pshhhhhhhhhhhhh

ineedtoseethereceipts

 

[AlphaSnake]

pshhhhhhhhhhhhh

ineedtoseethereceipts

Hahahahaha.

The car was at a nearby Publix. But you guys should know I'm not much into convertibles. Truth be told, the local Jaguar dealership will be ringing me up once orders are available for coupes (they expect late October or November). Nothing is official yet, but I'd expect my coupe to be in my garage around March 2014. It'll be a V8S, most likely in Firesand Metallic.

It'll certainly be a pleasant feeling have two Jaguars under one roof...but I don't feel at all ready to sell the 370Z, so I might keep it too.

 

[N-Bomb]

I did it, guys.

Man, I like every other angle of that car but the rear end. Honestly not just being contrary... I don't like how it looks squashed. And I'm a fan of horizontal tails. :\

 

[xnipx]

Hahahahaha.

The car was at a nearby Publix. But you guys should know I'm not much into convertibles. Truth be told, the local Jaguar dealership will be ringing me up once orders are available for coupes (they expect late October or November). Nothing is official yet, but I'd expect my coupe to be in my garage around March 2014. It'll be a V8S, most likely in Firesand Metallic.

It'll certainly be a pleasant feeling have two Jaguars under one roof...but I don't feel at all ready to sell the 370Z, so I might keep it too.

Have the navs gotten any better?? One of the only reasons I chose my Beamer over the range or xf was the bullshit nav software they had in there.

 

[jongkookie]

Just a saw a commercial for Rush, that Ron Howard film about Niki Lauda, during a break for Craig Ferguson's show.

I've seen it before, but I didn't think American TV would actually advertise considering how Formula One is considered a more foreign sport than lacrosse.

Anyway, what's the word on the manual tranny version of the F-Type? I heard there was some talks about dropping one in the future.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Have the navs gotten any better?? One of the only reasons I chose my Beamer over the range or xf was the bullshit nav software they had in there.

I can't complain in my XF. Not sure what the problem is. It's easy to use, clear to see, etc.

 

[TCRS]

BMW i8 pics leak:

http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-i8-leaked-images/full/#photo-891217/

I like the silhouette.

@alpha
goddamn. congrats.

 

[N-Bomb]

My god. I just vomitted all over my work desk, and now have cancer.

Avenge me, autogaf.

 

[AlphaSnake]

We'd rather not.

 

[Smokey]

My god. I just vomitted all over my work desk, and now have cancer.

Avenge me, autogaf.

Wat

 

[chickdigger802]

My god. I just vomitted all over my work desk, and now have cancer.

Avenge me, autogaf.

that suppose to be... rx350?

 

[33-Hit-Combo]

I can't complain in my XF. Not sure what the problem is. It's easy to use, clear to see, etc.

It's mad slow! The touch response that is. I'm OK with the rest although it feels a little outdated.

Congratulations, I wish I could drop firecrackers on liftoff too. The exhaust was the most striking aspect of the V6 S that I drove, V8 S sounds nuts too.

 

[Flo_Evans]

BMW i8 pics leak:

http://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-i8-leaked-images/full/#photo-891217/

I like the silhouette.

@alpha
goddamn. congrats.

whoa... is this electric with a generator?

 

[ascii42]

My god. I just vomitted all over my work desk, and now have cancer.

Avenge me, autogaf.

It looks like it's angry. Maybe it's angry at its own appearance.

whoa... is this electric with a generator?

Yes. 22 mile electric range last time I heard.

 

[AlphaSnake]

It's mad slow! The touch response that is. I'm OK with the rest although it feels a little outdated.

Congratulations, I wish I could drop firecrackers on liftoff too. The exhaust was the most striking aspect of the V6 S that I drove, V8 S sounds nuts too.

Keep reading, I didn't buy an F-Type. I just saw one.

And the touch response isn't slow at all on my car. It's a 2012

 

[33-Hit-Combo]

Keep reading, I didn't buy an F-Type. I just saw one.

And the touch response isn't slow at all on my car. It's a 2012

That would make it a 6-speed right? I drove a slightly newer 8-speed thought it was slow, haven't tried the slightly olders ones though. Can't say I'd care though, I don't use most features on new cars.

 

[Formosa]

Hello automotive-gaf, here is my 320i my first BMW.

In terms of performance, I won't be doing any mods probably for at least a year. First sets of mods will probably be the black kidney grilles, black rear spoiler, a window tint, and black wheels/tires.

Congrats! F30post is waiting for ya.

 

[xnipx]

Keep reading, I didn't buy an F-Type. I just saw one.

And the touch response isn't slow at all on my car. It's a 2012

Maybe it's better on the newer models. When I was car shopping in 2012 I looked at a 2010 and it was less responsive than my 08 Infiniti trying to input addresses and the GPS icon for the car was about 10 feet from where we actually were. same thing happened on a 08 range I looked at

 

[AlphaSnake]

That would make it a 6-speed right? I drove a slightly newer 8-speed thought it was slow, haven't tried the slightly olders ones though. Can't say I'd care though, I don't use most features on new cars.

You probably drove the 2.0T?

I have a 5.0L V8 with the 6-speed, yes. The 5.0 has been replaced with a Supercharged 3.0 V6. Which is nice, but needs to be driven with dynamic mode enabled because there's just too many damn gears (the 3.0 Supercharged Audis suffer from the same problem).

 

[AlphaSnake]

Maybe it's better on the newer models. When I was car shopping in 2012 I looked at a 2010 and it was less responsive than my 08 Infiniti trying to input addresses and the GPS icon for the car was about 10 feet from where we actually were. same thing happened on a 08 range I looked at

Yeah 2010s had a different interior and different firmware. 2012s were facelifted and changed inside and out. Chances are the 2010 also didn't get its firmware updated. But in any case, I love the touchscreen response in my car.

 

[cajunator]

My god. I just vomitted all over my work desk, and now have cancer.

Avenge me, autogaf.

This is why Lexus/toyota cannot be trusted

 

[33-Hit-Combo]

You probably drove the 2.0T?

I have a 5.0L V8 with the 6-speed, yes. The 5.0 has been replaced with a Supercharged 3.0 V6. Which is nice, but needs to be driven with dynamic mode enabled because there's just too many damn gears (the 3.0 Supercharged Audis suffer from the same problem).

Nah it was their 2.2L diesel (UK)

 

[AlphaSnake]

Well...no shit it's going to feel slow. Hahaha

 

[chickdigger802]

This is why Lexus/toyota cannot be trusted

blame the blogs and carnuts that been shitting on japan being too safe and boring all these years.

 

[Ty4on]

My god. I just vomitted all over my work desk, and now have cancer.

Avenge me, autogaf.

Like the IS though it will probably have a wonderful interior. Bizarre how they get the interior so right and exterior so wrong.

 

[33-Hit-Combo]

Well...no shit it's going to feel slow. Hahaha

I was talking about the screen's responsiveness...

 

[No Love]

Ok so I think I'm gonna buy my mom's E34 525i 5-speed off her. I really dig the car and I am totally jonesing to fix up an old BMW. I think eventually this car would be slick with restored paint, fixed up interior, nice rims + tires, and eventually turbo it on E85, go for a super fast spooling turbo ala Garrett GT28 or GTX30 maybe so that it spools up at 1500 RPM like a 335i, I'd like 300-400 wtq at 2000ish RPM.

Anyways so I'm checking pickyourpart.com and one of the junkyards in LA has had 10+ E34's added to it in the last week... score! And... a month ago they had an E34 M5 added! Holy fuck! If it's still there, I'm going to strip it as best I can, keep some of the parts and sell the rest. E34 M5's are uber-rare (only 1500 brought to the USA), so I was amazed that it's there. If I'm lucky, it hasn't been picked over too badly. If i'm super lucky, the motor + trans is stiill there and I can swap a sick 3.6L, ITB equipped inline-6 into my E34 and then turbo that motherfucker.

Reilo, let me know if you need any E30 stuff while I'm hunting in the junkyards.

 

[AlphaSnake]

I was talking about the screen's responsiveness...

Oh, it seemed like because you were denoting the transmission in the same line of words as feeling slow, I figured you were talking about performance. Haha

 

[reilo]

Reilo, let me know if you need any E30 stuff while I'm hunting in the junkyards.

Hah, thanks I do, but I think you are some 900 miles further south from me. Luckily there's a local junkyard in Portland and the owner loves his E30s.

But right now I'm hurting for cash and a garage lol.

 

[33-Hit-Combo]

Oh, it seemed like because you were denoting the transmission in the same line of words as feeling slow, I figured you were talking about performance. Haha

Yeah I reread it and it does come off that way, whoops! Can confirm the 2.2L is also slow!

 

[YuriLowell]

God this headgasket on this disco sucks. I have to fucking take out the steering column to take out my Drivers side exhaust mani.

Also I need to put a new clutch in my Evo. Any recommendations?