What a result!
10-03-2005, 10:30 AM
#1
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What a result!
After having said I wouldn't modify the car as it always goes too far.....
The car was already lowered when I bought it and looks great. However, recently the cat started to buzz a bit at low revs so I decided to replace it with a by-pass pipe. At the same time I bought a titanium strut-brace (both items from ebay) for the front.
I had these fitted to the car on Friday and what a result! The cat by-pass is a subtle change, slightly less muffled sound but not much louder (don't like it loud) and a DEFINITE but subtle change in throttle response and engine breathing. Much nicer response all through the revs.
What really got me going though was the strut-brace. It has TOTALLY transformed the handling. The slightly vague, understeery feeling on high speed bends has GONE, body roll is approx 50% reduced and the turn-in to slow and fast corners is transformed beyond all my expectations. It has that true go-kart feeling that my old 3.2 had. That's the end of mods for me for now, as the car is simply a joy to drive. See some of you guys on the 30th.....
Cheers
Alex
The car was already lowered when I bought it and looks great. However, recently the cat started to buzz a bit at low revs so I decided to replace it with a by-pass pipe. At the same time I bought a titanium strut-brace (both items from ebay) for the front.
I had these fitted to the car on Friday and what a result! The cat by-pass is a subtle change, slightly less muffled sound but not much louder (don't like it loud) and a DEFINITE but subtle change in throttle response and engine breathing. Much nicer response all through the revs.
What really got me going though was the strut-brace. It has TOTALLY transformed the handling. The slightly vague, understeery feeling on high speed bends has GONE, body roll is approx 50% reduced and the turn-in to slow and fast corners is transformed beyond all my expectations. It has that true go-kart feeling that my old 3.2 had. That's the end of mods for me for now, as the car is simply a joy to drive. See some of you guys on the 30th.....
Cheers
Alex
10-03-2005, 05:59 PM
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Hmm..Does all the heat sheilding get replaced too, with a cat bypass? Mine rattles too, the studs are long gone. Tempting!
The jury's been out for strut braces here at Rennlist for a while. Why didn't Porsche fit them? etc. Sounds like you're pretty convinced though! Are you a twoey or a fourey?
And; about those mirrors..
The jury's been out for strut braces here at Rennlist for a while. Why didn't Porsche fit them? etc. Sounds like you're pretty convinced though! Are you a twoey or a fourey?
And; about those mirrors..
10-03-2005, 06:08 PM
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My Cat was buzzing and it turned out to be the heat shields, I just took them all off and it seems ok now. I agree the front strut braces do have a positve effect on the way the car turns in.
10-04-2005, 02:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Johnny G Pipe
Does all the heat sheilding get replaced too, with a cat bypass? Mine rattles too, the studs are long gone. Tempting!
10-04-2005, 05:00 AM
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The heat shields were not replaced. As Andy says, the pipe is not quite as hot as the cat gets, also it is further away from bodywork, components etc...due to it's reduced diameter. By the way it still has the oxygen sensor.
My car is a Carerra 4 so the understeer issue was more than a 2. The car really has lost that understeer though and yes I'll get it on a track sometime to really test it out, although I know where that leads too - I ended up doing three seasons of racing off the back of doing track days some years back. Can't afford that anymore unfortunately!
Anyway, I would definitely recommend a strut brace to all Carrera 4 owners out there.
Oh, and by the way I actually prefer the flag mirrors to cups! Honestly!
Cheers
Alex
My car is a Carerra 4 so the understeer issue was more than a 2. The car really has lost that understeer though and yes I'll get it on a track sometime to really test it out, although I know where that leads too - I ended up doing three seasons of racing off the back of doing track days some years back. Can't afford that anymore unfortunately!
Anyway, I would definitely recommend a strut brace to all Carrera 4 owners out there.
Oh, and by the way I actually prefer the flag mirrors to cups! Honestly!
Cheers
Alex
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10-06-2005, 06:58 AM
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I'm with Alex on the strut-brace, except for the roll-reduction (my car had very little roll anyway) - better turn-in, reduced understeer (most of the time, I wasn't really aware of it before, but I realise now it's gone!), generally much sharper handling.