2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992) 1986-1992 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections.

newbie question-how to make a NA FC fast

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Old May 15, 2002 | 04:22 AM
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newbie question-how to make a NA FC fast

Just curious..looking to get a good auto X car and looking at a few options...now abouts would i go making a fast NA FC..no forced induction of any kind...and what would i need to make it handle tight..thanx guys.
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Old May 15, 2002 | 04:30 AM
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Port the engine for more power. I think a SP would be the best for you. Small steeringwheel is good if you steer a lot. Stiffer springs. Sway bars. Better pedals.
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Old May 15, 2002 | 05:27 AM
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make sure that you get the 89-91 rx-7. they come with 160+-5hp and the 86-88 came with 140+-5hp. its all in the intake manifold and computer and what not. fabricate a bunch of stuff. make a cai. you can get them to close to 200 hp. pretty nice if its an auto x car definately. TAKE THE WEIGHT OUT. . . as im sure you would do and that hp should be nice. change your gear ratios blahblahblah........... your gonna
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Old May 15, 2002 | 05:35 AM
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Start simple and work your way up:
1) Learn how to drive (or work on your skills until they become "mAd sKiLlS Yo!!"
2) Remove weight. Start small (spare, matts, carpet, various redundant plastics etc) and go up (AC, PS, pump etc)
3) Cone filter, TID, cold-air box, ram-air-scoop, FTP, headlight scoop (all these for the intake)
4) Various bits of exhaust: mufflers, DP, Y-pipe, MP (in order of importance and legality-to-remove )
5) Other small things like pulleys, pressure regulator, colder plugs, better wires, open 6ports
6) Then, if turbo is out the door, you should trying porting. I agree that a street port is adequate, if you want the car to be streetable...

Anyone want to correct me or add anything ?
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Old May 15, 2002 | 07:17 AM
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You need a HUGE spoiler!!! Make all that downforce, cause all that mad torque is gunna mess with yer' rear!

I mean.... no, I think you have it all covered.
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Old May 15, 2002 | 07:23 AM
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Will be just for auto X, if so check the rules first before doing anything to it. If it will be used for street use too, then everything has been covered already!
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Old May 15, 2002 | 07:24 AM
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Do a search. Seriosly, not being an *** or anything, but there was a 5 or 6 page thread entitled " how to make a beefy N/A" ...lota of good info
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Old May 15, 2002 | 08:17 AM
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stay away from speed mods, suspension is where its at. you can have a 10 second car, but a car that has tight handling will auto-X its *** till the end of time.

you got to be very careful about what you do. ANY mods you do can jump you up in class. be sure of the rules. obvious weight reduction is usually ok for local events. stick to suspension mods first. those will help you the most in auto-X. you really dont even need and speed mods.
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Old May 15, 2002 | 09:24 AM
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If you are into auto crossing, just save your pennies for a couple years, and go out and buy a mp3, or a 3rd gen. With all the bolt-ons, with a n/a engine, (no porting) you're looking at around 190 flywheel hp max. With a ported engine and everything else, i just put down a hair under 170rwhp. People will tell you all sorts of numbers, but when it comes down to it, %90 of the people don't have any dyno time. my .2 cents. CJ
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Old May 15, 2002 | 09:35 AM
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Originally posted by rotorbrain
make sure that you get the 89-91 rx-7. they come with 160+-5hp and the 86-88 came with 140+-5hp. its all in the intake manifold and computer and what not.
I disagree with this; the series 4 cars are not really any slower and weigh 200lbs less. The series 5 13B really only has 2Ft-lb more torque than the series 4 car as well.

But, if I am autocrossing either basically stock I'd rather have the car that had 2600 lbs rather than 2800.

Road and track tested a 89 GXL and came up with a 8.6 second 0-60 while the 86 GXL tested by the same mag back in late 85 had a 8.0 second 0-60.

The only exception to this in my book would be the 89-90 GTUs. The 89-90 GTUs would be my first choice for an autoX or IT car. Followed by a 86-87 Sport and the a 88 GTU.
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Old May 15, 2002 | 12:50 PM
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Look, if you're going to auto-x the car, then don't listen to 99% of the advice here. It's all about which class you want to compete in.

Stick with the stock class for now, and mod to the limit of that class. So, new shocks (Koni), front swaybar, exhaust, wheels/tires are about it. Get the car running as well as you can, add all of those parts, and go race. Hoosiers are great R compound tires, kinda pricey. Kumho V700s are good, Toyo Proxes RA-1s last a very long time (as R compound tires go)

Seat time Seat time Seat time. Get out there and DRIVE!

PaulC
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Old May 15, 2002 | 01:32 PM
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I'm with Silkworm. The very best thing you can do to have "fast" NA is to REALLY learn to drive it. Then spend your money on mods you can live with in your class. CACC classing is fun with the points thing. I'm able to be competitive in CSS with my 88 GTU, but I wouldn't be in the stock class.
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Old May 15, 2002 | 01:54 PM
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Originally posted by pp13bnos
If you are into auto crossing, just save your pennies for a couple years, and go out and buy a mp3, or a 3rd gen. With all the bolt-ons, with a n/a engine, (no porting) you're looking at around 190 flywheel hp max. With a ported engine and everything else, i just put down a hair under 170rwhp. People will tell you all sorts of numbers, but when it comes down to it, %90 of the people don't have any dyno time. my .2 cents. CJ
In what category will you be running with a NA 3rdgen?

ohh and I agree about the dyno time thing!
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Old May 15, 2002 | 01:57 PM
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Originally posted by Icemark


I disagree with this; the series 4 cars are not really any slower and weigh 200lbs less. The series 5 13B really only has 2Ft-lb more torque than the series 4 car as well.

But, if I am autocrossing either basically stock I'd rather have the car that had 2600 lbs rather than 2800.

Road and track tested a 89 GXL and came up with a 8.6 second 0-60 while the 86 GXL tested by the same mag back in late 85 had a 8.0 second 0-60.

The only exception to this in my book would be the 89-90 GTUs. The 89-90 GTUs would be my first choice for an autoX or IT car. Followed by a 86-87 Sport and the a 88 GTU.
Or you can use a 86-88 chassis with a 89-91 engine internals, I know a couple of guys over here doing that!
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Old May 15, 2002 | 03:33 PM
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All RX-7's came with incredible handling to begin with....
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Old May 15, 2002 | 03:56 PM
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Originally posted by KNONFS


Or you can use a 86-88 chassis with a 89-91 engine internals, I know a couple of guys over here doing that!
That's what my RX-7 is running..

PaulC
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Old May 15, 2002 | 10:56 PM
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wow..thanx for all the input guys and sorry about not doing a search but i'm kinda lazy...i want to be able to auto X it but make it streetable...daily driver...
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Old May 15, 2002 | 11:12 PM
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send your car to me!!!!

ill make it fast

Justin
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Old May 15, 2002 | 11:55 PM
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I just meant, (I say this, because i've been down this road before.) Unless you go with a bridge port, or bigger, the n/a 2nd gen car is never going to be fast. No if, ands or butts. Lets be honest withour selves, even 170rwhp is'nt that fast. Even if someone where to build a bridge port, a very mildy modded turbo car will walk circles around it.

My 3rd gen with a down pipe, and RB intake ran the same mph in the 1/4 mile that my 13B peripheral engine did. The nice thing about the 3rd gen was that i did it almost a second faster.

The 2nd gen cars are nice. (I've owned lots.) But do your self a favor, and don't build it. Save your pennies, and buy a 2nd car (preferably turbo) then build the crap out of it.

CJ
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Old May 16, 2002 | 12:12 AM
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not to sound dumb but whats bridge porting?
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Old May 16, 2002 | 01:37 AM
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Originally posted by giant killer
not to sound dumb but whats bridge porting?
Something that you DONT want for a street car

Bridge Port (BP) and Peripheral Port (PP) are two ways of making your rotary engine breath a lot better at high RPMs, but really turn it into a dog at low RPMs. Usually includes balancing and lightening of various parts, along with the extra port and the "porting" of everything that leads in and out of the housing
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Old May 16, 2002 | 08:03 AM
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Originally posted by pp13bnos
I just meant, (I say this, because i've been down this road before.) Unless you go with a bridge port, or bigger, the n/a 2nd gen car is never going to be fast. No if, ands or butts. Lets be honest withour selves, even 170rwhp is'nt that fast. Even if someone where to build a bridge port, a very mildy modded turbo car will walk circles around it.

My 3rd gen with a down pipe, and RB intake ran the same mph in the 1/4 mile that my 13B peripheral engine did. The nice thing about the 3rd gen was that i did it almost a second faster.

The 2nd gen cars are nice. (I've owned lots.) But do your self a favor, and don't build it. Save your pennies, and buy a 2nd car (preferably turbo) then build the crap out of it.

CJ
I agree with you up to some point, it is true that 170hp is nothing to brag about, hell Hondas & Neons make more power than that nowdays. However I do believe that a NA with a Halltech\carb, and aftermarket intake manifolds can be made relatively fast, but then again the $$$ invested would not make it worth it when compared to the same $$$ invested in a T2.

IMHO, since I already have a NA with I\H\E, I will proceed with a Haltech, after that a T2 engine will be in order. Sure it will take time for me to build what I want, but building it myself will be the other side of the fun.
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Old May 18, 2002 | 05:28 PM
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Most engine mods are unneeded for autoX. As has been stated in this thread before, your best bets are tires, then suspension. Lighter wheels can help some in they do not take as long of time to be stopped/started again. Horsepower is really only an issue if you were going to race the car in SCCA type of race track events where top speed is an issue.

But the most important thing is seat time and learning how to make yourself a better driver. I used to have a stock 85 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe with only upgraded tires. I used to beat the times of people with 944's, MR2's and 240-SX's all the time when I was just playing around.

The big problem is making too many mods that bumps you into another class and you can mod yourself right out of contention.

Good luck
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Old May 19, 2002 | 03:15 AM
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Originally posted by pp13bnos
I just meant, (I say this, because i've been down this road before.) Unless you go with a bridge port, or bigger, the n/a 2nd gen car is never going to be fast. No if, ands or butts. Lets be honest withour selves, even 170rwhp is'nt that fast. Even if someone where to build a bridge port, a very mildy modded turbo car will walk circles around it.

My 3rd gen with a down pipe, and RB intake ran the same mph in the 1/4 mile that my 13B peripheral engine did. The nice thing about the 3rd gen was that i did it almost a second faster.

The 2nd gen cars are nice. (I've owned lots.) But do your self a favor, and don't build it. Save your pennies, and buy a 2nd car (preferably turbo) then build the crap out of it.

CJ
I dont see why you're trying to bash on the NA FC's in specific. Any car which comes in NA and turbo trim, 9 times out of 10 the turbo models are gonna be faster. You're example comes down to NA cars vs. turbo cars and its plain knowledge that turbos easier to get fast rather then the NA counterpart. Your 3rd gen probably tears it up on the 1/4mile but thats not all thats involved in autox. The linear power output and quick response of a well built NA is great advantage. And the 13B responds great to NA or turbo tuning, more so then other comparable engines.
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Old May 19, 2002 | 10:28 AM
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He was saying he wanted to know about making a n/a fast...i'm just saying, within reason, you are not going to make a n/a fast.

I love my n/a 2nd gen, but if you want a car that grips, go out and buy a miata, mp3, or get into shifter carts ($$) CJ
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