Aftermarket help
 

Hey everyone. Im new to the forum and new to FCs for sure. Im an AE86 corolla guy lol but I got an 1986 FC GXL in a trade(long story but a good one)
anyway, I was wondering what performance upgrades I should go for first? I was thinking just like an intake and exhaust but I don't know what brand to get or exactly where to look for good deals on stuff.
If anybody can help me out just let me know. I can trade AE86 stuff, or random sets and/or pairs of rims, or any other parts I have laying around if anybody wants to hook me up lol.
but for right now I just need to know what to look for first. My car is bone stock.
Thanks everybody
Nick

The first thing, before all modifications, is to go over the car and fix all the little problems. Full tuneup, all fluid changes, fix those worn bushings, replace the missing heat shields, have the injectors cleaned, etc. Basically, get the car 100% functional and working like it should.

Then, most of your gains will come from exhaust upgrades. A nice header (Racing Beat) with a nice resonated midpipe and quality catback (you can get all of this from RB, but at a cost...then again, their stuff is the best). Not much of a gain in intake, but if you want, plop in a cone filter in a proper cold air box. After that, an S-AFC or other inexpensive piggyback will allow you to lean out the ridiculously rich fuel curve.

Might make 165 or so HP to the wheels. Then get a nice suspension under the car and have fun.

ok cool cool. thanks. I figured I was gonna hear something about RB parts. Every time I read about an FC for sale or something it always has Racing Beat stuff on it somewhere lol.
I figured they had to be the best of the best if everyone liked them so much.
thanks again for the help

RB does have the best stuff so to speak and the most expensive. since you live in sc there are no emitions so do away with the cats but remember the 86 to 88 s4 cars secondary ports run off back pressure in the exhaust so you dont want straight through, a header is real nice but real loud but then again anything you do to the exhaust is gonna make it loud. With an 88 I had I put a straight pipe from the header to the y pipe kept the factory y pipe and changed the mufflers it was really loud but sounded good and kept some back pressure because my straight pipe was 2 1/2 or 3/4 cant remember but the factory y pipe is only like 1 3/4 or 2 inch. finally check rx7.com they have good exhaust stuff and its a litte cheaper than rb.

thanks for the help on what to look into doing and where to go to get the parts.
also thats great to know about not just straight piping it because of the back pressure. I didn't know that. Im not real familiar with the rotary motors yet. I know basically how they work but thats it.
so I can run 2 1/2 piping from the header to the factory y pipe and then what after the factory y? can I run 2 1/2 after it to a couple HKS mufflers or something? you think that would keep enough back pressure not to harm anything?

If you run a straight pipe from the header to the catback, the car will be ridiculously loud and sound like a chainsaw on crack. At the very least you need a quality resonator in there, preferably 2. And avoid straight through mufflers as they are very loud in an NA rotary application.

Take everything Aaron Cake says on this forum as fact. No matter how many people contradict him, he is still right.

Not just a catback but high flow cats (or a presilencer if you don't care about life) will also show a significant difference. A header will delete your precat (always a good thing on rotaries) so that will help too along with better collection, flow, etc.

Coincidentally, theres some headers and high flow cats for sale right now on the FC for sale section! (see signature ;))



No, that is probably not enough pressure if you're going with a couple "straight through" mufflers and a straight pipe to delete all the cats. Not to mention it will be ridiculously loud. Listen, I love loud cars too, but you need to understand that making a rotary loud is EASY. There is absolutely no need to straight pipe it to get it loud. A simple change to high flow cats will show a difference in volume and performance (or a presilencer will work too). Changing the catback will help significantly as well, and one of the few catbacks that keep the car near stock sound levels is the Racing Beat. Headers will make it a little bit louder too. I ran a Corksport header to dual high flow cats (stock piping size) to a Corksport catback and it is loud and thats with 2 main cats!

thats great to know. Ill probably go with around the same set up when I do. Ill probably message ya'll for more help when I do too.
and I would love to buy the header and 2 high flow cats from you bro but I am broke at the moment. unless you want to trade for some AE86, 4agze, 4ac, and/or anything else I have laying around? 2 paintball guns and some nice gear to go with? hahahaha

Haha sorry. Do some reading in the NA performance section on exhaust setups.

This might be long.
Everyone is right about it being ridiculously loud you could hear my car from a half mile away. but as far as the ports workin properly they seemed to wrk for me just fine straight piping from the stock manifold to the STOCK y pipe and then some straight through mufflers. I think mine had 4inch tips dont remember the inlet. You can put a resonator or even 2 and itl bring down the sound and wont hurt the power enough to notice. On my 90 vert I have a straight pipe with a resonator stock y pipe and mufflers and it opened up enough for me. and the exhaust note isnt that bad either. ONE MORE THING always listen to aaron cake very knowledgeable and has helped me with alot of questions ive had

For anyone thinking about running a straight piped exhaust system:

Before you bite the bullet and start hacking away at your current exhaust mid-section, drop the precat off from the stock exhaust manifold and start the car. It will only take 20 minutes to do and will give you a great idea of the volume you're looking at creating with no presilencer/cats before straight-through mufflers.

Dont know if someone said this already but another place to get parts is Corksport.com. They list a resonator at about $180 I think.

+1, their LOUD