The SP18 project - Page 2

pr1mo · 10-01-2005, 09:13 PM

yep at least u can get biggish mags with the correct offset in the 4 stud pattern too

cheers mike

chicaboo · 10-01-2005, 09:29 PM

Thanks Hang, but I think I've checked those guys out before, and they want too much to ship the springs. But I've just sent them an email to check their shipping rate again.
I'm not worried about the shorty antenna on the back, I sort of like the gumby antenna near the drivers door because I can just pull it in before a car wash or reversing near low hanging tree branches (or for those sparrows at work that sit on it and **** on it!)...
Argh, the 16" wheels are fine for now, but I do wish I had the 5 stud pattern so I could get the wheels I really like. But people seem to dig my wheels as they are, so I'm not really worried. But I can't get the 300mm brake upgrade either because of the 4 stud thing too...
Maybe one of you guys could card that guy DVSCRO to see if he can make it to the Newcastle cruise? It'd be nice to see another SP18 getting around.
Oh yeah, I can't be bothered updating the SP18 project link for a while, so check the last QLD cruise for the latest pics of the car if your interested.

Gav.

Cloudland · 10-01-2005, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicaboo

Thanks Hang, but I think I've checked those guys out before, and they want too much to ship the springs. But I've just sent them an email to check their shipping rate again.

yes they quoted me air parcel first, like US$120 or something.

ask them for usps ground specifically, they'll do it.

tidy protege · 12-01-2005, 03:10 PM

I have envited him and he is trying to make the cruise if posible

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicaboo

Maybe one of you guys could card that guy DVSCRO to see if he can make it to the Newcastle cruise? It'd be nice to see another SP18 getting around.
Gav.

chicaboo · 12-01-2005, 08:01 PM

Craig: That's good news, I can't wait to see how his version of the kit has worked out!

Hang: I heard back about the springs, they want $80aud for surface mail and $160aud for airmail. I won't be paying that much for shipping, that's insane in anyones currency!

Generally: I will be updating this thread with the latest pics and performance aspects of the car, maybe before the Newcastle cruise. I will be posting dyno data of my upgrades so that those who wish to do the same mods can decide if it's worth it or not. These Dynos cost me $50 a pop, so you better kiss my ring for it in return!
EG: The 1.8 has extremely good headers out of the factory, much better than the SP20's! So my OBX made absolutely no gain at all in HP after the K&N already gained 2.3kW. But it felt like it had more torque? This could however also be the physical limit of the bottleneck caused by the stock exhaust from the cat back?
If someone is willing to pitch in some $$ or labour for the valueble data, I will put the stock headers back on to dyno with the new catback then do a dyno with the OBX to see the actual gain on the headers alone... This is the only way I can isolate the gain the headers will make after having freed up the exhaust.
I'm yet to dyno the Intake cam+plugs/leads. But I can tell you the leads make no difference that can be felt so who farken cares right? But the plugs made the car feel more responsive from take off, and possibly placebo, but possibly made it start up quicker and more easily? The intake came has definately made the car sound more agressive and snarly!

More to come,
Gav.

Cloudland · 12-01-2005, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicaboo

Hang: I heard back about the springs, they want $80aud for surface mail and $160aud for airmail. I won't be paying that much for shipping, that's insane in anyones currency!

i remembered checking usps website, with quoted shipping weight of the springs, it costs about US$60 to get to NZ. i guess that'd be the cheapest option. the other guy on ebay did try to put US$75 something on shipping.

http://ircalc.usps.gov/weight.asp?Contents=1

32.5 lbs (shipping weight of pro-kit) to OZ, it costs US$58 with Economy (Surface) Parcel Post , USR130/140 with air parcel/priority mail

twilightprotege · 12-01-2005, 09:51 PM

yeah unfortunately a lot of o/s charge more for shipping to make more profit. p!sses me off.

chicaboo · 12-01-2005, 10:30 PM

Mitch Buckner from www.protege5online.com wants $290usd to have the Eibachs shipped via surface mail. He's also got some used Eibachs available for roughly $110usd, but he wants to sell them with new Tokico struts for a $500usd package within the US. He's basically put me on the low priority list until he's sure no one wants them locally...
There are a few places on eBay asking $185ish usd for the springs alone, but the outrageous shipping costs blow out the value. If Mitch won't do the used springs for me I will get the cheapest surface mail option, whatever that may be...

chicaboo · 12-01-2005, 10:51 PM

OK, I just did some hunting around again, and here are the results:

www.protege5online.com want $290(240+50)usd for the springs.
Kuruma Motoring off eBay want $265(185+80)usd for the springs.
Both options are via USPS surface snail mail...

Mitch from pro5 also wants ~$180usd with insurance just for the airmail on the 2nd hand springs he has advertised... Oh, there's that $290usd again (110+180=290). Man this guy is a crook! I think I'll give him another couple of days and then just go for the Kuruma deal?

Gav.

twilightprotege · 12-01-2005, 11:05 PM

go the ebay

Cloudland · 12-01-2005, 11:16 PM

hey Gav

just got some bad news for U. the Kuruma guys? they only accept bidpay for overseas order. there is a catch with bidpay, U pay the charges. basic charge is ... ugh, i don't really recall, a few percentage.

anyway, the final bill for me, is US$258.53, that'd be 185 for the spring, $60 for ground shipping, that'd about 5.5% premium charged by the bidpay.

oh, r U sure the ground shipping is US$80 not AU$80 in Ur last post? it's still cheaper with Kuruma though.

chicaboo · 12-01-2005, 11:27 PM

Thanks for the warning Hang, I'm sending another Q to Kuruma to suss out the fine print...
OH yeah, WTF was your shipping only $60 and it is gonna be $80 for me??? NZ is not that much closer to the US...

Cloudland · 12-01-2005, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicaboo

OH yeah, WTF was your shipping only $60 and it is gonna be $80 for me???

more ships to NZ maybe?

platypus · 12-01-2005, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cloudland

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicaboo

OH yeah, WTF was your shipping only $60 and it is gonna be $80 for me???

more ships to NZ maybe?

more ships out i'd think :roll: :roll:

could be to do with the proximity to the port, i'm not too sure on how much parcel post comes into Australia from the americas via Brisbane....

shipping quote for sydney in order perhaps??

havong said that, it should be flat to the country, as Australia Post don't charge the USPS, and vice versa...

chicaboo · 13-01-2005, 12:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahb11m

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cloudland

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicaboo

OH yeah, WTF was your shipping only $60 and it is gonna be $80 for me???

more ships to NZ maybe?

more ships out i'd think :roll: :roll:

Now that's farken funny!
Atleast if NZ ever has a huge natural disaster, the other countries can send as much foreign aid as they like, we can send replacement Kiwis!

Take it easy,
Gav.

chicaboo · 16-01-2005, 08:41 PM

SP18 update,

I ordered the Eibachs off eBay from the same place that Hang is getting his from. Let's just say this guy does not want it to be easy for me to pay him!!! Anyhow, that's all resolved and has only cost me another trip to McDonalds as a sign of appreciation in addition to the cost of the springs.
This weekend I installed the scuffplates and did some general maintanence on the car. I think I may be too lazy to try and find someone who can cut vinyl for me this week to do the SP18 stickers, but I have been waiting for a friend to buy is vinyl cutter so I could use his... I'd rather not try and feed that stuff through a printer and try and cut it buy hand with scissors, I want it to look a little more pro than that.
Oh, and I haven't found the time :roll: to get someone to monogram my car seat covers with the SP18 logo yet either. Ummm, if I design the logo first, that might help!
But the best news of all is that the custom 2.25" stainless steel mandrel bent exhaust system will be getting installed on Saturday. This includes a LITTLE (thanks Andrew!

) Magnaflow 91005 hi-flow cat and a cheap but nice 2.5>3.5" glassfibre packed canon muffler with a removeable silencer.
So watch out when I hit Newcaslte on Sunday. SP18 will be cummin' with the thunder!

Now if only I could sell that farken front bumper...
Gav.

twilightprotege · 16-01-2005, 10:57 PM

why the

on the cat???

see : http://home.earthlink.net/~pritos/ci...ml#exhmuffflow

you have the carsound 2.25". happy now? told you not to listen to rob bliss.

chicaboo · 16-01-2005, 11:17 PM

Hey it's not so bad afterall, pretty good infact!

's for Andrew!
Hmmm, I hope Rob can put the exhaust together nicely atleast. He's a smart but strange fellow.
Oh well, here's hoping that I unleash not only the power of the exhaust, but the bottled potential of the OBX and intake cam too. 2nd gear spinning here I come! (in the wet ofcourse...

ops: ).

chicaboo · 29-01-2005, 01:08 PM

Update,

Got my exhaust finished the day before I left for the Australia Day in Newcastle cruise.
My initial impressions were that I just wasted a whole bunch of money! However after driving 900km down to Newcastle the thing started to wake up over the next couple of days. I didn't get a chance to reset the ECU the day I had it fitted, but I don't think it needs it now.
Well, there was no spinning 2nd gear in the wet, but it certainly has ape**** in gear accelleration from 40kph. Actually it now has a geater spread of power from where it wil happily accellerate from now. It will pull agressively from 20-40 and 70-100 with much stronger response in between those points aswell. At a guess I think I've lifted from 65 to 75kW. It really is quite a noticeable jolt of power, so it could be possibly even more. But I won't know for sure until the next dyno...
Argh, and after driving Craig's stock manual 1.8, I can't wait for the bloody auto to be ripped apart from the big power mods I'm going to do in the future so I can do a manual swap...

Looking forward to slipping gears,
Gav.

chicaboo · 06-03-2005, 10:20 PM

Update,

The SP18 has reached a pivotal moment in it's existance. Due to the performance constraints of the gay auto, in the last week I have been agonising over the decision to sell the SP18 and buy a manual 1.8 or SP20 (they both have their pros and cons, don't try and sell me the SP20!).
I have decided since the SP18 is unique and individual in the world of 1.8s that I will keep it, particulary since I have spent so much time and money into research in getting it to where it is now! The weak link in it's performance is the auto, so I've listened to the suggestions and will do a manual convertion.
I'm thinking I will buy a manual 1.8 BJII from auction or cheap private sale, then do a direct side by side swap of the transmission, hydraulics, driveshafts and ecu. I can even document this as an "how to" if there is enough interst. I figure I can then turn around and sell the now auto doner car to break even or atleast make a marginal profit (which will most likely go towards Maccas and alcohol during the intensive labour).
I don't know what the legalities are of a transmission swap, but it will only apply to the car that I will be onselling. So if anyone knows if I will need an engineers certificate or any other consequences such as a safety certificate, please let me know what I'm in for.
I'm also asking for volunteers in the Brisbane area that may be able to assist in sourcing a doner vehicle in good condition (that won't be needing a majour service any time soon) and to assist with the actual convertion. Don't worry, your genorosity will be rewarded in whatever manner suits you, whether it is monetary, ale, or similar help in kind some time down the track.

Also can a mod please move this thread to the "Lounge" now it's well outgrown it's original category.
Thanks guys,
Gav.

12-01-2005, 11:16 PM	#31
Cloudland Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Auckland Car: 2001 SP20 Posts: 246 View Photos By: Cloudland	hey Gav just got some bad news for U. the Kuruma guys? they only accept bidpay for overseas order. there is a catch with bidpay, U pay the charges. basic charge is ... ugh, i don't really recall, a few percentage. anyway, the final bill for me, is US$258.53, that'd be 185 for the spring, $60 for ground shipping, that'd about 5.5% premium charged by the bidpay. oh, r U sure the ground shipping is US$80 not AU$80 in Ur last post? it's still cheaper with Kuruma though. __________________ 2001 Mazda 323 SP20 Sunburst Yellow Sports Hatch

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10-01-2005, 09:13 PM	#21
pr1mo I MUST STOP MAKING STUPID POSTS! Yet I keep on making them. And I wonder why I get banned? Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: DansVille Car: auto Posts: 4,326	yep at least u can get biggish mags with the correct offset in the 4 stud pattern too cheers mike

10-01-2005, 09:29 PM	#22
chicaboo Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Logan prefecture Car: Touge monster Posts: 7,585	Thanks Hang, but I think I've checked those guys out before, and they want too much to ship the springs. But I've just sent them an email to check their shipping rate again. I'm not worried about the shorty antenna on the back, I sort of like the gumby antenna near the drivers door because I can just pull it in before a car wash or reversing near low hanging tree branches (or for those sparrows at work that sit on it and **** on it!)... Argh, the 16" wheels are fine for now, but I do wish I had the 5 stud pattern so I could get the wheels I really like. But people seem to dig my wheels as they are, so I'm not really worried. But I can't get the 300mm brake upgrade either because of the 4 stud thing too... Maybe one of you guys could card that guy DVSCRO to see if he can make it to the Newcastle cruise? It'd be nice to see another SP18 getting around. Oh yeah, I can't be bothered updating the SP18 project link for a while, so check the last QLD cruise for the latest pics of the car if your interested. Gav.

12-01-2005, 08:01 PM	#25
chicaboo Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Logan prefecture Car: Touge monster Posts: 7,585	Craig: That's good news, I can't wait to see how his version of the kit has worked out! Hang: I heard back about the springs, they want $80aud for surface mail and $160aud for airmail. I won't be paying that much for shipping, that's insane in anyones currency! Generally: I will be updating this thread with the latest pics and performance aspects of the car, maybe before the Newcastle cruise. I will be posting dyno data of my upgrades so that those who wish to do the same mods can decide if it's worth it or not. These Dynos cost me $50 a pop, so you better kiss my ring for it in return! EG: The 1.8 has extremely good headers out of the factory, much better than the SP20's! So my OBX made absolutely no gain at all in HP after the K&N already gained 2.3kW. But it felt like it had more torque? This could however also be the physical limit of the bottleneck caused by the stock exhaust from the cat back? If someone is willing to pitch in some $$ or labour for the valueble data, I will put the stock headers back on to dyno with the new catback then do a dyno with the OBX to see the actual gain on the headers alone... This is the only way I can isolate the gain the headers will make after having freed up the exhaust. I'm yet to dyno the Intake cam+plugs/leads. But I can tell you the leads make no difference that can be felt so who farken cares right? But the plugs made the car feel more responsive from take off, and possibly placebo, but possibly made it start up quicker and more easily? The intake came has definately made the car sound more agressive and snarly! More to come, Gav.

12-01-2005, 09:51 PM	#27
twilightprotege Driving a faster car now! Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Work, always at bloody work... Car: Lotus ....... . Posts: 5,217 View Photos By: twilightprotege	yeah unfortunately a lot of o/s charge more for shipping to make more profit. p!sses me off.

12-01-2005, 10:30 PM	#28
chicaboo Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Logan prefecture Car: Touge monster Posts: 7,585	Mitch Buckner from www.protege5online.com wants $290usd to have the Eibachs shipped via surface mail. He's also got some used Eibachs available for roughly $110usd, but he wants to sell them with new Tokico struts for a $500usd package within the US. He's basically put me on the low priority list until he's sure no one wants them locally... There are a few places on eBay asking $185ish usd for the springs alone, but the outrageous shipping costs blow out the value. If Mitch won't do the used springs for me I will get the cheapest surface mail option, whatever that may be...

12-01-2005, 10:51 PM	#29
chicaboo Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Logan prefecture Car: Touge monster Posts: 7,585	OK, I just did some hunting around again, and here are the results: www.protege5online.com want $290(240+50)usd for the springs. Kuruma Motoring off eBay want $265(185+80)usd for the springs. Both options are via USPS surface snail mail... Mitch from pro5 also wants ~$180usd with insurance just for the airmail on the 2nd hand springs he has advertised... Oh, there's that $290usd again (110+180=290). Man this guy is a crook! I think I'll give him another couple of days and then just go for the Kuruma deal? Gav.

12-01-2005, 11:05 PM	#30
twilightprotege Driving a faster car now! Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Work, always at bloody work... Car: Lotus ....... . Posts: 5,217 View Photos By: twilightprotege	go the ebay

12-01-2005, 11:27 PM	#32
chicaboo Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Logan prefecture Car: Touge monster Posts: 7,585	Thanks for the warning Hang, I'm sending another Q to Kuruma to suss out the fine print... OH yeah, WTF was your shipping only $60 and it is gonna be $80 for me??? NZ is not that much closer to the US...

16-01-2005, 08:41 PM	#36
chicaboo Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Logan prefecture Car: Touge monster Posts: 7,585	SP18 update, I ordered the Eibachs off eBay from the same place that Hang is getting his from. Let's just say this guy does not want it to be easy for me to pay him!!! Anyhow, that's all resolved and has only cost me another trip to McDonalds as a sign of appreciation in addition to the cost of the springs. This weekend I installed the scuffplates and did some general maintanence on the car. I think I may be too lazy to try and find someone who can cut vinyl for me this week to do the SP18 stickers, but I have been waiting for a friend to buy is vinyl cutter so I could use his... I'd rather not try and feed that stuff through a printer and try and cut it buy hand with scissors, I want it to look a little more pro than that. Oh, and I haven't found the time :roll: to get someone to monogram my car seat covers with the SP18 logo yet either. Ummm, if I design the logo first, that might help! But the best news of all is that the custom 2.25" stainless steel mandrel bent exhaust system will be getting installed on Saturday. This includes a LITTLE (thanks Andrew! ) Magnaflow 91005 hi-flow cat and a cheap but nice 2.5>3.5" glassfibre packed canon muffler with a removeable silencer. So watch out when I hit Newcaslte on Sunday. SP18 will be cummin' with the thunder! Now if only I could sell that farken front bumper... Gav.

16-01-2005, 10:57 PM	#37
twilightprotege Driving a faster car now! Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Work, always at bloody work... Car: Lotus ....... . Posts: 5,217 View Photos By: twilightprotege	why the on the cat??? see : http://home.earthlink.net/~pritos/ci...ml#exhmuffflow you have the carsound 2.25". happy now? told you not to listen to rob bliss.

16-01-2005, 11:17 PM	#38
chicaboo Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Logan prefecture Car: Touge monster Posts: 7,585	Hey it's not so bad afterall, pretty good infact! 's for Andrew! Hmmm, I hope Rob can put the exhaust together nicely atleast. He's a smart but strange fellow. Oh well, here's hoping that I unleash not only the power of the exhaust, but the bottled potential of the OBX and intake cam too. 2nd gear spinning here I come! (in the wet ofcourse... ops: ).

29-01-2005, 01:08 PM	#39
chicaboo Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Logan prefecture Car: Touge monster Posts: 7,585	Update, Got my exhaust finished the day before I left for the Australia Day in Newcastle cruise. My initial impressions were that I just wasted a whole bunch of money! However after driving 900km down to Newcastle the thing started to wake up over the next couple of days. I didn't get a chance to reset the ECU the day I had it fitted, but I don't think it needs it now. Well, there was no spinning 2nd gear in the wet, but it certainly has ape**** in gear accelleration from 40kph. Actually it now has a geater spread of power from where it wil happily accellerate from now. It will pull agressively from 20-40 and 70-100 with much stronger response in between those points aswell. At a guess I think I've lifted from 65 to 75kW. It really is quite a noticeable jolt of power, so it could be possibly even more. But I won't know for sure until the next dyno... Argh, and after driving Craig's stock manual 1.8, I can't wait for the bloody auto to be ripped apart from the big power mods I'm going to do in the future so I can do a manual swap... Looking forward to slipping gears, Gav.

06-03-2005, 10:20 PM	#40
chicaboo Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Logan prefecture Car: Touge monster Posts: 7,585	Update, The SP18 has reached a pivotal moment in it's existance. Due to the performance constraints of the gay auto, in the last week I have been agonising over the decision to sell the SP18 and buy a manual 1.8 or SP20 (they both have their pros and cons, don't try and sell me the SP20!). I have decided since the SP18 is unique and individual in the world of 1.8s that I will keep it, particulary since I have spent so much time and money into research in getting it to where it is now! The weak link in it's performance is the auto, so I've listened to the suggestions and will do a manual convertion. I'm thinking I will buy a manual 1.8 BJII from auction or cheap private sale, then do a direct side by side swap of the transmission, hydraulics, driveshafts and ecu. I can even document this as an "how to" if there is enough interst. I figure I can then turn around and sell the now auto doner car to break even or atleast make a marginal profit (which will most likely go towards Maccas and alcohol during the intensive labour). I don't know what the legalities are of a transmission swap, but it will only apply to the car that I will be onselling. So if anyone knows if I will need an engineers certificate or any other consequences such as a safety certificate, please let me know what I'm in for. I'm also asking for volunteers in the Brisbane area that may be able to assist in sourcing a doner vehicle in good condition (that won't be needing a majour service any time soon) and to assist with the actual convertion. Don't worry, your genorosity will be rewarded in whatever manner suits you, whether it is monetary, ale, or similar help in kind some time down the track. Also can a mod please move this thread to the "Lounge" now it's well outgrown it's original category. Thanks guys, Gav.