Car Modifying 106 - Trash Course

Welcome to Car Modifying 106. Today's topic is:

Clearing out unnecessary rubbish

Yes, today I'll teach you how to take out trash. From your car. Bear in mind this guide goes from practical to simply insane. Continue at your own risk.

The reason I'm doing this is because, for each extra weight, the engine have to use more power to pull the car. This is best felt if the car is front wheel drive, as the car feels like it was struggling to go. Less weight means the engine doesn't have to work that hard, that means you're improving car response, acceleration and braking performance, and fuel economy.

And this is what we want the car to end up looking like, if we're super anti-social:

Lets begin the spring cleaning!

Car audio system and other entertainment crap? OUT! (saves 5KG-50KG, if your system looks like above)

Air-cond system? OUT!(Saves engine power and 10KG altogether)

Babies? OUT!( You'll save 1-2Kg here)

Family or Friends? OUT!(Save 60-200kg)

Spare tyre? OUT!(Save 1-5kg)

Portable toolbox? OUT!(Save 500g to 1KG)

Standard seats? OUT! (Saves 5-10KG)

Carpets and interior linings, plastic, all the crap? OUT! (Save around 50KG)

Standard metal hood? OUT!(Saves 3-5KG)

Carbon-Fibre hood? IN!(Weight almost O.OKG)

Racing seat? IN! (Doesn't weight alot, and might make you more popular with the girls)

Carbon fibre roof? IN!(Same reason as carbon fibre hood)

I think we've established that, there's no end or how extreme you can be to throw/remove stuff to save weight. I hope this idea can get to you. Thanks for reading.

Car Modifying 105 - Brakes

Welcome to Car Modifying 105. Today's topic is:

Brake /Slow vehicle down without other human intervention other than driver

Ahaha, what a funny picture. Anyway, thats just the motorcycle, imagine whats gonna happen to a 1 tonne(1000kg) car moving at 60KMph?

Braking work by having the brake caliper + pad(the thing that clamp the disc) contact with the rotor, the big disc thingie. The friction created will cause energy conversion(kinetic/potential energy to heat energy, brakes gets hot if you use them alot), hence slowing down. Bigger caliper result in larger contact area, hence more energy conversion.

If you pay close attention I haven even got to increase more power. Because its extremely dangerous having a 500HP monster engine and milk bottle cover to stop your car. So before we venture any deeper, we must have more stopping power than rocket thrust.

This is a normal front brake system you'll find on passenger car.(below)

If you're planing to go far(like...live longer) with the engine power max out, you'll need one of these:

These are performance brake, or  racing brake. They are lighter, and some constructed out of exotic material that will prevent brake fade(but thats abit too far if you just want to go fast on normal road). Most importantly, they shave speed like nothing else.

Good one like Brembo is going to cost you. But decide which is best for your vehicle. You certainly don't need racing brake if your car is going to spend the rest of its life doing a max speed of 60KMph, or in the traffic jam scenario, not moving. 

Once you've done this properly, treat yourself to this:

Glowing ring of intensity

Enjoy.

Car Modifying 104 - Tires

Welcome to Car Modifying 104. Today's topic is:

Tyre / Rubber

You've found your perfect rim, but you wouldn't want it to be the first thing to kiss the road, so you need some rubber.

There is a time when wheels are made out from wood/metal and rubber isn't even gaining popularity with condom industry yet. 

Anyway, if you have a car you will notice the tires and wheels are ROUND. When your car is moving, the tire doesn't changes shape in to SQUARE, which means theres only a small part of the tire is in contact with the road AT ALL TIME.

And it is that small stripe of rubber thats going to determine whether you can brake, or you'll go through the Pearly Gates with bits of car stuck in you. Like:

Don't really fancy ending up this way, thank you

That is why you don't drive fast in rain, or when your car have poor grip on road. This is also a phenomenon known as Aquaplanning, google it to find out more.

The only reason you can cruise smoothly at 150KMph and still able to steer the vehicle is because of grip. If you can't steer the car, or you feel the car is wobbly, step on brake slowly. You certainly don't want to upset the balance(which its suffering to gain) and sent everyone spiraling to Heaven/Hell/ Automotive gaveyard.

Because I'm a little lazy, I'll recommend you take a read at Christopher J Longhurst's CarBible on Wheels and Tyres.

I hope you have a good read. Till then. 

Car Modifying 103 - Wheels

Welcome to Car Modifying 103: Today's topic is:

Wheel / Rim

The equivalent of wearing a "I f**ked your boyfriend/girlfriend" T-Shirt. Very flashy sometimes, and useless mostly. A good set of wheels will set you back quite alot, and if they're aluminium alloy, they're even costly.

But you'd still want one of these shiny babies. For aesthetic reason of course

In the older days wheels are made from machine-pressed steel, which is heavy, and not good looking, and not good when dissapating heat. Only the top of the breed sports car have the alloys, but back then its not very good either, just abit better.

Fast forward to modern day, cheap passenger cars are already fitted with aluminium alloy wheels, but sometimes, it isn't cool enough to show that you're young and rebellious. Like our Sarawakian young men demonstrate(picture below):

Dis' zis ma rad(ride)muthaf**ka

Scientifically speaking, your engine turns the wheel, the less weight it has to push/lug/force to move, the better your car's performance, and it may save some precious black gold(petrol).

I don't recommend the most expensive alloy wheels in the market, simply because it isn't worth it, and they're quite fragile. C'mon, if you can lift the rim with one finger and no effort, you think this can withstand Malaysian PotHole(TM) ?

Anyway, pick the one you like the most, and if possible, lighter than the standard one, if possible. 

Look around for deals, before you know it you'll have a nice set of sporty, rebelious looking rim, with no rubber, which is going to be covered in Car Modifying 104

To Be Continued....in seconds/minutes/hours/days/weeks/months/years/centuries/mellenium

Car Modifying 102 - Exhaust System

Welcome to Car Modifying 102, today's topic is:

EXHAUST SYSTEM

You've increase breathing/intake, now its time to enhance exhaling/exhaust. You can't just take in without farting out(?)

What normal people would do is change to straight pipe and a bigger muffler for added sound, but no go. Yes straight pipe makes air exit faster, but where did it start?

Stock exhaust manifold is design with noise control and fuel economy in mind, hence not very good with performance. 

Performance exhaust manifold is like a well connected highway(with no toll), with easing the jam(reduce backpressure) as its sole goal. In modern days, computers were involve in designing the manifold to ensure that the gasses will "join" or merge perfectly and exit quickly. Like F1's exhaust manifold(look below):

Because F1 engine eat(intake) as fast as it shit(exhaust), the exhaust system cannot afford to have any sound deadening stuff or catalyst to restrict airflow, hence the insanely loud noise and firework.

But your car is not F1. Anyway we're trying to keep it realistic. A simple 4-2-1 manifold plus straight pipe, plus high flow catalyst(you still need this to pass emmision tests), plus low restriction muffler(easier gas flow, and louder), is guaranteed to make your engine just a little more competitive than stock cars of same model.

If you're tight on cash, forgo the manifold, have the entire pipe starting from after the manifold, like this(look below), you'll still feel enhancement, namely the noise level.

"Stock pipe" vs. "High flow pipe system"

Decide well. Always remember:

MORE POWER = MORE FUEL CONSUMPTION

Theres no 2 way for this

Car Modifying 101 - Air Filter

Welcome to Car Modifying 101. Today's Topic is:

AIR FILTER(INTAKE SYSTEM)

This is the basic of the basic, don't even think of doing anything else before modifying your intake system, or air filter for that matter.

Your engine is like your body, and the air filter is your lung. If your lung is clogged, you can't breate well, hence suffering oxygen deprivation, and your heart rate will go, then you die(exxagerating). Same goes for your air filter. A clogged filter means the engine can't breathe properly, hence the ECU will inject more fuel, resulting in poor fuel economy just because you're too lazy to clean your air filter. 

Spot the similarities between the dirty filter and dirty lung?

Also, long intake piping increase low end torque, and mediocre high speed performance. Short intake pipe will affect vehicle pickup, but when your vehicle speed is higher(speed and rev), thats when it really shines. Kinda like our biological reproduction really, long = slow, short = fast

Decide well. Always remember:

MORE POWER = MORE FUEL CONSUMPTION

Theres no 2 way for this