ste91

As others said, MeisterR's are good.

It's a supercharged EP80 series. Looks shite

Last time I got some Toyo T1R's were just under £35 a corner. I know what you're trying to get at with the "perfect setup" but what works for some might not feel right for you. Not trying to sound like a lecture as I'm no expert but from experience I've found that a car that gives you confidence is better to drive than one that makes you feel on edge all the time. Just as an example, my first Starlet had uprated shocks/springs, front and rear strut braces, and 195/45/15 Toyo tyres. It was good to drive because I knew the car and it was very predictable, the tyres would squeal a bit near the limit, and then it would just progress to some controllable under steer. The Honda CRX however, which had MeisterR coilovers should have easily out handled any other car I've ever owned, but it gave me very little confidence, I didn't know where it's limits were, don't get me wrong it was much more fun than the Starlet but I didn't ever use it's full potential (in saying that though I hadn't had it on the road for very long compared to my other cars). My current car is a Rover 200 on completely standard suspension, and it's the best of the bunch. I have changed my driving style a bit now, so maybe not pushing it as much but unlike the other two cars I don't feel the need to alter the suspension at all. I might do in the future just for the sake of having it a little bit lower but the car is fine as it is, there's no point me spending money on it as it's well within my limits as it is. Hope that helps, but in short, as long as it's a good dry day you should be able to have plenty of fun with what you've got.

Have you checked the basics i.e. ignition system parts? (Plugs/leads/etc...)

I'd ditch the Parada S2's and get some Toyo T1R's, they're "cheap but good" if you're on 195/50/15's. And I'd change the D2's for a set of MeisterR's. With those and the rest of the kit you're looking for you should be able to fly round most roads. Don't go too harsh on the damper settings though, my old Starlet had a good springs/shocks combo which were excellent on flat roads, it was like a go kart but on bumpy roads it just skipped about (not nice when you try braking on a bit of bumpy road and it just wants to lock up). MeisterR's on the CRX were great, perfect for the road, it was firm but not harsh. Now I'm on standard suspension in my current car, however I can still go nearly as quick. I wouldn't worry TOO MUCH about having this mod and that mod, unless you're really pushing the car to it's limits. You'll probably wont go much quicker, but you'll feel a lot safer. With B roads and lanes I'd always go for a softer setup, just watch a few touge vids on youtube, you'll notice the cars that have hard suspension tend to just bounce around.

What the fuck LOL why did he ram him at the end? LOL

Good base for a project, needs a manual conversion and some more power!

That weight is ridiculous, classic Mini's only weight 6XX something kg so you can appreciate how light it is. I bet you're sick of the "is it a turbo" questions though lol.

I know the JDM 4EFE came with 100ps, what I mean was the 5EFHE may have been a better starting point as it already has 110ps and revs quite high, so instead of having to change cams and whatever you could simply bolt on the other mods and away you go. I suppose you have to change the ECU/wiring loom with one of those though. Not doubting the 4EFE, just interested to see why he used a 4EFE bottom end when there are 5EFHE parts out there (Joz's build was pretty much a 5EFHE wasn't it?)

@ Geo - have you toyed with the idea of any more engine mods? Wilder cams and higher rev limit? Would be interesting to see how this fares against a 4AGE Starlet, but it would be hard to judge as obviously you can say the bigger engine is going to have more torque but it's offset by how light this Starlet is! I love the 4EFE but is there any reason you went for the 4EFE over a 5EFHE?

The revs will rise faster but also fall faster too, so for instance when you let your foot off the throttle and just roll along, the revs will drop quicker than usual whereas a standard flywheel will keep spinning and carry you along a bit more.

When you say it will do a high 14 that gives me a good idea of how quick it really is for a 1.3, there's a lad round by me with a 106 Quicksilver with a GTi engine, not sure what power it's running but that did a 14.7 I think and it kills most things round here. So for a 1.3 that's seriously quick. It makes me want another Starlet now lol, I'd love to build a similar engine and put it in a stripped and lightened EP91 shell.

I was just checking the vids and there's the white one aswell, was the white one written off and the engine transplanted into this one?

Is this a genuine race? Is it really that quick? />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHUBo2h18s0&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL Check the channel for the other vids if you haven't seen them, it's fucking mental. (And Geo is a joker lol!) I take it that it's a 100bhp 4EFE with the exhaust/manifold/cams from Joz's old 5EFHE build?

I keep wondering why so many people on Civic Life are talking about Starlet's. And then I realise I'm on UKSC lol.

Loving that dash board mate! What wheels are going on it?

Good to see it's back online. The layout is pretty much the same now as CivicLife so anyone who uses that forum will have no trouble with this new layout.

Hot exhaust + excess fuel.

I think they're quoted at 55mpg, so I guess about 50 around town. When crawling in slow traffic I just stick it in 2nd and let it tick over.

The MG's are pretty reliable, you may get the odd dodgy MAF sensor which can affect performance but you can easily change it as you can use a MAF off a Vauxhall I forget which one though, or use a "MAFAM" (MAF amplifier) which is made by a member on the MG-Rover forum, basically makes your duff MAF sensor work like it should. So that's easily solved. Other than that there isn't really a lot that can go wrong with them. Good solid cars despite the bad reputation that Rover have. And as much as I love Starlets, even my standard Rover 200 diesel handles and brakes far better than a standard Starlet, and is has comfier seats and a better ride too. They haven't got that "fun factor" that Starlets seem to have though.

An "extra few horses" on an MG ZR/ZT and (and Rover 25/45) is easy. All you need is a decat (£40ish), a set of injectors from a Rover 200/400/600 (less than £50 from a scrappy), and turn the boost up (free), and you easily have atleast 130bhp. Spend a bit more and get it remapped and you'll be touching 150bhp. Diesels are actually quite good for tuning. You don't even need to be too precise on the air/fuel ratios (within reason).

They're also very expensive. Rover ftw

The whole small petrol engine vs diesel MPG debate... personally after having both a small engined petrol car and a diesel, I'd take the diesel every time. I can't speak for other diesels so I'll use mine as an example (although I do know the VAG diesels are highly tunable). In standard form my Rover 220 SDi has 100bhp/155ftlb. I spent £70 on a decat and tuning box, and turned the boost up via the wastegate actuator. It now has around 125-130bhp and 200ftlb torque. That's 25bhp and 45ftlb over standard, for less than £75! And okay it's not exactly a drag strip demon but in the real world it's as quick as anything as you're almost always on the power, and keeping up on the motorway is no problem. Overtaking is effortless, you get a pensioner doing 30mph in a 60, put your foot down in 3rd and it makes them look like they're standing still. I don't suppose you'll be too bothered about performance as it's a daily driver but the thing is it doesn't affect the car in a negative way. Infact mpg has improved a tiny bit because you barely need to use any revs to get around. Driving round town you don't even need to go above 2k rpm. Basically, for less than £700 (that includes buying some MG ZR leather seats, tuning box, and decat) I've got a car that is comfy with a leather interior, reliable, good on fuel, and can pull like a train if I want it to. It's not going to beat much at Santa Pod but in the real world it's as good as anything.

I know you're going to lean more towards VAG, but have a look at the Rover diesels, the Rover 400/45 is probably the ideal sort of size for what you want. They might not be as refined or attractive as a modern diesel but they're still very good, and you can get a good R400 for well under a grand. Forget what you've heard about reliability. The diesel engine in them is bomb proof. And the car itself is based on a Honda Civic. Build quality is fine, the seats are comfy and they drive really well. Upwards of 50+ mpg and they can be tuned for pennies. They come with all the usual electrics and air con too. The VAG 1.9 diesel engine is a good choice, and you've got a variety of makes and models to choose from, but if you want a good alternative then I wouldn't over look the Rovers, as most people wouldn't even think about them.

There are plenty of the later model L series diesels (Rover 25/45, MG ZR/ZT) running 150bhp, on the standard turbo and uprated injectors (along with at least a remap, upped boost and decat), but that's about their limit. These earlier models (Rover 200/400/600) can get an easy 125-130bhp/200ftlb with just a boost increase, tuning box and a decat, but past that they are limited by both the injectors and turbo. There are a few members on the MG/Rover forum building 200bhp machines but they have much bigger VNT turbos and big injectors. So I'm aiming to get a nice power figure but without losing the low end torque. It already feels "quick enough" as a road car but me being me I can't help myself and always want more. The turbo and injectors I have in mind *should* be capable of more than 160bhp, but it's all just theory at the moment. Basically as the end product I want a comfortable, quick, nice to drive road car, but all in a small package. And cheap. I'm happy with the suspension as it is, might upgrade the brakes, but it's the engine that wants bringing up to modern standards. The pump is pretty old fashioned but it does the job. The turbo swap might end up costing about as much as the car is worth but it should make a good difference. Pretty much all modern diesels have VNT turbos now.