Newbie wann hook up my g20

Hey everyuone first of Im am the proud new owner of a G20 t '99 titanium silver, I totally love my car its all standar so far, but I want to slowly start hooking it up. My only problem is that this is my first car and Im new to all this. I want to know if anyone can help a newbie build a mean machine, I want to buy some stuff for it first of all that will improve performance as well as help my car last. So far people have been mentioning to invest in a cold air filter (supposedly this will boost up some horespower and cool my engine ?) I want to invest in it but am confused on the product I should use? Also after that whats good to invest in.
Im sorry for being so lost but if epople can break down the good things to purchase in the beggining then that would be helpful, real world examples would be great.
My goal is to give my car some more power, and more stability, after that I plan on getting som nice rims and whells, even though Im unsure as to how big to go, I dont want to take away performance by having the wrong wheels.
Any advice, or if you can point me in the right direction to teachg myself I will appreciate it.
Thanks everyone, and youll be seeing me around more.

welcome to the club.

tips for a newbie:

READ, READ, AND READ SOME MORE of this forum...

When I first started I read everything. (i'm still reading)

Good luck...

-clifford

:finger: W E L C O M E :finger:

ya, like cliffud said, read a lot, dont just go spending money on things you will regret later, thats unless your a millionaire. id suggest going with suspension first (rims included), then go engine or looks. good luck. :D

i agree. gotta do something about that wheel gap. =) probably the ugliest thing about the car...next to the rims. but yeah, i'd definitly go for the Cold Air Intake by hotshot. though hotshot isn't the most reliable on customer service, they got some good shit. i like my CAI, it does give respectable gains, but the best part is the sound of the engine scream. i'm sure everyone feels me on that.

dunno how much money u got, but yeah, use it wisely.

Originally posted by AznVirus
ya, like cliffud said, read a lot, dont just go spending money on things you will regret later, thats unless your a millionaire. id suggest going with suspension first (rims included), then go engine or looks. good luck. :D
Well, if he were a millionaire, I dont think he would have a G...:D

Naw, engine preformance first, looks second....why make it look fast when it doesnt go fast...

For the $1000 youll spend on rims and wheels, you could get a handful of preformance goodies...header/exhaust...or...cams/header...or CAI/Exhaust....etc...etc...

Do your homework buddy, and WELCOME!!!

Originally posted by Yahnozha

Well, if he were a millionaire, I dont think he would have a G...:D



maybe if he wanted every car he ever wanted? :p

I definetley appreciate it, Im gonna take it all in and definetley school myself on what Im gonna put in my car, especiall since half these things sound like some weird ass language. I do want to hook up the ride, theres alot of competeition here in NYC, but before that i want to throw somthing under the hood to have some lil extras working. Ill keep everyone posted, but I do know this the tax check is coming soon, so i better read fast...thanks and G20 it up all day.

Hi there,

I am a newbie myself, as I own a 1999 G20T, 5 speed. Got it off the lot.
I feel in love with the touring model, also the fact that the G20 is famous
for Silvia swaps, SR :)


But I am not a newbie to car mods. I just sold my Cavalier 2.4 Turbo
2 months ago, and this is my new project car.


Newbies with any car, in my opinion :


- Cold air intake
- Exhaust <full cat back exhaust is much preferred>
- Header
- These are the 3 main basics, most people have this, then they add
coilovers to drop the car/springs, 17''imch rims and low profile tires.

- Oh, and most people will add rice decorations, like those
annoying NEON GLOWING lights on the wind shield washer
sprayer on the hood :devil:

- Please don't do rice mods, engine and suspension first, then I'd have to say
body kits/rims

- Reason :

- I feel the G20T looks good already, drop it right off the bat like I did.
- Then, performance first because your car will be a sleeper, people
will not assume it's a sportscar. And it'll be fun driving a car with
performance mods everyday. Also, Suspension is a must, since
it's fun driving a car that sticks to the ground, and it'll be prepared
for more power later on, for tight cornering.

Then basic engine mods, ask the local CAR MOD shop, like
here we have Final Lap, they are the best, all my friends
work there. If you find a nice car mod shop, honest ...
ask them questions about basics. They see newbies
come in and out everyday, at final lap we have 40 year
old men buying K&N filters, cold air intakes, exhaust/headers
who want to learn more. Go for it.


Ported Heads for More Power
And Also Cams, ignition, spark plugs :P mild mods.


What is head-porting?

From what you see on the outside, the engine consists of, basically:
1) Cylinder head
2) Block


In the Block, the crank and conrods and pistons reside. The pistons move
up and down, going through the cycle of 4- strokes that lead to power being
generated and exhaust expelled

1) Intake/Induction
2) Compression
3) Ignition
4) Exhaust




Conclusion :


Performance and Suspension, if you can't wait for looks, drop the car with coilovers/springs.
1999 Stock G20T looks tight in my opinion :) For the time being.

Goodluck, hopefully I'll have pics for the summer, and I read forums everyday
which is helpful, since I am used to Turbo/Supercharged DSM installs, that's
talon/Eclipse. Now the G20 is a new game for me.

Funny, how I had my eye on a 1999 Eclipse, but I'm going with a G20T
and a SR swap, I love a 4 door turbocharged machine, personal.

Props.

Damn what a good post, Im not gonna lie and say that I understood every part of it but it was really insightful.
Now i have some basic questions that may be a lil too elementary for you but bear with me or point me in the right direction.
First of all Ive been hearing everyone tell me about getting a cold air intake, but I have yet to find out the true benefits of some of the stuff people are recommending ( trust me Im still looking regardless). What does a CAI really do for you? and would u recommend any specific manufacturers?Same goes for the exhasut what MFR can you recommend and what should I belooking for?
What the heck are headers? lol damn Iwonder if I sound the way computer users sound to me when Im supporting them. What can I expect a header to do for my ride, and what should I look for? mfr?

Nah screw those rice mods on the hood, that so damn cheeesy , sorry for peeps who got that but thats not the look IM going for with my G20.

Now wahtsup with dropping this ride? That sounds alil painful and expensive ( like much more then usual expensive I mean), But I do hear u about the big ass space between the tires and the car, so do coilovers/springs automatically drop it? does it allow tweaking to how low you can do it, how expensive is it for something like this to be installed? This is a left field question but the lower you go then dont you worry about scraping up your grill with small ramps? well anything you give me will be good, the rest Ill continue to search for, either way Im well on my way.
G20 it up all day.

Damn Im happy I didnt buy that honda accord:smoker:

Picture of a cold air intake

http://www.rksport.com/rkstore/assets/product_images/CAV-E33211.jpg


Personally, I prefer AEM cold air intakes. But people are talking about
HOTSPOT or something CAI as it seems, I've never heard of them since G20 is
new to me, I have to read more on aftermarket support, but
since I am swapping the engine, ecu, tranny, etc... I have to check
aftermarket for the Silvia.


But, AEM is a company I've always trusted, and most Honda/Acura
enthusiants with serious mods go with AEM. And they have proven
their performance well.


Also, ICEMAN, I like. DC Sports, one of my my fav company :)


For limited bay space, HKS Super PowerFlow is preferable for it's special compact
cone filter. But, I am getting too precise :)


CAI was a big improvement over the restrictive stock air intake box. You can
definitely feel the car pull harder above 4000 rpms and it gives a
nice performance tone when the throttle is applied.

CAI is a vacumm, sucks in cold air, and colder air = engine is breathing better, that is why people race especially at night, after midnight, besides the fact that there is less public traffic and cops, also track, is due to colder, milder air.

Also, the colder the air, the better for the engine. Example, a turbo runs better in less humid weather, ie night time.

So it's a vacumm.


...___ Cold air intake
...|
Engine
...|_Header____ get a hi-flow cataletic converter____ cat back exhaust ---- pipe


Picture of a header :

http://www.rksport.com/rkstore/assets/product_images/CAV-ERKS024C.jpg

Picture of a hi-flow converter :

http://www.rksport.com/rkstore/assets/product_images/020994005.jpg


This is the side of the car, left side is the front of the car.
As you can see, the header connects the engine with the piping
under the car, towards the converter, which filters emissions, a nice
hi flow cat is always good, then the exhaust is released out the back
of the car (pipe)


Seriously, think of the concept of .. you have 3 rooms let's say.

each room has a kinda small door to connet to each other, you want to most
compression possible, so you cram 10 fat people into room 1, then
they all try to squuuuueze through the door, while more fat people come
in, and then compression shoots them flying forward over and over
again through all the rooms, all the doors :)


Hope this was insightful, if I had photoshop at work, I'd draw you a car diagram
whith kick'in info.

Peace
Props.

Originally posted by taurus252
Damn what a good post, Im not gonna lie and say that I understood every part of it but it was really insightful.
Now i have some basic questions that may be a lil too elementary for you but bear with me or point me in the right direction.
First of all Ive been hearing everyone tell me about getting a cold air intake, but I have yet to find out the true benefits of some of the stuff people are recommending ( trust me Im still looking regardless). What does a CAI really do for you? and would u recommend any specific manufacturers?Same goes for the exhasut what MFR can you recommend and what should I belooking for?
What the heck are headers? lol damn Iwonder if I sound the way computer users sound to me when Im supporting them. What can I expect a header to do for my ride, and what should I look for? mfr?

Nah screw those rice mods on the hood, that so damn cheeesy , sorry for peeps who got that but thats not the look IM going for with my G20.

Now wahtsup with dropping this ride? That sounds alil painful and expensive ( like much more then usual expensive I mean), But I do hear u about the big ass space between the tires and the car, so do coilovers/springs automatically drop it? does it allow tweaking to how low you can do it, how expensive is it for something like this to be installed? This is a left field question but the lower you go then dont you worry about scraping up your grill with small ramps? well anything you give me will be good, the rest Ill continue to search for, either way Im well on my way.
G20 it up all day.

Damn Im happy I didnt buy that honda accord:smoker:


i felt the same way two months ago.

i had nothing done on my car.

stock 1993 g20

i read a lot of posts on the forum which was really helpful in finding the particular information i wanted (i wanted to know the same you want to know) and this is what i have found:

header= depending on the manufacturer the benefits can be around 9-10 hp. this is the exhaust piping that bolts to your engine. it comes in two parts the exhaust manifold that comes directly off the engine and then the secondary part that is below the car that runs to the catalyst converter.

http://www.pandapower.com/hotshot.jpg


CAI= benefits include 8hp increase and 10 lb of torque according to Hot Shot. Hot Shot is a manufacturer of CAIs and Headers and other parts. They seem to be a crowd favorite with the people on the forum.

Official HotShot CAI benefits and intallation instructions (http://www.pandapower.com/hotshot-cai.pdf)

Exhaust= the stock exhaust is actually pretty good already. You should only NEED to modify it if you've gone all out on your motor. People usually modify it for the audible effect and perhaps the look.

Advancing the Timing= you need a timing light, a socket to loosen up your distributor and you can adjust your car's timing up to 17 degrees safely. There is more information about the timing adjustment on http://www.se-r.net Doing this will pretty much require you to run 91 octane fuel though.

In what order you modify your car is entirely up to you, if you're out for looks- go for the rims and lowering kit. If you're out for hp, go for the CAI and header and advanced timing (which is FREE!)

I personally didn't want to jazz up the car for all show and no go so I have put on a header, a CAI, and advanced the timing. The header and CAI are made by Hot Shot and were great deals that I came across since joining the forum and meeting other G20 owners around my area. The advanced timing modification was done by JustinP10, another G20 owner on here- THANKS JUSTIN! I don't know how much a timing light costs, but if you can get in touch with some other G20 owners in your area, I'm sure one of them will have one or can get their hands on one.

About the other things like lowering the car and such- I am learning about that too.

Hope this helps you out some. Even though I've put up a lot of information, don't stop reading, there's a ton of info out there like suspension set ups and body kit mods and such.

Good luck


:smoker:

-clifford

You guys have opened my eyes much better and just like clif says I wont stop the education there, Really good example DC it did put things into perspective and the pitcures helped as well. Hey flip that pic you added for the header was great, as soon as I saw it I was like "ohhhh thats the header" major help. Ill be learning a little more as time goes by. But either way like I said before the tax check is coming soon so Ill have to read quick, hey Flip did you notice differences instantly when you added these things onto your car, like the header? (then the CAI?)

Ok two questions- a little more to the point.

I just read that when putting in the header for the G20t p11 (p11 is a 99 right?) That a smaller battery was needed? is this correct? and what did you do to alleviate this issue?

when advancing the timer, you had mentioned that you can do it safely up to 17 degrees, now what does advancing the timing do for your car? and what benefits or drawbacks do you get by doing it?

Also with all these installations, the header, the CAI, and the timing did you guys do this yourself? or do you go to a shop to get them done and usually whats the cost per installatiuon, I have no experience with engines and am worried that I wont be able to do it my self, thanks again guys.

Originally posted by Dcshoecousa


...so you cram 10 fat people into room 1, then they all try to squuuuueze through the door, while more fat people come
in, and then compression shoots them flying forward over and over
again through all the rooms, all the doors...


:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D


you can see a life size model of this explanation at your nearest jenny craig office...

or-

the donut shop.

:D


-clifford:smoker:

Originally posted by taurus252
You guys have opened my eyes much better and just like clif says I wont stop the education there, Really good example DC it did put things into perspective and the pitcures helped as well. Hey flip that pic you added for the header was great, as soon as I saw it I was like "ohhhh thats the header" major help. Ill be learning a little more as time goes by. But either way like I said before the tax check is coming soon so Ill have to read quick, hey Flip did you notice differences instantly when you added these things onto your car, like the header? (then the CAI?)

Ok two questions- a little more to the point.

I just read that when putting in the header for the G20t p11 (p11 is a 99 right?) That a smaller battery was needed? is this correct? and what did you do to alleviate this issue?

when advancing the timer, you had mentioned that you can do it safely up to 17 degrees, now what does advancing the timing do for your car? and what benefits or drawbacks do you get by doing it?

Also with all these installations, the header, the CAI, and the timing did you guys do this yourself? or do you go to a shop to get them done and usually whats the cost per installatiuon, I have no experience with engines and am worried that I wont be able to do it my self, thanks again guys.


ok- i think my new name is FLIP... like this? >:flipa: just kidding :sun:

but ok-

battery size: i have a p10 and i was worried i would have to bump down in size but i didn't have to. the battery tray DID need some trimming though because it wouldn't slide over enough to make room with the battery.

noticeable difference: i put the header on first, felt a difference yes. i put the CAI on two weeks later and felt and HEARD a difference. (the sound can be best described as a wart hog being trapped under your hood and it's trying to get out)

advanced timing: benefits- 2-3 hp. drawbacks- i don't think there are any.

installation: the only experience i had prior to getting these things put on my car was with car stereo stuff. a few guys locally REALLY helped me out with the installation of the header/cai/timing. mucho thanks to kyle/justin/chuck/eric down here in arizona!! they kinda did the work and i helped hold the light and unscrew the bolts that anyone else could have done.

cost for installation if you pay a shop: there is a shop down here and i think they were charging 65 bucks to install a header. i don't know what it will be in your area. i'm sure it depends on the mechanic's experience as well.

hope this helps...

good luck

:smoker:

CLIFFORD

Originally posted by Dcshoecousa
Hi there,

I am a newbie myself, as I own a 1999 G20T, 5 speed. Got it off the lot.
I feel in love with the touring model, also the fact that the G20 is famous
for Silvia swaps, SR :)



just letting you know that no g20 is famous for a silvia swap, since it's a RWD SR engine. also, the g20 already has an SR engine. maybe you're referring to the BB SR20DET motor? :confused:

PS Doing sway MIGHT eventually cost you more than head on turbo conversion. Just a thought.

PSS. What was the power output for you Cav?

Just make sure to take your time.....and do lots of research!:alien: :bloated: :licker: :smoka: :flash: Oh and welcome to the forum......enjoy your stay! lol!

Here's what i would do if i was you. first do a little research on the g20 and then look at performance mods. I would install Cold air Intake from Hotshot.com then get a header from jimwolfetechnologies.com or a header from hotshot.com. Then get a high flow catyaltic converter. Most performance shops have those. After that go with cams and ecu from jimwolfetechnologies.com. That will set you up pretty good. Im to sure about timing not firmarliy with this. I would say do most of the work yourself except for cams and ecu because those are alot harder to install. Also you could get Pullies form Unorthodoxracing.com. Doing the work yourself will be harder but will help you learn more about your car. After you do that stuff do looks and suspension. I'd say get 17 inch rims because if you go bigger you'll start to loose some performance. Get new shocks like tokico or kyb adjustables and then springs like eibach,hks, or intrax. There are more companies out there but i think i these have the best stuff. Good luck.