Upgrades for 2002 Lancer O-Z Rally?

[lee.gh.thomas]

I just bought a Lancer oz rally, its my first real car after driving my mom's old van for a year. I absolutely love it. I've been getting 21 mpg when I'm "having fun" and 43 when I drive conservatively. Its fun to drive but not 'really' fast. I was wondering what some cheap performance upgrades might be.

I did do some research and found some other threads on here but most of the upgrades suggested would be ridiculous for this car's age and my budget. Really, the only thing I found was that I can put in a cold air intake and filter. Is much else that would be reasonable?

Keep in mind that I'm very new to this and on a 17 year old's budget!

Thanks

[Blue Bowtie]

Welcome Aboard!

Congratulations for doing your homework. Given the age and probable mileage, anything you do to increase basic output is likely to have a detrimental effect on the durability. Changing cams, valve sizes, blowing or boosting, or bumping compression without a complete rebuild may compromise the long term reliability of the bottom end.

A cold air intake is safe, and not a bad idea (but where are you going to find cold air around Houston?). If you can duct the inlet to the front side of the radiator shell and still include a low-restriction air filter, that's not a bad idea.

As for other low-buck upgrades, you're on the right track. It's all about how much air the engine can flow, both in and out. A restrictive exhaust can hurt performance as much as a restrictive intake. A free-flowing exhaust system can make more power available and increase fuel mileage, and it doesn't have to be loud and/or "farty' to flow a lot of air.

Internal friction is also lost power, so make sure the engine and driveline have the best lubrication. Clean, synthetic engine oil can reduce ring and rotating assembly friction making more power available to the drive wheels. Parasitic losses in the transaxle can also rob power, so changing to a clean, synthetic trans oil can help with power, fuel mileage, and durability. It's even more important with an auto trans since parasitic losses in an auto can be high.