Particularly for those in Sydney thinking about cost effective mods, I thought I'd post this as an offer to assist if you want any thoughts or help:
I have owned my 1st Gen R53 from new in 2003; until recently I hadn't decided whether to keep or sell, but once I made that decision, I also decided to spend a bit on upgrades; I want the car to look stock - effectively a sleeper. So all the changes are subtle and unnoticeable from the outside...
I managed to do all the work myself (so far), and over one weekend, so the car wasn't off the road (it's my daily driver).
Essentially I have made three changes, in this order:
1/. Removed the standard supercharger pulley and replaced with a Mini Madness 15% reduction pulley and new shorter serpentine belt; also replaced spark plugs with cooler versions from NGK
2/. Replaced the standard airbox with a GTT CAI; and
3/. Undertaken the One Ball mod
To date I have not yet had the ECU remapped, and the car is learning the new parameters and settling into a happy and consistent running condition.
In terms of more detail, I would offer the following:
1/. Buy all the parts (and tools) beforehand; I bought the specific belt tensioner tool from Pelican (part no PEL-NME5993), along with the Mini Madness pulley (PEL-MM-15UND) and spark plugs (12-12-0-031-708-M220), and the shorter serpentine belt (11-28-7-545-120-M21); I bought the GTT CAI and exhaust re-route pipe (google GT Tuning in the UK); I didn't buy the Mini Madness puller tool, but bought a second hand ALTA puller from a member (thanks!), and a Stanley Dynamic Balancer Puller - added up to less dollars, but not as easy to use as the MM one I would suggest; either way, you MUST have a proper puller - regular gear pullers will NOT work, and will destroy the original pulley. Unless you enjoy fiddly fret work with a hacksaw, buy a pipe cutter for the exhaust work - access is limited, and the only option then is to start with a grinder, and finish with a hacksaw blade - tedious (I can tell you from experience!)
All up cost for tools and parts was less than $700 (Australian dollars)
2/. Undertake the changes in the above order (pulley, CAI, exhaust) to save rework - you have to remove the airbox to get at the engine mounts for the pulley change, so no point in replacing the CAI and then having to take it out to replace the pulley!
3/. Have a friend to hand; you will (briefly) need some help with the serpentine belt tensioner, and it's nice to have someone else there to provide moral support!
4/. Allow 3 hours to undertake the pulley replacement - 2 hours to take the pulley off (including undoing all the right parts and jacking up the engine) and an hour to put it back together, replace the spark plugs, and double check every nut and bolt; Pelican Parts has an excellent guide for this job. Add another hour to replace the CAI, including cutting a hole in the bulkhead and cleaning up the mess that ensues!
5/. Allow 2 hours for the exhaust job, or an hour if you buy a pipe cutter!
6/. If you are in Sydney and would like to do this set of mods, drop me a line and I'm happy to help (but you might need to come to me so I can work on my other project at the same time!)
Outcomes:
As I didn't dyno the car before or after (I'm not THAT interested!) I can't tell you the specifics, but it has made an appreciable and enjoyable difference - pick up is crisper and comes in lower in the rev range - previously the SC would start to spin up at about 2200 revs, and get into its stride around 2500; now it goes hard from 1700 rpm; throttle response is lighter and more sensitive; and the exhaust note is slightly raspier. The CAI provides an entertaining soundtrack, in that you can now clearly hear the SC spinning up All up, probably worth about 20hp, possibly a bit more, but also makes the car more tractable and easier to drive.
Highly recommended!
I have owned my 1st Gen R53 from new in 2003; until recently I hadn't decided whether to keep or sell, but once I made that decision, I also decided to spend a bit on upgrades; I want the car to look stock - effectively a sleeper. So all the changes are subtle and unnoticeable from the outside...
I managed to do all the work myself (so far), and over one weekend, so the car wasn't off the road (it's my daily driver).
Essentially I have made three changes, in this order:
1/. Removed the standard supercharger pulley and replaced with a Mini Madness 15% reduction pulley and new shorter serpentine belt; also replaced spark plugs with cooler versions from NGK
2/. Replaced the standard airbox with a GTT CAI; and
3/. Undertaken the One Ball mod
To date I have not yet had the ECU remapped, and the car is learning the new parameters and settling into a happy and consistent running condition.
In terms of more detail, I would offer the following:
1/. Buy all the parts (and tools) beforehand; I bought the specific belt tensioner tool from Pelican (part no PEL-NME5993), along with the Mini Madness pulley (PEL-MM-15UND) and spark plugs (12-12-0-031-708-M220), and the shorter serpentine belt (11-28-7-545-120-M21); I bought the GTT CAI and exhaust re-route pipe (google GT Tuning in the UK); I didn't buy the Mini Madness puller tool, but bought a second hand ALTA puller from a member (thanks!), and a Stanley Dynamic Balancer Puller - added up to less dollars, but not as easy to use as the MM one I would suggest; either way, you MUST have a proper puller - regular gear pullers will NOT work, and will destroy the original pulley. Unless you enjoy fiddly fret work with a hacksaw, buy a pipe cutter for the exhaust work - access is limited, and the only option then is to start with a grinder, and finish with a hacksaw blade - tedious (I can tell you from experience!)
All up cost for tools and parts was less than $700 (Australian dollars)
2/. Undertake the changes in the above order (pulley, CAI, exhaust) to save rework - you have to remove the airbox to get at the engine mounts for the pulley change, so no point in replacing the CAI and then having to take it out to replace the pulley!
3/. Have a friend to hand; you will (briefly) need some help with the serpentine belt tensioner, and it's nice to have someone else there to provide moral support!
4/. Allow 3 hours to undertake the pulley replacement - 2 hours to take the pulley off (including undoing all the right parts and jacking up the engine) and an hour to put it back together, replace the spark plugs, and double check every nut and bolt; Pelican Parts has an excellent guide for this job. Add another hour to replace the CAI, including cutting a hole in the bulkhead and cleaning up the mess that ensues!
5/. Allow 2 hours for the exhaust job, or an hour if you buy a pipe cutter!
6/. If you are in Sydney and would like to do this set of mods, drop me a line and I'm happy to help (but you might need to come to me so I can work on my other project at the same time!)
Outcomes:
As I didn't dyno the car before or after (I'm not THAT interested!) I can't tell you the specifics, but it has made an appreciable and enjoyable difference - pick up is crisper and comes in lower in the rev range - previously the SC would start to spin up at about 2200 revs, and get into its stride around 2500; now it goes hard from 1700 rpm; throttle response is lighter and more sensitive; and the exhaust note is slightly raspier. The CAI provides an entertaining soundtrack, in that you can now clearly hear the SC spinning up All up, probably worth about 20hp, possibly a bit more, but also makes the car more tractable and easier to drive.
Highly recommended!