Casio's New Car Thread | Svenska Power!

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You are allowed to do that in Australia right?...

But VIPER is right, Brad. You'll have to get dirty and use...tools. You know, become a "car guy". Maybe your girlfriend will like it. If she does, I think I'm going to come visit.
 
To be honest, installing parts and doing car maintenance is something I could probably do. I have I pretty good attention to detail and am a bit of a perfectionist when I get going on a project. I've just never had the starting knowledge from when I was young, both my parents are relatively well off, my dad is a car/racing nut, but always got brand new cars every two years so he never had to do anything to them. Conversally, Ive been ripping apart computers since I was about 6, so in that zone Im completely comfortable.

I would like to get into doing my own stuff on my car, but Ive got no one to say when I **** something up, which I really dont want to do on an 11k Saab.

I can change a tyre though!
 
Ive often said to my girlfriend I wouldnt mine getting another car, an 80s hatch like a 205 GTi or Laser Tx3 or something I can burn around in. Then I guess that'd be something I could learn to do **** in.

Though I dont even have a house Im really leaving in at the moment never mind space for 2 cars...

Btw. How much do all those parts cost Keef?
 
Keef
You are allowed to do that in Australia right?...
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Only when we are pulling out baby eating dingos that got jammed under our cars.



Brad, you don't have any friends that can supervise? Not a whole lot to go wrong with premade exahusts, assuming they were contructed on a accurate jig.
 
Most of my friends arent mechanically minded. I had to explain to one the other day how tyre sizes work. Though one is studying to be an auto-electricion, he going to be handy to keep around now i got a Saab...
 
All but one of my friends were the same, I played supervisor (who actually ends up doing it out of frustration) more times than I can remember, I got so sick of it.
 
Casio
I would like to get into doing my own stuff on my car, but Ive got no one to say when I **** something up, which I really dont want to do on an 11k Saab.
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I think we're both in the same boat, so don't feel bad. Perhaps it has something to do with our names, continental locations, and a taste for buying new-ish cars that are still worth a lot that we don't want to screw up.

Basic maintenance isn't hard, but I'm not about to jump under my car to start pulling things out to replace. If it was a 15 year old VW, probably. If it were an old B-Body with a small block, certainly. But a newerish Toyota? Nope.
 
Yeah, I hear ya. I did automotive class at school, where we ripped apart engine blocks, replaced piston rings, did distributors and spark plug changes. They were on 70s GM small blocks though, my Saab doesnt even have a distributor, and I'd have no idea where the spark plugs even are!

EDIT: I just thought how much more awesome my car would be if it was RWD. Someone make it happen.
 
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The exhaust is something you might want to pay somebody to do. My friends and I like to tear apart their Saab and Outback, so we're pretty set when it comes to that, yet the Saab was still taken in to get the exhaust done.

Although intakes and lots of other things were very easy.

At least you guys have cars you can wrench on at all if you want. I doubt I could figure out how to properly change the oil on the GTI, and even if I did, I doubt I'd be able to find the tools to do it. Headlights? They're probably the same as a Golf, but with the HIDs, forget it.
 
I know from looking in the engine bay that things appear to be difficult with the GTI, but I've never climbed under one to actually see how things are laid out. It used to be a pain in the ass to change the oil on the Jetta because of the way the filter was positioned down there (an odd angle where it wasn't easily accessible from the top or bottom), and I imagine its only gotten worse with time.

I think the mid-90s cars were likely the last that would be fairly "easy" to work on yourself. Pass me an MKIV or newer VW, despite the shared parts, it just seems more difficult to know where things are or what to do.
 
Brad, those tubes and stuff, besides the wheels, all cost about 1000 British poowwwnds. Plus overseas shipping.

All you need to install those things is some basic tools, a can of penetrating lube, some anti-seize, some clever hand work to get where you need to get to, and a local hardware store to buy bolts and stuff if you break them.
 
My friend use to often have a Saab, (think it was the 9-5) as a company car. I think it was a V6 with over 200bhp. Was quite nippy, sometimes I would have a little race with him on a a nice little stretch of country road where he lived, I was riding my Motorbike and with him driving, that Saad does shift a bit. A very understated car, that is a bit of a sleeper.
 


For some reason Imageshack didn't like to re-size. And I'm lazy. But my car goes off-road baby!....Though now it needs a good clean....

I like the look of this Abbott system.
resize.php

But it's $1,500AUD PLUS Shipping. And that's not even installed yet.
 
Casio


For some reason Imageshack didn't like to re-size. And I'm lazy. But my car goes off-road baby!....Though now it needs a good clean....

I like the look of this Abbott system.
resize.php

But it's $1,500AUD PLUS Shipping. And that's not even installed yet.
Click to expand...
That sounds about right. You gotta remember you don't have some tuner car like a Civic or an Eclipse. You've got a Saab, and just like my car, there isn't a particularly high demand to modify them. Thus, parts come either really well-priced or very high.

Your car is a little more popular among the tuner crowd than mine however, so I reckon your looking at a $1,000US for the full thing. Be happy, mate.
 
Casio, just something I feel I should mention: If you haven't had them looked at already, have someone check (or check yourself) the springs. Today, one of the fronts on my dad's current-model 9-3 collapsed. While he was at a standstill, in a petrol station. This is the third spring we've had go on a 9-3 - my mum's older shape one has had both fronts go at different times, once when she was driving and another while the car was stationary on the driveway. I found a three-inch long bit of spring lying beside the front wheel one day.

And these are cars that always get serviced at the right time, with no expense spared. The roads are a little crappy on both my parents' commutes but certainly not enough that springs should just fail like that.

Neither car even "knocked" beforehand - they just went.

A quick google of "Saab broken spring" reveals a lot of hits.
 
When I go over speed humps, from my left front wheel there is a little 'wwwhoossss' sound. I thought it sounded odd, but then I've actually heard two 900s/9-3s do the same thing, so I thought it may just be a normal low speed thing.

And coil-springs wouldn't make 'whossss' sounds anyway?
 
The whooosssss sound is fairly normal, my dad's car has pretty much always done that. I think that's just the dampers. Knocking on the other hand is bad. My dad's car has knocked before, but the dealer fixed it. This recent incident happened with no warning. As I said, it happened while the car was standing still.
 
Philly
The exhaust is something you might want to pay somebody to do. My friends and I like to tear apart their Saab and Outback, so we're pretty set when it comes to that, yet the Saab was still taken in to get the exhaust done.

Although intakes and lots of other things were very easy.
Click to expand...

Pre made model specific exhausts should be simple, no need to go to a shop for that unless you can't be bothered doing it yourself. Usually the only problems you may come against is old rusty exhaust bolts and flanges not wanting to come off. Or if it was a poor made exhaust things not lining up properly.



@Casios pictured exhaust: 1500AUD is about right, not cheap but quality stainless mandrel exhausts are costly.
 
I didn't suggest the whole exhaust, Casio, just the strategic parts I posted. Having a full 3 inch diameter super flowing exhaust won't do you much good now that you've reached the turbo's intake limit. So you balance it out with a bit of this and a bit of that.

The catalytic converter is by far the most restrictive part of a whole exhaust. Get rid of that and you can free up more flow than the whole exhaust combined. So you replace that with a high-flow version. The downpipe leads right out of the turbo and into the cat. Having good flow through those parts is key, because the rest of the exhaust is just a bunch of baffles where not much power is lost. But hey, gotta have good sound, so I suggested the rear muffler too.

And that intake I posted gets rid of the stock airbox and resonator piping and leads directly into the turbo--that's about as efficient as you can get while still having a filter.

Unlike my naturally aspirated car, you'd gain big power from those simple 1-day-do-it-yourself-install mods that you could seriously feel in the seat of your pants. Plus it'd be a little louder and more fun sounding. You wouldn't believe what a little noise does to the daily commute.
 
Keef
I didn't suggest the whole exhaust, Casio, just the strategic parts I posted. Having a full 3 inch diameter super flowing exhaust won't do you much good now that you've reached the turbo's intake limit. So you balance it out with a bit of this and a bit of that.

The catalytic converter is by far the most restrictive part of a whole exhaust. Get rid of that and you can free up more flow than the whole exhaust combined. So you replace that with a high-flow version. The downpipe leads right out of the turbo and into the cat. Having good flow through those parts is key, because the rest of the exhaust is just a bunch of baffles where not much power is lost. But hey, gotta have good sound, so I suggested the rear muffler too.

And that intake I posted gets rid of the stock airbox and resonator piping and leads directly into the turbo--that's about as efficient as you can get while still having a filter.

Unlike my naturally aspirated car, you'd gain big power from those simple 1-day-do-it-yourself-install mods that you could seriously feel in the seat of your pants. Plus it'd be a little louder and more fun sounding. You wouldn't believe what a little noise does to the daily commute.
Click to expand...



MMM...
I think I'll take issue with this.

While the stock downpipe and cat will be the most restrictive parts of the exhaust, there is absolutely no point in upgrading the downpipe without doing the rest at the same time.
Do the downpipe, replace or remove the cat, do the cat-back and muffler. I'd go so far as to port the o2 housing as well.

Keep in mind, Keef, that when you've got nice hot exhaust coming from the turbo it takes up less volume than it will as it cools and passes through the system. Having a bottleneck halfway through will give you many of the same issues as the stock exhaust, except with possibly a slightly faster spool.

A 2.5" exhaust should be adequate, 3" would be a little bit over the top.

If you're dead set on getting an exhaust, Casio, you may also consider having an exhaust shop built you one. It may be cheaper than buying and shipping a premade system - For example, a downpipe and exhaust system for a DSM will run $650 and up, or you can have an exhaust shop use ~$150 in materials and some labour.
 
Slicks
If you're dead set on getting an exhaust, Casio, you may also consider having an exhaust shop built you one. It may be cheaper than buying and shipping a premade system - For example, a downpipe and exhaust system for a DSM will run $650 and up, or you can have an exhaust shop use ~$150 in materials and some labour.
Click to expand...

Good exhaust shops in my area will cost him near or more than that ($1500AUD) anyway for a equivalent system (stainless, mandrel)

Plus there would be no optimisation like I assume the premade 'tuned' exhausts would have been through.

A couple years ago I bought a 3 inch dump + down (combined + 02 thread) pipe in stainless and that was just over $400 for the part that they already had the jig for, plus no installation (I did that). Just to finish off the rest of the exhaust that was already done (I agree with do the exhaust all at once)
 

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