Obviously if money, reliabilty and fabrication issues were no option we would all be Gt30/Holset monsters but taking in to consideration cost, ease of fitment, power and reliability what would you say is the best state of tune?

For example ill use a Saab 9-5 Aero as a good car to try and explain what i mean. Stage 3 is readily accepted as the best package as it will give you a 60-70 hike in bhp (model depending 230/260 as standard) and only requires a 3" DP, 3.5 FPR and a remap and is pretty safe on the engine and box but only costs around 350/400 quid all in. Ideally id like to get my 20VT to around the 300bhp mark. Is it just an FMIC, Hybrid turbo and live map?

Cheers.

Phil

Yes

I know this isn't really an answer to the question, but the best state of tune I think may be standard!

Mine isn't before you ask.

I don't really consider there to be such a thing as a "best state of tune." You can make an expensive, unreliable 300 bhp, or a good value, reliable 400 bhp.

Also 300 bhp isn't always 300 bhp: 300 is the magic number that everyone wants to break, but a lot of Coupe owners want to do it on the cheap; stock pistons (actually, 300 is fine for 20VT pistons), stock exhaust system, tiny turbo. So in order to save the engine, the torque has to be wound back. The result is, yeah, it makes 300, 340 or whatever, but it's slow as [cloud9] because it doesn't have the torque to really make it move. 'Course, nobody knows that because practically every modded 20VT on here has exactly the same mods and tuning!

So I think the best state of tune is the best that you can afford and what's most suitable for your intended use - be it 500 bhp or 0 bhp!

What would be your redommended harware for 300bhp? I said 300bhp as it puts you just out of reach of various BMWs, Subaru's and Evos etc. Ive gone well beyond 300bhp with past motors but would like to keep this one relatively sane.

Having had several coupes ranging from standard to utterly berserk, I would say the best state of tune is my theoretical "stage 0.5"

This is a pretty much bog-standard car, with new (standard) suspension, serviced brakes with good quality pads, a strut brace and a live map - that's it

Ok, it might be worth doing the fuel pump "live feed" mod as a precaution, but for a performance versus cost calculation, keep it very close to standard and it'll be an epic drive

I've not much experience, in fact my coupe is the most powerful car I've driven at 260 bhp but I'd say stage 1 remap is the best state of tune. Relatively inexpensive and not too demanding on components.

You can get 260/265 for a couple hundred pounds but for 300bhp your talking a good £1200+.

If your anything like me you'll have a list of other jobs you'll want to do on your coupe so why not spend the extra on those jobs?

GT2860R 62-trim comp, 64 a/r housing. Bigger injectors (set of 5 refurbed 16VT injectors to keep it on the cheap!), 255 lph fuel pump, 2.5" downpipe and exhaust system. Easy 300, great torque - plus easier on the engine because it's not trying to force its way through a drinking straw

Thanks chaps. The temptation of chasing the ponies is there. Hybrid turbo and will cost around 150 quid for me and I have plenty of piping and silicon for an FMIC which range from 25-75 quid second hand but I think I'll just go for the live map and get a few jobs done on it. Thanks for the input fellas.

Phil - when the weather is better, pop round to mine and I'll take you out in my Coupe - that'll sort your modding priorities

yup spot on

This plus a better exhaust.
At least a back box to release the noise of the 5 pot!

yup but add a Gtec1, mechanical boost valve and an exhaust..sorted.

Little change of plan. Any idea what bhp I'll be looking at with a live map with the following done....

Fuel pump wiring mod
Evo 6 FMIC
Powerflow cat back (looks around 3" and starts about a foot away from turbo)
K&N panel filter.

Going to see Flea Saturday. Won't have time to dyno but would be happy if I could break 270 bhp. Going on rollers 20th May.

300 bhp = quick car

But exist also turns!

So, in my opinion, after 80bhp upgrade, you will need drilled disc, new brake pads (DS2500 or ebc yellow, 150 gbp for a set), new brake hose (80 gbp), new springs (I remember 150 gbp from FCSS), and rebuilt shocks.
And probably 17 inch alloys.

Alhough I will make half the job.
Power is nothing without control.

Nigel, how would the Stage 0.5 coupe compare to a 400bhp coupe in the real world? As I have been driving something similar with a superspool and remap, but the turbo I think is on the way out, so was looking at the next step. The car used to be a daily, but at the moment is only used on weekends. I have been looking at the new(ish) Garrett gtx turbo range (gtx2860/63).

At a guess 265ish bhp.

The difference between 200-odd and 400-odd bhp can only be experienced. Not only the speed, but the way it accelerates at various points in the rpm range. Very different beasts. Basically, you'll think your car is fast - until you've you've experienced 400+ bhp done properly! Not compromised by holding back torque in order to protect stock pistons, or anything like that.

You're very close to me in Uxbridge. Why not pop over and I'll take you for a spin in mine

I've seen your coupe a couple of times because I'm only down the road in Windsor looks nice though.

It doesn't really matter on torque on the 20v turbo you don't get massive torque gains from the 20v turbo even when your in the 500 bhp club.

You don't need to worry about the piston letting go more on the rods because the torque bends them but saying that I'm running around 350 torque and over 400 bhp on standard rods and piston it's been a couple of years now and still fine .

So you can do it the cheaper way without forged rods and piston
But get flea to map it .

The only thing with the standard internals at that power is the mapping is very gentle and power is gradual. As we have seen with the hard hitting turbos which give a shed load of hp and torque as soon as possible then the rods start to bend or the Pistons lands crack.

Also depends on what you use the coupe for? around town with the odd squirt or 10-15 laps at a time on regular track days.

Having read other threads on this subject I'd decided to just leave mine standard (but well sorted). Might be changing my mind now after reading this thread and speaking to JBT.

The last owner added a 3" exhaust and a K&N cone filter but left it with a standard map - I've never liked the whoosh sound of the filter to be honest. Left my Coupe with JBT today for a bit of an overhaul and we got talking about the set up. Reckon I either need it taking totally back to standard, or take advantage of the exhaust and filter and go for the 0.5 stage as mentioned. Might call the insurance company tomorrow...

As others have said, the best thing you will ever do is get a live map by Flea, you won't believe the difference it makes to the car even in standard form.

Go back to a standard air box and a k&n pannel filter it will still breath nicely but get rid of the noise

i have the apexi cone filter on.... for the exact same reason... i got my coupe with the K & N induction kit on it and driving it home the woosh noise got a little annoying. so the third day i had her i replaced it with the Apexi cone filter... £110 from ebay, i then stopped the woosh noise right away.

at the same time i also put a forge dump valve on to swap out the worn plastic one.

the other noise that was a bit loud was the powerflow exhaust.... so a visit to flea to make a custome stainless exhaust sorted that problem out... i have 3 inch complete system but with silencers in it to calm down the noise a bit, but still give me performance.

i should have some pictures of it on my facebook photo albums if you wanted to see things.

Ive gone for the Apexi too, it's cheaper from Nengun if you don't mind a 4 week wait as its posted from Japan!

It's louder than standard and comes with the dark fader sucking noise from the glovebox. The bonus is its a dry filter, so there's no risk of contaminating the MAF by over oiling a wet type filter like a K&N. All told I'm happy with it.

Thanks kj,I might take you up on that offer.




Thanks, but the paintwork has seen better days. Hopefully I will sort out the mechanicals Thos year, and respray next.

Leighton is working his magic on it as I type this. Looking forward to picking it up in an hour or so. Bonus is I've got a nice little Clio sport to run around in. Been a while since i drove one and forgot how much fun they were.

I've always said that a 280-300bhp Coupe will be 90% as quick along a nice B road as a 450bhp Coupe. In fact on some B roads (bumpy and very twisty) the lower-powered car could even be faster, due to an early spool-up and more compliant suspension.

However, once you get onto a road that allows a big-power Coupe to be let off the leash, the difference is night and day. Its massively entertaining and supremely addictive. The way that VERY illegal speeds can be reached in a few seconds gives me a smile every time. I took mine out today (into Motormech for a bit of gearbox and suspension work, as well as fitting my modified hubs for the floating brake discs) - ran it through to the rev limiter in a couple of gears and found myself chuckling at the absurdity of the speeds it can get to

TBH, for an everyday car, that's going to be used for the daily commute, you can't beat standard, plus a handful of choice mods:-

Remap
Strut brace
Decent brakes
Decent tyres
Nice exhaust

With that lot, you'll have a 250+ bhp car, that will cost very modest money, be ultra-reliable (with the right maintenance) and will stop and steer nicely too

However, once you've experienced how well the Coupe responds to a few gentle mods, its very difficult not to carry on....

and on....


and on, ad infinitum, which is how you end up with a 450+ bhp monster