Hi guys,

I'm contemplating what to do with the cordia in my backyard that's gathering dust. I've been thinking about turning it into a track car and I wanted input on the forum on what mods to do.

I don't have a budget, so want to do things on the cheap and then decide if I want to invest a lot of money on it later. If it's track only then I can do a few things that would normally be illegal or impractical on the street.

For now, the aim is to get as much power out of it without major investment.

my key aim will be
-speed by simple induction mods and weight reduction
-handling through suspension mods, locked diff and the grippiest tyres I can get


So, I was thinking....

Power
- remove the exhaust and run a screamer/flange direct to atmosphere. Events with DB restriction, well I can worry about that later
- advance the timing, up the boost. Yes, I realise this will drastically reduce the life of the motor, but hey I enjoy taking engines apart and I'm not precious about blowing a motor.
- cheap intake mods
- fuel only computer or SAFC(I can tune myself and I have a friend with a wideband o2 for tuning)
- intercooler is a must, probably a stock RX7 cooler or something with shortest piping I can do
- will probably keep the stock TC05 and see how much power I can get out of it. I like the responsiveness of the TC05 compared with the tc06. I think this will be more useful to than straight line power if I can make the car handle well then I want good responsiveness poking it around corners.

Handling -- Need ideason how to make a cordia handle well
- firm + low suspension. stiffer swaybars.
- rollcage -- for safety and body rigidity, weld in. Maybe do this later

Driveline
- weld the diff up

Tyres
- best tyres I can afford

Interior
-strip out for weight savings, remove a/c

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now a certified cordia owner....

waaaaait a second... td05 14a or somethin for the turbo! not a tc05! dual ball bearings = good.

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parts needed: malpassi rising rate reg and lotsa work/time
605X405X78 intercooler
D3B4ST8 is almost done

What type of racing are you interested in doing, ie
hill climb, auto cross, circuit etc
Certainly make it as light as you can to the rules of the class you wish to compete in,
tyres something like advan A048 yokohamas (i have used and are awsome) or equivalent
Decide whether to weld the diff or not as you would need to alter suspesion
to suit.
Brakes are a must for circuit as you dont want fade
Worry about big horse power last as getting higher corner speed will gain alot of
speed and therefor quicker lap times, its alot more reliable( mechanically)
As how to setup the suspension, some others here will know as i havent raced fwd
but would figure to have the front softer than rear as most fwd cars will lift the
inside rear wheel when cornering hard.
roll cage and chassis stiffening always important, again the rules for the class you
want to run in will dictate what chassis strengthening mods you can do

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One step closer to the end...........
...............deceased and cremated

I haven't really looked into what types of auto racing I could use it for so I hadn't really thought about rules and regs. I guess that's a good start. For now, I just want something I can take to winton for practice days and see how fast I can get it around the track with stock internals + turbo.

I'm happy with the TC05 for now, both of the last 2 cordia I've owned have had TC05's and they are quite pokey around corners, it's enough for my requirements now. Corner speed is what I wants! I'm more worried about suspension and handling.

well set up handing + a little bit of power + balls you can go around a track quicker than people with more power than you.

I'm well aware that I won't have the fastest car on the track, I more want something that's fun rather than competitive. Happy to work with what I have now and then if I want to get into it seriously then I'll decide if I want to invest real $$$.

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now a certified cordia owner....

You don't need alot, but a bit more power and handling mods wouldn't go astray
with my mates 1.3 vw caddy van at lakeside. It's not fast even though he can bloody
good, but fast enough to make people ask what mods have been done to it
( it's bog stock) and has put quite a few other modded cars to shame.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhPrTL0ai1U&feature=channel_page

Not much of a video (it's the only one i've found with him in it) , but he's having fun and certainly gets the cheers from the crowd.
The guy who filmed it has some good shots from inside his car while racing in other vids

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One step closer to the end...........
...............deceased and cremated

i have a cordia i race on sprints dirt circuit lowered 2inches all round hard springs front soft on back ac brakes front magna brakes rear 2degree negative camber on front this was a big improvement toyo proxis8 tyres soon to be ipgraded and a 4g63 motor with 170kw atw my experience handling comes first then get more power i cant use the power i have because i cant get the power to the ground. this is just my experience and i am still learning the nut behind the wheel is a big factor also

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the red rocket

wont a welded diff in fwd be dangerous and effect cornering?

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Not a bad way to spend ten thousand dollars..

so, how do cordia's hold up on dirt? not really sure yet what sort of racing I want to do with it, autocross or hillclimb look interesting. How acceptable are FWD cars for these sorts of events, I'm sure they're RWD dominated.

locked diff? dangerous... if you're not used to it then probably, if you know what to expect I don't see an issue.

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now a certified cordia owner....

Equal length drive?

I was running a cordia in the dirt ( autocross and dirt hillclimb ) I found it easier to drive than my rwd sigma it replaced
I did run it at haunted hills - tar hillclimb and found it a hand full on the tar there I prefur the sigma but of cause I'm use to driving rwd

if you are going to do a track car your best bet is to build to a class or aim it in that direction that way if you get the bug for motor sport you haven't wasted time and money

now if you are looking at circuit ie spints have a look at improved production
anyway the way I would go about it
remove everything that you dont need in the car including the tar on the floor
fit a cage and some better brakes try and get some more camber
and go out and have some fun

are you a member of a cams club

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cheater

GE Sigma 2.6 Improved Production ( 119.5 Kw atw N/A )

projects
LJ Torana Historic Touring Car
1981 E21 BMW 323 JPS
Type 7 clone sports car

if i had to do it on a low budget i'd do something like, first invest your $$$ in:

1) suspension/tyres
2) brakes
3) roll cage (to protect you and stiffen things up)

4) then rip off and out out EVERYTHING that isn't needed to get the weight right down!

5) then after that's all sorted go for power mods.


EDIT: might be worth upgrading the cooling system too?

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~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

thanks for the ideas guys. I'm having a think about what to do with this.

Weight saving is free, so I'm going to start ripping things out and see how much weight I can save. I figure I'll rip out the interior, remove all of the sound deadening shit stuck to the floor, remove the A/C. I've already replaced the rims with lighter ones so I would have saved alot of weight there. I've also seen people replace the battery with a small dry cell, this is probably a good option to save some weight up front. Replace drivers seat with aftermarket

Then put in a cage and harness (probably adds back in all the weight i saved!!


In terms of types of racing, what cheater describes is what I'll look at. I'm interested in improved production class, though what sort of cars will I be competing against?

I think i'm best off finding a car club to join and asking them what the go is. How many people are out there racing cordias in these types of events? Am I wasting my time with FWD?

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now a certified cordia owner....

motorkhana events might be ideal for you. low powered cars, even FWD can be used. dirt/gravel/road surfaces afaik. probably wouldnt need a cage either. isn't really full racing, is just point to point stuff i think. some guys at uni do it.

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parts needed: malpassi rising rate reg and lotsa work/time
605X405X78 intercooler
D3B4ST8 is almost done

Thought i'd add my 5 cents worth in no particular order or preference...

- Stripping out the interior is a no-brainer - i'd estimate that you'd shave 60-80kg from it's kerb mass.
- Possibly replacing the glass windows with lexan or an equivalent material that's lightweight but economical (if available).
- Relocating battery to the boot for better weight distribution.
- Good tyres are a must have if the budget can stretch, i'd go for semis. Price-wise, they are ridiculous for 17" and above. Toyo R888's are cheaper than Advans or RE55's... i'd predict $300 a corner for R888's to suit a 15" rim.
- Slightly lowered suspension (1 1/2" all round) with good quality adjustable shocks. Lowering too much can have adverse affects on handling.
- Add a strut brace and swaybars to the equation.
- Brakes are very important as braking zones is where most overtaking moves are made. I'd step it up in this department and go for VR-4 calipers with good quality slotted rotors, pads and brake fluid.
- Replacing the radiator with an alloy unit will save around 10kgs.
- Removal of A/C will produce a saving of about 30kgs.
- A half decent intercooler... i'd go for a Jap-spec VR-4 before an RX-7 series IV unit to reduce heat soak. They're one of the best barring an EVO or GT-R item.
- Definitely an oil cooler if you don't already have one (preferably upgraded) and maybe a transmission cooler if gearboxes become a weak point.
- Some form of LSD is a must. I can guarantee you that from experience. I am not sure about a welded diff though - I can imagine it to be a pig to drive.
- Roll cage (even if it's a half cage). It may add weight but the increased rigidity you'll notice and of course added safety gives peace of mind.

I don't think you'd be wasting your time with FWD... if so, I wouldn't have wasted so much time and money on mine. Many FWD Hondas are reknown to be real 'movers and shakers' around a racetrack by keeping up with much more powerful machines. In saying that, there's no reason why you couldn't do the same with a well sorted cordia.

Hope I have added some useful info. Good Luck!

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Street/track spec Evo VI GSR in the making...

Suspension wise, I'm not really sure. My desired approach, is to lower the car to reduce the centre of gravity, use swaybars to reduce body roll, and shocks to control movement. This is potentially where I might have to spent a bit of $$, The shocks I have on the car now are way too soft.

I'll see how the brakes go, it's an AC so the brakes are much better than AA/AB brakes. Might go magna rears we'll see. Once I get decent tyres and have done the weight reductions then we'll find out how hard I can brake...

Intercooler and radiator I'm undecided yet. Might work out a creative way to mount a smaller more efficient radiator to make room for an intercooler with minimal piping. (cooler always a hassel on cordias...). It's an AC so it has the oil cooler stock.

Cage is non-negotiable... LSD is non-negotiable.... I consider them bare essentials for this sort of thing. Replace LSD with locker. I'll probably start popping gearboxes but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Transmission cooler?? hmm has anyone ever done this on a cordia? I've never heard of anyone doing it.

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now a certified cordia owner....

I run a transmission cooler for my gearbox..........it's an easy fit.......just remove the drain and fill plugs and replace with fittings. Run a holley red fuel pump at the drain end, run to cooler, return to fill plug.

I use the ECU (Wolf) to turn it on and off.

As for filling, just remove the breather plug and fill.......easy........and works well.

In my opinion, i'd spend the money on VR-4 calipers than opt for the AC fronts and Magna rears. I didn't find much improvement by doing the rear disc conversion apart from slightly better pedal feel...

I doubt that you'd blow too many gearboxes as a result of an LSD. I have only blown a couple due to neglect and the sheer clamping force of the clutch I am using. I knew Bitza has a transmission cooler and if you were to go down that track, i'd sure he would assist you but i'd say that it would be overkill in the application that you propose.

BTW, my car is an AB and it came with an oil cooler standard!!

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Street/track spec Evo VI GSR in the making...

no, oil cooler was a factory option on AB's in australia, they were standard on AC's
(incidently, it's a good mod to do on an AB if you ever get a car that didn't come with one. on my old AB I invested $20 from the pick-a-part wreckers got me a stock oil cooler from an AC + the oil filter block + lines and bolts and stuff and it bolted straight up.)

transmission cooler isn't high on my priorities

too many factors with braking, I'll play it by ear, I'm not going to go VR4 unless I really have to. AC brakes are significantly bigger than AA/AB brakes and keep in mind, I'm probably going to have only ~100fwkw or so at this stage. AC brakes are good enough for most purposes, and the ones on this car are in good shape.

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now a certified cordia owner....

gotta agree with the brake comments... i got a slow ass runabout, but with correct cornering, is fun flying around the inside of people...

as for comment on hondas... their LSDs and suspension setups have awesome reputation.

_________________
parts needed: malpassi rising rate reg and lotsa work/time
605X405X78 intercooler
D3B4ST8 is almost done

I have had my old vr4 cordia on dirt couldnt ask for anything better, more power than you need to get yourself out of trouble. went better than the hilux lol

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The only way to discover the limits of possible is to go beyond them into the impossible.
VR4.Wolf 3D.VL-T fuel pump.hybrid 600x300x100.2.5" piping.TD06 167fwkw 15psi