need advise

[evil]

Hey all. I am driving a 2002 corolla i have made some custom led enhancements inside my car. But now I really like to improve on performance of the car. So far i have installed a K&n intake and NGK spark plugs.. Is there anything else i can do performance wise to make it better?
Thank U all..

[PhatRoyale]

Upgrade the braking system, get better pads, ss lines and a high temp synthetic brake fluid.

Suspension-wise, your options are almost unlimited, standard lowering springs + struts or full coilovers if you're feeling ambitious. Get extra chassis bracing bars. Upgrade the bushings in the suspension too.

Better tires are also a must.

[Bdub215]

do some weight reduction: if nobody rides with you that often, toss the rear seats and the spare tire. maybe strip the car of all the sound deading and that stuff. if you want more power i only ask how deep are your pockets?

[evil]

Originally Posted by PhatRoyale

Upgrade the braking system, get better pads, ss lines and a high temp synthetic brake fluid.

Suspension-wise, your options are almost unlimited, standard lowering springs + struts or full coilovers if you're feeling ambitious. Get extra chassis bracing bars. Upgrade the bushings in the suspension too.

Better tires are also a must.

Tires i am working on..Brakes are done..What brand name would u suggest for shocks and struts?

[PhatRoyale]

How low are you looking to go? What are your suspension priorities? Handling? Comfortable ride?

What's your budget?

[zuzu_]

Originally Posted by PhatRoyale

Upgrade the braking system, get better pads, ss lines and a high temp synthetic brake fluid.

Any recommendations of brands for brake pads (I'm guessing ceramic), stainless-steel brake lines, and brake fluid?

[PhatRoyale]

Hawk pads, Goodridge SS lines and ATE or Motul synthetic brake fluid are reputable brands.

[Bitter]

valvoline synthetic dot4 is cheaper, more readily available, lasts longer, and is perfectly fine for street and occasional tracking.

[PhatRoyale]

To each their own... I'm just posting what I use. Not comparing anything.

However I'm sure that Valvoline makes good brake fluid as well.

[Buurin]

Originally Posted by PhatRoyale

However I'm sure that Valvoline makes good brake fluid as well.

Good as in conventional DOT3 being $9.3/L at Walmart? I probably should return my cheapo Walmart $8/L DOT 3 and get synthetic DOT3 for Ford.

You sure DOT3 can mix with DOT4? Bleeding a combo master cylinder/ABS unit is a PITA from what I read so it's just gonna suck and fill for me. OTOH I do intend to flush the entire clutch system.

How much fluid would I need to use to completely fill and bleed the brake system? Clutch system?

[PhatRoyale]

DOT4 brake fluid is fully backwards compatible with all DOT3 applications.

DOT5 is the one that should be avoided since it's silicone based.

[Chris Corolla S]

Originally Posted by evil

Hey all. I am driving a 2002 corolla i have made some custom led enhancements inside my car. But now I really like to improve on performance of the car. So far i have installed a K&n intake and NGK spark plugs.. Is there anything else i can do performance wise to make it better?
Thank U all..

Do way more searching and planning then come back with specific questions if you are still serious about trying to make this pos grocery getter a very little bit faster for a lot of money.

[zuzu_]

Originally Posted by Chris Corolla S

Do way more searching and planning then come back with specific questions if you are still serious about trying to make this pos grocery getter a very little bit faster for a lot of money.

POS? Depends on your POV. The very best aspect of Toyotas generally are their reliability (the minority of oil-burners not withstanding). It starts in the cold, doesn't rust out, will run 200k-300k miles if maintained, and gets me from A to B.

I like the look and feel of the 8th Gen much better than the 9th Gen; cars generally keep getting taller and fatter as the years go on. (I miss the "tinny" late-80s Corollas; I hate driving any kind of SUV or truck) And working on this car is actually relatively standard and straight-forward. (The only real complaint I've run up against is that the alternator is crammed under the intake manifold, so there's no way I've yet discovered to put in a high-output alternator like this.

I'm down with the braking improvement recommendations; that's a great safety issue. (The difference between a totaled car and a near-miss can be a matter of inches in stopping power.) But the "go fast" culture of cars in the USA strikes me as silly unless you live in Montana driving on highways where the speed limit is "reasonable and prudent". Otherwise, even this "grocery getter" will do 65-80mph just fine.

Personally, I don't see any difference between "boost" and "rice".

Upgrade the brakes and tires, put in some HIR bulbs and fogs for better vision in night driving and foul weather, and upgrade the horn to something people might actually feel warned by on the highway. Wire up a power-inverter properly to the battery, install a nice head unit that does Bluetooth handsfree (music and maybe GPS navigation are nice too), and maybe install some better speakers and an amplifier to power them.

That's about it. It's a car, not a rocketship.

p.s. As for suspension... I actually wish I could get heavy duty suspension (and a little lift) to better handle potholes and speed bumps. Anyone driven on Houston St. in Manhattan lately? Yowzers!

[Chris Corolla S]

Clearly I said "pos grocery getter" tounge-in-cheek noobie I'm talking about my own car.

Originally Posted by zuzu_

Personally, I don't see any difference between "boost" and "rice".

That makes no sense what-so-ever
Boost= Pounds per square inch above atmospheric pressure created through forced induction of either a super or turbo-charger compressing air into an intake manifold.

Rice= slang term for modified import cars that are considered more "show" than "go" Or have an over-abundance of uglly appearance mods that do nothing for performance despite claims to the contrary.

It's quite a stretch to equate the two.

If someone asks "what can I do to make my corolla faster" saying it's not worth it to make a corolla faster is a useless post. It's one thing to emphasize the reality of going down that path but another to just say don't do it.

[Bdub215]

Originally Posted by zuzu_

I like the look and feel of the 8th Gen much better than the 9th Gen; cars generally keep getting taller and fatter as the years go on. (I miss the "tinny" late-80s Corollas; I hate driving any kind of SUV or truck) And working on this car is actually relatively standard and straight-forward. (The only real complaint I've run up against is that the alternator is crammed under the intake manifold, so there's no way I've yet discovered to put in a high-output alternator like this.

agreed. i dont want to get too far off subject but werent some 8gc's two door? cause i know our cars are what i like to call "pointless sedans". they're too small. but there good on gas and agile for its power/weight. if i were the OP and had the time and expertise, i'd try to rig up a junkyard turbo for their car. intercooler optional.