Horsepower/Torque Etc. - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

adebrunner · 01-15-2008, 03:32 PM

New to the forum and don't know a whole lot about cars so I'd appreciate simple answers. I have an 04 4wd Matrix. I think it's slow as hell and I'm looking for something that will relatively cheaply increase my HP i.e. not a turbo. Every time i need to merge onto a highway from a stop, I feel like I could be killed and it's just not responsive when I floor it. Will a new intake, exhaust, spark plug wires, radio knob or different car wax make it faster? Let me know. THanks

PA Firefighter · 01-15-2008, 04:33 PM

Car wax? LMAO.

Welcome aboard and I'm finally glad to see another PAer on board. Just watch the Troopers by the 81-83 split. Same with the 81-78 split. I got nailed over the summer. 83 in a 65....but anyway you'd be better off starting simply. And assuming you're in the same boat as myself with limited funding, start small. Intake and exhaust are usually the way to go. Some people like cold-air intakes, but I didn't have the money at the time, so I went Short ram. Like I said, it comes down to what cash you have at your disposal. The power gains to be had are minimal, but definitely noticeable.

TRXR4KDS · 01-15-2008, 08:13 PM

And with each, intake and exhaust, you will be noisier, but tuners like the noise.

w203 · 01-15-2008, 08:34 PM

nitrous, so everytime you merge you can have tunnel vision

notmytrix · 01-15-2008, 08:38 PM

Being a 4WD'er myself, I feel your pain. But you can do what others can't do during the wintertime, and that's drive at summers pace, if you're daring enough.

Intake, custom exhaust, hollowed pre-cat. That will give you some noticeable gains. I don't recommend the hollowed out pre-cat coz it may not be legal at some states. But, if you really want to you can search matrixowners.com on the How-To.

I have an intake myself and plan to get an exhaust in the spring to up the breathing for my poor 4WD. I tell you, don't even try and keep up with the manual Base, XR, TRD, XRS models during a meet. The force is weak with us.

Good luck.

***mistamatrix*** · 01-15-2008, 09:18 PM

Lose weight and completely gut the interior. Increase your power to weight ratio at relatively no cost.

ArmyofOne · 01-21-2008, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistamatrix

Lose weight and completely gut the interior. Increase your power to weight ratio at relatively no cost.

I just sit back and enjoy excellent AWD fuel economy on the freeway, and awesome traction at all times during the winter...no joke, was passing people in ohio on the interstate during a bad snowstorm, about 10 inches of snow on the freeway, im truckin along at 55-60 and everyone else is doing 20...and there are cars int he ditch every few yards...but not this guy. its easy to be faster than everyone else in the winter when you have AWD...and the best part is, you can stomp those STi guys on gas mileage...show me one that gets better than 20mpg when modded on the interstate...

anyway, going fast isnt important to me anymore, but i do miss the ZX2 from time to time...224FWHP and only 2200Lbs? can you say Zoom Zoom?

Smar969905 · 01-23-2008, 11:44 PM

Take a 4 stroke gas powered leaf blower, and take the long blowing tube from it and cut it very short to fit inside the engine bay but be connected to the air intake. also hook up the fuel line to it and have it start with the car. By this point, it is all getting rather complex, but it works out to be like a small turbo, and i have heard of a leaf blower being put into a car and giving it about an extra 30-40 horsepower. it is relatively cheap compared to getting a real turbo and all the equipment for that.

As for going 55-60 in the snow, that is great and all, but when it is time to stop in a hurry, AWD doesnt help you stop any faster, and ABS wont quite do the trick on ice.

neuspeedescort · 02-01-2008, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArmyofOne

I just sit back and enjoy excellent AWD fuel economy on the freeway, and awesome traction at all times during the winter...no joke, was passing people in ohio on the interstate during a bad snowstorm, about 10 inches of snow on the freeway, im truckin along at 55-60 and everyone else is doing 20...and there are cars int he ditch every few yards...but not this guy. its easy to be faster than everyone else in the winter when you have AWD...and the best part is, you can stomp those STi guys on gas mileage...show me one that gets better than 20mpg when modded on the interstate...

anyway, going fast isnt important to me anymore, but i do miss the ZX2 from time to time...224FWHP and only 2200Lbs? can you say Zoom Zoom?

what mazda motor are you claiming to have swapped into your zx2 to make 224fwhp? i was almost glad to see another escort owner. an don't say it was n/a. so cough up the specs or i will make you look foolish.

NEUMAN

ArmyofOne · 02-05-2008, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neuspeedescort

what mazda motor are you claiming to have swapped into your zx2 to make 224fwhp? i was almost glad to see another escort owner. an don't say it was n/a. so cough up the specs or i will make you look foolish.

NEUMAN

It was the 2.0L DOHC Zetec block, (1998cc's to be exact), it was NOT a mazda motor, thogh very similar. I did the build on the motor myself, Im a mechanic in the army and have access to every tool imagineable. I sold the car recently for a good bit, if you want specifics, PM me, but i can tell you another TN'er has seen/ridden in and driven the car and will vouch for every mod and its effect on the car (Toysrme, where are you?)

PS...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smar969905

Take a 4 stroke gas powered leaf blower, and take the long blowing tube from it and cut it very short to fit inside the engine bay but be connected to the air intake. also hook up the fuel line to it and have it start with the car. By this point, it is all getting rather complex, but it works out to be like a small turbo, and i have heard of a leaf blower being put into a car and giving it about an extra 30-40 horsepower. it is relatively cheap compared to getting a real turbo and all the equipment for that.

This is the guy whos sanity you should be questioning...

Toysrme · 02-05-2008, 04:21 PM

a leaf blower will do nothing. maybe if you hook it to the n2o. they're not an internal compression device, nor are cage fans able to be external compression devices.

sry its been so long. army's little ford was running mid-high 12's best I remember??? thats right in line with what your typical 300bhp ish N/A car around the weight of a zx2 does run when it hooks up.

Smar969905 · 02-05-2008, 07:47 PM

now i didnt say i tried the leaf blower technique, but when you think about it, it would help to increase airflow in the air intake, and that would be pushed along into the motor better. the computer would compensate for it by adding extra fuel to the mix to balance it out, and thus give more power, essentially the same thing as a turbo.

if somebody has an old beeter car, try it on that first, then try it on the trix when you find out it works....

neuspeedescort · 02-06-2008, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArmyofOne

It was the 2.0L DOHC Zetec block, (1998cc's to be exact), it was NOT a mazda motor, thogh very similar. I did the build on the motor myself, Im a mechanic in the army and have access to every tool imagineable. I sold the car recently for a good bit, if you want specifics, PM me, but i can tell you another TN'er has seen/ridden in and driven the car and will vouch for every mod and its effect on the car (Toysrme, where are you?)

PS...

This is the guy whos sanity you should be questioning...

i was running a jdm gtx turbo motor in my escort. it dyno'd at 209whp and 226wtrq. guys with the same mods as me on slicks see mid 13's. my best was 14.3 due to having toyo touring redials. i would love to see a cardomin of yoru car or a solid mod list. i jsut know that the zetec is alot like the other ford motors seems its built off teh cvh single cam bottoem end it doesnt' rev up like the bp motor mazda builds. the two motors are not alot a like.

NEUMAN

ArmyofOne · 02-07-2008, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neuspeedescort

i was running a jdm gtx turbo motor in my escort. it dyno'd at 209whp and 226wtrq. guys with the same mods as me on slicks see mid 13's. my best was 14.3 due to having toyo touring redials. i would love to see a cardomin of yoru car or a solid mod list. i jsut know that the zetec is alot like the other ford motors seems its built off teh cvh single cam bottoem end it doesnt' rev up like the bp motor mazda builds. the two motors are not alot a like.

NEUMAN

Well, i ripped that motor out and did the rebuild myself. Im quite talented with mechanics, since i have been doing it awhile. With that motor, you should be able to get more HP than that...this wasnt just your standard scort either, it was an 02 ZX-2, i dont think we are thinking of the same vehicle.

but all is well, no hard feelings, either you believe it or you dont, if you want some HP pointers, give me a PM.

neuspeedescort · 02-07-2008, 09:22 PM

read the escort boards. the motor was stock plus a fmic and a 3" exhaust. those numbers are one of the highest to come out of that motor with out internal work. im not saying you are not speakign the truth but i just want to see a cardomain or something. my stuffs all out in the open. look at mine.

NEUMAN