2001: Diary of modifications
January 2001
The new parts arrived at the beginning of January. Despite the cold weather I
have managed to install the new face gauges. The dash was quite easy to remove,
apart from the cable running to the heater control, I had to leave this
attached. The partially-removed dash was inconvenient but didn't stop the work!
The gauge pod came out easily and it was just a matter of substituting the old
face gauges for the new.
The side flaps and rear visor are waiting to be painted. I wasn't sure whether
to leave the rear visor as it was (transparent black) but it doesn't really
stand out. I hope to have the flaps and visor on in a few weeks.
February 2001
Toying with a few ideas this month, whether to get more new [big] parts for the
car, or wait until next February when the V6 comes out, and buy that.
Anyway, in the mean time I have succumbed buying a few goodies, a new chrome
gear knob (to go with the F2 Evo gaiter surround), NGK spark plugs, Magnecor
8mm electrosports leads (#40265) and some 'invisible' indicator bulbs for the
front. Many other Coupe owners opt for the KV85 8.5mm competition leads, but
before ordering I spoke to Magnecor to get their recommendation...
click here to see what they said
I have installed the new parts. I have to
say that the indicators are not invisible, but they do look
blue, which I think looks quite nice. The new leads and plugs
have actually made some difference and seem to have cured an
annoying little flat spot! Of course the blue wires look good
too!
March 2001
I am still waiting for the new parts to come back from being sprayed, *sigh*
I
have definately got the modifying bug and this months
splash-of-cash goes on a big bore throttle body. The larger
diameter throttle body will aid with throttle response
throughout the rev-range.
April 2001
The big bore throttle body took only a week to arrive! It will be fitted next
week by RGS Motorsport, who are also upgrading the front brake system with PBD
8-groove discs and
Ferodo DS2000
pads.
I have also succumbed to purchasing a 'shark' spoiler which will be here in 4-6
weeks.
The TB is in and the new disks are on. The TB has made some slight differences,
the car is a lot smoother to run and pulls away better than
before. The most noticeable difference is the car is a lot
quieter, but develops a deep burble under acceleration.
May 2001
Well, I made it all the way to the first day of May without spending anything
on the car!..My poor credit card...
I have been hankering after some silicone hoses for many months. The typical
cost of hose here in the UK seems to be about £20 a meter! However, I have
sourced some cheaper hose from the States, it comes in various colours and even
with the shipping it still works out cheaper than buying it here. I've opted
for blue hoses.
Something which recently caught my eye were Indiglo Pedals, following the
current trend in the U.S. for Indiglo gauges, the same principal has been
applied to pedals! My intention is to wire them in with the door switch, so
they light up when either door is opened, rather than to the sidelights, as
recommended by the retailer.
I have decided to replace the grill I made back in March 2000 as it is looking
a little worse for wear, particularly as it has gained a large hole!!
The visor and flaps are on, the flaps certainly give the car a wider stance!
May is looking to become the most expensive month so far. I have now purchased
and are waiting for: Shark Spoiler, rear strut bar, foot rest and a 421 header.
This will then be followed by a full stainless steal cat-back system next
month.
The header and cat-back will both need to
be modified to still include the catalytic converter, work
will be done by RGS Motorsport.
June 2001
12th:
The pedals have arrived (took 12 days).
I had a lot of fun (?!) trying to find where to hook up the power for the
indiglo pedals. A good place to start was the dome lights as these come on when
the door is opened.
I was surprised to find that with the door shut, both sides of the bulb holder
were showing 12v (I was expecting 0), so consequently when the door is opened
one side drops to 0v.
I ran two wires off the back of the bulb holder (removed the sunglasses
console) and routed them through the headlining and down the a-pillar. This was
followed by strange head-stands in the drivers footwell, trying to connect all
the wires up behind the dash.
The new pedals clamp onto the stock
ones, they feel a little strange as they are so much larger.
The pedals do look good and light up when either door is
opened or the drivers interior light is switched on.
18th:
The other parts have arrived, I shall be making arrangements to get the spoiler sprayed and the header installed. The exhaust system has been ordered in readiness, hopefully the work will be done next week.
19th:
I have managed to sort myself out some lumpier cams
(from
the F2 Evolution - ask no questions!)
these will be fitted next week.
The stock inlet cam has a lift of .40,
the F2 Evo version is .03 higher, which will allow more fuel
in.
20th:
The strut bar was easy to install, after hearing about other owners with rear
strut bars I was expecting to have a problem shutting the rear seats. This
wasn't the case, the bar looks good there is a noticeable difference in
cornering, due to the car feeling more stable and rigid.
It would seem that the best things come to those who wait. Apparently the
exhaust I have ordered is not an off-the-shelf job, I will have to wait 2-3
weeks as it is being custom fabricated. Also, the camshaft has 'got lost' and
so it will be a couple of weeks before another arrives from Korea. The exhaust
has not been delivered and a new date of 7th August has been set.
The cams are still on back order and will probably be here in 2 weeks.
I'm
starting to wonder if these last two jobs will ever get done!!
30th:
The cams have arrived and are due to be installed next Monday.
Following the
50k service last week, I was informed that the exhaust
manifold had a crack and was leaking. Fortunately the new
manifold and system should also be installed next week.
August 2001
3rd:
I have ordered a small blue neon to go in
the passenger footwell. I thought this would be a nice touch
to match the indiglo pedals.
9th:
Following the installation of the cams the car runs smoother and pulls
stronger. The revs climb quicker, but it is possible to reach higher speeds
before changing up a gear.
Most noticeable is accelerating at low revs in 3, 4 & 5 gear, it is much faster
whereas previously the acceleration was slow to start with. Today the exhaust
manifold and cat-back are being installed.
The neon tube arrived, in pieces. Another
is being sent out.
13th:
The 421 header and exhaust system were fitted by RGS Motorsport last Thursday.
The most noticeable difference is the pickup in speed and optimum power starts
at about 3500 revs. The note of the exhaust is louder than I expected, I was
hoping for something more subtle. However after driving it around for a few
days I've become accustomed to it and I even think that its sounds quite sporty
now.
To take full advantage of my new power and shiny tail pipe I entered the car in
Show 'n' Shine at Ultimate Street Car, being held at Santa Pod...to find out
how I got on, check out the
fame section
of the website.
14th:
Neon tube managed to get to me in one piece, so I shall be installing that this
evening.
The neon worked for about 2 minutes. I'm hoping to send it back, I have ordered
another from a different company.
20th:
I ordered a handbrake handle a couple of
weeks ago, it has arrived so lets hope it fits OK. As no one
seems to make a replacement for the Coupe I've had to source
one that has similar dimensions.
September 2001
6th:
The coupe will be 3 years old on Saturday! This means goodbye warranty, I did
consider extending the warranty for another year at the cost of £320, but as
the car has been modified, Hyundai will not allow it anyway.
Without the restraint of a warranty, various performance possiblites are
available to me now.
I am still without neon and have encountered more problems, this time with
on-line ordering. Following a couple of failed attempts I shall hopefully be
recieving a neon tube in the next week. Be warned, always check that a company
is still trading before ordering from their web-store!
I have finally given in to temptation and
ordered a pair of Z3 Fenders, should really make the front end
more aggressive.
13th:
The neon wire has arrived and looks
similar to the cable you can buy for those twirly washing
lines! It has a nice blue colour when illuminated. I am
considering using the wire in various locations in the car, so
this will require a lot of splicing, I just hope that it all
works out OK.
17th:
I have been fed up with having a black top and bottom radiator hose when the majority of the hoses are blue. I spent a while researching the prices of Samco hose from different companies. Costs ranged from around £2 per inch to 40p. The best price was from Merlin Motorsport , they sell by length and dispatched my order the same day. As the hose is from Samco, so it will be their typical blue colour.
20th:
The neon theme seems to be growing, the latest addition to the car's illumination is a set of LED washer nozzles. These replace the stock nozzles, have two water jets and on the opposite side is a coloured LED. A variety of colours are available, but I'm unsure about the legality of a coloured one, so I've gone for a white set.
27th:
I have repainted the dome lights blue to match up with all the other
illuminations!
The Z-Fenders are going to be another
month while a new mold is made for them, currently the
Z-Fenders are being produced with some imperfections that
prevent them from being fitted properly.
October 2001
1st:
The neon tube has been installed in the passenger footwell, I am a little disappointed with the brightness, but atleast it does complete the blue theme in the front.
8th:
I think I've been bitten by a neon bug! I have ordered a 15" and two 6" blue
neons for the boot.
Next week the brake lines are being replaced by some custom-made braided steel
ones. Although the braking was improved after the new discs and pads, I feel
that there is still room for improvement.
I'm waiting for a package to arrive -
part of the secret project!
15th:
Big box has arrived! - Part of phase 1
16th:
Small parcel has arrived - Part of phase 2
18th:
Fingers crossed that phase 1 should be complete by tonight.
Phase 1 has taken a little longer than
expected and I hope that it will be completed tomorrow.
19th:
Hopefully in two to three weeks another large parcel should arrive - phase 2.
22nd:
The majority of phase 1 was completed on the 19th, although some further work
is required today and to finish things off I shall be needing to make a trip to
Buckingham or Oxford.
The brake lines
have been successful and braking is more positive, I have also
had the brake fluid changed to AP Racing fluid.
November 2001
7th:
I have ordered some accessories for use with Phase 1, the package should take around two weeks to arrive.
13th:
OK, time to reveal what has been going on!
Back in September I ordered a supercharger. It took around a month for it to be
delivered and I had it installed last month. RGS Motorsport did the install for
me, but encountered a few problems with some ill-fitting componenets. Because
of this the install took almost a week to complete.
Despite the hassles I am pleased with the result. The bottom end 1000-3000rpm,
is pretty much the same as before but once the needle moves past the 3k mark
you can here the supercharger 'whine' and the car accelerates fantasticly.
Strangely there seems to be another 'power band' between 4000-5000rpm when you
can feel an extra surge of power. The engine revs quite freely now and doesn't
sound strained, even at 85mph @ 6500rpm in 2nd gear!
Supplied with the kit was a fifth injector and a Unichip B. Neither of these
have been installed as I was advised by the manufacturer that as the car has a
MAP and not a MAF, it could cope without. However, I am hoping to take the
injector and chip to a Unichip dealer to see if any addition power gains could
be had by having the Unichip installed. The advantage of the Unichip is that it
can be tuned more precisely to meet the air, fueling and timing needs of the
engine, as opposed to the ICON which just controls timing.
I would hope to take the car to the Unichip dealer within the next month.
I am still waiting on the second lot of neon. To accompany the supercharger I
have ordered boost, oil pressure and air/fuel ratio gauges, made by Autometer. I haven't decided on the
location of these yet.
December 2001
10th:
I have had some conversations with the owner of the company that made the
supercharger, it now transpires that the Unichip is needed, RGS are kindly
installing this for me today.
I have installed the gauges in the centre console, so RGS will be hooking them
up today, too.
Surely I should be earning some sort of commission
for the amount of times I've plugged RGS Motorsport??
The boost and oil gauges come with red and green bulb covers, neither of which
are much good for my colour scheme, so I bought some blue ones. The gauges
light up a bluey-green, but don't look too out of place.
I have had some blue on silver heater dials made up to match the speedo gauges.
...Still waiting
for the neon and the fenders, *sigh*.
18th:
The fenders have been put back until January, the only bonus of this is that
they will be a slightly different style to the ones currently available.
The washer nozzle lights have arrived and I hope to have these installed in the
next couple of days.
The gauges work nicely as does the
unichip, however the main belt for the supercharger snapped
and left me with no alternator or power steering. Since the
install the supercharger components have settled in and have
caused all the pulleys to become mis-aligned. These pulleys
have caused many problems and I have spent more time without
the car, than with it.
29th:
Took a little time out between Christmas and New Year to get the washer lights
installed. The new nozzles have a stem that goes through the hole in the bonnet
and is then secured by a nut. The stem was a little too fat, so I shaved some
off both sides and hoped that there would be enough thread left for the nut to
run on. Haven't seen the lights in complete darkness, but they looked quite
nice at dusk.
The
neons have arrived, so I'm waiting for the weather to warm up
slightly before starting on those.