cheap way to increase performance?

[andersonsilva]

Hi, bought 2000 Toyota Camry V6 manual recently and i wouldn't mind doing minor mods to increase the performance a bit. :)

So far i've been only using 98 octane petrol, got K&N air filter and removed spare tire and jack.

I've only paid ~$5000 for the car so i don't want to spend too much.

I was maybe thinking of getting aftermarket exhaust, catalytic converter(?), powerchip(?) and get 15" performance 215 tires. But current tires and exhaust are are in good condition atm.

Clutch probably needs to be replaced in ~10,000km so i'll probably get heavy duty one.

Any advices? thanks

[jeffy]

not much you can do to "increase" performance "cheaply", if you want gains forced induction is the way to go (with costs of course), other than that, you cant do much,

think of upgrading suspension/brakes

i.e sway bars, strut bars, changing bushes to polyurethane etc.

do more research on this "powerchip" are you sure it will do you any benefits ?

[Andrew357]

- power gains from a catback will be small and a set of headers for a 1mz will be expensive, even if you buy the obx (IMO, junk headers) due to shipping

- An ECU tune with little modifications using a piggyback setup will give you minimal gains.

- A HD clutch is pointless if you aren't tracking it regularly or willing to put some $$$ forward. A certain Viking like fellow has a Gen4 which has done 225,000km (of which a good portion of them were supercharged ones) on the factory clutch.

- As jeffy said, a set of lowering springs, rear sway bar, strut tower brace and good tyres will gain you time in the corners. I would also recommend some Poly bushes for your lower steering rack to sharpen your steering.

Remember you have a Camry and unless you pour money into it it isn't going to be a performance machine.

Secondly and remember this one, you must apply the 2 of 3 points of the 'Quest for power triangle':

- Cheap

- Power

- Reliable

You can get power cheaply, but it won't be reliable. You can have reliable power but it won't be cheap. You can have cheap reliability (ie- like a stock Camry) but she ain't going to be powerful.

[Kenshin X]

nice something new u learn everyday (quest triangle)

[Guest]

"Fast, Cheap, Reliable... now pick two"

[andersonsilva]

Well thanks for the advices guys.

I got told straight through muffler?(~$450-$500 installed) would increase the power a bit, but then i worried about extra noise from the exhaust cos i dont wanna be the only one with noisy camry lol.

I know $500 is 10% of total price of the car but was gonna also install catalytic converter(~$400 installed) with muffler/exhaust at the same time, cos im willing to spend ~$1000 if i can boost the performance noticeably. :)

I think LSD would be great on this car cos i can't start for s**t when its wet, but i'll probably just get 15" 215 or 225 performance tyres + heavy duty clutch later so i can launch faster. and then probably get strut bar and rear stabilizer bar after the tyres.

p.s. i'm not too famililar with brands/model/shops for parts so please let me know you have any recommendation on brand/model/shop. (e.g. muffler, exhaust, 15" tyres, etc)

Edited March 28, 2012 by andersonsilva

[jeffy]

Well thanks for the advices guys.

I got told straight through muffler?(~$450-$500 installed) would increase the power a bit, but then i worried about extra noise from the exhaust cos i dont wanna be the only one with noisy camry lol.

I know $500 is 10% of total price of the car but was gonna also install catalytic converter(~$400 installed) with muffler/exhaust at the same time, cos im willing to spend ~$1000 if i can boost the performance noticeably. :)

I think LSD would be great on this car cos i can't start for s**t when its wet, but i'll probably just get 15" 215 or 225 performance tyres + heavy duty clutch later so i can launch faster. and then probably get strut bar and rear stabilizer bar after the tyres.

p.s. i'm not too familiy with brands, shops for parts etc so please let me know you have any recommendation on brand/model. (e.g. muffler, exhaust, 15" tyres, etc)

are you trying to track your camry or something ?

wet start .. are you dragging people in traffic lights in the wet ? im confused and intrigued as to what you are planning to do with that LSD.. if you want you can ask stylish about his gen 4 LSD installation (and the brisbane guys cos i think they're helping him with this) which i think you have got the inspiration from , but then again he's got a supercharger soo...

:S

..$1000 isnt going to be enough to "boost performance noticably" -if you look at andrews headers/exhaust setup it is not that cheap...

but you'll probably notice your fuel consumption will be less than what it usually is..

your straight pipe will be illegal in vic, if you get caught, you will be canaried and be put off the road.

just do rear sway bar first, or front strut, imo thats the best bang for buck mod you can honestly do

[Andrew357]

Well thanks for the advices guys.

I got told straight through muffler?(~$450-$500 installed) would increase the power a bit, but then i worried about extra noise from the exhaust cos i dont wanna be the only one with noisy camry lol.

I know $500 is 10% of total price of the car but was gonna also install catalytic converter(~$400 installed) with muffler/exhaust at the same time, cos im willing to spend ~$1000 if i can boost the performance noticeably. :)

I think LSD would be great on this car cos i can't start for s**t when its wet, but i'll probably just get 15" 215 or 225 performance tyres + heavy duty clutch later so i can launch faster. and then probably get strut bar and rear stabilizer bar after the tyres.

p.s. i'm not too famililar with brands/model/shops for parts so please let me know you have any recommendation on brand/model/shop. (e.g. muffler, exhaust, 15" tyres, etc)

Straight pipes is going to be pretty loud even with a cat (a high flow cat for 'power' which is practically useless by the way) you probably won't make the limit noise wise.

You're dreaming RE: LSD as you're looking at more than 1/2 the value of your car. You're going to spin the wheels in the wet, LSD or not. Don't bother with a HD clutch.

- A HD clutch is pointless if you aren't tracking it regularly or willing to put some $$$ forward. A certain Viking like fellow has a Gen4 which has done 225,000km (of which a good portion of them were supercharged ones) on the factory clutch.

[andersonsilva]

are you trying to track your camry or something ?

wet start .. are you dragging people in traffic lights in the wet ? im confused and intrigued as to what you are planning to do with that LSD.. if you want you can ask stylish about his gen 4 LSD installation (and the brisbane guys cos i think they're helping him with this) which i think you have got the inspiration from , but then again he's got a supercharger soo...

lol no and no :)

LSD was just an idea.. but LSD+supercharger sounds awesome :)

..$1000 isnt going to be enough to "boost performance noticably" -if you look at andrews headers/exhaust setup it is not that cheap...

but you'll probably notice your fuel consumption will be less than what it usually is..

your straight pipe will be illegal in vic, if you get caught, you will be canaried and be put off the road.

just do rear sway bar first, or front strut, imo thats the best bang for buck mod you can honestly do

Didn't know straight pipe was illegal in vic :( so doesn't look like i have much option for performance upgrade.

[andersonsilva]

Straight pipes is going to be pretty loud even with a cat (a high flow cat for 'power' which is practically useless by the way) you probably won't make the limit noise wise.

You're dreaming RE: LSD as you're looking at more than 1/2 the value of your car. You're going to spin the wheels in the wet, LSD or not. Don't bother with a HD clutch.

Thanks for the info, so it doesn't look like i have much choice for any kind of performance upgrade, maybe use the top engine oil and get it service fully from Toyota?

I won't get HD clutch, maybe i thought it was good idea cos i'll probably need a replacement soon and many people with manual Magnas seems to have em.

[Guest]

going to toyota for servicing is just going to waste money... just use a reputable mechanic.

you really cant do much to make these go faster without spending thousands of dollars.

[DJKOR]

I think LSD would be great on this car cos i can't start for s**t when its wet, but i'll probably just get 15" 215 or 225 performance tyres + heavy duty clutch later so i can launch faster.

Just start off with the better tires. You are approaching it the most expensive way for something that can be remedied with a more cost efficient approach. Work on your driving technique too. If I can launch my TRD in the wet, then surely a lesser powered Camry isn't rocket science.

[andersonsilva]

So what would you recommend for $800-$1400 budget upgrade? (i want speed and reliable)

I'll buy new tyres in near future but current ones are in decent condition atm, do you think it would be at least worth doing fuel injector cleaning, etc through Toyota?

Or should i just get sway bar/strut bar/rear stabilizer bar first? Could someone recommend me brand/model for the parts? Thanks.

Edited March 28, 2012 by andersonsilva

[DJKOR]

So what would you recommend for $800-$1400 budget upgrade? (i want speed and reliable)

I'll buy new tyres in near future but current ones are in decent condition atm, do you think it would be at least worth doing fuel injector cleaning, etc through Toyota?

Or should i just get sway bar/strut bar/rear stabilizer bar first? Could someone recommend me brand/model for the parts? Thanks.

You have misinterpreted the triangle. You can have:

Fast and Reliable... but it won't be cheap.

Reliable and Cheap... but it won't be fast.

Cheap and Fast... but it won't be reliable.

Those are your three options. You want fast and reliable and with your budget and your budget is too low. Stop focussing on power. I can not stress this enough. For the money you are wanting to spend, you are not going to gain much (if any) in the power department.

Put your money towards handling mods like suspension (springs/shocks or coilovers), rear sway bar, and front strut brace. Search the forum here for brands that people know and trust and see what they make for your Camry. Whileline and Ultra Racing are just two names that come to mind.

Also, may as well stop using Premium 98 and move to Premium 95.... unless you are buying BP Ultimate (as this has additives in it that may help keep things clean). The jump from 95 to 98 is only going to end up costing you more in the long run for no extra gain and from the sounds of things, saving money would be the better option for you.

[Andrew357]

So what would you recommend for $800-$1400 budget upgrade? (i want speed and reliable)

I'll buy new tyres in near future but current ones are in decent condition atm, do you think it would be at least worth doing fuel injector cleaning, etc through Toyota?

Or should i just get sway bar/strut bar/rear stabilizer bar first? Could someone recommend me brand/model for the parts? Thanks.

None. Put it in a UBank Saver account and earn interest on it. You won't get much power for $1500.

The injectors on the 1mz-fe (so I have been told) don't respond well to ultrasonic cleaning so a on-vehicle injector clean would be the go. I recently had it done by Lube Mobile and it cost me just shy of $200. Another way to get better economy could be to replace the fuel pump filter.

UltraRacing have a good strut tower brace and Whiteline make a 20mm rear sway bar.

[jeffy]

if you're going for whiteline let me know, i know a direct dealer from the west side though, which part of vic are you from ?

[andersonsilva]

You have misinterpreted the triangle. You can have:

Fast and Reliable... but it won't be cheap.

Reliable and Cheap... but it won't be fast.

Cheap and Fast... but it won't be reliable.

Those are your three options. You want fast and reliable and with your budget and your budget is too low. Stop focussing on power. I can not stress this enough. For the money you are wanting to spend, you are not going to gain much (if any) in the power department.

Put your money towards handling mods like suspension (springs/shocks or coilovers), rear sway bar, and front strut brace. Search the forum here for brands that people know and trust and see what they make for your Camry. Whileline and Ultra Racing are just two names that come to mind.

Also, may as well stop using Premium 98 and move to Premium 95.... unless you are buying BP Ultimate (as this has additives in it that may help keep things clean). The jump from 95 to 98 is only going to end up costing you more in the long run for no extra gain and from the sounds of things, saving money would be the better option for you.

Ok thanks for the advice, i'm not too worried about handing atm since i won't be going around the corners fast that often, so i just want good take off and 0-100 speed. :)

But since i have limited budget i guess i'll just go for handling parts first, maybe suspension or rear sway bar, front strut braces. Should i get the suspension before getting the sway bar/strut braces?

Hmm also didn't know about Premium 98 and 95.. so just use Premium 95 or BP Ultimate?

Edited March 28, 2012 by andersonsilva

[andersonsilva]

if you're going for whiteline let me know, i know a direct dealer from the west side though, which part of vic are you from ?

Sorry like i said im not familiar with brands, models for these car parts. So maybe someone could recommend which parts(brand/model) i should buy first? and also let me know if you know any good shop for installation, i live near the city, thanks.

[jeffy]

Check "Gordon Ramsays" Signature for Strut Brace,

I got my rear sway bar (which i highly reccomend - makes driving a bit more .. oh lets say fun :) and a bang for buck mod too) from Whiteline, im ordering sway bar links from them in a couple of weeks as well,

Installation wise, you should be able to do it yourself, fairly easy, provided you got elbow grease ;)

[trentmeyer23]

From what I have read from the OP Jeffy, they should not attempt to do any of this work themselves.

[andersonsilva]

Hmm Ebay strut brace is probably only available choice according to the "Gordon Ramsays" link. Never bought anything off Ebay before tho.

Anyway, i was maybe also thinking of improving the looks(lol) a bit, maybe i can trade in 15" touring alloys to 16" touring alloys from the updated model from used car dealer?

I can maybe also change the front grill and headlights but not sure if it would be worth it. Also wouldn't mind replacing the tiny side indicator with white ones(like the camry above) and add V6 badge(~$15 from Toyota i think) below it. What do you think?

[Andrew357]

None of the things you just listed will make you go faster.

Anyway, i was maybe also thinking of improving the looks(lol) a bit, maybe i can trade in 15" touring alloys to 16" touring alloys from the updated model from used car dealer?

I can maybe also change the front grill and headlights but not sure if it would be worth it. Also wouldn't mind replacing the tiny side indicator with white ones(like the camry above) and add V6 badge(~$15 from Toyota i think) below it. What do you think?

None of the above will increase you 0-100 times.

Except the V6 badge.

[andersonsilva]

None of the above will increase you 0-100 times.

Except the V6 badge.

u sure? maybe i can get <10sec quarter mile if i put TRD + ISF + LFA badges :D

[andersonsilva]

Took a photo of the car after a wash, http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/8813/camryv.jpg

I want to take off the 4 mud flaps, any reason why i shouldn't do it?

[Guest]

It's a defect if you do (at least in QLD)