I haven't really done much to the car, but I wanted to write an update anyway. Only a few days left until the next autocross, and I've been trying to decide what to do with the car ever since the last one! Time really flies.
Most of my progress has been doing research. I sent off emails to half a dozen companies in Japan to find out what my options were. The biggest critique people had at the last autocross was that my car rolled too much. "Get some coilovers and sticky tires!" Ok, what can I buy? A quick scroll through www.jauce.com pulled up a few choices.
The cheapest is Navic (far right), which I had actually heard of from a Best Motoring video. They're a respectable company, but the spring rates they use are way too stiff. Great for racing, but not for the roads around here. Next up are the blue and yellow ones, a company called Rice Rocket. They make body kits, along with other ricey parts. The spring rate is good, but I just can't trust a company called Rice Rocket.
It's also important to pick someone that specializes in one part of the car. Brembo does great brakes, and that's it. Recaro does seats. If a company makes tons of parts for tons of cars, you have to question the quality. Which parts were their specialty and which were skimped on? So my choices at the moment are between Aragosta (orange and black) and Silk Road (silver and gold). Both are super high quality products, huge in Japan, and used in racing. I've contacted a guy about more information on some Silk Road coilovers, so we'll see what happens.
For power, I originally thought of Monster Sport (previously Suzuki Sport). They had a larger turbo with an ecu called an F90 kit for the AZ1 which gave it approximately 90hp. I wrote them a few emails, but they no longer carry it. I checked with some Cappuccino guys to see if I could use an ecu from their cars, but it wouldn't work. Monster Sport said the wiring harness and sensors were different, even though they shared the same engine. After a bit of searching, and a few hours on youtube, I wrote an email to a company called Take Off. They replied saying that they no longer make parts for the AZ1 (at this point I'm wondering whether or not I should have just bought a Cappuccino instead), but they know of another company called News that still makes things for it.
DO THEY EVER! These guys make all kinds of performance stuff for it! They seem to love the F6A engine. Anyway, I wrote to them immediately and here was their response:
Hi Sam,
Thank you for your e-mail.
I have two types of upgrade turbocharger and it has the ECU to match them.
RHB31 turbo, and HT-07 turbo.
RH31 Turbo, Max power 120ps, / torque 13kg
HT-07 Turbo, Max power 140ps / torque 16kg
Parts for AZ-1, we have a lot.
Exhaust headers, high profile camshaft, valve spring, lightweight retainer,
forged oversize piston, high-capacity oil pump, etc.
AZ-1 is a fun car and please enjoy.
Regards,
Kiichiro Suga
Thank you for your e-mail.
I have two types of upgrade turbocharger and it has the ECU to match them.
RHB31 turbo, and HT-07 turbo.
RH31 Turbo, Max power 120ps, / torque 13kg
HT-07 Turbo, Max power 140ps / torque 16kg
Parts for AZ-1, we have a lot.
Exhaust headers, high profile camshaft, valve spring, lightweight retainer,
forged oversize piston, high-capacity oil pump, etc.
AZ-1 is a fun car and please enjoy.
Regards,
Kiichiro Suga
About 10 emails back and forth later, I decided the best route to go was to keep it simple with just the turbo upgrade, and not dump crazy money into a complete engine rebuild. Here's what I'll be ordering: the HT-07 A/R9 turbo, ecu, #9 spark plugs, 300cc fuel injectors as recommended by Kiichiro, and a new aluminum radiator. Anything more and I'd need an oil pump, oil cooler, and a full exhaust. Here's the list he sent me with prices:
They require you to send in your original ecu so they can modify it, so I bought a spare used one on an auction. Whenever that arrives, I'll send it over to News and await a big boosty snail in the mail! The only thing I've really done TO the car in the last month was put a sticker on the window:
I have a few more surprises waiting to be installed, but those will have to wait until next time!
