upgrade options

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gazraa
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upgrade options

Post by gazraa »

i have a rather boring p reg zx 1.4i elation and was wondering what routes for upgrades there are. I'm thinking about parts from higher spec models that will fit straight on an offer improvements.
For instance, do any higher spec models use grooved discs, and if so, would these be a straight swap?
The suspension. Could i improve the handling a bit by using dampers and springs from a higher spec model?
I'm not too worried about the engine, as 1.4 is fairly insurance friendly and once i start on that i don't think my bank balance will survive too long.
So if you know of any upgrades that are still fairly inexpensive please let me know.
If there are none, then what options are there to make the zx a bit more nippy and handle better without turning it into a boy racer car.
James.UK
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Post by James.UK »

ZX boring to look at? of course they are. if they weren't you couldn't afford to buy one!! lol.. But seriously, whats the spec on your elation? Paint, wheels, trim, extras?
With a 1.4 engine its never going to be a boy racer car. You cant have a high performance AND low insurance rates.. That don't compute. lol..[:I] Plus the fact that the speed cameras are making sooo much money they will never go away again.. So if you exceed speed limits sooner or later you are going to lose your licence.. :-(
You could paint a thin coloured line round it on the door protectors and pretend its a Volcane? [:o)]
Re brakes, Jon (admin) fitted Berlingos brakes to his with good results, I bought s/hand Volcane callipers, and new larger vented disks and pads for the front.. I now consider my brakes to be very good.. [^]
ZXturbo_Aura
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Post by ZXturbo_Aura »

get the interior out of a volcane ans fit that along with door cards etc, there was a set on ebay a few days ago...
Dan
jeremy
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Post by jeremy »

I'm surprised that you think th handling of the Zx a problem as its always seemed one of the best bits of ours. the 1.9D has 175/65 X 14 tyres and I wonder if yours has 13 inch wheels with narrower tyres. I drove ours with the spare on the front NS (165 section) and it was noticeable that it would run wider when turning right if I forgot about the tyre.
Are your back subframe mounts in good condition? They are supposed to allow the subframe to twist slightly on cornering to allow for passive rear wheel steering which works rather nicely.
Jeremy
James.UK
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Post by James.UK »

The ZX does handle very well [:D].. The Aura has 13x70x165 ally's, (standard size for a ZX I think?) and the Avantage now has the Volcane 14x65x175 ally's, but the diff in handling is marginal. Cornering hard the Aura tends to understeer a little bit, thats it..
I changed the interior of my Avantage because it had no pockets in the rear doors, and no pockets in the back of the front seats, and I like to keep my maps handy! So I bought the Volcane interior and had it fitted.. (black velour with dark red streaks, £50 from ebay [:D]) But the Aura already has all these things, so I dont see any point in changing it, its very nice as it is.. [^] Thats why I asked what the spec is on Gazraa's car.. It may be very nice already.. The spec on ZX cars does seem to vary from car to car quite a lot... [:0]
gazraa
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Post by gazraa »

well the spec on my zx isn't bad i suppose, i can just see room for improvement.
the interior is getting a bit tatty and my drivers seat has kind of collapsed on one side (not the frame, just the bit you sit on) making it a bit uncomfortable on harder cornering.
as for my rear mounts on the subframe, I think they have seen better days and i get the clunk noise that seems to be quite a common complaint.
I think the wheels are a fairly narrow 13" (although i could be wrong) so a set of alloys from another model could be a idea if they are slightly wider.
I admit to having driven worse handling cars, so maybe by sorting the subframe mounts out and getting a better seat it might feel a bit better. I'd just like to stiffen it up a bit (ooeerr missis) making it a bit better on corners.
I'm not planning on doing any big changes just yet, but it's handy to know what fits and what doesn't when the time comes to replace/upgrade.
keep the ideas coming if you have any more [:)]
James.UK
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Post by James.UK »

gazraa, re Tyre sizes.. 13-14-15 etc is the wheel size.. the 165-185-2005 etc etc it the width of the tyre.. the other figure given is the percentage of width that make up the thickness.. Measured from outside of tyre tread to wheel rim.. I think... [:I]
gazraa
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Post by gazraa »

thanks james, i did know that :)... well most that anyway. it was the 13" bit i wasn't sure of, as in I wasn't sure if mine are 13" or 14" as i can't remember from when I changed my tyres last.
I think i'll have to have a look on ebay and see what's on offer (although not from work as ebay is blocked :( unfortunately)
cheesesliceking

Post by cheesesliceking »

Does the Saxo VTR/S Lump fit? that should make it a bit more interesting..[:D]
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