what should i do first?

[devanmc]

i have a completely stock 99 se zetech. im wondering what i should do first if i want to put some performance parts in?

[striker2]

intake, exhaust (full 2.5" catback or SVT exhaust), focus underdrive pulley. is it an ATX or MTX?

[devanmc]

atx...blah

[striker2]

in that case sell it and buy an MTX :D

[devanmc]

the car isnt exactly worth much im doing work and if im going to a mtx. ill just wait till this trans dies and put in a mtx. i knwo it will be a pain, but it will be a good experiance

[striker2]

its not like you can just drop in an MTX. you have to replace the subframe, pcm, trans mounts/roll resistors, axles, shift linkages, etc. theres a lot of things to do just to swap to an MTX.

[devanmc]

very true. but i like a challenge and i like this car. so i figure ill stay with it, even if their are huge expenses on the way

[devanmc]

i feel stupid for this question, but i have been reading about people when they put on an intake(for the zetech), that they can hear it? this honestly makes no sense to me

[Rara]

Start with some decent tires.

[Steeda...]

How about a suspension?

[todras]

The sound of an engine sucking in air doesn't make sense?

[todras]

How about some proper end links, sway bar bushings, proper safety equipment, etc!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[yomanwill]

yes, under heavy acceleration you can hear the performance intake, though it is expected do to the lack of, forgot what they are called "sound mufflers"....it starts with a B damn i forgot the word....

[todras]

Umm baffling?:shrug: :laugh: Kind of like Devan's posts.

[devanmc]

i said performance the safety stuff is coming in first. i just have to wait for reebs to take it all out of his parts car. why do i need sway bar bushings?

added: i dont really think there is a problem with my suspension right now, other then its stock.
also, the engine sucking air does make sense i just never thought you would be able to hear it on a n/a car, esp an inline 4

[yomanwill]

Umm baffling?:shrug: :laugh: Kind of like Devan's posts.


resonators....but i was orginally thinking of baffles, but intakes don't have baffles mufflers do

swaybar bushings are important and cheap its the links that will get ya...

[devanmc]

swaybar bushings are important and cheap its the links that will get ya...

true, but why do i need them or need to replace them. Their is nothing wrong with the suspension or steering of my car, other then it being stock

[zorrex]

true, but why do i need them or need to replace them. Their is nothing wrong with the suspension or steering of my car, other then it being stock

You may think so. Try grabbing a hold of you swaybar while your car is parked, and see if you can move it from side to side. If you can move it without struggling ferociously it means you need new bushings. I had to get new ones. I could definitely feel that something was wrong with my car when I was on the highway. It would make clunking sounds and it would swerve when going high speeds and going through crosswinds. It was actually kind of scary. It's OK now, though :). However, the bushings are a pain to get to...I don't want to go through that fiasco again :crazy:

[devanmc]

well ill jack my car up and check later today. it just rain and is going to again soon. ill tell you what i find then
or do i just need to run out and pull on the sway bar and not the tire like i have read else where on here.

[SleeperZ]

For the Zetec, suspension is by far the best upgrade.

The HMS built transmission with Quaife was probably the best upgrade I did. Felt like a new car. The BAT kit was also a great upgrade as well.
The better (and cheaper) upgrades are swapping in a larger rear sway bar and adding a rear strut tower brace. Front brace does nothing and there's no need to swap the front sway bar.
Also, replacing the motor mounts with SVT mounts (with inserts) and upgrading all the suspension bushings to polyurethene is a good idea.

[devanmc]

ill see what all i can do. i dont have alot of money though :cry:

[todras]

You might want to put what little you have INTO FIXING IT THEN!

[zorrex]

You might want to put what little you have INTO FIXING IT THEN!

Yes, I concur. You never know when something will go wrong! I won't be putting an intake on for quite a while, heh. :)

[devanmc]

You might want to put what little you have INTO FIXING IT THEN!

i said performance the safety stuff is coming in first. i just have to wait for reebs to take it all out of his parts car. why do i need sway bar bushings?

added: i dont really think there is a problem with my suspension right now, other then its stock.
also, the engine sucking air does make sense i just never thought you would be able to hear it on a n/a car, esp an inline 4

dude lay off. i already said i was fixing the currently known problems, before i do any of this stuff. geez...

[zorrex]

dude lay off. i already said i was fixing the currently known problems, before i do any of this stuff. geez...

Don't mind tod, he only means well :cool: .

[devanmc]

yeah, but it would be nice if he could remember what i said before he gets on me about my car not being safe.

[zorrex]

I don't mean to argue with you or argue for todras, but I'm sure he's just merely pointing out that the car should be problem-free before spending money on mods that in the end wouldn't be worth it if there was a major problem with the car, that's all.

[devanmc]

oh yeah, i know. if you would like to know my full plan.

1st. replace airbags (they have deployed from a ridiculously small crash)
2nd. replace drivers door and drivers side front fender (were damaged befor car was purchased, unknown cause)
3rd. any performance parts i have money for(granted i dont have any other problems to fix)

[dyaballikl]

resonators....but i was orginally thinking of baffles, but intakes don't have baffles mufflers do

swaybar bushings are important and cheap its the links that will get ya...

plastic has a baffling effect unto itself. it flexes and doesn't vibrate much, especially doesn't make noise when it vibrates. with a metal intake, a lot of the noise actually comes backwards from the manifold, and resonates through the intake piping, which won't be heard with a plastic intake.

[devanmc]

How about some proper end links, sway bar bushings,

how much will that cost me? any round abut thought will do
and can i do it myself

[devanmc]

Everything is just thought right now. So if i were to do a rear sway bar from BAT would/should i replace the Rear Sway Bar Link/Shackle?

Added: I just went out to my car, got under it and pull on anything(sway bars, control arms and tie rods, but no the break hoses) that connected the wheels to my car. All of it was solid as a rock. they moved slightly when pulled on but they didn't jiggle or anything of the sort

[yomanwill]

plastic has a baffling effect unto itself. it flexes and doesn't vibrate much, especially doesn't make noise when it vibrates. with a metal intake, a lot of the noise actually comes backwards from the manifold, and resonates through the intake piping, which won't be heard with a plastic intake.

my god that does make sense...but why would you what a plastic intake when you can get shiny metal....i mean come on, shiny is good

btw...replacing your water pump before it fails is the best mod ever...i wish i did it

[devanmc]

That is a new one to here. Ill check to see how expensive they are.

added: todras was talking about the sawr bar bushing and end links. what about a new sway bay(21mm from bat) and/or a rstb?

[CRZYDRVR]

A RSTB is always a worthwhile mod.

[devanmc]

alright, looks like ill be saven my pennies for one. From what ive heard and read, the rear one will help you handling and the front one does almost nothing. Why is that?

[sjsmk1]

Sell it and buy mine....everything possible is already done...and IMO done right & by professionals....well other than me..lol

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/car/384431876.html

or just look at my list of mods

[devanmc]

i wouldn't be able to get enough for mine, man i would love your car though.

[striker2]

no offense sjsmk1 but there is no way you have 215BHP out of a zetec with just bolt ons. i love the car but i dont think your gonna get $4500 out of a 96 zetec. even with all the work youve put into it.

you would have to have atleast 180WHP to get those numbers. show me a dyno graph and then ill believe it. my car with a custom exhaust, custom intake, focus UDP, and adjustable FPR only made 125WHP. the cam gears might net you 10 WHP and the same with SAFC (maybe 20) so your looking at most 155WHP which is only 180BHP. not trying to **** on your ad as i love the car but the claim of 215BHP doesnt seem right.

[loggerbomb]

no offense sjsmk1 but there is no way you have 215BHP out of a zetec with just bolt ons. i love the car but i dont think your gonna get $4500 out of a 96 zetec. even with all the work youve put into it.



Don't listen to him. Someone is going to pay the price for the car. People have paid MORE. Though I do agree, without a dyno or something to back up those HP claims, no one is going to believe it.

[sjsmk1]

Actually figuring an average 25% drivetrain loss, the 168hp dyno slip that i have accounts for slightly more than my claim. Granted the 25% loss is a bit optimstic, and it may have been more straightforward had i posted the whp, consequently most people do not know the relationship and would assume it was the same as bhp. Even if you wanna figure on the really efficient, 15-20% drive train loss, its pretty close.

[striker2]

since you have the MTX you have to assume an average of only 10-15% drivetrain loss since they are way more efficient than an ATX. now if it was an ATX then you could assume 20-25%.

you can actually calculate the average drivetrain loss of the MTX-75 based on the SVTs dyno numbers. we know that they are rated at 200BHP and the average dynoed WHP of one is in the 175 range. thats a 12-13% drivetrain loss. now if you take the 168 (which is IMO is a little high for the mods but not impossible, still want to see the dyno graph) calculate the BHP with a 12.5% loss you get 192BHP. thats 23HP less than what you claimed. now is your average driver gonna notice that, probably not. But your claimed number is not accurate.


Don't listen to him. Someone is going to pay the price for the car. People have paid MORE.

considering KBB rates a 96 MTX zetec contour with all the options, only 68000 miles, and in excellent condition at only about $2200 his claim of them selling for 2500-3K is, again, a little high. if he gets the $4500 that hes asking for great (since like you said people have paid more) but i dont think hell get it. im guessing somewhere in the $3500 range would be more accurate.

[devanmc]

can anyone answer the question i had??

From what ive heard and read, the rear one will help your handling and the front one does almost nothing. Why is that?

[striker2]

IMHO they both help however you will notice more of a difference with the rear one than the front. if you look in your trunk the strut towers mount to the body really far down. this allows lots of flex in the tower. by adding the strut brace it then allows the tower to push against the other one whose outside wall is part of the body and doesnt flex that direction.

the front one doesnt help as much because there is less distance between the top of the strut tower and where it mounts to the body so there is less flex. some people claim that it does nothing however i can feel a difference between when i have it off and when its installed.

[SleeperZ]

can anyone answer the question i had??

The front does do something, but not much. On a scale of 1-10, maybe a 2.
The front struts are alread pretty well supported by the firewall.

[devanmc]

thanks guys. now i know what to go after for suspension work.

[striker2]

yeah. struts and springs, rear sway bar (even an SVT one is better than the stock one, plus it should be fairly easy to get ahold of), and the rear strut tower bar. also some lightweight wheels and good sticky tires.

tires are the best and easiest way to get more grip.

[devanmc]

I have an se contour. My rear sway bar and the svt rear sway bar are the same. SO my only upgrade their is one form bat and new bushings

[striker2]

yes it is an se however since you have the zetec you might double check that it is 19mm before you spend the extra money on the bat bar if you can get away cheaply (for now) with just an svt bar.

[devanmc]

so how do i check its size, correctly?

[striker2]

a pair of dial calipers comes to mind. preferably the digital ones so its easier to read.

[devanmc]

im out of luck then don't have any or know anyone with them. grrrr o well. ill live for now