iRage

Well..not really....you can change the airbox which would show some modest improvements (which to be honest is what most people do)...but then if you do some tuning in the ECU that could bring out more out of the modification (by getting the engine to actually utilize the better air intake). Also, this is the point where you might want to explore the possibility of an exhaust system (don't get me wrong...the idea of the exhaust system was not to make the car sound good but to make the car breath better....the sound is just a by product of that. So it is not just swapping out the "barrel" for a louder one but actually finding one that helps the car breath better and might even involve everything from the headers down to the tip)

LOL...I know you didn't....I just realized that some people might think I was

If the engine is relatively unworn...then yes a lighter oil would work....but then if the engine is worn with age..a heavier oil would be better.... As for brands... Mobil, Castrol, LiquiMoly, (do we still have the proper Penzoil ?)...etc...

That is why I said something from WEPR...they are as quiet as a stock until you rev it up. Even most JASMA certified exhausts would be the same..just that most JASMA certified exhausts on the market look a bit too obvious I DID NOT SUGGEST YOU FIT A CAN OF BEETS (AKA Barrel of farts)

Discussion from other thread :(I will be deleting the posts on the other thread): I have never owned a 110 on a long term basis. But then again, type of engine oil is very subjective as what works for my engine might not be the best thing for your engine. A "not so worn out" engine would do quite well with a thinner oil and if a heavier oil is needed it would purely for heat absorption in a high temp environment like Colombo. On the other hand, if the engine is somewhat worn out, one might be tempted to use a thicker oil anyway in the interest of maintaining oil pressure and such. As for whether you should use synthetic or mineral oils...again...that is also subjective as it depends on your vehicle usage and conditions and budget. ======= Thank you so much for your quick words, Actually my car made in 1998 and currently use Mobil 2000 10W,40W semi synthetic oil , car did around 190K. Budget is ok for me , highly appreciated if you could suggest a good en

I replied to you on the other thread.....That seems fine for a vehicle with that much high mileage....why do you not like the oil you are using ? Finally...please do not go around asking the same question on multiple threads....

Congrats ! Now it is time for the AL members to start corrupting you So..sound eh ? Better start saving money for a custom exhaust system from WEPR That would make her sound quite nice and also change the air box She will breathe a lot better... Later on we can talk about suspension

Certainly does seem like a shock or even coil spring issue. If you replaced the shocks at 90K...then you have put 70K kms on them which is usually to be expected.... When you say the car feels like floating..I suppose you mean that when the car goes over a hilly hump or hump it just rocks back and forth like a boat..going in to corners and the car feeling like it is going to under-steer excessively because the body is floating away are all typical symptoms of worn out shocks. Most people would suggest the press and bounce the corner approach but that does not work....so save your energy. With 70K kms on it..you will have to change the shocks anyway...so why not change it and see if it gets fixed ? Changing the shocks would be the simplest thing to do in my opinion because it is something you will anyway have to do. Then move forward from that point onwards. Whilst you replace your shocks, check the coils, and control arm bushes and linkages as well and replace them (typically they would start getting replaced around the 100K mark onwards.

Acura's Type S concept..yes...it RWD Hope some of this actually makes it in to production models...

The manual is for a Yaris....the specs are slightly different although the engine, etc... is the same. Your JAPANESE market Vitz manual would say "Regular"Gasoline. In Japan Regular gasoline is anything from 92 - 95 octane depending on the manufacturer

Highly unlikely..there really is nothing there except for the boot cover, plastic and other material from the bezels, cables, etc...

When a manufacturer manufactures/assembles a certain vehicle in a particular country; it does not mean the manufacturer will/has to sell that vehicle in the market that is manufacturers it in i.e. If Mazda assembles the 1.5L in Japan, that does not mean they will necessarily sell it there. It could be that the 3 is assembled in Japan for export markets as well. But yes....so far the manufacturer of Mazda 3 seems to be only in Japan for now。 Typically what happens is with time other production facilities re-tool themselves to manufacture it too....

You obviously have not checked out the new Mazda 3 in person or online. The Mazda 3 is far far from being an econobox in terms of refinement and build quality. In fact it is far better than both the Corolla and the Civic and has a luxurious touch that even the accord and Camry does not have. The 3, Civic and Corolla started off as econoboxes but that was 20 years ago. he new Corolla is a replacement to the Allion/Premio. The Civic has grown to be as large as the old Accord and the Camry is as large as the old Crown. So...they have all grown. Granted...the variant offered by Colonial seems to be rather old..but the nice interior and stuff will probably be there.

Most of the time..yes....it is from the fake leather/cloth

Please do search the forum for benefits of buying a used Hybrid vehicle versus and old gasoline vehicle. Only you can answer the question on what is worth for you because you are the one who has to doetermine: - How much you will be using the car for (Hybrids are okay if you use it a lot) - Whether you are willing to invest in replacing batteries etc...(a 5 year old Hybrid will not have batteries that are 100% potent and will require you changing them during your ownership period)

Well...here is the thing....you are comparing JDM prices with export model prices. The JDM Mazda 3 Proactive which is similar to the Civic with Sensing; the Mazda 3 base price is close to 2.5 mil yen. Also, the JDM variant now only comes with the 2.0L SkyActiv engine or the SKYACIV-X engine (which costs 3.3mil yen). Mazdas have always been cheaper than Hondas and Toyotas... The reason why the agent has a lower price is because the agent offers the model that the manufacturer has recommended for the local market. In this case, a model with the 1.5L SkyActiv engine. Also, yes. You will lose out on some tech because of two reasons. On one hand; the manufacturer does not recommend the technology for the market because it does not suit local operating conditions and inability to maintain/service the technology. On the other hand, the tech is not there because the local agent does not want to bring down a vehicle with certain tech because that would make the car unreasonably expensive due to the taxes. In some cases the local agent is willing to custom order the car with some of the options they would cut-out. The agent does charge a premium where for the same price or even less you might be able to get down a JDM variant with more bells and whistles. Having said that...buying a car straight from the manufacturer's local agent has a whole load of benefits where the premium price and compromising on things like paddle shifts and radar cruise control, etc..might actually be worth.

KYB meets the basic functional specifications required for the car to operate (that is what manufacturer's spare parts do !). SO it gives a good balance of usability under all conditions. Then some after market pars are there to improve performance in certain areas whilst keeping other areas at the same level as before or compromising it in some areas (whilst remaining within manufacturer's recommended thresholds). Then some after market parts are so cheap and crappy that it just makes the car suck. The brands that you have listed are reputable brands that are known to have decent product ranges that improve performance off-road or provide a slightly better alternative to the standard stock suspension. They are typically more expensive, especially in a country like SL where market is limited and duty, etc are quite high. So yes..by all means take a look at them....see if it meets your requirements.

Makes no difference. Most of the cars for both the Japanese and export markets are now made in Thailand and any where in the world as it seems necessary to optimize production and distribution. The whole Thai models are not that good is a myth spread by car salesmen (these are the idiots who sell cars imported fromJapan with badges that clearly say Assembled in Thailand as Japanese built models). How long will the tech last without giving issues ? No idea....but it is not all dooms day and not that fragile. Not sure what you mean....by capacity to capacity the power output across the range is more or less the same ? `JDM Hatch : 1.2L Turbo : 112ish hp (116PS?) 1.8L Hybrid : 95ish hp (engine) + 70ish hp (motor) Euro Sedan 1.8L Hybrid : Same as JDM Hatch 1.6L Gasoline : 130hp (usual out put of the 1ZR-FAE engine) Some markets have the 2.0L Hybrid which have more power　and a 2L gasoline (with about 170hp) JDM sedan : Nothing official yet (Toyota has not even show the actual body yet; the body is supposed to be narrower than the export variant) 1.5L gasoline (interestingly this was published as 1.8L in the original press release : 95hp 1.2L T : same as JDM Hatch 1.8L Hybrid : same as JDM hatch This is where my poor Japanese skills show up...the release said available engines for the next 2020 model year. However the article also said that the Current E160 series X grade will continue to be produced until late 2020. So I am not sure if the 1.5L engine was referring to the E160 1.5L or if the 1.5L will be available in the E200 series Corolla. There is indication that Toyota might introduce the 2.0L variants and a limited 1.6L variant for a GT/GRMN type model (this might be just for the hatch though) As far as I know SEA variants have the same power figures as the above depending on the capacity 1.6L : 125ish ? because for SEA the engine is the 1ZR-FBE, as opposed to the 1ZR-FAE engine in Europe. The 1ZR engines are carry ons from the current generation 1.8L/2.0L Hybrids : same as above... Then there is also a 1.8L gasoline in some markets that put out about 140hp ? <this probably> Where did you see that the JDM hatch and sedan power figures are different ? Or that the power figures across the regions and body types were drastically different ? As far as I can see the outputs across the regions are more or less the same for hatches, sedans and touring wagons. As for assembly, the Sport is supposed to be assembled in the Takaoka factory. Can you check in your one if the ID plate has A31 or A32 as the Plant ID ?

Well...where tech is concerned most of the cars come with pretty much the same thing now and the prices are almost the same. Especially in regards to active and passive safety features (primarily because in Japan most of the driver aid and safety features are mandatory from 2020 onwards...what differs from each other is if you want a small screen or a big screen or if you want Apple CP or Android or a Japanese proprietary system You should know that a car like a mark X or a mazda 6 is not that much more difficult to park than a Civic or something....sub compact sedans have gotten pretty huge....and if you are looking for something the size of a 121...then you are going to have to look at a Grace or a Yaris/Vios...but then those cars are not very techy. as for tech...well....every time I power up my 486DX powered PC with 128Mb of ram and load up my little shooting game from a 3.5" floppy disk...I am in amazement as to how long technology stays relevant and wroks without no hitch If you are a tech person who wants that to be happy in a car..then so be it..but also don't let the tech stuff detract you from buying a car that will actually give you driving satisfaction as well, especially if the tech stuff you are seeking for will not be used or work in a local context. Because at the end of the day...once the newness has worn out; if it does not give you a satisfying drive...when the tech goes bad (and it always does)....you are going to be miserable.

I have to ask...why a sedan ? If you take something like the Mazda 3 sport or the Corolla Sport....usable space in the car is more or less the same....refinement and luxo plush wise I would say it is Mazda 3 - Corolla - Civic. Driveability wise Civic - Mazda 3 - Corolla. Practicality/Living with it wise Corolla - Mazda 3 - Civic. Smiles per gallon wise Civic - Mazda 3 - Corolla (but each set apart by only a small margin). I must say the manufacturers have gone back to a lot of their core values with these cars...

That is really strange....you mean they WILL get the new one.... Actually I checked...apparently the SEA version will have the 1ZR-FBE engine....which will have the same output as the 1.2L Turbo....

No you cannot just walk in to an auction and start looking at and bidding on cars. 1. There are specific days for you to walk though the yard and look at the cars available. Again...you cannot drive it or anything.... 2. If you are looking at a specific model of car....the available vehicles will not be at one particular location...it will be right through out the country at different locations and the specific model you are looking for at the auction house you will visit will be small or 0. So during the three weeks you are there you will not be able to find a car unless you plan to visit many many auction sites like a mad chicken running across Japan. Travelling in Japan can be very expensive...When some of our car sales people say they personally check every vehicle they buy, etc...they are lying....The original auction sheets are trustworthy enough that they can buy a car without actually seeing them. The large car sales have agents in many areas to hunt down cars so those sometimes have people looking at the actual car they bid. 3. Most auction house attendees, even if they go to the auction, do not see the actual car. They go to a big hall with a big screen in front and is full of terminals. The car gets shown on screen and they press buttons to bid. 4. You cannot just walk in..you need to find an agent. 5. This is a brand new car you are looking at....and you are going to have to find an agent in Japan anyway....so why not just direct purchase one off of a Honda Dealer in Japan ? You will have to wait a few months (since the accord has been around for awhile I would reckon the wait is about 6-8 weeks at most). So you have your agent (or even a a friend can do this if he/she has a place to park a car) go to a Honda dealership (with or without you) and then order one with the accessories you want. 6. The brand new cars you see it auction are there not because Japanese people buy the cars and then decide to sell them. Those cars are there because they are put there by car dealers who know they can export them...so most of the time the brand new vehicles at auction are more expensive than at the dealer (because car salesmen buy it and put it at the auction keeping a margin for themselves and they know people will buy them to beat the waiting list at the agent. 7. Japanese do not sell cars based on mileage....the decision to sell or not sell is hinged more on when the shaken (road inspection) needs to be renewed. For the first 3 years of a brand new vehicle it is not needed but after that it needs to be done every 2 years and can get rather expensive for the repairs and inspection. It is just that most cars do not use their cars that much either becuae you do not need to use it in the city or ifyou live in the suburbs you would be using a mixture of cars. My 20 year old Corolla has only 38K on it... 8. The relatively new cars you see at auction are put by people in 6.; rental cars; leases (actual leases not the type in SL...where the user pays to use the car and then returns it in exchange for a newer one).

Huh ? The new Corolla Sedan has not been released for the Asian market yet...and so far there is no announcement about a 1.6L engine for any of the markets (only rumors of a high performance version with a 1.6L BW engine). I think you are mistaken and mixing up the current (and outgoing) E170 series Corolla with the NEW Corolla sedan EDIT : So a 1.6 engine HAS been announced for the South East Asian and European markets (most of Asia gets the SEA variants anyway). SEA will get a 1ZR-FBE with about 120hp (around the same as a 1.2L Turbo) and Europe a 1ZR-FAE with about 132hp.... E170 Corolla (Current and soon to be out going model) NEW Corolla Sedan (still have not been introduced to the Asian market)

You are not going to find pristine parts for a car of this vintage....if it is in pristine condition it will probably still be on a car that is in pristine condition in its entirety. Your other option is to order in reproduction parts....for a car like this it will be way too much even if you do find a manufacturer who does reproductions. The bumper can easily be fixed up...as for the grille; you might be able to find one that is in slightly better shape than your's. Either way..if you want it nice and straight...I suggest you take it to a place that does plastic/fiber repairs and get it fixed up...

I think they are referring to the old Maruti Suzuki built Swift for the Indian market; the base Inidian market variant (which I believe was also the most popular) did not have most of the safety features like ABS and Airbags which were standard in the Japanese built variant and variants built for European markets. The issue is even though the cabin stayed in tact the occupants got severely injured as their were no airbags and such to protect the occupants (usually vehicles are designed to use both features such as this and the frame jointly to protect the occupants...without one the other is not the most effective). But this was with the previous model and only the Maruti Suzuki ones...it has been rectified with the new model (even before that actually...if I am not mistaken Suzuki started offering airbags as standard on the entire line up of Swift after this saga..I might be wrong on this)