best handling mods for a uk classic turbo??
 

ok, so next week my car will have all the engine mods fitted to it and then mapped by andy forrest and will be running circa 310bhp, its a my00 uk turbo, i have upgraded discs and pads on the standard 4 pots, my question is regarding improving the handling, bearing in mind i have spent a fair whack on engine mods and mapping, so coilovers etc are out the question, what should i fit to my car to improve the handling, iv seen eibach front and rear anti roll bars, 22mm front and 24mm rear, or just whiteline rear arb 22mm and droplinks?? whats the difference in these two setups for road driving? also dont really want to go down the uprated lowering springs as i dont want a slammed in the weeds or uncomfortable ride as im getting on a bit, lol.

save up and buy some BC coilovers - is worth it mate. Are you on standard shocks / springs? I have the same car as you - I have Bc's, anti lift kit, poly bushes on front & anti roll bar bushes- also sti rear anti roll bar. Is really good set up mate- had prodrive handling pack before - and in my opinion was not all that. Can I ask what engine mode have you got?

To really enjoy the extra power I would wait and do it properly - anti roll bars would be the last thing I would do on a 10+ yesar old car. Ade

I found the biggest improvement was a 22mm whiteline rear arb and droplinks. That was with the standard suspension and 16" wheels. With it on the middle setting the handling was just so much better, cornering a lot flatter and giving good feedback and confidence.

I went on to fit 17" wheels and BC coilovers. The adjustment on the coilovers with 5/4 springs gives a good range, from pretty near stock suspension on the softest setting to teeth jarring on the hardest. With the tracking properly setup the car is both comfortable for daily use and easily stiffened up for fast road blasts or track days.

But as a start I would highly recommend the rear arb and links, just a couple of hundred quid for very good results.

yes standard shocks and springs.
engine spec
andy forrest hybrid td04
ported headers and uppipe
full h&s decat from turbo back
green panel filter
prodrive 3 port boost solinoid
sti 8 tmic and undertray
ecutek remap by andy forrest.
walbro fuel pump

It's all down to personal preference Mr Hat. I have a MY00 UK Turbo with a similar level of engine and brake mods to you - I'm only running 276 on a std TD04.

On a limited budget I would recommend the following to improve matters but not make it 'B' road unfriendly:-

firstly, get a decent 4 wheel alignment.

Then beef up the rear arb - I've got an adjustable whiteline on the firmest setting - and fit some uprated drop links. I have steel whiteline ones, these are cheaper than the alloy ones and at our level of things are pretty much the same.

Are you running 16's or 17's? It's incredible how much difference putting a set of 17's on makes.

I have recently fitted an ALK - in my opinion the difference was nowhere near what I was expecting after having read numerous posts on here about how transformed the turn in would be, and yes it has been 4 wheel aligned since the alk has been fitted.

Good luck.

What I did on my beefed up classic

BC - BR coilovers
STI - Alloy front arms
CDF - ALK
CDF - Drop links front and rear
Whiteline -22mm ARB front and rear
Full Four wheel alignment
17in Alloys
Goodyear F1 Aysmetrics

ARBs allways sell quickly on here. So playing about and say pulling a 22mm off the rear selling it and sticking a 24mm on isnt an issue. I have started with 22mm all round on this car to see who it feels. From memory 19mm is standard ARB thickness...I think!

I agree thats why I recommend that you dont buy them and buy the poly bushes and do the whole front arm for less then the ALK`s cost

As stated above, go for the Whiteline 22mm ARB and drop links

im running the standard 16" alloys, have seen a mint set of 17" prodrive st2 alloys on a wagon for sale just down the road from me, can be seen here http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1911141.htm they would look great on my same colour saloon, i text the guy asking if he would be interested in my mint standard alloys and some cash but he wants too much for them, although the longer his car stays for sale maybe he will change his mind. love those alloys.

Engine spec sounds ace - could you pm me with your results - bhp / torque as am thinking of getting that turbo on mine? cheers ade

yes mate no problem, wanted really responsive driveability, hopefully thats what ill get. ill pm u once done.

cheers Mr hat - I have same engin spec but with standard td04 - got 273bhp and 300 ft/lb - or 215 bhp at the wheels. Be very interesting to see what you get.

i recommend the bilstien prodrive dampers as they have 40mm inserts and keep original ride height but take alot of the body roll out with out making it like a brick to ride in and shakes your teeth out like alot of theses coilover kits do[not all mind]