Hi guys,

A couple of months ago I bought myself a very tidy 2000 TH Sports (3.5, tiptronic) and I'm absolutely loving it. I never had any intentions of doing anythig to it - I always wanted to do up a car back in my younger days but could never afford it then, and figured I was a bit past that stuff. So anyways after hanging out here for a while I'm starting to wonder if I might tweak it a little, but I'm wondering if it's worth the bother. I mean, being the 147Kw version, I'd have to do a few things just to match the 163Kw that the TJ has *stock*, plus the fact that in the auto I'm 1 gear down on a TJ. So I could tweak it some to make it better, or just leave it alone, or pay it off early and go looking for a nice TJII VRX.. as I've only just got it, I was planning on keeping it for another 4-5 years.

Anyways, sorry for the ramble..

There's only one obvious answer to your question.. mod it of course! lol

There's a couple of things you can do cheaply that'll give you a bit more go. For example, throwing in a new straight through high flowing muffler will give you around 8kW straight away for less than $300.

There are also a couple of CAI threads floating around at the moment that will all give you some improvements. Some involve using a pod but there are a couple, like mine, that let you stick with a panel filter if you want to. My $25 CAI setup was tested on a dyno to give me around 6hp ATW (but I've got a couple extra mods too :D).

Extractors will help, and they'll cost you from $500-$1000 depending on whose extractors you get and what kind of deal you can find.. and if you really want you can take them off your TH and swap them with the factory manifold on your VR-X or whatever you buy next.

hey mate, i have a '99 TH 5 speed. i ran a 15.3 stock, pretty sure i car knock a tenth or two of that.

i've recently bought a K&N panel filter, CAI piping, pacemaker extractors, straight through SS muffler and when i fit it all i will get a full 2.5" system, i'm aiming for 14.7's all of that has cost me about $1000 without fitting, i think its worth it but its up to you whether you think it is...........

brendan

if you were thinking of getting an auto VR-X as your next car, i would say dont bother, just stick with your TH and do some simple but effective breathing mods. Buuuut if you were thinking of getting a manual VR-X, i would say save your pennies by leaving your TH stock, so you can get into your VR-X faster :D

There's only one obvious answer to your question.. mod it of course! lol

There's a couple of things you can do cheaply that'll give you a bit more go. For example, throwing in a new straight through high flowing muffler will give you around 8kW straight away for less than $300.

There are also a couple of CAI threads floating around at the moment that will all give you some improvements. Some involve using a pod but there are a couple, like mine, that let you stick with a panel filter if you want to. My $25 CAI setup was tested on a dyno to give me around 6hp ATW (but I've got a couple extra mods too :D).

Extractors will help, and they'll cost you from $500-$1000 depending on whose extractors you get and what kind of deal you can find.. and if you really want you can take them off your TH and swap them with the factory manifold on your VR-X or whatever you buy next.

I know all those things of course... my point is that all that would only get me to where a TJ already is stock, while doing those same things to a TJ would see me 20-30Kw or whatever better off again. And yeah Tim-E, if I was going to bother upgrading I would definitely be getting a manual. The auto's fine but sometimes I do miss the manual. My point was that even comparing a TH auto with a TJ auto, the TJ has an extra gear and therefore better off in acceleration.

hey mate, i have a '99 TH 5 speed. i ran a 15.3 stock, pretty sure i car knock a tenth or two of that.

i've recently bought a K&N panel filter, CAI piping, pacemaker extractors, straight through SS muffler and when i fit it all i will get a full 2.5" system, i'm aiming for 14.7's all of that has cost me about $1000 without fitting, i think its worth it but its up to you whether you think it is...........

brendan

I'm not interested in what numbers I can get on the quarter. I doubt I would ever run it on the quarter or even race it on the street for that matter. It's all about the enjoyment of driving the thing, and the quicker it runs, the more I'll enjoy it :)

I guess when it comes down to it, if you want a quick car, it's sensible to buy the quickest variant you can to start with. If you already have something else, anything you do to it is going to improve your enjoyment of it, regardless of whether your mods barely make it equal of something else..

Bloody hell, sounds like I just answered my own question!

Personaly ide leave it and wait till you get a manual VRX

I mean, being the 147Kw version, I'd have to do a few things just to match the 163Kw that the TJ has *stock*
The TJ does not have 163kw Stock. I am not sure what the TJ series one had stock but I think it was about 150kw :confused: , the TJ series 2 has 155kw stock.
The 163kw you refer to is the VRX and that is not stock, but I do believe from all reports, the only difference is the exhaust anyway.
Whack a straight through muffler on your TH exec (which I got put on my TH exec today coincidentally) and you will be up at the 155kw mark for about $250 (which it cost me).


, plus the fact that in the auto I'm 1 gear down on a TJ.
No your not, the TJ auto's use a 4 speed box too. manual uses a 5 speed, but so does a TH.


Anyways, sorry for the ramble..
Just a bit of further info, the VRX is a sweet ride, but for the difference in price, if all your after is performance stick with your TH and mod it. You wont have to spend all that much money to get it going a lot faster than a stock VRX!!

The interiror trim in a TH exec is a lot nicer than the TJ execs in my opinion. The TH is one tone grey as opposed to two tone in the TJ which I hate. yuck.

The TJ does not have 163kw Stock. I am not sure what the TJ series one had stock but I think it was about 150kw :confused: , the TJ series 2 has 155kw stock.
The 163kw you refer to is the VRX and that is not stock, but I do believe from all reports, the only difference is the exhaust anyway.
Whack a straight through muffler on your TH exec (which I got put on my TH exec today coincidentally) and you will be up at the 155kw mark for about $250 (which it cost me).

No your not, the TJ auto's use a 4 speed box too. manual uses a 5 speed, but so does a TH.

Just a bit of further info, the VRX is a sweet ride, but for the difference in price, if all your after is performance stick with your TH and mod it. You wont have to spend all that much money to get it going a lot faster than a stock VRX!!

The interiror trim in a TH exec is a lot nicer than the TJ execs in my opinion. The TH is one tone grey as opposed to two tone in the TJ which I hate. yuck.


Some good points there. Sorry though, I should have been clearer. When I said 163Kw and 5-speed auto I was of course referring to a VR-X. Moving from a TH Sports to a TJ Exec would be rather pointless.

To quote Rene Descartes, "I mod, therefore I am" :bowrofl: :bowrofl:

Originally posted by Zaphod :
The auto's fine but sometimes I do miss the manual. My point was that even comparing a TH auto with a TJ auto, the TJ has an extra gear and therefore better off in acceleration.


I'll give ya a drive of mine one day if ya want, no probs. :cool:

I'll give ya a drive of mine one day if ya want, no probs. :cool:

You champ. :cool:

Either that or we can have a run sometime side by side to demonstrate the difference. :)

hmm, /me is thinking freeway in the early hours of 23rd of April, southbound...heheh

Yeah the sports model is also comes with 163kw and 5 spd tippy .......... :D

i rekon u mod it

You could stick with the TH and mod it up, or trade it in for a VRX. However, what's so good about haveing a stock VRX or a modded TH? I personally say a modded TH stands out more in the crowd. Even if it has only the same performance as a VRX. The aim is to stand out and be different. ;) My 2 cents worth

The aim is to stand out and be different.

Not for me. I'm a selfish bastard - it's all about me, having a car I like, maximising my enjoyment of it, having a car that can go hard. :D

having a car that can go hard. :D Dont mod your car now.. Wait till you find a cheap Manual VRX..

Stick on some breathing mods + cams + piggyback ecu and you should be a happy chappy!

Dont mod your car now.. Wait till you find a cheap Manual VRX..

Stick on some breathing mods + cams + piggyback ecu and you should be a happy chappy!


Word is in - Bain has spoken

/thread lol

Wow Ben... everyone has gone silent. ;) :bowrofl: :bowrofl: :bowrofl:

[QUOTE=cthulhu]throwing in a new straight through high flowing muffler will give you around 8kW straight away for less than $300.QUOTE]

Every mechanic and exhaust shop ive mentioned this too said there is no way you would ever get 8kw gain from just changing the rear muffler. Carline mufflers in particular told me that they would only get an increase like that from doing a full system, no chance in the world from just changing the rear muffler.

Many ppl believe the sports/vrx have more aggressive ecu settings which would make a bit more sense. I havent heard of a manual exec with just a rear muffler hitting 15sec or below, is that saying something??

Well thanks for all the input guys. I've sorta kinda-ish decided (which means it could change tomorrow) that I'm definitely keeping my TH Sports, and I will do some minor tweaks here and there as the mood takes me and finances allow. Daughter has given her approval, on the condition that the new lounge we need comes first. :)

Many ppl believe the sports/vrx have more aggressive ecu settings which would make a bit more sense. I havent heard of a manual exec with just a rear muffler hitting 15sec or below, is that saying something??

Yeh i started a thread about that. I think you could be right