Hey all...

After reading about people's luck (or otherwise) with modifications not giving a very good price/kw ratio, I have decided to seriously consider supercharging the AWD beastie.

I know that a few people on here have the Sprintex superchargers fitted, and was wondering if anyone could give some indications of the results - not just that it goes fast, but in terms of things like fuel economy (gently puttered around town and freeway, not having its neck rung all of the time), throttle response, noise and insurance availability and cost.

This is in preference to plonking down $1500 for an emanage + tuning, $2000 for a set of cams to be installed and dialled in properly, a $1300 intake manifold, $600 for extractors etc etc. By increasing the volumetric efficiency of the motor a lot more power can be realised over some of these 'bolt on' mods... $5,500 for at best 20% extra, when $6500 for 50%... hmmm... I thought about doing an engine swap for a Ralliart engine (but try to find one of those).

The Sprintex solution also appeals since it is a tried and tested product, ADR approved (meets all of the pollution requirements, keeps the EGR etc). Fit and finish also looks excellent.

Cheers
Heath Young

After myself doing highflow TB, extractors, exhaust/piping and CAI, for the money spent per performance gain its pretty appauling...

It confuses me how people think its financially viable to make a magna any quicker by installing thousands of dollars on bolt-on's. I made the decision after getting my last bolt-on mod around 6 months ago, and having spent almost $1.5k on the engine just for it to sound nice. If I keep this car for 2 more years and am still emotionally attached to it (doubt it) i'd not hesitate to get a Sprintex; fact of the matter is that Magnas run beautifully perfect stock as a block for a cheap jap family sedan.

If you want it to be a sports car, get a ralliart or save your dosh for forced induction.


My 2c.

Yep - exactly. The AWD chassis is excellent, well balanced, but needs some more err... balls in the engine department. Why oh why didn't Mitsubishi thow the Ralliart engine in the AWD (and the Koni shocks) - It already got the springs and swaybar, and brakes...

The engine is not a simple 12 valve affair, it is a quite well designed V6, with a lot of engineering prowess incorporated to extract the maximum kilowatts with the maximum driveability and minimum fuel consumption. 160kw, 8.6 highway and 12.8 city is very reasonable for a heavy AWD six cylinder vehicle.

Cheers
Heath Young

it seems to become more vivid these days that bolt on mods are only a quick fix... especially in my case with a 3L auto :doubt: ....

you are better off saving for forced induction or a good engine swap and then if u want more power.. build from there :)

im not putting anything else into my motor until i get the MIVEC Dropped in :), i'd be crazy to do anything until then!!

go th s/c if u have a 3.5 :) good option!

Remember that when you're choosing the supercharger route of forced induction, almost all the so-called bolt-on mods remain relevant. So extractors, some kind of cold-air intake, throttle body, head-work, and even to some extent, camshaft mods, carry over and will give you even more power out of your supercharger install.

Remember that when you're choosing the supercharger route of forced induction, almost all the so-called bolt-on mods remain relevant. So extractors, some kind of cold-air intake, throttle body, head-work, and even to some extent, camshaft mods, carry over and will give you even more power out of your supercharger install.
Of course! but i think Heath is looking at bang for your buck.

$5.5k on NA mods
or
$7k on Supercharger

From the soundclip i heard of VRX-II's supercharger it was bloody loud in the cabin!

Why oh why didn't Mitsubishi thow the Ralliart engine in the AWD (and the Koni shocks) - It already got the springs and swaybar, and brakes...

i was kinda thinking more along the lines of "why oh why didnt mitsubishi throw the awd platform under the ralliart?? :badgrin:

I suppose it works both ways...

I am not too keen on the bodykit, but I suppose it it a matter of different tastes...

Cheers
Heath Young

I'm confused as to what to purchase too. I don't want to spend a whole heap of money just yet... Exhaust + extractors and CAI for the moment, then forced induction. I'd love to go the SuperCharger option but there's no authorised installer in QLD. I think i'll probably end up turboing my Ralliart.

If there's an authorised Sprintex dealer and installer near you, i'd be inclined to go the S/C route TBH.

I suppose it works both ways...

I am not too keen on the bodykit, but I suppose it it a matter of different tastes...

Cheers
Heath Young

i agree with you heath - would love a bit more oomph in the awd

Of course! but i think Heath is looking at bang for your buck.

$5.5k on NA mods
or
$7k on Supercharger

From the soundclip i heard of VRX-II's supercharger it was bloody loud in the cabin!

It all depends on how good you are at doing work on your car yourself and of course shopping around for parts and or making your own. :D

My old engine in my magna recorded 171.2kws at the wheels(August 2005) and all my mods cost me no where near $5500. My new rebuild isnt going to cost anywhere near that either (even when i add the price of the first setup) and im aiming for and confident of recording around 210-220kws at the wheels. I will know hopefully by febuary 2006 (When i get of my ass and finish building it!) lol

I MAY even start making parts (inlet manifolds, cams etc etc) for others at respectable prices. :P

It all depends on how good you are at doing work on your car yourself and of course shopping around for parts and or making your own. :D

My old engine in my magna recorded 171.2kws at the wheels(August 2005) and all my mods cost me no where near $5500. My new rebuild isnt going to cost anywhere near that either (even when i add the price of the first setup) and im aiming for and confident of recording around 210-220kws at the wheels. I will know hopefully by febuary 2006 (When i get of my ass and finish building it!) lol

I MAY even start making parts (inlet manifolds, cams etc etc) for others at respectable prices. :P

What've you got planned mate?

What've you got planned mate?

Ive already designed and made my own custom inlet manifold, i bought a new pair of ralliart heads and are porting them to the max, also have a new pair of high lift/long duration cams (way bigger than the cams i currently have in my old engine).

As i dont need my car to drive to work everyday (ya gotta love having a company car) i can now go and do the engine how i wanted to do it a few yrs ago.

Heath, firstly the people at Sprintex are approachable, more than willing to talk and if you do have any queries have a chat to anyone of them.
Second I have a TW AWD VRX. 159kw. add Sprintex supercharger 235kw. Thats nearly 50% more power from a simple bolt on product done in a day with full warranty. I can not sing the praises of this product loud enough. As for fuel economy well I have trouble not flogging it. I find that flogging it I might as well be in a v8 as I am avg 17l/100ks. when I do take it easy i get that down to about 14.5l/100ks in the city. on a country trip (say straight 4 hour drive down princes hwy from sydney to batemans bay I avg about 11l/100ks. more than your standard magna, but then again so is the car. you also need to remember that you need to use premium fuels and oils. as for insurance, shannons charge me 133.33 per month with my car insured for $56000.
As for noise, it isnt loud on the inside. You hear it yes, but once you've sat in the car and heard it, you will actually want to hear the supercharger, it is a wonderful sound.

I would recommend this product to anyone, it goes great, sounds great, and for those who like to drive a sleeper, surprises people.

Heath where in NSW r u? Maybe we can catch up and I can take you for a run. Drop me a line.

but i thought supercharging drinks up more then a turbo?

either way you gonna get a magna that goes

Definitly food for thought... I like the idea of a supercharged magna, it would be difficult not to give it heaps :)

The fuel consumption on the highway is suprising - I didn't expect it to be that high... The fact that it is a sleeper is also very attractive as well. Downside is (I suppose) unknown resale value, and fuel consumption - not sure what a V8 uses in city/highway cycle, may be comparable or not. It isn't used as a higway car anymore (my wifes car has the baby seat in it so mine can be antisocial on fuel)...

I am in Newcastle BTW, closest dealer is Northshore Mitsubishi. Not sure how I would go if I bought the 'kit' for $6.5K or so (with the 15% discount) and got them to fit it (or fit it myself - not sure about warantee though).

Waiting for factory warantee to expire...

Cheers
Heath Young

I was looking at this but it really adds up to 8k:

"Firstly, the average cost of an installation is between 8 & 9 hours at the Dealer's workshop rate, so this can vary from around $800 to $950.

Secondly, the cost of the Kit, after the the 15% discount is $6,511 plus GST. Therefore we would estimate the total cost of the Supercharger Kit, fully installed to be around $AUD 7,900 (incl GST)."


Also the fuel consumption from Dogies reports are not too bad for people who live in a city and have to drive through traffic. With 4 people aboard I got 10.8l for a round trip to Queensland and back on a standard car. In the end i am going to get a cam early next year and hopefully/finally some extractors with the unichip and see how it goes. That lot will add up to about 2-2.5k installed.

It all depends on how good you are at doing work on your car yourself and of course shopping around for parts and or making your own. :D

Basic costs:

Extractors - $500
Catback exhaust - $300
Cams - $900
Port and Polish - $1500
Piggy back + tune - $1200
CAI - $120

(these are rough estimates. Most people here wont beable to install the above apart from the CAI)

Theres already $4500ish in mods. And theres still more to do. So the 5.5k would be about right.

(these are rough estimates. Most people here wont beable to install the above apart from the CAI)

Theres already $4500ish in mods. And theres still more to do. So the 5.5k would be about right.
Agreed. The fortunate thing for Jason is that he can do all of that himself... and more.

I MAY even start making parts (inlet manifolds, cams etc etc) for others at respectable prices. :P

Nice, hope you do! :D

Basic costs:

Extractors - $500
Catback exhaust - $300
Cams - $900
Port and Polish - $1500
Piggy back + tune - $1200
CAI - $120

(these are rough estimates. Most people here wont beable to install the above apart from the CAI)

Theres already $4500ish in mods. And theres still more to do. So the 5.5k would be about right.

Maybe its about time people learn how to do somethings, i mean get a genuine MMAL workshop manual and have a go at fitting cams and rebuilding the bottom end etc etc.

Its really not that hard a job if ya take ya time when doing it and in the end ya get a greater satisfaction of knowning that YOU did the work on ya car not throwing money to some grease monkey. :P

I guess i just hate seeing my hard earned money wasted on something that i can do myself. E.g purchasing and fitting extractors; I hunted around and got my pacemakers for $310new and fitted them myself, only took just over an hour to do.

i was kinda thinking more along the lines of "why oh why didnt mitsubishi throw the awd platform under the ralliart?? :badgrin:

And i will add to this why not a ralliart AWD MANUAL ( 6 speed ) 220 kw atleast or an AWD manual

And i will add to this why not a ralliart AWD MANUAL ( 6 speed ) 220 kw atleast or an AWD manual

lol they'd be spending more time and money on engineering a gearbox that could handle it :P

Maybe its about time people learn how to do somethings, i mean get a genuine MMAL workshop manual and have a go at fitting cams and rebuilding the bottom end etc etc.

Its really not that hard a job if ya take ya time when doing it and in the end ya get a greater satisfaction of knowning that YOU did the work on ya car not throwing money to some grease monkey. :P

I guess i just hate seeing my hard earned money wasted on something that i can do myself. E.g purchasing and fitting extractors; I hunted around and got my pacemakers for $310new and fitted them myself, only took just over an hour to do.
I agree mate.

But not everyone has the time to drop the engine out of their only car for weeks at a time ;)

Or have the welding gear to fit their extractors/mufflers etc etc.

If you got the equipment and time, its not hard to get the know-how.

There already is a gearbox (manual) just waiting to be fitted into the AWD... Comes from an Evo 5/6/7 - there is a 6 speed manual IIRC in this series as well.

This is also a possibility (as an alternative to increasing power, decrease losses due to drivetrain) - you also get better fuel economy as a bonus.

Now to find an AWD Evo box in Australia...

Cheers
Heath Young

There already is a gearbox (manual) just waiting to be fitted into the AWD... Comes from an Evo 5/6/7 - there is a 6 speed manual IIRC in this series as well.

This is also a possibility (as an alternative to increasing power, decrease losses due to drivetrain) - you also get better fuel economy as a bonus.

Now to find an AWD Evo box in Australia...

Cheers
Heath Young

spin out and this could be dropped straight into a magna? sounds a little crazy!

Yep - it is the manual version of the AWD gearbox as fitted to the AWD magna. The difference is the bellhousing, and I would assume the clutch would be smaller on the EVO's.

The AWD auto box was fitted in very limited numbers to the EVO's in the US - I think 500 were made. However, the manual box was commonly fitted. Both can handle the same torque output, and the input shafts and driveshafts are in the same place.

The gearbox is also the same designation (ie. model), and is the 5 speed AWD version of the manual gearbox as fitted to the magna.

I had a quick look - the six speed is fitted to the Evo IX onwards...

I also found 2 of these, but they are reluctant to sell the box without an engine.

Cheers
Heath Young

http://www.tweakit.net/shop/index.php?cPath=59_60_73&osCsid=e80ae805144852be3800086a7689e474

They could be had. Wouldnt want to be the first to do it though. Apparantely the ralliart rally team put a few in a magna but settled on the auto in the end. And yes the same auto gearbox as the AWD magna was used in the evo VII GTA. As for any of the evo gearboxes not being able to handle the power even stock evos in Japan are 230kw and close to 400nm let alone modded examples, eg POMEJO with 230kw or so at the wheels.

damn that could be potent then!... awd ralliart twin/single turbo with a 6 spd manual :o

Greenmatt - this is the mob I am trying to get in contact with for these - good find :)

Definitly there should be no problems with the gearbox being able to handle the power - just a matter of finding out what is necessary - probably need the bellhousing off a manual magna, along with the clutch pedal and all of the other associated bits and pieces...

Doing some serious research on this at the moment.

Cheers
Heath Young

Doing some serious research on this at the moment.


heath

what's your wife think about all of this?

What do wives *really* think about these kind of things? :doubt:

Hrrrrmmmm.... well.... She is not exactly in the loop, so to speak about it...

Would get the usual reply - "Why can't you just leave the damn car alone".

Cheers
Heath Young

"Why can't you just leave the damn car alone".
:bowrofl: I hear that line at least twice a day!!

Greenmatt - this is the mob I am trying to get in contact with for these - good find :)

Definitly there should be no problems with the gearbox being able to handle the power - just a matter of finding out what is necessary - probably need the bellhousing off a manual magna, along with the clutch pedal and all of the other associated bits and pieces...

Doing some serious research on this at the moment.

Cheers
Heath Young


Be interesting to see how you go!

:bowrofl: I hear that line at least twice a day!!
Gee, I'm glad I'm single.




Hang on, did I just think that or post it?

:bowrofl: I hear that line at least twice a day!!




me evry time ive got some new parts for the car :badgrin:

Would get the usual reply - "Why can't you just leave the damn car alone".

Cheers
Heath Young
hahahah

I get "I thought you bought this car so you didnt have to modify it.."

http://www.tweakit.net/shop/index.php?cPath=59_60_73&osCsid=e80ae805144852be3800086a7689e474


** This Gearbox is available when purchasing an engine, not available separately.

Yes I know, I asked them if they would seperate but no :(

So still looking...

Cheers
Heath Young

Quotes from wife: "Hasn't it got enough power?" or "what do you need more power for".

Yes I know, I asked them if they would seperate but no :(

So still looking...

Cheers
Heath Young

You could try a WTB in www.evolutionoz.net or ask some of their sponsors. I will keep looking. Also possibly Slick TH as he had contacts with the rally team as thats where he bought his ralliart engine from.

From the soundclip i heard of VRX-II's supercharger it was bloody loud in the cabin!


Ive never been a big fan of noisey cars but when i drove chads car it sounded hot.. small little wizz.. so suited the magna.. :D

Greenmatt - interesting... I will give him a PM and have a chat methinks...

Cheers
Heath Young