159 3.2 Tuning

Wormus

That'll mean I'll need an extra 200bhp or so to catch up

Banny

Yeah but to be fair I started with a 5.7 litre V8. Yours will look and sound glorious and I admire your attitude - let's face it nobody needs a supercharger, we do it because we want to be different!

Some of the 6.0 VXRs on the HSV forum are pushing 600bhp but at those sorts of figures traction becomes a problem.

Good luck with the installation!

Originally Posted by banny69

I'll let you know what it's like when it's done


Banny

Please do

Originally Posted by wormus

Yeah but to be fair I started with a 5.7 litre V8. Yours will look and sound glorious and I admire your attitude - let's face it nobody needs a supercharger, we do it because we want to be different!

Some of the 6.0 VXRs on the HSV forum are pushing 600bhp but at those sorts of figures traction becomes a problem.

Good luck with the installation!

You're right, I don't NEED a supercharger but I have always WANTED one. I want to a car that is a bit different but still retains the basics of why I bought it in the first place.


Cheers Wormus

Banny

Originally Posted by banny69

You're right, I don't NEED a supercharger but I have always WANTED one. I want to a car that is a bit different but still retains the basics of why I bought it in the first place.


Cheers Wormus

Banny

Good call.
You certainly won't regret it.
Simon

Dropped the car off at Autodelta last Thursday for the supercharger/suspension/brakes. Had to travel back by nasty Virgin Trains

Will be carless (apart from the wife's Clio) until next week, but at the least the motorbike will get a run

Hopefully the car will be rady by Friday this week, but I know there is a delay on dleivery of the suspension so fingers crossed.

Will post my thoughts when I get it back

Banny

Originally Posted by banny69

Will post my thoughts when I get it back

Banny

be interested in hearing them

Had the car for about 3 weeks now and am well impressed with it. It is very rapid and much improved over the standard version in all areas - acceleration, handling and braking.

It has taken a while to get used to driving it round town - you can't really just put your foot to the floor at town speeds as it gets to mad speeds quickly. You have to be more gradual with the right pedal.

On the motorway it is a different matter, get your foot down and it does move, especially after 3,500 rpm.

It is back to Autodelta tomorrow to have everything checked over and I have decided to have the suspension set a little firmer - Jano set it 25% but I think it needs to be around 33%.

Trouble is, you always want a bit more power

Will update when I get a chance.

Cheers

Banny, roughly how much will this work have cost you In raw terms, what performance has it added

I bet it sounds fantastic Where will you get it serviced

About £9,100 (ouch!). I get the VAT back and tax relief (self employed) so it cost me around £4,700.

The individual prices are on the Autodelta website - plus a bit extra for fitting the suspension and brakes.

It gets the engine up to about 350bhp with the current AD remap (up form 260) and cuts the acceleration time to sub 5.5 secs. The Brera J5C that Autodelta do gets to 60 in 5.3 so I've read. I think the only difference between it and my car is a change of exhaust and some bodywork.

I asked Jano about getting a bit more than 350bhp by using a larger pulley on the supercharger but he says that at this stage, based on the development work they've done, the settings are safe at this moment in time. He reckons the engine is okay as standard for this power. I guess more power would need stronger internals etc.?

I was originally just going for a remap (by Angel) but they are unable to do them. I initially decided on the supercharger alone but then decided the brakes and suspension are actually more important so had them done as well. (They aren't the greatest of brakes to start with and on the twisties the standard car is a bit wallowy).

It goes faster, stops quicker and handles better.

I am chuffed with it.

The supercharger only needs its oil changing every 50,000 miles (or 2 years) and it is quite a simple job.

I will have the car serviced at Mangoletsis - they have a good reputation and have a relationship with Autodelta. For example if you want AD to remap your car you can take it to Mangos and they arrange for AD to send up a technician to do it. Costs a bit more but saves the hassle (and petrol) of going to London.

The exhaust noise sounds better than before - a bit more growly. On these colder mornings the supercharger belt sounds like a tractor for a minute or two until it warms up! After that it doesn't appear to produce any extra unwanted noise at all.

I considered the warranty issues but on balance I decided to give it a go.

Fantastic Banny! You seem a happy chappie!!
I see you have 17" multispoke alloys on your gallery piccie are they stil 235 track or 225 Not thought about the 18" 235 45 as on mine

Hunter

Not really bothered about bigger wheels. If they were fitted as standard that would be cool but to me, personally, I wouldn't want to spend the extra cash (not that I've got any left now ) on them.

As a side issue, to further justify to my wife spending all that money on the S/C, I got £8,500 off the list price (got it for £20,995) from Evans Halshaw in Stockport. They are one of the ex-ALFA dealers who decided to stay with FIAT after ALFA had the delaer clearout.

I wouldn't have spent £30K on a new Alfa (I always buy cars second hand) but it was the only car in my price range that I really fancied.

I was initially looking for a second hand 2.4JTD up to £18Kish with the intention of a remap - but when I saw the 3.2 (which is what I really wanted after a test drive at Mangos but couldn't afford) in black with red leather (again the colours I really wanted) it was a deal I couldn't miss.

I'll get some more pictures up soon.

Sounds like a beast of a car now, Banny. Autodelta seem pretty confident about the reliability of their work and the ability of the car's internals to cope with the extra stresses they will be experiencing. Fingers crossed they're right in the long run

Keep us all posted on how you're getting on, and I reckon you should come to the next AONW meeting. You'll enjoy it and at the very least it should shut Simes up as he won't have the best car in the line-up any more

PS. did AD's suspension mods involve lowering the ride height? It's the one thing imo that doesn't look quite right on a standard 159

Al

Might just take you up on that.

Banny

The car specification of the car sounds fantastic.

Would a different exhaust not release a few more bhp?

Having seen the picture in your gallery I agree with Hunter's comments about the wheels. A set of 19" Ti rims and a pair of Ti side skirts would finish it off nicely.

I don't think Autodelta do an exhaust yet, I know other companies do. But it might mean a new remap with a diff exhaust fitted - I'm not sure. I'll ask Jano when I see him.


Maybe I will consider some new wheels

When you bring the car back to AD mention the sound of the supercharger pully when cold.

I don't think it should make any noise, until the bat our of hell whistle at high rpm at least.
Perhaps its tensioner related?

When you say Jano will adjust the suspension for you, do you mean he is revalving yoru dampers?
I'm assuming you didnt get a freely adjustable coilover kit or you would do it yourself.

Cheers,
TB

Originally Posted by banny69

I don't think Autodelta do an exhaust yet, I know other companies do. But it might mean a new remap with a diff exhaust fitted - I'm not sure. I'll ask Jano when I see him.


Maybe I will consider some new wheels

Blimey £8.5k of the price of the car and effectively a £5.6k reduction on the AutoDelta cost is quite some going - if only I could get that (:jealous-smilie.

But seriously it sounds you've got a great car

Banny, you've got yourself quite a car there

Trailbreaker


Jano altered the pulley and now it is as quiet as a mouse.

He also amended the ECU to give less sensitivity to the throttle
pedal movement - it was a bit on and off before. Now it is a lot smoother and progressive.

The car does have easily adjustable coilovers via a knob on top of each one. I've never had them before and couldn't find the adjusters in the boot - they are behind the carpeting near the back seat but I didn't want to mess around ripping the trim out. Now I know where they are and are easily accessible I can alter them myself if necessary.

Jano also set up the geometry for the car on Friday - camber, toe in etc. A bit too technical for me

Hunter, thanks to you - I ended up with a set of 18" OZ Botticelli alloys! More bloody money!

Just got to get the tyres for them now and get them fitted some time this week. My 17" alloys will be on sale (complete with 250/50/17 Bridgestone tyres) if anyone is interested.

Banny

A couple of pictures of the supercharger in place. That's it on the left for anyone who doesn't know. It's a Rotrex C30-94 supercharger which is good up to about 400bhp.

http://www.rotrex.com/pdfs/Rotrex_Te...Range_V4.0.pdf

Acapulco Al - yep, they lowered the height. Initially by 15mm front and back but when I went back on Friday i got Jano to lower it another 10mm all round.

When I get the 18" alloys fitted it should look a lot smarter.

Banny

Cool. Glad to hear all is going well.

Enjoy!