So I just bought an 04 Ralliart automatic and its 100% Stock down to the rims. It has 76k Miles on it and its in great shape! Im in the army and single with few bills. I can put about 400-600$ a month into this car plus 1000 right now. Im not worried about looks as much as power. I was thinking of SC'ing it but its also not hard for me to save money to put towards a nice turbo.

In end result I want acceleration over anything. My cap Im currently going to put on the RA is 6k. So guys whats first?

 

just save for a turbokit if you want power. get an exhaust and upgrade your internals and that should be pretty much about it. you can go for looks other than that

 

Welcome to EvoM!

The very first thing I would do is check the maintenance of your RA. I am not ignoring what you said about it being in great shape but it is always good to double check everything underneath and make sure your RA was serviced regularly.

Once you have determined that it is reliable, turbo or supercharge. Forced induction is definitely the best way to get power from your motor, but without the proper precautions, it can turn your motor inside out and end up costing you a lot of money. Iirc, there has been at least one automatic turbo install done and on the forum, a quick search should render the thread. If it were me I would worry about suspension and getting any future power down to the ground. If you can afford coilovers, do it. They are so much better then lower springs. Then I would probably do an LSD. Again, that is just what I would start with.

There are plenty of people that would say yay or nay so the best advice I can give you would be go with your head.

 

yes definitely what stockley1234 said about the maintenance. turbo is the way i would go however if supercharge is what you like go for it. im not much a suspension person as i dont really auto-x so it all depends on what you want to do with it. LSD would definitely be something to look into to make sure the power gets down to the wheels

 

make sure you get a stiffer clut...ch, oh yeah, nevermind...what they said ^

seriously though, LSD=WIN, i kid you not...in fact i could talk to you for hours about how much better it makes the car drive...If money is no issue, then i would look at a limited slip option before adding any power...AFTER maintenance is done.

I keep hearing guys saying the diff in the manual is wayy different than in the auto, but from what i can see, the auto diff doesn't have the speedomter gear...but the LSD doesn't either, you have to press it on...

 

I have an AT and I spent lots of money on bolt-on's just to gain max 20-30HP. If you go the turbo or supercharger way, first reinforce the transmission so it can handle all that power and then like everyone said the internals.

 

Less weight = better acceleration. Lighter wheels, tires, lug nuts, mini-battery, discs with a lot of holes. For example, Toyo T1-R have a 2-3 pound weight saving per tire over most other tires in the same category. There is also stuff to remove like the two cylindrical damper weights under the front bumper, the spare tire, and whatever else you can tolerate living without. All the little reductions do add up.

Cranswick knows what he's talking about, his LSD really hooks up the wheels. A stiff front motor mount helps too and reduces wheel hop big-time.

Get sticky summer tires. None of that all-season crap either.

So there you go. Acceleration Stuff to do before you boost.

 

I have some lightweight wheels if you're interested.

And I echo everything these gents say, work on your maintenance and driveability. Depending on the mileage of the car, forced induction may not be wise without a head rebuild.

 

Use the RA for winter and rainy days and buy an EVO to build

 

I'm going to agree. Get your maintenance up to date and start preparing the car for the added power. Internals, mounts, weight savings, suspension to help to car stick to the ground better. Once you have all that in order, sit down and re-asses your goal with the car. If you still want acceleration, I'd personally go with the SC option as it starts making power as soon as you hit the gas, as opposed to a snail that takes time to spool up and start making power. It may cost a little more to build, but in the long run I think you'll be very pleased with the outcome.

Now, some may criticize my opinion and say that a SC takes power to make power. Although that is true, I feel the trade off is well worth it. I've had the opportunity to get behind the wheels of many cars, both SC'd and Turbo'd...And although I absolutely love the kick in the **** when the snail spools and builds boost, I would have to go with the SC on a strictly personal opinionated basis as the sound of the SC is just awesome, and as I mentioned above the power delivery is instant.

In the end it is ultimately your choice. Build the car the way you want, and design it to do what you want it to, and you'll be happy.

 

Cant stress what these guys have been saying more. Take care of the maintenance and have it done right. I thought once that just because I was tired and short on time, and it was rainy outside that i'd have my car's fluids changed at Walmart while I was there. Bad mistake. Ended up being down for a month because the idiots dont know how to tighten the oil drain plug. Got down the road before it all spilled out and seized up the engine. So take care of your maintenance, and get it done right on every aspect.

Reduction and suspension would be next on the list. Springs, coilovers, go with which ever you think you'll get the most bang for your buck IMO. If your going to be auto crossing a lot, coils are the way to go. If not, springs will do the job and make her look nice. And an LSD would be amazing. Im personally still looking to find myself one for my auto. Especially since Crans gave me the hope of finding one.

At that point is when I would truly put thought toward the Super charger or Turbo charger. Like it's been said, SC = immediate response. Turbo = kick in the rear when it finally spools up. Choice will be yours because there are a couple guys up north working on a sweet setup for each, at what I hear will be around the same price.

Best of luck on your build! Thank you for your service in the army! I got a lotta good friends who have joined. And welcome to the Auto RA team! :P

 

lol, RalliartN...i put my stock wheels and hood back on for the winter, and i could feel the weight! it was maybe 30 pouns tops...

 

I do have an issue with money. I cannot just blow money all at once I can only slowly put into the RA. I dont know too much about cars. I spent a year in Iraq driving trucks that constantly break down and need fixing so I have some kind of knowledge with motors and what not. I can spot things wrong but Im very new to driving and very new to customization and because I am in the army (an a truck driving company at that) I have alot of friends that know what there doing so I can save alittle money on self installing. Obliviously Im not going to trust friends to install a SC or a turbo but the little things I can do.

I understand half of what you all say but I do intend to learn and that was what I was thinking about the maintenance first. I want to clean her up and do all the little things first then hit her hard. I just put in an exhaust today an it only cost me 213$. sounds and looks beautiful.

So for my first 500$ what should I do regarding maintenance? Just go to midas or an auto shop and have them inspect the entire car? Then fix up whats wrong with it? I do not know good brands at all really so when you tell me I need to upgrade this can you please tell me some good brands or types of parts too look for.

I am going to go with what you said Stockly and bring the power to the wheels. Upgrade suspension, fix up the transmission, coilovers, and LSD? I do not know what LSD stands for :P

EDIT: Limited Slit Differential.. looked it up

I was also looking at a carbon fiber hood 15 pounds vs stock 35 pounds. I have not put wheels on it yet and I will go with sticky summer tires but I do live in VA and it does snow here. I guess I could leave stock tires on during the snowy part of winters. Im going to put up a picture of my RA but dont laugh I bought it this way :P. Its red on bottom black on top and looks way nicer in person but I am going to change the color and put a hood and full body kit on it.


This is what it looks like currently.

 

i don't like being negative, but i think your priorities are not sound...you are not able to do your own maintenance, which means you'll be paying someone by the hour to do it for you, plus parts, and you're looking at a CF hood which is probably going to cost around $500, to have 20 pounds off the car, the spare tire weighs more than that...not trying to cut you down here, but you really need know what you're getting into when you start modifying your car.

in my opinion, learn everything you can about cars, read wikipedia, how stuff works, talk to someone who is savvy whatever...get a copy of the service manual for your car...buy the necessary tools for every job you do, unless it's stupid expensive, and won't be used very often...start small, and work toward your build...

 

This is good advice. It's tempting to just dive in and do stuff, but you've got to learn a lot more about the car first.

My advice: Unless you're absolutely certain that it's already been done (and for me, that would mean a receipt, not just someone's word for it), at that mileage, I would strongly recommend that you get the timing belt job done, ASAP. If done right, this will also include the belt for the balance shaft, plus maybe replace the water pump. I had the accessory belts replaced at the same time when mine was done.

If the timing belt breaks, you can end up needing a new engine.

Welcome aboard!