UK petrol is 98 RON (Research Octane Number). US premium unleaded is typically 93 (R+M)/2 (average of Research and Motor Octane Numbers). Since the RON is higher than the MON, our 93 octane is equivalent to their 98 octane.

So, bottom line is that their gas is no better than ours...unless you live in California.

 

Actually you are allowed to do anything you want to your car (sure, some things might land you in court.. but that's another topic).... However, if you go changing stuff in your car, it's not longer stock by definition. OK, maybe it's "stock" according to some rules of competition, but the spirit of the word "stock" means just that, stock like it came from the factory.......

 

Yes, Stock according to SCCA Solo 2 rules does not mean "unmodified". But at least Solo 2 Stock is well-defined. Lots of people call their cars stock even after they've changed tires/wheels, brake pads, lubricants, wiper blades, etc.

"Stock like it came from the factory" is a pretty high standard, requiring all replacement wear items to be OEM. Most people's definition of "stock" would fall somewhere between "like it came from the factory" and Solo 2 Stock.

 

I agree that certain replacement items due to wear can be different from "stock" as in brand name, etc. Still, if for instance the clutch wore out, if the replacement is something like a twin plate or triple plate clutch or some sort of racing clutch, I'd say the car is not really stock anymore. As far as belts, tires, wiper blades or even brake pads, it would still be stock as long as the replacements were equivalent to the stock parts. However, if larger tires or different springs or shocks are used, I'd consider the car to be "modified". Not that there is anything inherently wrong with that mind you, it's just not stock anymore.

 

re: "keeping it stock"

I am now stock, and have been for 6+ months or so I think. Doesn't that count for anything?

 

Thanks for the clarification!

I'm gonna have to look into this some more. While I'm generally mod-averse, I'd be interested in seeing what all is involved in getting hold of one of the FQ-series mod kits from the UK. IFF I thought I could run it on my car with factory-like reliability.

 

even the Evo8 suffers from manufacturer's normalizing the model for all.

The truth is everyone has different specific tastes. Modifying is just a way to get the car fitted to you. It's very acceptable to buy a suit off of the rack and it will fit well if you choose the correct sizes and colors. But afterwards tailoring the suit your specific needs makes it even better.

Also, all manufacturer's will tune cars to fit all federal and state requirements. Some states aren't as strict as, say, California, thusly you can adjust the car for the leeway.

Keeping the car stock is a safe bet for those that don't want to put up with the unique issues that may occur in personalization... especially if you can enjoy the car the way it is.

 

You can't buy an FQ-kit from the UK.

CCC import JDM spec cars into the UK and then modify them themselves to be sold through approved dealerships as a complete package. They don't sell the kit separately. I suppose it's theoretically possible to find out what each FQ kit includes and then buy the separate components yourself from US distributors (e.g. HKS intake, cams etc.).

 

well that must not be your car in your Avtar, cause the taillights are NOT stock

 

Well, I gotta admit my MR is no longer stock either..... At least the tailights are not and I did change the cat back exhaust..... Oh boy, here we go again

 

With the exception of a MBC my evo is 100% stock, from the factory air filter to the stock muffler. Its not because I can't afford mods or I don't know what I'm doing it's because I subscribe to the notion that less is more. Our cars came tuned from the factory with 271 hp and even more torque, thats more then enough for me to have fun with. I'll be one of the first to admit that 90% of us can't even drive the car to it fullest potential to use all those ponies so why would I want to add more. At the moment on my 04 WW GSR there is 19.6k miles and I've had it since 10/4/04, at the rate I'm going in another 18 months the warranty will be gone on the powertrain and then I will slowly start the modification process. Hopefully by that time the aftermarket will have "sorted" it self out some and the true performance parts will stand out from the rest of the pack.

Even though my car is stock I still enjoy driving it a thousand or so miles each week because it's so well balanced in stock form. It's not like other cars I've owned that are so numb from the factory you have to modify them to do just one thing well, with the evo it does everything well with out modifications.

 

Yeah, but that's a huge exception.

Yet you still felt the need to add more with a boost controller?

Sorry, it's not.

 

It's good to hear that you enjoy your car However, I have bad news for you...... Your car is no longer stock ................ But that's OK, you'll get no grief about it from me

 

I never said I ran more then stock boost you just assumed I do cause I have a mbc. I only run 19psi which is actually less then the stock settings.

 

How silly of me to assume you added a boost controller for additional performance. But, even if you're using it to lower boost, you're still not stock.