The most for the least.
The most for the least.
Getting the Most Out of Your Vehicle for the Least Amount of Money
Everyone wants to get the most out of their vehicle and diving experience for the least amount of money. People are always asking me “What are the best modifications to do to enhance my cars performance without breaking the bank”. So I have put together a list of things that will make your vehicle perform better and things to enhance your driving experience without spending lots of money.
Friction
Friction causes premature wear on engine parts and raises engine temperatures and therefore robs your vehicle of power. If you can do anything to reduce the amount of friction or strain on your engine then your vehicle won’t have to work as hard to create power and in turn you will have more power to put to the ash fault.
1. Use Synthetic Engine Oil. Royal Purple is hands down the best synthetic oil on the market. Mobil 1 is also good but still not as good. Synthetic oil will not break down as fast. It will reduce friction in your engines internal combustion chambers and will use less power to get the car moving. This will also improve gas mileage.
2. Use Synthetic Gear Lube. Again Royal Purple does it best but Lucas oil additives can also improve your current gear lube. Having a good gear lube will make it easier for the transmission to do its job. It will make everything turn with less strain and therefore have more power to put to the ground, and that’s what’s important. The reality of it is that our Lancers (03) make about 120hp at the engine by the time it goes through the transmission and gets to the ground its closer to 100hp.
3. Grease Your Nipples. They are there for a reason. Most shops do this for you but some do not. Every time you change your oil or rotate your tires or lift your car up for any reason squeeze a little grease into the grease nipples. This will ensure that everything is properly lubricated and moving as it was designed to.
4. Ensure you have sufficient tire pressure. For example; the stock tires on the 2002-2003 Mitsubishi Lancer recommend 35psi of air pressure. I fill mine to 32psi and check them weekly. I use 32psi because it is a little bit more comfortable of a ride and is still enough air to keep your tires from wearing out prematurely. Check your tires for the manufactures specifications written on the sidewall.
Aerodynamics
Another good way to improve vehicle efficiency and gas mileage is by maintaining or improving the vehicles aerodynamics, and let’s face it our Lancers aren’t the most aerodynamic friendly cars built.
1. Smooth Like a Baby’s Bottom…but shinier. A clean waxed Vehicle will be smoother in the wind. Wash your car weekly and hand wax it monthly. It will not only protect your car from corrosion but it will also help air travel over top of the vehicle with greater ease. Try to keep the underside of the car as smooth as possible. Loose splash guards will disrupt airflow.
2. Getting’ Low. Although this is a little bit more costly and takes a little more commitment from you (the driver/owner) it will greatly increase fuel economy and reduce drag. A car that is lower to the ground will force more air over top of the car and less underneath. This will put more “down-force” on the vehicle which will allow for better handling at speed and less drag.
3. Not just for looks. A body kit can make a car look great it can change the appearance from the ordinary “Stock” presence to a serious driving machine. I cannot stress enough the importance of selecting the right body kit. When you are searching through the different designs available think really hard on how it will affect the airflow of your car. If you are staying naturally aspirated you may want to avoid a lot of kits that are designed for really big intercoolers. Look for something smooth and simple. Usually just a lip kit is best with maybe a diffuser along the front to force the front end down even harder at speed. If you do have an aero kit that is designed to put down-force on the front of your vehicle you should think of getting a proper spoiler for the rear. I don’t mean the latest APC trend either, something simple and effective is best. Make sure it goes good with the lines of the car. Just like a body kit you should ask yourself “How will this affect the wind traveling over my car” You don’t want to do something that will give any venturie effect (Vacuum). Some places it is necessary to have a little bit of vacuum, its inevitable and unavoidable, like the rear of the car for instance. I mentioned body kits for people who are looking regardless not as a suggestion that you NEED it for your vehicle.
4. Window up or down? If it’s a hot day and your dying of heat by all means open them up….open them all up. I drive a black car and it gets very hot inside on a summer day. Choose the 4/80 AC over conventional. If you have no idea what I am talking about, 4/80 AC is open four windows and drive at 80km/h (Where the speed limit permits). Using your air conditioner will cause extra strain on your engine and you will consume more fuel and use more power. If it’s not extremely hot then simply use your sunroof (if you have one). It will not disturb the airflow as much as opening a window or two. If you smoke in your vehicle the sunroof works better then a window for disposing ashes from your cigarette but (When moving) but I don’t recommend you smoke in your vehicle. It’s an unnecessary distraction. Wait till you get to your destination. In fact I don’t recommend smoking at all….it’s not healthy you know.
Visibility
1. Clean Your Damn Window, Inside and Out! Once a month you should clean the inside of your windows. It will improve visibility and reduce glair. I find the best thing for windows (better then any off the shelf product) is a little bit of vinegar mixed in with hot water. Wipe it on with a terry cloth and wipe it off with newspapers. NEWSPAPERS? Yes newspapers. It’s a detailer's secret on windows. It is cheap and it works really well. I wash my windows before anything else so that the rest of the cleaning and detailing products can get rid of the sent of the vinegar.
2. No Rain. Well that’s not ever going to happen so the next best thing is a great invention called Rain-X. Use it on your front and rear window and trust the product. Let it do its job. I go the entire summer without touching my wipers simple because the Rain-X works better.
3. Sunglasses. What’s the point of driving if you can’t see or have to squint. Driving all day in the sun will make you tired because it strains your eyes. Invest in a good pair of sunglasses. Make sure to use them not just when it’s sunny but when it’s snowy too. I only buy Oakley sunglasses. They have the best lenses on the market and my eyes are defiantly worth the investment. Buy either Polarized or Iridium Lenses. Oakley is the only company that has the Iridium lens and although it is not quite as good as Polarized it is a near second. These lenses will reduce glair more then any other type of lens. It will also reduce the chances of getting “Snow Blind”, and yes that can also happen in the summer. If you want an easy way to check to see if lenses are polarized pick up another set of glasses that you know are polarized and turn them perpendicular to each other over top of one another. If all you see is black and you can’t see through then they are polarized. If you don’t have another Polarized set of glasses around you can use your digital wrist watch, it is polarized.
Dan Ritchie
Everyone wants to get the most out of their vehicle and diving experience for the least amount of money. People are always asking me “What are the best modifications to do to enhance my cars performance without breaking the bank”. So I have put together a list of things that will make your vehicle perform better and things to enhance your driving experience without spending lots of money.
Friction
Friction causes premature wear on engine parts and raises engine temperatures and therefore robs your vehicle of power. If you can do anything to reduce the amount of friction or strain on your engine then your vehicle won’t have to work as hard to create power and in turn you will have more power to put to the ash fault.
1. Use Synthetic Engine Oil. Royal Purple is hands down the best synthetic oil on the market. Mobil 1 is also good but still not as good. Synthetic oil will not break down as fast. It will reduce friction in your engines internal combustion chambers and will use less power to get the car moving. This will also improve gas mileage.
2. Use Synthetic Gear Lube. Again Royal Purple does it best but Lucas oil additives can also improve your current gear lube. Having a good gear lube will make it easier for the transmission to do its job. It will make everything turn with less strain and therefore have more power to put to the ground, and that’s what’s important. The reality of it is that our Lancers (03) make about 120hp at the engine by the time it goes through the transmission and gets to the ground its closer to 100hp.
3. Grease Your Nipples. They are there for a reason. Most shops do this for you but some do not. Every time you change your oil or rotate your tires or lift your car up for any reason squeeze a little grease into the grease nipples. This will ensure that everything is properly lubricated and moving as it was designed to.
4. Ensure you have sufficient tire pressure. For example; the stock tires on the 2002-2003 Mitsubishi Lancer recommend 35psi of air pressure. I fill mine to 32psi and check them weekly. I use 32psi because it is a little bit more comfortable of a ride and is still enough air to keep your tires from wearing out prematurely. Check your tires for the manufactures specifications written on the sidewall.
Aerodynamics
Another good way to improve vehicle efficiency and gas mileage is by maintaining or improving the vehicles aerodynamics, and let’s face it our Lancers aren’t the most aerodynamic friendly cars built.
1. Smooth Like a Baby’s Bottom…but shinier. A clean waxed Vehicle will be smoother in the wind. Wash your car weekly and hand wax it monthly. It will not only protect your car from corrosion but it will also help air travel over top of the vehicle with greater ease. Try to keep the underside of the car as smooth as possible. Loose splash guards will disrupt airflow.
2. Getting’ Low. Although this is a little bit more costly and takes a little more commitment from you (the driver/owner) it will greatly increase fuel economy and reduce drag. A car that is lower to the ground will force more air over top of the car and less underneath. This will put more “down-force” on the vehicle which will allow for better handling at speed and less drag.
3. Not just for looks. A body kit can make a car look great it can change the appearance from the ordinary “Stock” presence to a serious driving machine. I cannot stress enough the importance of selecting the right body kit. When you are searching through the different designs available think really hard on how it will affect the airflow of your car. If you are staying naturally aspirated you may want to avoid a lot of kits that are designed for really big intercoolers. Look for something smooth and simple. Usually just a lip kit is best with maybe a diffuser along the front to force the front end down even harder at speed. If you do have an aero kit that is designed to put down-force on the front of your vehicle you should think of getting a proper spoiler for the rear. I don’t mean the latest APC trend either, something simple and effective is best. Make sure it goes good with the lines of the car. Just like a body kit you should ask yourself “How will this affect the wind traveling over my car” You don’t want to do something that will give any venturie effect (Vacuum). Some places it is necessary to have a little bit of vacuum, its inevitable and unavoidable, like the rear of the car for instance. I mentioned body kits for people who are looking regardless not as a suggestion that you NEED it for your vehicle.
4. Window up or down? If it’s a hot day and your dying of heat by all means open them up….open them all up. I drive a black car and it gets very hot inside on a summer day. Choose the 4/80 AC over conventional. If you have no idea what I am talking about, 4/80 AC is open four windows and drive at 80km/h (Where the speed limit permits). Using your air conditioner will cause extra strain on your engine and you will consume more fuel and use more power. If it’s not extremely hot then simply use your sunroof (if you have one). It will not disturb the airflow as much as opening a window or two. If you smoke in your vehicle the sunroof works better then a window for disposing ashes from your cigarette but (When moving) but I don’t recommend you smoke in your vehicle. It’s an unnecessary distraction. Wait till you get to your destination. In fact I don’t recommend smoking at all….it’s not healthy you know.
Visibility
1. Clean Your Damn Window, Inside and Out! Once a month you should clean the inside of your windows. It will improve visibility and reduce glair. I find the best thing for windows (better then any off the shelf product) is a little bit of vinegar mixed in with hot water. Wipe it on with a terry cloth and wipe it off with newspapers. NEWSPAPERS? Yes newspapers. It’s a detailer's secret on windows. It is cheap and it works really well. I wash my windows before anything else so that the rest of the cleaning and detailing products can get rid of the sent of the vinegar.
2. No Rain. Well that’s not ever going to happen so the next best thing is a great invention called Rain-X. Use it on your front and rear window and trust the product. Let it do its job. I go the entire summer without touching my wipers simple because the Rain-X works better.
3. Sunglasses. What’s the point of driving if you can’t see or have to squint. Driving all day in the sun will make you tired because it strains your eyes. Invest in a good pair of sunglasses. Make sure to use them not just when it’s sunny but when it’s snowy too. I only buy Oakley sunglasses. They have the best lenses on the market and my eyes are defiantly worth the investment. Buy either Polarized or Iridium Lenses. Oakley is the only company that has the Iridium lens and although it is not quite as good as Polarized it is a near second. These lenses will reduce glair more then any other type of lens. It will also reduce the chances of getting “Snow Blind”, and yes that can also happen in the summer. If you want an easy way to check to see if lenses are polarized pick up another set of glasses that you know are polarized and turn them perpendicular to each other over top of one another. If all you see is black and you can’t see through then they are polarized. If you don’t have another Polarized set of glasses around you can use your digital wrist watch, it is polarized.
Dan Ritchie
Last edited by Danno; Feb 22, 2008 at 08:31 AM.
wow, awesome writeup. I follow just about all those guidelines. Remember, even when using synthetic oil and it says you can go over 3000 miles without a change, still change it because the oil filters only last about that long for filtering out particles in your oil. Get the smallest possibe micron rating for the oil filter.
I would only use synthetic on a Turboed lancer, where you really need that kind of protection... Because a turbo heats the oil so much synthetic works better for those applications because it does not break down so easily. Our engine NA, in comparison, doesn't get as hot therefore the cost benifit for an NA application just isn't there. I'd just use a good quality non synthetic oil like quaker state or penzoil 5w-30 and change it every 2500 miles or three months.
Fox
Fox
Evolving Member
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 132
Likes: 0
From: ff
i usually just use the cheapes filter and change it on ever oil change. i dont use that 5000mile stuff or w/e. its still dirty but longer lasting :\ i prefer to stay clean in every change. + i work at tire kingdom so i guess it doesnt matter 
Originally Posted by lookslikeanevo
from earlier posts it was found that synthetic oil was bad for our cars and did more bad than good, wasnt it
I have never heard that, I have used Synthetic fom day 1 (I have 115,000K) and I have never had a problem. Usually the problem is is you try to back to regular oil.
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Originally Posted by Danno
I have never heard that, I have used Synthetic fom day 1 (I have 115,000K) and I have never had a problem. Usually the problem is is you try to back to regular oil.
From what I have read as well, synthetic is a must for Turboed lancers, or any turboed car, but on an N/A engine there just isn't a benifit over regular oil besides it not haveing to be changed as often.
I'ved used both in the past and I never felt any difference in the way of any gains or differences. What's nice about traditional oil is that you save a little moeny with going with the regular oil.
Even when I was going with synthetic I changed it every 2500 miles just like regular... and I used it for 10,000 miles. I felt nothing but a bigger hole in my wallet.
I would say if you're racing then go with the synthetic, espcially if you have a turbo. Otherwise just buy regular. Everyone has an opinion on the subject though so it's really a person's personal judgement.
Fox
Evolving Member
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by SLVROZ_03
I have used Castrol syn blend for as long as I've had my Lancer. Plus, a new Fram or Pure oil filter at each change. Works well for me.
I have only used synthetic motor oil in every car I've driven and have never had a problem!
