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souping up an auto - tips?

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Old 07-25-2005, 06:45 PM
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Default souping up an auto - tips?

ok, first get your "automatic transmission" jokes in . . .

ok. question - what would be the best way to start souping up my ride a bit (performance-wise)? i'm looking to go from the cheapest to the more expensive (and by "cheap" i don't mean "low-quality" or anything). thoughts?

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Old 07-25-2005, 06:49 PM
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haha you're an auto! jk fixing up any car is fun. I used to have a MT, and an auto is just as fun. Go FI without it u will be ____ed at the money u wasted. :D
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Old 07-25-2005, 06:54 PM
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Originally Posted by TurboMe
haha you're an auto! jk fixing up any car is fun. I used to have a MT, and an auto is just as fun. Go FI without it u will be ____ed at the money u wasted. :D
hahaha, thanks . . . now for the n00b question: what is FI?
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Old 07-25-2005, 07:02 PM
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forced induction, as in turbocharging or supercharging.

i have an auto as well. im gonna go with the trd supercharger, as much as i want a turbo. only because with a turbo i'd go all out and get 300+ horsepower, which would require a change of transmission to high-performance. im not happy about the idea of it breaking! so thats just an extra cost and hassle i dont want to deal with.

otherwise.. if you have the money and motivation, you can do the same things to AT or MT.

i'll tell you one thing, when i got my injen intake, it made a big difference. highly recommended.
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Old 07-25-2005, 07:15 PM
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cool, cool. i guess the supercharger would fall under the "more expensive" category then, heheh . . . the "when i get a helluva raise" category . . .
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Old 07-25-2005, 07:49 PM
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INJEN intake??? it may help!
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Old 07-25-2005, 07:52 PM
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i got an auto too.... and INJEN really help! it whistle like turbo!!! haha!! good job INJEN!!!
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Old 07-25-2005, 08:05 PM
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The basic intake, header, and exhaust will help out, lighter wheels and stickier tires are always a good idea. Best bang for the buck? NST pulley from www.NonStopTuning.com
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Old 07-25-2005, 08:36 PM
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nitrous!!!..... automatics are the perferred transmission with nitrous. Its not near expensive as a turbo or supercharger.
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Old 07-25-2005, 10:40 PM
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Be careful on what mods you choose with an auto, it can in fact take power away from you. On my AT I put the megan racing header, weapon-r intake, bolt on axel back exhaust. The intake and header work together great only at mid to highend rpms, your low end torques will disappear, thus making you slow off the line. The exhaust just drones with the header, so I would suggest going with a full cat back system, not just the rear section. I was quite dissatisfied with low end performance, becuase that was what I wanted to increase, so my advise save up for a turbo/ supercharger, and make that your mod.
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Old 07-25-2005, 11:16 PM
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Injen is the way to go for our TC auto. (hey that rhymes) Anyways, I have an Injen Intake and HKS exhaust...big difference. You may also consider getting the camcon. I heard it helps alot with the basic mods.
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Old 07-25-2005, 11:27 PM
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I'm not an automatic hater. . . I like them in true race applications, but you have to realize that the run of the mill OEM auto tranny is VASTLY different from any race application. Most manuals are superior (from the start). BUT BUT BUT, that doesn't mean you can't haul some serious booty with an auto.

STEP 1:
UPGRADE YOUR AUTO TRANNY!!!!! By upgrade, I mean strengthen, not replace, as I am not aware of any swaps available. If you don't already have an auto-tranny fluid cooler, get one. You will need it. If you drive your car hard, you will go through tranny fluid like gasoline, especially if you are launching hard and/or using power braking. This is a rather inexpensive upgrade (anywhere from $50 to big bucks for a nice high quality piece) so it is well worth the money to preserve the life of your tranny/torque convertor.

2. High stall torque convertor
I'm not sure if they are available for the tC yet. . . but this is a MAJOR benefit for performance.

3. If you are equipped with the newer 5spd auto, you're in luck. . . and yes, a 4spd auto may have a more practical 1/4mi application, but when you are talking about the levels of power necessary to make less gears more effecient. . . I highly doubt the motor itself or the tranny would be able to withstand that much power.

3. Go engine crazy:
Your options should be no different here than a manually equipped tC. However, beware that each different type of boost/mod has a VERY different application. Beware of generic posters who say one thing is better than another, as there are no absolutes.

Nitrous:
a VERY bad idea, unless you have strengthened internals, which = bank. The best application is for 1/4 mi ONLY.

Turbo:
small turbos are effective for more practical, road racing applications, and all around street use. Large turbos are almost worthless on the street (unless you only enjoy going in a straight line). Lag is something you DON'T want to deal with on corners. Also, without proper tuning, you may blow rings or seals. It's quite common in the Honda world, especially with "kits." WITH proper tuning and an adequately matched sized turbo for the application, turbo's are hard to beat.

SUpercharge/NA-Tune/Rods-Pistons/Lightening:
Good for all around applications, primarily road-racing and track applications. . . not necessarily good for 1/4mi.

I/H/E:
This is the best power mod, by far, to begin with. Avoid large, heavy wheels (for performance' sake), and happy modding.
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Old 07-26-2005, 01:00 AM
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the actual term is "SUPE" not "SOUP"

its SUPED UP , supeing
not SOUPED UP , souping


your car is not FOOD....

if it was actually spelled as soup then i might as well say "SHAKE AND BAKED UP!" or "SHAKING AND BAKING UP!"
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Old 07-26-2005, 04:27 AM
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Back on subject....

So far, only 1 person responding on how to """SOUP""" up an auto...

any other tips??

torque converter and tranny fluid cooler are about the only 2 I saw being most effective...
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Old 07-26-2005, 04:55 AM
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i have an auto! haha im surprised nobody has flamed u yet..well "cheap" mods are usually the NA mods (naturally aspirated, intake (injen CAI which can be converted into SRI), header (Alphawerks, pricey but worth it), exhaust (dont know bout this..exhaust w/ alphawerks makes a raspysound) but like someone already said, its not the best bang for the buck. force induction..this is a very tempting mod rite here. its not cheap and it will require alot of maintainance. now for supercharger, i would also go with the trd mainly because you'll still get to keep your warranty. but for turbo charger i would recommend the ZPI STAGE 0 kit. stage 0 is perfect for auto tc's IMO. they hav a manual tc out there that dynos at roughly 240 whp, 255 tq at 6psi..something along those lines. well since ours is auto, it might be bout 10 whp shy of the manuals. buh the thing that is so great about the stage 0 is that it will work just fine with our stock tranny, esp. if you will continue to run it at 6psi. now the stage 0s jus came out so there have been no idea how long your engine will last, but zpi says its safe. also stage 0 doesnt require an intercooler so that saves you even more money. if it were me, i'd go with stage 0 but im not ready to turbo my 3 month old car. good luck and hope this helps.
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Old 07-27-2005, 08:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Diluvium
the actual term is "SUPE" not "SOUP"

its SUPED UP , supeing
not SOUPED UP , souping


your car is not FOOD....

if it was actually spelled as soup then i might as well say "SHAKE AND BAKED UP!" or "SHAKING AND BAKING UP!"
*ahem*

from http://www.word-detective.com/071503.html

Dear Word Detective: I've long heard people talk about "souping up" their cars (i.e., tweaking the engine to make it more powerful). I always assumed that this was spelled "suping up," my understanding being that it indicated the car was being made "superior" or "more super" or something like that. Much to my chagrin, however, I've recently learned that I've been spelling it wrong all these years and that it is, in fact, spelled "souped" and not "suped." Well, fine. I don't have a problem acknowledging that I was wrong (although I do think my preferred spelling has a lot going for it). What I haven't been able to find out, however, is where the phrase actually comes from and what, if anything, it has to do with the old Campbell's Cream of Mushroom. -- Barry, via the internet.

I agree that your spelling "souping up" as "suping" makes a lot of sense, and you'll be glad to know that we have the origin of the term to back us up.

In the beginning there was "soup," the Campbell's Cream of Mushroom (yuk) kind, a word which we inherited from the French "soupe," which, like its English relative "sop," originally meant bread soaked in broth. Eventually the broth itself, often with bits of meat and vegetables, came to be known as "soup" in English.

Almost as soon as "soup" appeared on our menu, we began developing figurative meanings for the word, and "soup" has been used as slang for everything from fog to the ocean to a difficult situation ("In the soup"). One particularly interesting use in the context of your question, appearing around 1900, is "soup" as slang for nitroglycerine or other explosives.

"To soup" as a verb originally meant, not surprisingly, to provide someone with soup, but around 1931 "to soup up" appeared, meaning to modify the engine of an aircraft or motor vehicle to increase its power and speed. In part, this use may have been rooted in "soup" as 1930s slang for the stimulants sometimes injected into racehorses to make them run faster. But a more immediate source (and the reason your spelling makes more sense) was probably the fact that the preferred method of "souping up" an engine was to add a "supercharger," a device designed to force additional air into the cylinders and boost power. It is also possible that the simple adjective "super," as you guessed, may have figured into "souping up."
DO NOT DARE TO BANDY WORDS WITH ME, SIRRAH!

so we're both right. kinda. tomato, tomata.
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Old 07-27-2005, 08:27 PM
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Originally Posted by ninjaKid
Originally Posted by Diluvium
the actual term is "SUPE" not "SOUP"

its SUPED UP , supeing
not SOUPED UP , souping


your car is not FOOD....

if it was actually spelled as soup then i might as well say "SHAKE AND BAKED UP!" or "SHAKING AND BAKING UP!"
*ahem*

from http://www.word-detective.com/071503.html

Dear Word Detective: I've long heard people talk about "souping up" their cars (i.e., tweaking the engine to make it more powerful). I always assumed that this was spelled "suping up," my understanding being that it indicated the car was being made "superior" or "more super" or something like that. Much to my chagrin, however, I've recently learned that I've been spelling it wrong all these years and that it is, in fact, spelled "souped" and not "suped." Well, fine. I don't have a problem acknowledging that I was wrong (although I do think my preferred spelling has a lot going for it). What I haven't been able to find out, however, is where the phrase actually comes from and what, if anything, it has to do with the old Campbell's Cream of Mushroom. -- Barry, via the internet.

I agree that your spelling "souping up" as "suping" makes a lot of sense, and you'll be glad to know that we have the origin of the term to back us up.

In the beginning there was "soup," the Campbell's Cream of Mushroom (yuk) kind, a word which we inherited from the French "soupe," which, like its English relative "sop," originally meant bread soaked in broth. Eventually the broth itself, often with bits of meat and vegetables, came to be known as "soup" in English.

Almost as soon as "soup" appeared on our menu, we began developing figurative meanings for the word, and "soup" has been used as slang for everything from fog to the ocean to a difficult situation ("In the soup"). One particularly interesting use in the context of your question, appearing around 1900, is "soup" as slang for nitroglycerine or other explosives.

"To soup" as a verb originally meant, not surprisingly, to provide someone with soup, but around 1931 "to soup up" appeared, meaning to modify the engine of an aircraft or motor vehicle to increase its power and speed. In part, this use may have been rooted in "soup" as 1930s slang for the stimulants sometimes injected into racehorses to make them run faster. But a more immediate source (and the reason your spelling makes more sense) was probably the fact that the preferred method of "souping up" an engine was to add a "supercharger," a device designed to force additional air into the cylinders and boost power. It is also possible that the simple adjective "super," as you guessed, may have figured into "souping up."
DO NOT DARE TO BANDY WORDS WITH ME, SIRRAH!

so we're both right. kinda. tomato, tomata.
can you say "****"

Main Entry: ****
Pronunciation: 'A-n&l
Function: adjective
1 : of, relating to, or situated near the anus <**** fin>
2 a : of, relating to, characterized by, or being the stage of psychosexual development in psychoanalytic theory during which the child is concerned especially with its feces b : of, relating to, characterized by, or being personality traits (as parsimony, meticulousness, and ill humor) considered typical of fixation at the **** stage of development <**** disposition> <**** neatness>
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Old 07-27-2005, 08:41 PM
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Originally Posted by dugzillaxb
Originally Posted by ninjaKid
Originally Posted by Diluvium
the actual term is "SUPE" not "SOUP"

its SUPED UP , supeing
not SOUPED UP , souping


your car is not FOOD....

if it was actually spelled as soup then i might as well say "SHAKE AND BAKED UP!" or "SHAKING AND BAKING UP!"
*ahem*

from http://www.word-detective.com/071503.html

Dear Word Detective: I've long heard people talk about "souping up" their cars (i.e., tweaking the engine to make it more powerful). I always assumed that this was spelled "suping up," my understanding being that it indicated the car was being made "superior" or "more super" or something like that. Much to my chagrin, however, I've recently learned that I've been spelling it wrong all these years and that it is, in fact, spelled "souped" and not "suped." Well, fine. I don't have a problem acknowledging that I was wrong (although I do think my preferred spelling has a lot going for it). What I haven't been able to find out, however, is where the phrase actually comes from and what, if anything, it has to do with the old Campbell's Cream of Mushroom. -- Barry, via the internet.

I agree that your spelling "souping up" as "suping" makes a lot of sense, and you'll be glad to know that we have the origin of the term to back us up.

In the beginning there was "soup," the Campbell's Cream of Mushroom (yuk) kind, a word which we inherited from the French "soupe," which, like its English relative "sop," originally meant bread soaked in broth. Eventually the broth itself, often with bits of meat and vegetables, came to be known as "soup" in English.

Almost as soon as "soup" appeared on our menu, we began developing figurative meanings for the word, and "soup" has been used as slang for everything from fog to the ocean to a difficult situation ("In the soup"). One particularly interesting use in the context of your question, appearing around 1900, is "soup" as slang for nitroglycerine or other explosives.

"To soup" as a verb originally meant, not surprisingly, to provide someone with soup, but around 1931 "to soup up" appeared, meaning to modify the engine of an aircraft or motor vehicle to increase its power and speed. In part, this use may have been rooted in "soup" as 1930s slang for the stimulants sometimes injected into racehorses to make them run faster. But a more immediate source (and the reason your spelling makes more sense) was probably the fact that the preferred method of "souping up" an engine was to add a "supercharger," a device designed to force additional air into the cylinders and boost power. It is also possible that the simple adjective "super," as you guessed, may have figured into "souping up."
DO NOT DARE TO BANDY WORDS WITH ME, SIRRAH!

so we're both right. kinda. tomato, tomata.
can you say "****"

Main Entry: ****
Pronunciation: 'A-n&l
Function: adjective
1 : of, relating to, or situated near the anus <**** fin>
2 a : of, relating to, characterized by, or being the stage of psychosexual development in psychoanalytic theory during which the child is concerned especially with its feces b : of, relating to, characterized by, or being personality traits (as parsimony, meticulousness, and ill humor) considered typical of fixation at the **** stage of development <**** disposition> <**** neatness>
bah, i just like to be right, and i read the word detective every week. intellectual != ****, IMHO . . .
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Old 07-27-2005, 10:06 PM
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The guy is just defending himself. . . he's not ****. . . someone else was being **** for correcting him.
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Old 07-27-2005, 10:30 PM
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Ask roltc how he's short shifter is. He's got a short shifter for an A/T.
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