Advise on next stages

Goatwidcoat

Member
Messages
40
Hi all. Looking for some advise on what to prioritise next with my DC5. Picked it up in May last year, 100% stock and use as a weekend car and absolutely love it. Mileage will only be around 3k a year being 90% road, 10% track.

So far all I have done is fitted a Tegiwa intake and that alone has made the car 10x better just for the sound. I plan on only ever doing a handful of track days (most likely evenings, so not even full days) so I am not looking for a full track beast but a decent enough set up

I did two evenings at Donington at the end of summer in its stock form and even during the 30+ heatwave the brakes were flawless on track for 20 minute stints at a time and I was so impressed with how it was out of the box. That said, I want braided lines and new pads and discs all around and was going to tackle these first as they could do with being changed anyway. I was going to go with Hel braided lines, Racing Performance grooved discs and EBC Bluestuff pads. Had this set up on my MX5 previously and that never once faded on track but open to other pad/disc combos.

I have since read horror stories regarding low oil pressure on high G corners so was going to get a Clockwise Motion baffled sump fitted to minimise this risk. During my first two track evenings I never experienced any symptoms of low oil pressure but better to be safe than sorry.

I would like a new exhaust as mine is stock. I have wanted a Mugen Twin Loop just to give a little more grunt, still be track friendly and JDM points ;) but these so rarely come up so I am considering just buying the Fujitsubo RM-01A. I believe this is louder than the twin loop but still track friendly.

With a changed exhaust and intake does the car now need to be remapped? If not for power, just to make sure that the air/fuel ratios are correct?

Ideally I want a spare set of wheels and semi slick tyres too but then that is another good chunk of change.


TLDR version:
I have always read online that brakes, tyres, handling should be tackled before power mods. I bought the intake for sound alone and the same with wanting an exhaust. Any power gains are a bonus but I am definitely interested in the day to day mid range gains that are made from a remap rather than the peak number.

My thinking is that lines, pads, discs and baffled sump are a must. It is from there that I am not sure where to go. In no particular order:

1. Continue down the handling route with coilovers and a proper alignment
2. New wheels and tyres
3. New exhaust and no remap
4. New exhaust and a remap (would also need to buy an ECU)

I currently have a rough £2.5k budget of which a fair chunk is being eaten by new pads, discs, lines, sump and full service so my long term plans will have to be over a couple of years. It won't help that a remap and dyno would take up roughly half of this budget.

With a limited budget where everything can't be done at once I am interested to hear what routes other people went with their DC5's.
 
Last edited:

JordanSuth

Advanced Member
Messages
225
I think you are on the right track. My car was bone stock pretty much when I first got it on import too.

I definitely think some good brakes will go a long way. Personally I stuck on some new OEM discs as they're good enough. The ones I took off were original - nearly 70k and 15 years old! They could have done longer! I went for Dixcel Z Type pads upfront and ES on the rear. Good well known JDM brand and they're great for track and road.

I managed to get my hands on some rare FL Mugen Showa suspension. Nice upgrade on stock.

I have a Mugen airbox with RM-01A. You may want to be careful with noise limits with a Tegiwa and RM-01A. Someone else on here will be better on advising that.

I got mine re-mapped with a K-Pro. Great gains in the mid-range.

I got a Spoon baffled sump and some Mugen engine mounts to finish off my OEM+. I wasn't fussed on chasing numbers. Just wanted to improve on what is already a great car!

Brakes, tyres and suspension first. Learn and use the car. Then move onto other things. Just do go throwing stuff onto the car thinking more is better!
 

import gav

Member
Messages
32
Agree brakes, tyres, suspension and a good geo set up would be and has been my first steps.
I have both the Rm01a and tegiwa intake, the exhaust is lovely, very high quality bit of kit and not too loud. The teg m is very loud, not been on track yet so cannot comment on noise limits, but different tracks have different limits I believe, a search on here should bring up plenty of past experiences by members.

Jordan am I correct in thinking you still have the standard manifold and cat? If so have you got a dyno print out to share please? I'm lookimg to go kpro and keep manifold and cat however there seems to be very few people who have gone this route so keen to get an idea of what gains are to be had ect
 

Goatwidcoat

Member
Messages
40
Agree brakes, tyres, suspension and a good geo set up would be and has been my first steps.
I have both the Rm01a and tegiwa intake, the exhaust is lovely, very high quality bit of kit and not too loud. The teg m is very loud, not been on track yet so cannot comment on noise limits, but different tracks have different limits I believe, a search on here should bring up plenty of past experiences by members.

Jordan am I correct in thinking you still have the standard manifold and cat? If so have you got a dyno print out to share please? I'm lookimg to go kpro and keep manifold and cat however there seems to be very few people who have gone this route so keen to get an idea of what gains are to be had ect
I have been at Donington with the Tegiwa and stock exhaust and not had an issue. Will have to search further if the Rm01a and Tegiwa combo is pushing it. Although it surprises me if it is too loud when you hear some of the things blasting around there.



I think you are on the right track. My car was bone stock pretty much when I first got it on import too.

I definitely think some good brakes will go a long way. Personally I stuck on some new OEM discs as they're good enough. The ones I took off were original - nearly 70k and 15 years old! They could have done longer! I went for Dixcel Z Type pads upfront and ES on the rear. Good well known JDM brand and they're great for track and road.

I managed to get my hands on some rare FL Mugen Showa suspension. Nice upgrade on stock.

I have a Mugen airbox with RM-01A. You may want to be careful with noise limits with a Tegiwa and RM-01A. Someone else on here will be better on advising that.

I got mine re-mapped with a K-Pro. Great gains in the mid-range.

I got a Spoon baffled sump and some Mugen engine mounts to finish off my OEM+. I wasn't fussed on chasing numbers. Just wanted to improve on what is already a great car!

Brakes, tyres and suspension first. Learn and use the car. Then move onto other things. Just do go throwing stuff onto the car thinking more is better!
Sounds like a very nice build. Doesn't help that I want to do everything all at once! Need to find that money tree haha
 

JordanSuth

Advanced Member
Messages
225
Agree brakes, tyres, suspension and a good geo set up would be and has been my first steps.
I have both the Rm01a and tegiwa intake, the exhaust is lovely, very high quality bit of kit and not too loud. The teg m is very loud, not been on track yet so cannot comment on noise limits, but different tracks have different limits I believe, a search on here should bring up plenty of past experiences by members.

Jordan am I correct in thinking you still have the standard manifold and cat? If so have you got a dyno print out to share please? I'm lookimg to go kpro and keep manifold and cat however there seems to be very few people who have gone this route so keen to get an idea of what gains are to be had ect
Blue is with Hondata - Mugen intake and RM01A

Striped line is with HKS piggyback ECU that came with the car on import. - Open cone Top Fuel intake and 5Zigen quiet and restricted exhaust.

I would only upgrade the cat and manifold with something high quality like spoon or mugen.


Sent from my SM-F926B using Tapatalk
 

JordanSuth

Advanced Member
Messages
225
Blue is with Hondata - Mugen intake and RM01A

Striped line is with HKS piggyback ECU that came with the car on import. - Open cone Top Fuel intake and 5Zigen quiet and restricted exhaust.

I would only upgrade the cat and manifold with something high quality like spoon or mugen.


Sent from my SM-F926B using Tapatalk
*Black line is HKS.

Sent from my SM-F926B using Tapatalk
 

import gav

Member
Messages
32
Blue is with Hondata - Mugen intake and RM01A

Striped line is with HKS piggyback ECU that came with the car on import. - Open cone Top Fuel intake and 5Zigen quiet and restricted exhaust.

I would only upgrade the cat and manifold with something high quality like spoon or mugen.


Sent from my SM-F926B using Tapatalk
That's great thank you, pretty decent result there by the looks of it
 
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