Looking serious, performance getting there and fine tuning...

No self respecting FSP car can have wheels inside the front wheel wells... you need an aggressive, wide stance to provide more front end grip, despite the suboptimal Mac-Strut geometry that leads to all sorts of camber and bump-steer curve issues, not to mention the roll couple and funky roll centre issues you can end up with when lowered.

Regardless, there are only 2 class-legal ways of getting "more grip" (sadly, sucker fans are not allowed :( )

• Lower the CG
• Widen the stance
  

Well... we've got some nice, wide and less offset (stick out further for wider stance and more grip) Compomotive wheels that achieve that purpose for the Hot Bits Echo.

I am still going to stiffen the spring rates up on the Hot Bits suspension. The valving can easily damp the higher rates and then lower the car down quite a bit more to further impove body-roll, camber control as well as transient response... but you can get an idea of what we're trying to achieve. I need to go stiffer because of the large increase in grip of the new 13" R-Compound tires, vs. the street tires that it was previously set up around.

Now with the LSD that I found residing in Guam, I can install a decent sized swaybar without fear of terminal wheelspin on corner exit and would be able to benefit from a light flywheel and really good clutch, as these are allowed under the Street Prepared prep level.

FSP competition - who are we gunning for?

Historically, old VW's that are able to take advantage of the "update / backdate" provision have won FSP... at least recently... as well as some Civics.

However, the class is VERY diverse and given enough development, many cars APPEAR capable of being top-contenders.

The Scirocco below is a typical FSP contender, as it's a light 1970's era shell, with a torquey, '90's cabriolet motor in it with early bumpers to save weight... and the Focus below is potentially going to come into it's own this year at Nationals with the new 275/35/15 22.9" tall tire. It's making a ton of power for the class, but is going to be taller, much heavier and have to use the taller tire than the 20.9" tire that I am using. The BMW 2002 pictured below has been spotted using the wide / tall tire as well, so that will be interesting to see as well.

The Hot Bits Echo will be of similar specs to the Scirocco / Rabbits / Golfs and has a similar suspension layout... but we will have a much more modern / rigid chassis, and a torquey and efficient MODERN (new millenium) engine with variable valve timing, high compression, etc.

Here are some shots of cars that are potential players:

Going all-the-way... FSP here we come!

After setting the Hot Bits Echo up for STS (which would have it competing against '89 civic SI's, Neons and 240 SX's... I've made the leap to go full tilt into the SP (Street Prepared) prep level.

There were 2 primary drivers for this decision.

Firstly, Gearing. The Hot Bits Echo's tall 2nd gear, was just too tall even when on the short 22.5" 205/40/16 Falkens and the local courses that were being used were just too small / slow to get any meaningful test data.

Secondly, even if I did prep it for FSP, the car would NEED an LSD which this prep level allows... but are damn near impossible to acquire for this car.

FSP allows me to use the SHORT Hoosier 225/45/13 20.9" tall tire - so there's the gearing issue dealt with!

I have recently found a discontinued TRD LSD that will fit the North America spec tranny for the Echo... in Guam! Unused and sitting in original packaging and still oiled. The guy sold his car that he was going to use it in... and I have bought it off of him!

GUAM!

The final reason to go to FSP is because this is where the car's "natural home is" as all of it's deficiencies can be addressed here. Also - keep in mind that the Civic moves up to CSP, while the Neon and 240 are both DSP cars... so the fact that the Echo can compete in FSP, whereas is would be in the same STS class as these other cars, with poorer gearing and wheelspin issues bodes REAL well for it's competitiveness in the SCCA Nationals at Topeka in late September!

Now I can go about locating the best clutch and flywheel available for this motor, put in a light race seat and make this car REALLY handle, now that I can use a decent front bar with the new LSD without massive concern over inside wheel spin!

AWESOME.

Above is a pic of the car on some 13" lenso wheels that I've had for a while for this car. The car worked really well, great gearing and lots of people commenting on how well the car looked out there on course!

GAME ON!

Agency Power on board as a sponsor!

The Hot Bits Echo program warmly welcomes Agency Power on board our unique STS project. Agency Power is a company that supplies many different performance parts for a wide variety of cars. STS is basically a "bolt on performance" class... and hence why Agency Power fits in so well. Check them out and see what they have available for your car.

For the Hot Bits Echo, they were kind enough to provide some DOT approved stainless steel braided brake lines to improve pedal feel and braking accuracy as well as a 1.1 lb. lightweight aluminum crank pulley!

I have recently installed the crank pulley and am ecstatic with the results. The Agency Power crank pulley is the lightest on the market... lighter than other competitors... and it also retains the stock diameter, so I can get a belt from any Toyota dealership.

Installation was a breeze... and the effect is what I would equate to about 1/2 of the gains that you'd see from a lightweight flywheel. The car rev's up faster... has much better throttle response when blipping for downshifts and it feels like there is less strain on the engine while accel'ing. This is also STS legal whereas a flywheel would not be... and this takes about :45 mins, whereas a flywheel would mean dropping the tranny and likely take 3-4 hrs. of serious labour.

I have not installed the brake lines yet, but will do so soon. I am also going with a high quality ATE brake fluid this year... and will also have to source some performance brake pads for this car... not an easy feat... but I have a company in mind that I have done some R&D for in the past. I will review the benefits of the brake lines in the near future... but I have no doubt that they will improve the brake pedal feel of this car.

Stay tuned!

Starting to look like a race car too!

So... do you think that the guys in the SCCA will be able to spot the Canadian?

AWESOME.
Peter from HotBits helped decal up the HotBits Echo into a very sharp, patriotic racer! A very nice picture of a strut / coilover, the HotBits logo, my name (rally-style, including home-country flag) as well as a huge 1/2 maple leaf... just incase they see the car, before they hear me talk, eh.

The suspension will go in this week... and I will then try to source some optimally offset wheels to will out those fender wells and then some.

It's starting to come together! It's looking good... and she will soon start to turn well also!

Now it's officially underway! GAME ON!

OH YEAH!
The Hot Bits Echo finally earns it's name... The Hot Bits double adjustable suspension came in!

Double adjustable fronts and rears... with camber plates up front of the Mac Strut setup...

For now, spring rates will remain a mystery... and no doubt they will get changed a few times as I test the balance and other critical attributes of the car.


Really nice quality stuff... they've been tested in rally conditions... so you know they're high quality. See HotBits.ca for some pics and more info.

Notice the remote canister for added damper travel as well as cooling - quite trick indeed.





-ive camber baby... every racer's best friend... let alone that of a Mac Strut car!

More comments and details to follow once they're installed... should happen this week... as I'm pumped... and need to determine optimal wheels that will fit with these parts installed ASAP.

Short shifter installed and loving it!

The Hot Bits Echo welcomes another fantastic sponsor on board... with an amazing product.

TWM Performance.com has come on board and has provided the Hot Bits Echo with their short shifter that they have available for the Echo / Scion Xa / Xb and an incredible shift knob.

Generally speaking... short shifters can be a hit-or-miss thing. Sometimes they just cut down the top of the lever... or even when they "do it properly" by moving the fulcrum, they then end up makin ghte shifter too notchy or with WAY too short of a throw making it impossible to know what gear it's in simply by feel. The TWM Performance short shifter is the exception. It is of very high quality... and ont he Echo... reduces throws by 35%. This tightens things up VERY nicely.. and makes the car also feel that mush more sporting.

The real reason why I wanted this for the Echo... was because 2nd gear is a LITTLE on the tall side... and although the Echo has a low torque peak, the RPM's can drop a bit below this point when shifting, because the stock shifter is so long and rubbery. Now, shifts seem to take one fewer "motions" (1 motion straight into the next gear, instead of 2) and I'm back on the gas 1 or 2 tenths of a second faster... every shift. In auto-x... this all adds up... and WELL worth the install and investment.



The shift knob that I chose was the Gun Blue Classic seen here. Not only are the knobs of a very high quality and well-weighted to provide a smooth shift... but their site is quite impressive: www.twmshiftknobs.com

The bain of the aftermarket shift knob is the DREADED set-screw. What a srappy system... See the ingenious method that TWM has pioneered with their "NTIS" system... COOL!:
http://www.twmshiftknobs.com/column/index.html

Simply brilliant. (wish I had thought of it)
In practice - for me this means that I can adjust it .75" lower than stock for now... but when I put in some aftermarket race buckets that will sit lower, I can lower it down another inch or so to suit my seating position! PERFECT!

The install took about :45 or so with the right tools... I did scrape a few knuckles... but man... I LOVE this shifter! Best short-shifter I've felt in ANY car, ever.

Control over Air : Fuel ratio and cam timing!

The HotBits Echo can now regain some control over it's intake valve timing.. and oh-so-critical Air:Fuel ratio!

I just picked up an e-bay deal on a used Power Enterprise CamCon:
http://www.powerenterpriseusa.net/products/electric/camcon/camcon.htm

I still have to sort out the cat-back exhaust... and get other things on there like a crankshaft pulley (allowed by the class rules...) and other minor things... but once things are finalized, I will dyno-tune the car on 91 or 94 octane in warm ambient conditions for about a 13:1 WOT A:F ratio and sort out the optimal Variable Valve Timing for low-end torque and mid-range punch. (the stuff that auto-x'ers dreams are made of)

Can't make use of it PRESENTLY... but will definately come in handy down the line as a part of this build-up.

WOO-HOO!

Poly bush'd bars on a budget

The HotBits Echo is soon to be the proud recipient of some Energy Suspension polyurethane bushings for the stock front swaybar. The OE rubber bushings are just a disaster... all cracked and compressed... who knows how linearly / predictably they respond to torsion... I also picked up a set of poly end links... again... because the stock rubber pieces were mangled and inconsistant - leading to poor driver feedback. These were cheap - landed in Canada cost about $55 or so for everything... and are greaseable.


I also found a guy locally who was selling a Whiteline rear sway bar for the Echo for $100. What a steal... it'd cost close to $300 normally... so I figured that even tho I was planning / hoping to be able to use "all springs" in the rear of the car, that this was such an inexpensive piece and so easy to install / remove if needed... that it would be a great piece to help tune with / play with setup choices.


As a side-benefit... I can use it with the stock springs and Scion dampers that are presently in the car for the winter (until the spring weather and the beautiful, shiny HotBits stuff arrives). This may help me for some winter auto-x's and "Slush 'n Slide" events that I'll be doing. On snow / ice... you want soft springs and a high CG to initiate a turn... but as there is low grip - you very quickly / easily wash out the front... so a large difference in roll stiffness front : rear will help keep the car turning in... and should help me put the power down a bit better.


It attaches in a really simple way - just some U-bolts that locate it within the torsion-beam rear suspension and make it that much stiffer / harder to twist. The other ends attach to the shock mount bolts.

Super easy to install.. and super easy to remove / test-and-tune with to help optimize for different conditions. (these last 2 pics taken from the web - not my car)

Front bushings and rear-bar will all be installed this week... and then hopefully a winter auto-x next weekend just to get it out of my system... (just for fun) A review of the bars and bushings will be added once I can play around with them on the car... Likely after the event.

Breathe in..... breathe out!

The HotBits Echo is now expelling the byproducts of combustion... just that much better now!

Shiny too... and weighs a pound less than stock.




I've already commented on the build quality of the Monster MotorWorks (MMW) header re: aestheitcs, materials and weld quality... just fantastic... but how about FIT? Bolted up PERFECTLY. I picked up some new gaskets from the dealer... and it was a relatively straight forward Re & Re.

So how about performance??
There is a definite improvement with this piece. It was not surprising considering how DAMN PUNY the stock primaries are. And they look small from the outside.. but look inside the stock manifold and it's constricted even more with heavy-gauge steel tubing. The collector of the stock piece is ugly... The MMW piece is much sexier.

The sound is a little more aggressive and throttle response is improved. Above 3k, I'd say there was a good 3 - 5 ft. lbs improvement and it's not only a higher tq. curve, but it's less peaky now, so there's a broader powerband. JUST what the doctor ordered.

Smoother powerband, more tq, better throttle response... and a lb. lighter than stock! What else could you ask for? And all of this is still going through the stock cat immediately after the header (class rule)... so that's pretty good! Shows that the manifold was more restrictive then the OE cat... and allows us some more mid-range tq!

The HotBits Echo is pulling harder out of corners now!
Can't WAIT to put in the coilovers (once this damn winter thing subsides) and then shed some 300 lbs from the car... what a pocket-rocket this thing'll be!

The motor specs - a highly advanced piece by Toyota!

In short, the HotBits Echo's motor is a direct ignited (coil on plug) 1.5L inline 4 at 10.5:1 compression ratio with a 12* offset crank to increase efficency and minimize friction on the power-stroke. This is a stroked-version of the 1.3L engine used in Europe, Japan and South / Central America. As a result... it makes pretty good mid-range torque! See the offset / off-centre crank in the schematic below? Cool eh? And you just thought it was a cheap-azz econobox! :D

• 1495 cubic centimeters
• 75.0mm bore -84.7mm (3.33-in) stroke
• dual overhead camshafts (4 valves per cylinder via shimless bucket type tappets)
• valves inclined at 33.5°
• vane type VVT-i continuously variable intake
• valve timing device.
• valve diameters: 30.5 mm (1.20 in) for intake 25.5 mm (1.00 in) for exhast.
• cylinder block: aluminum with cast-in iron liners.
• cylinder and crankshaft centers are offset to reduce piston slapping.
• the NZ engine is placed transversely, canted rearward, with the intake side facing forward.
• the 1NZ-FE 1.5-L puts out 81 kW (110 hp) at 6000 rpm and 143 N•m (105 lb•ft) at 4200 rpm.

About the fuel system:
The echo has a fuel pressure regulator and fuel filter in the fuel tank. the returnless system means warm fuel from the engine bay does not return to the tank. the internal temperature of the fuel tank therefore stays cooler, reducing evaporative emissions.

About the VVT-i:
Toyota’s intelligent continuously variable valve timing system is more advanced than the basic systems in some German luxury vehicles and Japanese small cars. Echos have the latest-generation TMC-developed vane-type VVT-i control, which debuted on Prius and Lexus IS200. VVT-i provides continual variations of the intake valve timing, to match the engine’s operating conditions. This improves performance and fuel efficiency, and reduces vibration on engine start-up and shut-down.

1NZ-FE's inlet timing can be varied over a range of 60 degrees relative to crankshaft angle, to provide optimum valve timing for the full range of driving conditions.

Inlet camshaft timing is varied according to engine revolutions, throttle position, engine coolant temperature and intake air volume. The maximum retard setting provides zero valve overlap. (There is a five degree period between the exhaust valve closing and inlet opening.) Inlet cam timing is set to the maximum retard position for engine start-up, operation at low engine temperature, idle and engine shut-down. The maximum advance setting provides 55 degrees of valve overlap.

VVT-i Activation: the Echo's VVT-i is a computer controlled and oil-pressure activated push- push type system. The engine ECU can command the system to advance or retard the inlet camshaft timing, thereby providing for faster response. The hardware is a camshaft timing oil control valve mounted adjacent to the inlet camshaft gear wheel and a VVT-i controller mechanism built onto the inlet camshaft timing gear. The camshaft timing oil control valve is a spool valve, controlled via a coil and plunger by the engine ECU. It can signal "advance", "hold" or "retard". The VVT-i controller consists of a housing on the front of the timing wheel, driven from the timing chain, and a four-bladed vane coupled with the intake camshaft.

When the engine ECU requires a change in inlet timing, it signals the oil control valve to provide oil pressure to either the advance or retard side of the four vane chambers. A locking pin in the controller locks the camshaft timing in the maximum retard position for engine start-up and immediately after start-up (until oil pressure is established) to prevent any knocking noise.

Other features:

• a long-branch inlet system with resonator, to maximise low-to-mid range torque. The inlet system is made of plastic, to reduce heat transfer from the engine to the inlet charge and hence increase volumetric efficiency
  
• a plastic engine cover to reduce NVH and increase recyclability
  
• sequential fuel injection with multiple injector nozzles mounted in the inlet ports, for maximum fuel atomisation and reduced wall wetting
  
• a hot chip type air flow meter for the EFI, for more accurate air-flow measurement and hence more accurate fuel/air mixing
  
• stainless steel extractor-style exhaust headers, for maximum performance and durability, and lower emissions
  
• rearward-facing exhaust, which combines with double-walled front exhaust pipe to improve catalytic converter performance and hence reduce emissions. The catalytic converter has thinner walls to further improve heat-up rate and reduce emission
  
• a double ball-jointed exhaust pipe connector, to reduce NVH
  
• a two-stage muffler (as debuted in the Lexus range) to improve high rpm engine performance on the 1.5 litre sedan engine Additional fuel emission saving technology includes computer engine management, individual Toyota Direct Ignition for each of the four cylinders and electronic spark advance with a knock control system.
  
• the engine ECU determines the spark advance.
  
• serviceability improvements include Multiplex engine diagnostics (which can detect a malfunction and memorise details of the failure), a vertically installed oil filter and adoption of chain drive to the camshafts.
  
• the 8mm pitch roller cam chain has a lubricating oil jet and auto tensioner.
  
• the combustion chambers in the Echo engine employ a tapered (oblique) squish design, to improve thermal efficiency and reduce the chance of engine knock (pre-ignition). the squish area has been shaped obliquely along the wall surface of the combustion chamber, improving airflow, promoting swirl and speeding flame travel. the combustion chambers are almost entirely machined, to ensure minimum variation in combustion chamber volume across the four cylinders. special attention has been paid to cooling the combustion chamber, including provision of a water jacket between the exhaust port and the spark plug boss, to lower the operating temperature at the exhaust valve seat and improve cooling performance.
  
• service mass of the 1NZ-FE engine is 187 pounds.

The 1497cm3 power plant delivers a class-leading 80kW (107HP) at 6000rpm and 142Nm of torque at 4200rpm. it has 16 percent more power and four percent more torque than the superseded 1.5 litre Paseo sports car. the capacity increase to 1497cm3 has been achieved by increasing the stroke from 73 to 84.7mm. unique features of the Echos are its variable back-pressure muffler and slightly longer exhaust valve opening duration.

The trick for the HotBits Echo for autocross... is to massage this motor to make more power and more mid-range torque that the factory extracted... and it is very well engineered.

Motor is under control!

The Hot Bits Echo got an engine damper installed as mentioned in the previous posting...

Review:
So what is the effect?
The car is way more responsive to pedal inputs. It SEEMS like there is improved throttle response... altho in reality... the throttle is responding exactly as it was before... it's just that that power is being put straight to the ground, instead of trying to twist the motor into the buttery-soft stock motor-mounts.

When you get back on the gas after shifting, the car responds WAY crisper... as a result... I bet you save 2/3 of the time that you normally would while shifting where you are not accelerating the car. Before... the motor would bounce forward when you lift... and then torque back into the mounts as you get back on it... and all this time, the car is not actually accelerating any. Now... it just moves... and makes the low-end torque of this motor actually useful at projecting the car down the road, instead of flopping around in the engine bay.

The Echo / Vitz / Platz chassis is quite rigid and responds favorable to lift-throttle oversteer. However... mid corner... using a slight lift for attitude correction is not the fast way with a STOCK Echo. There is so much time after you lift and then get back on it with the engine flopping around that I found it MUCH better to keep the throttle down and left-foot brake into and in a corner. It just works. After the engine damper install
throttle steering and slight lifts are much more rewarding as there is torque right there under your foot as soon as you get back on it. The engine is just plain more responsive.

I've put engine mounts in performance cars (the supercharged Miata pictured at the bottom of this page for example) and the effect is similar. I believe that the Echo's stock bushings, mounts, springs etc. are just disproportionally soft to begin with... as a result, the benefit from this Monster Motorworks Engine Damper are even more dramatic / greater than most other applications of mounts or dampers.

Highly recommended!

Side benefit:
An unexpected side benefit of this product is that it also holds down the motor VERTICALLY! (as it ties it to the strut-tower) This is felt when going over undulations... the mass of the powerplant is not "heaving" under the hood. You can feel this new-found level of "plantedness" and in fact I can feel the front dampers (struts) controlling the mass of the engine better now - and it is in-phase with the chassis heaving. The result? More consistent contact patch pressure and regained composure over road irregularities. COOL! Motor mounts can not have this effect!

Downsides:
When you tie a motor to a chassis... or even increase the hardness of motor mounts, you will introduce more vibration and resonances to the cabin. Toyota paid 6-figure engineers to eliminate NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) from the car for it's target market. It is positioned as an economy car after all. I am making it into a high-performance car... and I am willing to accept a little more vibration at idle... or a harmonic resonance when the car is still warming up on a 5* day. It's not bad... but it is a trade off... one which I will make without hesitation.

Install:
The install can be done in :30.
Very simple and can be done with basic hand tools in your driveway. Way more straight-forward (and cheaper) than a motor mount swap.

Verdict:
More front contact patch control, more direct feel, driver feedback and throttle response... we are getting there!


P.S.
Excuse the oxidized AC bracket - it won't be there for U.S. Nationals in Sept anyhow! ;) Also... those boring stock strut-towers will soon be blessed with some Hot Bits pillow ball mount, adj. camber plate'd double adjustable coilovers... NICE!

Monster Motorworks Header and Engine Damper arrive!

Wow... Monster Motorworks sure makes a nice looking header! Great quality welds, beautiful stainless steel and has the provisions to utilize the stock heat-shield to keep engine bay temps in check (too bad it covers up this piece of art) :(



I also received this "engine damper" to minimize the engine's movement on the on the soft / stock engine mounts whenever you touch the gas... This should increase throttle response and improve the feel of the accelerator, leading to less wheel spin and more control / precision. In actuality, it's not really a "damper" at all... but a steel rod and polyurethane sleeve with a derlin spacer at the end, to make it completely solid, in effect. This makes it a solid rod with spherical ends that I can also pre-load for a competition to get 100% of that torque down to the ground. I believe the poly will absorb the high frequencies and eliminate some unneccessary vibration / noise into the cabin and to the driver.

On a side note - several years back, Weapon-R (which is the North American parent brand of Monster Motorworks) had a reputation for inexpensive aftermarket parts and sometimes of questionable quality. I can tell you 100% that they have improved to the point where I'd definately call their stuff premium! The welds are great, the materials are top-notch and they seem really well engineered! I'll be sure to review them in detail once installed and comment on both fit and performance. Great looking stuff! Good job guys!

http://www.monstermotorworks.com/

More goodies!

Got a parcel delivery notice in the mail... Should be a 4-2-1 header and an engine damper... I'll post pics tomorrow if I pick them up from the depot in time...

Torque-to-wheels = good!

Another fantastic, lucky day! WHEELS! The Hot Bits Echo gets some dancin' shoes..

Wow. So I needed optimal wheels for competition (maximum track width, correct wheel width and LIGHT as possible as this mass is both rotational and unsprung)

Well... for the 205/40/16 that I'm going to start out testing with, I believe that a 16x7 would work well... (7.5's tend to get much heavier) but there aren't that many light ones available... and I wanted something under 15 lbs. for sure... so my "cheap" option was a set of Rota Slipstreams, SubZeros or some Spoon knockoffs... cost: approx $600 - $750 cdn. I have a budget for this whole project... and I figured that the wheels were just one of those big-ticket items that I'd have to ante up for to do it right... :( To go REAL light - I'd have to spend $1500+ . That won't happen until I'm certain that this is the tire to use... so I'll have to do some testing on the the Hot Bits Echo first... Then... some 15x7.5's and the 205/50/15's as well as Hankook 225/45/15's.

Well... I managed to find a guy selling some 16x7 TRD wheels relatively locally. Get this... 1 piece, supposedly forged, monoblock rims :o Strong and supposedly LIGHT... (reports of between 12.8 and 14.9 lbs) I snatched them up for $300 for the set and they're in great shape!
(the back looks forged... but the front if the spokes looks cast... what the?)

So... I hopped in the car... drove a round-trip of 300+ km's (200 miles) and picked them up ASAP. Used $13 cdn in gas (approx 4 gallons = 17 litres or so) Ahh the beauty of an Echo for fuel mileage. This coming season I'll be doing a LOT of long-distance driving to events.

Now they're all mine! It is all starting to come together! Very exciting.

I'll use these to test out the 205/40's as well as to help determine offset - I think I may need 20 - 25mm of additional spacer to maximize track width!

Big day - Secured suspension sponsorship

Wow. Absolutely fantastic. The Carpe Cursus Echo has secured a suspension sponsorship from Hot Bits Sport Suspensions. It will now be referred to as the Hot Bits Echo.

I've used their stuff in the past on other cars that I've had the priveledge of driving and the quality of the pieces is really top-notch. I'll be getting a setup that's double-adjustable (seperate compression and rebound).

I have competed with double-adjustables before... and in my honest opinion... they are 100% totally required for auto-x at the higher levels. Once you learn how to work with them, you really can not go back - they are that good.

I also know of several people that have worked with Peter of HotBits and they have nothing but glowing reviews about his customer service, timliness, suspension knowledge and creativity in solving drivers' setup dilemmas.

I have picked out some initial spring rates in my head for a starting place, but I will let Pete consult the database of this chassis' suspension setups that they've used / created for road-race Vitz's and gravel rally Vitz's worldwide (Europe and Asia) to see if my ballpark estimate is in-line.

The Echo is setup essentially like a VW rabbit and as such, has McPherson struts in the front and a twist-beam setup in the rear. As a result, the Hot Bits struts have an integral, pillow-ball mount camber plate in the front. This suspension alone will solve the Echo's achilles heel... the soft Mac-Strut suspension that loses camber, and hence front-end grip very early, upon turn-in.

WOO-HOO! Lateral G's - here I come!


We will be working to decal-up the Hot Bits Echo in a similar theme to their companies' VW Golf, being that I AM CANADIAN and a proud one at that... and want to let it be known that I am going south to look for some American competition. :D

My $46 magazine...

In the name of thoroughness... I bought a hard-to-find Japanese magazine dedicated to the "Vitz".

This is the hatch... but shares the chassis, suspension design / pick-up points and engine to a T.

I'm just looking for any parts / ideas that I haven't considered.... as well as good Japanese engine / chip tuners for this car. Mazazine is read from "back to front"... and really just scanned for pictures... (in my case) approx cost (Yen) and the tuning shop that makes the part.

I'll likely have to ship an ECU to Japan... and hope that they know what they're doing. :o

That'll be fun. Joy.
ECU to come from www.car-part.com

IT BREATHES!

Well... I installed the intake this AM... and it really woke up the car... made it more throttle-responsive and feels exactly as the K&N dyno above would indicate... it is generaly stronger and pulls MUCH better to redline.

This car is really going to come to life.

Notice the weird "plate" that K&N has welded into the intake path... just before the MAF sensor. Odd - not sure if it's to create turbulence and help fuel mixing, or to protect the MAF from filter oil... or to trick the MAF into seeing less airflow... Oh well... the car is MUCH improved... and I will get better fuel economy on the street as well as there is noticably less load on the car at cruise. The intake temp is AMBIENT now (ScanGuage tells me so)! (filter is out of engine compartment!)

This is particularly important on a 10.5:1 car that is designed to use 87 octane and uses a knock sensor to retard timing upon ping.... so for racing I'll use higher octane to keep some timing in there... but I'll have to dyno once the car's dialed in from a powerplant standpoint...

Exciting developments!

Don't forget da' rubbers!!!

Likely tire of choice:

Falken Azenis RT-615

http://falkentire.com/rt615_sizes.html

Altho it's not the size that I'll be competing on in the echo... I test-fit some 225/45/15 Hoosiers on 15x8's onto the car just for shits 'n giggles... and man... they FIT! Of course the car is WAY too soft presently to even attempt backing out of the driveway like this... let alone take a corner as I'd surely flip it... but there IS a lot of strut AND fender clearance on the car... I've also test-fit 3 more-realistic combos of sizes... and believe that I will end up with a 205/40/16 Falken Azenis... on a 16x7 and just need the optimal offset so as to maximize the track width.

The car needs a stiff, double-adjustable suspension and

I've picked out some spring rates to start tuning with... I'm going to try 400 and 450... but may need more in the rear. We will see.

Also presently looking for good race seats that with brackets come in at 25# as this is the minimum in the rulebook.

I may install the intake tomorrow (but have a karting banquet to attend right in the mid-day... (may have to get up early!) My belief is that after the intake... that a header and maybe a lightened crankshaft pulley will really liven this thing up. Also got some good leads on 4 places in Japan that can re-chip / flash / tune the stock ECU. Now about the whole language barrier thing..................................

On a positive note... I drove a BONE STOCK 1.6l Miata today and no question the Echo is faster stock. power:weight baby!

Itching to start developing a new project car and campaign it in the SCCA!

I can't wait!

I am going to be prepping the Echo for STS which is comprised of under 3.1L cars, with open or factory viscous difs., on street tires on rims no wider than 7.5" that are 225's or less.

Basic bolt-ons are allowed... so basic breathing mods and suspension essentially... and some lightening stuff as well..

The key will be getting a great set of dampers matched to the right spring rates... to make use of that limited grip from a street tire...

STS is a heavily populated class with the current proven cars to be the '89 civic Si, 240 SX, the '06+ civic Si, 1st gen Neon's are competitive and many other possibilities exist as well....

Past Racing Accomplishments...

2006: Autocross (supercharged, high-power RWD Miata)
2006 ASN / FIA CASC Solo 2 National Champion - CSP (High powered, RWD)
2006 - Push it to the Limit - CMOD Champion
2006 - Push it to the Limit - Overall Series Champion
2006 - HADA - Take it off the Streets - Class 4 Champion

Winter 2005 / 2006 CASC-OR Ice Racing (first time racing all of: AWD car, turbo-car AND on ice!)
-Street Stud 4 class champion
-Street Stud Overall Champion
-Rookie of the year (never before won by a class, let alone overall winner)

2004: Autocross (Miata with full suspension)
2004 - National Champion - ASN / FIA Canadian National AutoSlalom Championship – CSS (RWD - Momentum car)
2004 - CASC-OR Regional / Provincial Champion – CSS
2004 Push It To The Limit Autocross series: Champion - A-Mod
2004 HADA Overall Champion – Shootout winner (best of 2 runs & first time in a FWD car - defeating an FWD National Champion, with prior seat time in the shootout car!)
2004 HADA Class Champion – Tail Waggers

2003: Autocross
CASC-OR Regional / Provincial Champion – A-Super Stock

2002:
Rookie year – Just getting warmed up!

A race echo? An Echorarri? Yes. Have faith and stay tuned!

This is shaping up to be the weapon of choice - a 2000 Toyota Echo. It's a lightweight at 2025 lbs stock... but OBVIOUSLY has to overcome a VERY soft suspension... and a high centre of gravity, being that it is very tall / has a high roofline. I have some ideas and believe strongly in this platform for being a strong competitor. This pic was taken at an autocross in Ottawa where I just drove my daily-driver, as the car I was supposed to "arrive and drive" had technical issues until the 3rd run of the day. I can't complain... this is to be expected when you don't perform all of the work yourself.

Stay tuned for the development of the car into a cone-carving monster. Don't laugh. I know what makes a good autocross car... and this thing has it in it.

Today, I picked up a K&N Typhoon intake from a Scion Xb that will fit... as well as some other goodies that'll all add up... Presently I have some Scion Xb dampers on the car that are WAY stiffer than a stock echo (due to stock curbweight and spring rates of the Scion), esp in compression... This is not how the car will stay - just seeing how well the chassis responds to changes... and the stockers were shot... so I'll run these on the car in the winter... as it's comfortable... and actually raises the car up .5".

First post - a bit about me.

I'm an avid motorsports enthusiast that has both the natural driving ability and intellectual & analytical requirements necessary to become a great, full-time professional racer.

My roots are in autocross which requires complete car-control and an understanding of vehicle dynamics. An understanding of all things suspension, tires, etc. is necessary to truly excel in the sport.

I have a list somewhere of some of the things that I've won and I'll likely try to dig that up and post it tomorrow...

I have previously competed at several different "prep" levels in a Mazda Miata (RWD & 50/50 weight distribution) and most recently have a blower forcing in all kinds of cool air making this a true auto-x machine.

Due to winning both Provincial and National competitions / championships multiple times in Canada, I find it necessary to venture south into the United States for a deeper pool of competitors, talent and an established and professionally run SCCA organization. The hope is for some greater visibility.

There is a chance that at Nationals in Topeka (1200+ competitors) that some notice can come your way. Some greats such as Boris Said, Jeff Altenburg, Peter Cunningham, TC Kline, Shawna Marinus and Randy Pobst have all come from autocross.

This form of motorsport is attractive because even without significant corporate backing, a driver can usually scrounge sufficient funding themselves to campaign a competitive program.

For the 'States, I will have to prep a completely new / different car because presently, there is no class whereby a Miata is competive - and driving a HIGH strung car across the continent is risky (no tow vehicle budget) so a 4-banger that's good on gas... but can handle will be the order of the year.