Hi everyone at lowyat.net,

My name is Jonathan or nickname John and I live at KL Cheras, this is my first time post at lowyat.net although I been observe lowyat.net for many year until now.

Currently I owning a Proton Saga CVT 1.3 (E) from last year October, I choose Saga over Myvi because CVT, handling and larger trunk if someone ask, and I don't had any bad complains about this car accept performance and quality, you get what you pay .

P/S: I'm a aggressive driver.

Is been 6 month and my car almost reach 10k (odometer), I'm thinking of upgrade/modify of my car and I had two option to choose:


First option:

1. All available product for Saga FLX (accept Room Bar) from Ultra Racing.

2. 15" rims with 195/50/R15 tyres.

4. ECU tuning, remove speed limit and improve FC.

3. Aftermarket high flow stock replacement air filters for Saga FLX.

5. Aftermarket high quality or braided stainless steel brake hoses.

6. Aftermarket Rear skirt diffuser.

7. Aftermarket 4-2-1 exhaust manifold with ceramic coating, keep stock catalytic.

8. Aftermarket S-flow muffler.


Second option:

1. All available product for Saga FLX (accept Room Bar) from Ultra Racing.

2. 15" rims with 195/50/R15 tyres.

4. ECU tuning, remove speed limit and improve FC.

3. Aftermarket high flow stock replacement air filters for Saga FLX.

5. Aftermarket high quality or braided stainless steel brake hoses.

6. Aftermarket Rear skirt diffuser.

7. Aftermarket 4-1 exhaust manifold with ceramic coating or stock exhaust manifold, keep stock catalytic.

8. Aftermarket Hi-flow muffler.


Optional:

Upgrade rear brake drum to brake disc.


Basically the differences of the first option and second option is exhaust system (6. & 7.), I need advice from lowyat.net Guru to know what are the pro and con from these upgrade/modify option and which aftermarket brands and what shops to get these upgrade/modify.

Thanks to anyone who read or reply this post.

Your purpose to upgrade is?
For the sake of itchy hand upgrading or something else?

Anyhow, those are normal acceptable upgrade. You can head over to Saga BLM FLX thread for more response

This post has been edited by shakku: Apr 9 2013, 03:00 PM

Yeah I suppose to post at 'PROTON SAGA BLM, FL & FLX CLUB' thread, but I figured out that club thread post/reply speed so fast I'll lost in the middle of the thread, and thanks for the reply.

My purpose to upgrade is minor boost performance and improve FC.

Wow, that is quite a huge amount($) to upgrade. Why dont you just use those money to get a better car?

Since you already knew that what you pay is what you get. Investing in cheap car(local) would not make you any happier compared to high end car. Even you have the best local car, everyone will still look down at you. No doubt.

Save up more and enjoy what you pay for.

1. All available product for Saga FLX (accept Room Bar) from Ultra Racing. Front strut and rear strut should be enough. If you like you can do rear ARB too.

2. 15" rims with 195/50/R15 tyres. No problem, go ahead.

4. ECU tuning, remove speed limit and improve FC. Forget about it. The car can touch 190km/h stock, how much faster do you wanna go in a Saga.

3. Aftermarket high flow stock replacement air filters for Saga FLX. Can.

5. Aftermarket high quality or braided stainless steel brake hoses. Yes, recommended.

6. Aftermarket Rear skirt diffuser. Aesthetic mod, no performance effect whatsoever. Up to your personal preference.

7. Aftermarket 4-2-1 exhaust manifold with ceramic coating, keep stock catalytic. Pls refer to FL/FLX/BLM thread. There are members who have moded entire exhaust.

8. Aftermarket S-flow muffler. same as above

........

7. Aftermarket 4-1 exhaust manifold with ceramic coating or stock exhaust manifold, keep stock catalytic. same as above

8. Aftermarket Hi-flow muffler. same as above

......

Upgrade rear brake drum to brake disc. Don't bother. If the workmanship is questionable, your whole rear wheel hub may fall off while driving. The FLX is not fast nor heavy enough to warrant rear discs.

All the above upgrades add up and the car still cheaper than a RM50k. Not everyone is as rich as you are.

I suppose to choose Ford Fiesta instead of Saga, but I'm lacking of high paid salary for the installment, and I'm not upgrade all at once fyi.

4. I read about that tuning ECU can improve FC at club thread?

6. I need to fix rear skirt because last month some motorbike crash my rear skirt , maybe I go for stock.

The rest: Thank you.

This post has been edited by Jonathan.J.Wolf: Apr 9 2013, 03:24 PM

There is nothing much you can do about the FC, electronically or mechanically. Just have to train your footwork. If there is a genuine ECU tweak that can improve FC, every single one of us would have done it already.

But if you read our most recent threads, you can see a few members actively coming up with efficient driving techniques and sharing amongst each other.

change to larger rim will not make FC better
it will make it worst

Generally true, unless you can find a larger rim that is lighter than your stock rim.

TS, please cum inside Saga Thread...

speed limiter?



As for exhaust, there are two types; One that gives more power at the high end with the expense of slow acceleration and one that pushes acceleration at the expense of slower time to reach top speed. Either top speed or acceleration. Cant have both. lol

This post has been edited by V12Kompressor: Apr 9 2013, 03:43 PM

Not only that, 195/50/R15 diameter is smaller than my stock 185/60/R14

hi there TS

wow. by judging to your mode, that's really huge money to spend. if i considered all this thing, why not i buy SE version, where i drive right now. everything have (except those extractor, air filters, braided hose brake, SB or else). its 1.6 summore, easyly reach 200++kmh (friend claimed that)

come on to our saga blm fl and flx club as iska mention. turst me, you not just ask for your planned mod, but plenty of poison you cannot resist..hehehe

Saga price at RM42k, so you said upgrades & add up would be less than 50k?
Only 8k to get all the upgrades & add up TS wants?

Not sure if you are drunk, to me at least 10k is needed to get ori parts. Except TS want it for decoration purpose.
Yes, ford fiesta is a good car, good handling especially. Since you are not upgrading all at once, hand so itchy need to upgrade already?
It would be better if you can work harder and save up more money to get the Ford fiesta you wanted. Then only start to upgrade from there.

Yeah on the list the most expensive stuff is Ultra Racing product, but is permanent and safety so I guess is worthy.

I should choose 1.6 back then, the dealer tell me that 1.3 is enough, is ok at first, but not sure is me or the car feel slow after second service.

eqmal starting to give out poison pill ~

Need car fast back then, my big brother take away my previous car (vios), long story and I don't want talk about.

to me, its a really waste of money since its just a 1.3 car. Not sure how fast you want to run

its just like upgrading a viva, 1.0 but also cannot run fast. Except turbo it but super expensive which is really not encouraged.

ooitt.... u eat poison more than me

Clearly, you did not get my point. Even if TS do spend 8k on upgrades, it is still cheaper than buying another car. What new non-national car can you get for RM50k? If the TS bought a dugong and asking about the same upgrades, I'm sure you will show a very different attitude.

And I would love to see how you manage to arrive at the 10k price tag for all the things listed.

There is alot of affordable way to do it as 15" rim + tyre RM1500 got balance,
Bars i got UR quotation total 8 bars RM1765 but as we recommend only front & rear strut+ rear anti roll = RM650

So for the others like exhaust system have to depends where u buy, performance filter, braided hose also ...so by right around 8k can gao dim

Hm, I thought ECU tuning can make sense, since the factory setting should be meant for poor fuel quality. It can be tweaked for better fuel, and will give more power and/or better fuel consumption, at the cost of not being able to drive on low quality fuel.

Though it may not make much sense in Malaysia... our fuel may not be that good...

Mana ada, standard mod je ~

My opinion was for Campro's ECU only.

Good information!

Any place/shop you know are recommended?

FUll set UR Bar consist of;

Fender Bar
ANti-Roll Bar
Front Strut Bar
Rear Tower Bar
Rear Lower Bar
4 point Front Lower Bar
Side Bar

Total: RM 1600

Exhaust system consist of;

Hotbits 4-1 stainless steel extractor or 4-2-1 extractor- RM 500
Rear S-Flow muffler - RM 400
Full stainless steel piping, center bullet and labour - RM 500

Total: RM 1,400

K&N Drop In Air Filter- RM 300
Stainless Steel BRaided Brake Line - RM 400
195/50/R15 rims with Neuton NT8000 15" tires - RM 1,500-RM 2000 (price inclusive of normal trade in stock rims and tires at RM 500)
Rear diffuser- RM 200
ECU Tuning - Not Applicable

Grand total: RM 5,900 (Havent counted discounts and nego yet)

Even if I throw in the Unichip (2nd hand), grand total is at the ball park of RM 8,000.

Need RM10,000? FUKEN LOLZ

RM2K belanja makan

I already expected that amount...

Not sure want Unichip or not lo

If you have additional RM 12,00 to spend for a new CVT then you can go ahead.

if not mistaken, ecu setting has being map by proton. whether its has got to do with FC, only gods now. and ecu setting on saga as at today ONLY proton can do remap. there's no ecu remap setting outside proton.. yet..e.g. proton come out with remap ecu for FLX for solving jerking issue and all owner are welcome to reflash it

low quality fuel? are you saying our standard ron95 poor quality? sory but i have to say not true. ron95 can run on our saga. only different is which brand you prefer. like myself, i've try all sort of brand and bhp give me the best. the worst is caltex. really non-friendly petrol for gaga. if i rich, i fill ron97. but if think, what for? ron95 95%octane, and ron97 97%octane. only 2 % different

but if insist on what you want to be expected, install ribut api

belanja berenang dalam makanan also can. LOLZ

wrong la bro

fine, clearly you did not get my point too. Theres no point chatting with people like you more.

yes, its a very subjective question and answer. Its all depends on TS.
if someone even willing to sponsor TS, he can get all the upgrades for FOC!

eh? terbalik ka?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Difference_betwe...N_95_and_RON_97

If RON 97 is 97% gasoline + 3% Pentane, then RON 102 or RON -30 is what

RON grade is a number assigned to a fuel according to it's tolerance of compression before detonation, eg. Diesel detonates easier than petrol and hence has a lower RON number than petrol.

It does not denote the % of chemicals inside the fuel.

i see. tq for info

well, as long saga can use ron95, then use it

oii, jgn gaduh kat thread orang la...adui

btw if u wan to get UR get, Front, Rear, Fender (if u change to sport absorber), ARB should be enuff.. u wan more stiffer corner install Front lower arm.. or rear lower bar, u need to install to feel it which is needed~! all ppl got different taste~!

or u can get 3max front and rear bar also enuff already~!

This post has been edited by r3apers: Apr 9 2013, 05:01 PM

I personally don't think one can get extra power without sacrificing FC.
Forget about those filter, ACP, lighten this and that.

Plonk in Supercharger/Turb0, you'll get an instant power boost even at 0.3bar for like RM8k or so.
Strut bar? Unless you're driving till the limits of the Saga BLM FLX body roll till tires are screeching during corners, I doubt you need to add those.
Same goes for suspension. It's tuned enough for ordinary street driving consumer.

The rest are just aesthetic like others said.

Fuel... only Malaysian are pampered with Ron95 and Ron97 while other country in the world including US are using Ron85 as base.
Ron92 considered premium already.

Mana ada gaduh, share info aje ma

Speedworks Supercharger 9.5K+++++++++++++
G Car Care almost almost 9K++++++

ya la ya la, share info....

Currently I just know UR is the great stuff I can get at MY, not sure other brands lo.


My minor boost method is want more torque at lower rev or more acceleration, not sure about FC though, and I heard about that high flow exhaust system can improve FC not sure is true or not, that's why I need some advise from local guru opinion, I already read and search the club thread still can't found the best exhaust system for Saga FLX.

Well my driving style already had screeching when during cornering at some highways turn , that's I need high quality stuff like UR to handle the turn, even though the Saga already has awesome handling I still need some support.

This post has been edited by Jonathan.J.Wolf: Apr 9 2013, 05:56 PM

lol UR for torsion beam.

its like wearing bra for A cup girls

FUKKEN POINTLESS

pointless in doing all that stuff and wasting your money on a saga 1.3

get a better car if u want speed and efficiency, at least the 1.6 flx. well, it's too late for that, u already bought it.

or just change to a manual gb, instant boost in performance.

1.3 will always be a 1.3. No replacement for displacement. And turbocharging might help.

But consider the car platform. Is it worth it to mod for all these performance? I would rather mod a satria 1.3 because it can whack corners and tapau bigger cc cars during cornering.

But saga.... questionable. Torsion bar good for city driving. Not for aggressive drivers.

Any seasoned racer will tell you to upgrade the rubbers first. Then brakes. No point having 200hp while running on cap ayam tyres.

I agree with you. Dunno why from that executive 1.3 model to 1.6SE just slighly on Rm7k different and most of them still prefer to 1.3L that's the future issue

If you are an aggressive driver just MIVEC songsang (CK) it.

This post has been edited by JBSwagger: Apr 9 2013, 07:44 PM

I respectfully disagree. But first, yes, a 1.3l will be a 1.3l, if you are looking to squeeze a few more Nm or bhp it is kinda pointless as it will never be a 1.6l, no replacement for displacement.

I don't think the TS is going after a monster racer. From his list of mods, I surmise he is just looking to improve driveability, maybe some spirited short sprint whenever the opportunity arises. As for handling, you don't need a powerful car to throw your car around corners. Whats wrong with wanting a smoother, more eager ride to let off some steam on an empty stretch of road? If the TS wants to challenge larger cc cars with a 1.3 mill....well then too bad lah (Actually, I believe it can still challenge a 1.5l Dugong) .

As for the bit where torsion beam not for aggresive driving, look at the Fiesta ST and Megane RS, 'nuff said. Of course, the Saga is different, but it is not half bad even with stock suspensions.

If u're an aggressive driver. Y not upgrade the shocks to adjustable ? Recommend go ask Titan and quote 1 set for you. Plus their shocks are serviceable, means you can repair it if spoilt, no need replace entirely.link here. Your cornering will improve a lot compare to a full set of Ultra Racing bars only. Me recommend you if want put the ultra racing bar, put fender bar as well, it does make a difference.

If you want more acceleration, I rather go for lightened crank pulley and change higher degree camshaft ( you can get it from works engineering ).

I used to have K&N drop in air filter but I don't feel much different at all. I went open-pod and never look back since.

If you're running at 1.3L engine, your exhaust piping make sure no bigger than 1.6 inches diameter. If not your acceleration and fuel consumption gonna suck very badly because of reduced scavenging effect ( go google). And y still wanna keep that catalytic converter, Malaysia law does not restrict people from removing it ? I feel the car has more power after removing it although you'll get the heavy petrol smell once u remove it. Besides a clogged catalytic converter will give you CEL light when the engine is running.

My 2cents.

This post has been edited by k!nex: Apr 9 2013, 10:35 PM

I didn't notice any difference from catalytic converter no no catalytic converter, only reason it is gone was the insane price of that thing (and me not knowing where to find cheaper parts back then...). Next time I need spare parts I'll check if I can find a new one for a good price... (back then I was quoted RM 7000 for the catalytic converter...).

It could screw up with the electronics AFAIK (there are a bunch of sensors), it doesn't improve performance, it poisons the environment and kills you and others (those exhaust fumes are bad!). Also, Malaysia may introduce a law. After all, they already support hybrid cars, why not introduce something to check the exhausts? Stay in a country that does have strict emission laws, the difference is huge. A much nicer place to be, to breathe in.

Bolt on a turbo, mess with the ECU, fine. But just leave the catalytic converter alone. The one standing behind you in a traffic jam will thank you for that.

seb moneh bai a VIOS la GaGa mod here mod there in the end still GaGa Or if yiu got no chois, ma get a TRD spoiler lor, atleast got the look of VIOS. Other than that, horse power instant +500bhp

Vios!

Even the reviewers for the Megane said that a torsion bar is still nowhere comparable to a multilink system.

See the comparison between a ek9 and an ep3. Nuff said.
I drove cars with torsion bars before and i have to be really careful around familiar corners ie. Taking it slow.

I never said torsion beam is comparable to multilink.

You said torsion beam is not for aggressive driving, I am just pointing out it can be, if set up nicely. But a properly setup multilink will of course be superior.

I've also driven rear multilink cars with rubbish handling, so there.

Currently I had 2 cars, one is Sentra n16 using multi-link really felt the car not so stable as torsion beam on my sylphy now. Even my ex Livina also using torsion beam can feel the car handering much better on cornering.

Do you know why?
Torsion beam meant like added racing bar to tie together on both side.

true. but for 10k..i might go straight for bolt on turbo. even at low boost i bet it can easily reach 130hp.

Well the argument is purely academic. If I have 10k to spend on performance, BOT will be a natural choice. Except before BOT you need to fork out for better brakes and suspensions lest you boost into longkang

hehe from what i read..local media praised megane torsion beam as superior(ask paultan or hezeri from topgear). it's very hard to compare with other..unless they produced 2 types of megane one with tb, another one wth ML suspension. in fact even civic ep3 or fn series torsion beam is ot that bad.
kia optima/hyundai sonata use multilink..but never heard any good praise for their handling?
it's all about tuning.

bot into longkang. heheheh.

that's why i said change to manual gearbox, with that CVT, ferrari also become kancil

and i stand by my point, WASTE MONEY doing all other upgrades because they won't make any difference at all because a) it's a bloody 1.3 and b) it's got a CVT gearbox

actually sentra n16 not really multilink..on paper yes. but actually i dunno what to call it. suspension setup mostly based on tuning. torsion bar on tb suspesion already works like anti roll bar..but adding extra arb will give more torsion rigidity. cars like vios got built in arb inside the beam. to enhance its rigidity.
usually manufacturer will built one tb system to suit several car..from there they can decide the size of arb to 'enhance' the rigidity in order to suit several type vehicle.

Why does it still handle like a boat

I'm gonna say I disagree, but I know you're gonna disagree with me again anyway. So I'll just leave it at that

This post has been edited by dares: Apr 10 2013, 01:20 AM

no point argue la...
most bagus way, save money and get better car....
but i still lose to vios..
damm

all 8 options seems good, and yes do keep the stock cat-con on so you don't compromise the environment unnecessarily

if i may recommend:
- get good brake pads such as EBC ultimax/greenstuff (if more braking power is desired along with low brake dust/noise) brake pads
- get good engine oil (eg: torco, liqui moly, motul)
- get good CVT fluid (eg: lubegard/torco/motul)
- get good performance oriented tires (NVH will be a concern though, consider 2 sets of tires if you want both)
- get good lightweight rims, japan oem'd tech such as advanti, lenso would be good, if budget permits can go higher such as original japanese rims
- get good suspensions, adjustable if budget permits (at least 2-3k or more for the good ones) or get good progressive based sport springs such as eibach or H&R along with good absorbers (consider sport/performance based gas types as you're going for lowered springs (good ones only lower a bit so not much to worry) and it'll stress the absorber more than stock springs
- stick with 4-2-1 + s flow, and try to go for proven reputable brand while at the same time leaving the stock cat-con

The reason why the megane and other sports car using torsion beam has good handling is the chassis itself. See how rigid it is. Compared to our saga.

it's all abt tuning. the main advantage of tb is cheap, durable and use less bushing, simple, space saving. some manufacturer like proton, renault,ford put more effort and budget in tuning department. the rest like toyota, nissan..just so2 with the handling department.

yep true. but saga rigidity is good among its class. i wont compare it with more expensive sports car..but if u drive old standard wira and saga blm..u can feel saga blm is more solid and rigid.

Hmm. Opinions might differ. For me i still think a wira is much more capable in terms of comfort and handling. But again to each his own.

Wanted to recommend Titan Absorbers as well, glad to see someone beat me to it
I've been using their shocks since 2005 or thereabouts, still working fine till now, just have to service every 2 years for optimum performance.

I have UR front strut, rear strut and fender bars installed (installed one by one in that order) and I felt the fender bar makes the most difference.

Isn't the Wira lower and wider? That makes a big difference IMHO. Our Xsara has rather soft suspension, but can still go around corners nicely and is stable at higher speeds. At least the cornering is probably because the center of gravity is low. A Saga is rather high and narrow...

The Saga FLX have stiffer suspensions, which also makes a difference. I remember dropping off my old Waja (trade in) and picking up my new FLX SE, the first thing I notice is that the Saga has less bodyroll than the Waja, which was mind-boggling for me at that time But you are right, it is the tallest sedan I have ever driven. The trade-off was that the ride was quite harsh, partly due to the pieces-of-crap low profile Silverstones. It improved dramatically after I changed to a higher-profile tire.

This post has been edited by dares: Apr 10 2013, 06:39 PM

Yup. But the Wira/Waja can be set up more comfortable while having the same cornering abilities (though with more body roll).

A Megane RS just sits flat on the floor, with a wide track. That must help.

Talking about Wira/Waja/Saga then suddenly Megane RS is brought up I'm experiencing whiplash

This post has been edited by dares: Apr 11 2013, 01:25 AM

change your extractor and add middle box.

change air filter to KN.

then use lightened crank pulley.

then you will get fast throttle respond and improved acceleration.

just leave it as stock =)
u can minor modify it, like drop in filtr, irrium spark plugs,
Front n rear UR bar, 15inch sport rims (change only when ur 14inch tayar botak),
always stick to fully syntactic engine oil. it wont cost you more than 3k.
the remaining 5k? spend it for food, shopping and entertainment =)
im driving a 1.3 flx too and im enjoying it at it's cost^^

monthly installment is very comfortable too as i got lots of spare money to go genting, go telok gong eat seafood, go melaka, penang, johor during my weekend.

not everybody can afford the crazy prices of better cars. how much is the excise duty? how much is the ap? you rich, good for you but TS did mention his salary cant pay for it.

even janji dicapati already, somebody promised that he will copycat PR manifesto but now flip flop on the janji and car prices will not reduce anytime soon.

I Owe Proton Preve CFE and FLX CVT, I don't think can add-on more speed on stock engine bro. My friend clock 190+ km/h with 1.3 FLX stock engine without any tuning. After he change this and that the whole car performance drop and FC keep on increasing

Now he still wanna go for ECU tuning for RM80... Haiz By the way, I still happy driving with original setting and only returning for ECU and TCU re-flashing once in a while at SC

--edit. wrong thread --

This post has been edited by e-jump: Oct 30 2013, 01:53 PM

Which part should upgrade first? The strut or the tyres?
Damn 190. I reach 180 only.