Modifying Ideas Please

[DOS-FTO]

Hi Lads Ive decided im gonna do a few things to my car and would like your ideas and help on doing them.

First Of all i have a decat which ill be putting back on the car ( Took off for nct )

Im going to get a hid set. Was wondering if any of ye could tell me what size i bulbs and stuff i need.H4, H7? etc.
Im wanting to get them for dims, spots (maybe) and heads if possible.

Next im thinking of an induction kit. Any in particular id need to get or would most induction kits fit these.

Any other ideas would be welcomed and hopefully can get the funds together to pursue them.

Thanks in advance

[goz_83]

Are you keeping the FTO?

Anyway, there is a bulb list here => http://www.fto-ireland.com/forum/viewto ... =11&t=7796

I recommend only getting the dip/main beams converted to HID. Anything else is just expensive and imho, pointless, as the dip beams is really all you will be using. The bulbs are HB4 and kits can be got on ebay. I got mine from ftooc, but they suck with delivery times.

The parking lights (501 5W) can be changed to white LED bulbs for really cheap, which means you won't need HID and they still match up (as long as you don't get a very high calvin HID bulb. 8000k is perfect.) Leave the high beams, because upgrading these to HID is not a good idea. They will be rarely used and when they are, you will be switching them on/off constantly, which can cause them to die prematurely. Fogs....well again, not used much, but it's up to you. They would be the only other HID upgrade I would consider, but coming from someone who is loose with money, they are just not worth it.

Induction kit is a nice upgrade. Not all kits will fit all cars. You can get a mushroom, or a cone cheap enough from Ebay, but I went for a massive steel mesh cone. You might consider getting a shield and feeding some pipe through for cold air induction. I have yet to do this myself. Then there is the piping running from the cone/mushroom to the plenum. You might change this too. I know I plan to. Red works great with silver, but then most colours do too. Again...ebay.

Cosmetic mods can be as cheap as some tax discs in the window, to a full leather/leatherette retrim of the seats. Just go to ebay and type in fto and see what you find. Hope that helps.

[DOS-FTO]

Thanks alot for that man was looking for the hid bulb size and couldnt find them anywhere. yeah after listening to that its true what you said about the full beams, no point having them when ya put it like that.

Hopefully do a few things to it now getting it looking well.

Would you leave the original alloys on it or what sort alloys do you think might suit?

Appreciate Your time thanks

[goz_83]

Alloys are a matter of taste and as long as you stick to 16, or 17 rim, with suitable tyres, you should be doing ok. Any bigger and you "need" low profiles, if you lower the fto, which make for a hard ride. Lowering is very much a recommendation and is a relatively cheap mod when you consider how much better it looks. You should get them ordered and fit for under €200 if you goth with the choice brand Apex. Back to alloys; I personally don't like the originals, but I do think a thick 5 spoke rim works best and you should go to a 17 size. If you like the originals, don't bother changing, but if changing, consider looking at www.wheelbase.ie and getting a nice set, with tyres for little money. I ordered rims and tyres for my 318 a few years ago from them and it was a pleasure dealing with them. Cost me €800 for a savage set of rims with tyres, which would have cost nearly €700 alone. If you're keeping the car, get this work done. If not, just sell as is, because your mods might not suit the potential buyer.

[StewyD32]

If your getting an induction kit I'd go ITG hands down,
They look great in the engine bay,
Give a deeper noise and
Posess the best increase on bhp unlike all the other that's claim an extra 5bhp.

[Bernard]

I've done most of the mods the lads above have mentioned, and I'd have no bother recommending the same.
When I bought the car it had evo 8 Enkeis on, I've since bought another set for spare. They're a lovely alloy and are dirt cheap, I got a full set delivered for €200.

Here are a couple of vids that might help with...


HIDs/SMDs/LEDs From Youtube.com


Apexi/ ITG comparison From Youtube.com

[d_dan]

Anything else is just expensive and imho, pointless, as the dip beams is really all you will be using

Yea but Full beam HID's with the dipped projector HID's on the FTO look epic when lit up. In fairness probably better application for space exploration giving the amount of light these guys give out

[goz_83]

Anything else is just expensive and imho, pointless, as the dip beams is really all you will be using

Yea but Full beam HID's with the dipped projector HID's on the FTO look epic when lit up. In fairness probably better application for space exploration giving the amount of light these guys give out

But the problem is not just blowing bulbs early on high beam application. The hid will not switch on instantly and takes a couple of seconds to get to full brightness. That's fine for occasional show use, but not for driving down dark country roads when you have to turn them off and on so frequently. I'm all for matching light colour and strength, but I think it's safer to avoid hid on full beams. Looks sweet though

[White_Beast]

Eterior: Bodykit / alloys. Many kits available. Personally i'm a fan of the Bozz speed front and D`catrio skirts and rear apron. Wheels it all depends on the colour of your car and personal taste.

Engine bay. Get some Samco silicone hosing (different colours depending on colour od your FTO). Slam panel (again, many different types and colours). "shiny" water / oil cap. Strut brace (Cusco is my favorite). Machine polish manifold cover. Spray / carbon fibre replica rocker cover. Relocate battery to boot and install oil catch can (Cusco again is good make for this) in it's place.

Interior: White dials (cyber stalk). Spray centre console (thing with clock and voltage metre) same colour as car. Car mats.

[goz_83]

If spraying the centre console, I recommend it be done professioanally, using rubberised paint. I did my old GR myself and did a good job, but it's too easy to damage, even with plenty of the clear stuff.

[White_Beast]

If spraying the centre console, I recommend it be done professioanally, using rubberised paint. I did my old GR myself and did a good job, but it's too easy to damage, even with plenty of the clear stuff.

ditto to that. I had mine sprayed professionally while i was getting my boot lid de-locked and de-spoilered. Not sure if it was rubberised paint, but some sort of "felexible" paint was used. However, i've had to remove the console 3 times since to fit white dials, then blue bulbs then again recently as one of the bulbs blew. There are tiny stress fractures in the paint now in certain areas. Not really noticable but annoying non the less. Trouble is it needs a good hold and wiggle to get console out, yet that's not good for the paint job

[DOS-FTO]

Thanks for all the ideas lads! Could one of ye sent me a post for an induction kit for my car please from ebay. Having trouble finding one and afraid ill buy one that wont fit. Thanks

[Bernard]

If you still have the original airbox and piping you might be better off just changing to a performance panel filter.
If it's already gone then go the other route and add cold air induction.
Either way I'd recommend ITG, both options are available from Camskill here (assuming it's a GPX you have)

[colm_mcm]

Lighting; LEDs for parking lights and number plates.
KMC dials, stainless dial surround and dial rings.
Lower it
Blue flame quads


Basically my old car

[goz_83]

Thanks for all the ideas lads! Could one of ye sent me a post for an induction kit for my car please from ebay. Having trouble finding one and afraid ill buy one that wont fit. Thanks

I got my induction kit from ebay, but don't be fooled by the photos.You could end up with less than expected and the disclaier is that the kit for your car may be different. I have attached a link below of the kit I got. You get the cone filter, which I think looks great. You get the adaptor to fot your pipe and you get a black, neoprene cold air pipe that you can stuff into the existing feed under the original filter box (obviously after you remove the original box). You don't get the mini filter in the photo. You won't need one unless you change the existing feed from the filter to the plenum, but you can get these on ebay for around a tenner delivered. It's a mod I will be getting done.

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/QUIKSHIFT-Induct ... 51a1db7afd

A pic installed

[technikhaus]

If you want some inspiration, try this gallery. It has photos from inside and outside lots of nice FTOs

http://s485.photobucket.com/albums/rr22 ... 20Gallery/

[asti rs]

^^^ that web page made me sick a little .


just get a nice set of wheels lower it and leave the outside alone kits are rank on an fto

[technikhaus]

I should have mentioned, a lot of bad FTOs too

[colm_mcm]

Most of them are manky. Like this one though

[Kace]

That's got to be the most amazing set of FTO pictures I have ever seen. Some of the most unbelievable mods possible on there - the good, the bad and the ugly.

Points of note for me included some random crappy FTO images from Donedeal on there and also an FTO with a roof rack carrying a racing bike - first time I have ever seen a roof rack other than the one I own. Oh well - I guess I don't have the only one in the world after all