[Redtoys]

Hello Spider board,


New member here, just brought home my new Red Abarth last night, 6 speed manual, luxury package and Brembo's. Wasn't looking for the better brakes but finding a Red luxury equipped Abarth was enough to get me to spend a bit more. Other than a 2 hour drive home down the 101 from Santa Maria at sunset with waves crashing right off the highway, haven't had more time to drive.Needless to say thrilled with the purchase so far and look forward to being a part of the forum. Same name on miata.net but looks like this is the place to be now with the Abarth.


Mark

 

[ItsyBitsy]

Congrats on the new abarth and welcome to the forum! Any plans for your new spider? Wrap, road trip, etc?

 

[Redtoys]

I love to tinker so will be keeping an eye on what mod's people are doing. Doubt I'll change the look, very happy with the red and red brakes. Probably look at the Goodwin blow off valve once I get some more miles on the car and sure I'll find lots of things to spend $'s on

 

[Greg]

Hey, I'm from Newbury Park.

Greg

 

[Redtoys]

Hey, I'm from Newbury Park.

Greg

Are you still out in Newbury Park? I see eurocompulsion in your signature, so thinking if you're local to me I might have a spending problem to deal with. If you have a shop out my way would love to come by and say hello.


mg

 

[Greg]

Are you still out in Newbury Park? I see eurocompulsion in your signature, so thinking if you're local to me I might have a spending problem to deal with. If you have a shop out my way would love to come by and say hello.


mg

No, I'm in Tulsa now. I go back every now and then. I like to get my hair cut at Dick's Cut and Style, and get Pizza at the little place in the corner of that same strip mall.

Greg

 

[Redtoys]

No, I'm in Tulsa now. I go back every now and then. I like to get my hair cut at Dick's Cut and Style, and get Pizza at the little place in the corner of that same strip mall.

Greg

must be nice there, most people find it hard to leave our sleepy little area. So is there someone local to me to buy your little bits of performance? thinking the gfb dv+ is the first reason to pop the hood.


Thanks,


Mark

 

[Greg]

must be nice there, most people find it hard to leave our sleepy little area. So is there someone local to me to buy your little bits of performance? thinking the gfb dv+ is the first reason to pop the hood.

Thanks,

Mark

Sleepy area? I moved there in 1969 when I was really young. I went to Maple, Sequoia, and the H.S. It's changed a lot.

Greg

 

[JFernald]

must be nice there, most people find it hard to leave our sleepy little area. So is there someone local to me to buy your little bits of performance? thinking the gfb dv+ is the first reason to pop the hood.


Thanks,


Mark

Hey Mark,

I ordered by GFB DV+ online and got it in the mail within a couple of days. It is a really easy installation. You can't do it wrong, just don't drop any parts when you are taking the original off. You won't need them, but they may reside in your engine compartment for the rest of time.

Also, check your tire pressure. It is supposed to be 29 pounds, but a lot of dealers have been delivering the cars with 50+.

In addition to the GFB DV+, I have installed the Euro+Drive Lite and the V1 air induction from EuroCompulsion. It not only scoots, I swear the exhaust is loader with the EDL.

 

[Redtoys]

Hey Mark,

I ordered by GFB DV+ online and got it in the mail within a couple of days. It is a really easy installation. You can't do it wrong, just don't drop any parts when you are taking the original off. You won't need them, but they may reside in your engine compartment for the rest of time.

Also, check your tire pressure. It is supposed to be 29 pounds, but a lot of dealers have been delivering the cars with 50+.

In addition to the GFB DV+, I have installed the Euro+Drive Lite and the V1 air induction from EuroCompulsion. It not only scoots, I swear the exhaust is loader with the EDL.

Hello Jfernald,


sounds like you're wasting no time doing excellent stuff. Did you do the dv+ same time as the EDL? Just curious if you could tell any difference with each separate bit. I'm fairly mechanical so looking forward to that little project. Did you get from EC or Goodwin? Look forward to hearing more about your mods and how she runs. I'm still under 200 miles total so not getting on it too hard.

 

[JFernald]

Hello Jfernald,


sounds like you're wasting no time doing excellent stuff. Did you do the dv+ same time as the EDL? Just curious if you could tell any difference with each separate bit. I'm fairly mechanical so looking forward to that little project. Did you get from EC or Goodwin? Look forward to hearing more about your mods and how she runs. I'm still under 200 miles total so not getting on it too hard.

No, I did them each separately. First, I installed a K&N air filter, with no noticeable difference. Then I installed the V1 intake from EuroCompulsion, with no noticeable difference. Then I installed the GFB DV+. I noticed a smoother and earlier boost. Then I installed the Euro+Drive Lite yesterday. Last night, on a short drive, maybe 10 mile drive, I noticed and increase in power. I tried to get some 0-60 readings with my grandson on board, but we could not find a safe place to really test it. What we did get were some slight improvements over some times I had taken last week. Today, I took a drive to get some lunch and get the car washed. By the time I got back to the house, the power had increased dramatically. Greg said it takes about 50 miles for the car's EDU to adapt to the EDL. So, I expect more boost tomorrow If I get much more power, I will be in the market for rear tires soon. When I get back home, I will get some comparable 0-60 times and let you know how that turns out.

One future project is to free up the exhaust a bit. I'm not ready to plunk down the big bucks that Good-Win Racing wants for their full system just yet. Maybe next year.

 

[Redtoys]

No, I did them each separately. First, I installed a K&N air filter, with no noticeable difference. Then I installed the V1 intake from EuroCompulsion, with no noticeable difference. Then I installed the GFB DV+. I noticed a smoother and earlier boost. Then I installed the Euro+Drive Lite yesterday. Last night, on a short drive, maybe 10 mile drive, I noticed and increase in power. I tried to get some 0-60 readings with my grandson on board, but we could not find a safe place to really test it. What we did get were some slight improvements over some times I had taken last week. Today, I took a drive to get some lunch and get the car washed. By the time I got back to the house, the power had increased dramatically. Greg said it takes about 50 miles for the car's EDU to adapt to the EDL. So, I expect more boost tomorrow If I get much more power, I will be in the market for rear tires soon. When I get back home, I will get some comparable 0-60 times and let you know how that turns out.

One future project is to free up the exhaust a bit. I'm not ready to plunk down the big bucks that Good-Win Racing wants for their full system just yet. Maybe next year.

wonderful write-up and great information. Driving home tonight did notice some surge and "lumps" when accelerating that I've not experienced in a turbo before. Sounds quite like what has been described as symptoms of needing the dv+.

Thanks for the excellent work.

Mark

 

[ameridan]

Redtoys, I see you used to have a S2000. I sat in one a few years ago and thought it felt too closed in with large blind spots, like the Soltstice. I don't feel that way at all in the 124. What are your thoughts and comparison to the Abarth?

 

[Greg]

The upgraded Diverter valves from GFB or Forge are good products. I have a write up on them somewhere on this forum, but the short version is they don't really increase power, at least not peak power, but they improve the way it's delivered. Both are good products. We have been selling them and using them for years with no issues.

The K&N filter does not add any power. We tested this to death on a flow bench and on the car. It does not outflow the stock filter. This is NOT normal for K&N filters, but I feel that K&N dropped the ball here. A visual examination of the two filters side by side will reveal the issue. While the K&N filter has more free flowing and superior materiel, it has a lot less of it. The pleats on the stock filter are almost twice as deep, giving almost double the filter area vs. the K&N unit. The more free flowing filter materiel used in the K&N just can't make up for the large reduction in area.

Our V1 intake is a good product, and it adds 5+ horsepower, but that's not really enough to feel. It is enough to measure, plus it looks good and will last forever.

Greg

 

[Redtoys]

Redtoys, I see you used to have a S2000. I sat in one a few years ago and thought it felt too closed in with large blind spots, like the Soltstice. I don't feel that way at all in the 124. What are your thoughts and comparison to the Abarth?

You impression is exactly how I felt. Like sitting in a bathtub. I'm vertically challenged and never felt terribly comfortable in the car other than on the track. Claustrophobic feeling with top up, better when down. But even resting my arm on the door stretched my shoulder quite a bit. Don't get me wrong, it was a fun car, but probably owned that one for less time than any others and didn't particularly miss it.

 

[Redtoys]

first bath for the new baby