Otrcai

[Pulse Red]

I am on the list on ls1.com.au for a CMS OTRCAI through Sonny but with what is happening I am thinking of looking into alternatives. It looks like it could be a long drawn out fight and I am becoming impatient. The things I liked about the CMS job was no rubbing on the bonnet, factory style looks, no cutting/ bending to fit and of course the promised performance/ drivability improvement.

I intend on running this OTRCAI 100% of the time. So what other OTRCAI compares? I dont think the PT versions or its copies meet this criteria, what about the G&D/ Higgins OTRCAI? Any other ones that people would recommend? I dont know of many others so I am open to suggestions.

Thanks

[Delft Maloo]

i dont really think any of the others have a factory appearence. if you rule that out of the question then all of the other types arnt to bad for everything else. iv got one of the current orrsom units that suit vt-vx and am quite happy with it, it meets all of your critearia, but if you have a vy or later it wont suit. i put a pt copy unit on my mates ute over easter and quite honestly imo it was know where as good as setup as my orrsom unit.
just my opinion so knowbody please take offence.
if factory looks are important id suggest you hang out for one of sonnys.

[Sonny@AutoWerks]

I am on the list on ls1.com.au for a CMS OTRCAI through Sonny but with what is happening I am thinking of looking into alternatives. It looks like it could be a long drawn out fight and I am becoming impatient. The things I liked about the CMS job was no rubbing on the bonnet, factory style looks, no cutting/ bending to fit and of course the promised performance/ drivability improvement.

I intend on running this OTRCAI 100% of the time. So what other OTRCAI compares? I dont think the PT versions or its copies meet this criteria, what about the G&D/ Higgins OTRCAI? Any other ones that people would recommend? I dont know of many others so I am open to suggestions.

Thanks

Daniel,

If ur not worried about looks i have another otr for ur model :) give me a bell

regards sonny

[35R]

Daniel go for the PT fibreglass copy off ebay they are pretty good; you can make it look factory if you are concerned about the looks

[Pulse Red]

Thanks for the replies guys, I am pretty keen to retain the factory style appearence but I think it will be a while before everything is sorted for the release of the CMS job. I could be wrong though.

i put a pt copy unit on my mates ute over easter and quite honestly imo it was know where as good as setup as my orrsom unit.


Thanks for your honesty. Can I ask what made the PT not as good as the CMS job?

Daniel go for the PT fibreglass copy off ebay they are pretty good; you can make it look factory if you are concerned about the looks

Have they solved the bonnet rubbing issues with these?

[Delft Maloo]

the copy units ive seen arnt of the best quaility and the way it sits doesnt really aid in any airflow from the nostrills of the bumper to enter the tb. the copy otr i put on just about blocked all passage from below and really only got the air that squeezed under the bonnet lip.
i cant state that one is supieor to the other cause i havent run both on my vehicle and from what alot of others have said they do work well.
what also might be important here with the pt copy ones is if all the units come from the same place or not. there could be dozens of people producing these copies all having vastly different quaility level results for fitment and finish.
cheers tim

[RedVYIISS]

Duncan's 'copy' looks great under the bonnet, but he's gone to quite a bit of effort to make it look that way.

[35R]

The PT copy i have is superior to the original in my books (maybe there are different versions of the copy?) The only mod i have done to make it fit is to cut a bit of the thermo fan plastic, to make it sit right. Personally i think it's great. It does rub a bit, however i dont care. If your PT copy iscompletely blocking the passage of air from below, you may need to cut the neck down.

[firebug]

This is a 'copy'. It would be correct to say they vary in quality, I think I was lucky with this one however. If you take your time fitting it you'll have no issues. This one does rub the bonnet a little though...

I should dig up my old install and post it as a 'How to'.

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m231/Firebug_01/DSCF1218.jpg

[35R]

Nice install, that looks pretty good.

[bluess57]

Daniel go for the PT fibreglass copy off ebay they are pretty good; you can make it look factory if you are concerned about the looks

Call LS1Proformance - Geoff 0409322141 (ntae on forums)
He was selling PT style OTRCAI and NOT Fibreglass for $400.

[Pulse Red]

Thanks for the tips guys, I am looking into these alternatives. I am also considering not using an OTRCAI 100% of the time and using a modified stock air box or sealed pod for day to day and Filterless OTRCAI for track duties.

[DaveHAT]

Daniel,

Just to throw my 2 cents in as well ... it wont matter what brand of OTR you buy as they nearly all rub on the bonnet to some degree.

I've tried 4 different types ... PT copy from CSV, LS1 tuning version, ORSSOM and now PT plastic and they have all rubbed on the bonnet lining. The ORSSOM unit probably rubbed the least of this batch.

I don't know about the metal OTR's such as G&D and Higgins make but I would presume they would rub as well.

:)

[Pulse Red]

Very interesting! Thanks Tiger SS. This was my biggest issue, ahead of factory appearance. If they all do it then I really am tempted to only use the OTRCAI for track use, I am a picky prick with that sort of stuff.

[lautray]

Very interesting! Thanks Tiger SS. This was my biggest issue, ahead of factory appearance. If they all do it then I really am tempted to only use the OTRCAI for track use, I am a picky prick with that sort of stuff.

Daniel if you're worried about factory appearance, don't coil-overs go against this ideal :confused: ? If you're lashing out good $$$ on an otr, waste of money if you're not going to use it every day. How often will your car see any track? Make the most of your purchase. Pro's far outweigh the cons imo :) . Performance & induction roar are verrrry addictive :D.

[Pulse Red]

Daniel if you're worried about factory appearance, don't coil-overs go against this ideal :confused: ? If you're lashing out good $$$ on an otr, waste of money if you're not going to use it every day. How often will your car see any track? Make the most of your purchase. Pro's far outweigh the cons imo :) . Performance & induction roar are verrrry addictive :D.


Cant see coilovers :) The only really obvious sign my car is not stock is the exhaust note and the brakes, both which are very common. The idea is for the car to perform substantially better then stock but not to look that way :)

My thoughts are that it wouldnt be to expensive if you dont buy the filter? Under $200? The other thought is retaining the stock air setup (modified) has the plus of no risk of ingesting anything into the engine when driven on the street.

Still keep in mind I am thinking out loud here. If there hadnt been a delay on the CMS job I would have one of those on the car already. The filter was always a concern to me though.

[lautray]

Off topic, how are the coilovers? What brand?

[Pulse Red]

Off topic, how are the coilovers? What brand?

Tein Coilovers. I love these things. The adjustability has me really impressed (the only reason I moved from Bilsteins) and I am able to set the car up how I like. Height and valving. With the valving turned right up the car felt like it was on rails through McCarrs Creek road. Even turned right down it still handles really well. No traditional coilover clang even when going through big bumps. No unwanted noises at all so far. I do normal driving with setting 6 on the rear and 14 on the front (16 settings from 1 soft to 16 firm) and it is quite comfortable. With them turned right up to 16 all round it is firm but not that bad actually and does it handle! :yep:

The only thing I will say is they can still be a bit bouncy in the rear but that may go away as they still have not hit 1000kms. Might lower the valving further as something to try to. These are a great street setup but I have no idea about the track. Still I would recommend Bilsteins/ eibachs in a heartbeat as well. They are both amazing setups. Currently though the Teins win for me and only cost around $500 more fitted. I was very unsure about moving from the proven Bilstein setup to the unknown Teins but I dont regret it yet. I dont even think the camber is setup with anything but tyre preservation in mind. A bit more camber would be even better i think. Outdoes my ability by a mile as it is anyway.

While OT I might add so far that the 4 piston 343 front & rear Harrops on my car are fantastic, I cant believe how well these stop, compared to the modified stock setups I have had previously these are in another league all together. I know a few other people who havent found this but I can only add what I have found. They really suit my driving style. These are much better then the 4 piston 343/315 Harrop setup I tried imo. Dont know why. Only issue is where the rotors were machined I think one rotor still has a heat spot but a few hard hits should fix that. I think they all need more of a workout as they are a bit noisy.

So I am happy with the setup of my car, just need more grunt now. Better (stickier) tyres might be good to.

Sorry for long reply.

[lautray]

Long replies are good :).

So the Tein's give height adjustability too? Can raise/lower, & by how much from one extreme to the other? I think coil-overs will be on my shopping list also, albeit a fair way down. Stock FE2 after ~165,000km is not good for circuit :headbang: . If coil-overs are not much more than replacement springs/shocks, will go that way. I assume the fronts cater for more camber without the tyre rubbing? Would be a great advantage winding camber on at the track vs stock. Is adjustability implemented with wheel on or off?

[Pulse Red]

No idea how much it can be raised/ lowered as I had them setup at a certain height to clear the driveway as the Eibach/ Bilstein setup I had scraped. Just told them where i wanted it and they set it. It will be adjusted lower when I get my new place and keep the car there. However they come with these little hook tools that allow you to adjust the height supposedly wheels on but the fitters did it wheels off and I suggest this would be a hell of alot easier.

The fitters claim that 3.5 degrees of camber is available for the front with these coilovers. They are not cheap but either are Bilsteins/ eibachs. This stuff is all at the pointy end of the field unless you look at something like Drumond which is big $$$. KW are supposed to be right up there in affordable shocks and the stage 3 is real coilovers for not only the front but the rear to:

http://www.inmotive.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=1

More then I wanted to spend though. I think i paid to much for the Teins, others seem to have done it cheaper. However I am happy with them. Tein valving adjustment is to easy, just a little knob on top of each shock, left click is softer, right click is firmer. Still having played with the valving I have to respect Sydney shocks for the way they valved the Bilsteins and matched the Eibach springs. I dont think you could do better in a non adjustable shock. Still I like the option of adjustment. I have some experience with cheaper setups if you choose to go that way and would like my opinion but others can help you to I am sure. My advice would be more street based then others.

[Pulse Red]

I should also add that Sydney shocks also have a Bilstein coilover shock option using Eibach springs. Front only and a bit pricey at just under $2k supply last time I checked. So add rear Bilsteins and eibach springs and fitting and you would be looking at well over $3k I think. However the bigger issue is they offer no adjustability other then slight height adjustment on the front. They offer a full adjustable set that are very impressive but I think they were over $5k fitted. Its a matter of how far you want to go I guess.

[VYss Kiwi]

Firebug did you find the neck to be way to loose.I sent mine back,came off when doing big revs,In my book you get what you pay,and things should fit properly.You also have to inspect the inside of these as there will most likey be some fiberglass fibers floating around loosly,not good for the valves.Anyway that was my expereance.Pulse Red,I would wait for the sonny is getting mate.:beer: :waving:

[firebug]

Firebug did you find the neck to be way to loose.I sent mine back,came off when doing big revs,In my book you get what you pay,and things should fit properly.You also have to inspect the inside of these as there will most likey be some fiberglass fibers floating around loosly,not good for the valves.Anyway that was my expereance.Pulse Red,I would wait for the sonny is getting mate.:beer: :waving:

I was able to tighten the neck as much or as little as I liked. In fact I greased it and loosened it off to allow some engine movement. As was said, there are many copies around and the one I recieved seems to be pretty good. Luck of the draw I guess... :yep:

Depending on your budget and patients, it pays to have a good look around before parting with your hard earned when buying an OTR, there are so many designs around... You can guarantee quality from anything that comes out of the Marranos workshop... :)