Introductions and a Request

[Dr Phil]

Hi All!

It feels a little late to be joining in on the K11 fun. But, I bought a 95 Micra K11 for £150 4 years ago and fell in love. What started as just trying to keep her going as long as possible (bloody rust) has turned into a full-on obsessive hobby. She now has 115,000 miles and is driving better than ever after some tlc.

She has also been a fantastic little car for leaning the basics of car maintenance on.

So far:
- Welded up the sills and other rust-spots.
- 'Patched' patched up a worryingly big hole in the fuel delivery line
- Basic servicey bits (oil, fuel, air filters, spark plugs, new tyres, brakes etc.)
- Replaced all shocks.
- Added a Primera airbox and better air-intake.
- Added rear speakers to the parcel shelf (cut holes, added wires etc.)

Next steps are to:
- Replace the exhaust system and remove 2nd cat. (It is okay for now, but is likely the next thing to go, so will just replace stock with stock).
- Replace the exhaust manifold for easy performance boost.
- Get her lowered 30 - 40mm, and add some support struts. A car this small shouldn't roll so much through corners.
- ECU daughterboard and remapping.

Also debating / researching whether it is actually worth swapping out the intake manfiold, injectors, and throttle body for the ga16. Seems to be a lot of debate over this with no consensus. Especially if its worth doing without a programmable ECU / remap anyway.

What I am after now is a Frankspeed manifold which actually seem to be rarer than its Japseed counterpart Does anyone have one of these / is still making these?

Cheers!

 

[.Maarten]

Ga16 intake manifold doesnt fit. Also Gizfab makes exhaust manifolds for the K11. Prolly alot easier to find.

 

[Dr Phil]

Ga16 intake manifold doesnt fit. Also Gizfab makes exhaust manifolds for the K11. Prolly alot easier to find.

Good to know about the intake. Are there any straight swaps, or near enough?

Gizfab is definitely on the cards for the future. Just need to wait until I can justify paying three times the price of my car for one part

 

[.Maarten]

No there are no easy intake swaps as far as i know. Matt Humphris had some intake's for the competition Micra's. He might still have some laying around.

 

[LiamC]

Good to know about the intake. Are there any straight swaps, or near enough?

Gizfab is definitely on the cards for the future. Just need to wait until I can justify paying three times the price of my car for one part

I think most of us never anticipated how much of an obsession we would end up with with micras so we're all on the same level here. No intakes fit straight up, Toyota 4efe ones fit (there's a few different types from different years and models) and gizfab is definitely your best bet for high quality stuff but be prepared to pay and wait for it to be custom made

Edit: didn't mean that Toyota manifolds fit as in bolt on, I meant they fit as in the ports line up and need to have the micra flange welded on or some other method like that (apologies for completly forgetting that which was the main part of the process)

 

[MattInARedMicra]

k11 micra's rolling through the corners is so that you take them slower and save a few quid on tyres, it's a design feature

 

[Dr Phil]

I think most of us never anticipated how much of an obsession we would end up with with micras so we're all on the same level here. No intakes fit straight up, Toyota 4efe ones fit (there's a few different types from different years and models) and gizfab is definitely your best bet for high quality stuff but be prepared to pay and wait for it to be custom made

Thanks for the tip! Will size up / measure up sticking on an 4efe inlet.

GizFab is definitely an inevitability. For the time being, don't want to have to worry about emissions / MOTs so want to keep the main cat in place.

 

[fuzzy-hair-man]

Thanks for the tip! Will size up / measure up sticking on an 4efe inlet.

The 4efte, 5efhe, and some other corolla manifolds are able to be cut and welded on but are by no means bolt on. There are manifolds for putting on bike carbs or motorbike ITBs. Bike carbs will probably mean it won't pass emissions and ITBs would need an ECU upgrade.

 

[Dr Phil]

The 4efte, 5efhe, and some other corolla manifolds are able to be cut and welded on but are by no means bolt on. There are manifolds for putting on bike carbs or motorbike ITBs. Bike carbs will probably mean it won't pass emissions and ITBs would need an ECU upgrade.

Ahh, cheers for the info. It seems there is no 'easy' inlet manifold upgrade, shame seeing as this is one of the performance bottle necks afaik.

Will add this to my build list after an ECU upgrade / professional remap.

 

[fuzzy-hair-man]

Yeah nothing cheap or easy...
The easiest and cheapest I would think would be a welded steel manifold frank did way back from a different corolla manifold.
I've tried the 5efhe it was close to being able to cut and shut for my mini engine but we ended up going with a custom inlet manifold. Steel is easier than aluminium to manipulate and weld, there are runners meant for ITBs available.

 

[Dr Phil]

Yeah nothing cheap or easy...
The easiest and cheapest I would think would be a welded steel manifold frank did way back from a different corolla manifold.
I've tried the 5efhe it was close to being able to cut and shut for my mini engine but we ended up going with a custom inlet manifold. Steel is easier than aluminium to manipulate and weld, there are runners meant for ITBs available.

Cheers Fuzzy. Given the choice, would you prioritise a custom inlet or a exhaust manifold?

I imagine both are of roughly equivalent cost but having to build her up piecemeal.

 

[fuzzy-hair-man]

Exhaust generally will be cheaper, I'd also prioritise the exhaust. Two reasons it seems the well worn route to modest gains and is proven and the CG exhaust is even more restrictive than the inlet.
This link has Frank's Frankenstein steel inlet manifold (scroll down).
http://www.micra.com.au/community/message.php?messageid=69926

 

[Dr Phil]

Exhaust generally will be cheaper, I'd also prioritise the exhaust. Two reasons it seems the well worn route to modest gains and is proven and the CG exhaust is even more restrictive than the inlet.
This link has Frank's Frankenstein steel inlet manifold (scroll down).
http://www.micra.com.au/community/message.php?messageid=69926

Cool. Thats what Im after, if only to keep the primary cat on - it will have to wait until I can learn to weld. And had a few practice goes with some fromthe scrappy.

Till I learn im relying on gaffa tape, cable ties and steel reinforced expoy resin for anything that isnt plug in and play.