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The £80 Micra
- Thread starter Ihtisham Rauf
- Start date
OP
OP
Time for an update!
1. Rocker Cover + Compression Test - The spark plug seal on cylinder 3 was torn and letting oil into the spark plug well so I got a rocker cover off eBay and replaced my faulty one. I changed the colour up so that the new rocker cover is electric blue rather than the old cadbury purple. While I did this, I also did a compression test on the engine. The readings were pretty much the same as they were around 2000 miles ago - an average of around 190psi across all 4 cylinders. (191, 191, 187, 197)
2. ITB Trumpets - New longer 90mm DanST Engineering trumpets are on as opposed to my existing 55mm standard GSXR600 rubber trumpets. Quality of the DanST ones is amazing! The main difference I have noticed in using the longer trumpets is more torque and a more distinct throttle body growl. The inlet length is now a very long 415mm, which according to Jenvey, is pretty much bang on for a car that revs to 7.6k. However, with such a long setup, the bonnet cannot be fully shut, so I have taken advice from a few other helpful people on this forum (thanks guys!) and am going ahead with raising the bonnet on the windscreen side to give the ITB's more clearance.
3. Restoring the GizFab 4-2-1 - The GizFab 4-2-1 manifold has been on the car for roughly around 10,000 miles now and recently it had been looking a bit off. I'd just thought the manifold was dirty but I couldn't scrub the 'dirt' off. I later was told that stainless steel tarnishes over time and so it doesn't look as good anymore and so I have begun polishing the manifold with some Peek stainless steel polish, I have mostly just done the 3rd header and it has really brightened the manifold up, so I will be doing the other headers properly when I get some more time.
4. Maintenance - The car is also going in for its annual undersealing to prevent further rust and also a minor service as well, along with possibly some new front brake pads and discs.
5. Leaks + Better Clutch - There are some small leaks under the car which seem to be coming from either the oil sump or the gearbox. My mechanic will be taking a look at this at some point soon. If its a 'gearbox off' job, then I'll be using this as an opportunity to put a better clutch in as the current one slips when driven hard.
6. Dyno - Once everything is done, I want to get it back on the dyno for some fine tuning as we have made some changes to the setup (e.g the longer trumpets, a newer fuel pump + a few other changes) since the last mapping session, so it would be nice to get a final bhp figure. Last time, the car made 128bhp and personally, I don't think it will make much more than this on the second time round, however, I still want to get it remapped for the changes we have made to the setup since the last mapping session.
7. Track Day - After all this, I have plans to try the car out on a track. I'm only looking to go for a casual run (i.e nice and steady driving rather than trying to push the car to its limits) so I'll be leaving the car as it is except for some upgraded brakes and maybe a better driving seat. For track purposes, I may need to quieten the throttle bodies down as the car is (unfortunately) very loud...
On a daily basis, the car doesn't really get driven too much anymore except for the odd enthusiastic countryside drive! It is very fun for the small amount of power it has but its not very sensible and easy to use as a daily road car, mainly due to it having no cat and its unsafe when driving in the rain, not to mention the ridiculous levels of noise it makes and the poor fuel economy haha! Having a garage so that I can store the car indoors would be very ideal! However, that being said, nothing really even comes close to how fun it is when driven properly on some nice roads on a good day! I have driven numerous much more powerful cars but the Micra is still the most fun! So my main focus (once the above list of work is done) is to just try my best to keep it going as I really want it to last a while, as I have read time and time again of modified 1.4's drinking oil, which is pretty much what happened to my old poorly mapped 1.4. This is the main reason why I'll be taking it very easy when I get the car on a track - it'll be more of an experience rather than ragging the car.
1. Rocker Cover + Compression Test - The spark plug seal on cylinder 3 was torn and letting oil into the spark plug well so I got a rocker cover off eBay and replaced my faulty one. I changed the colour up so that the new rocker cover is electric blue rather than the old cadbury purple. While I did this, I also did a compression test on the engine. The readings were pretty much the same as they were around 2000 miles ago - an average of around 190psi across all 4 cylinders. (191, 191, 187, 197)
2. ITB Trumpets - New longer 90mm DanST Engineering trumpets are on as opposed to my existing 55mm standard GSXR600 rubber trumpets. Quality of the DanST ones is amazing! The main difference I have noticed in using the longer trumpets is more torque and a more distinct throttle body growl. The inlet length is now a very long 415mm, which according to Jenvey, is pretty much bang on for a car that revs to 7.6k. However, with such a long setup, the bonnet cannot be fully shut, so I have taken advice from a few other helpful people on this forum (thanks guys!) and am going ahead with raising the bonnet on the windscreen side to give the ITB's more clearance.
3. Restoring the GizFab 4-2-1 - The GizFab 4-2-1 manifold has been on the car for roughly around 10,000 miles now and recently it had been looking a bit off. I'd just thought the manifold was dirty but I couldn't scrub the 'dirt' off. I later was told that stainless steel tarnishes over time and so it doesn't look as good anymore and so I have begun polishing the manifold with some Peek stainless steel polish, I have mostly just done the 3rd header and it has really brightened the manifold up, so I will be doing the other headers properly when I get some more time.
4. Maintenance - The car is also going in for its annual undersealing to prevent further rust and also a minor service as well, along with possibly some new front brake pads and discs.
5. Leaks + Better Clutch - There are some small leaks under the car which seem to be coming from either the oil sump or the gearbox. My mechanic will be taking a look at this at some point soon. If its a 'gearbox off' job, then I'll be using this as an opportunity to put a better clutch in as the current one slips when driven hard.
6. Dyno - Once everything is done, I want to get it back on the dyno for some fine tuning as we have made some changes to the setup (e.g the longer trumpets, a newer fuel pump + a few other changes) since the last mapping session, so it would be nice to get a final bhp figure. Last time, the car made 128bhp and personally, I don't think it will make much more than this on the second time round, however, I still want to get it remapped for the changes we have made to the setup since the last mapping session.
7. Track Day - After all this, I have plans to try the car out on a track. I'm only looking to go for a casual run (i.e nice and steady driving rather than trying to push the car to its limits) so I'll be leaving the car as it is except for some upgraded brakes and maybe a better driving seat. For track purposes, I may need to quieten the throttle bodies down as the car is (unfortunately) very loud...
On a daily basis, the car doesn't really get driven too much anymore except for the odd enthusiastic countryside drive! It is very fun for the small amount of power it has but its not very sensible and easy to use as a daily road car, mainly due to it having no cat and its unsafe when driving in the rain, not to mention the ridiculous levels of noise it makes and the poor fuel economy haha! Having a garage so that I can store the car indoors would be very ideal! However, that being said, nothing really even comes close to how fun it is when driven properly on some nice roads on a good day! I have driven numerous much more powerful cars but the Micra is still the most fun! So my main focus (once the above list of work is done) is to just try my best to keep it going as I really want it to last a while, as I have read time and time again of modified 1.4's drinking oil, which is pretty much what happened to my old poorly mapped 1.4. This is the main reason why I'll be taking it very easy when I get the car on a track - it'll be more of an experience rather than ragging the car.
OP
OP
Can't get enough of that launch control shot, flames coming out of a Micra feels illegal
Hoping the track day goes well when it comes mate!
Haha its a funny little feature, thank you!
Absolutely love your blog mate
OP
OP
So it’s been nearly 6 months since the last update…
I still have the Micra and I still enjoy driving it to this day.
Fortunately, for once, the Micra is not causing any issues (for now!). I drive it around 1-2 times a week for the odd countryside B road bashing sesh and it doesn’t disappoint. As I daily an automatic, it feels great to drive a manual every now and then.
The plan is to keep the car for many years as I have absolutely no intention of ever selling it. I would love to fully restore it and definitely give it a full factory respray at some point. I really like the original turquoise factory colour.
In terms of any plans for more mods, the only thing that comes to mind is maybe to modify the bonnet to help the throttle bodies breathe more easily (the car is noticeably quicker with the bonnet not shut properly), but other than that, I think my main focus now is to look after it and keep it running (for eternity ?).
One of my favourite features of the car is the launch control and the pops and bangs map ; it scares a lot of people?
I still need to take the car on a track day but the post-pandemic prices were more than what I was willing to pay so I am now waiting for Summer 22.
Micra’s have a bad reputation in the UK as being ****boxes and granny cars but actually, they can be made very fun for cheap ?
My family still somewhat despise me for modifying it in the first place ? (as it was meant to be a cheap runaround that would save me money in fuel, insurance and repair bills when I was 18), yet it now costs a bomb to insure, it gives 80 miles to a full tank and has regular repair bills?
I’ll hopefully keep this blog going but who knows when the next update will be… To end this post, here’s a photo of the car and my daily. Thank you for reading.
I still have the Micra and I still enjoy driving it to this day.
Fortunately, for once, the Micra is not causing any issues (for now!). I drive it around 1-2 times a week for the odd countryside B road bashing sesh and it doesn’t disappoint. As I daily an automatic, it feels great to drive a manual every now and then.
The plan is to keep the car for many years as I have absolutely no intention of ever selling it. I would love to fully restore it and definitely give it a full factory respray at some point. I really like the original turquoise factory colour.
In terms of any plans for more mods, the only thing that comes to mind is maybe to modify the bonnet to help the throttle bodies breathe more easily (the car is noticeably quicker with the bonnet not shut properly), but other than that, I think my main focus now is to look after it and keep it running (for eternity ?).
One of my favourite features of the car is the launch control and the pops and bangs map ; it scares a lot of people?
I still need to take the car on a track day but the post-pandemic prices were more than what I was willing to pay so I am now waiting for Summer 22.
Micra’s have a bad reputation in the UK as being ****boxes and granny cars but actually, they can be made very fun for cheap ?
My family still somewhat despise me for modifying it in the first place ? (as it was meant to be a cheap runaround that would save me money in fuel, insurance and repair bills when I was 18), yet it now costs a bomb to insure, it gives 80 miles to a full tank and has regular repair bills?
I’ll hopefully keep this blog going but who knows when the next update will be… To end this post, here’s a photo of the car and my daily. Thank you for reading.
OP
OP
Another little update:
The Micra is being parked up for the winter, so that means the next 6 or so months, while the S6 is being used as a daily.
I am going to do an SR20 project on the Micra next; the plan being putting an SR20DE engine in with a huge turbo. The aim is to reach 300-350bhp. SR20 engines don't like a lot of boost unless you go forged, but you can get away with 1 bar of boost on a huge turbo to achieve 300-350bhp, and this is what I am wanting to do. There will be a lot of lag but even in its current state being N/A with ITB's, it kicks in around 4500rpm so turbo lag is not much of a concern for me.
The alternative would be to get an SR20DET in the first place but the current prices are £300 for an SR20DE and £2000 for an SR20DET! A few years ago when SR20DET's were cheap, it would have made sense to go straight for the DET but now, there is a huge price difference so I will be going for an SR20DE.
In addition to this, we will require a full new standalone ECU (probably Omex) along with relevant mods such as exhaust, cams, injectors, fuel pump etc. Further, the whole car really needs a full restoration:
Full body respray back to the original colour as I like the factory 'tornado green'. Its not a colour that you see often on the road and so I view it as a classic car colour
New headlights + brackets
New front grilles
Front bumper to be secured properly
Welding of both sills
Welding of accident damaged area behind driver side headlight
Coilovers and full strut brace kit
Panhard rod to centre the rear axle
Welding of rear quarter panel as water gets in near the rear left taillight
Passenger side door needs re-aligning as it is sagging
New seats
New windscreen as the old one has multiple chips
You can probably tell this is a huge and long-term project which needs a lot of time and money but I am definitely doing it as I love the idea of a crazy-fast and proper sleeper Micra. I am aiming for the final result to be a seriously powerful Micra that is also properly restored.
I welcome any tips and bits of info from anyone reading this post!
PS - I also bought a 5.0 V10 Phaeton recently. It has a Stage 1 remap to 375bhp and 1000nm of torque. Its literally crazy to drive!
The Micra is being parked up for the winter, so that means the next 6 or so months, while the S6 is being used as a daily.
I am going to do an SR20 project on the Micra next; the plan being putting an SR20DE engine in with a huge turbo. The aim is to reach 300-350bhp. SR20 engines don't like a lot of boost unless you go forged, but you can get away with 1 bar of boost on a huge turbo to achieve 300-350bhp, and this is what I am wanting to do. There will be a lot of lag but even in its current state being N/A with ITB's, it kicks in around 4500rpm so turbo lag is not much of a concern for me.
The alternative would be to get an SR20DET in the first place but the current prices are £300 for an SR20DE and £2000 for an SR20DET! A few years ago when SR20DET's were cheap, it would have made sense to go straight for the DET but now, there is a huge price difference so I will be going for an SR20DE.
In addition to this, we will require a full new standalone ECU (probably Omex) along with relevant mods such as exhaust, cams, injectors, fuel pump etc. Further, the whole car really needs a full restoration:
Full body respray back to the original colour as I like the factory 'tornado green'. Its not a colour that you see often on the road and so I view it as a classic car colour
New headlights + brackets
New front grilles
Front bumper to be secured properly
Welding of both sills
Welding of accident damaged area behind driver side headlight
Coilovers and full strut brace kit
Panhard rod to centre the rear axle
Welding of rear quarter panel as water gets in near the rear left taillight
Passenger side door needs re-aligning as it is sagging
New seats
New windscreen as the old one has multiple chips
You can probably tell this is a huge and long-term project which needs a lot of time and money but I am definitely doing it as I love the idea of a crazy-fast and proper sleeper Micra. I am aiming for the final result to be a seriously powerful Micra that is also properly restored.
I welcome any tips and bits of info from anyone reading this post!
PS - I also bought a 5.0 V10 Phaeton recently. It has a Stage 1 remap to 375bhp and 1000nm of torque. Its literally crazy to drive!
Last edited:
OP
OP
5 months later and the Micra is being used again as the weather is better. Mostly being used as a daily... the SR20 project is still on hold as I need a reliable and fuel efficient daily and the Micra seems to do just the trick, even with ITB's fitted haha...
Original seats are back in as well
Original seats are back in as well
will the youtube channel start up again soon? found it very useful5 months later and the Micra is being used again as the weather is better. Mostly being used as a daily... the SR20 project is still on hold as I need a reliable and fuel efficient daily and the Micra seems to do just the trick, even with ITB's fitted haha...
Original seats are back in as well
OP
OP
Hello, it’s me again. I hope everyone is okay.
Micra is still alive and so I am I…She’s been off road for a while now, I took her out for a drive last year December in Peak District during the snow!
I wanted to take her to a track day this Summer but work was busy so maybe next year!
The Audi S6 is off road due to gearbox gone faulty. Maybe manual conversion next year!
The V10 Phaeton is off road due to turbo seals have left the scene…
The W8 Passat is healthy but rarely driven.
I currently daily my brother’s old 1.9 TDI Passat…after paying S6 fuel bills, fuel is basically free to me now!
I meant it when I said I’m never getting rid of the Micra maybe you’ll hear from me again in another year…
Micra is still alive and so I am I…She’s been off road for a while now, I took her out for a drive last year December in Peak District during the snow!
I wanted to take her to a track day this Summer but work was busy so maybe next year!
The Audi S6 is off road due to gearbox gone faulty. Maybe manual conversion next year!
The V10 Phaeton is off road due to turbo seals have left the scene…
The W8 Passat is healthy but rarely driven.
I currently daily my brother’s old 1.9 TDI Passat…after paying S6 fuel bills, fuel is basically free to me now!
I meant it when I said I’m never getting rid of the Micra
maybe you’ll hear from me again in another year…
