New User From Newcastle + VRX Performance Mods

[Braydoz]

Hey everyone!

So I bought myself an 09' VRX Lancer a couple of months ago. List price was $12990 with 85K on the clock. They knocked $500 off and gave me a $7500 trade in on my old car which brought it in at $5K out of my pocket. Not bad.

So far I've done a couple thousand kays and I'm liking it. It's a CVT auto which dampens the fun a little with the CVT lag, but it's good on fuel, comfy, looks good and has some nads once it gets going.

Now though, I think I'm ready for some mods. I'm not looking for visual mods, big rims, bumpers etc.
Basically the other night I was in a lane that merged up the road, I was trying to get around someone who had been sitting in the right lane 10 under the limit and when he saw me try to go past, he decided to flatten it in his Camry. I did the same and managed to overtake but his 2012-ish Camry was able to just about keep pace, which led to a potentially dangerous situation with him refusing to let me in. Basically I want that to never happen again

People have said muffler delete, aftermarket intake & a flash tune in some other threads I've seen. Is this still relevant? And if so, what would you recommend?

All suggestions welcome, but keep in mind I'm a Uni student with a P2 license and not a whole lot of money
Happy to be on the forum

[Lancer1993]

Welcome

And does yours have the paddle shift on the steering wheel?

Merlin does a tune which can give you better response I've been told but you may want a RA snorkel and new panel filter to take best advantage of that. And yes a good after market exhaust can help.

Hate when someone speeds up just to stop you passing, but I say let them be, get a dash cam and put them on YouTube!

[aspir3]

Just fit a ralliart snorkel and a good panel filter and get Merlin to tune it. Expect a good power gain and far greater instant response

[xCeazy]

[Braydoz]

Thanks for the replies thus far

Yeah, mine has paddle shifters. They feel different, compared to paddle shifting a torque converter for instance, but I'll try using them more often to get a feel for it.

So it seems like a panel filter is the first & easiest step.
Super Cheap has some K&N filters, any you'd recommend?

Where would I look for RA snorkels? Any places that you generally use or recommend? Also how much am I looking at for a snorkel?

Lastly, if I did the above mods, how does one go about getting Merlin to tune it? I'm new to the whole thing
I'm a long time reader of modding, but I've never actually done it myself. My previous car was a hand-me-down from my parents and now I've got my own wheels, I'm finally getting around to making it my own.

Thanks for all your help so far
Cheers

[aspir3]

Okay send PM's to megaton from ak racing got the panel filter and possibly ralliart snorkel. Or you can get the ralliart snorkel from Mitsubishi.
For the tune send Merlin a pm or if you are a premium member there is a section on tuning na cars where you can contribute in a thread

[aspir3]

Okay send PM's to megaton from ak racing got the panel filter and possibly ralliart snorkel. Or you can get the ralliart snorkel from Mitsubishi.
For the tune send Merlin a pm or if you are a premium member there is a section on tuning na cars where you can contribute in a thread

[Lancer1993]

Used RA snorkels can be hard to find so if all else fails then one from a Mitsy dealer a good option, but you'll need a valid VIN from a RA. Try eBay first, that's where I was lucky enough to get mine at a good price, or check the local wreckers.

[VRX_08]

Welcome!

[merlin]

Either leave the stock paper air filter in there or get a HKS or Cosworth or TOG filter.

K&N panel air filters are not a performance upgrade on a CJ Lancer.

[Braydoz]

Wow, lots of awesome help. Thanks

So if I get the snorkel and filter from Megaton and get it tuned by Merlin, how much is it likely to run me?
The car's due for a service in 1 month or 2000km according to the dash and the cost will determine whether I go for the mods before or after I get it serviced.
I should probably get it serviced first right? That would be the intelligent thing to do

Also, how difficult is this stuff to install? I have a basic knowledge of this stuff, but it's still fairly limited. I'm willing to learn though, and I suppose the best way to do that is to get in and start doing stuff yourself.

[Shaun Patterson]

Wow, lots of awesome help. Thanks So if I get the snorkel and filter from Megaton and get it tuned by Merlin, how much is it likely to run me? The cars due for a service in 1 month or 2000km according to the dash and the cost will determine whether I go for the mods before or after I get it serviced. I should probably get it serviced first right? That would be the intelligent thing to do Also, how difficult is this stuff to install? I have a basic knowledge of this stuff, but its still fairly limited. Im willing to learn though, and I suppose the best way to do that is to get in and start doing stuff yourself.

well the filter is 65, there is however a long waiting list for ra snorkels and tunes are in the 500-1000 average

to install filter under the 2 clips on airbox remove the old one,put in the new one and re clip it, and the snokel has 2 pop clips at the front remove them and just pull the stock one out then put new one in its place 2 clips back and your done

[Lancer1993]

With the RA snorkel I had to cut some of the plastic to make it fit better.



Don't know if this is the same with all CJs but you have an 09 like me so probably the same. All I did was trim the plastic panel not the snorkel.

[Braydoz]

So I did my first mod today!

Nothing big, just plasti-dipped the front end (the part where the license plate is mounted)
It wasn't smooth sailing though. Because the piece isn't separate from the rest of the bumper, rather it's indented, when you peel of the tape the edges of the plastidip go with it.
To remedy this, I cut off some of the peeled pieces to take it back a few mills and pushed some of the plastidip back with my nails. I then re taped the edges, sprayed again and peeled off the tape while it was wet. Gives a pretty good line. There's still some bulges underneath from where I tried to push the plastidip back and squash it down, but the new coat covers it well and you can't see it unless you're really up close.

Images here: https://imgur.com/a/DQ5Hp

If I was to do it again, I'd have to take off the tape on those edges each time I sprayed so it was still wet, then re-tape with each layer.
it's more work but less heart-ache.

It's a small mod, but I'm happy with the results and it's not bad for a $30 can of plastidip and some $7 painter's tape

[Skrallex]

I'm tossing up between doing it with plasti-dip/custom wrap or going and getting a proper vinyl wrap. More expensive but no overspray and knifeless tape is wondrous stuff

Maybe when I have some spare money I'll buy some and do front bumper and spoiler too.