Better Performance

[madmoody1]

i have just bought a 1999 rav4 freesport.

It needs a bit of TLC which i,m looking forward to.

What can i do to make it a bit quicker.

I just serviced it and fitted Iridium plugs and a cone air filter.

This has definately made a difference but wondered if there was anything else i could do.

Any advice would be appreciated

[anchorman]

Welcome to the club.

Just wait for a member called Bothwell Buyer to look in. He will be fast asleep under his next door neighbours hedge at the moment but he will look in during the hours of darkness. He has a cross between a RAV (well 2 actually) and a Typhoon jet. You can see it if you go on youtube and search for "RAV4 Crail".

He'll tell you how to fit a warp drive to it.

[bothwell_buyer]

Here we are -- just 9.25pm and come in off the roof - ie the roof on my new garage.. Quite a challenge really as the trusses and sheathing (boards/plywood sheeting etc in Engerland) were erected by 2 joiners of half my age who made a job that my grand-daughter of 17 months could have bettered. Those that know me, may appreciate the difficulty in lifting 135kg single-handed up to the roof, then I had to carry the felt under-lay as well!!

Half done roof now and should get the counter-battens done tomorrow in the pouring rain.

1999 RAV4 ? Magic.

First, what do you want to achieve in it ? Notoriety? Speed...top speed, or acceleration?

I have owned one 1994 RAV4 3 door from new and a 2nd for about 2 years. Both now have the 3sgte engine fitted and I think these are the only ones in Europe....and there's about 8 in the world as far as I know from the internet.

The RAV4 model 4.1 uses a 3sfe engine shoving 127bhp. Its geared on 1st gear for soft-off-roading so it means that the car is pretty damn quick off the line at traffic lights. 2nd gear fits in quite well, and so is 3rd. Into 4th gear then you're getting closer to a normal car then 5th is just economic cruising.

The drivetrain is good for about 350bhp, although the clutch will complain much above 200hp.

The 3sfe can be mucked about with but the result is fairly marginal in my view. You could for example improve the acceleration by fitting 18" whels with 225/40 tyres - lowers the diameter and means the speedo is 10% optimistic - so if it reads 77mph, yer actually doing more like 70...but the acceleration is way much better. Top speed will be affected as will mpg.

On the 3sgte conversion, its not that cheap but fairly straightforward and gives an engine potentially pushing 670bhp. And a damn fast car - as the VXR owner will not tell you from one of my Crail excursions.

Your cars 11 years old so you might want to think about adjustable shocks to improve cornering. My second RAV runs 18" 245/45 wheels/tyres I think - it gives the car a wider track and both cars are stable on very fast cornering. My first car has upgraded brakes and its awesome when stopping. Just as well as it launches with both front wheels off the road.

Let me know what soret of things you'd like to achieve and I will try to point you in various directions...

[madmoody1]

Here we are -- just 9.25pm and come in off the roof - ie the roof on my new garage.. Quite a challenge really as the trusses and sheathing (boards/plywood sheeting etc in Engerland) were erected by 2 joiners of half my age who made a job that my grand-daughter of 17 months could have bettered. Those that know me, may appreciate the difficulty in lifting 135kg single-handed up to the roof, then I had to carry the felt under-lay as well!!

Half done roof now and should get the counter-battens done tomorrow in the pouring rain.

1999 RAV4 ? Magic.

First, what do you want to achieve in it ? Notoriety? Speed...top speed, or acceleration?

I have owned one 1994 RAV4 3 door from new and a 2nd for about 2 years. Both now have the 3sgte engine fitted and I think these are the only ones in Europe....and there's about 8 in the world as far as I know from the internet.

The RAV4 model 4.1 uses a 3sfe engine shoving 127bhp. Its geared on 1st gear for soft-off-roading so it means that the car is pretty damn quick off the line at traffic lights. 2nd gear fits in quite well, and so is 3rd. Into 4th gear then you're getting closer to a normal car then 5th is just economic cruising.

The drivetrain is good for about 350bhp, although the clutch will complain much above 200hp.

The 3sfe can be mucked about with but the result is fairly marginal in my view. You could for example improve the acceleration by fitting 18" whels with 225/40 tyres - lowers the diameter and means the speedo is 10% optimistic - so if it reads 77mph, yer actually doing more like 70...but the acceleration is way much better. Top speed will be affected as will mpg.

On the 3sgte conversion, its not that cheap but fairly straightforward and gives an engine potentially pushing 670bhp. And a damn fast car - as the VXR owner will not tell you from one of my Crail excursions.

Your cars 11 years old so you might want to think about adjustable shocks to improve cornering. My second RAV runs 18" 245/45 wheels/tyres I think - it gives the car a wider track and both cars are stable on very fast cornering. My first car has upgraded brakes and its awesome when stopping. Just as well as it launches with both front wheels off the road.

Let me know what soret of things you'd like to achieve and I will try to point you in various directions...

Hi there

You sound like just the man

I had a rover 620petrol turbo before and fitted a front mount intercooler and a bigger turbo so it was around 240bhp.

I also done the head gasket twice so i wanted a new toy as that was as reliable as a chocolate tea pot ;-)

I just want a bit more power in general.

I fitted Iridium plugs and a cone filter and this has made a nice difference.

I think the ht leads could do with better ones as they look like matchsticks.

I was thinking maybe head upgrade or even fitting a turbo.

Maybe i,m getting carried away but you know people like us could never have a standard motor ;-)

Any advice would be really appreciated

Owen