Jestera

Just one month ago I made my first major car purchase, my new 2006 Scion xB RS03 in envy green 5 speed manual.

Not only is it my first NEW car, its also my first MANUAL!
I couldn't have asked for a better car. Theres a problem though... I'm a MOD FREAK!
Its a work in progress. I have bought the 8's Bazooka sub, the 18' TRD Rims, the fig lights... All the stuff you can have the dealer put in for you... Great, but boring...

I seriously need to make my little sluggish baby go VROOM VROOM! I've been looking into turbos, superchargers, the whole bit, but I can't find anything that is exactly what I want. My BF is an auto mechanic, but he knows virtually NOTHING about foreign cars... SO! I come calling to you my fellow xB owners.... What would be give me the most bang for my buck power wise, and still be decent on gasmilage, and my pocket. This is my daily driving car that I will be using year round... So I don't want a crappy ride, but I want that extra oomph when I need it.

I also want to get it lowered, ground lights on the outside, maybe a cool neon licenseplate thingie... I would like the sports shifter maybe...

I WANT CUSTOM! I'm not even complete sure of what all I want... COULD SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME! Not only do I not know what all I want, but I have no idea as to where I'm supposed to start. I don't know where to get any of it, or who to have instal it. I love my BF, but hes not touching my car...


-From DAEWOO to xB.... Good call on my part?? I think so...

OldYeller

Headers and intake are the most bang for the buck. I am leary of long term use of turbos. The header and intake will not effect gas mileage--might even make it better. Look through the parts and tech sections for ideas............

RTon20s

Step 1: Quit buying parts from, and installed by your dealer. You pay a premium for the parts and labor and they are no better than what you can get cheaper in the aftermarket.

Step 2: Research. This site is an excellent resource for Scion owners. Learn how the forums work and where to post specific comments. Look for other owners in your region, who may be able to provide insight, help and recommendations.

Step 3: Prepare to spend. Modifications are addicting. Not just on Scions, but any car. Once you get started, it is hard to stop.

Now, for my personal opinion. Take your time. Try not to rush modifications. Look around at what other people have done and pick out what you like, and what you don't. Just because it can be done, doesn't mean it should be done. Throwing on every part available car, does not a cool car make.

Make a plan, and stick to it. You don't necessarily have to plan out every single future purchase. Just determine what type of a look you want to go for and follow that theme with your purchases.

And now to some specific comments you made...

Lowering Springs... If you want low, Tanabe DF210 is the ticket. I installed these on the wife's xB and she loves them. If you are concerned about being too low in the winter Tein S Tech give about 1/2" less drop. And if you are really scared of dropping it, take a look at Tanabe NF210 or Tein H Techs. For specs on the springs take a look at the "sticky" at the top of the suspension and handling forum.

Neon... Not a fan, but to each their own I guess. And who am I to tell a 19 year old girl who is excited to modify her car no. Then again you are in the Midwest.

Forced Induction... While this may sound like a blast, it can get you in trouble really quick. Before you even consider going forced induction, you will want to find a qualified shop in your area who has experience with custom tuning forced induction setups on computer controlled small displacement (4 cylinder) engines. Once you have done that, the kit I would recommend is the Greddy Turbo. I would recommend their supercharger, but they recommend the turbo for manual cars and supercharger for automatics. Just keep in mind that if you go turbo you aren't likely to ever see gas mileage higher than 28 mpg again. And even hitting 28 mpg is an accomplishment.

Other performance... If you know you will eventually go turbo, don't waste your money on a new header. If you think you can live without it, or can't find someone to tune it for you, a header is a good investment. I would also install a short ram intake (I prefer the Fujita F5) and exhaust. This combination is usually good for around 8-10 hp. Most exhaust systems are only axle-back for the xB. But if you look, you can find a couple of cat-back systems available. You can also have one fabricated locally.

Also, since your boyfriend is a mechanic, have him pull your spark plugs and check the gap. It is rare that all 4 plugs are gapped properly from the factory.

Well enough rambling. I hope this gives you a little insight into the xB world. And if you have any questions, don't be scared to post them up in the proper forums.

kms_tuning

iTrader: (1)

Just curious, why is this under second gen. rumors?

lonestar

Because that's what you get from people who plan on painting green goblin murals on the side of their car...

kms_tuning

iTrader: (1)

Because that's what you get from people who plan on painting green goblin murals on the side of their car... [/quote]

Good point