Initial
Performance Upgrades:
First
off, go to my Links page
and check out the sites that sell upgraded intakes. Next, I would
highly recommend at least picking up some decent performance tires.
If you can afford it, pick up some light-weight rims too. Next,
pick up some new springs and shocks/struts. This will help you keep
the tires planted. There are now a couple companies selling coil
over kits. There have been complaints about the quality of some
coil-overs, so make sure they are the quality that you want before
you buy them. Here is a page that I made up with examples of different
Wheel and Suspension Systems.
Better spark plug wires would be another good purchase. NGK and
Nology make some good wires and I am sure that there are some other
good options out there. Take a look at the Eclipse engine picture
at the bottom of this page. Moving the battery to the trunk would
allow this kind of a cold-air setup. If you are going for Drag-race
performance only, you might want to keep the battery up front for
traction. Another performance option is a larger throttle body from
RPW in Australia. They also have headers and many other performance
parts check there often for new Mirage performance options (keep
in mind that Mirages are also called Lancers or Colts in other countries.)
Here
is one direction you can go for improved performance:
Get
an better intake, larger throttle body (after-market or get yours
bored out,) bore out where the throttle body mounts to the intake
manifold, add headers and a full exhaust and you will have an engine
that can breath much easier.
You
can check out RPW's
recommended Staged upgrades here. They also have
some very good information on their website here: RPW
Australia
Additional
things you can do:
- Get
the head ported & polished, lighter valves, lighter valve
retainers,and
a valve job.
- Install
a performance cam.
- Upgrade
the internal parts to lighter and/or stronger parts
(pistons, connecting rods.)
- Lighten
the flywheel.
- Headers
& Cat-back exhaust system.
- Lighten,
balance, and knife edge the crankshaft.
- Overbore
the cylinders to increase the engine size.
- Install
a turbo or higher compression pistons.
- Install
a nitrous system.
A
quick note on tire sizes:
I wanted to see if 205/17R 35 (17" rims with 35 series tires) would
fit. So I bought some 205/15R 65 Yokohamas. Along with the shorter
springs and cut bump stops, the car rubbed pretty bad on the front
and rear bumper mounts. I bent them up which fixed the rubbing,
but eventually broke two of the mounts. I also rolled the fenders.
I believe that a back spacing of more than 36 would fix part of
the problem. But, 16x7" rims with 40 series sport tires will save
you the head ache. Also, a 17" with 195+ wide and 35+ series tires
will slow your car down because of the larger diameter. But, it
looks great if you get it to work... Keep in mind that my Mirage
is lowered 2 1/2" - 3". Otherwise 17" rims would not be a problem.
You can remove the plastic inner-fender well for more clearance
if you need to.
Automatics
vs. 5-Speeds:
Automatics
need more low end torque. 5-Speeds can trade off some of the torque
for high-end horsepower. If you have an automatic and plan to raise
the power, then install a transmission cooler. Also, automatics
can get transmission upgrades from shops like Level-10
or Dunrite-Converters.
5-Speed owners should consider a lightened flywheel and performance
clutch. One of the first upgrades that a 5-speed owner should perform
is replacing the transmission gear oil. Recommended upgrades are
GM Synchromesh (highly recommended and pretty cheap, the local General
Motors dealer should have it in stock) Redline synthetic, BG synthetic,
AMSIOL synthetic,
Suspension Upgrades:
For
upgraded shocks and struts, Koni, GAB, and KYB make upgraded replacements.
There may be others. For springs, there is Sprint,Arospeed and Eibach.
Coilovers, there is Arospeed, Ground Control, and Tein. Strut tower
bars, there is HP Racing, Arospeed, OBX, GAB, and RalliArt. Keep
an eye open for other brands out there and try to not buy the weak
bars.
Weight
Distribution:
There
are a few different ways that you might want to adjust your weight
distribution for better performance. You can seek out lighter parts
such as racing seats and carbon fiber hoods. Another option is to
relocate weight, like moving the battery to your trunk. One of the
last options you will want to use is adding weight to specific parts
of the car to increase traction and cornering ability. Check out
this quick link that shows an example Mirage
weight and explains what is important.
Preparing
your Mirage for a drag race:
Never
loose track of what you are doing. Plan ahead and stick to your
launch technique, shift points, tire pressures, etc... You can always
try a different style later. Here are some general preparations
that should be done to any car.
1.
Perform a tune-up. New oil/filter, clean/replace air filter, new
cap & rotor, fuel filter, spark plugs/wires, use a big-ass bottle
of fuel injector cleaner.
2.
Remove the floor mats
3.
Remove the glove box (don't leave your registration and proof of
insurance at home...)
4.
Remove everything out of the trunk. Spare tire, jack, carpet, SPEAKER
BOX.
5.
You can easily remove the bottom of the rear seat by pulling the
two levers under it and lifting the seat cushion.
6.
I always roll up the windows, fold back the side mirrors, fold down
the passenger seat, and lower the antenna.
7.
Find a good tire pressure for your car. This depends on the wheel
setup, outside temperature, weight of car, etc... Usually 35lb is
a good start. Use trial & error. Note: If you drop the pressure
too low and drive home you can kill your tires.
8.
Inflate your rear tires to their max pressure. This makes for less
rotating resistance. Use good judgement or consult your tire shop
if unsure.
9.
Make sure that your wheels are aligned. You will spin if your front
tires are not flat on the ground (camber).
10.
Remove the wheel covers (sometimes referred to as "hub caps")
if you have them.
11.
(obvious) Don't take a passenger!
12.
Some of you might be looking for that extra 5-10hp bad enough. You
can remove the belt from your air-conditioning compressor and power-steering
pump. Some models are not able to do this.
13.
(not recommended) Remove the entire interior. This would take many
hours to put back together and is not worth it. Buy a 50hp nitrous
kit instead if you are this determined to win.
