Print

[44frank]

Hi everyone Happy New Year. I bought my car from Paul who built it up to 230 hp & 230 torque mapped with a massive front intercooler and other supporting performance upgrades etc. However, the open mushroom air filter sits very low within the wheel arch location on the passengers' side and could be a concern with driving into serious puddles taking in water!

This system is well thought out sounds good and works! I'd rather be safe though. I am open to all thoughts and ideas here even to move the battery into the rear boot location. Possible fit an alloy heat shielded box in the battery space with an air filter within. Since its all custom made the piping is larger and direct OEM type filters probably will not fit etc.

Talking about alloy air boxes my idea derives from ARC Japan who make them as an example.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/3RUAAOSw2gxYx~-W/s-l1600.jpg

 Here are some photos thanks again! Frank

[CrazyG]

Ah...Cowboy's ol Brab..
Moving the airfilter back up into the engine bay will mean it
will suck in warm né hot air which is bad for performance.

Various 'custom' airbox designs have been tried...including one
I know that was made in carbon fibre and cost £450 !
And guess what.....it performed even worse than standard...
so much so that it was reverted back to the standard airbox !
(albeit fed cold air via a flexible pipe to the opening where
 the inner headlamp used to reside, and the outer headlight
 projectors replaced with expensive bi-xenon units !)

So....why not consider a set up as per Gregk2, with the
battery rotated 90 degrees, and the cone filter moved up so
that it can still get a cold air feed directed up from where the
original intercooler was mounted and then up to the air filter.
All as per the 4th (I think) picture here http://www.forfour.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=3793.0
However..Gregk2 later changed his setup to 'mirror' the
one that you have (If you read through his thread you'll see that)

So I would suggest you forget about changing it as it will almost
certainly affect/upset the performance, and instead steer clear
of any standing/deep puddles of water.

[gregk2]

I have tried all sorts, in the end, unless swapping the turbo, I would honestly just stick with the stock airbox. Which is how I have it these days.

[CrazyG]

Apologies there gregk2....I wasn't aware that you had reverted
back to the stock set-up...or did I miss an update in your 'MyMods' thread ?

[Problemchild]

just bring the filter a little further up into the engine bay

unless you plan on wading through 2ft deep water then it will be fine

create an airscoop in the area where it was and feed cold air

i don't have huge issues with my cone filter just open in the engine bay fed with ram air from the OEM scoop over the top of the rad

JJ

[44frank]

Thank you gregk2, CrazyG, & Problemchild you guys are the best! I am now going to keep it as it is she is running so well and loving driving her! Everything is up to date just would like to renew the suspension with complete bushes right throughout with other related bits to finish it off. Quite fancy the idea of extra unbraces etc does the Colt use the same uprated aftermarket braces. Coilovers would finish it off to perfection. I wonder what a complete kit of bushes would cost doing every single item that can be done?

The mileage is quite low around 50k but now after many years, I would like to do this. Oh, going to need new brakes all round disks and pads and a good opportunity to service or replace the calipers? The rear caliper that works the handbrake has gone. Any thoughts on which brands to use maybe there are some good deals for these packages from suppliers? Thanks again! To excellent handling! Oh, I can tell you that the front undertray makes a massive difference to aerodynamics and very noticeable at speed before without it felt like something was holding it back a bit like a parachute.

[Coverman]

Excuse my ignorance-is the undertray a stock itemto the Brabus or an aftermarket or bespoke item?

[44frank]

Hi it's the stock factory part which sits under the radiator see here:

http://www.forfour.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=5981.15

[mr singh]

calipers should be exchange units from your local motor factors and should therefore work out cheaper than going to mercedes

as for disc and pads, i prefer mintex, brembo, borg and beck. basically the brands that are known, unlike a set of pads i bought for my uncles focus a few years back called juratec, didnt know the brand existed till then. id also recommend fitting a set of braided brake flexies if they're not yet fitted. if they are fitted then a brake fluid change.

suspension, if you want standard then non genuine is your best bet as mercedes want £100 per spring and the same for dampers. £800 for a set of springs and dampers where as i can get a full set for half the price, non genuine from my local motor factors.

JJ has some strut braces fitted to his brabus, he could tell you where to get them from.

[CrazyG]

The front strut barce for a Colt is different as it rises higher...
(The bonnet line is higher at the rear on a Colt where the brace fits)

So...for the ForFour (454)....
Front strut brace:-
THE Front strut brace - there's only one for the job, and it's
purpose made by Ultra Racing.  Cheapest place is ebay, but you might
have to wait 6 weeks or so as no one carries them in stock...you have
pay/buy before they'll order it in...as I found out.

Rear strut brace:-
The Ultra Racing version that JJ has doesn't actually fit or sit on the
tops of the suspension turrents where a proper strut brace
should be fitted. Instead it bolts to the body 'C' post (or pillar) at
exactly the same points as the rear seat belts, and it uses the same
bolts that secure the metal seat belt swivels, but under/beneath the
swivel so that those can still move.
That means that the brace sits above the luggage cover and is clearly
visible for all to see through the rear window as it is a nice bright white
with a sticker in the middle in proclaiming ULTRA RACING, so it's a bit
showey or posey in a way.  But hey...each to their own....

The other option is the rear STRUT brace that actually does fit to the
tops of the rear suspension turrets, and the particular model in question
is made by the same guys who make the better than standard 'log'
shaped exhaust manifold to replace the original item. The company
is FiNe Performance and they can be contacted via Facebook.
The actual strut brace was made for the Colt, but fits in exactly
the same place in both the ForFour (454) and the Colt.
It can also be ordered in black, red or carbon effect.
It is also 'stealthy' as it sits under the luggage cover.

Both of the rear models get in the way to some degree or other, so it's
really a matter of deciding which is the right one for you.

Oh, and Ultra also make/manufacture a centre brace that goes across
the floor just behind the front seats ! Not sure that's a good thing as it
will change the way the Tridion reacts and deforms if in a sideways
impact !  And then there are other underside bars they have to offer,
however they really do not appear to do much other as the places
they fit are already VERY strong to start with. The front crossmember
one also sits far to low and if fitted to a Brabus bottoms out on even
the smallest of road imperfections. So overall I'd give those all a miss.

NEXT...Renewing bushes.....
If your bushes aren't perished, why change them ?
The downside to replacing with Poly bushes is the cost, and the increased
levels of noise that is transmitted as they are less resilient than rubber.
It's a matter of choice really.
I'd suggest replacing the drop links to ones with Polybushes.....
The hardest one's to replace anywhere are the rear axle location bushes !
These on their own cost over £140, and are a mare to replace even
by an experienced garage, taking 6hrs or so to do, as they're not like
any other bush to remove or fit, so the labour charge will be high....
plus you need a 2/4 post lift and a gearbox jack to do it with.

Brakes...
As per mr singh's advice, though I would add Pagid, Bluepoint
and Delphi to the list of manufacturers of discs and pads.

Suspension...as in springs/dampers
Again as per mr singh...and if you were contemplating splashing
out up to around £800, then I'd suggest Bilstein B14's.

[44frank]

Thank you, I really appreciate your replies this makes it clear now. Be great to work towards them when a little more cash comes in. Very much liking the carbon effect brace!
Oh, something else that came to mind will the turbo gauge from the Brabus Roadster fit onto the dashboard location to possible replace the clock gauge?
I currently have one fitted under the dash in front of the gearstick probably used when mapping back then? It's a manual turbo gauge with blue silicone hose.
Think it boosts to around 1.1 or 1.2 bar under load or in certain cycles by this time one does not want to look down there Lol.

[CrazyG]

Adapting/converting the existing dashpod clock is not impossible...
just the loom to it is very short and removing the pod is not in the
least bit simple....but as I said, not impossible if you have the time,
the knowhow and the tools etc.  As for trying to use the Roadster
electrically operated boost gauge...from memory I think that it's
a no-no unless once again you're an electrical genius and can get
it connected as it's CANBus.

The other simplest and cheap option is to get hold of a cheap old
Android phone, a mount for it, an ELM327 switchable OBDII Bluetooth
adapter that you plug into the OBDII port, and the 'Torque' App....
which can do more than just show boost !  But if you're an iPhone freak,
then it has to be the 'DashCommand' App.

[44frank]

Thanks again CrazyG your replies are very thorough and especially helpful! 
Going to leave the existing boost gauge where Paul fitted it out of the way.