Corsa C 1.0 A bit more umph?

[DannyM]

Hey folks,

I've got a Corsa C 1.0, it's my first car and I've almost finished a years driving with it, so will have 1 years no claims in a month or so.

I've a few niggles with the car, but if I'm honest, it's a grand little runner and the cost of running it, apart from needing to replace the timing chain next week (which will only set me back about £100, dads a mechanic) it's cheap as chips.

However, I just want a bit more umph out of it, nothing stupendous, but just something that'll get it going a bit quicker.

I looked at getting a new bigger car, but then my insurance just goes back up to what I am currently paying. So apart from a general good service, is there any little tweaks I can do to the car, that won't:

A) Make the car look stupid and me look like a complete (insert word of choice here)
B) Can be purchased for a fairly cheap price.
C) If declared to insurer won't send my insurance price into space?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[kalniel]

Nope.

Well, I suppose you could go on a diet. Remove any and all crap out of the car. Get rid of spare wheel etc. But the difference won't be noticeable.

[mycarsavw]

Pull out the back seats and spare tyre (swapping it for a can of tyre weld or whatever it's called), remove all sound deadening (door panels etc).

You could get it remapped to add a bit of throttle response some more torques and about 10% extra bhp (5 > 7 bhp?). Gains are minimal with it "only" being a 1.0, 3cyl NA

[circuitmonkey]

drop in high flow air filter replacement, although you dad may argue that it will let to much particular crap into the motor

[kalniel]

You could get it remapped to add a bit of throttle response some more torques and about 10% extra bhp (5 > 7 bhp?). Gains are minimal with it "only" being a 1.0, 3cyl NA

And the increase in insurance would be more than moving to a more powerful car like a 1.25 fiesta or something.

[mycarsavw]

And the increase in insurance would be more than moving to a more powerful car like a 1.25 fiesta or something.

Depends who he goes to for insurance

Modified insurance with a specialist company (Adrian Flux, Brentacre etc) will often work out cheaper than a factory car with a conventional company.

[eshrules]

Nope.

Well, I suppose you could go on a diet. Remove any and all crap out of the car. Get rid of spare wheel etc. But the difference won't be noticeable.

not one to disagree like, but....

these cars weigh under a ton, removing things like 'crap' you don't use would have a pretty noticeable effect.

consider something like an older polo <cough> the removal of 20/30kg from a 750kg car for example...

Remapping isn't a path I'd personally go down, mainly because you'll gain hardly anything from it.

personally, I'd stick with it for another year or so until I could get a bigger engined car....seems a waste to spend money making a slow car...fast when you can buy one in 12months time that's actually just a tad quicker.

[Tonka777]

Get a Garrett T34 Turbo, and then NOS, that should help.............

[digit]

personally, I'd stick with it for another year or so until I could get a bigger engined car....seems a waste to spend money making a slow car...fast when you can buy one in 12months time that's actually just a tad quicker.

I agree with this, everyone starts with a small engined car and puts up with it for a year or two before moving on to something more powerful. Depending how much your willing to pay for insurance you'll be surprised how little it costs to insurance a focus or mondeo with a 1.6 or 1.8. My current housemate started out with a 1.8 mondeo as his first car and now with a years no claims pays with Aviva around £600. You can also (looked into it a few years back myself) get cars with big engines where the car itself is worthless (say a few hundred) and that saves money to, in the eyes of insurance anything happens to it and it will just be written off so lower premium

[eshrules]

Get a Garrett T34 Turbo, and then NOS, that should help.............

Sarcasm : the lowest form of wit.

[Tumble]

Nope.

Well, I suppose you could go on a diet. Remove any and all crap out of the car. Get rid of spare wheel etc. But the difference won't be noticeable.

Felt the weight of a rear bench seat? It's at least 1.5 standard adults, and in those cars (speaking from experience), you can definitely notice the weight of an extra body in there, so ripping the back seat out (carefully) won't actually increase the power of the car, but it WILL improve the power to weight ratio, which is what it's all about tbh. Also, I've found that if you drive the 3-pot Corsa like it's a 2 stroke, it'll feel much better, and still return about 55mpg too.

[Guy]

I wouldnt touch it mechanics wise, any extra gains you would get out of it, would cost a fair bit either in the parts/labour or in the extra for the insurance.

Proper service, replace all the filters, give it a good clean, enjoy it, then save for a year or so. Combine that money with an extra years NCB will mean there will be a MUCH wider choice of cars out there down the line

[[GSV]Trig]

1Ltr 3 pots are dangerous imho.
this side of NOS your not going to do anything thats worth doing to gain performance..

[Barakka]

I'm afraid it's like everyone else has said, the only thing that will make that car go faster is gravity

Had many scary moments with 1lt Corsa C Hire cars in the past due to the sheer lack of anything happening when you press the pedal to go

[Tonka777]

I agree with what GSV Trig said. Obviously i was joking in my last post, in all seriousness though, i would keep the car in as best condition as possible, and well serviced, to get as much as possible for it when you sell it.

It does make the ideal first car, and new drivers will always be looking for a small, reliable and clean cars. Forget the idea of tuning this one and concentrate on saving money, researching and deciding what to get next.

[Konan555]

Some kind of Harpoon arrangement?

Sarcasm : the lowest form of wit.

I've always wondered about that phrase. It appears to be more bereft of wit than the sarcasm that it follows.