Unique Motorsports

Generally, this would come before round 2, but that doesn’t always work out. At any rate, here are the pictures from filling the transmission mount.

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Ordered a “new to me” Aveo motor mount which I could properly fill with some 3m Window Weld. 3m window weld is a great alternative to polyurethane motor mounts if you do not have the money for polyurethane or if they are simply just not available.

While swapping out the old mount with the filled motor mount I noticed 3 of the three bolts which hold the rear pitch mount bracket to the engine are actually missing. This in turn makes the entire mount swing and therefore the engine itself  is able to just rock as though it’s completely missing the rear torque mount. Below are the images of the filled mount, missing bolts and the installation.

The video is set to “The Underground is Cheap” by DertCheep

UPDATE: I setup a temp fix… which is now permanent. One of the three bolts can’t be used as the transmission housing where it bolts into is actually broke. I didn’t stick my head up where it would be attacked by my exhaust and therefore only noticed this last night. The third hole where the “temp” fix resides consists of a Subaru stud welded to a piece of round stock which is used for things like exhaust hangers. It twisted off with about 18 pounds of torque so the bracket will have to be removed to take it out. The other bolt gets tight as I try to remove it so I’m not taking it out in fear of it actually breaking. That said, it is how it is and that’s how it will be. The stiffer motor mounts will keep some of the pressure off the transmission mount anyway so I’m sure it will be fine.

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When starting out with a base 2005 Aveo, pretty much any interior change can be considered an update. At the same time however; it can be real easy to ‘rice’ out a car. Following with my looking OEM type fitment but better than stock feel, I decided to replace the checker themed panel inserts with some suede or Alcantara looking fabric. I’m not sure what if any difference there is though I’m sure someone does. What I was going for is a nicer look and feel and to darken the interior a little.

This is my first attempt at upholstery work and I must say I’m absolutely impress with the results. For less than $20 and about 3 hours of my time this is what I ended up with. Now for some pictures and some descriptions. I’ll start with pictures 0 and 1 so as not to confuse later in the count.

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What is a race friendly core support anyway? Well, I’m not really sure. What I do know is if you want to run a V Mount intercooler and radiator setup then you are going to need some room. The stock bumper beam, upper core support, and lower brace just don’t allow the freedom one needs to run enough radiator or intercooler. As for the bumper, well it was only attached by the sides so we decided to make some more room, make it stronger, and add lightness.

This project actually started a few nights ago. We laid out some general plans based on what it was we were trying to achieve. Intercooler and radiator fitment allow for easy to service and maximum cooling. We also didn’t want to lose any chassis rigidity. When considering chassis mods take into account the actual forces being applied otherwise you might be adding strength and weight with no real benefit. Despite my wifes beliefs about my memory abilities, I was able to reach in and pull some helpful ques from my past.

Corolla lovers, the RWD type from the 80′s, not the newer corollas of today, are big on hanging on to that front bumper or even replacing it with something better to aid in chassis strength. Perhaps it’s an attempt to bring out the inner Takumi or delivery driver, but I just don’t think anyone would have one of these tossable cars and not drive it. They know about chassis torsional flex and do a lot to avoid it. That’s a lot of words to say, we need to keep the strength in the lower bar. To improve on it even more, I pulled a que from Lou, former host of Muscle Car. Well he too was a stickler for chassis rigidity which resulted in chassis tricks for all sorts of unibody and frame based cars. He would basically trim out enough of a factoy connection and place strong tubing or box in key flex areas. I also thought back to a Trucks episode where they shortened a frame and rather than cut it straight, they cut down then over then down again to maximize te welding area. Whoever said you can’t learn something by watching tv?

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No one is going to mistake the Aveo for a Race car. Race cars are fast and very responsive. This article is about making the Aveo more responsive while keeping cash in my pocket.

First off, a personal definition of responsive. To me a car needs to feel responsive in a few areas. Throttle response, braking, and handling. This article will focus mostly on the handling aspect. Keep in mind this is an Aveo, so keeping the budget to a minimum while not harming fuel economy will limit some of the results, but can also make for more interesting reading into the world of Aveo tuning.

The most basic approach to improving a cars handling is lowering springs and large wheels with low profile tires. That’s “out of budget” for this project, Not only that, but there are so many other aspects involved in a cars ability to handle well. For example chassis rigidity and flex. Follow along for the other tricks to making a car handle without breaking any banks.

Lowering Springs: Lowering the center of gravity is a great way to reduce body roll and keep the car on track. This is by far the most popular method and looks good too. The key is to match the lowering springs with a good set of struts to avoid a bouncy ride. Springs run about $200. I decided to go with H&R as they were the only springs available at the time for the Aveo. Eibachs are now available, they don’t lower it as much, but I suspect the ride quality is better.

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