My SVX
 

:) I have just perchased my 92 SVX and drove it back to the Gold Coast from Woy-Woy NSW.
Fitted new 18x7.5 rims
I would like to now if the car can be lowered 50mm and if larger disk/brake system can be fitted
can anyone help :confused:

I can't help you with the question, but you got any pics of your new car.

Yes it can be lowered that much but trust me, you're going to have issues with speed bumps!

The Koni/Ground Control combo will allow you to lower that much plus give you the option to raise it back up if you find you're dragging all too often.

Hi

Great news!

Was it a silver triple tone with a towbar and rego SVX010??

Pics are compulsory!!

:D

You want to do what?
 

I don't want to rain on your parade, especially after you got yourself such a lovely car, but lowering does virtually nothing to the handling and IMHO doesn't do much for the looks. No need to get lower. If you do you will need to firm it up so much your kidneys will be passing blood for days after each drive.

The only thing that lowering your SVX will do is risk you putting holes into or (worse still) pulling your exhaust forcibly out from under the car. I have knocked back buying two SVX's because a quick look underneath will show very quickly that the car has been ridden hard over some bumps. Even my SVX #2 has some serious dents in the exhaust, and that has the stock suspension.

The Koni upgrade is apparently a top move, and many people have expressed how much it improves the handling. I'd stick with that for now. You'll have plenty more to spend money on, like transmission upgrades, anyway. :p

Moshol: Can you ask Brad to log in and advise us where he got his brake rotors from?

As for larger discs/rotors, you can import a set from the 'States, because they are made in wholesale quantaties over there. Check the Mod Mania part of this forum, and the questions are often asked and answered there. And it is a great thing to do, definitely.

I don't know whether you ever use and underground car-park or cross a pavement - but lowing 50 mm will definitely prevent you from doing so. thinking of all the gravel roads you have in Oz is even worse. IMHO lowering does very little to the looks, but if you do, don't go further than 20 mm.

Mine is all original and if I drive down the garage too fast - or worse, if I hit the brakes - the front hits the ground down the ramp. Be aware the car it is quite long before the front weels.

You would be better off putting in nolathene (sp??) bushings - see the ads in Hot4s/Fast4s for the suppliers (can't remember the name from here)

As for brakes, it can be done ('E' in Canberra who was working on a 5 speed conversion had fitted Liberty B4 brakes from memory) and there was an outfit (RaceBrakes Australia???) in Western Sydney near Eastern Creek who have done bits and pieces on Ferrari's and quoted $4000 for some AP Racing discs and calipers

but....

the question is why?

You will have insurance/engineering approval issues; the SVX is not and has never been a sports car but a grand tourer. With the WRX for example, the 'lower it/boost it' approach is building on what the car was already designed for...with the SVX, you would be trying to undo the skillset that FHI applied in getting a car that heavy to react in a manner comensurate with the type of car that it is - I would stay with the FHI engineering rather than a Parramatta Road, 'lower it fully sicccccccccck' mate outfit

That is not to say that you cannot push an SVX along at a fair old pace....I had taken mine on many Sunday morning runs with a group of like minded souls and you would be absolutely gobsmacked to see where the limits on the car are in stock form.....and to do that in supreme comfort, climate control purring away and select tunes on the CD player is something that a lowered ot the bumpstops car cannot do.

Seriously, bring the car to a decent suspension shop- get them to make sur everything is nice and tight, replace any bushings etc that are a bit worn (its 13 years old remember!) and fit a transmission cooler!!! (and don't don't don't don't use that towbar!!)

Upgrade the pads and get the discs replaced and drive it around for a while....will not cost that much and you can get an idea of whether you really want to go down what will be a very expensive route.

Please don't take this as anything other than some friendly advice - it is your car after all - but its a special and rare breed and needs to be treated accordingly!!

Cheers

James

Exactly. This is something I forgot to mention... The number of times I've smacked scraped the tie down points (look under the front of the car.. they look like little tow hooks/eylets), particularly driving into service stations from the other side of the road (as you are heading directly front on), or into a driveway that has an incline is countless. I'm usually very careful and it amazes me how many times I still do it.

On several cars (ones I did not buy), these have been bent and worn severely and indicate that the car has been hit repeatedly and/or hard on driveway entrances. This can lead to all sorts of problems as we are going into immovable object/irresistable force here. At absolute worst, you could crack subframes or jar components so hard that you could end up losing lines or busting bolts.

Cars are built to withstand shock and damage, and the SVX isn't exactly made of paper, but lowering one would increase the frequency at which you break stuff by doing exactly what myself, James and Radar are advising against.

Again, coming from experienced guys here this is friendly advice. I'd stick to the mods that people are already doing. If you are doing it to be individual - you already ARE an individual by having one of these wonderful cars! Simply by changing the rims you are different to most of the other SX's out there too!

That's why the ground control kit would be best. Find the ride height that's best for you. I love my kit (low in summer, high in winter).

Overwhelmed
 

Have you changed your mind yet allanr or are you feeling a little overwhelmed?

Some very extensive knowledge of lowering the baby has been passed on- aren't you lucky :) I totally agree- the joy of driving down car park ramps fast quickly fade when the unmistakable shaking crunch occurs and you think something from front of the car will surely drop off as you exit the car park- this is in my unlowered one.

Do you drive down to Sydney often?

Pete I think Paulie is the one with the brake rotors- do you mean the car you had to jump start? I hope sailing is going well.

Michelle

PS. Newport Claret (Karin & Tony) I have not seen you around the peninsula lately! Svx getting a little lonley. I was at woolies last night and scanned the car park ...

I remember there were two replacement rotors - Arthur had stockers as replacement and I was pretty sure it was brad that got the aftermarket slotted and cross drilled... but I could be wrong.

As for sailing, there is a ocean race (Sydney to Southport) in late July, and once the weather starts to warm up I'll try to get us a Saturday in the harbour :)