https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...t=best+exhaust

 

This thread is a riot. Performance mods for a "luxury" SUV. Cold air intakes, exhausts, removing components, wrapping pipes, this is funny stuff.

 

Most RX owners don't care much about RX's underpowered engine, soft suspension, and marginal braking . Luxury does not equate to less performance IMHO.

 

Yet, there are those who do (like me) and want to improve on the machine. For some time, I have given serious thought to a turbo or supercharger on my RX. I just see it as a challenge. My buddies tell me to go get a Supra or an SC400.

I took a recent look at http://www.ststurbo.com/

At my local 1/4 mile track here in Mexico, we have old Volkswagen Beetles and Caribes (Rabbits) that destroy everything in sight with the addition of a turbocharger, oversized pistons, etc. Somebody thought why not take an otherwise underpowered vehicle and make a laughing stock of more powerful cars.

I saw this vehicle in cardomain.com not too long ago, http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/592151

Not sure what to make of it.

 

Far be it from me to tell you what to do with your own car, but I think anyone who tries to force a family car into being a "performance" car has their priorities backwards. I've owned/built '60s muscle cars, and most recently built-up an '02 Trans Am, and those cars are built for speed. A 6-cylinder Toyota SUV is not. Not only will the modifications yield minimal results (outside of forced induction), in the end you'll have spent more time and money than if you had just bought a performance car to begin with. But I'm sure you already knew that.....

 

Performance is relative. No one is expecting a SUV to beat out a Convette here.
Even within the midsize luxury SUV (e.g. MDX, not to mention the newer FX and Cayenne), RX's is behind in performance. Many people just want to add gas, drive, and believe RX's is a perfectly designed machine. However, there are few who want to improve because the satisfication of understanding how car works, finding ways to improve, and customizing to individual needs. Guess which group care about their RX more?
Honda Accord is also supposed to be a family sedan, but there is a lot people "tuning" the heck out of it. I guess more Accord owners have their priority backward then

 

A highpowered RX300...I just like the ring about that. I could have gotten something more powerful, but at our track and with people I meet they really like my RX and my mods. However, buddies with powerful rice rockets, run of the mill to everyone else.

 

I like your reasoning, but your assessment is wrong. Customizing/modifying your car doesn't mean you care about your car more than someone who leaves it stock. Respect the limits of your car, and it will give you many years of reliable service. I agree that the RX has less HP than an FX45 or an MDX - but this is not a performance-based segmant of the consumer market. An Accord is also a family car, and while some people push the limits of their drivetrains with modifications, in the end it's still a family car that will break when pushed beyond reasonable limits (and the threshold for "reasonable limits" on these types of cars are much lower than those of a car built for performance from the factory).

I know where you're coming from, because I used to think the way you do (many years ago). But after spending a lot of time and money, I've learned that some cars just aren't meant to be messed with, and it's apparent to me that the RX is one of those cars. I haven learned to enjoy my cars for what they were intended for, and when I want speed/performance, I have my WS6 to drive. For every other time, I have my RX. Like I said before, it's your car, do as you like. But if you truly think that because you modify your car that you now become more entitled to own that car (i.e. care more about your car), you have a real problem.

 

Go for turbo, do you have room in the engine bay? Might need a tranny cooler to handle additional horses from the boost.

 

If that picture I posted earlier is right, there should be plenty of room in the engine bay for me to go ahead and do this, as the engine placement is similar between the Estima and the RX300. The remote turbo system from Squires is a possibility. I am told that system does not require an intercooler (or muffler), however, I am not sure about placement beneath the vehicle as of yet.

I think there is a tranny cooler already there given the package I have, but maybe I need to use a better one.

Too bad TRD never came out with 1MZ-FE supercharger for those of us with VVTI models. I heard it is unreliable if used with an VVTI system. Yet, heard rumors from friends in Australia and Japan that this is on the horizon.

Personally, as I mentioned before, I want to do something with my RX that has not necessarily been done before. Challenge the impossible or very difficult.

 

I agree age has a lot to do with it Probably spend more time but not necessary $, it depends on what modification is done.
I replaced my rotors because NY road salt rusted OEM ones so much that I can hear whistles at 5mph. Dealer wants $1000 to replace all four, I got better products professionally installed at $500. Other owners may care about safety and replacement costs, but not to the extend of researching aftermarket products. By no mean I am putting "stock " owners down, but I think there is a major opinon here that "OEM design is the best because Toyota has spend $ and time to design this car so it must be perfect". I don't believe that is correct.

 

Here is another mod, the TTE Kompressor for the RX300,

http://www.tte.de/tuning/website/pro...ompressor1.pdf
Description

http://www.tte.de/tuning/website/pro...ompressor2.pdf
Dyno numbers

Note horsepower numbers you see in the links (stock), reflect Europe.

 

I see that you've finally agreed with me.

Heat wrap on the exhaust offers virtually no performance benefit, and may damage the exhaust system as a result. The better options are to install muffler and catalyst converter that provide better air flow. Coffee can exhaust tip is usually worthless, but can't beat the look.

 

I wrapped downpipe from the header, exhaust pipes after the cat, NOT the manifold header. Properly heat paint cured wraps will insulate pipes from road salt, rock chips, and keep the engine bay cooler. Header I plan to Jet Hot coat it if I can find an aftermarket one that gives less back pressure.
You mentioned that people run AC to intake to keep air cool, if you are sucking air from behind the driver headlight, why lower the temperature of receipant when you can control the source? Even if you have a CAI to inlet air outside the engine bay, guess what your intake tubes going to the throttle body will do when your exhaust system heat up the engine bay?

 

We are getting off topic. Let me PM you on this one.