Beat Tuning

[bibbles]

Hey guys, so basically, there's no where to find information as the the result of tuning the beat, or what you can really do. It's mentioned that you can chip it, but never the result of that is other than delimiting...

Anyway, a bit frustrated, I'm starting this thread. What modifications can one make, performance wise, and what are the results? I'm trying to decide between an AZ-1, a Beat, and a Cappuccino, and as things stand, I leaning away from the beat because, tho I love it's styling, and the longer wheel base, there's no information about it anywhere.


The mods I've seen mentioned:

Chipping it
ECU replacement
Headers
Stacks/Horns
Turbo? (There's a turbo version of the engine I hear...)

And Back Yard Special's crazy B18 Beat, but I'm not sure what that would involve, or if I would be up to it.

[Wh1teLeopard]

They are very highly tuned cars as standard to be honest. Mine has a chipped ecu, the little throttle body funnels, oversized pistons and rings and an exhaust system, but there isn't really much else I can do to it.

It's an old fragile engine now, and the more I push it the more often it breaks. Like my friend says the candle that burns twice as bright last half as long.

Depends how much money you were looking to spend?

I'd recommend a test drive of each car, if that's possible, see what you think afterwards, you may not want to do much to the engine on a beat once you hear the noise it makes hee hee

[bibbles]

Not really possible sadly... Really they break down like this:

Cappu: Solid after market, lots of torque, especially in the later k6a models, can be taken to 150bhp with relative ease. Looks ok stock, nice body kits.

Beat: Cheapest. Looks great, weak after market, but it exists, fantastic engine (reminds me of my favorite engine, the 4AGE 20v), not a lot of torque so it's a bit slow to accelerate.

AZ-1: Mu'fugg'n gullwing doors. Same engine as early Cappus, so it can use most of the engine tuning parts, but other than that, there's basically nothing. Love it or leave it looks, and I'm not sure where I stand.

I wonder how hard a B16 swap would be... You'd have to adjust the suspension, and fab mounts... if it even fits. But oh what a feeling it'd give you.

PS. Always thought your beat was off the f*****g chain.

[Yojimbo!]

As I see it, the problem with tuning a Beat is going to be that both parts and engines if you blow one are effectively unavailable short of buying new from Honda… big money. Although the engines are easily available on Japhoo, shipping is problematic and so expensive it me be nearly as cheap to by a Beat of FleaBay here and break it if the situation arose.

[LawrenceHarding]

Some years back there was talk on the site about fitting a bike engine. Japanese preformance car issue 47 ( copy on ebay at time of posting under honda beat) has article about beat with nitrous. If you're thinking about engine swappery how about the daihatsu charade gtti (993cc 12valve turbo which can apparently take up to 28psi boost). Only a suggestion as I'm content with standard beat.

[bibbles]

If you're thinking about engine swappery how about the daihatsu charade gtti (993cc 12valve turbo which can apparently take up to 28psi boost). Only a suggestion as I'm content with standard beat.

Well, That sounds far better suited to the Beat, but there's a swap kit (or soon will be one) for the B16 which is why I was looking at that. I'm not really sure how much would be involved in the swap, if the B16 uses a cable tranny that makes things much easier...

Wiring will likely be a headache tho. Waiting to hear back from the guy about it...

[Yojimbo!]

I've got a Japanese article on a Beat with a B16, it's a squeeze but it does fit… and goes like hell! Even a basic B16 chucks out 160BHP. Cable tx is no problem with a B16. Personally, I think the D16 with 90-125BHP would be a better bet and are readily available in Civics

The same magazine had a Beat fitted with an automatic TX from a Honda Life, basically the same engine as the Beat.

I'd be interested iof you had a link to that B16 conversion. The problem the Beat will always face in the UK is the zero availablity of replacement E07A engines.

[bibbles]

I've got a Japanese article on a Beat with a B16, it's a squeeze but it does fit… and goes like hell! Even a basic B16 chucks out 160BHP. Cable tx is no problem with a B16. Personally, I think the D16 with 90-125BHP would be a better bet and are readily available in Civics

The same magazine had a Beat fitted with an automatic TX from a Honda Life, basically the same engine as the Beat.

I'd be interested iof you had a link to that B16 conversion. The problem the Beat will always face in the UK is the zero availablity of replacement E07A engines.

Apparently the F6A and K6A are used in snowmobiles and there are lots of people who've dealt with them in California which is why I was leaning toward a Cappu/Cara/AZ-1...

As for the swap: I was looking around for info on importing a Kei to the USA and I found a thread on some other forums or something and wound up on his Facebook. I asked where he got it and everything, and he reffered me to some guy in Canada (possibly on this forum) who's an Kei enthusiast. I emailed him about Beats and stuff, he mentioned the kit he was working on... But he hasn't really said much more about it.

I've pretty much decided that if the kit exists, and is reasonably priced, I'm getting a beat, if not, I probably wont. The engine expertise around here concerning the other two/three is fairly priceless.

Why the D16 by the by? They are both 1.6l engines... perhaps you think the lesser power might suit the Beat better... I guess finding new suspension to take the extra weight might also be relevant. To tell the truth, I would totally swap in a 4age 20v as it is, IMO, the greatest motor ever, but it doesn't use a cable tranny which is just one more headache... (dude, the wiring, snap)

[Yojimbo!]

Why not the B16? I don't think 160+BHP in a Beat is going to be a daily driver…

One engine I am looking into is the SMART engines, they are very similar in layout to the Beats EO7A, (Slant 3 layout, RWD rear engine) and readily available. Now that Mitsubishi are part of the Mercedes empire they are supplying their Kei engines for the newer SMARTS…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_3B2_engine

[DaX]

Ah, You're the one I was chatting with on Facebook, Bibbles. Where in the USA are you located?

[JamesJT]

The mitsubishi engine is also the one going into to new AC Ace, 61, 75 or turbo'd 84bhp. Can't wait for this car to come out, I'm trying to buy the 1st one!

The old 698cc smart engine was good for at least 110bhp and sounded great but it only revs to 6500. Part of the fun from a Beat is the 9000 rev limit.

If money was no object you could get Z cars to put a bike engine in a beat. 180bhp and a sequential 'box sounds like fun but you'd be looking at £10k, Then you'd need better brakes, stiffer suspension, body stiffening, etc.

I've always modified my cars in the past but improving one thing shows up weaknesses somewhere else and the bills just keep comming. Better just to buy a faster car in the first place.

James

[Yojimbo!]

http://www.smartuki.com/prices.html

[Yojimbo!]

Nice!!!!

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/first_o...sid=336&page=2

[Mylee]

http://www.smartuki.com/prices.html

Interesting read. There's some nutters out there!

[JamesJT]

That £9000 kit adds independent suspension and disc brakes to the rear of a smart. Both these things you get free with a honda Beat.

J

[Wh1teLeopard]

http://www.smartuki.com/prices.html

Damn you, now you have put ideas in my head for my smart

[Yojimbo!]

That £9000 kit adds independent suspension and disc brakes to the rear of a smart. Both these things you get free with a honda Beat.

J

Yes, but does it do 0-60 sub 5 seconds

[JamesJT]

My ford focus does 0-60mph quicker than a Beat, come to think of it, so does almost any other car on the road. If we were bothered about 0-60 we wouldn't buy Beats.

J

[bibbles]

http://www.smartuki.com/prices.html

You know, You could PROBABLY fit that into a Beat... It's grossly over priced tho...

I wonder what a good shop would charge to put in another engine, I was told $2,000US for another rather involved project (labor only obv) but hey, if a B16 costs... between 1k and 2.5k, that's not too much for a VERY solid drive train... You'd just have to worry about finding new suspension and breaks.

I do agree, 150-190hp might be a bit much, really, an F6A or a K6A would be great if transverse transmission were easy to find. The exists, as they are in the AZ-1, however, few were make I'd expect... You can tune those to 150bhp without too much trouble tho, and there's a lot of know how out there as they are used in both the Cappuccino and snowmobiles...

I'm still unsure about the Cappuccino v Beat thing... I think the more time goes by, the more I think the Cappu might just be easier to deal with.

[JamesJT]

Simple choice: Do you want a mini NSX(Acura) or a mini MX-5(Eunos)? Does that make it easier for you?

J