[DRIV3R]

She looks great with the OZs. The wider track is just going to enhance the already superb handling of the car, not to mention that these alloys are lighter than the OEM ones.

As we discussed, upsize to 205 section tyres when you are throwing out the acceleres. She would look more hot then!

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by Auto freak

It's time for that update I've always wanted to post! The stock alloys are gone and OZ is in!

The car I mean your (B)ride looks Sexy now with the OZ. Was there anything offered for the stock alloys when you were changing them?

Originally Posted by Auto freak

The wheels are OZ (Envy) 15" 98 PCD running the same stock tyres that are good to go for another 7~10K kms.

I envy the car now. Congrats on the mod job. Hats off to BHP'ian DRIV3R for the help that he did in this whole process.

Originally Posted by Auto freak

The track is now a wee bit wider given the slightly higher offset of this wheel.
That translates to what I feel to be better straight line road holding and a slightly heavier steering in corners taken at higher speeds.

Just asking in curiosity - won't these wide track and upsize affect the suspension and ride quality? I know you would have researched well before jumping into the purchase.

Anurag.

[Auto freak]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

The car I mean your (B)ride looks Sexy now with the OZ. Was there anything offered for the stock alloys when you were changing them?

I envy the car now. Congrats on the mod job. Hats off to BHP'ian DRIV3R for the help that he did in this whole process.

Just asking in curiosity - won't these wide track and upsize affect the suspension and ride quality? I know you would have researched well before jumping into the purchase.

Anurag.

Hahaa Thanks Anurag!
True, but for driv3r's help I wouldn't have been able to get hold of these wheels.
He is a Punto encyclopedia!

About the track, it's only slightly wider.
The offset of the OZ wheels is 37mm while that of the stock alloys is 41mm IIRC.
So the track width (distance between wheel center lines) has increased by 8mm

I honestly have no idea of whether this 8mm increase in track is within acceptable limits! :P
But it feels alright. If not, its slightly better in road holding.

Also, the OZ are 7J (7 inch width) while the Stock wheels were 6J (6 inch wide).
My half-baked calculations work out that the outer edge of each OZ wheel is pushed out by around 16.5mm even when the track width increase is only 8mm.

It's not an upsize in terms of rim diameter.
It's the same 15" as the stock alloys, running stock tyres and so no impact on speedo and odo readings as well.

The ride quality feels the same as before.

[Auto freak]

Got Tigress's music system upgraded today!

Earlier Setup:
HU: Stock factory fitted HU
Front Speakers: 6.5" components on the door - JBL GTO S649 C
Rear Speakers: 6x9" Morel Maxximos on aftermarket parcel tray
Amp: None
Sub: None

While this set up was quite a good improvement over what it was right out of the showroom, I was still left wanting for clarity and the bass sounded distorted at higher volumes.

This meant I had to keep volume low and I eventually even switched completely to 80's music because it suited the set up better!

It was when I happened to listen to Driv3r's Punto to which he had recently added a 4 channel amp and a 12" sub, that the ICE upgrade bug caught me! It sounded much much better than mine and I fell for it!

The new setup:
HU: Stock factory fitted HU
Front Speakers: 6.5" components on the door - JBL GTO S649 C
Rear Speakers: None
Amp: 4 channel - Ground Zero GZIA 4115HPX
Sub: 10" Ground Zero GZ-A10W

The installation was done at SpeedFreaks, Anna Nagar. Mr.Karthik the proprietor is such an audiophile and clearly knows what he does and loves it too! He understood my requirement and answered all the noob questions I had!

My Requirements:
> I wanted to stick with the stock HU (no pre-outs) as I was keen on the looks of the front fascia.
> Requirement was a system that is not so bass heavy but with clarity and balance across the whole range of frequencies with that 'right' amount of 'tight' bass in what was being played
> Playlist is a wild mix of anything from movie songs (80s and the most recent ones) to some pop and rock as well.
> All within a budget of 20K.

The job done:
He suggested the above set up. I was initially concerned about completely doing away with the rear speakers. But the HU has no pre-outs and there is going to be only a single 4 channel amp with 2 channels powering the front components and the other 2 channels bridged to power the sub. So there was no way that the rear speakers could be accommodated. Being single in the car more than 90 percent of the time, I felt this may not be a deal breaker.

The entire wiring has been redone. The front component mounts have been made tighter to avoid air leaks. Being on a tight budget, damping has been restricted to only the area around the speaker mounts. Door foam sheets have been used on both the front doors to improve sealing.

Initial impressions:
Karthik took quite a good amount of time in tuning the system just right. Not heavy on either higher or lower frequencies. It sounds balanced and just right for the sort of music I listen. So perfect for me that it is better than what I had expected. And I do not miss the rear speakers!

The bass is not heavy, just the right amount but still tight and the components sound much better and clear than they were before. No distortion or vibration at any volume level. I was left grinning ear to ear when the installation was complete!

At the end, the expense however shot way over the budget landing at 28K including installation charges! This certainly is expensive. But for what I have got, a perfect install made just for me (at around my planned budget :P) by a professional installer who understood just what I wanted, I feel it is justified!

Sorry that I don't have any proper photos with me as of now. Shall update pictures soon.

[godwinrighthere]

Hi I own a Punto electric red which I have bought before a month. I am planning to add a spoiler. However, I would like to add one like in the picture. Which color in your opinion would be the best fit for a red Punto?

[Auto freak]

Originally Posted by godwinrighthere

Hi I own a Punto electric red which I have bought before a month. I am planning to add a spoiler. However, I would like to add one like in the picture. Which color in your opinion would be the best fit for a red Punto?

That spoiler looks cool!
I have seen this on a couple of Puntos and quite liked it.
Can you share where you sourced it from and cost?

About the colour, its more of a personal preference, isnt it?
I would personally like it in the same colour as the car. Or black if you have a black roof or black alloys that would complement it.

[gigatech2006]

Auto freak,

I just booked a punto from rdc fiat. The smoked headlamps look lovely on your punto. Please can you tell me how and where you did that. I'm planning for some stickering too, subdued though. Thanks in advance!