[1self]

Hey Guys!

This build has been 3 years in the making...& still not complete!

So let's start at the beginning of time....

Firstly i bought this car & chose to modify it (against a LOT of better candidates) is due to the following:

1. I wanted a powerful car to start with. This 2.7L V6 is the largest engine hyundai has ever got into this country...& looks like it will remain that way!

2. I knew the ENTIRE history of the car before i bought it...this was helped partly by the fact that this vehicle came to the same A.S.S. as my Elantra did. It had already been through 2 owners before & they had taken good care of it.

3. I am very well conversent with Hyundai in particular & have a LOT of support through my friends at the A.S.S. Therefore i wanted to get original hyundai parts insted of cheap knockoffs from neighbouring countries. I must say that this philosophy has served me very well in the past & continues to do so.

4. Hyundai has engine specs & run systems quite close to Mitsubishi...so with enough research i have been able to procure electrical & performance components which were meant for a Mitsu but which work perfectly in Hyundai vehicles!

Here is a pic of the donor car!

[1self]

Here are some more pics of the donor car.

Initially i gave to the A.S.S. to to the needful maintainance like brake rotors, pads, timing belt & drive belt changes etc. Needed the car in perfect form before mods began.

[1self]

Next came the immediate mods.

1. Tyre - Michilin Pilot Preceda - 225/50 R16.
2. Painting the mags greyish black.

So the end result was the car looking like this!

[1self]

Then was the time for the "REAL" mods. I wanted to port/ polish & groove the heads.

So i went all the way from Pune to Mysore to meet with Mr. Somender Singh of the "Grooves" fame. This man is the grand-daddy of old-school modders & a thorough gentleman.

I was there in Mysore for 10 days while he opened up the Sonata & worked his magic.

Here are the pics!

[1self]

Then began the next satge of mods!
I happen to be going to South Korea, so i got myself the following:

1. Steel braided brake lines
2. Nology plug wires.
3. 12 inch big brake kit...(OEM from the larger Hyundai Azera)
4. LED Angel Eyes.
5. Strut tower brace
6. Stiffer rear anti-roll bar
7. Voltage stabilizer
8. Eathing Kit

From Pune, i got the K&N Apollo CAI.

The pics:

[1self]

Than came the MOST MAJOR MOD of all: Converting the automatic tranny to manual!
This was the most difficult of all...obviously!

The tranny i looked at was from the Sonata Gold (5 speed). I got a used tranny & associated axles, starter motor, differentials quite cheaply in Mumbai.

My good friend (a top ex-hyundai technician) did the whole thing!
We also put the battery in the boot!...far better weight distribution that way!

Pics:

[1self]

Now that the car has comparitively lesser weight than before... a total of 50 kg reduction in the front, she turns so hard that i slide sideways on my seat!

Then came the paint job & the bonnet grill:



More mods yet to come!

Cheers!

[desideep]

nice mods. a dumb question what does those groves do?

[1self]

Originally Posted by desideep

nice mods. a dumb question what does those groves do?

Read up on grooves yaar on this forum! Very informative! Also you can visit somender-singh.com!

[1self]

So now the car looks like this!

[1self]

More mods as follows:

1. Air intake suction funnel
2. Custom Clutch from Exedy via N1 Racing...with Single Mass Flywheel. Had to go custom as there is NO manual clutch for this combo & the 6 speed Tiburon clutch will not fit! I went through 3 brand-new clutches of turbo diesel cars (Crdi Elantra) in 3 days! THAT is the kind of torque this engine now produces!

Pics:

[sudev]

Any specific input on before and after grooves? Was the engine already in need of an overhaul before you went to Mysore?

Any changes in ECM/ECU mapping?

[1self]

Sudev, the engine was just fine. I went for the grooves & porting. I plan to go FI in this car (about 5-8 psi). So to give knock resistance, i went for the grooves.

No changes yet for mapping. She is already a handful beyond 3000 rpm!...& she revs to 6500!

Originally Posted by sudev

Any specific input on before and after grooves? Was the engine already in need of an overhaul before you went to Mysore?

Any changes in ECM/ECU mapping?

[brraj]

I was about to pick it up for its power and cheap price but only thing stopped me was its mileage.

Other wise its

- Got most of the safety features.
- Lovely car with lot of scope to increase power.
- Big car feel

how much did it cost you for all the mods and car?

[ajmat]

Brilliant, would like to know more on how you are modifying the handling