Thinking about trading in the CR-Z for a Fiat 500 Abarth, thoughts?

[Harry Da Hamster]

I would suggest skipping the BOV if the vehicle has a Mass Airflow Sensor (MAF) which it most likely has instead of a Manifold Absolute Pressure Sensor (MAP). A BOV will vent metered air which will cause the engine to stumble slightly between shifts.

And look into a tune. I'm not sure whats available (if anything) for the Abarth but since its a Turbo vehicle, i'm sure a tune would be well worth the money.

[DetailKitty]

Well I saw a guy on one of the forums selling an alcanterra shiftboot that also had wheels for sale and had 215's on it. Not the same car but I had 225/45's on my R56, BFG KDW2's, horrible tire @10K, looked great and has smooth sidewalls.

I'm sure I'm going to need more rubber on the road, especially on the Dragon this fall, guess we'll find out. The car has a 3 mode traction control system, full on, push the TC once and it let's you have a little "more" fun and then the last one makes you hold the TC button down for 10 seconds and its full off, I will not be using that mode on the Dragon, don't think I have the skill to do that as I've had no professional training and I'll admit it here to everyone, don't have the balls for it either. That said I do push pretty hard on the Dragon IMO but it probably has more to do with the fact that I know the "nannies" will take care of me!

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Nice- I run 215s on the MINI.

I'm sorry I am missing the Dragon with you... I'd love to see how your car handles down there!

[Klasse Act]

Nice- I run 215s on the MINI.

I'm sorry I am missing the Dragon with you... I'd love to see how your car handles down there!

We'll miss you and your hubby for sure, I just know you guys are a riot! That said, my wife and I are talking about doing the Million Dollar Highway in 2015, maybe you guys can join us there, come into Chicago the day before we head out and then we can meet up for the 1200 mile drive to get there, lots of driving just getting there but the reward is worth it, google that road!

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[DetailKitty]

We'll miss you and your hubby for sure, I just know you guys are a riot! That said, my wife and I are talking about doing the Million Dollar Highway in 2015, maybe you guys can join us there, come into Chicago the day before we head out and then we can meet up for the 1200 mile drive to get there, lots of driving just getting there but the reward is worth it, google that road!

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I'll have to look that one up!

A bunch of my friends are doing MINI Takes the States in July... 4,000 miles in 10 days. Sounds like a blast, but July is a black-out month for me at work.

[Klasse Act]

I'll have to look that one up!

A bunch of my friends are doing MINI Takes the States in July... 4,000 miles in 10 days. Sounds like a blast, but July is a black-out month for me at work.

Not sure what a "black-out" month is but 4000 miles in 10 days, WOW! So is it a 4000 loop or how does that work exactly?

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[Klasse Act]

I would suggest skipping the BOV if the vehicle has a Mass Airflow Sensor (MAF) which it most likely has instead of a Manifold Absolute Pressure Sensor (MAP). A BOV will vent metered air which will cause the engine to stumble slightly between shifts.

And look into a tune. I'm not sure whats available (if anything) for the Abarth but since its a Turbo vehicle, i'm sure a tune would be well worth the money.

Yeah there's several piggy-back systems and I just ordered the 500 Madness one, seems to be the most reliable, smoothest and reliable, so I went with it. That will be combined with a good SRI, so the car will be transformed into a little beast! Have to check into the various BOVs offered but its on the back burner right now, I can only do so much right now but the plan after the initial modding will be one perf mod per year, probably wait on the pulley as I can wait for the belt replacement that happens with that mod, so I'm going to say the modded TB will be next year, time will tell.

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[DetailKitty]

Not sure what a "black-out" month is but 4000 miles in 10 days, WOW! So is it a 4000 loop or how does that work exactly?

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Black out means I cannot take time off from work during that time.

No loop- it's going from San Diego to Boston, stopping in a different city every day.
Some people are even driving out to the start point before it even starts!

Too much driving for me- I need beach time on my vacation

[Klasse Act]

Black out means I cannot take time off from work during that time.

No loop- it's going from San Diego to Boston, stopping in a different city every day.
Some people are even driving out to the start point before it even starts!

Too much driving for me- I need beach time on my vacation

That's a cool trip but more than 4000 miles depending where your coming from, in your case it would be what, 8000 miles?! In cars like ours we'd really earn our stripes for sure, LOL! The Million Dollar Highway aka route 550 is about 1200 miles from me, one way and just there and back is what I did on my honeymoon last fall doing the Dragon, Charahola Skyway, Moonshiners route all the way to GA as well as driving to the Devil's Triangle, so doing the MDH run would probably be about 3000 miles. Its hard to get another couple to go as our friends have kids in shool but it would be better to have another couple or two to do that run. I saw a show on some cable channel called "Dangerous Roads" and the MDH came up, so it peaked my interest. Elevation goes to 10K+ and parts of the road have NO guard rails as there's no where to put the sign! The scenery is stunning and like I tell everyone about the Dragon, drive it like Grandma is in the car the first time, so I'll be doing just that while doing this run! As you know Monica and anyone else who's done the Dragon its like a long autoX track, point and click and not too much shifting or high speeds due to how many curves there are, so IMO the Dragon would be safer than say the MDH run because of the elevation and grades that come along with it, speed and momentuem are a BAD combination while on a road like the MDH or Cherahola Skyway for instance.

I can't wait to go out and hustle the new car out there this fall!

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[DetailKitty]

That's a cool trip but more than 4000 miles depending where your coming from, in your case it would be what, 8000 miles?! In cars like ours we'd really earn our stripes for sure, LOL! The Million Dollar Highway aka route 550 is about 1200 miles from me, one way and just there and back is what I did on my honeymoon last fall doing the Dragon, Charahola Skyway, Moonshiners route all the way to GA as well as driving to the Devil's Triangle, so doing the MDH run would probably be about 3000 miles. Its hard to get another couple to go as our friends have kids in shool but it would be better to have another couple or two to do that run. I saw a show on some cable channel called "Dangerous Roads" and the MDH came up, so it peaked my interest. Elevation goes to 10K+ and parts of the road have NO guard rails as there's no where to put the sign! The scenery is stunning and like I tell everyone about the Dragon, drive it like Grandma is in the car the first time, so I'll be doing just that while doing this run! As you know Monica and anyone else who's done the Dragon its like a long autoX track, point and click and not too much shifting or high speeds due to how many curves there are, so IMO the Dragon would be safer than say the MDH run because of the elevation and grades that come along with it, speed and momentuem are a BAD combination while on a road like the MDH or Cherahola Skyway for instance.

I can't wait to go out and hustle the new car out there this fall!

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It's way too long for me... the MINI is not a good long distance, highway car. Most of the mods I've done have made it a very harsh ride, and more are on their way (insert mwahahahahaha laugh). The 1st Gens were a hard ride to begin with- you can't compare the ride to the 2nd Gen.

You are definitely right about the Dragon... I stay in 2nd for most of it. Doesn't seem fast, but it is plenty for that road... and it helps that I have a high revving car.

Cherohola was fun- that is a fast road.... our group was averaging 80 thru it.

And FYI- my husband hit 127 on Hell Bender

[Klasse Act]

I couldn't agree more about the MINI (R53) not being a good highway car. At my old job back home before I moved out to Chicagoland my then boss flew me down to West Palm Beach to drive a modded R53 back to Detroit. This car had a full Cosworth tune, coilovers, 40 series summer tires and a fixed Sparco race seat, good thing the guy was only a few inches taller than me, LOL! Talk about a stiff ride, even going through FLA, GA and Tenn you could tell. I drove that car all the way to Sweetwater TN, hmm, wonder why I stopped there, LOL! Got there at 2:30 a.m. and asked for a wake up call at 6:30 a.m. where I drove to Tellico Plains TN for breakfast, hmmm, wonder why I went there, LOL! I proceeded up the Cherahola Skyway and started to notice snow on the shoulders (it was a week before Easter) and just about to the NC state line came around that corner and for about 30 ft both lanes were covered in slush....EEEEEK! Got on the clampers, pulled over and went back down where I came from because the elevation was only going to get higher and I had no idea what it was going to be like. Temps went from 53 to 33 too. Tried to go all the way around to get onto the Dragon but the rockslide wasn't cleaned up and the road was still closed, so no go there either!

Then driving into the midwest came the stiff suspension rearing its head, horrible, so yeah, modded MINI and long drives....tough! The R56 was pretty comfortable but unreliable but that's a story for another day!

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