Evaluation: My Installed RRM Mods

[AFREaKA.Man]

Okay folks, I've put over 800 miles on my Kizashi since I added RRM's Carbon Fiber Bumper Cap, Catback Exhaust, and Power Pulley, so I think that it's been long enough for a fair assessment.

First off, I still hold to my previous assessment of RRM's Short Ram Intake and Piggyback ECU--which, for those who never read my previous post, is to say that I definitely believe that the Kizashi is noticeably more responsive. Neck-snapping power on take-offs? No, not even close, but it does soak up some of that initial CVT lag, and the engine seems to pull better throughout the powerband. Please note that almost all of my driving is done using the manual mode and I like to open the engine up and rev through the powerband before shifting. That being said, gas mileage has not shown any improvement, but I think it's equally important to mention that I haven't seen it drop off any either.

Although, I installed the SRI and Piggyback ECU myself, and later installed the bumper cap, I'm not a mechanic. So I took my Kiz to my local garage and had them install my RRM Power Pulley. For what it's worth, my mechanic was very impressed with the build quality and styling of the car. After having the Power Pulley installed my mechanic handed me the OEM crank pulley. Wow, big difference in weight. How much of a difference did I notice with it on? Well, it did seem like the engine revved through the powerband faster, but honestly I just don't think the Kiz has enough horses to really take advantage of it for the driver to really feel a significant difference. I like knowing it's there, as I think that it's cumulative effect with the rest of the upgrades does make a difference.

Next, I had the Catback installed. This, my friends, is not an option that's suited for everyone. The Catback makes the Kiz sound like a complete beast--think Godzilla. Unfortunately, my wife didn't appreciate the absolute roar of the Catback and went from wanting to drive my car every chance she got to not wanting to even be around it. However, seeing my disappointment with her reaction, she tried to adapt and accept this new addition. After thinking things over, I decided that while I liked the sound, the CVT-equipped Kiz's performance didn't quite match the roar. So, I took my Kiz to a local Custom Exhaust shop and asked them to install a resonator to tame the beast a bit. They asked me to pull the Kiz into one of their car bays, stating that my car was waaaay to new and nice-looking for them to climb inside with their overalls. When I fired up the engine and pulled it in, four of their techs' eyes lit up followed quickly by smiles. They said they loved the exhaust note and said if they were me, that they wouldn't change a thing. They also loved the nickel plating on the Catback system.

After pesonally weighing the pros and cons, I decided to go ahead and get a chambered resonator installed on it ($86 including labor) and I'm really glad I did. Although I liked the Catback's roar before, I didn't like that it drowned out the SRI's growl--not to mention the fact that it interferred with the ability to properly appeciate the Kiz's excellent factory Rockford Fosgate sound system. What I have now is, for me, the perfect compromise--I get to hear the SRI, appreciate the stereo, and enjoy the beefier roar of the toned-down Catback. Did I lose anything performance-wise by having the chambered resonator installed? Yep, the Kiz definitely doesn't rev through the rpms as quickly... and honestly, overall I'm okay with that because for me, it's a better daily driver.

As far as the overall performance gains obtained from installing the RRM mods, it definitely is noticeable more responsive, sounds and looks better, and has made owning the Kizashi even more unique than it is already--and since this is my first time modding a car, I think it's been fun and is pretty cool. Of course this isn't for everyone. I haven't seen ANY mpg gains, but again, I haven't seen it decline either. I've mentioned that it feels more responsive, but is it that much quicker and more powerful? I definitely think it's a little quicker and a little more powerful, but not leaps and bounds. It definitely feels sportier and more enjoyable, and because of that and the pros I've already posted, it's been totally worth it for me. Is it worth it to you? Only you can decide that. All I know is, RRM has been a really good experience for me and I definitely recommend them.

Next for me, I'm looking into the real possibility of adding a lower-pressured turbo. Apparently it's been done on a 2.5 CVT Altima, so I believe it can be done on the Kizashi. Now it just comes down to money, and that could be a stumbling block. However, if I am able to get one installed someday, you can rest assured that I'll share my experience with that too.

Peace,

[robs48]

thanks for such a lenghty , honest assessment.Much appreciated.

[AFREaKA.Man]

robs48,

It's my pleasure and I'm glad I can help. I'm very happy with what I've done with my Kiz so I have to pull the reigns back and keep myself grounded so that I don't sound like a salesman. So, I'm not sure if I conveyed enough positives or not, but I can answer that classic question--if I knew then what I know now, would I still do what I did? Answer: Absolutely!

[bjspinner]

Interesting about the catback exhaust, I have just put mine on and I can't stand the noise of it.
Off to fit a resonator asap.
How did you go for fitment of the catback? I had a lot of trouble as my car is the AWD and the system hits the rear subframe on the left side when you hit bumps.
Did you fit one resonator behind the muffler or one for each side behind where the tailpipes come out. Was the noise drop considerable after fitment of the resonator (Does your wife like do drive it again).
For me best mod ECU piggyback and the RRM rear bar.

[AFREaKA.Man]

Bjspinner,

I had the same problem with the catback hitting my rear sway bar. This was from the install from my local garage--they didn't do anything wrong, and it looked like everything was well placed when the car was on the lift, but apparently that's because the suspension didn't have tension on it. I only know this because I had to take it back to the Custom Exhaust Shop two different times after they installed the resonator because of the metal on metal vibration. The second time back they found the problem and fired up their torches and simply bent the hangers slightly after heating them up. It didn't take much of an adjustment but it totally fixed the problem. So yeah, it might be possible that RRM might need to slightly alter the hanger angles to properly accommodate the AWD versions like we have.

Regarding the resonator, I had a chambered Thunderbolt resonator (I was told a pass-through resonator wouldn't tone down the noise level much at all) installed and personally, I think it's perfect. They really only had one option as to where they could install it--it's located just before the "Y" of the exhaust. I'll note that while there's not much wiggle room, it fits perfectly. As far as the sound, it's a much more powerful, aggressive, and race car-esque exhaust note than the fairly tamed stock exhaust. However, it's not the teeth-rattling roar of a track car that the catback starts to resemble (probably an exageration, but you get the idea of what I'm getting at). And yes, my wife truthfully likes driving and riding in my Kizashi again.

[Nunya_Binnez]

What are the chances of you posting some video of the finished product. I'd love to hear how it sounds.

NDB

[billj]

It has been many months since posting on this forum . I am still a pleased owner of my Kizashi S vehicle which has included the various RRM upgrades . I have approximately 35,000 trouble free miles and would highly recommend those few upgrades to which I installed. I have never had the vehicle on a chassis dyno nor at a track but firmly believe my weight reduction of near 20 lbs along with the reported increase of power of near 20 is very realistic. I have to admit that I have kept very good fuel logs,my overall average of 30 mpg with this setup is realistic. This setup is fun to drive.

[ROCK]

Most everyone is happy with our goodies. Lets say they put the icing on the cake. Kizashi is a great car to start but needs some refinements here and there in all categories. Once you do those things, there seems to be another level that can be reached in performance and looks.

ROAD/RACE