minor tuning project - advice/opinions

Hi all,

i have a low mileage 3dr mk1 punto, an 85hp version. Cracking little car. I am going to do some cheap improvements to it; starting with the suspension and the wheels as these are (i think) its weak point, i.e. the handling and the roadholding. So, my plan is to get some springs from a GT or a sporting, and then add the wheels from the same - keep it to original fiat parts.

I wonder how much the sporting springs will stiffen and lower the car over my current ones (which seem very soft and rolly, the body control is atrocious). When i add in some wider wheels with decent tires hopefully i will end up with a more planted car (in effect i will end up with a punto sporting really - interestingly the car comes up on some insurance quotes as a sporting already...).

I also thought about stiffening up the chassis with a strut brace at the front. any opinions on this?

thanks!

jim

IIRC you can't fit GT springs unless you have a GT, likewise with the sporting. Your better off finding a set of aftermarket springs to lower & stiffen, I got a set of -40mm stiffer springs for about £70 off eBay. It's not sticking to Fiat parts, but at least this way your springs will be brand new/not worn at all. And you'd definately have to go after market if you wanted a strut brace, which, IMO is just under bonnet decoration on a car like this (fair enough but not gonna give you amazing handling )

I really don't see how putting GT wheels on will give you better handling, it has a slightly bigger contact patch than the standard 13"s but I can't see it giving that much more grip.

Reducing body roll on a Mk1 is easy though-stiffer, shorter springs, wider tyres. Certainly worked for me, but it really will firm up the ride quality.

Thanks mattmk1 - i had just assumed that sporting springs would go straight on. I wonder if anyone else could shed any light on this? ebay showed up a set of jamex springs (maybe the ones mattmk1 refers to?), with a 40mm drop - thats quite a way... 70 quid. I dont want to firm the ride up so far that it becomes bone shaking; it needs to be better than it is but not brutal.

The wheels and tires thing is intended to increase the contact patch, purely to give more positive handling - with my skinny steelies it just washes out straight off.

you can fit the sporting springs, but they only lower by 20mm. check out the ff classified i think there some better ones in there

a 45mm drop is sufficient to get better handling, coupled with a strut brace and some 6x14" wheels with 185/55R14 tryes (I have the Firestone Firehawk TZ200's)

Mine handles like a dream...

Now! more power hehe

I used to have the jamex -40/-45 springs on my sporting but found them very poorly made and cheap, the steel is very low grade and no stiffer than the original fiat springs, and i found there was more roll with them on, they were so rusty after 8 months i just threw them away. Id stay away from them.

It's the shocks that stiffen it up, not the springs...

i have had jamex springs 45/40 drop back/front for nearly a year now, they are brilliant, no rust or loss of tension at all. they improve the handling tremendously. considering they only cost £70 for a full set, i reckon they were a bargain. maybe the quality varies?
i have 14" wheels with standard profile tyres, and the ride is stiff enough to handle, but not spine-shaking, like some cars i have been in.