NZ AE85 - soon to be BEAMS powered

[Hachi Go]

Finally got my car back from the workshop yesterday. It's still not certified, and therefore not street legal - but I couldn't contain myself and took it for a quick drive last night. Finally got to feel the performance of the BEAMS + AE combination!

I'm really glad I ditched the SR20DET idea and decided to go with the BEAMS. The power is more than enough, and very impressive for an NA engine. The high end pull in 2nd and 3rd gear was simply awesome (couldn’t go higher since I was driving very near my house). The engine sounds amazing also (Apexi intake, extractors and 2.5 inch exhaust - cat converter fitted at this stage for certification reasons).

I'll make sure I remember to the take my video camera with me for the next run, so I can post a vid.

There is an issue I'm having with low end torque however. I'm keen to hear from other BEAMS owners on this, but mine was noticeably lacking in low end torque. Given these engines are designed for the 1,350kg+ Altezza, I'm certain that this low end issue I'm having is not a natural characteristic of the engine. I've read that removing the stock airbox on Altezzas has this effect, so this could be the issue - but I'll look into this issue further when the car is legally back on the road.

In saying that, this just made the scream that occurs at high revs that much sweeter! I'm surprised by the noticeable cam switch over at high revs. From what I've read, the continuously variable cam timing is supposed to be not noticeable on the beams (unlike the on/off Vtec), but I can certainly feel a distinct switch over on mine - and I love it!