Over the Holiday Break I finally got around to install some goodies on my ABARTH.
At this point I only had lowering springs, Pogea Wheels and Stubby Antenna.
What I installed were the following..
- MADNESS GoPedal
- SILA Concepts Ram Air Intake
- MADNESS ECU v2
The Holiday Break comes around and I finally have some time to install everything. With the advice of MADNESS, I decided to do the mods in "stages," meaning I'd install a product a day and just really drive the car and see the differences each product made and how they worked together.
MADNESS GoPedal
I remember initially trying out the GoPedal and was like "meh." I wasn't
too impressed with it. I figured I might be doing something wrong as pretty much every review online praises it and says it's a must do mod. So I talk with MADNESS and they take me on a test drive in my own car and the GoPedal installed. Let's just say I'm more than impressed. The biggest problem I had was I got so used to driving like a turtle because of my girlfriend that I never let the ABARTH
get there.
The GoPedal is extremely easy to install as many of you know and it is the first thing I put on. Two connections and you're done. The hardest part I had was trying to figure out where I wanted to mount it. By itself, the GoPedal it is pretty impressive. I put it on the Sport + Mode with the curve all the way up.
I actually tucked the GoPedal away as I don't think I'm really going to mess with the settings much so I did not take any pictures of this.
SILA Concepts Ram Air Intake
I wanted an intake that kept the stock engine cover, provided more air, came with a good quality filter and I wanted to be able to hear a little more of a "woosh" sound because why not?
The SILA Ram Air Intake was the second thing I installed and it delivered on all four counts.
Installation of this was incredibly easy as well. All I needed was a screw driver pretty much. I removed the original parts and had this installed in under 10 minutes. It fit perfectly and looks pretty good, too.
Driving the ABARTH after installing this is definitely a lot funner! I can hear the car breathe and it
feels faster and in my opinion sounds awesome. You don't get that over the top "woosh" sound but it's there and it makes me smile.
MADNESS ECU v2
This is the last product I installed on my ABARTH during the Holiday Break and I think it's the best one so far.
I wanted more power, simple as that.. and man did this thing deliver.
I was at a friend's house when I installed this. My friend is a mechanic and he has a lot of passion for cars. He owns a RHD Honda CRX, Mazda Miata, an older Volkswagen Beetle, and a BMW E46.
He's drove around in my ABARTH before I installed these mods. He thought the FIAT was "meh." He didn't think much of it.
So I'm installing the ECU and I finish up and ask him to go on a test drive with me.
We're in an alley that leads to a dead end empty street and I think to myself "here goes nothing."
I do a pull and we stop at the end of the street.. we look at each other and say "holy ****."
Keep in mind I'm around FIATs a lot but I guess it's just different when it's yours. I've been in ABARTHs with this ECU and other ECUs installed and more performance mods than what I have. I think because I did this in stages and because I already had a feel for my car, I was just totally surprised by it. It just felt so much more powerful and responsive.
Let's just say my friend is becoming a fan.
And I couldn't be happier.