Does your car have a name? Karl does.
Karl is a 2016 Chevy Spark–originally built for commuting but, in this case, prepped more like an early GTI. Karl now wears H&R springs, a homemade rear anti-roll bar, and stickier tires wrapped around König wheels.
Peabody, Karl&rs…
Been watching this thread for a few years. Love it! These types of cars are my jam. Fuel efficient, fun, affordable. Happy to know of another option.
In reply to CyberEric :
Agreed. It's also one of my favorite genres of cars.
That's probably why I like the Honda Fit so much. 
Absolutely yes!
Too bad Chevrolet didn't go this route. And speaking of manufacturers and small peppy cars, how 'bout bringing that Polo GTI stateside, VW? Me and maybe 6 other people would buy one.
Well, I didn't expect to see this. Thanks!
Looking back I'm surprised to see it's coming up on three years. Three completely trouble free years of near constant 5000-6000 RPM shifts, and absolute abuse. I have zero complaints, I love this car. I've been waiting to post the latest update for good reason, but you forced my hand. Another week and I would have hit the 200k milestone
Around Christmas I finally got around to tuning it. The car is supported by HP Tuners, something that was kind of important, and that I looked up before going to see it. The TB is better than stock, but the intake I built was so much better flowing, the AF ratios were all over the place. It was running quite rich down low and lean on top. That, and above about 5000 RPM it's pulling vacuum, so it needs a bigger TB, something I have on the go, I'm just waiting for the nice weather to arrive. The 58mm TB I wanted to install was going to interfere with the AC tubing - something that wouldn't happen in a base model, but I figured out a work around that's going to take some fab, some fiddling, and a bunch of test fitting. I also plan to still do something with the big restrictive close coupled cat, I'm just not sure what.
Things I learned while tuning: As I mentioned, it needs more TB in the upper RPM range, and at roughly the same time it starts pinging, which pulls timing. I'm going to replace the unusually hot and extended tip plugs for something less projected, and a couple heat ranges colder. That should get rid of the high RPM knock, and allow more timing. Because of that we had to leave the timing stock above 5000, which resulted in power really flattening out between there the rev limit. I raised the rev limiter to 7000 RPM, and I really want to use it. Low end power is much better, but the biggest increase was in the midrange, from about 3000 to 5000 RPM it pulls way harder, and is much more entertaining to drive. If I can get it to pull like that to redline it's going to be pure awesome.
Want more power from your otherwise stock Spark? Being a GM, it has two timing tables and automatically starts off in the more advanced one until it detects a certain number of pings/knocks, in a particular period of time, then reverts to the lower map. Want to have that timing for more power and better fuel economy all the time? Run premium and pick up 9 degrees of advance for your effort. As you would expect, it makes a noticeable difference. We were able to add 4-5 degrees more on top of that 9 until about 5000. More timing is more better.
The sway bar I fabbed has been good, but I'm led to believe that I can do a lot better with a more conventional tube type sway bar. I have the materials, but probably won't get around to it for a couple months now.
Sitting on winter 185 60 14's, and second Gen Jetta steelies, it doesn't look terrible.
I said it before and I'll say it again. I've owned enough of them, it's better in every way as a daily than a Swift GT.
Except it has too many damn doors.
You'll see the front plate has been scabbed on there with wire ties. I finally got busted for driving without one. I think I got away with it for about two years. I told the cop I was waiting on the proper plate mount but he looked and said, there's never been a plate on here (it was a Quebec car), he knew. Fortunately he had a good look at my license, came back, gave me my stuff and said, anybody born on the same day as me can't be all bad. Don't let me see you without a plate again.
I like it on the steelies!
In reply to CyberEric :
There's a set of 16x6.5 +38 steelies near me on MP for cheap. It would look wicked but be a fair bit heavier than he Königs.
I bought these for Mrs. O'lady's car, her OE wheels are hideous, but these would make good winter wheels
Recognize them?
In reply to Peabody :
I'd hesitate to reduce the spark plug tip projection. Cooler plugs may help, but if reduced tip projection moves the plug tip further from the center of the chamber, then the timing required for MBT will likely increase (and quite possibly by more than the gain in knock margin).
If it's really that knock limited and cooler plugs don't help it, then it might be time for higher octane fuel if you're running on 87.
I'm not adding 14-15 degrees of advance on 87, I'm running 91. I can look but I don't know if I can get a colder plug with that projected tip. It's really projected, I've never seen anything like it. The one I was looking at is still a projected tip, just not as much, it's one of the recommended plugs for the turbo version of this engine, and two heat ranges colder. I guess we shall see.
EDIT: Link is fixed
In reply to Peabody :
If that plug gets used on the turbo version, then I'd be less concerned. I'd be curious where in the chamber each plug tip sits though.
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