[ Swift Sport ] GP Sports Exas Evo Tune Exhaust (Modifications, Part 3)

Early on, I focused on the interior touch points and bracing for my 2007 Swift Sport, but it was about time I started messing with the looks of the car. With the carbon fiber hood and spoiler, it was already very nearly perfect, though there are improvements I wanted to make.

I picked up a flush aluminum rear wiper plug off of Yahoo! Auctions to remove the rarely used rear wiper. This simple, cheap part really cleaned up the back window end.

The next two small, but quite noticeable parts I ordered were front and rear tow hooks. I admit these were added for primarily cosmetic reasons, but they do serve a purpose on a track day. If I ever had an off-road excursion and the car needed to be pulled away, having two easily identifiable tow points are a necessity. Not to mention it could prevent further damage to other bits of bumper bodywork if a tow truck needed to latch on bottom frame points.

Fine, fine, I’ll concede they are purely cosmetic. This car isn’t likely to be tracked anytime soon, but these tow hooks do attract a lot of attention from non-car fans. This is probably my most inquired-about modification. I’ve probably had a dozen people ask me, “why?” And my answer is always, “Because race car.”

For the rear, I picked up an aluminum universal rear tow hook which clamped easily on the bottom rear tow hook. Not only is it potentially useful on a track, as it sticks out past the muffler tips and bumpers, it is also a preventative safety device. Backing up into tight parking spots is the norm here in Japan and should I ever get too close to a wall or low curb, the tow hook will be scraped or damaged instead of the bumper.

The front tow hook is a screw-in design that can attach to both the threading here in the front and to a hidden threaded hole in the lower rear crash beam as well. However, as this rather cheap piece is aluminum, it is definitely not for actual towing use. It will likely be damaged or deform under heavy tow stresses so essentially this part is 100% for looks only. The car does come with an actual, non-folding tow hook in the tool box in the trunk, so this piece can be removed easily and the other hook bolted in without tools.

I really enjoy the nice, reasonable sound of the Fujitsubo Authorize R exhaust, but not enough for me to keep it. I wanted a throatier sound, so after listening to several dozen test clips online of other various manufacturers, I narrowed down my choices. The Suzuki Sports, HKS, and Trust exhausts were too quiet and barely louder than the Fujjitsubo, if at all.

I finally came across GP SPORTS, which I had not heard of prior, but with a bit of research, it turns out they are quite prolific in Japan, making a huge range of exhausts for many Japanese cars. I heard a few clips of their dual exhausts on other car models and I was impressed. Not to mention, the titanium tips really added a gorgeous, sporty look. Eventually, I came across a great deal on a used unit from Upgarage for a steal at 39900￥ ($372 USD) in absolutely gorgeous condition. There was no way this exhaust had to be used more than a few thousand kilometers.

The exhaust was also surprisingly lighter and absolutely beautiful on the car.

It reminds me of my old HKS Legamax exhaust on my Evo X, but this one is way louder and deeper. The sound under load and deceleration is nice and throaty. There is a more pronounced growl in the cabin with the windows down, but not significantly annoying with the windows up and there is minimal drone. Passengers, particularly those sitting on the rear seats, complain that it is a bit loud when I’m driving aggressively. Certainly a good thing in my opinion. Idling decibels are only a fraction louder, very important in traffic and when I spend the minute or two to warm up my car in the morning.

You can hear it for yourself in the above clip. In a word: Perfect.

I really love the look of my WORK Kiwami wheels, but the thin, multi-spoke look doesn’t quite go with the bulbous, plain panels of the Swift’s bodywork. Smaller diameter wheels also look better and ride softer as a daily driver, so I looked around for 16” wheels. I was lucky to find some RAYS Gram Lights 57 wheels, wrapped with grippy Toyo DRB tires, also off of Upgarage for a great price of 40000￥ ($372 USD). They are the perfect size, offset, and fit for my Swift.

While they came in reasonably good condition, I figured a few coats of paint would really make them pop. Many layers and a long while later, here are the results.

If I say so myself, the white looks amazing on my Pearl White car.

[ Alto Works ] Exhaust

One of the most defining traits of sporty cars is the visceral sound produced, whether that be from the engine or cams, the intake, the exhaust system, or the squeal of  tires on pavement. For this car, since I really can’t drop in a V8 or an aggressive camshaft (yes, the F6A engine is only a SOHC), the next best thing is an exhaust that rumbles sportingly aggressive on WOT.

Like the car, the stock dual exhaust on my Alto Works is 20 years old. It has seen 20 years of harsh, salty winters and humid, seaside days, so it’s no wonder that the exhaust is fairly rusted and there is a hole where the metal has been oxidized and flaked away. Although the exhaust leak is barely audible since it was partially patched nearly two years ago, it is nonetheless a major issue that needs to be addressed since the dreaded bi-annual mandatory shaken maintenance inspection is a few months away. In this condition, it will not pass the strict check. It definitely needs to be replaced.

Like several other Suzuki kei cars, the rear piping curves up over the rear trailing arm. In this method, the piping is slightly longer and somewhat more restrictive than a straight-through exhaust that is piped along the lower body of the car. However, piping that goes below the rear suspension means it hangs fairly low, potentially scraping at bumps or dips in the road. A friend of mine had such an exhaust on his Wagon R and it had several deep marks on it after a few months. Used exhausts of all makes typically have a few scrapes at the bottom, too. I personally would prefer an exhaust that follows the original piping, though it is not a deal-breaker for me.

There are a huge variety of exhausts available in the new and second-hand markets for the HA11/HA21 Alto Works. New ones start around 25,000￥ ($225 USD) and the used market goes down to as little as 5000￥ ($45 USD), depending on condition.

After doing some research and looking into the aftermarket options available, I narrowed down my options and my price point to at around 11,000￥ ($100 USD) for a used setup. Considering I spent little on my car to begin with, I wasn’t looking to make the car too pricey. Short of buying stainless pipe and ghetto-welding bits myself, I have to stick with something used.

I finally settled on this muffler in overall excellent condition, with only a bit of rust at the connectors, for 9990￥ ($90 USD). I was lucky to come across this in such good condition for the price. Many similar units at or below $100 all had more significant rust and scrapes and I wasn’t about to risk having it rust out in a few winters. Despite it not having any manufacturer plaques or markings and therefore I couldn’t obtain a sample sound clip, the facts that it hung over the rear suspension at the OEM location and that it was in great condition cemented my decision.

The old exhaust really looked haggard. Luckily it came off easily with only two bolts and three hangars. It looks a lot worse off the car, now that I can inspect the rusted areas up close.

The new exhaust installed easily at the same OEM locations and reusing the hangars. I was a bit worried initially that the exhaust would be a tight fit due to the design of the main resonator, but it turned out quite alright. The only issue I encountered was that the rubber hangers were much too loose, allowing more side-to-side play than I would like, potentially hitting the side of the gas tank. Not bad enough to warrant new hangers, so I just added a few zip-ties to resist movement. Ghetto, I know, but it’ll do for now.

I think it definitely looks nice and shiny and makes the rear look more modern. Most importantly, though, how does it sound?

Compared with the stock exhaust, at idle the exhaust is not much louder. Around 2000-3000 RPM, it has a nice, low rumble. Past that or at WOT, it has a smooth-sounding flow that sounds throaty, but not obtrusively so. At around 50 kph (32 MPH), typical speeds around local roads, it has virtually no drone.

However, I do wish the exhaust was a few decibels louder and deeper. I expected it to drone and growl more, given that the main resonator is very slim compared to stock and some other aftermarket options. As this isn’t my daily-driven car, I wouldn’t mind it to be more bothersome to my quiet, little town. Though the benefit of a semi-quiet exhaust means I should be able to pass shaken inspection soon without incident.

Overall, I am pleased with my low-cost, reasonable, and practical purchase.

Here’s a good example of not practical. Maybe it’s too much of a good thing…