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View Full Version : ::WINNER:: February 2014 Car of the Month :: Uniuno!!



sixsixfour
02-24-2014, 08:30 PM
http://www.3sgto.org/images/cotm/2014-02.jpg

Congratulations to Uniuno & his 1995 MITSUBISHI 3000GT TT/AWD Converted
Uniuno's Garage Link (http://www.3sgto.org/garage_vehicle.php?do=view_vehicle&id=532)

Warning: 8 years of car ownership right here..

I bought the car as a base model on Ebay sight unseen with a slipped timing belt at 150k. I lived in Illinois at the time and drove to Las Vegas to pick it up. Since I've owned it the car has had more engines than sets of tires. I've lost count of the times I've pulled it and put it back in.

The first engine I put in it was a Jasper rebuilt out of a wrecked car with 2k on it. This was short lived and developed a rod knock after about 10 miles or so. I got my money back from the junk yard and thought I'd finish it off. I flogged it up and down my country road for a while until it let go right as I shifted to second at 7k. Total carnage ensued! (Pictures below) The crankshaft snapped and took out the trans bellhousing, middle axle shaft, starter, clutch, flywheel, and dented the subframe. Yeah, that was smooth...

Imported a JDM engine and trans and sourced the rest of the parts I needed to get this thing going. This engine was a complete disaster. It smoked, ticked, and leaked. I tried getting a refund for this one too but I got screwed by the importing company based in TX. I ended up fixing it up and driving it.

It was finally my DD! I did everything in it, took it everywhere, I even delivered pizzas in it for a while.

About 25,000 miles later it gave up on my while driving down the highway.

I found a rebuilt NA engine on Ebay that wasn't too far from me this time for $1100 from a kid who's dad rebuilt it for him. Side note, his Dad had just bought a brand new GT-R.

I drove on this engine for a good 10-15k or so when I decided to turbo charge it. I had been collecting parts and researching for about a year and a half. Finally over my spring break I decided to do it.

Initial mod list for TT conversion

9bs
CX racing FMIC
95 TT ECU (I made a patch harness to adapt mine)
6 puck ceramic clutch
Fidanza lightweight flywheel
Walbro 225
Running wastegate pressure
Megan DP
3sx SS oil lines

It ran great and had awesome power. A few months later I was visiting home 480 miles from where I live now and I blew a composite head gasket while racing a buddy on some back roads. I borrowed a car from my dad to make it back to Detroit in time for work, came back next weekend with MLS gaskets and got it running again.

I guess now would be a good time to note that I've been having smoking issues with this engine from the beginning. The first set of turbos I put on that were claimed to be good from a forum member smoked like crazy and had to be replaced in short order. While fixing the HG I replaced the VSS.

It drove fine but the smoking continued. I decided to do a budget rebuild to hopefully cure the issue. The budget was soon thrown out the window as I found a good deal on 20 over Ross 9:1 pistons and some lightened VR4 rods. I had a machine shop rebuild the short block with these parts.

This engine got me to NG '11 but was too fresh for me to feel comfortable flogging it in any events.

It was still smoking on hard decel or after idling a while indicating VSS. I decided to pull the heads and have the machine shop go through them. When I pulled the heads I noticed some scoring in the cylinder walls. Not up and down, but in a spiral pattern like from when they honed it. I took the block back to them and they said they honed it again and gave me a deal on putting it back together again. This rebuild is why the car missed NG '12 and I took my orange Mazda.

I got it back together just in time to put in storage for the winter. Over winter I decided since I had the engine finally sorted out that I'd source parts for the AWD conversion. In March I pulled it out of storage and brought it back to my garage to start the conversion.

The conversion was great, I had a lot of fun doing it and did quite a bit more work to the rest of the car:

LCDBC
2nd gen front brakes
SS brake lines (Ninja)
SS Tcase
Revised 3sx rear sway bar
3sx AWS delete
18x9 PF01s
two piece Alum DS
Antenna delete.
FP hotwire
New battery cables for rear mount
Jester's ECU
6AN Tank forward fuel line
Aeromotive FPR
3sx fuel loop (Thanks NG!)

I think there's more but I can't remember.

I took the car to NG '13 and had a BLAST! I competed in all events and still drove it back from St Louis to Detroit. It had a little issue keeping the temp down under 215 but it was very hot that week.

I decided to pull the dash and put some aftermarket gauges in the center cluster. This took about a month after getting interrupted or doing other house type projects. While doing this I found that on the way back from NG my DS axle boot got a nasty hole and slung grease all over my pretty engine bay. Put in a new axle and put enough interior back together enough to take it for a drive.

LCDBC was showing max knock counts after I let off the throttle, this was weird. I listened to the engine and it had a very light tick, sounded like lifters after sitting for the month. Drove it home, sound didn't go away. Took off the valve covers to check lifters, they were all fine. I didn't drive it after that, just starting it occasionally to trace the noise. Eventually it got loud enough to be evident that it was a rod knock!

The car is currently hanging out under a carport at a buddy's house. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with it next: Part out, fix and sell, or fix and drive.

Here's the link to my AWD conversion thread: 3000GT / Stealth / GTO Forum - FWD to AWD conversion (http://www.3sgto.org/content/196-fwd-awd-conversion.html)

http://www.3sgto.org/garage_attachment.php?id=2642

http://www.3sgto.org/garage_attachment.php?id=2643

http://www.3sgto.org/garage_attachment.php?id=2644

http://www.3sgto.org/garage_attachment.php?id=2645

http://www.3sgto.org/garage_attachment.php?id=2646

http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr275/uniuno/3k/IMG_20120812_165840.jpg

http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr275/uniuno/3k/IMG_20120811_211451.jpg

http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr275/uniuno/IMG_20130310_121244_zps86c4b00f.jpg

http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr275/uniuno/3k/DSC00157_zps8ded50b3.jpg

http://i491.photobucket.com/albums/rr275/uniuno/3k/DSC00021_zps7432dc7e.jpg

2fnloud
02-24-2014, 08:34 PM
Congrates!!!

Uniuno
02-24-2014, 08:39 PM
Thanks Steve!

Thanks to everyone that voted! I never win anything, so this is great!

n2nsanity
02-24-2014, 09:03 PM
Congratz

Impressive work too :)

TurboSinceBirth
02-24-2014, 11:24 PM
Congrats! I'm glad you converted this one instead of fixing the silver VR-4 since it needed a lot of work. Let me know what you decide to do for the motor if anything. I still the used 2 bolt shortblock from that car I sold you and also a 4 bolt shortblock.

stealthify
02-24-2014, 11:26 PM
Worthy win! Congrats!

j2k4
02-25-2014, 08:35 AM
Beautiful car!

Congrats on your win. :)

green-lantern
02-25-2014, 09:19 AM
Congrats from another guy that wasn't smart enough to buy a VR4! :bigthumb:

CoopKill
02-25-2014, 04:41 PM
Congrats! Nice ride for sure!

Uniuno
02-25-2014, 10:00 PM
Thanks everyone!

TSB, I'll keep that in mind. I'm still trying to figure out what the best way to go regarding the engine. I want nothing left of the current engine, it will be parted out. I know I want a 3.5, but I haven't decided the best way to go about it. Since I'm basically starting from scratch I might as well just import a 6g74 rather than build the 72 since I can get a complete 74 long block for less than most people want for their 4 bolt 72 short block. Obviously there are pros and cons to going either way, but that is a topic for another thread.

TurboSinceBirth
02-26-2014, 12:07 AM
Thanks everyone!

TSB, I'll keep that in mind. I'm still trying to figure out what the best way to go regarding the engine. I want nothing left of the current engine, it will be parted out. I know I want a 3.5, but I haven't decided the best way to go about it. Since I'm basically starting from scratch I might as well just import a 6g74 rather than build the 72 since I can get a complete 74 long block for less than most people want for their 4 bolt 72 short block. Obviously there are pros and cons to going either way, but that is a topic for another thread.

Even a stock 74 motor will be good for 450-500AWTQ before the lower end goes. I doubt you'll be making that much anytime soon unless you have a turbo upgrade planned.

J-Groove
02-26-2014, 10:00 AM
Congratulations and well deserved!

-John

n2nsanity
02-26-2014, 01:18 PM
Thanks everyone!

TSB, I'll keep that in mind. I'm still trying to figure out what the best way to go regarding the engine. I want nothing left of the current engine, it will be parted out. I know I want a 3.5, but I haven't decided the best way to go about it. Since I'm basically starting from scratch I might as well just import a 6g74 rather than build the 72 since I can get a complete 74 long block for less than most people want for their 4 bolt 72 short block. Obviously there are pros and cons to going either way, but that is a topic for another thread.

Let me know if you need help with that. I just did mine last summer

Uniuno
02-26-2014, 03:28 PM
Even a stock 74 motor will be good for 450-500AWTQ before the lower end goes. I doubt you'll be making that much anytime soon unless you have a turbo upgrade planned.

I'm definitely planning on upgrading them. I'm looking at Arm0red1's potentially if he releases them. If not I'll go with the Kamak 20T. The goal is a quick spooling torque monster. I need to compete with my buddy's FFR MK4 Cobra with a 6.1 Hemi. He has a huge weight advantage but can't really put the power down. So long as I can stomp him at the lights I'll be happy, he may or may not take me on the top end.


Let me know if you need help with that. I just did mine last summer

Thanks I definitely will. Still trying to decide which route to go. I tend to research for a year or two before actually doing anything. Most likely the deciding factor will be what kind of deal falls in my lap.

CoopKill
02-27-2014, 02:16 PM
I have some eyeballs on his turbs as well. Interesting to say the least.

Sent from the Man Cave!

*\( ^o^ )/*

2fnloud
02-27-2014, 02:49 PM
:stupid: