Widebody VR4 Build

[futurevr4man]

I figure I should make a new thread due to this being a new car! I'll try and keep this up to date, and take more pictures than I have in the last 2 days of this thing's life with me.

A little background:
User NinjaGT on the other forum bought this car a few years ago. It has been a COTM winner at once point, and was generally clean. He decided that he wanted to get the fenders wider, and thus started on the path that lead the car where it is now. You are welcome to look him, and his threads, up and you will see why I was confident in the purchase.

But that brings me to actually getting the car. I knew it was pretty stripped/gutted which is fine. I have a complete car sitting beside it that I can use whatever I need. BUT it was never communicated that the car was going to be in as bad of shape as I got it. Whatever. I'll make it work.

The worst part was that the guy just let it sit outside in the ridiculous Texas rain with no weather stripping. They got 20 inches of rain in the month of May... a lot of it went into the car. I don't know how, but there is a ton of dirt and mud that got into it as well... so there is a layer of just nastiness all over it. The worst part though is the 2 inches of water sitting in the floor of it.

So this is the worst part: all of the water and dirt... plants were literally starting to grow in the carpet.
http://imgur.com/HznoexW.jpg

I am slightly embarrassed by that picture, but it is what it is.

So the reason I bought the car was for the wide fenders. I will get more pictures of this in the future, but for now, you can see how curvy it is. It looks stock, just really wide. I do like them. They make it look unique, which is always a goal of mine when I build a car.

http://i.imgur.com/MYvOoJy.jpg


There were some wiring concerns until I dug into it tonight. Wiring will be in good shape after a little fixing on my end. Shouldn't be a big deal.

The step by step plan going forward is:
- Remove dash (the car will be gutted at that point)
- Clean everything really well
- Fix wiring
- Put dash and center console back in
- Work on getting engine and drivetrain stuff in
- Get the car running
- Put rest of interior back in
- Work on exterior

Obviously that list gets more vague as it goes further out in time... but it's a start. I want to get it running with as much stuff exposed as I can in order to be able to troubleshoot any issues. I think after tearing it apart and cleaning everything really well this weekend, the car should be alright.

Alright trolls, feed away!

[CoopKill]

Done yet?

I had too :p

Gonna be bad ass mang!

[j2k4]

Can't wait, Gnate. :)

[Chris@Rvengeperformance]

Cool, wish you were down the block I could help out.

I'm a little worried about the wiring and little chassis computers though, at least you should have spares.

[futurevr4man]

I have contact cleaner, and will be going 1 by 1 once it's gutted. Wiring is in much better shape than most assumed. I only need to fix 3 or 4 wires. Not bad at all.

[Chris@Rvengeperformance]

I have contact cleaner, and will be going 1 by 1 once it's gutted. Wiring is in much better shape than most assumed. I only need to fix 3 or 4 wires. Not bad at all.

I envy your project this summer, honestly. When you have both cars in a good space to work it can be a lot of fun.

To me, it is a lot more fun working on a lot of stuff that there is no doubt will work, than when you get it all together and have to keep messing with the last 10% forever.

[j2k4]

Gnate, I have one question:

Will you continue your 'Green' project throughout your build? :huh:

[green-lantern]

Do you still have the other car? If so I'd be pulling some of the harnesses out to replace some of those.

Sorry you got misled, that is definitely a different condition than the pics you showed me before.

[FeaRpb]

Fucking texans....

[futurevr4man]

Gnate, I have one question:

Will you continue your 'Green' project throughout your build? :huh:

I assume this is a quip upon the plants? They are out, the car is dry and getting cleaned over the next few days!


Do you still have the other car? If so I'd be pulling some of the harnesses out to replace some of those.

Sorry you got misled, that is definitely a different condition than the pics you showed me before.
Yeah. I decided to dispute the payment via paypal. It's not even the money, it's the principle behind it. A bad way to start this project... but to your question, yeah I still have my old car. And The wiring is sound in this one. None of the harnesses are really on the floor. They are up behind the dash. I am cleaning everything very well though.


Fucking texans....
I should have expected it.

[futurevr4man]

More pics for you all. I haven't had internet until this past Friday, so I am going to play a little catch up, and I should have more regular updates!

These are the worst of the wiring woe's. Really just door harness, and 5 wires at the ECU... this is A LOT better than the last car, believe it or not. The rest of the wiring is pretty good, I can't complain too much.

http://i.imgur.com/lUwdjMF.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/e9bESpj.jpg

Under the dash was a mess. Had some crazy alarm system wired up.
http://i.imgur.com/lUwdjMF.jpg

Tore it out... luckily it was just some taps and I taped back up any exposed wiring. Hammer for size reference.
http://i.imgur.com/EbVfFKB.jpg

And what was left... like I said, it's not bad!
http://i.imgur.com/CwheT8U.jpg

Not sure where this goes
http://i.imgur.com/aAUkyBJ.jpg

The ECU from the car. Can't open it cause it's riveted shut :/
http://i.imgur.com/SvXhkvK.jpg

Hey look, two VR4's!
http://i.imgur.com/pb0aIj1.jpg

Lastly, this is how I left it today. The trunk is clean of all the dirt and mud. It doesn't really look to my standards, but I scrubbed it as best I could. I'll probably go over it once more in the future.
http://i.imgur.com/7JArjWf.jpg

[stealthee]

Not sure where this goes
https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/11401440_10205386327116656_252306502597078652_n.jp g?oh=df08c8454f1e30adaca26d554e7a0803&oe=55F866DC

That looks like part of the digital climate control. If I remember right it goes up under the dash near the blower motor.

[futurevr4man]

Yeah. I am working back to front. It goes somewhere under the dash on the passenger side. I admit, I didn't investigate into it too much.

Also, turns out my car was wired for a car phone from the factory. Who woulda thunk it?!

[stealthee]

I've seen a few that still had the factory phone in the glove compartment.

[j2k4]

Glad to see the landscaping is complete and car-stuff can commence unabated. :wink:

[95gto]

That looks like part of the digital climate control. If I remember right it goes up under the dash near the blower motor.

1+

I believe it mounts on the plastic panel that goes under the glove box

[futurevr4man]

1+

I believe it mounts on the plastic panel that goes under the glove box

Thanks fellers. The front cleanup should be done this week. Hoping to have the wiring sorted as well.

[futurevr4man]

So Last night I did a thing. I'll have to clean up the back seats some more...
http://i.imgur.com/t8SM8eJ.jpg

[Jimvr4]

1+

I believe it mounts on the plastic panel that goes under the glove box

^^ this. It's the AC compressor lock up controller

[futurevr4man]

^^ this. It's the AC compressor lock up controller

I realize now which plastic panel you all were referring to... it's the one I don't have! Goodie!

[green-lantern]

So Last night I did a thing. I'll have to clean up the back seats some more...
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What that "thing" done in anger? lol

[futurevr4man]

What that "thing" done in anger? lol

haha, nope. I cut through the vertical, and the diagonal part of the window fine, and I couldn't get it through the bottom part. I thought that if I pulled gently and strategically, the glass would crack or give a warning before shattering.

I was wrong.

So now I have some more clean up to do. I taped up the other window and ripped it out more aggressively, but because it was taped it didn't get glass everywhere.

Cleanup, stealth sails, and wiring are the first things on the agenda. Then it will be time to start transferring parts from the other car. I am going to get it driveable first, then tear it back apart and do the exterior. Interior is sort of simultaneously happening all of the time throughout this project. I want to keep it gutted enough that it will be easy to trace issues on first startup.

[GooniesNeverSayDie]

Yeah. I am working back to front. It goes somewhere under the dash on the passenger side. I admit, I didn't investigate into it too much.

Also, turns out my car was wired for a car phone from the factory. Who woulda thunk it?!

what extra wiring went into a car phone? i was replacing some interior panels and noticed i had 2 antenna wires one going to the rear obviously radio and another going up into the head liner??kinda through me off a little

[futurevr4man]

Well, I'm not 100% that my car was wired for a car phone, but drivers side, just behind the rear seat, there is a harness for the 6 disc changer from the factory. I also have 2 or 3 additional plugs, one of which is a phone jack... so I can only assume it was wired for a car phone. It's long gone by now.

[futurevr4man]

Not many pics, but a big update.

I have still been working at cleaning up the wiring. The two door harnesses and the 5 ECU wires are all that's left... it's looking great. I don't think my car had a factory alarm, but that's a good thing... less stuff to go wrong!

I re did the drivers side door harness only to realize 2 things.
1. I don't have a grommet for the wires coming through the... frame? Or is it considered just the body? Either way no grommet. I'll use the ones from my other car.
2. The plug I wired up is cracked and missing the little lock lever thing.

SO facepalm on me. But here was the end result anyhow.
http://i.imgur.com/oUQL96Y.jpg

At least I'm doing it the right way, right? I'll have to cut it off, and use the plugs from the other car. This one used to have lambo doors and these crazy long extensions. Wires were routed wrong and everything was crimped. Some wires had even come out... I doubt much worked correctly at all haha. All should be well after I'm done with it. All stock!

And the big news is that I found a nearly full black interior... INCLUDING the super rare stealth pieces I needed!! One has a ~4 inch crack in it, but beggars can't be choosers. There were only ~360 '96 stealths made total... I don't know how many of those has black upper sections, but I can guarantee they are rare. And I got them for a decent deal too which makes it all that much better. I'll take pics eventually of it... probably after it's installed. I still need some clean door panels, so if anyone has a lead on black door panels, I am looking for some!

I have been super busy at work, and it won't let up anytime soon. Hopefully I can still find some energy to get on this thing when I get home. Sometimes I can't deal with the frustration of how botched some of this stuff is.


Let's hear an opinion... what color should I paint my engine bay? It is a darkish gray, like the LP640 gray right now... might look ok with blue. I kinda want to go with flat black though...

After the wiring comes the interior. After the interior comes the engine... so the engine bay needs to be the correct color.

[green-lantern]

Looks good ginger

What color do you want to paint the car?

[j2k4]

Getting the grim stuff out of the way will sure pay off later, Gnate.

Going flat under the hood would be a good way to set off the shiny bits, but flat might be vulnerable to the various things that can go on in the engine bay.

If a paint-guy can ensure a flat finish would be impervious to automotive fluids, then...

[futurevr4man]

Looks good ginger

What color do you want to paint the car?

I'm leaning towards blue. Like a nice deep cobalt blue.


Getting the grim stuff out of the way will sure pay off later, Gnate.

Going flat under the hood would be a good way to set off the shiny bits, but flat might be vulnerable to the various things that can go on in the engine bay.

If a paint-guy can ensure a flat finish would be impervious to automotive fluids, then...

I would paint it myself. I may just leave it gray, and get some touchup paint.

[green-lantern]

I'm leaning towards blue. Like a nice deep cobalt blue.


I'd think about a slightly darker blue in the bay then

[Chris@Rvengeperformance]

the semi gloss black holds up pretty nice and still looks good

[green-lantern]

IDK, it's hard to pull off different color engine bays. Most of the time it looks like you painted the car without painting the bay. Not done on purpose

[futurevr4man]

Well, progress has been slow because I've been generally busy with other things. But I'll give a brief update!

I took my new black dash and swapped the wiring harness from the dash that came with the car. Thinking back on it now, I am not sure if the old harness had a spot for this sensor or not, but I didn't think it would.

8130

So I swapped the harness just to be safe. This is where the sensor plugs in:

8131

So I knew I needed to get that sensor out of my old dash, which required me to pull my old dash. I'm tired of pulling dashes (the third one for this project now...). In pulling my old dash I discovered something and was reminded of a lot of other somethings...

I discovered that my old car had the airbag go off on the passenger side in the past.

8132

And I was reminded just how bad my wiring woes were. Some of you all thought my current project's wiring was bad... now you see what I was up against on my last car (this isn't the worst of it either), and why I won't fix it after being wrecked... just too much to fix.

Crazy "Python" security system. I tried to mess with it once and the car wouldn't start again. So I somehow reset it, and left it be at that point.
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[futurevr4man]

I can only link 5 pics per post...

So after getting out the dash, getting off that sensor, making sure my other dash harness had the plug, then it was time to try and put it all together with my newly acquired dash vents that I got from Pete at NG!

8140

But, to my dismay, they didn't fit at all. I didn't realize how much they overlapped (but that's not the deal breaker)

8138

But they didn't line up correctly at all (deal breaker). The bend of the vent doesn't seem to line up with my dash either...

8139

So that brought me to the end of my evening. I was frustrated at that point. I'll get some plastic stock vents to put in there, and if they crack, then I'll replace them again. I may buy a few sets of stockers just to have on the shelf. Hopefully this car won't be sitting in the sun too much though.

Stealth sails will be installed in the near future!

[j2k4]

Gnate, check out some of the BMW blues over the last couple of years - there's a 'cobalt'-type blue that's fantastic, but when I went to look for it, I find they have several interesting blues...:wink:

[Alan92RTTT]

Are the vents for your year dash?

[green-lantern]

Your pics aren't working.

Is your dash 1st gen? If so and they will fit my dash I'll be glad to take them off your hands. :)

[futurevr4man]

Pics fixed, there is no difference in years that I know of... and there is no year option on 3sx's site.

Paul, if you would like them, I will gladly give them to you for a very discounted price!

[sergechronos]

I'm leaning towards blue. Like a nice deep cobalt blue.



I would paint it myself. I may just leave it gray, and get some touchup paint.

The kind of finish you are looking for would be a matte finish, which has slightly more sheen than flat which also makes it slightly more durable. Any base coat color would work, then just top with a matte clear coat for best of both worlds. That said, the factory finish is somewhere around a flat to matte finish, and it can look quite jarring. For any type of paint, flatter finishes hide imperfections more easily and glossier finishes are more durable. Typical progression of sheen is flat, matte, satin, semigloss, gloss.

With a good deep cobalt blue (I'm partial to the GM Lapis Blue personally as my current favorite) I'd likely just go full gloss anyhow as it's easier to wipe clean and more resistant to damage from fluids, and it would highly metallic flake and what not in the paint. Just my .02 though.

[futurevr4man]

Apparently the dash vents are supposed to be like they are. The pieces that come with them "hook" under the cover, and you don't actually use the screw holes. Makes sense now. I am still going to get some stock vents though.

Paul, I'll text you.

[green-lantern]

Paul, if you would like them, I will gladly give them to you for a very discounted price!

12 pack? lol


Apparently the dash vents are supposed to be like they are. The pieces that come with them "hook" under the cover, and you don't actually use the screw holes. Makes sense now. I am still going to get some stock vents though.

Paul, I'll text you.

I'm at work right now and can't have my phone. I'll call or text when I get off.

[J-Groove]

Not sure how I've missed this thread, but awesome progress!

-John

[futurevr4man]

The kind of finish you are looking for would be a matte finish, which has slightly more sheen than flat which also makes it slightly more durable. Any base coat color would work, then just top with a matte clear coat for best of both worlds. That said, the factory finish is somewhere around a flat to matte finish, and it can look quite jarring. For any type of paint, flatter finishes hide imperfections more easily and glossier finishes are more durable. Typical progression of sheen is flat, matte, satin, semigloss, gloss.

With a good deep cobalt blue (I'm partial to the GM Lapis Blue personally as my current favorite) I'd likely just go full gloss anyhow as it's easier to wipe clean and more resistant to damage from fluids, and it would highly metallic flake and what not in the paint. Just my .02 though.

I am planning on wrapping it this fall/winter just to get it looking reasonable and get it on the road. Then I'll paint it next spring or something. IDK, that's too far away and there's a lot to be done between then and now.



Not sure how I've missed this thread, but awesome progress!

-John

Good to have you join us! I need to un-lazy myself and get the wiring done and the sail panels installed so I can put my interior in!

I keep taking things out of the cars, so my garage is getting packed full right now. As soon as things start going into cars, I should be able to clear some space so I can move around in there again!

[futurevr4man]

So I looked at my passenger side door harness today, and found something odd. I'm hoping someone reading this will have a quick and simple answer, but I'm not holding my breath...

The picture with the shorter wires is my old door harness connector. The picture with the longer wires is from my 94 VR4.

8148

8149

A few questions:
- The only difference in wire colors is a green/white wire as compared to a tealish colored wire
- Does anyone know the pinout, because there is a spot that is different on each connector
- Can you repin these? It didn't look like they came apart

Any help would be appreciated. I am waiting for my vents to get here, then the dash will go in. I am also going to get the sails on soon. After the sails are done, the whole interior will be put in pretty quick. Then we will be getting somewhere!

[stealthee]

You probably have a different option in one of the cars. Maybe a heated mirror? I noticed something similar here. I have two extra door harnesses I had acquired over the years and went to compare them to the door harness on the car and found one was indeed different. Luckily the other one matched.

[Chris@Rvengeperformance]

I don't know, but what do you think of this?

[futurevr4man]

I don't know, but what do you think of this?

Lol, you and your chess cake are useless!

It's easy to make though, right?!

[green-lantern]

What are the years of the car again? When installing the keyless start thing I remember the power door locks are different wiring between 1st and 2nd gen.

[stealthee]

On that note, I think early first gen (like 91 to mid 92 model year) did not have keyless entry. Keyless entry came in around the same time as the large glass sunroof.

[green-lantern]

On that note, I think early first gen (like 91 to mid 92 model year) did not have keyless entry. Keyless entry came in around the same time as the large glass sunroof.

That might be the reason

I know on my 2nd gen you could tap into the wire under the dash but the 1st gen you had to tap into the door harness. Not sure if this is the difference in his harness or not. Both need wiring to the switch so maybe heated mirrors is a better guess. IDK

[futurevr4man]

It's either the mirrors or the locks. I will dig now while I have some time on lunch.

The new car is a 91, the old car is a 94. They both have the big sunroofs FWIW. I think 91 and 92's had the option for power locks, but it became standard in 93... I think I read that somewhere.

[Chris@Rvengeperformance]

Lol, you and your chess cake are useless!

It's easy to make though, right?!

Yeah it wasn't too hard, been a hit so far, although I don't think its exactly the same as yours, it is close.

[futurevr4man]

Haven't looked into the door plugs anymore yet, but decided to get the sail panel conversion started. I don't know why, but I was really intimidated by this when I was thinking of how to do it. But now, it's really not too bad at all. I will have to borrow a drill from a co-worker because I don't have one, but otherwise, after I make a template, shouldn't be bad at all.

http://i.imgur.com/mWp7kpB.jpg

Cut it nearly perfect in my opinion... drilling out the spot welds would also work, then the entire piece would come off, but this will do fine.

The hole in the top left of the pic and the little bracket in the bottom right of the pic (the bracket comes out, I just took this pic before I took it out) are two holes you can use to align the template... that way you can make sure everything is straight and square.

You may or may not be able to see (my laptops video card leaves some to be desired) that there is actually an indention showing where the other hole at the top is supposed to go... but the 4 holes on the bottom will all be based off the template I'll make.

As soon as I can get the wiring and sails done, things should move quicker. I hope at least. I hate wiring.


I have decided that for the time being, when the car is on the road, I will do a matte blue car wrap. There are some local places here that can do it pretty affordably... and I have a hookup. That will get the car on the road and let me iron out some engine tuning stuff (new top secret intake will be interesting) and in the meantime, I can decide if I plan to stay in Dayton or if I want to move back to Lexington. My job is stressing me out, and it might be time to move on (next summer). So I will need the car to be driveable, as I don't feel like trying to flat bed it anywhere.

Anywho, here are some pics of kinda the direction I wanted to go with color... The blue is the outside, the LP640 is the color of all the jams and engine bay. I will probably do a full repaint one day, but first thing's first. Plus I'm ok with the color combo.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3305/3672069798_0cce328e41_b.jpg

http://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/images/news/gallery/awesome-lamborghini-gallardo-in-metallic-blue-photo-gallery_3.jpg

[green-lantern]

That blue looks better than I thought it would.



My job is stressing me out, and it might be time to move on (next summer). So I will need the car to be driveable, as I don't feel like trying to flat bed it anywhere.



Get a job in Knoxville.....or maybe at one of the plants in Oak Ridge.

[sergechronos]

Concord has a pretty busy industry ;)

[futurevr4man]

I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Won't be till next summer at the earliest.

[futurevr4man]

Little progress. Been busy with just lots of other random junk. Hoping to make some big moves this weekend! As soon as I can get a new windshield put in, and my sail stuff figured out, I can put in the interior!

I ended up re-pinning the door harness connectors. Went surprisingly well. I only have one side done... but I hope to get the other side done this weekend. Here is the result from the one side:
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I know it doesn't look like much, but that's the goal. Before it was a bunch of wires, no grommet, no protective sleeve, incorrect wires, and obnoxiously long. Little things like this are what make the difference in my opinion. It's all soldered and heat shrink'd correctly.

Next was the completion of the sail panels:
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I only took a pic of the one side, but both sides are done. And thanks to Mitoska, I got the glass in yesterday. I plan to use some Window Weld to put them in this weekend assuming I can find the time. I am using ES windows, so there is no "DOHC 24 valve" or whatever the R/T windows say on them. Going for as clean of a look as possible. There will not be any badges on the car... should look pretty slick I hope!

Last, we have the garage packed full:
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Brian (Stealthee) has the same issue I do, except I'll bet mine is worse lol. I have collected a lot of parts, and I have 2 cars worth of general "stuff" sitting around... none of it has gone back into either car yet. That's why it's so messy. Once I get the interior put back into the new car, I can get rid of a lot of the duplicate's I have sitting around. Right now I am trying to keep everything just so I have options.

I also bought a full set of jack stands, an engine hoist, and an engine stand for $250... it seemed like a great deal! So I should be bout ready to go!

I have looked and looked for someone that has a similar overal design to what I'm going for, but can't find anyone. This is the closest I have found:
http://www.3si.org/forum/attachments/f119/93111d1352257453-new-design-sail-panels-all-3000s-p4215764.jpg

Except I'll have a sweet ducktail that I'm not sure anyone else has yet. Really excited to see how it all turns out. Should look unique, sleek, and aggressive! I plan on running 18x10 P45r's. I hear all kinds of whining about those wheels, but they look great (in my opinion), they are in the size I want/need with the offset I need, and the price is right. I am planning to do 295/35's on all 4 corners. I wanted 305's but I guess that size tire isn't popular... news to me. I don't understand why only the odd sizes are common?

As my last ramble, I'm considering plasti-dipping the whole car. I will paint it next year, but I don't want to paint in the winter, and I can't get it done in time to paint before it gets cold here. But I still want something that will allow me to drive the car this winter/next spring. Anyone have any feedback about plasti-dipping? Seems easy enough, and should hold up well enough to get me by. It won't be a permanent thing, but It's cheapish and easyish to do... both are wins in my book as long as it will protect what it needs to protect.

"Flex Blue" is the color I want to go with. I'll probably go with bronze wheels.
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/0t2-2ODXqTg/maxresdefault.jpg

[green-lantern]

I plan on running 18x10 P45r's. I hear all kinds of whining about those wheels

Who whines about those wheels? They're on crack! Those and salines are my fave

[sergechronos]

Who whines about those wheels? They're on crack! Those and salines are my fave

I whines about those wheels...Mainly because I can't get the P45R2s in an offset that will fit without poke in the rear :(

Also Nathan, on the FB groups you can contact Drew..Bowersox or something like that night, not super familiar on his last name. He had his car dipped for a while and it turned out pretty nice. He can probably give you the heads up on what works, how much you'll need and various other stuff they have now (Metallicizer or Pearlizer or something like that) to make it look more like an actual paint job.

[futurevr4man]

Paul, I have heard stories of the wheels breaking and people like to say they are junk and whatnot. The 18x10's have a +20 offset, so I'm hoping the dished look on them will be even more extreme. Should look sweet.

Bryan, I want a matte blue look. I may still get it wrapped, but I can't touch up a wrap... I can touch up plasti-dip

[futurevr4man]

Wiring is done. Just one pic of progress
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My old VR4 is fairly torn apart by now. All the interior is stripped inside too :(
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I need to start selling some stuff to make up for this new car. My bank account can't keep up!

[sergechronos]

Paul, I have heard stories of the wheels breaking and people like to say they are junk and whatnot. The 18x10's have a +20 offset, so I'm hoping the dished look on them will be even more extreme. Should look sweet.

Bryan, I want a matte blue look. I may still get it wrapped, but I can't touch up a wrap... I can touch up plasti-dip

I know they offer a matte blue. Kind of an electric blue color though, not a deep blue like Robs car.

Wiring is done. Just one pic of progress
8280

My old VR4 is fairly torn apart by now. All the interior is stripped inside too :(
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I need to start selling some stuff to make up for this new car. My bank account can't keep up!
Good progress. Keep it up

[futurevr4man]

I know they offer a matte blue. Kind of an electric blue color though, not a deep blue like Robs car.


I already posted a pic of the blue I'll go with, n00b!

[sergechronos]

Didn't realize that was a plastidip color.

Who the hell can afford a Lambo but can't afford a real paint job? :P

[futurevr4man]

Ok, so progress has been slow lately because I got a girlfriend and... priorities. BUT, I do have an update!

The wiring is completely done (I think I said that before... but it really is now) and I have lots of things ordered and/or sourced.
- Full true black interior with the uber rare stealth sail interior panels (black... only came in 96's... probably less than 100 sets ever made!)
- duck bill spoiler
- New snails! FP 68HTA's... should spool quicker, and make more power!
- Widebody front fenders sourced and will be here this year at some point (*cough* Mike... *cough cough*)
- Addco sway bars front and rear

I made some actual physical progress on the car as well

Apparently I didn't post some of these pics in the past...
Wiring cleaned up
8574

Sail's are fully ready to go... holes drilled out and all. I need to glue in the glass still... more on this later
8575

Rear subframe is out. I will be using the AWS delete from this, and selling the camber adjuster things (I already have a set on my other subframe)
8576

Front is totally stripped. I will be dropping the PS subframe thing, as well as the front motor mount subframe thing... but hubs/spindles/control arms are all gone for now.
8577

I will be placing a large order with the one and only Ninja in order to get all new bushings throughout the car and some other odds and ends.

Slow progress is still progress... really hoping to have it done by spring... but it will be tough, I won't lie. Might not be until the summer.

[j2k4]

Keep up the good work, Gnate. :D

[futurevr4man]

Now with 100% less thread title suckage!

[futurevr4man]

Today was a productive day!

Both front subframes (where front motor mount is and where the power steering rack is) were dropped. Brake lines removed (left the rears in place) and the prop valve removed in preparation for my ABS delete kit. Cleaned up a lot of the engine bay (leaves everywhere).

I still need to remove the rest of the fuel system and look at cleaning up the AWS delete the PO did. Anyone know if I can just loop a hose up in the bay off the PS reservoir? That should be fine for all I know.

8580

[stealthee]

You could just get a fwd resevoir to make it cleaner

[Chris@Rvengeperformance]

what kinda shape are your driver and passenger lower cross members in? noticed those are slightly dented in mine as well.

[futurevr4man]

I only have one set of those, Chris. Sorry! New shell didn't come with them.

Brian, GREAT idea! I'll go that route for sure!

[lawdogg]

Like like like

[futurevr4man]

:)

8586

8587

8588

[futurevr4man]

What's a widebody thread without some widebody pics?! I just got home with my front fenders... car is going to look great!

8624

8625

edit:

Oh, and I'm ordering my wheels today as well :D

just need to put it together now! Like Legos!

[j2k4]

Got serious Coke-bottle going on, now. :wink:

Looks good, Gnate.

[futurevr4man]

Got my wheels in! They are Rota P45R2's. 18X10 et+20. I knew I wanted wider wheels, and the +20 should make them sit perfect with the fenders in the front, and I'll have to put on a spacer in the back, but I expected that.

The fender is pretty much just sitting up there, and there is obviously no weight on the suspension... I think there will be a little poke, but like 1/4" or less. I think it will just look really aggressive which was my goal.

8639

8640

8641

[futurevr4man]

This thread gets less comments than any I've ever seen haha. Oh well!

My GF terminated our relationship around new years, so I am in full-on car mode now. It's nice having my fire for the car rekindled a bit, I won't lie.

I put in the windows... they didn't come out nearly like I had hoped. They need to sit 'out' futher (away from the car) in order for the sail panels to really mount up against them. I may cut them out in the future and put the window weld on super thick... I didn't expect it to be an issue. Live and learn! These are ES windows with R/T sails. I think the ES windows look more clean without all of the 24V DOHC crap on them that the R/T windows have.

8645

After that was my dash install. Went fine. It's probably the only interior piece (besides seats and headliner) that I will put in for a while. I want to make sure the car doesn't have any electrical issues before I go putting everything in it... some of the pieces I have are hard to find (like the black stealth sail interior panels), so the less handling/putting in/taking out, the better I think.

8646

And coming up will be the headliner. The car came with some random black bits, but not a full black interior. The headliner looks factory, so I'm happy to use it! I am going full black-out on the interior. The benefit of having my old car in the same spot is that I can figure out how things come off without worrying about destroying something. The black headliner in my car is like half-way falling off... the PO didn't give a F about the car.

I am waiting on Ninja to get back to me on an email for a bunch of stuff I need. As soon as that order gets in here, I will be focused on getting the car on it's own weight... subframes, suspension, brakes, etc. Then it's engine and startup... then the rest of interior, and finally, I'll do some body work and get all the fenders on and body lines straightened out. The car will probably stay primer for a bit... but we'll see when we get there. That's a long ways away still.

I will be ordering tires very soon for the new wheels too. Need to sell my old one's still...

[j2k4]

Good idea with the interior parts - none of them have their original resilience.

Excited to see what full black looks like - the only other 3S I've examined to any extent was Nathan's '98.

If I'd been bucks-up when I tripped over all the stuff I couldn't take advantage of, mine would be full charcoal or black.

At some point I'll prolly color what I have, just to get rid of the tan/cream.

[MDoe8]

That car is going to look fantastic! Keep up the good work gnate!

[j2k4]

Did you put the sound deadener in, Gnate?

[futurevr4man]

No it came with it... it was buried under the plants growing in the carpet, but it was there :suspect:

[j2k4]

I gotta do that at some point.

[Uniuno]

This thread gets less comments than any I've ever seen haha. Oh well!



http://i.imgur.com/4o2ysmd.gif

Subscribed :-)

[j2k4]

http://i.imgur.com/4o2ysmd.gif

Subscribed :-)

Gotta get someone to make a gif out of that for chat. :wink:

[FeaRpb]

https://media.giphy.com/media/zrvFl1IDvy0PC/giphy.gif

[Rakuny]

No it came with it... it was buried under the plants growing in the carpet, but it was there :suspect:

Are you going to remove it? is there a good way without using dry ice?

[futurevr4man]

Are you going to remove it? is there a good way without using dry ice?

No I plan to leave it in there. I have no idea how to go about removing it... more work than it's worth in my opinion. I guess if you're going for weight cutting, but that isn't the goal of this car whatsoever.

[j2k4]

Ima want your general analysis on it's effectiveness.

I want to do my rear deck and wheel arches for sure; seems to be a slightly more-than-reasonable amount of tire, road and exhaust noise.

I don't think it's bad forward of the rear footwells, but I'm gonna start there, maybe slap a bit on the door-skins.

[futurevr4man]

Lets get some action in here!

Exhaust is off, transfer case is off, fuel stuff will be totally off by the end of tonight, and I'll start removing all the peripheral engine bits to get ready to pull it. Once engine is out, I will get it on a stand and tuck it out of the way. I can then finish disassembling anything I want off the old car and get the old one out (either together or cut it in half and carry it out). I have a local buddy who already owes me a couple favors that I will be cashing in on!

The passion to work on the car is back! Once I get that old car out, I'll have a ton of extra room... might even repaint the sills and jams... don't know yet. I don't care for the gray, but then again, the color isn't THAT bad... so I might just live with it. The garage is almost a 3 car garage, but when you have 2 cars almost fully disassembled... space gets tight quick.

I seem to have waves of passion to work on it. The cold didn't help earlier in the year, and I had a GF at the end of last year... now I have no excuses! Starting to get warm, and I have a nice garage to work in :D

[Chris@Rvengeperformance]

Exciting! Where are the pics? You really have to take advantage of momentum when you can! I setup dual widebands over the weekend and ended up having to take the front pre-cat off to repair the threads in the o2 bung, but just kept going at it, instead of bitching about it and taking forever to decide to pull it.

[futurevr4man]

No pics! Too busy just trying to get stuff done. I am always busy doing something... but I'm going to prioritize working on the car a bit. I'll cut the gym time short and work on the car in the evenings and the weekends. I expect to have the engine ready to be pulled by this weekend, although I'll be out of town for Mothers Day. It will come together soon enough!

[sergechronos]

Ima want your general analysis on it's effectiveness.

I want to do my rear deck and wheel arches for sure; seems to be a slightly more-than-reasonable amount of tire, road and exhaust noise.

I don't think it's bad forward of the rear footwells, but I'm gonna start there, maybe slap a bit on the door-skins.

For what it's worth, I picked up some 80 mil thick deadening (butyl based material) to put into my 530i and just doing the front doors did a decent bit to help cut some of road noise down and that's in a car that's already very well isolated.

Not sure how it would compare to a spray on style deadening like a lizard skin or similar, bu worked well enough. Think the biggest difference you could get would likely be using a massback carpet. That high density EPDM does a LOT to reduce noise making it through. Not sure what you could do for some of the other areas to improve the noise.

[futurevr4man]

Lets necro this mofo! I got my car spirit rekindled again!

So to start, I got a new DD! It's a turbo FRS, and it's a load of fun. Only 270whp, but it's plenty for a 2800ish pound car! RWD is new and super fun too. I beat on it all the time, still get 25mpg and up to 32 on the highway! Pretty great so far, very happy with the purchase!

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13537787_10208042375076195_1207196976426864553_n.j pg?oh=b01405311a2ce6131f525b781123e563&oe=5869F62B
https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13438973_10208103993456616_1884300490040946173_n.j pg?oh=eb6785763a1b550096b4c2067fdb0c72&oe=58668AD8
https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14570495_10208862631382090_4434656785348642637_n.j pg?oh=4632ce7fe4a2c8ae82d7071da3697009&oe=58604DE8

[futurevr4man]

And then on to the VR4!

I finally got the engine pulled and I hope by the end of the weekend I have the old shell out of the garage! I really need some space in there...

A lot happened between last update and this one, but I didn't take any pics. General preparation... got out ABS from car, and subframes from both, and just a lot of other random junk. I'll try and document better!

Got engine hoist put together, and ready
http://i.imgur.com/9SLXPiS.jpg

Shot of engine (have to pull lots of stuff cause of the 3SX TD05 kit. It fits pretty well, but man are things tight!
http://i.imgur.com/gXpBbDV.jpg

Got it out!
http://i.imgur.com/cFHd2mL.jpg

IDK how much power I ever made with this. 450 - 500 on straight 93 pump is my guess. Like 20ish psi. I had some issues which I plan to show later that always caused great hesitation from me to really push the setup.
http://i.imgur.com/thgjlOw.jpg

Trying to get this thing on an engine stand was quite the chore. I'll be more prepared next time!
http://i.imgur.com/YaZmExF.jpg

A lot more room though with that giant hoist out of the way! Can't wait for the shell to get gone!
http://i.imgur.com/LAQiLmU.jpg

And that was where I left it tonight. Expect more updates to come over the weekend! Once I have room to work with, and I can get organized in there, I think things will go quicker! Lots of body work to do, paint, some engine work, and then some careful assembly so I don't have the same silly problems as last time! Goal is still 800 AWHP

[NOMIEZVR4]

damn...good work but there is so much still to go!

[futurevr4man]

I'm halfway there... now that I have room, the fun stuff begins!!

[futurevr4man]

Productive weekend! Made some big headway now!

I had a friend come in town to help me get the old shell out. It was quite the adventure, I won't lie. Only 2 jacks and 2 guys... it took every bit of knowledge regarding distributed loads, center of mass, and whatever other technical terms I can't think of! I think it took like 2 hours to get out... but no uh-oh's, no injuries, and great success!

I didn't take a ton of pictures cause we were just busy getting stuff done, but you can see the results!

Finished stripping the shell... took doors off, shifter cables, rest of fuel lines, etc etc. Lots of things. There wasn't much left on the shell when I was done with it. Then we proceeded to get the shell out of the garage. It was one of the most redneck engineering, and sketchy, things I have ever done. Was actually kinda fun haha!
http://i.imgur.com/eB5hVhz.jpg

Not a great pic, but look at all the room for activities!
http://i.imgur.com/GfatZkx.jpg

Once the car was out, I did a lot of clean up and some organization. Not even half as organized as I would like it to be, but it will work for now. It's a lot better than it was haha (that's not saying much!)

Pulled the rear subframe over into the space to start tearing it down. Gonna clean it up and replace all the bushings, and finish the AWS delete. Shouldn't be too tough... just takes time!
http://i.imgur.com/2m8XUnb.jpg

You can see the holes in bushings if you look close
http://i.imgur.com/0ZSsRFY.jpg

All apart
http://i.imgur.com/Nbm4qKh.jpg

On the rear subframe, I'll be doing new wheel bearings, new bushings all throughout, and the AWS delete (already have the upper adjustable arms). That should set me up for success I think. I would love some beefy axles, but lord almighty, they are so expensive. We'll see if I snap any and go from there.

In order to get the bushings out, since I don't have a press, I'll have to melt out the rubber portion and cut out the metal sleeves. That will require a torch, which I don't have... so make a harbor freight trip tomorrow and get a torch, plus some other goodies. These trips to HF always end up being expensive haha!

Looking forward:
- Rear subframe
- Front subframes
- Paint engine bay (I believe I will flat black it... should make the engine *pop*)
- Put engine in
- Get the car running and driving (no fenders, bumpers, or doors) and also check the electronics throughout the car as well as wiring
- Interior
- Paint
- Enjoy!

Lot's to do, but feels like a solid plan. Whatcha guys think?

[futurevr4man]

When I went to Autozone to get a freeze plug for where the AWS pump goes in the dif, this was the exchange that went down...

*call autozone*
- Y'all have any freeze plugs?
- What?
- Freeze plugs
- ... what?
- Freeze plugs!
- ...
- ...
- I'm having trouble hearing you, what are you looking for?
- Freeze plugs. F-R-E-E-Z-E plugs. -.-'
- Hold please

*5 minutes later*

- Yeah we have some
I proceed to explain what size I need... a whole other facepalm of a conversation

*walk into autozone*
- How can I help you?
- I called about some freeze plugs...
- Here they are!

**It's a rubber cylinder with washers on top and bottom, and a bolt running through it with a nut on the other end. You tighten the bolt and it squishes out the rubber...

- That's not a freeze plug...
- That's what the computer pulled up...
- ............................ I proceed to google freeze plugs
- *he walks to computer* What year is your car?
- I nearly bust a gut laughing and say "no, that's not how this works..."

I ended up buying the stupid rubber plug cause it will work fine for the application, but dang that is annoying how they are so clueless. Can't even google the part he's not familiar with. Everytime I've gone to this Autozone I have been severely unimpressed... I guess this is just par for the course.

[j2k4]

I was right - gibberish. :p

[futurevr4man]

I was right - gibberish. :p

But with pictures so you can follow along

[sergechronos]

Productive weekend! Made some big headway now!

I had a friend come in town to help me get the old shell out. It was quite the adventure, I won't lie. Only 2 jacks and 2 guys... it took every bit of knowledge regarding distributed loads, center of mass, and whatever other technical terms I can't think of! I think it took like 2 hours to get out... but no uh-oh's, no injuries, and great success!

I didn't take a ton of pictures cause we were just busy getting stuff done, but you can see the results!

Finished stripping the shell... took doors off, shifter cables, rest of fuel lines, etc etc. Lots of things. There wasn't much left on the shell when I was done with it. Then we proceeded to get the shell out of the garage. It was one of the most redneck engineering, and sketchy, things I have ever done. Was actually kinda fun haha!
http://i.imgur.com/eB5hVhz.jpg

Not a great pic, but look at all the room for activities!
http://i.imgur.com/GfatZkx.jpg

Once the car was out, I did a lot of clean up and some organization. Not even half as organized as I would like it to be, but it will work for now. It's a lot better than it was haha (that's not saying much!)

Pulled the rear subframe over into the space to start tearing it down. Gonna clean it up and replace all the bushings, and finish the AWS delete. Shouldn't be too tough... just takes time!
http://i.imgur.com/2m8XUnb.jpg

You can see the holes in bushings if you look close
http://i.imgur.com/0ZSsRFY.jpg

All apart
http://i.imgur.com/Nbm4qKh.jpg

On the rear subframe, I'll be doing new wheel bearings, new bushings all throughout, and the AWS delete (already have the upper adjustable arms). That should set me up for success I think. I would love some beefy axles, but lord almighty, they are so expensive. We'll see if I snap any and go from there.

In order to get the bushings out, since I don't have a press, I'll have to melt out the rubber portion and cut out the metal sleeves. That will require a torch, which I don't have... so make a harbor freight trip tomorrow and get a torch, plus some other goodies. These trips to HF always end up being expensive haha!

Looking forward:
- Rear subframe
- Front subframes
- Paint engine bay (I believe I will flat black it... should make the engine *pop*)
- Put engine in
- Get the car running and driving (no fenders, bumpers, or doors) and also check the electronics throughout the car as well as wiring
- Interior
- Paint
- Enjoy!

Lot's to do, but feels like a solid plan. Whatcha guys think?

For moving the shell, set of wheel dollies from HF is like 70 bucks. On the old stripped shell, you could've just put them on the underbody and been fine.

In so far as removing bushings, a jigsaw with metal cutting blades, and/or a Sawzall work and then a hammer and punch work well unless you are using the 3SX poly kits that require reusing the old outer metal shells. Burning out bushings takes a long time and is quite the mess IMO.

Looks like a good start though. If not powder coating the rear subframe and such, I recommend Masterseries coatings. Very thick and heavy duty stuff.



Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[j2k4]

Why didn't you take the skirts off, Gnate?

[sergechronos]

Why didn't you take the skirts off, Gnate?
He has no interest in skirts, or what is under them ;)

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[futurevr4man]

Why didn't you take the skirts off, Gnate?

It's only the drivers side that is on, and it's cause the pinch weld had them stuck on there. Didn't have the room or desire to worry about it. I have other skirts in the garage in decent shape.

[Chris@Rvengeperformance]

I'd think about trying to cut the windshield out if its good. It would be good practice and you'd have a spare if it worked.

[futurevr4man]

I'd think about trying to cut the windshield out if its good. It would be good practice and you'd have a spare if it worked.

It's like $150 for a new one... not worth the time or effort. I know I could get it it out, I just don't care that much.

[futurevr4man]

I need to upload pics, but engine is about ready to go in. Hoping for this weekend, but we'll see!

[futurevr4man]

Ok I suck at updating, but I've gotten a lot done.

I found out the exhaust manifolds I had were cracked pretty bad
https://i.imgur.com/DW1iIou.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/IGo9OtH.jpg

So I decided to get out of TD05 land, and went to T3 land. Bought what was advertised as DR1000's, but upon closer inspection they are actually GT3076's. They truly aren't exactly what I want, but they'll work. The manifolds were not advertised as cracked or warped, but sure enough they were. So I took them to a shop, had them straightened, rewelded, and skimmed flat. Pics in no particular order.

https://i.imgur.com/UIlo4j2.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ga4nXrA.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/hRC0o2L.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/0cKke6s.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/zIN6afV.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/7OFdfjz.jpg


I also painted my engine bay

https://i.imgur.com/3fek3Po.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/4DMByzS.jpg

[futurevr4man]

Lastly, got the engine together and in

https://i.imgur.com/taiyMtV.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/pCQecqx.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/G4OzOHr.jpg

That's obviously a very broad view of what's happened, but you get the gist. I expect to get it running in the next few weeks. Have a few more things to finish up!

[FeaRpb]

Who sold you that crap?

Also I came here to purposely talk shit. But you have actually done a lot. Way to go!

[NOMIEZVR4]

you can thank me for that progress :D

[futurevr4man]

Who sold you that crap?


FreddyKreuger I think his name is. He claims to not have seen it all messed up. He refunded me the machine shop costs to straighten and reweld the manifolds, and offered to refund the turbos too, but I'm ok with the 3076's. All in all, I have a little under $2000 into the T3 setup and got my money out of the TD05 setup, so not bad.


you can thank me for that progress :D

Lol you were a factor :)


The 3076's are 500+ hp turbos whereas the DR1000's are 450hp turbos at best. Record is 814AWHP at 35psi on them...

I'm hoping to pump out 800 from these, so at least I shouldn't have to push everything to the very limit in order to do it. I plan to keep timing pretty conservative and let the turbos do the work

[j2k4]

You'd better do a genealogical work-up on those turbos.

Studies have shown that, while they can make a lot of power, many of them underachieve, preferring to sit around, snack, and play videos. ;)

[futurevr4man]

So I tried to start it this weekend. Ran into a few snags but had a few victories.

Got the intercooler piping finished with the mock up. Nothing is really done (not to my standards anyhow) but it's together. Battery in, fuel hooked up, etc. etc. Still need to finish my preturbo intake pipes (tomorrow probably).

https://i.imgur.com/H6fPm2w.jpg

So I went to crank it in order to build oil pressure and when I cranked it over the first time I saw some smoke come up from the front. Super concerning obviously. I didn't have any plug in it, so should spin no sweat... no compression. Well, turns out the engine wasn't wanting to turn and the smoke I saw was the starter.

Obviously concerned, I chatted with the some friends and one of them convinced me the clutch was probably bound up. I've never had that happen in the 5 or 6 times I've gone through this process... but this is the first dual clutch I've ever messed with. So bled the clutch and it spun over just fine... built oil pressure to the 3rd tick.

So that brings me to starting it. I had to flash on the new tune and dumbass me didn't have the MFI relay plugged in (for oil pressure cranking) and didn't plug it in afterward. So I chased my tail for like 3 hours trying to figure out why my tactrix wasn't getting battery power. Finally came to the conclusion I was an idiot. No surprise.

Flashed on new tune, no problem. Got EvoScan connected to start logging, no problem. Got my big girl panties on and hit it... nothing. No firing. I had my neighbor at the ready with a fire extinguisher haha. Concluded I wasn't getting fuel (couldn't hear the pumps turn on). Found out I had the trigger wire in the wrong spot after double checking everything else. So I tried again and found out my fuel line (the line itself) is leaking. I have new e85 safe line coming now, and I plan to redo the whole thing. I can't be 100% positive that the old line was e85 safe... I made it too long ago.

So since I was stuck, I decided to have a Sunday funday. Got it on all 4's, started test fitting some stuff. Front has like zero camber. You can see the rears between the two pic... second one has a 15mm spacer on the rears. It should look good once it's all aligned and put together. It's all just laying on the body right now, nothing is lined up or anything, so take it with a grain of salt. I'm still excited about it.

https://i.imgur.com/EPVU9w6.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/3HnX0Tr.jpg

Wheels are 18x10 +20 P45R2's with 295/35/18 PSS's

[B-Man]

Never thought I'd see the day....

[DocWalt]

It has a bumper!

[futurevr4man]

The bumper is just sitting on there lol. I need brackets to actually mount it, and things need to shift around a bit. But yeah, it's right there!

Doc, can you give me some insight on how I should get it aligned? I understand what all the individual adjustments do, but I'm not sure where to set them all from the beginning. How much camber, toe, etc? I'll take it somewhere that will set it to what I tell them.

[DocWalt]

Go for -2 camber up front, -1.5 or so rear. I'd do a tiny bit of front toe-out and a tiny bit of total toe-in for the rear, maybe 0.1 OUT up front and 0.1 IN rear?

As you add front camber you need to add a little bit of toe-out to correct for the self-steering effect of the camber and get better tire wear and more reactive steering.

[futurevr4man]

Noted, thanks!!

[DocWalt]

If you plan on driving this primarily on the street without hitting up a ton of twisties or the light track/autocross use here and there, you'd be best to take half a degree out of the camber measurements only for tire wear reasons. I know you like twisties, but this will be a LOT of car for that, so...

[futurevr4man]

Bah! I ran it at -2* or so previously and it was fine!!

[j2k4]

It has a bumper!


The bumper is just sitting on there

I could have told him that, Gnate.

[2fnloud]

Go for -2 camber up front, -1.5 or so rear. I'd do a tiny bit of front toe-out and a tiny bit of total toe-in for the rear, maybe 0.1 OUT up front and 0.1 IN rear?

As you add front camber you need to add a little bit of toe-out to correct for the self-steering effect of the camber and get better tire wear and more reactive steering.


Interesting, Nathan told me no front to at all and a tiny bit of toe in the rear when I had mine aligned.

[DocWalt]

Bah! I ran it at -2* or so previously and it was fine!!

I only wanted to add that as a CYA disclaimer if your tire wear is shit, lol.


Interesting, Nathan told me no front to at all and a tiny bit of toe in the rear when I had mine aligned.

0 front toe is fine too.

[futurevr4man]

I could have told him that, Gnate.

I just assumed we were playing the "say obvious things" game! ;)

[futurevr4man]

Since I last posted, I've actually done a lot!

Turns out the reason the engine didn't want to turn over WAS because of the clutch, but for a reason I've never seen!

There is physically so little space inside the bell housing that the face of the pressure plate was riding on the clutch fork (the area that it fits on the ball). So when I would release my clutch, it would engage fine, but then I would hear it scraping and eventually it would kill the engine. Bummer! I ended up pulling the transmission, sending the clutch back to Clutch Masters and having them re-machine it and new screws (all of the screw heads got chewed up in the process of this), and reassembling. I am a wimp and won't work if it's real frigid out, so this whole thing was slow going. I did some other stuff while it's been down though... new rear wheel bearings (and consequently a new stub shaft) and redid some of the intercooler piping. But mostly I haven't been working on it... until recently.

I got the car started back up this past weekend with 10 gallons of fresh E85, no issues to report on that! Fuel line was replaced and is working great! I have a laundry list of little things that aren't working...

ABS light on (I jumped the harness last night, that was surprisingly easy)
Fans don't come on (hotwiring to an ignition signal... the wiring is wrong for them)
Fuel gauge isn't working
Load gauge (stock boost gauge) isn't working
Dash lights aren't working
Probably more...

Seems like a lot, but it's not. Not sure where to go with the fuel gauge, load gauge, or dash lights yet... I'll finish the fans real quick tonight that's easy.

Other things left
My wideband is only temporarily wired in for testing
Boost controller isn't wired in
Need to check windows, locks, anything else I can think of before I put any interior in it
New tune needed (I tuned it intentionally lean for startup as I'm already dumping 30% more fuel than normal), it's idling in low 16's right now

All in all, I'm real happy with it. E85 has been surprisingly well behaved so far. Thought I'd have a lot of trouble with it, given that it's been cold still and I've never messed with it.

[Unlogic]

It's nice to see more and more build threads waking up on this site as the spring arrives.

[futurevr4man]

Haha yeah, I'm excited for the car and definitely the weather!

[stealthee]

It's nice to see more an more build threads waking up on this site as the spring arrives.

I wish spring was arriving. We got snow this morning. I've been antsy to pull the cover off the car and get some things done for a few weeks now.

[DocWalt]

Progress, woooo!

[FeaRpb]

Oh wow

[futurevr4man]

Been working on this thing non-stop!

The car keeps overheating which is frustrating. I felt my bottom radiator hose and it was cold while the top one was hot... points to the thermostat not opening. I took it out last night and it opened fine when I boiled it so I know it's not that. I drilled 4 holes in it to promote some coolant flow regardless... I'm confident it will help but it's obviously a bandaid. Frustrating. I'm thinking my water pump is a POS. I'll replace it if and when the Fluidampr group buy happens. I am truly stumped as to why (with a funnel in the opening of the water neck) the coolant level doesn't go down (due to the thermostat opening). I'm open to suggestions on this.

I made 2 videos to show running conditions. Oil pressure looks fantastic (just using stock gauge... I will eventually put a sandwich plate on it and run another gauge), but E85 is proving to be a bit of a butthole. Just doesn't like to start and run when it's cold. I'll keep messing with the tune (only 4 flashes to this point and they've all been focused around idle AFR's).

Idle vid (taken before I messed with the thermostat)

https://youtu.be/CCK4woSCGCA

Anti-lag test

https://youtu.be/DWLw0F40YDY

Going to replace the fuel pumps and (hopefully) fix the fuel gauge all in one tonight. Still have lots of little things I'd like to get done, but I suspect a test drive sometime next week.

[DocWalt]

I bet there was a decent size air bubble by the thermostat and it wasn't seeing the hot water and therefore not opening...

[futurevr4man]

How do I get rid of said air bubble? I burped the system a lot, but no dice

[futurevr4man]

videos fixed. I know they weren't working.

[DocWalt]

How do I get rid of said air bubble? I burped the system a lot, but no dice

Easiest is drilling some holes in the t-stat and you'll get some flow so there's no air bubble there, which you did. Have you run it since?

[futurevr4man]

Just once. I unplugged both fans when I did to see if the thermostat would open up and I could watch the level drop... never happened... I really think my water pump is shit, but we'll see. I'll definitely keep an eye on it

[j2k4]

Think it's worth a new WP either way, Gnate.

Sounds gnarly, I like it.

[futurevr4man]

Still chipping away at things. Test drive tomorrow!

[futurevr4man]

Got it on the ground yesterday!

https://i.imgur.com/ImyzWC1.jpg

And took it around the block!

https://i.imgur.com/MLeJrxp.jpg

No leaks, pretty uneventful (which is good). Clutch is surprisingly tame (compared to my spec stage 5), I can only imagine if I didn't have 2 race plates, I'll bet it wouldn't be bad at all!

Tune is way off and a few things aren't working (like speedo) so I gotta sort that out. All in all, I'm pleased. Makes a lot of boost real quick. Not much lag.

[stealthee]

Looking good Gnate

[futurevr4man]

Great news, yesterday I made some real changes to the tune and it’s running great! Checking lots of things off my never ending list. Gonna call for an alignment tomorrow

[B-Man]

Just take it to BRG as is.

[futurevr4man]

https://youtu.be/HUPtta9adww

[futurevr4man]

Just take it to BRG as is.

It will have the body put together, but it will still be multi-colored

[j2k4]

https://youtu.be/HUPtta9adww

Better rich/safe than the other.

Sound pretty zingy, though a few pulls will tell the tale.

Been wondering how those big snails are gonna like the bigger cubes when you whack the pedal.

Bet even a ginger can tune it past 800 - being an engineer isn't a huge handicap...:D

[futurevr4man]

Bet even a ginger can tune it past 800 - being an engineer isn't a huge handicap...:D

What about being full of crap?! :D

Fenders, lights, trim is all on, most of the interior is in and alignment scheduled for next Tuesday!!

[j2k4]

You go, girl! ;)

[futurevr4man]

Updated pics! I drove it all around the neighborhood today, runs pretty well! Bumper and some other stuff goes on tomorrow

https://i.imgur.com/nd4NYpT.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/T3AlyFa.jpg

[J-Groove]

Great work, awesome to read through the build thread. :)

-John

[futurevr4man]

Got the bumper mounted this morning... have to drill some holes in the fenders, but was curious how it'd all line up and I'm quite pleased!! I need to make some spacers and stuff so that the fiberglass doesn't crack. I'm excited to start tuning though... It's on there solid right now, so tuning starts tomorrow!

https://i.imgur.com/pTiCUjc.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/IXbbEAx.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/fsRIDKy.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/KBr561w.jpg

I am so freaking hyped. The car is running great!

[j2k4]

Gnate has a bumper!

[futurevr4man]

Rejoice!

[B-Man]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmPhaG1ud38

[futurevr4man]

In the wild!!

https://i.imgur.com/0xG1Lnh.jpg

[j2k4]

STILL missing parts...

[futurevr4man]

Yeah, hood hits intercooler piping so gotta figure that out.

[j2k4]

I have a few spare hood blisters if you wanna go Steve68, Gnate...:D

[futurevr4man]

Last night I checked all of my door wiring and found just 2 wires flipped on the passenger side (both all brown wires... had a 50/50 shot lol). I was really surprised that everything worked fine as soon as I fixed those! Door lights, mirrors, windows, and locks are all good... I have a lot of confidence my speaker wiring is fine too.

I also got my intake pipes made and fitted. Turned out great I think... no where near the shifter counterweight! Plenty of room.

https://i.imgur.com/k7uUNoP.jpg

I know I haven't been updating, but I've been doing a lot of stuff. I'm going to call today to schedule to get the car re-aligned now that I've fixed things. I'm happy with my progress... still pushing for BRG! I think I'll make it as long as tuning goes well and everything holds together :D

[j2k4]

Gnate = gonna be the fastest ginger in Ohio. ;)

[futurevr4man]

I hooked up my DLI last night and my oil dummy light lit up on the next start and won't go off no matter how I rev it or anything (I haven't ran it but a few seconds like that). My stock oil pressure gauge shows great pressure as usual. Pretty odd. I'm quite confused to say the least. I don't actually think I have low oil pressure.

I will admit that in my excitement of the DLI, I forgot to bolt down the ground strap on the first start. I have no idea what that could have done. I don't like admitting my mistakes, but shit happens. Car started and ran fine other than the dummy light.

I've had some issues with the sheathing inside my throttle cable melting as well. I ended up cutting out the sheathing. It's not the stock configuration at all, it's a cruise control delete using parts from the cruise control and retrofitting them to my application. I think that the lack of sheathing will be fine.

I also milled a mounting block at work for my AFPR so I got rid of the whole CC bracket assembly it was mounted to. It used to sit real high and now it doesn't, so that's good.

Put my hood on, it's warped somehow. Can't see it until you put it on. I have a source for a new (to me) hood though.

I have an oil leak coming from my front turbo drain fitting on my oil pan that I can't get to go away. That's getting old. It barely drips, but still bugging me. I'll redo that on next oil change. That's the only leak I've spotted so far.

I hope to get the sideskirts on this weekend (and put the fenders back on). Then more pics will ensue. I need to get my gauge bezel and steering wheel together then I'll snap a pic of the interior. All blacked out, looking good! Need to get my new skins on my seats, but I think I'll take it to a pro. I have no desire to learn how to do upholstery.

And that's my brain dump

[futurevr4man]

BAH! More issues. More updates.

I've spared you all my frustrations with my alignment issues, but yesterday I went back to the shop and had them re-do my alignment. Still only 90% happy, but I digress...

Some history and what happened: The car has been progressively getting leaner at idle. Especially when it warms up, which is counter intuitive due to air being warmer when entering and thus not as dense. Even in the stock ROM, fuel is added on cold start and taken away as engine temp increases. When I did my first pull in it, it felt slow. Really slow. Log did not have a steady AFR but recorded rich (low 11's). Just acting odd.

I drive it yesterday to the alignment shop and it's running pretty lean. Fuel isn't coming in like it usually does when pressure builds (I wasn't flooring it or anything, just building some positive pressure). I get to the shop, the car doesn't want to idle when it's started up /embarrassing.

After alignment, I drive car around a bit (a few miles) just to see what it feels like. Gets worse. I flash 2 more times, adding fuel at idle each time. No change. By this time I'm concerned and head home (I was about a mile away). Car is extremely lean when cruising home. Like 18:1 lean. Barely wants to idle. Really being a butthole.

So my assessment is a fuel issue. It's suspicious that all of this started when I put the DLI on, but I don't think that's my issue. I mean, it could be I suppose... but due to it getting progressively worse every time I've started the car, and then working its way to undriveable... the DLI wouldn't get worse. It might be bad but it would be consistently bad. I'm somewhat confident in my fuel concerns.

Attack strategy:
- My fuel filter is a Russell with a 10 micron filter. Supposedly ok for E85 (I was told when purchased)... I never changed it from my previous (gasoline) setup to now. Maybe shame on me? IDK. Everything I read says don't use paper filters with E85, and I took it out last night and sure enough it's paper. I just called Russell and the guy says they aren't compatible with E85... Gonna get a Fuelab E85 Filter. The 828 series is the plan.

*aside* why the hell don't you say that the filter isn't compatible on the website then, dumbass Edlebrock!!*

- My fuel lines are lined with who knows what. I bought them from a performance shop YEARSSSS ago... I can't remember. I *thought* they were PTFE but I'm questioning everything now. Le sigh. I have teflon fuel line in my garage already so I'll make some new lines this weekend.

- Since I'm doubting everything now, I'm also going to get my injectors cleaned. I'm concerned time-wise with this part. I also don't know if there's anywhere local for this. I'm gonna make some calls today.

While I've got it all torn apart, I'm going to change plugs too, so I can try and make sure I'm starting from square one. Then there will be no more variables to go wrong left. What a pain in the dick. I really hope with all of this, the next time I put my foot down, the car does the boot scootin boogey cause I'm getting disheartened.

[95gto]

Your oil switch light could easily be from the connector falling off the switch, those things are designed to slide on and off. So I would peak at the backside of the block to see if the wire is still intact and actually connected.

When you installed your DLI, where did you mount it, how did you route your wires, and where did you make your connections. I think the DLI install happening just before these issues is a coincidence but sometimes you can cause problems with old wiring just by manipulating it.

[futurevr4man]

When you installed your DLI, where did you mount it, how did you route your wires, and where did you make your connections. I think the DLI install happening just before these issues is a coincidence but sometimes you can cause problems with old wiring just by manipulating it.

DLI is mounted under the fuse box, routed just right across to the coils, and the wires from the DLI are bolted to the bottom of the coils with ring terminals.

I actually made the mistake of not putting my post in correct chronological order. The sheathing issue on the throttle cable caused my throttle to get stuck open. When I started the car the first time, it revved up just after being started until I was able to comprehend wtf was happening and cut the key off. It obviously caught me off guard.

I fixed the cable and felt it with my foot, but never started it again... I didn't think there would be a reason to. The goal was to drive the car to my buds shop and cut/realign the exhaust but by the time I got all of that fixed he has left his shop and so I never started it and just did the DLI. When I started it back up, the light was on. So there were a few variables.

[stealthee]

Its not local to you, but my buddy recently got an injector cleaner set up for his shop. It's only 4 hours from you. :p

[j2k4]

Hang in, Gnate. ;)

[futurevr4man]

Its not local to you, but my buddy recently got an injector cleaner set up for his shop. It's only 4 hours from you. :p

LOL! I think I found a local place but they won't friggen call me back!


Hang in, Gnate. ;)

Trying to... why can't this just work!?

[95gto]

DLI is mounted under the fuse box, routed just right across to the coils, and the wires from the DLI are bolted to the bottom of the coils with ring terminals.

I actually made the mistake of not putting my post in correct chronological order. The sheathing issue on the throttle cable caused my throttle to get stuck open. When I started the car the first time, it revved up just after being started until I was able to comprehend wtf was happening and cut the key off. It obviously caught me off guard.

I fixed the cable and felt it with my foot, but never started it again... I didn't think there would be a reason to. The goal was to drive the car to my buds shop and cut/realign the exhaust but by the time I got all of that fixed he has left his shop and so I never started it and just did the DLI. When I started it back up, the light was on. So there were a few variables.

Are you using an aftermarket oil pressure gauge or just the stock one? I had to double check, but per stealth 316 the oil pressure switch, aka the dummy light, is a normally open switch that only closes under low pressure. That would mean it wouldn't come on due to a disconnected or broken wire, it would only come on due to a wire that is shorted out, a bad/stuck switch, or low oil pressure.

If you don't have an aftermarket oil pressure gauge on this thing I strongly recommend doing so.

[futurevr4man]

Are you using an aftermarket oil pressure gauge or just the stock one? I had to double check, but per stealth 316 the oil pressure switch, aka the dummy light, is a normally open switch that only closes under low pressure. That would mean it wouldn't come on due to a disconnected or broken wire, it would only come on due to a wire that is shorted out, a bad/stuck switch, or low oil pressure.

If you don't have an aftermarket oil pressure gauge on this thing I strongly recommend doing so.


You are correct. I plan to. I'm just using the stock gauge.

While the stock gauge may not be accurate, it is repeatable. There has been no change in oil pressure. I'm planning to hunt down the shorted wire when I take off my plenum to pull injectors and change plugs. I'll hook up a real gauge (I already have a nice Greddy one) as soon as I can come up with a plan on where to mount it. I may just do away with the dummy light altogether and put the Greddy gauge unit in its place.

[j2k4]

Trying to... why can't this just work!?

You've aged since you messed with your car, enough it pays to realize finishing projects just gets harder and harder.

Have to say, making shit run was a LOT easier with carbs, and without ECUs.

[Dj_Frost]

This thread is filled with awesome :joyous:

[95gto]

You are correct. I plan to. I'm just using the stock gauge.

While the stock gauge may not be accurate, it is repeatable. There has been no change in oil pressure. I'm planning to hunt down the shorted wire when I take off my plenum to pull injectors and change plugs. I'll hook up a real gauge (I already have a nice Greddy one) as soon as I can come up with a plan on where to mount it. I may just do away with the dummy light altogether and put the Greddy gauge unit in its place.

You probably know this but in case you don't, the wiring for that pressure switch runs with the that of the pressure gauge sending unit and the wire that plugs into the top of the power steering pump, so isolating that portion of the wiring for testing purposes is pretty simple. However the install of the DLI would only impact the wire in a less convenient location.

If you have enough heat coming off the rear manifold to melt the sheathing in a throttle cable though, that could also potentially cause issues with wiring insulation. So a quick check would be unplugging the connector at the plenum for the pressure switch and doing some simple continuity to ground tests.

[futurevr4man]

If you have enough heat coming off the rear manifold to melt the sheathing in a throttle cable though, that could also potentially cause issues with wiring insulation. So a quick check would be unplugging the connector at the plenum for the pressure switch and doing some simple continuity to ground tests.

Yeah I haven't broken out the DMM yet. I still plan to just put on a real gauge and see what the oil pressure is. I'm not terribly concerned about the dummy light to be honest, just interesting the set of events.

Re: throttle cable, the wastegate on DR setups comes up right beside the throttle line. I don't know how other people haven't had issues with this. I'd like to know their solution. I strongly believe that insulation would not save the cable.

[j2k4]

This thread is filled with awesome :joyous:

Yes, it is.

Gnate relies on us for the 'awesome', so we do our best. ;)

[j2k4]

Re: throttle cable, the wastegate on DR setups comes up right beside the throttle line. I don't know how other people haven't had issues with this. I'd like to know their solution. I strongly believe that insulation would not save the cable.

Gnate, is there any possibility of taking some pics that would show proximity, etc?

We might be able to cogitate some brilliant solution...well, maybe Levi could.

I could maybe come up with some Binky-like chatter. :)

[futurevr4man]

Well, good news! Adam helped me retune my car and start from scratch. Completely different approach this time round. So far it's fine. No more screwy injector stuff as best I can tell. It's not tuned where I'm comfortable with it yet, but it's getting there. I am absolutely dying from allergies at the moment, and my laptop died lol. So done for the night.

Snapped some pics while it was out:
https://i.imgur.com/n05ybeI.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/rCbclk7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/1O1C8m2.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/90mCWU9.jpg

Still need to raise pass front and lower ds rear a bit.

[futurevr4man]

And I've potentially bought a house. We'll see how the well inspection goes on Monday.

[j2k4]

:bigthumb:

[stealthee]

Congrats on the house. Its probably in the thread here somewhere, but is that a RetroSpec wing?

[j2k4]

Gnate bought a horse?

[futurevr4man]

Congrats on the house. Its probably in the thread here somewhere, but is that a RetroSpec wing?

Yessir it is.

[stealthee]

I like the look. It is more of the look I have wanted all along because it is more "Viperish" compared to the Cianci duckbill. I just cant pull the trigger, but if I am going to get it, now would be the time before body work would start.