So, whatcha' got?

[Synthohol]

Hello and welcome to the newest forum at LiquidNinjas.com.
I'll start by saying I was an ASE certified professional auto mechanic for 12+ years before pounding on the keyboard for a living. My wife and I own a 1967 Pontiac Firebird with a 400cid modified engine, TH400 tranny and a 12 bolt POSI rear @3.33 from a 72 Camaro.
after accumulating over 40 points on my licence for speeding, (I never learn) the car has been in dry-dock for 7 years now and may come out of hibernation soon if I could just stop buying computer parts!

So getting back to the title of the thread, Whatcha all got?
Personally i'm interested in what you have built/modded yourself, not gone out and bought an N20 screaming 'Vette that came pre-modded from the previous owner. But thats just me.

If you want to post a pic or 2, please keep the size 500x500 if you can, as this will quicken the load times for our dial-up entheusiests!

[Player0]

Good. Fix my car :)

[Farabomb]

Firebird?? well, it sure was smoking when I was behind it :D

Me? after having 3 comaros and 1 firebird in varoius states of tune I've moved on to Subarus. The maro's and the bird were nice and fast but nothing I've owned has been as much fun to drive as my GC MY96 2.2L 4Dr 5-sp Impreza. More than quick enough to take a fair ammount of the F&F Honda's, Toyotas, ect. I see around here. It really likes the ones with the big *** wings, fart can exuasts, loud intakes, and 1.8l stock mills.

I'm in the process of doing a major buildup on my car (as money allows :D )

In the works:
New motor.
Either a ej22/2.5head N/A or a ej20 Turbo motor. I really want the Turbo but money will be an issue. I've love a WRX mill from a Ver6 but people want 2 arms and a leg for them. :)

New supension.
Struts and springs, rear bar, STi bushing set, possibly new control arms.

Brake upgrade:
larger front disks form a WRX or Legacy wagon, Rear drum to disk conversion, also from a Legacy and new rims to fit it all

WRX parts:
I want most of the parts out of a Ver6 WRX STi but by the time I get to buying them all they might not exist. I love the old body style Impreza's but not untill the new WRX came over did most people know about crazy WRX's you could get over in Japan. Most of the body work will be last. Seeing as I want a off-road rally racer spending all that $$$ on body kits that will get hammered with rocks I'll wait on that. ;)

There are a few more things I want to do but they're still up in the air. If anyone has any info on parts/shops in the north jersey area please PM me. There is a whole lot of info I need and any help would be greatly appreciated.

So, that's what I got lined up. How about you?
Here a pic of my ride. Sorry about the crappy camera. :)

[amdrules770]

I have a '89 chevy 1500 truck with the 4.3l V6 and NV3500 5spd, so far all I have done to it is:
Take off the whole exhaust from after the cat, and change to an msd ignition.

Soon I plan on taking off the EGR setup, and go to an electric water pump/fan. Later on I plan on rebuilding the engine so I can eventually put a turbo on it and run 15 psi of boost.

[WesM63]

Well the First car i've actually bought and owned is My 1987 Porsche 944 Turbo. (2.5L 4cly, Turbo, 12psi boost, 217hp & 243ft lbs tq.) So far i've added a stronger blow off valve off a saab 9000, Open Element K&N Cone Filter, and a custom exhaust. The exhaust is waiting to be installed as we speak, it consits of a Dynomax Race Magnum Bullet Muffler (Race Only!;)) and a 3" outlet Stanless Steel Dynomax Tip.

Alright, here is the pic...

[Synthohol]

Originally posted by amdrules770
Soon I plan on taking off the EGR setup
as long as you accept the risk of never passing state emission standards as well as violating some federal law regarding modifying an emission control device.
Personally, i'm all for more power, I just wanted to make you aware of the legal risks involved :)
I know a couple of Mustang owners who kept their original exhaust/air tube assembly and mount it once a year for state inspection, then go back to the HP setup once a sticker is on the car. It's a hassle but its better than the alternitive.
good luck!

[Synthohol]

here is a lousy pic of the car hidden in the bushes before the cover went on...

[mdzcpa]

I've been into the late model Mustang scene for about 15 years. After dabbling a bit with a 65 Olds Cutlass high school, I moved to late model fuel injection V-8s when the muscle care performance mantra was reborn in the early 80s.

My first experiment was an 86 Mustang GT 5.0 bought used in 1988. This was my first car I bought after finishing college. Things were just getting rollin' for the venerable "5-oh" back then, so I limited my mods to simple bolt-ons like exhaust work, higher lift roller rockers, and a rear gear swap to 3.55s. This alone allowed me to mop the floor with the latest Camaros, Firebirds, and Vettes, as well as the stock Mustangs of the day.

In 1991, I traded the 86 in for a brand new 91 Mustang 5.0 LX Notchback. I passed right over the GTs of the day which had become bloated and "plastic" looking with all the bolt on spoilers and rocker panels. The LX Notchback was 200lbs lighter and had a much cleaner look. Without a single modification to the cars sheetmetal, and an eye for the sleeper look, the 91 went through 9 years of build up. In the end, it had a 14 psi centrifugal supercharger, ported TFS aluminum racing heads, ported upper intake, plus all the supporting fuel system, cooling, drivetrain, chassis, and suspension mods need to support the 500+ horsepower the car was making.

During the time I was building the car, I began drag racing (legally) and often attended many of the local Fun Ford Weekend and 5.0 events. My best 1/4 time from this beast was a 10.28 @ 126mph. The neatest part about this was being able to pop in a CD and crank up the A/C on the way home from the track...it was a true street car. Hehe...I was half way home before most guys had their poor idling, overheating monsters on the trailer.

Here's some pics of the '91:
http://www.liquidninjas.com/mdzcpa/ForumPics/mugshots/91mustang/car4.JPG
http://www.liquidninjas.com/mdzcpa/ForumPics/mugshots/91mustang/car2.JPG

Well...things change. So due the the needs of a growing family, I sold the 91 on a whim during the 2002 Woodward Dream Cruise (the largest outdoor car event in the world). Someone came up and offered me cash (literally, in $100 bills:eek: ) during the show, and I took the offer.

After almost a year without a "toy" car, I couldn't resist the urge and I bought an 86 Mustang GT. Ahhh...back to my roots. Although it's not the absolute beast the 91 was, it's still heavily modified and aweful fast. The motor has a recently rebuilt shortblock, hand ported GT-40X aluminum racing heads, FMS E303 cam, hand ported GT-40 upper intake, custom fuel system, full length headers and 2 1/2 dual exhaust, a tied frame, Auburn rear end with 3.73 gears, plus a bunch of other supporting goodies. The body lines are clean and mean. She'll run high 11s in the quarter mile all day long and is totally streetable.

http://www.liquidninjas.net/mdzcpa/forumpics/mugshots/86mustang/picture%20002.jpg
http://www.liquidninjas.net/mdzcpa/forumpics/mugshots/86mustang/enginebay.jpg

It's still a work in progress. Being a true street car for the last 18 years, it needs some work on the interior now. Then I'll get back to freshen the paint job. I may supercharge it later on, but that means addiitonal upgrades to the fuel system and a programable engine management system....that's not cheap. But, maybe in a few years....I'm patient :)

[unacceptable_risk]

Nice cars everyone, and Wes, way to go on the first wheels.
I am a dedicated rev head, The list of cars is more than 30 long.

So to summarize I have enjoyed many 70's RWD small cars, including datsuns, Ford escorts and mazda rotaries.

I still have my first car under the house, It is a mini moke californian, I will never part with this one. what it lacks in grunt it more than adequately accounts for in freakishly great handling. I put nice 185/60/13" tires allround for rail like cornering.(plans include a tidy supercharger unit and overbore to 1.4L [oh and disk brakes]hmm, better throw in roll cage.)

My favorite so far was a Mazda RX3 coupe running a race bridgeport 13b rotary engine good for just shy of 300hp at the fly.
I have no pictures, only memories. It was gunmetal and immac, I sold it back to the guy I got it from, who could'nt bear parting with it. I regret ever parting with it, and don't wanna talk about it. except perhaps to giggle and quote "brass button clutch & 4000 rpm takeoff rev minimum = exiting in heavy traffic."

After an extended and forced break from motoring, I plan to make my return in a little panel van called Cedric {see poxy and unfinished web page http://members.optusnet.com.au/merv28/cedpics.htm }
He is in for complete ground up bare metal rebuild. at the time of this post I have just finished removing the engine and running gear yesterday, to finish concealing all the engine bay wiring and paint the bay ready for a fully detailed engine finish. Then I plan to register the car in guide coat cause I need it right now. I can finish the rest while its mobile.

Cheers all, safe and happy motoring.

[NorthernYankee]

Well, my current mode of movement is a 2001 Hyundai Elantra...yes go ahead and laugh but I enjoy foreign compacts.

The current buildup of this car is with the stipulation that it be mostly stock looking to keep a sleeper look, and with more focus placed on handling than all out HP. Mods already in place include Upgraded Rims and sticky Bridgestone Potenza RE750' in 205/50/16's, Upgraded rear sway from 15.5mm to 19.2mm(this has increased handling a lot, the car doesn't understeer now and will actually oversteer at the extreme limits). Also replaced the stock intake with a Cold Air intake to free up some airflow to the engine. I am in process of getting a custom cat-back exhaust done I have the Muffler parts but I am looking for a shop to install it. I have also ordered new springs to drop the car about 1.7" this should give me exceptional handling and will finsh up my current handling mods. I also have done some asthetic mods like new Radio and such.

Future mods include B&M short throw shifter, Upgraded front Discs and Calipers, Stage 2 or maybe 3 clutch, and way down the road a custom Turbo or Supercharger Set-up.

As for previous cars I had a 91' Ford Probe with some mods including Rims, Tire, Exhaust.

I also owned a 1999 Kawasaki ZX-9R it was bone stock but would rip through the Quarter in just over 11s...boy do I miss that bike:(

--NY

[ralf_c]

hi nothern yankee long time no see, i hope all is good. :)

u_r hey bud good to see you here very now and then. be on the look out for something in your mail box soon.:D

[Farabomb]

NY, I'm one of those that makes fun of Hyundais but I saw your ride in person and I didn't think it was a Elantra.:) I think your's looks better than any Hyundai and most Hondas I've seen.

I like the way your'e going about the buildup. Horsepower means nothing if you can't get it to hold the road. I've been reading about the affects of the rear roll bar and what I got from it was possible to have a bar that's too stiff. Most cars for the USDM are set to either understeer or neutral handling. Seems most people can't handle the rear stepping out too much. They panic, stomp the brakes and end up in the weeds. How much did the rear bar affect handling? That's the next on my list of things to do and there is a huge $$$ difference between a whiteline adj swaybar and a 18mm bar I can get off a junked WRX. I know you have a different car but the logic should be the same.

I see you have a exuast in the works. I know it doesn't hold true to all cars but if you didn't to anything to change the breathing of the engine (ie. cams forced induction) the larger exuast will do quite little. Then again I see a turbo/SC in you buildup so I guess you're thinking for the future. :)

Bigger brakes are a must in my eyes. Look around and see if there are bigger brakes Hyundai puts on different models. I know most brakes for subaru involve geting caliper mounts from a wagon or WRX and bolting larger rotors and the respective calipers. I don't know if you upgraded you discs to cross drilled/slotted rotors but I found a really good read here (http://corner-carvers.com/altimathread.php.html) about rotors that saved me some $$$.

[unacceptable_risk]

Gday Ralf, yeah I'm still lurking about.

Hey Fara, just think of it as another spring in your sus. Ideally the ratings of your shocks, springs and sw-bars have to be tuned to work together. And it depends entirely what you want to do with the car. I assume your imprezza is without rear lsd. ( that can go a long way towards solving understeer if you have a heavy foot to go with.) I rekon if there is a wrecker special wrx bar available, I would go for it. Thats the beauty of real race testing, they have allready tried everything over and over, if the boffins down at suby think its the right bar for the wrx model, surely it is the right step for yours. Until matched with lsd and some further stiffening, it could be tailier than planned, but should'nt.

I am keen to know, what sized bar has it got Fr&Rear, does it pick up the inside rear wheel and spin it on a tight turn & are your front tyres prone to wear on outside edge?

In a rwd, a seriously stiff bar gives predictability and thus confidence, but you are right, you can go too far. Just consider that the full race adjustable is designed for slicks and racing.

If I could own a whole bunch of cars, the imprezza would be one of them...sleeper wagon with 2.5 supercharged unit for sure. Great cars.

[FiveStarGeneral]

I got a 1979 K5 Blazer. Custom lift, V6. The usuall. I like the K5s because of the convertable tops. Very nice, I wish I had a soft top though. Ive been looking for awhile anyone know where i can get one? The thing is a gas hog though :(.

[amdrules770]

Synth, I think that is what I should do, I do plan on getting headers sometime. I just put blue cold cathodes (pulled from my pc) under my dash lighting the floor, and it is an awesome effect.
I should gut the cat tomorrow if my dad isn't home. I also need to fix my brakes, they are sooooooooooooo messed up.

[Player0]

My mom owns a Elantra! Brand new, 2002. Its got high-end 17" rims on it (they upgraded her for free since the old rims were damaged somehow). I thought it was a fairly nice car actually. NO power tho. She had the lower 4 banger in it. It needs a 6, too heavy.

Me, I just bought a 1994 Honda Accord LX back when I lost my job in March. It's a start up project for me, since Ive been watching TNN on the weekends for the past few years now. The Accords are CHEAP to start off with, just like the Civics, but I can actually fit in to the accord. It's got a pathetic 130HP now, but Im going to do a H22A swap which should bring me to a natural 210-220HP. The thing needs new rims, new hood, new bumpers, new paint, and new carpeting and front seats. Which actually works out great cause the car is dirt cheap, and their all things I would have wanted to do anyway, so it's less to throw out. The best thing about this car though is that its getting 28MPG highway since im driving an hour each way to work right now ;)

[Farabomb]

Thanks for the info A_R :thumbsup:

I think I'm going to move this topic to another thead. Don't want to clog up this one. :)

Over here (http://www.liquidninjas.com/bbs/newthread.php?s=&action=newthread&forumid=45)

[Synthohol]

Originally posted by amdrules770
I should gut the cat tomorrow if my dad isn't home. My .02> save the original cats for inspection time.
why don't you buy straight pipe adapters to eliminate the cats if you must go that route. or even better they make Hi-Flow converters to lower backpressure and still pass emission standards.
i'm not trying to be an insistant legal pryck, i just speak from experience watching people get fines and vehicles impounded for defeating FEDERAL emission standards.
there are so many legal ways to boost performance (HyperTech chips, HiFlow cats and Intake/Camshaft kits) to name a few :)

look HERE (http://hypertech.com/cgi-bin/prodsearch.pl?cgiFunction=user_search&year=1989&make=GM/Chevy+Truck&model=S15) for your truck.

[mdzcpa]

Originally posted by Synthohol
My .02> save the original cats for inspection time.
why don't you buy straight pipe adapters to eliminate the cats if you must go that route. or even better they make Hi-Flow converters to lower backpressure and still pass emission standards.


This is the route I ultimately ended up going with. Makes life much easier.

For the track I ran a cat free H-pipe. On the street I opted for a Bassani free flowing cat back system. I set it up so I could pretty much bolt each set of pipes in and out as needed. Because it was still a pain in the a$$ to do it, the free flow cats Bassani pipes spent most of the the time in there.

Just for comparsion purposes, the difference in peak HP between the two systems was about 20hp to 30hp on a 510hp motor (measured on a chassis dyno). The free flow cats were definitely down on power. But, on the other hand, I actually gained a bit of torque with the free flow cats versus the h pipe. So it was about a net zero gain/loss for every day driving. In fact, the extra torque was nice for the street scene anyway.

The only downside to free flow cats is that they are not cheap. But, it's worth it in the long run.

[amdrules770]

well, I am going to cut the TOP off the cat, rip everything out, weld a plate back on, so you have to take it off to see the plate. So, if i get pulled over, it looks like I have a normal cat. I do plan on getting a free flowing cat once I actually need to go for emissions.

[amdrules770]

checked out hypertech's site, and they don't make a chip for the 4.3l with a 5spd manual. oh well. I do plan on down the road totally rebuilding my engine (a couple of months) and making it very very sturdy so I can put a turbocharger on it.