Rebuilding The Seven... How Would You Do It?
06-10-07, 12:29 AM
#1
Rebuilding The Seven... How Would You Do It?
Yet another rambling "thinking in text" thread from me...
Today I was hit by the plain obvious idea of taking out a small loan to repair my seven vs taking out a small loan to buy a new one. I dont know why I didnt think of it earlier.
Anyway, my thought ORIGINALLY was that I would just either buy a "cheap" parts car to make mine run again, or get a decent used seven to enjoy for the summer months. But if I bought a whole other car to drive, then I'm stuck with what to do with the original one that still needs the work. Therefor, the obvious solution is to just get a small loan to repair the one I have - hence this thread.
My question is this... How would you build your seven, within reason of course?
My decision would be between either lightly modded 13BT FI of course, or a ported and carbd 12A or possibly 4 port 13B.
The car will be a "weekend" fun car, and I want something that will be quick and sporty, but I'm not as young as I once was and I don't really feel the need to be the fastest thing on the road anymore, I just want to have some fun with it again.
So, going for simplicity I would think I want carbed, however there is always the temptation to "go big or go home". Ive always said this car would get a 13BT once I could afford it, but Im just not sure its what I NEED, haha.
Feel free to discuss. Please if you have the experience, lets include potential cost differences between building a carbd 13B and mostly stock 13BT to put in as well.
~T.J.
EDIT: By "lightly modded" 13BT, I just mean DP, full exhaust, intake mods, BOV, and FMIC. If I cant find a runner 13BT, it would be rebuilt, and street ported. As for the carbed motors, they would most likely be rebuilt, street ported, carbed, full exhaust.
Today I was hit by the plain obvious idea of taking out a small loan to repair my seven vs taking out a small loan to buy a new one. I dont know why I didnt think of it earlier.
Anyway, my thought ORIGINALLY was that I would just either buy a "cheap" parts car to make mine run again, or get a decent used seven to enjoy for the summer months. But if I bought a whole other car to drive, then I'm stuck with what to do with the original one that still needs the work. Therefor, the obvious solution is to just get a small loan to repair the one I have - hence this thread.
My question is this... How would you build your seven, within reason of course?
My decision would be between either lightly modded 13BT FI of course, or a ported and carbd 12A or possibly 4 port 13B.
The car will be a "weekend" fun car, and I want something that will be quick and sporty, but I'm not as young as I once was and I don't really feel the need to be the fastest thing on the road anymore, I just want to have some fun with it again.
So, going for simplicity I would think I want carbed, however there is always the temptation to "go big or go home". Ive always said this car would get a 13BT once I could afford it, but Im just not sure its what I NEED, haha.
Feel free to discuss. Please if you have the experience, lets include potential cost differences between building a carbd 13B and mostly stock 13BT to put in as well.
~T.J.
EDIT: By "lightly modded" 13BT, I just mean DP, full exhaust, intake mods, BOV, and FMIC. If I cant find a runner 13BT, it would be rebuilt, and street ported. As for the carbed motors, they would most likely be rebuilt, street ported, carbed, full exhaust.
06-10-07, 06:31 AM
#3
Ideally, if the drivetrain is decent, do all the suspension, steering and brake upgrades first in preperation for more hp and performance. After that, sit down and write out a budget. 1500-2000 for a rebuilt, ported, carbed 12A and decent clutch. 13B NA is a similiar cost. 2500+ for the 13BT. Brakes, steering and suspension are a must prior to the 13BT.
06-10-07, 08:04 AM
#4
Well, thats kind of part of the deal. I'm dealing with the 83 GSL that was stolen. Most of the steering and brake stuff was taken care of with new parts before it was stolen, so it would be drivable with good parts in that respect. What it needs is the drivetrain. The original (modded) 12A was blown, then it was stolen the same night.
I was just looking around at costs of the turbo swap, and it doesnt look as bad as I had remembered it.
So far I'm seeing about $1200 for the engine/tranny shipped (used of course, taking a risk here). Another $400 or so for the clutch (Centerforce or ACT), $550 for a RB downpipe, tranny seal kit, and lightweight flywheel. Rounding around a little thats about $2200 right there. Toss in a Microtech LT10S ECU and thats another $1500 (ECU, coil packs, laptop link). Round up again, $4000. Then fuel system, radiator, FMIC.
Not too bad considering a rebuild from Pineapple starts at almost $3000, and I have no intake or exhaust to put on it since it was all stolen. Granted, Im taking a risk buying a used motor and hoping it runs, but even if it doesnt, I at least would have a "complete" car to put a rebuilt motor back into.
I basically have a blank slate thanks to the thieves as to what drive train used to be in this car, so either way I have to get all the associated hardware to make the engine operate for whatever engine I chose (radiator, coils, oil cooler, etc). So, looking at almost $3000 to have one of my engines rebuilt to run in it, plus induction, exhaust, radiator, oil cooler, ignition parts, etc thats easily over the $4000 I have added up above.
If I buy the long block T2 motor, clutch, downpipe, and tranny, get the -SE pan, use my 12A from cover, mod my mounts and get that in, then thats the majority of what I need to make the car run again since it would already have the intake, and the downpipe is a start on the exhaust which would just be 3" SS to a muffler. The motor, clutch, and tranny along with the ECU is still less than the rebuilt motor from Pineapple. I can skip on the flywheel to save cost too at this point. Hell, I could even get a stock Turbo clutch instead of the heavy duty type I was thinking since the motor wont be heavily modded.
Im just starting to think that right about now is about as good as its going to get to put the 13BT into the car since as I said, I have no intake, exhaust or anything to put back onto a motor even if I had one rebuilt.
I basically think I'm leaning towards a 13BT with a downpipe, 3" exhaust, FMIC, Microtech LT10 ECU, and BOV. Along with the fuel system to support it and more obviously. Then I can easily grow from there for a larger turbo, injectors, etc due to the Microtech. Thoughts?
~T.J.
I was just looking around at costs of the turbo swap, and it doesnt look as bad as I had remembered it.
So far I'm seeing about $1200 for the engine/tranny shipped (used of course, taking a risk here). Another $400 or so for the clutch (Centerforce or ACT), $550 for a RB downpipe, tranny seal kit, and lightweight flywheel. Rounding around a little thats about $2200 right there. Toss in a Microtech LT10S ECU and thats another $1500 (ECU, coil packs, laptop link). Round up again, $4000. Then fuel system, radiator, FMIC.
Not too bad considering a rebuild from Pineapple starts at almost $3000, and I have no intake or exhaust to put on it since it was all stolen. Granted, Im taking a risk buying a used motor and hoping it runs, but even if it doesnt, I at least would have a "complete" car to put a rebuilt motor back into.
I basically have a blank slate thanks to the thieves as to what drive train used to be in this car, so either way I have to get all the associated hardware to make the engine operate for whatever engine I chose (radiator, coils, oil cooler, etc). So, looking at almost $3000 to have one of my engines rebuilt to run in it, plus induction, exhaust, radiator, oil cooler, ignition parts, etc thats easily over the $4000 I have added up above.
If I buy the long block T2 motor, clutch, downpipe, and tranny, get the -SE pan, use my 12A from cover, mod my mounts and get that in, then thats the majority of what I need to make the car run again since it would already have the intake, and the downpipe is a start on the exhaust which would just be 3" SS to a muffler. The motor, clutch, and tranny along with the ECU is still less than the rebuilt motor from Pineapple. I can skip on the flywheel to save cost too at this point. Hell, I could even get a stock Turbo clutch instead of the heavy duty type I was thinking since the motor wont be heavily modded.
Im just starting to think that right about now is about as good as its going to get to put the 13BT into the car since as I said, I have no intake, exhaust or anything to put back onto a motor even if I had one rebuilt.
I basically think I'm leaning towards a 13BT with a downpipe, 3" exhaust, FMIC, Microtech LT10 ECU, and BOV. Along with the fuel system to support it and more obviously. Then I can easily grow from there for a larger turbo, injectors, etc due to the Microtech. Thoughts?
~T.J.
Last edited by RotorMotorDriver; 06-10-07 at 08:09 AM.
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