Thanks! I try to keep it on the up and up, but between my having to work and earn money to get it together and doing paper work I only get to see it maybe once a week now. But future plans do include alot of little goodies that are anything but stock.
Thanks, there's somethings I wish I could have done better, but I just plumb ran out of time or money when I was working at it. As for the Turbo I do plan on putting the forced induction on there... well it's either that or I waste a perfectly good turbo manifold for a Geo... but I'm just securing parts right now. I have a little list i'm picking stuff up that I still need, so I'll have to hold off on this and cover the "other" upgrades i'm planning on; which include: Coil Overs, new tires, bushings, some electric solinoids, and an rpm switch... oh yeah, i'm also planning on picking up the EDFC, anyone know if they have a usb, or computer port on the box somewhere?

Finders keepers!lol: Yeah, i'm still kind of upset i don't have some of the skills i would need to fix some of the stuff, but that's why they invented scrap yards. Next step might be a couple weeks, i'm trying to save enough to order some suspension components as previously stated, but those probably won't be making their way onto the car until I can get it up to my friends shop so I can get access to his lifts. But if that takes too long I may just mount the dang things. I hope to have those installed and the turbo components assemebled in part or full by the end of summer, thus leaving me with enough lee way to tinker with the turbo and intercooler during the school year to keep me from spending exuberant amounts of money. On top of that I'm going to be contacting a shop I know to see if they would be willing to machine a part for me from back when I was designing a CAI. I figure this would work better than AaronCakes original "Strawberry" but it will also cost a hell of a lot more. Here's a pic. Final adjustments would need to be made to match the turbo outlet size, but that's a couple of mouse clicks.

I actually have other versions that include bigger diameter input (up to four inches I think) and integrated 20 deg turn or somthin'. anyways this is a quick rendition of it, the CF is just for contrast purposes (ATM).




If it is too expensive to cnc that which it probably will, i may just end up constructing it myself (There goes all the pretty curves).

 

So I had some spare time this weekend to tie up alot of the loose ends in the interrior. I also decided to snap some pictures of what it looks like now and throw them up so I can get comments on how good/bad it looks now compared to what I had started with. I still have some work to do to the outside, like paint and trim pieces, but for the most part it's almost "There." Then I can start focusing on upgrades. (Coilovers, bushings, and the suspension first before I throw on that turbo piece).




















What ya'll think of the interrior? I really like how it came together like it did.

 

Update time!

 

Haha, alright well... I don't have many pictures right now but I can tell you what's going on with the project so far:

Currently I'm trying to remedy my suspension probelm and replace the worn out bushings as well as save up for coilovers. Mean while I'm acquiring different parts for me to do the turbo addition (not a turboII swap, but a turbo'd NA). The problem right now is cash flow. With school consuming most of my time at the moment, I haven't had time to actually go under the car and work on it, but I have been driving it around town and taking it to school without problem.

Beyond that I still need to save for an EMS as well as convert over to purely electronic 6PI activation. On the table I have a quote for 2K for complete body work and paint. again, money flow is the problem. I still haven't even gotten around to finishing up the interrior. For that I just need a passenger scuff plate but blackdragonauto.com has been unavailable even though they're in the magazine. Carputer is still a ways off as is the sound system.

As of right now though I am at a family reunion out of state and I've been wishing I was working on my car for this week... is that bad?

 

I love how the interior turned out.

 

wow, that came together waaaay faster than my project....mine is taking forever cuz of my slow income.... Pay no attention to the picture in my avatar, my car has since been painted.

 

I'm giving you so many props right now...that you just don't know. Very well done.

 

I love how you restored this car.

Mad props G.

 

Thanks guys, it means a lot to hear people appreciate restoration projects. I would be much farther along than I am right now, but everyone knows the deal. I have a better Efan waiting to be put on and some other goodies for when I get back to Va, but that's not for another week. I think pictures might be coming soon though. We'll see.

 

I am amazed you did that all in the short time you said you did. Maybe that is slow to some, but much quicker than it would have taken for me! Awesome man, good work!

 

If someone else is going to attempt a similiar project I would make a few recomendations that I wish I did along the way. These things wouldn't take that long if you have suffcient cash flow and know how to accomplish them out of hand.

1) Have your own garage. This will be better because you won't lose tools and you won't be under anyone else's time constraint.

2) Strip the car all the way to the body so you can paint it 100%, engine bay and all

3) Do the body work and paint first while you clean and prep your engine

I think doing those three things would have only added maybe an extra week at the most to the total time I spent on the project. Beyond those, there are a few little things I would have prefered to do, but due to time constraints was un-able to. For the most part that includes the brake systems. I would have prefered to rebuild the calipers all the way around and spray the components individually with caliper paint.

The other things I'd like to have done along the way are purely coincidental (Custom box/interrior etc).

 

I had some goodies arrive in the mail today. Alot of suspension components... hopefully this will fix my problem.


Everything in a box. Even the fan that I still haven't put on. I should probably get on that

Adjustable end-links. I may invest in another pair later down the line, but I think 1 pair will do more than enough for my driving at the moment.

New ball joints and tierods

New bushings

Rear steer eliminators.

 

oh yeah, youll like those DTSS bushings, and those mazdatrix swaylinks. i have both (plus some other stuff on my car) and all of those little things make a huge difference in the handling department!

 

Oh yeah? Do you feel alot of road vibration with the solid links?

 

well, im not sure, because the car handled like crap before i installed everything anyway, and those parts were the first things i installed, followed by swaybars, and springs. right now, the car is pretty stiff, and i can feel most of the bumps on the road, but its not very bad in my opinion.

 

Look what came in the mail today:

 

Dood! Let me know how that setup rides when you are done- planning on a similar suspension setup for the 'vert.

 

I think I just peed myself.

 

Finally installed the Coilovers today, also installed the Heavy Duty Street/Strip clutch. Took about 7 hours because of battling installing the transmission again. Hurrah for hydraulic lifts and friends.

Initial impressions of the coilovers are OMGWTFBBQ!! But there a little stiff, but that's probably because I have the dampers maxed out on stiffness right now (I forgot to back them off to about halfway--I'll be doing that tomorrow). I took pictures of the old suspension out (and a picture of the new suspension as well) and one damper was completely gone; it was leaking oil all over the wheel and managed to spray up under the car as well.

Some things I'm concerned about with the coilovers that I'll have to check on later (when it's not super cold) is if I'll need to run some 5 mm spacers on the front to get them to accept my 17x8's without rubbing (I was under the impression that running coilovers would give me more room to have bigger tires... is this impression/assumption incorrect?).

The clutch also altered my engagement point. I'm now engaging the clutch at about 2 inches off the floor board, so i'll adjust that tomorrow too. First impressions of the clutch are that it has awsome initial bite and maintains the grip throughout the power band... now I just have to figure out why my car stumbles on itslef still (even though I replaced the TPS--I'm thinking clogged injectors, which would also explain my flooding more or less). Unfortunatly I didn't have time enough to take pictures of the clutch or the install, but it's in there.

I'll post up pictures come tuesday--they're from my phone, so sorry about the quality.

 

nice more pics sitting on the new suspension!

 

Update time:
I have an appointment to install the new bushings for the car coming up in about two weeks. In the mean time I'm waiting on my Racing Beat front and back sway bars to get here. Good times all around. Anyways, as promised here are some pics from the install of the coilovers (and a nice picture of what my odometer read on the highway recently)

Out with the old:

In with the new:

All four installed (sorry about the quality):




Here's two random pics of the old clutch and the tranny when I dropped them to do a temp install of a pilot bearing (just to get me back to School):


7777 Fever!

 

These parts will be going on the car this weekend. Some of the parts you've seen before, but look at the difference in sway bar dimensions. The Racing Beat one's HUGE!









Okay; here's the picture where you get a relative idea of the size increase. These bushings are for the front Sway Bar. The smaller of them is for the stock Swaybar, the larger for the Racing Beat Sway Bar.



Similiarly but not as pronounced, the rear Sway Bar has been increased as well (Sizes are the same deal as above).



(I may have some stock GXL sway bars for sale soon with Energy Suspension bushings for sale soon)

 

I want those lights... cant find anything like it PLease Help ME!!!!!!!!!

 

Post Number 12 of this thread answered that question. Need-A-T2

 

Amazing job man. It looks really good and it seems like you're doing everything right.

You must have a great piece of mind with that car.

Its probably going to be a blast to drive too, get some nice tires next so you experience the whole car as a package.

Good luck.

Oh and where did you wreck the old one at, it looks alot like a road in Radford by the river I've driven down a few times.