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Yeah, worth checking the neutral and clutch switches. In the sensor check screen in the commander it will show both, if it works there you are good. Not totally sure if the neutral switch plays in to idle but it takes 2 seconds to check.
Stalling could be the ISC is old/tired/sticky and just not reacting fast enough. Also make sure the dash pot is actually good, comes out a good amount and has resistance on the travel back in. I have to replace mine at some point .
Definitely look into dipping the car, not hard to do and very reasonably priced. Also if you scuff it up really bad on track or something just get a few more cans of dip and re-spray it. Vinyl wrap is just crazy expensive, looks great but you're almost in paint job territory. You've seen my car in person and know that dip can look good!
Always happy to see your thread and think about this abandoned FD in a yard with one foot in the junkyard and it's now doing great with the hard work you put into it!
@DaleClark Hmm...I dont recall seeing a neutral indicator on the PFC so I will definitely look. I know the clutch switch works for sure. The dashpot seems to work and my ISC passes all the FSM tests and I cleaned it out per the directions in one of your old posts. I've been talking to Chris @ LMS and I think I'm going to end up moving to a Haltech 1500 with one of his custom harnesses. He said I can keep my ISC but I can ditch the dashpot and waxrod setup if I upgrade. If I can ditch the ISC all together, that would be even better. The last thing I want is to be mid corner on a track and lose power again.
The best quote I've gotten for a wrap is $2500. I did plastidip my ugly green faded hood, flip ups, and front bumper cover and it was stupid easy. Definitely tempted to get one of those dipyourcar.com car kits and do the whole car for less than $650.
It's been a month since my last update and big things are a coming in 2021 for my FD (and me)
My wife and I found out we're having twins in May/June so that pretty much accelerated to my FD project plan. With a soon to be 3 year old, I know if I don't finish the FD before the twins arrive, I'll never have time for YEARS.
My FD leaves next week to a local body/paint shop for body work plus paint. I was going to wrap the car but the quotes I got to wrap were around $2500 but everyone said the car needed body work first. All the body quotes I got were ~$2k to get it ready to go for a wrap so I'm looking at $4500 just to get it wrapped. One of the wrap shops recommended a guy who has been working for someone else for much of his life doing body and paint work. They said he does great work. Turns out this guy just started his own shop right before covid to do mainly custom paint and body work. He wants to get away from collision stuff. He quoted me $5500-6k to do the body and paint my car. He really wants to get more into the custom scene so he's willing to do my car for pretty cheap in exchange for me keeping some of his cards in my car and handing them out if people ask about my car at the local cars and coffee events or posting on some of the NC specific car forums/Facebook groups I'm on. Based on my gut and seeing some photos of his work, I decided I'm gonna take a flyer on this guy and give him a shot. Here's hoping it goes well.
I managed to find a used rear hatch with glass for $450 that I picked up. It doesn't have non OEM spoiler holes in it like mine does so I figured it was cheaper to use this hatch then to have him fix mine. More importantly it also has seals around the glass whereas mine does not and there was a 60%+ chance trying to remove the glass from my hatch would shatter it. Now I just have an extra hatch and glass. I also found a used OEM hood for $100 so I can get any from my vented (and plasti dipped hood).
After my track day, I decided I needed a spoiler and despite multiple attempts by @Molotovman to convince me to do a giant APR wing, I decided to go with a 99 spec OEM wing. Thanks to Ray Crowe, I found one of the last brand new in a box ones in the US. It came painted in Innocent Blue Mica and as soon as I saw it, I knew thats the color I'm painting my FD. I also finally got myself some new front fender liners since mine are all jacked up from the 19" wheels the previous owner had.
Once the car gets back from paint and body, it's getting a new Haltech Elite 1500 ECU with a custom wiring harness from Chris at LMS. I took advantage of Black Friday sales and it's sitting here in a box staring at me as I wait for my harness to get made. I also have Haltech IGN-1A coils as well. I'm going to use the Sake Bomb Garage RHD drive mounting kit so I don't have to pull my Cruise control. They (and Chris) said I can mount the coils on the frame rail below the power steering as that's where the RHD kit goes. I'll get all the recommended sensors from Chris to make sure I can have some safeguards in place for the Haltech to protect me from (fuel pressure, oil pressure, etc.) I'm also going to get rid of my A-Pillar 3 gauge setup and move to a simple 2 gauge center speaker setup with the Haltech Multi-function CAN gauge and a good old analog boost gauge (who doesn't like to see a needle move?). Chris's harness will also plug into the speed sensors on the wheels and add traction control and I'll have two switches to adjust the boost and traction control levels mounted somewhere in my cabin.
I've heard the ECU install isn't too bad so I'll take it on myself and then take the car to Bryan at Rotorsports racing to get it dyno tuned. With any luck, by mid march, I'll have a 95-98% complete FD. To say I'm excited is an understatement! Don't tell the wife, but I might be more excited about the FD than the twins right now ;-)
Nice color choice, but you are now going to have to change out the interior to black
ha. I’m fine with tan. I don’t know why so many people diislike it so much. The other option is to go to MB which was the original color of the car behind the silver it is now. I’ve seen MB in person and I like it but I don’t love it.
Congrats on the upcoming twins! Yeah that will keep you busy for sure!
Also stoked the car is getting a paint job, should be awesome when it's all done. I'm going to attempt to FINALLY get my car together for paint in 2021, I've been making excuses for too long. The Plastidip still looks good but it's just buying time.
Vinyl wrap is cool but it costs SO damn much that it's close to a paint job. Only really makes sense on a newer car with good paint and bodywork, and even then you're paying a LOT of damn money.
After my track day, I briefly considered ripping everything out, putting in a roll cage, and keeping the crappy body and paint. Then I realized with twins, track days/weekends are going to be rare to come by. I’m stoked to have it “done”. I am a little nervous about what body guy find when he takes the fenders off since i know this car was hit and repaired at some point...
I only hope DGRR, if it happens, is early early April. After April 10th, the wife has me on travel lock down
After my track day, I briefly considered ripping everything out, putting in a roll cage, and keeping the crappy body and paint. Then I realized with twins, track days/weekends are going to be rare to come by. I’m stoked to have it “done”. I am a little nervous about what body guy find when he takes the fenders off since i know this car was hit and repaired at some point...
I only hope DGRR, if it happens, is early early April. After April 10th, the wife has me on travel lock down
@Djseto you know I'm a nut who can never make up my mind so I applaud you for sticking with the decision. I probably would have blown my car apart and "built a track car" during the "down" time with the babies at home. Your car will look stellar in IBM and while @TomU and I may not agree on wing choice I'm in his corner for the black interior swap!
Originally Posted by TomU
That's an awesome score on the spoiler and right decision over a big *** wing.
I'm looking forward to catching up when my paint and body are done to see your reaction. I promised Djseto I'd go to DGRR but Paint may not be done by then considering how slow my bodywork is going.
Last edited by Molotovman; Dec 30, 2020 at 09:56 AM.
I had a detailed post written up and then it didn’t post and now its gone so here is the short version: Car is back! I love the color. Side skirts I added are the ones Pettit Racing sells. Now that I see it, I can’t believe what it was when I got it to now (see 1st post if you’re new to my thread). This design really is timeless. NowI gotta try to get the Haltech installed before my twins show up but based on current state of affairs, that’s gonna be early and possibly in the next 2-3 weeks.
I'm so pleased you saved that car and look at how amazing it is now. Yes, it was a pain in the ***, yes blood sweat and tears, but you now have something to be very proud of.
Man. I went back and started reading my build thread and I can’t even believe all the stuff I went through and learned (and forgot I learned). I’m really glad I have this thread as a log. Hoping to start my haltech install this week and get one step closer to the end.
Paint/body turned out really nice. Can't wait to see it in person. Hate you can't make it to DGRR. At least I would know one person there, lol. Best wishes with the new additions to the family as well.
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