ImStillOnJava

iTrader: (30)

Man, I missed that post - this never alerted me. LOL.
I picked up the bolsters from scouring yahoo.jp auctions. Usually I just search in the Recaro section and use 'TS-G' as a search word.


I've been lazy with taking pictures and updating this thread, but I've still been working on it (slowly)....I picked up a set of used N-Tech AP Racing calipers with the SS pistons upgrade, installed some odds and ends like the Feed tow hooks...and removed some things like the rear diffuser and wing (temporarily).







Other things I've picked up was a ceramic coated oil filler neck, and afgmoto's custom made oil catch can, powdercoated black.








I also picked up a Xcessive LIM, and sent that, along with a polished UIM and TB to get ceramic coated. I'm trying for a "stockish" look...we'll see how long I can fool myself into thinking I can keep my engine bay "stock looking" for cops when I throw in a single turbo and a VMIC hahahah.
I'm sending the triple set of stuff out to get extrude honed as a Xmas present to myself next. I know there's been some debate about improved flow, and the possibility of negatively affecting the fuel atomization process due to the smooth surfaces produced by extrude honing (which theoretically causes "laminar" flow rather than "turbulent" flow - something you want)....but honestly, I've sat through plenty of fluid dynamics classes and done the calcs, and I've worked in plenty of engineering labs...and I still think that numbers talk in the end. And the flowbench #s I've seen says....."WINNER".

ImStillOnJava

iTrader: (30)

When I had finished the interior and was ready to move the car back to Makito's to finish up the paint and get the hood done, I found that my power steering rack died on me ( 3 days before Sevenstock). So I straggled on to the Atomic Rex groupbuy for a manual rack. Beautiful craftsmanship by the way!








So as I started to pull the A/C and P/S out, I realized how absolutely friggin dirty the last owner left the car from previous P/S leaks. I've spent a couple weekends cleaning up the filth just so that I'd be willing to crawl under the car to work on the install. And I also cleaned up some rust....and picked up a used stock fan set to replace mine since one of them was on the outs and making a terrible noise. This will have to hold me over until I get a VMIC setup!

Blackadde///

iTrader: (27)

My favorite FD on this forum.

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

Carol, that TB came out awesome

Glad the GB worked our for ya and that we could contribute in a small way to your killer build

keister

iTrader: (20)

I love when this thread gets updated!!
There are always new parts that I can only dream of at this point!!

ImStillOnJava

iTrader: (30)

Yeah, I love it! I'm going to have to send more stuff to get coated...when I get started on the "big job" next year. I'm trying to be "responsible" and I'm waiting on my big splurge purchase after the tax return and bonus season in march...haha.

ImStillOnJava

iTrader: (30)

Whew! Who thought I'd have so much to update on in the last three weeks. Test drove the car today (pre-alignment). Definitely makes the S2000 feel like a Rolls Royce in comparison. Palms definitely feel like they're reading the road. It's a pain to turn sub 3 mph, but once I can get it inching, its a heckuvalotta fun.

1. Car is assembled again. Everything in the front half of the engine bay has been scrubbed clean.
2. Rewired my R-magic headlights one last time with a fire retardent loom
3. removed A/C
4. removed P/S
5. installed Atomic Rex rack (had a heckuva time trying to get it to align decently enough to drive off to get a full alignment and corner balance. Test run maybe this weekend before it rains?)
6. pulled off the driver seat again, undid the rails...and figured out how to move my seat up an additional 1 inch. Oh man, unbelievable bliss for my short self. Now its finally like heaven in the driver's seat. I don't know why I didn't do that originally. Maybe I was too lazy and eager to put the seat in and leave it there (over a year ago)
7. took off all the hardware for the supernow sway bar stuff and redid with threadlock - noticed it had backed out since the first time it was installed
8. washed a lot of bolts in Simple Green to clean up.
9. Warmed up the car once two weeks ago. Fans sound GREAT. None of that terrible broken bearing whine from before. I don't know why all the mechanics I used to go to sucked so bad that they couldn't foresee or diagnose a lot of these blatant issues like the leaking rack and the fan noise.


A few things I want to backdate to:
- well worth my money, the RS Engineering anti-surge tank cover, which turns the factory fuel control baffle into a sealed surge tank. Very well made, easy to install, with a viton seal.


- Chadwick's idler pulley. Helps add contact surface to the water pump pulley, which becomes an issue after removing the air pump. Well put together kit, and when I noticed the initial bearing provided seemed faulty, they changed it out asap and warrantied it. Great service! Waiting to put this on, because I'm not sure if I want to yank my engine out first for a rebuild in preparation for the single turbo..... spoke too prematurely? Maybe.


- maintenance item, new clutch switch courtesy of Ray from Malloy Mazda and his great prices


- My secret santa Elfster exchange w/ my friends scored me a much more sensitive Air Temp Sensor for me


- lastly, I've been eyeing this for a while...a braided stainless clutch line upgrade from Japan2LA on the forums

ImStillOnJava

iTrader: (30)

usually try to restrain myself on spending a bit in December because of all the Christmas presents that I have to buy....but January is a whole 'nother animal. January is my birthday month. And I like to celebrate the whole month through! :X That means lots of stuff for me, and lots of stuff for my car.

I already had a pulley kit and eliminated the air pump on the car, but I wanted to upgrade to the Super Now titanium finish kit because...well, geez, really just for superficial reasons of it looking really awesome. It makes a difference to me!


A four-figured splurge I spent on myself in December for my Christmas/birthday present to myself, was I sent my GZ manifold, a polished UIM, and a polished throttle body out to get ceramic coated a nice, lowkey titanium finish, and then had the throttle body bored out at RC Engineering, and the UIM and LIM extrude honed. It finally arrived back from all the work two days ago.

Unfortunately, the coating on the UIM suffered at the hands of the Extrude Honing guys, and they scratched up the UIM massively. (thanks a lot!). I knew it was a risk getting it coated first, but the poor thing looked downright mistreated hahahah. Yesterday, I spent another $130 to pack it and send it back to the coater for a fresh new ceramic coat layer. Surprisingly, it fit perfect in the same box the Jordan 12s came in (one of the things that I bought for the boyfriend for Christmas). I made sure to peel off the Jordan sticker before sending it out, less some sneakerhead steals my expensive manifold!


But otherwise, everything else came back looking amazing.

Throttle body:

ImStillOnJava

iTrader: (30)

UIM:







GZ LIM:






Some flow #s showing the CFM gains on a like GZ LIM that was done by the same guys:


And...the latest that's come in, is a new power harness for $450 from Malloy Mazda (this'll go great with the new emissions harness I have packed away as well), and a new rear view mirror base that I'll need to use when I replace my front windshield in the very near future. I am in such awe of how brilliantly red the power terminal cover is. hahahah.

GreatShamanGT

iTrader: (9)

Wow, so much money. This car is a beast though =D I'm hoping mine will looks like yours one day =D

widebodyseven

iTrader: (17)

That is a lot of money and spent on some sick parts!

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

Carol, you've done this build RIGHT.

Very very impressive indeed, keep chuggin' along

ImStillOnJava

iTrader: (30)

Thanks! It seems like it requires a lot of patience to try and do things right. hahaha.




update...:An ugly engine bay post, plus remnants of my birthday blow out on the car

So it occurred to me I never uploaded pictures of the engine bay....partly because it's an ugly sight to behold. It's immensely dirty from the sanding at the painter's, spilled oil from fluid changes, a leakly p/s pump AND rack...and just from years of dirt accumulating.

When I started installing the rack and taking everything apart....despite knowing that a lot of things would be pulled and replaced in the next year or so, I decided to start cleaning things so it'd feel a little better and conjure less hesitancy to touch the car without a pair of nitrile gloves on.

I'm wondering if now would be a good time to have the engine bay painted when I take it back for the Feed hood, and the idea would be to just strip the car down as much as I can short of pulling the engine, and have him paint around that - or if I should wait until the motor is pulled (but it'd make for a b*tch of a time towing the car from one place to another). Then I can have my new windshield, molding, and plastic dash drain replaced in one go as well.







And then...there's my mismatched intake filters ahaha! They were both purple before, but I found the lower filter to have collected so much dust and dirt (another reason I was inspired to clean up the engine bay), that the car was choking itself up in its filth in the span of 1,000 miles. Alas, I had one spare lone orange filter left that I did not sell...and I figured it will have to do until the single turbo goes on!

FDSeoul

iTrader: (8)

Hey Carol the progress looks great so far with all that pricey parts you have accumulated throughout the build.

I have always wondered who else besides yourself works on the FD with you???

ImStillOnJava

iTrader: (30)

For someone tiny like me, a breaker bar is a great buddy ahaha. But when I need an extra pair of hands, the boyfriend comes in mighty handy.

.....Unfortunately he doesn't really like working on the car, so I can't get his help as often as I'd like.

I'm in the car on the way to vegas right now, but I'm going to try and finish my post update now on my Blackberry. Hahaha wish me luck!

FDSeoul

iTrader: (8)

I could not imagine being in a relationship where my lady would out wrench me on the FD or on another other mechanical issue for that matter

So does that mean that you wrench on his car when it needs TLC???

ImStillOnJava

iTrader: (30)

Now, last of my suspension braces. Nothing should be left in the suspension to do after this (for awhile). I picked up a pair of used JUN a-arm reinforcement braces off yahoo.auctions.jp. But the seller didn't disclose the massive amount of surface rust that got throughand under the paint!

Jacked this picture courtesy of whoever. Thanks so much.

So when I got them I started sanding away and chipping at all the crud that built up.


And then I primered and painted it a nice new gloss black.




Now once I get back home after the weekend ill work to get that installed, and hopefully off I finally go to align and corner balance.

More and more weight to add to the car :groan: This will be the fattest 'race' car yet....what with all the metal I've added.

And a few more odds and ends:

A new map sensor bracket for the gm 3 bar map sensor that ill eventually put to use.


Some nagisa auto fender braces for my birthday that will soon go on once I pull the fenders to have some scuffs repaired


Picked borrowed, courtesy of whoever...much thanks

A new revo-tune piece


And a new recaro seat back. But stupid me only picked one up so ill have to order its twin soon

Blackadde///

iTrader: (27)

I say pull as much off as you can, and at least get the strut tower braces painted. There's only a few fuse boxes and misc brackets in that area, and it'll look 10x better. Or better yet, go get it ported and order your turbo from aspec.

ImStillOnJava

iTrader: (30)

I fail at posting on my blackberry. Picture links fixed!

ImStillOnJava

iTrader: (30)

It's not that he doesn't know how to work on cars....he just doesn't like working on MY stuff. He prefers to work on his own. hahahaha!

I guess its more of a whether do it now or do it later kinda of thing on the engine bay painting...it'll happen, just don't know how impatient I should be on the matter

evotechnik

iTrader: (1)

Everytime I want to sell my Car Carol I see your thread and it makes me want to spend more money... I hate you! LOL car looks great.. 6 months and counting since I last saw my car. Cant wait to get her back.

dhahlen

iTrader: (5)

Great looking car, sucks that the engine bay isn't as clean as the rest of it. But, I'm sure you're getting there

ImStillOnJava

iTrader: (30)

hahah yup. Surprisingly stock and ugly in there.
But the parts are slowly piling and its just a matter of time!

Narfle

iTrader: (16)

Very nice. Looking forward to your engine build. You really go for the brass ring.

Herblenny

iTrader: (13)

Looking good!!!