------2007 Updates------

02/11/07
Well...*sigh*...today is the day. I'm selling my SC2 to a friend of mine so I can get something bigger for my kids. He will continue to upgrade the SC2 and keep it going. I will update this page with a link to his once he has his page ready.

I plan on finding another project to fix up for fun sometime this year (I hope) so keep an eye on things if you're interested. I just need to figure out what I want to work with next. Perhaps drifting, show or maybe just all out horsepower? We'll see.

I'm going to leave this page up for potential inspiration to other Saturn owners and those that want to be different and create something that's away from the typical Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda. It's not about 'joining the crowd' to fit in. Dare to be different and take your time to do some research before you dive in so whatever you create turns out tasteful.

------2006 Updates------

12/09/06
It's been quiet for a while here hasn't it? I've been taking a break from playing with the Saturn due to the holidays and personal life. There probably won't be any updates till January but I do have many things planned. Within the first quarter of '07 I plan on doing the following:

-Reupholster Headliner
-Install Header
-Install Centerforce Clutch
-Replace All Motor/Transmission Mounts
-Install Aftermarket Steering Wheel and Quick Release Hub
-Install Larger Bore Throttle Body

I also want to find a set of 2nd or 3rd gen cloth seats (front and rear) to replace my leather seats. There's nothing wrong with mine, I just want something more comfortable. I am also going to look into a pair of fog lights to install that fit right and possibly some exhaust and body mods.

10/22/06
The alarm is in and working as it should. Other than that there haven't been any other updates or mods. I've come up with a few new ideas that I'm looking into, but with the holidays coming up, I probably won't be getting to any of them till '07.

10/05/06
I woke up extra early this morning to begin my quest to find an alarm and hopefully have it installed today. Well, nobody would install it today, but I have it setup to be installed this next Thursday. Also, tonight I pulled my instrument cluster to repaint the needles with a UV reactive orange paint. Good news? They're brighter and look better. Bad news? They don't work with the UV bulbs I put in. So, I put the standard bulbs back in and am enjoying brighter needles. :D

10/04/06
This morning I went out to my Saturn to be greeted with a note that stated, "your lucky this car didn't get f*cked up". Nice isn't it? Pricks. I hate when people can't act responsibly or confront someone if they have a problem. I have no idea who wrote it since I was downtown and have no issues with anyone. Probably some @$$hole that just felt the need to f*ck with someone. Well, it was enough. Tomorrow I'm going to get an alarm installed and, although it won't really prevent much, hopefully it'll deter his/her pathetic game.

09/27/06
This morning I installed the rear strut brackets while waiting for the strut bar. Within 30 minutes from finishing the brackets, the doorbell rang and the bar was waiting. A couple more minutes and that was installed too. I haven't driven it enough to notice a difference yet (just drove it to work with only one really good turn). So, as of now, the suspension is finished. I don't think I'll be getting stiffer stabilizers, but we'll see. I'll take pictures tomorrow probably.

Next mods planned are to have the Centerforce clutch and '92 header put in. I have to get the gaskets, oxygen sensor and throwout bearing first though.

09/21/06
I got the radiator installed today. There were a few discrepancies between the Haynes manual and the actual thing, but it went fairly smooth. No leaks and it seems to be running cooler too. I helped Aaron put in his motor mounts, rear strut bar, and replace his valve cover and gasket. His lower motor mount...the bushing...gone. The rubber was non-existant. We were blown away by how far gone it was. But it's nice and tight now. MUCH better! I'm going to put the rear strut brackets in my SC2 sometime in the next few days. I have a bar on the way for it too.

With Aaron and Kari's help, we managed to get an amp kit run and hooked up a 150 watt amp with some 8" subs in the back. Just enough to be noticed. Might upgrade the amp later on to get a little more out of the subs. I don't need major thumpage...especially in the Saturn.

09/20/06
I ordered a radiator through Radiator Express on Monday and was told it'd be at my door step Tuesday morning...I'm still waiting. I got a UPS tracking number from them but it doesn't seem to be valid. Oh well. I'll give them a call tomorrow and find out what's going on with it if it doesn't arrive today.

On a better note, I now have rear strut bar brackets thanks to Aaron! Now I just need to pick out the strut bar and throw it on. Also, I'm in the process of starting a website for our Saturns (Aaron's, Kari's and mine) that's located ...DOWN if anyone's interested in checking it out. As of this writing, it's VERY rough. I just threw the basic layout up the other day and tried to refine things a little to make it presentable yesterday. I'm working on graphics and functionality now. Hopefully it'll provide some useful info for S-Series Saturn owners.

09/16/06
Time for a new radiator! I got home from work and noticed the familiar fragrance of coolant, popped the hood and was greeted by a coat of green along the right side of my radiator. The plastic end cap cracked just under the hose. I'll be searching for a replacement tomorrow or Monday.

09/09/06
Finally! I'm finally posting pictures of the emblems now. The love of my life, Kari, picked up a '92 SC2 for a hell of a deal and we've been tinkering with that. It has a running issue which we almost 100% believe to be the EGR valve. That'll be replaced tomorrow and we'll find out for sure. But for now, here's the pictures of my emblem project....

I still need to make one for the front but I'm thinking of doing something different with it. My original idea was to turn the side emblems into turn signal/side markers but I decided on this for now.

In other Saturn related news (but not related to emblems) I have another strut bar that's going onto Kari's SC2. Oh, and a 'wide view' rear view mirror is on it's way.

08/16/06
I have the emblems installed now and had a small resonator put on to quite things down just a little. The exhaust was loud enough that I had trouble hearing my passengers on the freeway. I'll get pictures up of the emblems soon.

08/05/06
I ran by the dealership and picked up two of the 3D emblems for a little project. The emblems are for '03-'07 IONs and VUEs if anyone's interested. They were only $12 each at the dealership. I'll post pictures of the final results soon. I just have to put them on.

07/02/06
I picked up the Saturn this morning and.....YAY! MY PROBLEMS ARE SOLVED! :) The hesitation, loping idle and noise are GONE. Gone gone gone. Overall the power feels smoother and it responds a lot better than before. Next few things I want to do are as follows:

[*] Install a resonator to quiet down the exhaust (MufflerTech)
[ ] Install my '92 header and downpipe
[ ] Replace muffler with a dual tip version (MufflerTech)
[*] Install an alarm of some sort (Acme Tops 'N Tunes)
[*] Purchase newer '3D' Saturn emblems (Dealer)
[ ] Red and tint tail lights (Myself)
[ ] Reupholster headliner (Myself)
[*] Purchase peices for a rear strut brace
[ ] Purchase a Saturn logo pedal set
[ ] Purchase a set of fog lights

That's what I'm hoping to do in the next few months anyways. Actual results may vary. ;)

07/01/06
Today I'm having the timing chain and the front crankshaft seal replaced (since there'll be access to it). The spark plug seals on the valve cover aren't sealing properly and letting oil into the spark plug 'wells' so the gasket will be replaced with a rubber valve cover gasket rather than the silicon goop I used previously. Should hopefully help the slight hesitation at low rpms, loping idle, and chain noise. I'll know tomorrow when I pick it up.

On another note, a friend of mine picked up a downpipe for my '92 header so hopefully that'll be going on soon...along with a resonator for better sound. I was thinking of boring the throttle body off of the '95 motor for my SC2, but from what I've read, '94 and '95 are different. I'll have to line them up to check fitment.

05/22/06
Here's the tint pictures I promised. I'm going to work on redding the tail turn signals and then tinting them a little to blend in with the paint.

05/20/06
The SC2 is now tinted! I brought it in yesterday and had all windows (except for the windshield) tinted 30%. Not super dark, I know, but it's subtle enough to notice. I like it. I'll put some pictures up tomorrow or Monday, once it's finished with it's 2 day tint probation.

Externally, it's just about finished. I'm still debating putting a body kit on...maybe next year. The motor rebuild will probably be a year or more down the line for completion so I'm going to focus on the 'little things' to accent what's already there. The more I do, the more I want to do. Might end up going for a show car before I decide that I'm done.

05/01/06
I now have a '95 DOHC motor to rebuild and swap into my SC2. It's going to be a while before it's complete, but I'm planning on sticking with NA rather than go all out for turbo. It came with a fairly new Centerforce performance clutch that I'll leave on that motor till it's done. I'll update that as new progress occurs.

Plans for the built motor are port and polished heads, header, intake, larger throttle body, valves, (maybe cams), stronger pistons and rods (for insurance), aluminum flywheel, other goodies to make it flow better without requiring a stand alone fuel management system.

04/30/06
Today, new (new to me) wheels and tires went on the Saturn. They're 17" BSA 220s with fairly new Wynstar Exocet tires. Looks and feels much better. Feedback in the steering wheel is more precise and handling has improved.

Here are pictures of the new wheels...look carefully and you can see the rear disc conversion and new rotors.

I'm going to try to find the center caps and have the wheels refinished to get rid of the pre-existing curb rash. Next up is tint and an alarm, followed by filling in the little things. My brakes are still working! Haha =)

04/27/06
Got the rear conversion and cross drilled rotors in last night with the help of a buddy. It took about 4 hours (including swapping the front rotors and they look great. =D After a drive around the block to 'wear in' the rotors and pads, all looks well. My clear corners arrived today and went in. Looks much better than the fading amber originals...as expected.

04/24/05
My rear conversion kit is here, just waiting to be installed later this week. I ordered clear corners this morning to be put in when I reinstall my CAI.

I went to get my SC2 smogged today with my '50 State CARB Legal' CP CAI and was told that they cannot find a record of it being CARB approved anywhere. I was a bit stunned considering I chose it because it was CARB legal, or atleast stated it was. I contacted the California Air Resources Board and was told that they had no record of it either. At that point I was pretty peeved. Yes, I could just remove the CAI, smog, put it back on...but I didn't wanna! I then contacted CP about it and was told that it is still pending approval. Great. Thanks guys. Sell me a product that is a bit misleading.

Oh well. Gotta deal with it right? I'm going to swap and smog tomorrow if I get around to it and reinstall the CAI when my clear corners arrive.

04/15/06
Installed a new driver side axle yesterday due to a torn boot on the old one and was beginning to hear telltale clicking. I ordered new reverse lenses that should be arriving this next week along with my rear disc conversion kit. I've been having a bit of trouble with the kit shipping due to FedEx, but looks as though it's finally resolved. According to FedEx it'll be here Tuesday. Yay! I'm going to look into clear corners (Makoto Auto Trends) and a rear strut brace in the next couple weeks.

Tint and wheels will come after that. I'm also thinking of getting a new muffler, this time for looks AND sound. We'll see. Stay tuned!

03/17/06
I picked it up this morning and it's purdy. It's going to take a while to get used to the new color. Here's some pictures:

In the bottom right picture you can see the 'diamond' in the black. I think it looks good. I'm going to rewire the 3rd brake light to the spoiler (bypassing the original) and I need to find a set of reverse lights/lenses.

My rear disc conversion and rotors should arrive next week for install. *crosses fingers* Once I get wheels and tint, it'll be looking even better. I'll update some more pictures in the next few days. Let me know what you think.

03/13/06
It's finally in for paint! I took it to 1-Day Body and Paint this morning and should be picking it up on Thursday. (Insert your time related joke here). I'm excited. It's been almost a year since it was one color. I went for 'Diamond Black' instead of standard black. The only difference is that the Diamond Black has silver flake in it for some added sheen. I can't wait to see it. I hope it looks good.

I ended up not mounting the '96 reflector *sign* 'cause after an hour and a half of forcing and checking I couldn't get the damn thing to mount right. I'm not sure if there's a subtle difference in the trunk lid design or what, but it wouldn't go on right. I ended up putting a small dent in the trunk lid in the process though. I was a bit steamed by the time I gave up and put the original one back on. I didn't want to put the paint off any longer so I wasn't going to swap lids either. Oh well, no biggie. So, anyone want a '96 trunk lid with insert? =)

1-Day's going to be fixing a few blemishes and add the body mod. I've hinted at this 'mod' a few times but haven't come out with it cause I want to make sure the idea stays unique before I had actually done it. It's nothing major, just different.

If all goes as planned, in two days I'll pick it up, take a lot of pictures, and stow it in the garage for a week or so to make sure nothing happens to it and give it a little more time to cure. *crosses fingers*

03/11/06
Today is a day of goodies for my SC2. I ordered a rear disc conversion kit and two sets of cross drilled rotors. And.....and.....AND!.....tomorrow I'm bringing it in to get painted!!!!!!!! -FINALLY- =D Black is what I'm going for as long as they don't want to charge a fortune for the door jams and whatnot. Oh yeah, a 'suprise' will be on the Saturn after paint too. ;) Next 'big' things will be wheels and tint.

02/28/06
Alrighty, the fun begins. I received my final 'major' body enhancement today and it will go on once I am ready to paint my SC2 (which should be within the next month). I'm excited.

If there is one thing the Saturn community is known for, it is for being different. As I've said before, I'm not going for over the top looks or mods, just something mild but noticably different. That reminds me, I still need to find a '91/'92 downpipe so I can install the header. =Þ

Stay tuned and I'll post pictures soon as things are ready. If all goes according to plan, new pictures should be up no later than the end of March. I'm also looking into wheels bit don't think those will be going on till after the paint.

02/11/06
130,000 mile mark tonight!

02/10/06
Today I installed a new factory spec 95 amp alternator because the nice 180 amp one I got off of ebay conked out...big suprise. Anyways, it's running and I'm happy. I went down to the dealer to pick up an upper bolt for the alternator since mine seems to have disappeared long ago. I'm going to be replacing the front pads in the next week or so. It's screeching to remind me. That's about all the updates for now. Oh yeah, the valve cover still isn't leaking! I guess I did it right. =D

01/26/06
Replaced the valve cover gasket today...after 3 days of work. The day before yesterday I started and it began to rain before I could finish so I set it back together and headed to work. Yesterday I got it all put back together and while I was cleaning the threads on one of the bolts, the threads snapped off! Called the Elk Grove Saturn dealer and they ordered one. I got it today and put it all back together. I drove it around the block with no leaks! I know, I need to get it nice and warm before I can really tell, but being my first valve cover, I was happy.

My battery light is on for some reason (has been flickering occasionally the past week) and has a new alternator and battery so I 'm not quite sure what it could be. The alternator is a 180 amp upgrade off of ebay so maybe it's faulty. I need to test the output when it's running to get a better idea.

I also have upgraded the original switch for my gauges with a nice push button one mounted on the dash. No, it doesn't look tacky. Anyways, that's all the updates for now.

And on to page 2...2005/2004: Exhaust, accidents, gauges, lowering...