---ENGINE REBUILD PART 2 ON SECOND PAGE---
---MOST CURRENT SETUP---
---UPDATES AT THE BOTTOM---
(Newer pictures and updates at the very bottom)
I bought this car on 9/13/07 for $4600. Its a 1994 Mazda Miata R package. All the R package is, is a stripped down Miata with no options. It has no p/s, power windows or door locks, no ABS, no power antenna, and comes with stiffened chassis/suspension with Bilstein shocks, front and rear lip spoiler and a trunk spoiler. I picked this up from an older man who has owned it for a long while. The first owner was an older woman in Tampa, Florida and she sold it to the man I bought it from in 1997.
The car has 101k miles as of when I bought it. It came to me in fair shape. Paint was faded and needed some work, but the rest of the car was super clean. Interior was spotless black cloth. Exterior is Classic Red but faded and chipped. I began cleaning on it a few days after I bought it and still continue tinkering today.
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Current Mods:
Go Fast Mods:
-Stock rebuilt BP w/ nifty crank scraper and raised compression
-Racing Beat Header
-K&N Cone Filter (RU-4410)
-Timing adjustment to 15 degrees advance
-Racing Beat Ultra Plug Wires (100hp)
Handling/Suspension:
-All New OEM Bushings
-Tokico Illumina Shocks
-Ground Control Bump Stops
-Factory R Package Springs
-Flyin' Miata Frame Rail Braces
-Flyin' Miata Anti-sway Bars
-Konig Helium Wheels Silver 15x6.5
-Falken Ziex ZE-912 UHP in 205/50/15
-Boss Frog MAXX Roll Bars
-Go Miata Strut Bar
-Minor Weight Reduction (to offset the roll bar weight)
Other Mods:
-Katzkin Leather Seats
-Katzkin Door Panels
-RedlineGoods Shifter and E-brake Boot
-Ebay Black Housing Turn Signals
-Boss Frog Roll Bar Pads and Vinyl Covers
-Custom Center Console(s)
-Diamond Stitched Vinyl on Trans Tunnell
-Works Bell Hub Adaptor
-Nardi Deep Corn Wheel
-Pioneer Head Unit
-2x Pioneer 5.25'' Speakers (Doors), 4x Pioneer 4'' Speakers (Headrests)
-Shaved Lenses (removed raised letters on all lenses)
-Metro Motorsports Mini Coiled Antenna
-Hella E-code Headlights
-Hella MicroDE Halogen Fog/Driving Lights
-Moss Twilight Mod
-Other Stuff...
Keep an eye out for updated, and Im always changing my mind and updating plans. Thanks for viewing.
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Here are a few pictures of the car from the day after I picked it up. It had just finished raining out, so it was humid and steamy, so the picture are a bit odd looking.
Here are a few I took not long after I got it, after I finished the cleaning. I didnt have a tripod so they are a bit blurry and dark.
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I have other mods in the plans for the near future so keep an eye for updates. \/
---UPDATE 9/19/07---
Took some new pictures today. Colors are a bit odd, not sure what happened. Apparently I had touched a setting on my camera that I didnt realise at the time.
---UPDATE 9/19/07---
Got my Racingbeat header in today. Should also get my Roadstersport Race exhaust and BossFrog roll bar in tomarrow. Along with some odds, like strut bar, plugs and wires, visor blanks to remove the useless sun visors... some other junk. Then my cracked turn signal replacment next week sometime.
---UPDATE 9/21/07---
Got my header installed, along with my GoMiata strut bar, RB Ultra wires and some new oem NGK plugs. I was going to paint my valve cover but wasnt much in the mood today, so I will do it down the road. The strut bar helped the stiffness of the chassis. Turns in more precise and feels overall more responsive. Not bad for $70. Here are some shots of the engine bay and one new one of the rear. I liked the angle :-)
---UPDATE 9/26/07---
My Roadstersport exhaust and BossFrog roll bar came in today. The exhaust is lightweight and built very well. Thick flanges and nice shine. Roll bars are also VERY thick and built very well. Makes me feel safer while driving knowing I now have some roll over protection. Already have my car ripped apart ready to drill the holes and install the roll bars. Might have it all done by Sunday.
---UPDATE 9/30/07---
Roll bars in. Cleaned it today and took a few quick pictures in the yard. I have to find a good spot to actually get some good pictures one of these days.
---UPDATE 10/01/07---
Took some pictures of the painted valve cover.
---UPDATE 10/07/07---
Exhaust is now off. That lasted a whole week lol. It was far too loud for my taste. I felt like I was driving a honda civic with a fart cannon. And in reality, I actually felt like I lost hp. Stock exhaust with header sounds bad ass anyway.
---UPDATE 10/12/07---
Took some pictures in the woods. Didnt have a tripod and the sun was going down, so they didnt come out as well as they could have.
---UPDATE 10/15/07---
Spoiler and rear panel painted. Was aiming for that classic muscle car look with the black panel around the tail lights. Plus anything beats a faded pink panel and spoiler with clear coat flaking off. Tell me what you think.
---UPDATE 11/01/07---
Installed my custom $25 intake. All its made of is a K&N cone filter (RU-4410) and the stock intake pipe chopped up a little. Im going to add a short piece of pipe between the stock pipe and the AFM to bring the filter closer behind the headlight. So this is only version 1. I also have a 18''x24'' sheet of 16 gauge steel Im going to polish and bend into a heat sheild to block the heat from the RB header.
---UPDATE 11/04/07---
Washed the car and got some pictures. Meant to take more that night but never got around to it. Not artsy, just pictures for my reference.
---UPDATE 11/27/07---
Got the Hella E-Code headlamps installed this morning. I havent seen them in the dark yet but just from driving around on a dark cloud covered morning I could see the lighting was vastly improved. I might upgrade the bulbs soon though as they have the same color as stock. Might upgrade to some 5000k-7000k color bulbs for a more briliant white light. Also installed my Metro Motorsports coiled antenna last night and its a huge improvment over the stock silver 36'' antenna. Its only 15'' long and has a spiral section so it keeps the same wire length, just not straight up. Tomarrow I should recieve my MOSS twilight kit that adds a bulb in the empty socket on the front blinkers and my rear left wheel bearing and OEM Classic Red touchup pen from Rosenthal Arlington Mazda. I will try and get some night shots up of the lights soon along with some shots of the other mods.
---UPDATE 11/30/07---
Here are some pictures of the Hella e-codes, Twilight kit and spiral antenna. Yesterday I used my touch-up paint pen to cover the scratches on the front bumper and rear bumper. It worked well on the rear but the front not so well. I layered the clearcoat thick so I could sand it back down flush, but when I began sanding, I realised how thin the paint was on the faded front bumper. So I had to stop and leave some of the paint layered up. Its still worlds better than the 2 2'' long down to plastic scratches I had. The rear worked perfectly fine though. I also used my cheap $30 "buffer" and some Meguiars Step 3 Fine cut on the whole car. The rear bumper saw the most improvment by far.
---UPDATE 12/05/07---
DAMN SPEEDOMETER CABLE!!! I broke the little plastic square tab off when I was reinstalling it. I had it off trying to lube it up because now that its gotten cold its started making awful noises. Which might just have been the thing breaking. So now I gotta remember 3500RPM is 70MPH and 4000RPM is 80MPH. No big deal.
---UPDATE 12/24/07---
Got my Konig Helium's today, just in time for christmas! I will be ordering my General Exclaim UHP's in 195/50/15 on wednesday and should have them here and on the car by late next week. I look forward to new comfy tires that handle well unlike my current tires. Plus the Helium's look damn good.
---UPDATE 12/29/07---
And now my Falken Ziex ZE-912 UHP tires in 205/50/15 to go on my new wheels. I will have them mounted sometime this week if I can scratch up the money needed. Christmas wiped me out.
---UPDATE 1/04/08---
Tires mounted on the wheels and the wheels on the car. Just snapped these real quick for reference. It needs a little bit of a drop, which I should get with the FCM shock mounts (approx. 1/2''-1'' drop). 15'' Konig Helium's on 205/50/15 Falken ZE-912 UHP tires, with McGard spline drive lug nuts and Mr. Gasket chrome valves. I was amazed at how much the ride has improved with a LOWER profile tire. Usualy that would result in a more harsh ride. I no longer feel every crack in the road and cant feel grains of sand as I drive over them.
---UPDATE 1/06/08---
Snapped some new pictures with the wheels on.
---UPDATE 03/12/08---
WOO! Got my gauge cluster cover replaced the day before yesterday, along with a new speedo cable. I have been without both for about 2 months now. It has looked tacky with a big hole in my dash and no speedo. I also washed and waxed it well for the first time in like 3 months. I ordered a kick ass 8 Ball shifter tonight. An actual 8 ball drilled and tapped, so a 2.25'' heavy ball. Better than the Voodoo that most people go with that is 2x the cost and only 2'' in diameter, which to me is too small. Should have it within a week or two. Amazing how low cost purchases thrill me.
---UPDATE 04/01/08---
Got bored today and figured Id give some of my DIY skills an exercise. Ive been staring at my ugly scratched up door sills for a while now, and havent felt like spending the money for the factory ones. So yesterday I had the idea of using spray on truck bed liner. So $8 and about 30 minutes work later, and I have a nice looking door sill. Its unique too, I dont know of anyone with something like this on a Miata. At least I havent seen anyone with it. Tell me what you think.
---UPDATE 04/09/08---
Took some shots of my car tonight in my small town of Leeds, Alabama. In the rare chance that my car was somewhat clean, and I had my camera on me... so I shot. I ordered my fog lights so they should be here soon, and then once the front lip spoiler is off back order, I will go and buy it too. The front looks plain without it. Plus its an R package, so its supposed to have one anyway.
---UPDATE 04/09/08---
I ordered some of my suspension parts today. Tokico Illumina shocks and Ground Control bump stops. This should make my rough ride much smoother, while still keeping the car sporty in feel. Soon I will add FM sways to the list, and I will be done with my suspension.
---UPDATE 04/13/08---
Optilux 1300 Driving Lights installed today. Havent aimed them or seen them at night yet, but after initial install they look great. Gives the car a mini FD look. They seem to be bright in the day time. If they arent bright enough I can always get new H3 bulbs.
Light were junk and have now been replaced with good Hella MicroDE's. Much better light, and much brighter, with no foggy lenses.
---UPDATE 04/22/08---
Just ordered my Flyin' Miata frame rail brace. I called and ordered a blemished model for a $40 cut in price, since it will be under the car and showered with small rocks and other debris for its entire life. That should go hand in hand with my new suspension and alignment to make for a better handling car and again a smoother ride. Should arrive this week and be installed this weekend. Im looking forward to testing all of this new stuff out on a cruise I will be taking part in next month. Nearly 200 mile round trip with fellow car enthusiasts. Should be fun!
They helped, the Flyin' Miata braces that is. But my problem still remains. Until I do the below, I hope anyway...
---UPDATE 07/01/08---
Just picked up my OEM suspension bushings and alignment bolts. 22 bushings and 8 bolts cost me... $535!!! It hurts, but if it fixes my rough ride, it will be well worth it. Here is what $535 worth of bushings and bolts looks like.
---UPDATE 07/14/08---
Got the bushings installed the weekend before this last one, and have tinkered on the suspension all last week and this last weekend to fix a few noises and clunks. After getting everything sorted out, I have to say that its still a ridiculous price at over $500 for some rubber and metal, but it might just be worth it. I have to say my ride is MUCH smoother, and I now have no more clunks and rattles from the suspension. Still some exist in the body panels and interior panels that I need to track down. At least my suspension works like it should though. Handling is also vastly improved. Car feels much more solid and responsive, and flatter and more controlled through turns. This might be my favorite mod so far. Im going to be ordering aftermarket sway bar bushings this next paycheck (2 weeks from now) as I spent most of my last paycheck on parts for my engine rebuild that I will tackle in about 2 months. Keep your eyes open for updates, should be alot for the next few months. Lot of plans.
---UPDATE 07/29/08---
Well, after several more weeks of driving, the new bushings are losing their effectiveness. Im beginning to get some of the same old clunks again, though not as bad. Not sure if I will just have to deal with it or what... oh well. Im going to try some FM sways soon, since my stock anti way bushings are worn enough that by pulling on end of the rear bar down only 6 inches or so leads to a 1/2'' gap between the bar and the bushing. NOT doing its job. Plus I want stiffer bars for a more planted and less rolling ride.
---UPDATE 09/20/08---
ITS TIME! I have all of my parts minus the clutch and stainless clutch line, which are ordered, just not here yet. They will get hese some time this week. I will start pulling the engine next weekend!
Here is a list of most of the new parts I have sitting ready to go in:
-ACT HD Clutch
-Flyin' Miata 10.3lb Flywheel
-Track Dog Clutch Line
-OEM HLA's
-Viton Valve Seals
-Viton Cam Seals
-Water Pump
-Engine Mounts
-Timing Belt
-Tensioner
-Tensioner Spring
-Idler Pulley
-Head Gasket
-Intake Manifold Gasket
-Oil Pan End Seals
-Front and Rear Main Seals
-TB Gasket
-Other Various Gaskets
The head will be machined between .010 and .020, mostly for flatness, but a slight increase in compression, but not enough to matter come time for turbo. The ports will be cleaned up and smoothed out. Stock HLA 1.8 heads have an ugly ridge where the casting meets machined area of the port. That should free up a few HP and let the engine breath a bit better. Carbon will be removed, which will also bring back some lost horsepower, along with probably increase fuel economy. Should run much smoother after all is said and done.
I hope to have this done in a week. Start it next weekend and be done by the following weekend. Shouldnt be an issue as long as I come across no major problems. I CANT WAIT!!!
---UPDATE 10/01/08---
Well, Im almost done. So far I have pretty much only worked on the head, spending the last 4 days just on porting. I work weird hours, so Im doing it inside late night. Head has been cleaned, combustion chambers "polished", intake ports cleaned and slightly ported around the valve seats, and the short radius (the floor) has been rounded off a bit, since it used to have a bit of a sharp angle leading to the valve area. Exhaust ports used to be terrible. I spent the most time fixing the valve seat area on the exhaust side. Under/above the seat leading into the port was about a 1/4'' drop on each port. I had to do alot of grinding and blending. Im no porting pro, so that might be why it took so long. That and I was using a Dremel tool and undersized bits for this kind of job. I will post some of the porting pictures when Im done. I plan to finish the last of the porting tonight and bring it to the machine shop tomarrow to have it machined .020-.030, then bring it home whenever its done and bolt the head back onto the block.
That is the roughed in exhaust. See the huge lip under/above the seat? Now its gone. I went back and did some finer work to make it a bit smoother. Even like that it would be a huge difference.
Friday before work or Saturday I will start on cleaning up the outside of the block, and removing carbon from piston tops. My clutch is taking far longer than I had planned to arrive, so its looking like it will be the last thing done. Supposed to be here Friday, so lets hope. Once I get the flywheel and clutch installed, I can do the other little parts (rear main seal, pilot bearing, t/o bearing) and bolt the trans back onto the block. Then bolt the intake manifold back on, do the timing belt and set the timing, water pump, replace front main seal, other little orings and seals, do the oil pan sealant, new engine mounts, then I should be ready to go. Perhaps if all goes to my schedule, I can have the car running by maybe Sunday, if not then early next week. I dont want to rush this like I have past cars.
---UPDATE 10/04/08---
Made an purchase out of the blue today, FM anti-sway bars and Poly end link bushings. Ive been bothered by the fact that my factory sway bushings have tons of play in them, so this will hopefully be a very worth while purchase. From all I have heard, sway upgrade is a big improvement, making for less body roll and more responsive steering. Cant wait!
Engine is going back together slowely. Didnt get as much done today as I would have liked, but I also had to watch the Alabama game. ROLL TIDE!!! Got the oil pump and water pump off, unbolted some other junk, dropped the oil pan and finished grinding the carbon off my last few valves. Was going to replace the oil pump seal, but didnt feel like busting it open, so I just put it back in. Tomarrow I will hopefully finish up with installing the oil pan (after I drill the oil return for the upcoming turbo and cap it off until its needed) and bolt the intake manifold back onto the head, bolt the head to the block, and hook up my $100 worth of new OEM hoses. Probably wont be back on the road this week like I had hoped. Might have to wait till next weekend.
---UPDATE 10/05/08---
Got the pistons and block mating surface cleaned. Im amazed by Mazda engineering and how smooth the cylinder walls still are. No grooves, no scars, no scratches, no ridge and they still have most of their original crosshatching. Its really a thing of beauty! Pistons came amazingly clean with just a brass wire wheelon a drill. Look almost new. The little bit of carbon left in the valve recesses will be gotten out with my Dremel tool tomarrow.
---UPDATE 10/10/08---
Flyin' Miata anti-sway bars came in today while I was at work. Very nice pieces, I cant wait to get them on the car. Engine is primary, but sways will come asap after my engine is back in and running. Also had a bit more progress over the last few days. Clutch is in and the trans bolted back on. Timing belt is on and set correctly. I found that my old belt was set at 21 teeth between cam timing marks, correctly done it shoudl only be 19, so someone on the last timing belt job set the camshafts off 1 tooth each. That in itself should help with power and economy. Tomarrow I should be able to get most of whats left done, then I HOPE to have it pretty much done Sunday. If I could drive it Sunday I would be thrilled to death.
Along with my bars, I also got SuperPro poly end link bushings to maybe help a bit more. Adjustable links are useless for street driving, only suited for the track. No need to preload on the road, I dont prefer right or left turns over the other :-) Here are some quick snapshots (Yes I know my carpet is an 80's classic color... brown. Its also dirty and stained, give me a break).
---UPDATE 10/14/08---
Im on top of the world! I got the engine in yesterday and spent all afternoon and night yesterday trying to make it start. It wouldnt not turn over for the life of me. After checking everything I knew to check (ignition) it ended up being the damn fuel lines reversed on the rail... this happened to me before, only 2 years ago with my TurboII RX7. Seems like knowing that I would have caught it. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. Anyway, I got it started just an hour ago (2:30AM) and took it for its first spin around the block. When I got back I thought it had caught fire since it was smoking up a storm, from a mix of brake fluid from a loose clutch line, and some trans fluid I spilled in the trans turret that ended up on the exhaust. Clearly, still some stuff that needs to be done before its road worthy, but at least the damn thing runs! Im walkin' on sunshine! DONT IT FEEL GOOD!!! lol
EDIT: Now its 10/16/08 and Im no longer on sunshine. Figured out why it didnt want to run right... head gasket didnt seal and I was ingesting coolant. Pulled the plugs and found all 4 cylinders filled with coolant. I have no idea why it didnt seal, and Im worried at what the cause might be. Im going to do the head gasket again this weekend, but Im scared it will just fail again. I dont see how the block could be warped, its iron, and seemed plenty smooth enough to seal a head gasket. Maybe I will find an easy answer when I pull the head. Wish me luck, I really want this done so I can relax one weekend and catch up on sleep.
---UPDATE 10/18/08---
Well I have found my head gasket sealing problem...
Thats right, a $0.001 staple cost me $100+ to fix, along with a weekend of extra work. Im guessing it is a left over from the packaging process at Mazda that fell into the package. It was sandwiched between 2 of the layers of the gasket where I failed to see it. So let this be a lesson to all, CHECK YOUR GASKET WELL!!! Upon inspection of the gasket, you can see where the staple held up the rear of the head and never allowed the intake side of the cylinders to seal up, which you can see in the first picture below. Here are some other pictures I took today of the various parts and finds.
I should have it all back together tomarrow. I ran out of daylight today, again because of the Bama game. ROLL TIDE!!! Keep an eye out for updates. I should also install my Flyin' Miata anti-sways tomarrow.
---UPDATE 10/29/08---
Well my fellow Miata lovers, Im hitting snag after snag in this part of the build, which should have been the most simple and straight forward. Im in the process of pulling the head again for the 3rd time. This time I wont ASSume like I have in the past and mess it up and waste time. Im going to bring the head to a machine shop that I think I can trust and see what they can do for me. Im going to get it checked for flatness, do a leak test, and white its there, may as well have the valve guides done. From looking over pictures the last few nights I think I have figured out that the first shop machined the head crooked. The intake side had more taken off than the exhaust side. You can see in the 2nd row of pictures above, the full underside of the block image shows machined casting where the intake manifold studs are, which was clearly not there before. Also in the same picture, a small raised circle on the bottom between #2 and #3. From pictures, it has not changed at all, but the intake side looks like it has had as much as .020 taken off. I will know more this week. I will try and keep in touch.
PS, I am also having a fun time getting the FM sways installed. The damn end link bushings will not budge for me. Have new poly bushings to go in their place. Aside from that it shouldnt be too hard. Maybe my first drive under a well running engine will also be on FM sways.
---UPDATE 11/19/08---
Well guys, it was a no go. Attempted a problem free start the weekend before last, and to no avail. Still have smoke. Coolant smoke to be exact. It started as blue oil smoke, but it went away after several minutes of idle. I think it may have just been the copper head gasket coating burning off. Coolant smoke began and hasnt gone away. It still runs and I can sort of drive it if I wanted to, but I dont want to mess anything else up, plus its not any fun leaving a smoke cloud behind you.
Ive been saving up for all of the parts I will need to do a full rebuild this time. Going to strip the head AGAIN, and this time have it done correctly, checked for squareness, flatness, and for leaks/cracks. Block deck will be machined just to be sure, and I will then re-hone the cylinder walls, and install all new Clevite bearings, and Perfect Circle rings. This time should be the last time, since im holding nothing back, money or time. It has to be a head gasket issue because compression is getting into coolant and oil, and coolant is getting into the combustion chambers. So its either one or both surfaces arent flat, or I have some major cracking in the head. But even cracks in the head wouldnt mean all 4 cylinders would be wet, maybe one or two. Im in no big rush though, I just bought about $500 of new tools, since I broke my torque wrench, and need some micrometers, and some other specialty tools. I will try and keep you guys updated. May even make an entire new page devoted to the engine build. Its about time I clean this place up a bit anyway.
---UPDATE 12/01/08---
Ok, made quite a few purchases over the last week or two. Have a full set of Clevite bearings, Perfect Circle piston rings, an Ishihara-Johnson crank scraper, new exhaust manifold hardware (studs and nuts), tons of tools for the rebuild, along with some interior goodies, RedlineGoods black with red stitching shift boot and e-brake boot and a Nardi Deep Corn 350mm wheel. Probably some other stuff I have forgotten until it shows up on my door step in the next week or two. I havent yet started on pulling the engine yet, but will either this weekend or next. Im not in any real hurry, but would like to get it done within a 2 month time frame.
Something else I will be getting soon will be Katzkin seat leathers to replace my ratty cloth. Should get those probably around christmas. Im still not sure wether to do all black, or do black with red stitching to match the boots and the exterior paint. Not sure if that will look slightly tacky, I cant decide. After the interior is handled, I will probably move onto paint late winter, or early spring, and also get my new Robbins sunfast top. Should be a whole different car soon. After that stuff is done its turbo saving time. I think I may have decided to go with the BEGi-S for now, since I dont have the drivetrain to safely run over about 175whp right now, so the BEGi-S will be perfect for that range for a good price ($3000-$3500 after kit upgrades, MSPnP and exhaust). be on the watchout for updates, should have a lot soon.
I may be making a second page for the engine rebuild this time around, for writeup sakes, as well as for something to do since Im often bored to death around here.
---UPDATE 12/15/08---
I have purchased my Katzkin seat leathers, black with red stitching. Also got the matching door panels for an extra $100. Along with that, Redlinegoods shift boot and e-brake boot, also black with red stitching. Soon to come will be the Nardi "Deep Corn" steering wheel, which is again, black with red stitching. Everything should match nicely, and look classy. Still have to get my roll bar padding with covers, and new floor mats. Then my interior should be complete. Well, besides something with the guages I want to do, but it can be later.
I also have gotten to work on pulling the engine. I cant find time on the weekends anymore as I sleep late, and it gets dark early. Was only able to unhook all of the wires on the harness, and a few hoses, but should be close to pulling it out. Then it will be on to getting the engine on my new stand, and tearing it apart. I'll let you guys know more when that point gets here. Hopefully by Christmas it should at least be out and torn down.
---UPDATE 12/25/08---
Got my seat covers yesterday. God they are awsome! Thank god for Katzkin. They are black with red stitching to match my Redlinegoods shifter and e-brake boots. Cant wait to get them installed. Super good quality.
---UPDATE 12/26/08---
1/4 of the seat done. Not bad for a first timer. I think I can fix that little group of wrinkles though. the head rest looks weird because I havent put speakers back in yet.
---UPDATE 12/27/08---
Got done with the lower part of the seat and bolted it all back up, cut all of the holes for hardware and have it ready to mount in the car. I think Im going to let it stay inside though, no point in putting it in the car since its not going to be driven for another month or two probably. Im overall pleased, though a few of the wrinkles make me a bit upset, and the fact that the lower cover is too far to the left/inside of the car by about 3/4'', and it can be seen by looking at the center gathered section. I ended up adding 1'' of padding to the side bolsters and the front center section where your legs go, and it helped take some wrinkles out and gave the seat a more bucket feel that I like. Plus its softer and feels better. I guess its not bad for a first timer at upholstery/seat work.
---UPDATE 01/03/09---
Got one seat and one panel in the car. I think the panel is going to be pulled off and redone though. I cant figure out how to get the wrinkles out. The seat also sits a bit crooked and hits on the seatbelt guides, so it cant fully recline. I can fix that with a washer or two under the outer rail to lift that side. Ive started on the driver seat and panel tonight, and will be done tomarrow. Here are some pictures of the seats and panel in. Excuse the mess, its only 4 months of junk, and months before mess from daily driving it with no time to clean it.
Old next to new:
---UPDATE 01/18/09---
Im now working on a "custom" center console, which is pretty much stock console, with the ashtray section cut out. It was already cracked, and I like the look of shorty consoles, so I jumped in head first last night. So far I have only welded in a piece of plastic, and done the first layer of fiberglass resin and mat.
Going to try to do some more tonight.
---UPDATE 01/24/09---
Get my engine outside yesterday, and REALLY messed up my back and knees. Keeping control of a 300lb engine on hand trucks down probably 30 stairs isnt fun at all. Got it outside though, clutch and flywheel on, trans on, starter on, injectors and fuel rail on, and intake manifold partly on. Still have to go back and tighten alot of bolts. Its raining this morning, so I may not get much done today, but still do plan on having it running tomarrow if all goes well today and tomarrow. Most of yesterday was spent cleaning it up a bit, since it has sat for 4 months with no washing or cover. Paint still has black moldy speckles on it after a wash. It still needs a good detail job, but that can wait till after Im sure its going to run.
Im still waiting on steering wheel, floor mats, roll bar pads and finishing up my custom consoles and speaker rewire, but otherwise the interior is pretty much complete.
It still looks far from good, but im not done yet.
---UPDATE 01/28/09---
Ive actually had it running since Sunday, but I was to busy breaking it in and tinkering on it to post up. Along with getting it running I also installed my new Micro DE fogs, which are really awsome fog/driving lights. I can drive with my headlights off they are so good. Very nice cutoff like the e-code headlights. Tomarrow I should get my new WestCo battery, since my crap battery is about gone, and Friday I should have my ebay black housing turn signals and my rollbar covers/padding. Will post more when I have something interesting.
As for the engine, its running pretty well so far. It fired on the first turn of the key and idled perfectly, no issues. Im throwing a code, but I know why, and its not a huge deal. The only negatives so far is a slight smell of coolant and burning fluid, but I can see no visable leaks (like usual) and my coolant and other fluid levels are stable. Then the biggest issue is the trans. The light weight flywheel really lets me know how worn my transmission actually is. I know light weight flywheels add some noise, but mine has a terrible rattle under 1000rpm. I also have a throw out bearing rattle. Oh well, I can live with that, as long as the engine is good. Did the first oil change today, which was kind of late since it was already at 80 miles, and should have been at maybe 10-20. Typical metal dust in the oil, and some fuel. I will give it another few hundred miles to thoroughly break in, then do another oil change, and check compression. Other than that, no smoke, no weird issues, just a smooth running engine with a bit extra pep. Im thrilled. Now for the turbo!
---UPDATE 02/18/09---
Well, 3 weeks and 900 miles later, its still doing just fine. I havent checked the compression yet, but I plan to do so this weekend. It burns/leaks no fluids, and idles perfect at ~800rpm. I can tell it has a bit more pep than before, but is still a slug. Not fun getting pulled away from by soccer moms in their minivans. Ive also tinkered on the interior a bit more, but dont like the results and will be changing it a bit more in the next few weeks, so I will hold off on pictures till then. My next purchase will be sort of non car related, but does go towards the car. Ordering my Samsung NC10 netbook this weekend, so I can tune my MegaSquirt when I get it (next purchase, in maybe a month). After the MS is in and running correctly, the next step is turbo. My turbo goals may have changed slightly as Bell is now working on a turbo kit using a Chinacharger (chinese made turbo for a fraction of the cost of a Garrett), so I may be able to get it done for $500 less and a month sooner. I will know more when they actually update their damn site. So maybe by my birthday in June, I can have it turbocharged and running! A bit later than I had originally hoped, but some other small things have held me up. More updates to come.
---UPDATE 04/03/09---
Its been a while, so I figured I would update. Car still seems to be running fine, but I have come across some more issues that are slowing down my progress to turboville. Just recently I have had the speedometer cable break, radiator tank failure (new Radiator Barn replacement on the way as we speak), and issues with my a/c, which for Alabama is a must in the summer. Other smaller issues are the rear glass window in the top is starting to seperate, and I have a small leak around the upper door seal near the top corner of the a pillar. On top of that I will hopefully be moving within the month. Moving to Destin, Florida, I need a change of pace anyway. I also have a lot of taxes to pay, so this turbo build is yet again pushed back a few more months. Surely before next winter it will be turbo. Keep an eye for updates, something else may happen.
Thanks for reading as always, -Jesse
BUILD BACK ON!!!
