The Tracker
A Catalog of events.
I bought my 1996 Geo Tracker LSI from a friend of the family for 1,800 USD. The stock engine is a 1.6 liter 16 valve pushing 94 HP. The paint job was new but cheap and has since worn quickly. The only two mechanical problems I have run into include: a cracked radiator and a persistantly noisy fan belt. Both were easily fixed. The majority of my work has been in modification not repair. I have had the car for two years now and will sadly only be able to document progress with photographs from now on.
The current modifications:
K&N cold air intake
Cherrybomb brand thrush 3 1/4" exhaust
Catalitic converter delete (made it loud)
NGK iridium spark plugs
Lowered 2" on the rear wheels to level the car out
Sound: Pioneer head, Pioneer 4 1/2"s in front, Pioneer 5 1/2"s in back, Baja 700 watt monoblock amp, single 12" poweraccoustik fubar sub in a closed box
Optima high reserve capacity battery
Led brake lights
Xenon whites headlights
The current projects:
Weight reduction: I'm doing everything I can to tastefully reduce the over all weight of the vehicle as well as distribute weight evenly. I moved the battery from the engine bay to beneath the driver seat. I've removed dozens of other things not worth mentioning here but if you need any advice on this kind of project I would be one to ask. I made a mesh cover for the radiator that I painted black. It looks really sweet. Pictures below.
Removed:
front and rear bumper
stock exhaust
rear seat
spare tire
EGR system
windshield wiper fluid resevoir and pump
windshield wiper, motor, and control arm
cruise control
stock intake duct work
stock dash
underplating
motors for rear power windows
much of the tar on the interior of the vehicle that was meant to reduce noise.
stock headlights
A/C system
The dash: I'm currently building a completely new dash from the ground up. It will be much lighter and smaller than the stock dash. Made from 1/8" oak paneling and refabricated to match the floor carpeting. The stock gauges will be replaced with a speedometer and tachometer of simple and utilitarian design. The dash will better house the Pioneer head for the sound system. The most difficult stage of this project, and the stage I'm on now, is cleaning up the electrical work that is just stuffed underneath the stock dash. I'll remove whatever relays and wires I don't actually need. I'm good with electrical work, but this is still a slow process.
To-Do list:
Full suspension upgrade( haven't researched yet)
Engine swap for a 1.9 liter VW turbo engine.
Wider radial tires. I'll probably be pulling this from an old mustang and use Police Interceptor radials.
If I get the new engine I'll do an engine rebuild before I do the swap. If I don't get the new engine I'll eventually rebuild the existing engine.
Sway bars on the front suspension.
Refabricate the interior.
Reduce the fuel tank from 11.1 gallons to 5 gallon fuel cell
Install a quick shift kit
Install lightweight racing seats
Fiberglass, carbon fiber, or some form of lightweight hood.
Adjust the gear box for the increases in performance and decrease in weight.
Lightweight flywheel
Weld shut the rear doors
Replace power steering with manual steering
Lexan windows
Notice that I never said anything about putting in a NOS system. That's because this car is going to be a daily driver with emphasis on economy as much as it is a fun and sporty car with the goal of holding its own on the track. Ultimately, the thing I want for this car is respect. I want it to be respectable to people that care about speed, people that care about sound, people that care about looks, and people that care about comfort. In short, I want this car to have it all.
If your asking "Why a Geo Tracker?" the answer is simple. I love this car. If you don't know what I mean then I hope you do someday.
Now for the photographs:
I'll start with a picture of a tracker bone stock and very similar to mine at the time of purchase:
These will be the "before" in the long awaited "before & after" pictures.
