James92TSi's 3000GT

[James92TSi]

http://s95241334.onlinehome.us/3000GT_mb_wheels/5.jpg

James92TSi's 3000GT - aka "Red"

Red is a '91 3000GT VR-4, which I bought in November 2004. Always garage-kept and dealer maintained by previous owners (a good thing in this case), she is what one might refer to as "a keeper". She is actually one of the first 100 VR-4s to come over to the States, denoted by a gold "Premiere Edition" badge on the glovebox (Pic 1 (http://members.aol.com/hockey6688/3000GT_Premier_Edition/1.jpg) Pic 2 (http://members.aol.com/hockey6688/3000GT_Premier_Edition/4.jpg)).

Red was bought as a daily driver to back up my DSMs, and performed that task quite admirably until early 2007. She started to have little issues here and there, and the final straw was when the output shaft failed in late June (Pic 1 (http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_splines/IMG_1068.jpg)). I started plotting and scheming -- as my original plan was to have Red as my daily car, and my '92 GSX project as my track car. It seemed Red had other ideas.

I eventually arrived at the difficult decision to cut my losses on the GSX project, make Red the track car, and shop for a newer car with warranty to serve as my daily. Shakira (my G35 Sport Coupe (http://www.james92tsi.com/G35/IMG_1012.jpg)) was added to the family in late August, and Red officially moved into the "toy" role.

More pics of Red, including shots on-track, can be found in my Picasa album: http://picasaweb.google.com/James92TSi

Here's the rundown of what's done to her so far:

Electronics
• Eclipse AVX2494 - touch screen DVD/CD/MP3, 20GB HDD (visible in these: Pic 1 (http://members.aol.com/hockey6688/3000GT_Premier_Edition/1.jpg) Pic 2 (http://members.aol.com/hockey6688/3000GTSig.jpg))
• PPI 5440 5-channel amplifier (Pic 1 (http://s95241334.onlinehome.us/3000GT_amp/2.jpg))
• Infinity Kappa 60.5cs 6.5" component set (front)
• Infinity Kappa 692.5i 2-way 6x9" coaxials (rear)
• Infinity Kappa Perfect 10 DVC sub (Pic 1 (http://s95241334.onlinehome.us/3000GT_amp/1.jpg))
• Audiobahn 1-farad capacitor
• Optima Yellow battery
• PAC SWI-X steering wheel radio control interface

Under-hood gadgetry
• Matrix cone filter with 3SX MAS mounting bracket
• HKS SSQV
• MSD spark wires (and NGK coppers, of course)
• 3rd revision lash adjusters
• Alamo Y-pipe (Pic 1 (http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_misc/IMG_1124.jpg))
• Emissions/vacuum line reduction (EGR removed and blocked)
• Supercar Engineering oil pan with trap door and kick-out (Pic 1 (http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_misc/IMG_1113.jpg) Pic 2 (http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_misc/IMG_1118.jpg))
• Northbend Technologies Quadco XR output shaft and input spool (Pic 1 (http://www.james92tsi.com/misc/IMG_0868.jpg))
• EK2 poly motor mounts
• Otherwise just your typical stock 2-bolt 6G72 TT, as maintained by an anally retentive person.

Brakes
(Pic of all parts (http://s95241334.onlinehome.us/3000GT_brakes/parts/allparts.jpg) - note that brakes were not installed yet in pic above)
• 2G VR-4 front brakes - powdercoated red & rebuilt (Pic 1 (http://s95241334.onlinehome.us/3000GT_brakes/parts/frontcaliper.jpg))
• Porterfield R4S pads
• Drilled/Slotted rotors (eye candy from when the car was my daily)
• Goodridge braided SS lines
• ATE Super Blue fluid (or ATE TYP 200... same fluid, yellow color... good for alternating flushes)
• Speed bleeders

Suspension, Wheels, and Tires
• Tein FLEX coilover system
• MB Motorsports Weapon wheels, 18x9 gunmetal finish (+1 in the garage as a full-size spare)
• Falken FK-452 tires, Y-rated 255/35/18

Miscellaneous
• Chrome front emblem :)
• Snake Eye mod (Pic 1 (http://members.aol.com/hockey6688/3000GTSig.jpg))
• Hella H4 conversion headlamps
• Supermac race shifter
• 99 GSX leather shift knob (the last remaining piece of the Talon)
• Active Aero that actually works (a rarity among first-gen VR-4s)
• Brushed aluminum defrost vents (Pic 1 (http://members.aol.com/hockey6688/3000GT_Defrost_Vents/1.jpg) Pic 2 (http://members.aol.com/hockey6688/3000GT_Defrost_Vents/5.jpg) Pic 3 (http://members.aol.com/hockey6688/3000GT_Defrost_Vents/4.jpg))
• Leatherseats.com reupholstery kit, two-tone with custom logos (Pic 1 (http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_misc/IMG_1064.jpg))
• Tint, yo!

Parts I have that are not on the car yet
• 2G VR-4 rear brakes (same disassemble/powdercoat/rebuild treatment as the fronts)
• Greddy/GT Pro FMIC kit
• TD04L 13T turbos
• DNP precat eliminators (tubular o2 housings)
• Alamo 3" downpipe
• More brushed aluminum interior bits
• A whole lot of body parts (for 2G/99 conversion), including a Cianci Viper hood
• Parts for quad e46 bixenon HID retrofit into 94 Stealth glass headlights
... and probably some other stuff I'm forgetting to mention.

Future plans for the car are
• Repair of damage from off-track incident at September's HPDE event (including installation of Tein FLEX system)
• Replacement of the three factory center gauges with accurate stuff
• Another rework of the braking system, to include better quality rotors, more race-oriented pads (most likely from Carbotech), and ducting for the front rotors
• Installation of the 99 front end, Viper hood, and HID retrofit
• A second set of wheels, most likely 17x9.5 with 275/40/17 Toyo RA1 tires.
• Installation of the remaining 2G body parts and repaint of the car
• Resisting the urge to put all of those other performance parts on the car until my driving improves... a lot. :)

The eventual power goal is 400 to 425 awhp reliably on pump gas, which is well within the capabilities of the parts I've chosen. At that power level, she'll be a complete hoot on the road course... all in due time. Engine management will most likely be AEM EMS.

[daonlyillwiz]

Wanna sell her man ? lol just kidding, nice car man, real glossy, i like it...not bad...not bad at all...:banana:

[420aboy]

http://www.torqueaddicts.net/forums/images/smiles/eeek.gif
http://www.torqueaddicts.net/forums/images/smiles/eeek.gif
http://www.torqueaddicts.net/forums/images/smiles/drool.gif
http://www.torqueaddicts.net/forums/images/smiles/drool.gif

[PC Talon]

Looks nice James.

[Spyder1gdsm]

I love those cars. But then again James, you've seen me enough on 3si :D

[larc]

Vr4's are indeed, sexy. Nice car man

[James92TSi]

I think I mentioned something about a leatherseats.com kit, right? Well, they ran their annual group buy on 3Si a couple months ago, and I snuck in at the last minute. Mine are charcoal and red two-tone, with red 3000GT logos on the front seats.

Pics:

http://s95241334.onlinehome.us/3000GT_leather/leather_01.jpg
Logos just below the headrests on the front seats

http://s95241334.onlinehome.us/3000GT_leather/leather_02.jpg
Rear bench in progress / comparison to stock cloth

http://s95241334.onlinehome.us/3000GT_leather/leather_03.jpg
Rear bench complete

http://s95241334.onlinehome.us/3000GT_leather/leather_04.jpg
Passenger seat in progress (yes, my NES still works :cool:)

http://s95241334.onlinehome.us/3000GT_leather/leather_05.jpg
Completed passenger bottom cushion

http://s95241334.onlinehome.us/3000GT_leather/leather_06.jpg
Completed passenger backrest and headrest

http://s95241334.onlinehome.us/3000GT_leather/leather_07.jpg
Passenger seat reassembled :D

The back seats have been reinstalled in the car, the passenger seat is still in my living room, and I haven't touched the driver seat yet. Maybe I'll get to the driver seat this weekend and wrap this project up.

Other than covering the headrest and reinstalling the dumb seatbelt hook at the top of the passenger seat, this has been relatively easy work. It's time-consuming, but not difficult at all.

[french_hustler]

I've never noticed this thread before.
You have an amazing vr4 man. I love it.
Keep her clean and well maintained. You're doing an excellent job.

[95GSX6bolt]

Sweet car. Are those seat covers or whats the deal with that? Do you remove the old fabric and replace? I would totally invest in something like that. Those are awesome.

[giganews35]

Does that thing have two turbos????:D :puke:


It looks nice.

[James92TSi]

I've never noticed this thread before.
You have an amazing vr4 man. I love it.
Keep her clean and well maintained. You're doing an excellent job.
Thanks! :)

There are some changes planned for it in the "appearance" department:

- 99 VR-4 front end (bumper, headlights, corner lights)
- 94-99 VR-4 side skirts and rear bumper
- 99 sail panels
- 97-98 VR-4 hoop spoiler (ditching the Active Aero)
- Cianci "Viper" hood (has a functional NACA duct and slightly raised cowl, otherwise it's just like a 94-99 OEM hood)

All of that is in the name of better lighting (the pop-ups are terrible, but I can do a nice HID retrofit into the '99 lights), and better airflow to the FMIC that will eventually be going on it.

Well, that and I really like the 94-99 stuff. :D
Sweet car. Are those seat covers or whats the deal with that? Do you remove the old fabric and replace? I would totally invest in something like that. Those are awesome.
Yes, they completely replace the factory upholstery. In the "passenger seat" pic you can see that the factory material has been stripped off of the seatback. The small holes in the foam are where the new covering gets attached with hog rings.
Does that thing have two turbos????:D :puke:


It looks nice.Yes, it has two turbos that are so small you can't fit a golf ball into the compressor inlet. Stock TD04 9B turbos... they're cute.

I have a set of TD04L 13Ts for it, but those won't be going on anytime real soon (I'm in no rush to start pouring engine mods onto the car).

[french_hustler]

I've worked on a 300zx TT before and I know you got to drop the motor to swap turbos out.

I'm guessing it's a huge bitch on the 3kgt as well huh?

[Red1991TSI]

Nice ride but remember....a VR4 weighs more than a dizzum full of fat chicks!

[James92TSi]

I've worked on a 300zx TT before and I know you got to drop the motor to swap turbos out.

I'm guessing it's a huge bitch on the 3kgt as well huh?
It's not fun, that's for sure. It can be done with the motor in, but it helps to have midget hands and nine foot long arms with six elbows.

Nice ride but remember....a VR4 weighs more than a dizzum full of fat chicks!
Good thing it's not a racecar. I don't give a crap how much it weighs. :cool:

BTW - the weight is awesome for high-speed stability. The car goes where I point it, pure and simple. I love it.

[95GSX6bolt]

Man Sounds like you have everything all planned out. Im glad your doing a retro. I bet that will come out sweet. But I think once summer is over Im deffinatly going to go to that leatherseat.com and do it up with some two tone seats. Right now I just want the damn thing running...Either way props on the car. Keep up the good work.

-Jim

[eagleone1980]

Do the local P.D. fuck with you about your tints?:cool:

[James92TSi]

Man Sounds like you have everything all planned out. Im glad your doing a retro. I bet that will come out sweet. But I think once summer is over Im deffinatly going to go to that leatherseat.com and do it up with some two tone seats. Right now I just want the damn thing running...Either way props on the car. Keep up the good work.

-JimFunny you should say that. Most of the plans are in my head and subject to change if something better comes along... but when I decide to execute something, I like to think about all the details and get them right.

The HID retro is going to be quad E46 bixenons. Yes, I'm crazy. 3000K outer lights, 4100K inner lights. I could go into infinite detail on that project if necessary. :)

I haven't seen the leatherseats.com product for an Eclipse, but I know they have the patterns for it. I went for a lot of optional/custom stuff on mine, but I figured I may as well get what I really want if I am going through the trouble of installing them. I'd recommend the same if you decide to go for it.
Do the local P.D. fuck with you about your tints?:cool:No they don't, but my tint isn't illegal. It's difficult to tell due to the angle and lighting in that pic, but the tint on the driver/passenger windows is lighter than that used on the rear quarter, hatch, and windshield eyebrow.

They do like to screw with me every now and then about my refusal to attach a license plate to the front of my car, though. What can I say? It looks like total crap.

[95GSX6bolt]

Think twice, buy once. Money doesnt grow on trees. At least not anywhere near where I live. Quad e46. Good call. At first I was going to do an e46 in a set of aftermarket set of headlight but then i was told by Yunebug that an evo 9 projector is practically bolt on...give or take the enlargement of a few holes and drilling like 2. I'm more than likely going with the evo projectors. Like I said I just want my damn car running...

[eagleone1980]

Nice NES in the background!:P

[James92TSi]

Red has been sitting for a month and half with a stripped output shaft and t-case input spool (the "95% drivetrain loss" in my sig). I took the opportunity to do a "forced upgrade" using a Quadco XR output shaft & input spool from Northbend Technologies (http://www.northbendtech.com). The stock output shaft is a known weak point on these cars, so I'd rather not risk using stock parts and breaking again.

I installed the new output shaft yesterday in rather painless fashion. It took about 6 hours total, working at half-grandpa speed with a lunch break thrown in. Not bad at all for a guy who doesn't dig into transmissions at all.

With the drivetrain breakage resolved, my attention will shift to preparing Red for her first HPDE next month at Texas World Speedway.

Here are a couple quick pics from yesterday.

http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_misc/IMG_1072.jpg
Still sexy, even with 2 months worth of dirt on her. :D

http://www.james92tsi.com/misc/IMG_0868.jpg
These little guys are part of the car now. NBT output shaft & input spool.

Since I'm focusing on track prep right now, I'll have to hold off until after the event to work on the rest of the interior. I do have the seats installed, so here's a quick snap of them. The rest of the interior work is minor stuff (shift boot, speaker grilles, upper door trim, etc) that I can do after TWS.

http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_misc/IMG_1064.jpg

TWS is Sept 15-16. I'd like to get the car running in the next 2 weekends so I can evaluate if everything is ready for the track in the week leading up to the event. Here's my to-do list:

- MSD wires (hopefully will fix the occasional miss I've been getting ~3000RPM)
- Supercar Engineering oil pan + reinstall downpipe, t-case, front aero, etc.
- New front CV axles + fill gear oil in trans and t-case
- New front upper strut mounts (RF is trashed, may as well do both)
- Install 2G VR-4 rear brake stuff (fronts have been on the car for a while)

Not too bad. :)

[turbolover]

WoW, thats pretty impressive. I'm digging that interior, great job!

[BigBoostDSM]

Yea the interior looks great, makes it look like a brand new car.

[95GSX6bolt]

Man that looks awesome. I can't wait for mine.

[James92TSi]

The astute among you have probably noticed that Red's purpose in life has shifted toward being my toy/track car for HPDE. A few months ago, I picked up an '03 G35 sport coupe (named Shakira :D) to serve as my daily, and have sold almost all of my DSM-related stuff. That was a hard decision, but there was no way I could let the red one go, and no way I could afford to keep two toy cars either.

The possibilities are endless with the red one, but the most important goal in what I do with the car is to improve myself as a driver. The car is already great at what it does, and I have a lot of catching up to do before worrying about putting parts on.

Back in September, we went off-track on exit of turn 7 at Texas World Speedway and had a very rough ride going over some large dirt hills. Not much is damaged other than bodywork, vertical suspension, and wheels/tires. For now, she's sleeping in the garage while I gather parts for her. (See this thread (http://www.dsmtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1782581#post1782581) for more info about the incident at TWS.)

I've updated the first post of the thread with regard to mod list and future plans for the car. :)

[James92TSi]

Update...

Coilovers are on the car now.

Unforunately, the front suspension did suffer more damage than I originally thought. When installing the coilovers, it became obvious that the RF suspension is tweaked. The old strut was bent, and upon installing the new strut, the RF wheel sits way off-caster. It could simply be control arm / subframe damage, or it could be worse. I don't know yet.

Everything else I want to do to the car is on hold until I have time/money to have a frame shop inspect it vs. standard dimensions and repair if necessary.

[french_hustler]

Ouch... Gonna have to put her on the machines to get her frame checked up.

Good luck my friend.

[16G_tsi_awd]

Give it a nice wash and take a picture of both sides so you can compare yourself. Even jack it up and check the frame by comparing both sides. Check behind the front head lights and such. You should be able to tell if there is damage.

[James92TSi]

Give it a nice wash and take a picture of both sides so you can compare yourself. Even jack it up and check the frame by comparing both sides. Check behind the front head lights and such. You should be able to tell if there is damage.There are several misaligned body panels due to the core support being pushed in on its lower edge. The RF corner of the car took a heavy impact with the ground while cresting the second hill... the car basically landed on the RF wheel, with the core support touching down a bit, then weight transferred diagonally across the car to the LR corner.

I am unsure if the right front upper frame rail (where the RF shock tower is - the upper fender line that extends toward the headlight) has been tweaked upward or not. It is a definite concern if the strut bottomed out on compression (which it may have), as the force has to go somewhere. Interesting to note that the strut tower itself does not appear damaged.

I already know the core support, hood latch, and headlight buckets are tweaked... so looking at body panels isn't going to tell me much. It needs to go on a frame measuring machine for sure.

[JuanG]

I give you much props for doing all you are to bring "RED" back to its original purpose. Most people would have given up by now and sold the car. Your car looks great and can only congratulate you on the work that you're putting into this. Hope to hear an update of your next track event.

[Crawlin]

whats it like swapping a motor on the 3000gt's i know the engine bay is a little tight?

[95GSX6bolt]

Damn dude that sucks, but cars can be fixed glad to hear your fine. Pictures?

[tallywacker]

I always say if eclipse/talon doesn't drive you crazy working on it step up to its big brother haha. Way to stick with the car man and keep the faith.

[James92TSi]

Damn dude that sucks, but cars can be fixed glad to hear your fine. Pictures?
A few pics of when she first came home on the wrecker in are this thread: http://www.dsmtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=185904

And here are a couple of the misaligned RF wheel after the Tein install. Note the wheel is much further back in the wheel well than it should be. This is due to bent control arm and/or front subframe.

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_1692.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_1693.jpg

I am also concerned that the upper frame rail may have been tweaked upward if the strut bottomed out during the off. That force would have to go somewhere... and it would explain some of the misalignment I'm seeing with the fender and hood near the bottom of the a-pillar.

[James92TSi]

whats it like swapping a motor on the 3000gt's i know the engine bay is a little tight?Putting it as nicely as possible: VR-4s do have lots of stuff in the engine bay, most of which has to get moved out of the way if you intend to remove the motor. Go to 3Si.org if you want to learn about it. They have a search button.

I always say if eclipse/talon doesn't drive you crazy working on it step up to its big brother haha. Way to stick with the car man and keep the faith.Thanks. It doesn't really drive me crazy working on the red one, it just takes longer to do everything than it does on a DSM. No big deal since the car's a toy.

It drives me crazy having a wrecked track car that I can't afford to fix right now. :wall:

[James92TSi]

Slight update:

1) The front subframe is definitely bent. Side-to-side comparison between LF and RF shows a definite bend on the front attachment point for the RF control arm. The rear attachment point for the RF control arm has some tweaked bolts and a blown-out bushing. This is presumably the source of caster deflection in the RF wheel.

2) There were tire rub marks at the REAR of the RF wheel well, indicating that there was some MAJOR caster deflection during the off. There were also tire rub marks at the top-rear of the wheel well (just behind the hole for the strut tower), which simply indicates that the suspension compressed fully to the point of allowing the tire to rub.

3) Still unable to determine if the RF upper frame rail is tweaked.

Those observations really don't change the fact that the car will be going to a frame shop to have a pro look things over. Results of that will determine whether I continue with this car or have to find another one.

But it's nice to know where I stand with the caster situation. Here's hoping for a straight frame and unharmed subframe attachment points.

No matter what, I'll be out there again at some point. It just might take a while.

I miss my Red. But I'm trying to keep that in check in weighing vehicular loss vs. the potential injury / loss of life that could have occurred.

All things considered... glad to still be here. :)

[sandiego1g]

beautiful car.
Its a great sleeper too ! even with the rims it still look sleeper but a little cleaner , good job.

[James92TSi]

Missed this one earlier:
I give you much props for doing all you are to bring "RED" back to its original purpose. Most people would have given up by now and sold the car. Your car looks great and can only congratulate you on the work that you're putting into this. Hope to hear an update of your next track event.
Thanks for the kind words, Juan. The other day I was looking at VR-4s for sale just in case Red's frame is toast. That lasted all of 5 minutes until I closed the window and said "don't get ahead of yourself, man."

Then I started pricing out parts that I'd need if the frame is good. Subframe, 300. Control arms, another 300. Poly bushings, another 300. Core support, headlight buckets, radiator (upgrade!), maybe a condenser.... blah blah blah. It'll take time and money, but if the frame is good, I will DO it. :)

beautiful car.
Its a great sleeper too ! even with the rims it still look sleeper but a little cleaner , good job.
I can't say I've ever heard her referred to as a "sleeper" before. Anybody who knows what a VR-4 is knows what my car is capable of. She makes stock power and looks like a stock VR-4 (albeit with nicer wheels/tires/brakes).

Fun thing is, there are a lot of people at the road course who DON'T know what a VR-4 is... because they're relatively rare and never really caught on as a mainstream road course car (i.e. Miata, 911, C5/C6, M3, RX7, cars of that nature).

[95GSX6bolt]

Really, In all that which is DSM, whats $1200+? :D Good luck man keep the updates coming.

[James92TSi]

So the next round begins. Rockville Mitsu has a $950 order waiting for them in their inbox.

When this is over, Red will have a completely new front suspension. I'm replacing the front subframe, control arms, and associated bushings; swaybar endlinks and bushings; steering rack bushing; and every nut, bolt and washer that holds it all together.

Once I (and my roadracing cohorts) get this stuff on the car and get the cosmetic stuff sorted out so she's driveable, she'll go to the alignment rack so we can see how the numbers look. If the numbers are good... win! If not... time to tuck tail and get her to a frame shop.

Everyone seems to think the possibility of frame damage is very remote. I hope they're right.

Fingers crossed! :)

[french_hustler]

I'm crossing my fingers for you too James.

I really hope there's no frame damage.

She'll live again.

[95GSX6bolt]

I've got my fingers in pretzels.
Much luck Mr. James.

[James92TSi]

Thanks, guys. I'm really hoping this is the last round of "major dollars" to be spent as a result of this off.

There will probably be some nickel-and-dimey stuff that pops up before she's in fighting shape again... may need a radiator and condenser, may not. We'll see.

So far, I'm in for about $3000 worth of "fix my booboo."

(Part of that is the Tein "forced upgrade" -- but still. Not a small chunk to me.)

[french_hustler]

(Part of that is the Tein "forced upgrade" -- but still. Not a small chunk to me.)

Lol. Everytime the car breaks down, I have to upgrade something.
I guess it's a good excuse for all of us.

Good luck.

[95GSX6bolt]

I guess it's a good excuse for all of us.


I know thats my excuse :D

Good luck with red amigo

[James92TSi]

Parts are here... :jbox:

http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_misc/IMG_2138.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_misc/IMG_2139.jpg

And the total comes to...

http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_misc/IMG_2141.jpg

Good thing I really love this car. ;)

[95GSX6bolt]

I know the feeling haha. When I had handed over 2500 in a few parts a couple of months back my stomach dropped. Good luck. [Sorry for shitty english. It's friday night. :D]

[James92TSi]

I realized I hadn't updated this in a while, so I went out to the garage and snapped a few pics. I freely admit I've moved at half the speed of smell on this... but then, I usually only get a couple hours here and there to work on it. It's going slowly, but it's going.

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3367.JPG
Bent-up stock shocks/springs... hooray piles of crap!

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3364.JPG
More parts the car has barfed out. T-case and brake rotors are hanging out elsewhere.

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3365.JPG
Everything is disconnected from the control arms so they can come out. Cardboard box = driveshaft support tool.

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3373.JPG
My messy-ass garage. Half of the stuff over there is for DSMs. I'd like to turn that into a G35 parking space eventually.

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3369.JPG
Just for fun. :)

Project status:
- disconnect the PS lines and the steering rack is ready to drop out.
- disconnect the rear motor mount (which will probably involve removal of other crap so I can get to it) and the subframe + control arms can drop out.
- put the new suspension stuff & poly motor mounts in. "Installation is the reverse of removal."
- figure out WTF is up with the tweaked bodywork. Core support needs some pulling for sure. Radiator's twisted a bit, so I can't run the fans right now.

[Spyder1gdsm]

Nice updates, I was beginning to think you gave up on it :p

[DSM_Aruba]

Nice car James. I always liked your VR-4. A friend of mine has 2 of them in his garage for repairs. He told me that working on the engine is not as easy as working on a 4G63. It takes awhile to get the engine out. He told me that riding in a VR-4 is a total different experience then riding in a DSM.

Do you have any video clips of your car's runs?

Btw James I found the forks I pm'ed you about on 3sx.com
http://www.3sx.com/store/comersus_viewItemBundle.asp?idProduct=27601

and here too http://supercar-engineering.com/sc2/product_info.php?cPath=4&products_id=75

[James92TSi]

Nice updates, I was beginning to think you gave up on it :p
Not until somebody makes me! :)
Nice car James. I always liked your VR-4. A friend of mine has 2 of them in his garage for repairs. He told me that working on the engine is not as easy as working on a 4G63. It takes awhile to get the engine out. He told me that riding in a VR-4 is a total different experience then riding in a DSM.

Do you have any video clips of your car's runs?

Btw James I found the forks I pm'ed you about on 3sx.com
http://www.3sx.com/store/comersus_viewItemBundle.asp?idProduct=27601

and here too http://supercar-engineering.com/sc2/product_info.php?cPath=4&products_id=75
No video yet.... I don't even own a video camera. I'll set something up sooner or later though, since video is a very good tool to have.

And yes, the VR-4 is not nearly as easy to work on as the Talon was. But in time, like with any car, you learn all the stupid human tricks required and get better at it. To me it doesn't matter if things take twice as long, since the car's not a daily anymore.

The driving experience doesn't really compare between a DSM and a 3S. They're totally different cars. DSMs can make plenty of power, they're a good bit lighter.... and compared to other sports cars, they feel skittish to me at high speeds. My Talon had a good bit of suspension toys on it, yet its high-speed stability didn't come close to that of the VR-4 with 15+ year old stock suspension.

But then, that's the nature of a grand touring vehicle.... speed that doesn't *feel* like speed to the car's occupants.

[95GSX6bolt]

speed that doesn't *feel* like speed to the car's occupants.


But the look on the faces when they look at the speedo is priceless. In either car. More so the 3kgt.

[James92TSi]

Steering rack and control arms are out now. Need to disconnect the rear motor mount cross-bolt, then I can drop the bent subframe out (4 bolts).

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3375.JPG

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3376.JPG

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3377.JPG

And now, some not so happy pics.

This is rear outer mounting point for the RF control arm. This bolt looked a bit "off" to me before taking things apart, and what I feared might be going on beneath, is.

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3378.JPG

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3379.JPG

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3380.JPG

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3383.JPG

Unsure yet how I will go about fixing this, but it will be addressed before the new subframe goes on. I don't think this bolt can affect alignment of the control arm (as the bushing bracket has a piece which fits inside the circular cutout on the subframe and mounts to its studs; also, the center bolt passes through a thin rubber bushing; see this pic for a visual (http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_misc/IMG_2139.JPG)). I would like to correct the angle if possible and restore full integrity to that mount point.

[James92TSi]

Achievement unlocked... :rofl: Old subframe is out.

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3470.JPG
YARR!

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3472.JPG
Looks a little naked?

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3474.JPG
I'm rich, byaatch... TWO subframes! Oh wait, one is crap.

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3475.JPG
To hell with this PS line bracket that was not mentioned in the shop manual.... it made me scramble for tools while trying NOT to bend the crap out of my PS lines.

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3476.JPG
To hell with this bracket also! Same as above.

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3477.JPG
New rear motor mount (EK2 poly... the rest of the set will be going in as time permits).

Now time to fix that torn mount point from my previous post and get crackin' on bolting stuff back together! :)

[James92TSi]

Quickie update.

Two weekends ago, Ciro (friend / fellow roadracer) came by with his welder to fix the displaced body mount point. I BFH'd the thing back into alignment, then Ciro filled in / reinforced the damaged areas with weld material and ground it flush.

Before (with old subframe still in place)

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3379.JPG

After (with uber paint)

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3494.JPG

Last weekend was Memorial Day Chicanery Weekend, so fast forward to this weekend. I spent Saturday installing a new oven in the house (should have been painless - wasn't), but Sunday I got a few hours to work on the car. New subframe and rear motor mount are on the car and torqued down. :)

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3497.JPG

Next up is this little guy. I need to order a steering rack bushing that I missed getting the first time around (was hiding on a different screen in CAPS) so I can put this in... and I need some tie rod ends too.

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3495.JPG

That's it for now. :)

[gSx-LeX]

Looks complicated and not fun, definitely DSM worthy.

[James92TSi]

Definitely not fun, Alex. But when it's all done... it's gonna rock. :)

It's been almost 9 months since I last drove the car.

Here's the current to-do list:

- reassemble front susp/steering
- install remaining poly motor mounts
- correct front bodywork (may or may not need new radiator & condenser)
- replace coil pack (hopefully this fixes the 3000RPM miss I was having)
- alignment

[Red1991TSI]

Awesome work James. Looks like you're well on the way to raceland again. Keep going with the fix it. And when that curve comes up again, don't keep going.:o

[James92TSi]

Man... if I could have driven it straight off driver's right I would have. There's nothing out there to hit. Countersteering right just didn't work, and I didn't have time to play with the throttle. Or at least that's what instinct told me at the time. Afterward, in the course of second-guessing everything, I've asked myself why I didn't try throttle modulation, but that line of thought is more a result of wanting to keep the car out of the death trap it went into than anything. Even an ebrake-induced spin seems like a good idea when you've already gone and hurt the car.

I wish I had video of it just to show how suddenly and freakishly the car rotated on me. Well, that and it would be nice to have a souvenir from the event other than a broken car. :D

Lacking video, I will provide a crappy visual aid instead:

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/TWS 7.gif

Green line is intended course with braking points for 7 and 8.

Red dashes on the green line are where the car rotated and the direction the car was aimed at that point on track (I had already felt the rotation and countersteered a bit before this, but no worky). The dashes continue off track, and the two horizontal black lines represent the hilltops off of which I caught air (red arrows indicate "flying VR-4"). The two sideways red dashes are where the car landed each time. As you can see, the second jump was at a bit of an angle, so the car landed hard on its RF corner on the second hit.

The blue line is the relevant portion of a chain link fence that goes around a retention pond between our back straight (6-7) and the back straight of the NASCAR oval.

The black box around the number 8 is approximately where the corner worker bunker for turn 8 is. I almost paid them a visit.

Since my wreck and a couple others in that area, they have smoothed the area out considerably. I worked 7 a month ago and had a guy go off in almost my exact spot (though not as far). He and his car were just fine and able to continue on course, with the minor loss of a front undertray. That is the difference between smooth off-track area and rutted-up shitty man-eating car-rolling hills.

I'm glad they fixed it, as it was a really crappy place to go off that had totalled quite a few cars.

Anyway.... thanks for the kind words Steve. I'll keep working to get her going again. :)

[Red1991TSI]

Excellent diagram and description. I felt like I was there.:eek:

Well at least they seemed to have learned from the sufferings of a few people and leveled the offending area. I know you'll get her straight and back on the road. Life is a learning experience and I'm sure you'll try something different next time. Either way, stay safe!

[James92TSi]

Finally -- the red one is starting to look like a car again.

I am about 3 weeks into rehab on a torn MCL in my left knee (from a hockey game last month... 200lb dude landing on my knee = no bueno). The injury has all but killed my ability to get under the car. Knowing this, some of my roadracing buddies came by Sunday to donate some wrench time to Red.

The to-do list started like this:
- install new steering rack + rack bushings + tie rod ends
- reinstall swaybar, control arms, knuckles, hubs, etc. (with lots o new parts)
- swap remaining 3 trashed stock motor mounts for new ones
- put t-case, DP, crossmembers back on under car & check fluid levels on t-case & trans
- replace eccentric bolt in left rear susp that my lazy ass forgot to swap out when it came in.
- bleed PS fluid
- maybe fiddle with the passenger sideskirt to get it back on right.

And this is where we ended up.

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3522.jpg
Much better than before (http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_1693.jpg), I think.

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_3524.jpg
Hey, the left side is reassembled too.

Still to do:
- fill / bleed / check for leaks on the new steering rack
- torque down swaybar bushing brackets & reinstall tcase/DP/etc. under car
- swap out driver side mount & tranny mount for newfangled poly ones
- replace eccentric bolt in left rear
- put the damn passenger sideskirt back on
- get another passenger side intercooler because mine got trashed, or put my FMIC on (trying to avoid for right now since it won't go faster and I don't need the cooling issues)
- pull on things (like the core support) to make body panels line up again
- quickie driveway front end alignment ("close enough" to zero toe)
- get her to the shop for an alignment & pray all this crap I replaced got it to line up.

[french_hustler]

Finally putting in work.

- get her to the shop for an alignment & pray all this crap I replaced got it to line up.

Good luck with this. It would suck if it doesn't line up.

[gSx-LeX]

James, glad to see other out there are helping you with wrench time. I need you to get out on the track, so I can be motivated to go myself.

[James92TSi]

Thanks David. It looks like the new subframe etc. did the trick, but I'll wait for the final word from the alignment machine before pronouncing it fixed. ;)

Alex... next event for our group is mid-September. We'll have more drivers at this one than we've ever had in any one event. I was (and still am) in danger of missing out since I can't do much with the car myself. So it's pretty cool to have the guys step up and lend a hand.

I need to have the car back together and aligned successfully before mid-August, as that is when registration opens for the event. PCA has been selling out for the past several events, so you have to register early to secure a spot.

I won't register if the car isn't ready to go aside from basic maintenance/prep items. I've done the "rush prep" thing before and will never do it again. It's not worth the trouble, nor is it enjoyable to overlook something... like, say, re-torquing all the suspension bolts after an alignment. ;)

[95GSX6bolt]

I'm happy to see its all coming together. I'll be even happier when its all done. :D

[James92TSi]

I'm happy to see its all coming together. I'll be even happier when its all done. :D
Same here. I've sat in the car a few times, and even though the G is a great daily car, I miss Red.

The work is going slower than I'd like due to my reduced mobility. But I've made some real progress in rehab the last week, so I'm hoping the knee won't be as much of an issue going forward.

Anyway, I *need* to get the running gear assembled so I can get the car out of the garage & fix the bodywork by the end of the month. Then she is going to Track Time Performance for alignment. If that goes well, I will have made my self-imposed mid-August deadline to have the car trackable except for minor prep items (fluids, maintenance, a friggin bath :D, etc).

Eh, forgot one other variable. She *was* having a miss around 3000RPMs... I have a new coil pack for her which will hopefully solve that. If not... that's another thing that has to be fixed before going back on track.

[95GSX6bolt]

Same here. I've sat in the car a few times, and I miss Red..

Dudeeee my car has been off the road now for like a month. Im dying. I think parts of me are just falling off. Every day I come home from work and there she sits. And i just can't wait to drive it again. Well now more than ever [evo3/FMIC/tune] Cant waitt. I dont know how your doing it. lol.

[James92TSi]

Yeah... now that my knee is starting to feel a bit better, I'll be able to get more work in. It's just a lot of little jobs that still need doing.

[James92TSi]

She's getting close now. This morning, I buttoned up the rest of the minor stuff in the engine bay and started taking the front bumper off. Once one of the guys showed up, we started her up (for the first time since Feb! So good to hear :D) and bled the new P/S rack. No leaks there, so on my own time I will put the t-case, DP, etc. back on under the car sometime this week.

We finished taking the front bodywork apart, then pushed the car out and hooked her up to a tree in the front yard to do some pulling on the core support. It got bashed in pretty well by the turn 7 monster.

Pics from today's chicanery:

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/3529.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/3531.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/3533.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/3536.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/3537.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/3538.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/3539.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/3534.jpg

I want to get her at least "OK to drive to the alignment shop", get her on the rack, and see what the guys at Track Time think. Hopefully nothing *too* expensive is still left to be replaced.

Fingers crossed... just gonna keep knocking out all these small jobs until nothing's left!

[95GSX6bolt]

Awesomeeee!

[4_fingered_GST]

Car looks great!

-Josh

[Sebba]

That Mexican is jackin your shit yo :P j/k lol

[James92TSi]

Now if it's one thing you don't do, it's call a Salvadorean a Mexican. They *hate* that. :D

What do you guys think of the redonkulous drop that resulted from the "base Tein settings"? The car has freaking negative rake... I'm gonna have to raise the fronts a hair and the rears a LOT. The rears are practically tucked... not good!

[Sebba]

I heard from the Lotus crowd that the Porterfield R4S pads are garbage... and the normal R4's are much better. Can you confirm?

So what about the 99 conversion? Or did I miss a critical post? I did go through all pages....

[95GSX6bolt]

I know nothing about suspension to where my opinion wouldn't count for anything but god damn the back is LOWWW. I'm sure thats a pain in the ass.

[James92TSi]

I heard from the Lotus crowd that the Porterfield R4S pads are garbage... and the normal R4's are much better. Can you confirm?

So what about the 99 conversion? Or did I miss a critical post? I did go through all pages....
Yeah, R4S are pretty much junk for track use... but they're not a track pad. They're supposed to be street/autox. I've done some track driving with them, but I'm Captain Slow... :D

Seriously, I'll likely upgrade to some Carbotechs in the front (XP10 or XP12) and keep the R4S around for driving to/from the track and doing other non-track stuff with the car. Speed bleeders do make it pretty easy to do pad changes... perk! :)

The 99 conversion is on hold until I get some more track days in with the car. I'd hate to put a nice new front end on then go screw it up at the track. It's very tempting though since I've had the parts for so long and the front end is all torn down right now. Heh.

I know nothing about suspension to where my opinion wouldn't count for anything but god damn the back is LOWWW. I'm sure thats a pain in the ass.Yeah, it's stupid-low. I'll have to jack it up from the side rails, as there's no way to get a jack through to the rear diff.

I have some more pics from that weekend that I need to resize and post. Some of them show the stupid ricer camber that my rear end picked up from the stupid-low ride height.

[Sebba]

Perhaps get good at changing them for track days? lol

[James92TSi]

So.... car's going to the frame shop soon. Real soon.

I adjusted the rear ride height from its "redonkuslammed" condition to a more normal level. Had to add 1.75" to the LR and 1.5" to the RR. Fronts need to be brought up a hair as well, will be doing that tonight. .375" LF, .5" RF. That will make it 14" front / 14.25" rear from hub to fender. Should be high enough to get on the flatbed.

New hood is on the car. Assuming the frame can be straightened (I think so) the car is getting 2G headlight buckets and the 99 front put on while it's at the shop. Rest of the car is staying as-is... will do the rest of the 2G parts when it's time to paint the car.

Current pic:

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/4392.jpg

You can kinda see how the RF corner of the core support is bashed in. The car touched down on the tow hook when landing from the second sweet jump.

Core support is no big deal, that will get cut out and replaced with a tubular piece with tabs for radiator & condenser. But the plate at the front of the frame rail (where the tow hook is if you look closely) also got tweaked at an angle so that is displacing some things. Will see what the frame guy says.


http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/4394.jpg

Functional NACA duct for great win. Hood has a duct on the underside to route it over to the filter.

[Sebba]

So is it confirmed that you have actual frame damage? I know you said you replaced some subframe components.

I'm guessing that didn't fix things 100%?

[James92TSi]

Yeah, the two front-rear subframe members don't line up. Bolt them to the main subframe (subframe "B" - the big one I replaced), and they don't line up with subframe "A" at the front of the car (right behind and parallel to the radiator.... similar construction to 1G AWD if you've torn into one).

There is a spot where the weld seam separated at the RF corner of the car, and the displaced portion has one of the mounting studs for subframe "A". Hence, crap not lining up. It went undetected until I had the passenger side IC off for replacement... at which point the damage became obvious.

I think it's pretty fixable. But I'm going to have the frame guy check the whole car out at this point. She's going into the shop tomorrow. I borrowed a Jeep and have it loaded down with 99 conversion parts to bring along to the shop first thing in the morning. "Hello, AAA? I need a flatbed..." :)

Official time off of jackstands: 10:28 PM 3/19/08.

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/4399.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/4398.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/4403.jpg

[NOMIEZVR4]

about time you updated the thread...its been a while!!

[James92TSi]

Yeah, I wasn't too eager to share the bad news when I discovered the damage. So I just left the car alone for a while, did other stuff, and tried to save up a little green to be able to take her in. ;)

[Sebba]

Very nice! And loving the Shiner : P I visited the Spotzel brewery last week :D

[James92TSi]

You bastard.... I still haven't been.

Beer fridge is stocked with Bock and Black. I've had the new 100 a bit but don't like it as much as 98 and 99. 98 was some good stuff.

Car's at the shop now, the frame pull is going to be very reasonably priced.

The headlight buckets some dude from 3SI sold me are crap (kinda figured so :rolleyes:) so now I am looking for another set of those. Need to pick up a couple other odds and ends too.

[Sebba]

I love the black. Very rich burnt taste, but smooth. Gotta love good ole Bock. I went out and bought that family reunion pack just so I could try the Kosmos reserve, but I ended up getting horribly drunk, and decided to save it for a sober day : )

Sorry to hear about those headlights. You can't get them from a dealership?

[James92TSi]

It's the headlight buckets... the sheet metal part of the car that the headlights bolt to.

People commonly cut them off of wrecked cars that weren't front-end damaged to convert from popups (91-93) to fixed projectors (94-99). They are available at the dealer but the used parts (if the car is not wrecked or rusted) are just fine. Cut spot welds to remove 91-93 buckets.... place 94+ buckets and spot weld to car. Pretty simple for a body guy to do (i.e. someone other than me).

Well the ones this guy sent me were rattle can primered to hide the rust (:rolleyes:) and the body tech pointed out that the car they came from was in a RF corner collision... thereby making them doubly junktastic.

The worst part is that the deal was a trade where my item was of higher value... so I don't have a way to yank payment out from under him. I have to just deal with him and hope he refunds me... :rolleyes: fucking lame.

[James92TSi]

Out of the Jackstand Racing League and into the Tow Truck Racing League... :D

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMAG0127.jpg

[ferriolom]

James nice to see your car out of your garage. Good luck having the frame shop pull her straight again :)

[Sebba]

How long is the process going to take?

[James92TSi]

1) Source remaining parts I need (buckets and crossmembers)

2) Shop does work

3) ?

4) Profit!

Seriously I don't see it taking them long at all to complete. Maybe a week once they are working on it.

[gSx-LeX]

Jeez man, you just do NOT give up. Can't wait to see this thing on the road again.

[James92TSi]

Of course not Alex. Until somebody tells me "the car is a certified piece of crap, find another one" I am sticking with her. I do have a line in the sand for budget on fixing her body.... but we aren't getting there yet.

I think I have all the parts sourced for now... just need to get with the shop Monday and get written estimates on all work to be performed. What we discussed on Friday for the frame pull was not bad at all... just need to discuss the core support / bucket replacement & lining up the fenders, hood, etc.

[James92TSi]

Red came home from the body shop yesterday.

Obligatory tow truck pics:

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMAG0161.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMAG0162.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMAG0163.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMAG0164.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMAG0165.jpg

I have a lot to do to get her going again. It's good to have her home. :)

[James92TSi]

Quickie front end shots with headlight shells and turn signals slapped on / not bolted down.

Also the gaskets that go on the top edge of each headlight lens are not installed.... because I still have to bake the stupid things in the oven to open them up again, and to reseal when the HID project is done.

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_4499.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_4500.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_4501.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_4502.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/IMG_4503.jpg

Turns out that using the 99 bumper cover brackets (the thin steel plates that the bumper cover bolts pass through when threading into the headlight buckets) actually interferes with the 94 stealth lights sitting properly on the bottom of the headlight bucket.

Good thing I didn't plan to bolt the bumper cover in place under the headlights. Easier to work on the car if the headlights don't have to come out when working on front end stuff. ;)

I'll omit the plates when it goes together for real.

[Sebba]

I hate you : (

That car is gorgeous. Get 'er together!

[James92TSi]

Thanks :D

I have a lot of work to do... just going to do it a little bit at a time until there's no more left. I'm kinda bad about not taking pics while I work, but I'll try to post some here and there.

[MacGSX]

Can I haz?

Love the '99 bumper, looks amazing.

Jordan

[kronus]

Mmmmmmmm. Beautiful!

[Loner]

I love your car, with the 99 front end, and the 91 year end. It is so sexy.

[James92TSi]

Thanks guys.

The 1G side skirts and rear bumper are only staying temporarily. I have 2G sides/rear, but they are from a black car... so they won't be going on until it's time for the car to get painted.

Car's basically going to come out looking like a 97-98 VR-4 with some 99 parts.

[James92TSi]

I can't deal with this shit anymore.

The body shop put my front-to-rear crossmembers on using the wrong bolts. Not the bolts that I gave them in the plastic baggies that said "hey, these go here" -- but bolts of the wrong thread pitch.

So the threaded holes on the brand new subframe I installed are fucked up... as well as the threaded holes on the small crossmember behind the radiator. Both of those are going to have to be replaced. $600 worth of parts and more downtime. As in... take the steering rack out and dismantle the entire front suspension again.

I'm really considering looking for a clean red 94-95 VR-4 with a blown engine / drivetrain at this point.

[kronus]

I can't deal with this shit anymore.

The body shop put my front-to-rear crossmembers on using the wrong bolts. Not the bolts that I gave them in the plastic baggies that said "hey, these go here" -- but bolts of the wrong thread pitch.

So the threaded holes on the brand new subframe I installed are fucked up... as well as the threaded holes on the small crossmember behind the radiator. Both of those are going to have to be replaced. $600 worth of parts and more downtime. As in... take the steering rack out and dismantle the entire front suspension again.

I'm really considering looking for a clean red 94-95 VR-4 with a blown engine / drivetrain at this point.

WTF! Make them fix it! If you told them to use those bolts and they didn't, then they need to fix it. And have them fix it stat. That's Grade A bologna right there.

[James92TSi]

Yes it's bullshit.

They will not be touching my car again.

If they want to fix it, they can pay for the parts and pay me to have the work done at a shop of my choice (aka my driveway with me turning the wrenches - the only way anything normally gets done on my cars).

After all, I paid them book labor rates to work on my car, and look where it got me. They can pay me book labor rates to fix their fuck-up.

I'll be talking with them tomorrow.

They fucked up $600 worth of parts with that little error... installing 10mm x 1.5 bolts into 10mm x 1.25 holes. From the looks of the 10 x 1.5 bolts that came out, they were just impacted in... as there are a few threads missing from the nose of each bolt where they were obviously rammed home with an impact.

[kronus]

What a bunch of retards! IIRC 1.5 is coarse thread, so it wouldn't even be hard to tell that they don't belong just by comparing the two threads. Idiots. See, this is why I do all the work myself. Sucks man. I can't imagine how much it would suck to pay all that for someone to do a good job and have them go and screw it up. Get 'em for all they're worth.

[Sebba]

They fucked up, have them pay for it and make everything A-OK.

[Loner]

Well that sucks, but don't give up. You have put to much time and money into this car.

[James92TSi]

Thing is, after having the car in the air today, some things about the body/frame work are suspect as well.

As in... I don't know if they measured a damn thing or not. It kinda looks like they just eyeballed it and welded the new core support / headlight buckets on... which is completely not what I paid them to do. I wanted (and we discussed) measuring the entire car to see what was damaged, and repairing to original spec, THEN installing the front end.

This is what has me thinking about swapping to a 2G VR-4 chassis. Something with no rust and no collisions, and if I'm lucky, it'd be red or black with good electrical.

I just can't take anymore of this bullshit. I am several thousand dollars and a year and a half into fixing this car. It has so many parts on it with 0 miles that it's stupid. I still can't put the car together because of the subframe fuck-up... and even if I could, I am not exactly confident that the frame was actually fixed. I wouldn't know until getting her on the alignment rack.

But thanks for the encouragement guys. This shit is supposed to be fun, right? :tat:

[Sebba]

You need to stay on these assholes. Call them out on their shitty work, and have them rectify the issue, or refund you your money. If all else fails, small claims court!

[James92TSi]

Done. Going to have to bring the car down there next week so they can inspect their handiwork.

I intend on towing the car in, putting it on the lift for inspection, and towing it back out. I'm not going to be leaving her in their hands.

The shop owner seemed confused about the idea of fixing the situation vs. physically fixing the car. I told him I would have a shop who I trusted do the work... at which point he tried to end the conversation saying "you don't want me to fix the car so there is nothing I can do."

I informed him that there is a difference between fixing the car and fixing the situation. "I want to handle the situation, but the work to fix the car will not be performed at your shop."

We'll see what happens.

[WunnEye]

I see you all over 3SI and for good reason your 3k is so hot!

[VR4joe]

Sounds like it's time for a 99' convo :)


3000GT's For Life!!

[Sebba]

You read really well.

[ferriolom]

James that blows. I hate people who halfass shit for money like that.
My car Is still in peices too. I feel your pain.

[car_freak66]

I just read this thing from beginning to end. This is one sexy VR4. I do hope that you get things straightened out with the frame shop. You have put soo much time and money into this car now it would be a shame to have to get a new shell. Good luck with getting your issue resolved.

[kronus]

Sounds like it's time for a 99' convo :)


3000GT's For Life!!

You read really well.

Lol, agreed. James post some pics up of the crap they did.

[James92TSi]

All I could really give you pics of would be the impacted-on incorrect thread pitch bolts. I might have the car in the air again this weekend... if so, I'll try and snap some other pics.

Thanks for the support, guys. This situation is beyond frustrating. It's the same feeling over and over again... spend money, find something else wrong. Repeat ad nauseum. I was supposed to be able to put the car together after receiving it from the body shop, and I still can't. And I am out a considerable amount of money for the "work" they performed.

[95GSX6bolt]

:( Dude thats awful, I've always enjoyed your car. I Really do wish you the best of luck and hope this all turns out in your favor. I can understand your pain in a slightly less expensive way. I lost my license for not paying tickets, nothing serious Im not an asshole on the road I just hated going to court. So I didn't. My own fault. but. I finally had paid all my backed tickets and got the car back on the road. about 4 months to the day I blew my tranny. and now she sits. Again. its such a hassle but when you finally do get behind the wheel again of your beloved none of this will matter. It'll be you and the car and things will be perfect. Hopefully. :) G'luck dude I'm gonna continue following the thread :Thumbs up:

[JohnnyZ]

Beautiful car James.. look past the discouragement and you'll have everything resolved. Give us an update whenever you have a chance. Good luck and God Bless.

[zGo]

Car is very clean, hope that situation works out for the better.

[James92TSi]

It's not much of an update, but the subframe situation appears to be working out as well as I could have hoped.

Instead of towing the car out to the shop and back, the shop owner came to my house on a Saturday to look at the car. He agreed with what I said was done wrong, and I provided him a CAPS printout & shopping cart from Cherry Hill for the replacement subframe parrts.

He ordered replacement parts from a local Mitsu dealer late last week, and those should be delivered this week.

I'll have to tear apart the front susp, steering rack, etc. again to replace the subframe, but such is life. The shop owner originally offered to have his tech fix his mistake, but I declined that since I would rather do the work myself and know it is done right. I'm not pursuing labor costs sinice it is my choice to do the work myself... all I want is the parts and I will move on with my garage tinkering.

Hopefully the frame work was done properly. I'll know more about that when the car goes to alignment. If not, I'm sure the car will at least be driveable if not trackworthy. If not trackworthy, I'll look at swapping to another shell in the future.

I've found I tend to lack motivation on a long project when there is no goal. I'd like to have the car ready to attend the TX09 3S gathering in late October... which gives me roughly 2 months to have it all together so I can put some miles on it before the trip to Austin.

I have a huge list of stuff to do before then.

[Sebba]

It's here in Austin? Damn, I'll have to swing by and check it out.

I'm glad to hear the owner was accommodating. Hopefully now the ball can get rolling...

[James92TSi]

Yeah, it's in Austin... Oct 23-25.

My to-do list looks something like this.

- replace front subframe yet again (2nd time's the charm?)
- install FMIC (with stock turbos on stock boost, lol)
- install radiator, fans, and other misc crap
- swap to 2G rear calipers/rotors (fronts already on car)
- pray, start engine
- fill and bleed brakes
- test laps around the hood!
- make ducting for IC/rad
- install Aerocatch hood latches
- corner weight
- alignment
- finish HID retrofit
- charge A/C
- ?
- profit
- enjoy driving stupid money pit car
- detail stupid money pit car
- attend TX09 with stupid money pit car

Totally doable.

The rear brake swap is kinda optional but I've put it off long enough. Plus the brake system is empty right now since the ABS headunit had to be disconnected during frame work.

[MacGSX]

I demand updated pictures!!!

[James92TSi]

She looks about the same as this...

http://www.dsmtalk.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2146580&postcount=92

and this

http://www.dsmtalk.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2147135&postcount=93

... considering she's still in the same spot and nothing external has been done since those were posted. I messed around with radiator fitment (has new al-u-minium rad, needs new brackets to fit) and will probably be starting the FMIC install process next.

I've been working on the headlights the last few days since the weather's been crappy. I just about have the projector + bracket units done & ready to put into the lamp housings for on-car testing/aiming. Probably gonna hold off on that for now, and get going on some mechanical stuff. I can come back to the headlights later...

Car really needs to go into the garage so I can tear into the suspension when the new subframes arrive. HOA doesn't like Jackstand Racing League competition to take place in the driveway. At minimum it is going to take me a couple weekends, plus wrench time after work during the week, to swap it out again. If I can get some friends to help, it'll go faster.

I did slap on the adjustable rear upper arms a couple weekends ago, but did not have time to adjust them & torque down. So rear camber is now adjustable past the stock (limited) range.... :)

Ride height is still a bit sloppy too. Not too worried since that will get addressed when she goes on the scales.

The order stuff appears in the list is pretty much the order it's gonna get tackled.

[MacGSX]

Oh, I just want to see how it looks when the front end is done. I love the new front end and cant wait to see it done!

[James92TSi]

I messed up that second link... it was supposed to be this:

http://www.dsmtalk.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2147135&postcount=93

Add FMIC and completed headlights and you pretty much have it :D

[James92TSi]

What I did today...

http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_fmic/4504.jpg
Stock ICs and 3 miles of piping removed in preparation for...

http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_fmic/4507.jpg
... Front Mounted Cardboard Box!

http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_fmic/4508.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_fmic/4512.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_fmic/4513.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_fmic/4514.jpg
Yes, engine bay is dirty... blame TWS

http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_fmic/4515.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_fmic/4516.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_fmic/4517.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_fmic/4518.jpg
Slight misalignment here due to 3$X MAS mounting bracket... will have to remove that so the MAS can drop down a bit. Gap taped shut so crap doesn't get in...

http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_fmic/4519.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_fmic/4520.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_fmic/4522.jpg
OK, so it's not just a box.

http://www.james92tsi.com/3000GT_fmic/4521.jpg
Name-brand bling yo!

[Spyder1gdsm]

Nice updates :)

I spy a 99 conversion huh? :P

[zerodsm]

aawww I miss the cardboard FMIC. But, yeah, I can't wait to see the finished product. I've always loved the 99 3KGT. Good luck with the second sub-frame.

[James92TSi]

Updates on my list o'junk.... ;)

- install FMIC
- install radiator, fans, and other misc crap
- swap to 2G rear calipers/rotors
- pray, start engine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKWCBfsPbwU

- fill and bleed brakes
- test laps around the hood! :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au-bJf1rTLA

To do:

- replace front subframe yet again
- make ducting for IC/rad
- corner weight
- alignment
- finish HID retrofit
- charge A/C
- ?
- profit
- enjoy driving stupid money pit car
- detail stupid money pit car
- attend TX09 with stupid money pit car

I also have no tach reading on the dash right now so I'll have to manvestigate that situation. I believe I had tach reading last time I ran the engine, but that was a while and many beers ago, so not sure.

[Asmodeus]

Wow... it runs? Like omg... and shit.

Good stuff James.

[ferriolom]

As I said on htown and 3S -- congrats!
I need me a fmic. My ic pipes and smics are crap. :(

[James92TSi]

Wow... it runs? Like omg... and shit.

Good stuff James.
Indeed! She ran around the block and ducked into the garage under her own damn power.

:D <- actual photo of me

She goes back under the knife to have the front subframes replaced. Had to get her in the garage for that, as my HOA doesn't like extended Jackstand Racing League action in the driveway -- and I could think of no better way to get her in the garage than to get all her mechanical thingies in working order and drive her in. :)

I gave her a big stupid-retarded hug afterward. It had been nearly 2 years since she was self-propelled -- and I had not driven any other 3S cars since then (caught a ride in a customer's 94 R/T TT at my friend's shop... that was it).

One might say I've got the itch again.... :cool:

[Asmodeus]

Don't feel bad. I went on vaca for a week driving this pofs conversion van that had alignment, wheel balance, and other misc issues... I got back, jumped in the evo and was like... omg omg omg omg iloveu iloveu iloveu.

So I can only imagine what you're feeling after 2 years!

[James92TSi]

That's the silly thing about me. I haven't been driving a POS... I have the G to drive every day, which is also a pretty fun car.

Yet I still got all down-syndrome over taking my old Mitsu around the block. .

I really missed this car. And I didn't break my foot off on it either... just cruised around the block in 2nd.... and that was enough of a taste for now. :D

As I said on htown and 3S -- congrats!
I need me a fmic. My ic pipes and smics are crap. :(

Mike - you forgot to mention that yours came back to life on the same day as mine! I think that's pretty swell neat-o type stuff. :)

My FMIC kit is a Greddy from the original gtpro group buy. I'd recommend it in a heartbeat. Fitment was absolutely *perfect*... I mean the pipes are butted right up against each other inside the couplings, and they line up perfectly. Simply the easiest FMIC install I've ever done.

(Note I am not so concerned with keeping the crashbar as I am cutting out the middle section for cooling purposes. YMMV if you care about the crashbar.)

[ferriolom]

I'm going to take your advice and look into that FMIC kit. See if I can find one for sale somewhere.
It's also sort of amusing that we both have 2g front brakes on and 1g rear brakes. I keep looking at those dinky rotors, and single piston rear calipers going "damn that's gotta get fixed soon".

[James92TSi]

I put my 2G rears on the other day. Had 'em just as long as the fronts, but they never made it onto the car.

So it's just you now. :P

[James92TSi]

How to Access the Rear Engine Mount, The Fun Way

1) Take a bunch of shit off until the car looks like this.

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/4540.jpg

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/4541.jpg

2) In the pile of things you removed, there should be a large piece that looks like this.

http://www.james92tsi.com/TWS_aftermath/4539.jpg

3) Remove 4 bolts holding engine mount to strange sheet metal boat anchor. Hold engine mount in your hand -- Mission Accomplished.

4) Installation is the reverse of removal. (Kind of like up is the reverse of down, I suppose.)

This concludes "how to access the rear engine mount, the fun way."

--------

Current status is... need to gut the rear precat, then I can start reassembly.

This went much faster the second time around. ;)

Unfortunately, I will not be attending TX09 as I had originally hoped.... my friend picked that weekend for his bachelor party and I'm a little bit in the wedding. I'm bummed about missing TX09 but there will be other car meets...

[Trelo203]

OMG!!!!!! This is the nicest 3000 gt I have laid my eyes on. :o

[James92TSi]

Well... I appreciate the compliment, but you must not have seen a whole lot of them. There are 3S cars out there with some serious bucks in them.

[Hellvector]

So James, I'm currently in the market for a boat anchor. ;)

Looks good man.

[James92TSi]

I'll probably end up donating that to someone who wants to build tooling for tubular subframes. I mean what better to base it on than a factory subframe with... uh... half a mile on it?