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GTAhot92's Project "Tricksy" (1.8 liters of mad fury)

19K views 120 replies 17 participants last post by  SLEEPS 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Heya everyone! So since I got alot of pics uploaded from my build I decide to finally start this so I can show off the Laser. First I want to apologize for poor pic quality from Photobucket..... I uploaded great pics however, when I look at them off Photobucket they become like checker board. If they look bad my apologies. I have been looking through fellow members builds and no one is building a4G37 car. However I think it's different and hope you all enjoy my project. It's been a long year and def a love and hate relationship.

I picked up Tricksy the 1994 Plymouth Laser in June of 2009. I actually saved it from going to the salvage yard along with a 93 Eclipse GS 1.8. I scored them both from A tow company for $600 for both, once I had them I sold the Eclipse to my then roomie for $300. These two pics were at the tow yard when negotiating the cost.




As first you can tell, a upside down exhaust pipe, wrecked LH fender and marker lamp, and a Eclipse front bumper. While googling what a 94 Laser should look like I found my avatar pic.

First mods were done withing the first month included

Laser reconditioned front bumper
Salvaged LH Fender
LH marker lamp
HID head light conversion
Front and Rear Upper Strut braces
Ebay polished hard pipe intake
18" MSR Flat Black Red Line 20 spk rims
Potenza run flat tires
Magnaflow Catback exhaust

I then decided to go ahead and give it a paint job. I was tempted to go with a AM bodykit, but didn't wanna be flamed on. Soooooo I decided to go with the 1gb Talon body cladding. This is the car with the rocker sections and new wheels. Excuse my thumb in the 1st pic, my bads.




The car was starting to come together and the DSM god did not approve of something and caused the rear main seal to blow out and oil everywhere! :rolleyes:
So I decided to goahead and start removing the transmission to replace the seal. I decided to go ahead and do the clutch as I was in there. Now I can't remember the brand I went with but it was a eBay stage 2, I can find the invoice. Well, I literally had just the motor sitting in the engine bay, by this time it was early November. I decided to hold out untill February to get my tax return and just have the wholemotor rebuilt. I bought a new one from eBay for $900 with JIS Engines. Since the DSM is the Plymouth namesake I decided to paint the engine Hemi Orang (Stuff cost about $25 a can!).




By now it's early April and I start it up for the first time. While installing the motor I did a few more upgrades with my tax return.

Carbon Fiber hood
Cardon Fiber short throw shifter

I drove the car around for a few days to make sure no problems or leaks. On a Friday afternoon I got the car insured and temp tagged. Oh, it was a glorious day in the DSM world. Angels rejoiced and sang Allelujia from the heavens. I took it out on a cruise and filled up the tank (which would be the curse). 3 days later after getting it temp tagged, my new roomie's neighbor decides to hit the passenger side with her Xterra. She blindly floored it out of her driveway just as I was passing by. The next pics so the damage done when I got home.




Well in the lounge I posted how the insurance wanted to declare a total loss because of this damage. After heated discussion and help of this board they decided to increase the cars value from $1093 to $1925 and have it repaired. Now to jump back a few weeks while it was wrecked it was still driveable, I put 500 miles on the new motor and filled up again to be heading to a local casino and the head gasket gave out (and yes I filled up the tank). After that it sat untill the end of May and I decided to fix the head gasket and find a new fender (this was prior to the insurance deciding to have it repaired). I took a trip to the salvage yard to find the RH fender and came across great black front seats and a matching black vinyl rear seat. As well as the Cyclone head (Which if it was 2 weeks earlier would of been installed then, pics to come soon). When I removed the damaged fender there was no frame damage. The day after I fixed it myself the Insurance let me know they wanted to fix it :rolleyes: great, if only 1 day earlier.

I decided to finish my quest in paint the poor car as it's been sanded for a year now. The following pics show the Carbo Hood, the body work, sanding and Priming process.

















These next pics were at some local big shows that I decided to take the Laser to. I usually do these shows with the Trans Am's but both are still in the shop. So as these are great shows and for a good cause I decided to tie up a few loose ends and take the car. The engine bay I am very proud of, nothing went back in uncleaned and re-finished. I decided to keep my theme of the classic Plymouth name sake and finished everything according to classic Mopar. Thus included the crinckled finish valve cover, and Hemi orange fuel rail. I have recently liked Dodge's comeback with the blacked out tail panels and decided to go with that look too, including that flat black spoiler.





And a few other Mopars from the show and one DSM other than mine. This was the weekend show at The Route 66 Car Show.






The next weekend was an annual Make A Wish Foundation show. I decided to take the Laser and the 92 GTA to this one.




Suprisingly this show didn't have a "Sport Compact" or "Tuner" category, so I entered it into the "Builders" class and the DSM god's were smiling down on me cause I walked away with a 2nd place trophy!




This as far as I have documented to recent. I am going to be block sanding the car this weekend and will have updated pics. Hopefully my goal will be reached in 3 weeks longest I don't fill up lol. I hope this makes it into the build section as it gives 4G37 owners some pride and encouragement to step up above the crowd. Thanks for enjoying my pride and joy!;)
 
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#15 ·
#6 ·
Other than not seeing the pics I don't see the problems with the post either? Maybe its to long for a single post?

He has painted it since this was created, maybe he forgot about it.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I dunno what I have already posted since here at work Photobucket images are red x's for me. Hint on why it's been hard to updat lol. So please deal with me if I double post pics, I will erase doubles if possible :)


So this is the car stripped down in the booth (garage :D) ready for paint!





When I removed the rear cover it was brought to my attention the car has been rear ended at one point too :(
 
#10 · (Edited)
So now here was the process of painting the side graphics. My inspiration for these were from the early Hemi Cuda's. It's hard to put typing between the photos so I'll try and explain it now as best as possible.

First I test fitted the stripe and measured, REMEMBER!!! Measure twice, paint oonce! ;)
I used 2 1/4 mask tape for the furthest back, then 2", 1 1/2", 3/4" and the used fine line pin stripe tape to stretch it across to the door handles. Then after I test fitted, all that hard work had to come right back off to shoot the base. I shoot 2 coats of black base coat overlapping the quarters where the stripes were to be placed.









Ok, I think I'm getting the hang of this!

I let this black base coat dry overnight to assure the masking tape won't pull it back off. Masked the stripes back on over the black paint. When doing graphics you need to plan out in advanced which colors to lay first usually going from lightest to darkest as the light colors will need a sealer over the dark to show up properly. However due to size and the whole car having to be masked I decided to do the black then folow up with a quick sealer.


 
#11 ·
Lot's of updating to do! As well as I'm taking calls here at work :)

So while shooting the black I decided to do the cowl panel, and mirror backing pieces at the same time. I actually took the hour to fully disasemble the damn mirrors lol.





Believe me!!! Taken the mirrors apart is like celebrating a barmitzvah (Spelling?). I decided to leave the wiper arms flat and not clear them.
 
#12 ·
So now onto the Dupli Color shop ready paint. Beware as SLEEPS found out the cans do have batch numbers and you have to constantly mix each can with another for a uniform match! I filled my gun half way with 2 cans. Then I poured the remainder of those two cans into eachother. Then I used the 2 unused cans and pour 1/3 into the now empty can so it is 2/3rd full. Then the can of the 2 prior mixed cans to top off the last 1/3rd. Shaken and stirred then back into the first can I used from the first 2 cans :) shaken and stirred. Lost yet?







I used 3 coats of red to cover the car.
 
#13 ·
As you can see the graphics are now red over the masking tape. Typical paint you would remove the masking tape after the base dries. I had major issues with this on the Duplicolor paint.... Once it dried up it turned to like a stretchy vinyl and I almost screwed up the passenger side badly. I ended up having to use a razor blade along the masking tape before removing it.




The edge I messed up on was fine in the end as I had a Pin Stripe tape to overlap the edge and hide it.

By now you can see where it's going into my sig pic ;)
 
#14 ·
It's clear coat time!!!! Glossy as a muthafukah!!! It looks like candy, almost had to restrain myself from trying to get a taste;) By this time I was hi as a kite from fumes as my respirator wasn't filtering properly (had a boost leak). So I aired out for a few to gather my thoughts lol. *** CLEAR COAT IS NO JOKE! IT WILL HARM YOU! PLEASE USE APPROPRIATE VENTILATION AND RESPIRATORY PRECAUTIONS BEFORE USE! ***









^ I think this last one was before clear but O well :)
 
#16 ·
So jumping ahead as at this time I was hunting for window moldings that new are impossible to find. A few of us were discussing this in the Body and Apperance threads. I used this product I carry here at work. It's a texture in a can used for reconditiond textured bumpers like on the Chevy Avalanches and Hyundai Tuscons! The worse off the moldings were the better chance you would have! Find the crappiest one like so...



Once the crappiest one is located, which shouldn't be hard. Use a flat edge of a razor blade to scrape off the rest leaving the part that seals to the window. The cleaner you can make this edge the smoother it will look with out any lines.



It should look like this all the way down.



Using several thick wet coats to fill in imperfections on the metal to plastic transition. This is what the final product looked like (I also hit all the other moldings as well, mine had the spider cracks they all have and this made everything real uniformed)



Now back to the paint booth!!! Since I decided to use the flat black for the tail lights and spoiler I was gonna do the lower rocker extensions and bumper pieces flat as well but decided to try this stuff. So after the clear dried I used the fine line mask tape to mask the body line. Several light coats later these were my bumpers!





And here was the magical product!

 
#17 ·
Here she is after being reassembled (Note I have yet to put the door handles back on).






And a random pic of my puppy Rain!

 
#18 ·
So I started my turbo quest and as you read in the Newbs area how to install my FMIC.

It was hard to verify where in the rad support to cut so hopefully these pics help someone down the road.




Here is the FM mocked up. I had to do several test fit's as with keeping the A/C the mount brackets were too short. A quick run to the Home Depot some 6" brackets with a hole every inch fit just perfect!!!



And a few hacks at the bumper and a bit more time!!!

God laid his hand upon my shoulder and said "On this day may 4G37's have the first FMIC, go forth my son and spread the word!"



:happy:
 
#19 ·
So what happened with my turbo project.... I was planning on going to Vegas for the Mopar at the Strip shoot out and show. On the night before I was rocking getting everything done UNTIL.... I went to mount the waste gate actuator :( since I hybrid the turbo from a 9b/13g the actuators were not fitting with the J-pipe at all. So a quick decision was to remove everything back off (Except the FM) and put it all back to N/A for the trip. At 2;45 in the morning all I had left was to figure out was what to do about the injectors... I had already wired in the Blue tops as well...




So I decide to put the 210's back in and try it with the resistor boc in place. It worked!!! The resistor box (temporarily) will work on the high resistance injectors however it is harder to start. Approximately 3 hours later drove 600 miles to VEGAS!!!

Here are some of my photos on the road trip!!!

Here I am at Hoover Damn, looking good for raining and 575 some miles !



In Vegas we stoped by a In N Out Burger for some fast pics!



Then cruising the strip at night I found a parking garage that let me get to a roof level and was able to take some pics with Ceasar's Palace in the background! My camera died and my phones quality wasn't wanting to co-operate with me.





And last exclusive was shot at the front entrance to the location of tv show "Pawn Stars". Lol I showed up there at 2;47 Saturday night, the sign says 24 hours but they posted a note that said out to lunch be back at 9 am... LOL!!!




And with the permission of the mods I could post more hilighted shots from the show.
 
#21 ·
Suprising lol everyone assumed it was a AWD model. Even though you can cleary see into my rear wheels no axles lol. The dudes with the Neon's knew what DSM's were and said they wish they made the new ones turbo'd. The one DSM dude asked me to pop my hood and I lied... I said I couldn't cause the CB hood was hard to close. I just didn't wanna disapoint him thinking it was turbo. The girl with me has a GS-T and she said I was showing off cause it is not turbo's yet.
 
#23 ·
I just washed her and my poor bumper from too road trips has alot of rock chips already
:(

Thanks man, everytime I walk out to it I still can't believe she's mine lol. The guys here say it looks so damn good it's too bad I didn't start with an AWD car. Hopefully I can get the turbo setup completed by the end of the month, that was my original goal. Now With hybriding the turbo I came across complications with the wastegate actuator. I still need to figure out something with a down pipe, and wire in the NEO.
 
#24 ·
So as the saying goes. 3 steps forward one step back. The Laser wouldn't star yesterday morning and I thought maybe a dead battery as it was getting old and hard starting. Came home from work and pulled the battery out of one of the other cars and tried with no results. So I determined it was a dead starter. I already removed it and about to go get one now on my lunch hour. Hopefully it was just that and will have it running again by this weekend.
 
#25 ·
Dude the trim came out really nice! I did mine too, different approach and came out pretty good.

Car looks nice overall. Looking forward to seeing it turbo.
 
#26 ·
Car looks nice overall. Looking forward to seeing it turbo.
Thanks man, everytime someone says that it really hits me. Thanks

Problem is... the starter tested fine. A buddy of mine asked me if it took a starter relay and I had no idea! So stupid as it sounds I posted that Q? in the newb section. Another concern brought up was that it might be too weak to spin over the motor since it was bench tested and not load tested. So tonight I am going to test my ground and positive cables to make sure they are not corroded. And this was gonna be the weekend for me to finish the turbo.... :(
 
#30 ·
LOL! Yea and I have like a 60 degree driveway and tried roll starting it and ended up with it sticking about 2 feet into the street now haha. I had to move my truck to the curb to block it so no one will hit it. It took 4 of us to move it up a few feet! Were weak I know.
 
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