FieldsDSMs' 10's or Bust Build

Re: My 08-09 1990 GSX build, and the story behind it all...

2LiterRiceEater said:

Have you figured out what kit you would like?

It would've been my next big purchase, but other things decided they didn't wanna hold up.

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No man I haven't done one bit of research on meth kits yet. I know how it goes man, you have your heart set on what you want to get than something else goes wrong. What are you gonna do?

Re: My 08-09 1990 GSX build, and the story behind it all...

Finally time for a decent sized update. Lots has happened since my last post but I'll start with the week leading up to the shootout. First and foremost I FINALLY got my bumper painted so my car is actually one color now, and looking better than it EVER has IMO. Also had a good amount of extra paint so I was able to touch up the entire car. Here are some pics, pre-shootout.




Also had some work that needed to be done in the engine bay. Cleaned the bay as good as I could, installed a 3" polished intake to replace the stock rubber one, had my buddy weld a bead on the end of each of my charge pipes to keep them from blowing off along with some new heavy duty clamps that have not let me down yet, and I installed the Jay Racing alternator relocation kit which I absolutely love. Not only does is clean up the engine bay, it got rid of my AWFUL squeaky belt problem that left me feeling embarrassed time after time again.

Last but not least...C16! Let me tell you how much my car loves this stuff! I was finally able to tune the car WITHOUT having to compensate for knock one bit! I'll tell you what, this car felt SOO damn good on this tune and had me VERY excited to make passes at the Shootout because I was almost certain I would see an 11 second pass(according to my pants dyno). Anyway, here is a pic of the engine bay, pre-shootout.



Now, onto the 2011 DSM Shootout! Here are a couple pics of the nice little rig we had to haul my DSM and a few pics I took on the way there.









Finally we had arrived, all settled in at the Best Western.


The first night we got there(Friday night) could not have gone much worse than it did. I was cruising around through the different hotels and such enjoying having my DSM at the Shootout for the first time. I get to the Econolodge parking lot and everyone is egging me on to hit the 2-step, so I do. Then I go to pull out and I see the huge crowd out on the main strip so I decide to do a quick 1st and 2nd gear pull for them. What do you know a fucking cop is in the parking lot next to the Econolodge. I pulled into the Best Western parking lot, parked the car, and quickly got out before the cop got to me in hopes he wouldn't know I did it, I was wrong. Turned into a 95$ fine for "screeching my tires." Yes that is what it said on the ticket.

I gathered myself quickly after that, 95$ is not a big deal and wasn't going to spoil my fun. So we went back to the hotel for a bit, started to drink and get crazy, then I had the idea of going back over to the Econo, this time on foot. Two of my friends thought it would be a good idea to walk over there with open beer cans in their hands, not a good idea! Again two cops in the parking lot next to the Best Western saw us walk in front of their cruisers. Stopped both my friends with the beers, ARRESTED and HANDCUFFED them and told us they were spending the night in jail for open containers of alcohol. These cops were being complete dicks to us. We lived 8 hours away, had no idea where they were taking them, or for how long, and the cops didn't want to tell the 3 of us(who weren't going to jail) where the cop shop was. They finally told us but said they would be spending the night.

So obviously the 3 of us are FREAKING out. Remember we were only in Ohio for about 5 hours and all this is already happening. We actually end up getting a call from both of them around the same time saying they will be letting them go for good behavior but we have to go and pick them up. Only one problem, we were all wasted, and the way the night was going we weren't going to take any chances on driving. So what do we do? We have to walk 3 miles there to get them.

When we finally get there they are full on joking with the two receptionists behind the counter. Said they were also shooting the shit with the cops while they were there. They said and I quote "These are the two nicest guys you ever arrested." They even took their "mug shots" just for fun before they left. Anyway 3 more miles later and we were back at the hotel, BEAT as hell, ready to just forget about that whole day and have fun at the car show on Saturday.

So on Saturday we are on our way to the track for the car show/autocross and I get this call from a random number. I dismiss is because I thought it was someone at the shootout I gave my number to trying to find me, he/she also left a voice mail, I dismissed that too. THEN I also got a text saying "Trudee Baske, manager Best Western. You need to return to the hotel immediately. You are getting kicked out and we are calling the cops." I was like okay someone is fucking with me so I called the number and the owner of the Best Western picks up flipping the fuck out on me because I was storing 5 gallons of C16 in the hotel room. She said we had 30 minutes to get there and get all our shit and get out, she was calling the cops, and I was lucky she wasn't pressing charges. I honestly didn't even think twice about storing the fuel in there, it was 90$ for 5 gallons of that shit and I wasn't about to just let it in the back of a truck where everyone at the event would want it, so I put it inside for housekeeping to see, whooops!

I left my car at the Shootout hoping to return to it when we got this all sorted out. The ride back to the hotel was DEAD silence from all 5 of us. We get back to the hotel and thankfully no cops, they didn't even call them. So we packed all of our shit up and were all wondering "what the fuck now?" We ended up getting a hotel down the strip a little further at a Motel 8 which still worked out very well. Still tons of DSM'ers there and at a nice spot. This time I didn't bring the fuel inside. Thankfully this was the END of our bad luck(authority wise) at the Shootout.

Anyway back to some of the pics I took of my car and some others after we returned to the track to try and salvage our day.






That night was finally a nice drama free night and before I knew it, it was race day! The morning started off a little rainy and my damn car wouldn't start. Turned out I had a bad connection on my starter, got that fixed and cruised out to the track.

First pass in the DST class my car was breaking up the entire way down and I got a 13.2 @ 101 I believe. Changed out the plugs, motor was running awesome again but my 3rd gear was acting up worse then ever. Engaging maybe 25% of the time I was trying.

Second pass motor running awesome but completely lost my 3rd gear. Went back to the pits started fiddling with the linkage and shifter just to see if that was the culprit. Nothing I did made it any better. I was thinking of just calling it a day and watching some racing but my friends changed my mind. Since half the guys in the DST class were breaking and not even making it down the track and the fact that we drove 8 hours to race my car I said fuck it and ran it one last time. Still couldn't hit 3rd, just bogged it into 4th and cruised to a 13.8 @ 106.

I was so frustrated with the timing of the trans taking a shit. I was at the DSM Shootout with my car which had been my goal for about 3 years, and the motor felt better then EVER, thought I would break my personal best of 12.3. But it just wasn't our weekend at all.

Here is one video I took with the GoPro. You can tell I had a hell of a time getting it into 3rd. The launch however was good.


I knew exactly what this all meant. Time to beef up the entire drive line! I didn't waste too much time. The day I got home a went to the credit union to apply for a 5k personal loan. I got accepted and have the check sitting next to me now.

I did a good amount of research on everything that I want to do and this is going to be my setup. Obviously going with a Shep stage 3 transmission, ACT 2600 pressure plate with a Southbend clutch disk, JNZ tuning drive shaft rebuild kit, new stock replacement front axles, and a 4 bolt rear/axles I picked up from my buddy. If I have some money left over I want to get a meth injection kit and a nice 3000GT front brake kit I found online for a good price.

This weekend I pulled everything out. Trans, clutch, flywheel, x-fer case, driveshaft, rear end, and axles.

Here is the trans out of the car, just waiting on the special shipping box from Shep to send this baby out!


Pics of my toasted clutch, this thing only had about 4k miles on it. But more than it's fair share of launches. Will probably never go with a Fidanza clutch again though.

Disk wore down past the buttons.


Buttons were wearing down the surface on the pressure plate.


And finally a pic of the old rusted out 3 bolt rear. Definitely going to hang onto this bad boy just in case something happens to the 4 bolt. This rear is still good and NEVER gave me any problems.


The game plan for this week is to get all of my parts ordered, take my flywheel to the machine shop for a resurfacing, install the 4 bolt rear, and ship out my transmission to Shep. I would love to have this car back on the road in two weeks for a local event at our track but it all depends on the turn around time on the trans. I have a feeling Shep is busy dealing with all the other broken transmissions from the Shootout so I'm not holding my breathe.

I'm so excited to get all of this onto the car. Going to feel good not having to worry about any drivetrain parts failing on me for a while. I can finally take advantage of the NLTS. I also now feel confident when I upgrade my turbo setup that it will be able to handle the power. The motor has already been built for quite some time and I feel the drivetrain is finally going to match the motor making for a VERY solid DSM. I'm going to try and keep this thing a little more up to date so I don't have to make such long posts. Reply's are much appreciated

Re: My 08-09 1990 GSX build, and the story behind it all...

Damn, it sounds like you had quite the fun time, between the cops and the track At least everybody came back in one piece, including the car. I wish I could've made it, but I set a personal goal to make it there next year. For the transmission, you'll be happy with something new. When I installed mine, which is nothing as fancy as yours will be, just the Evo 1 gearset in a 90 trans, but new everything else, and shimmed, it feels so solid to drive. It has given me zero issues. And it's nice being able to shift straight into first, without grabbing second before first

You're really trying to get the most out of your 16G eh? Good

Re: My 08-09 1990 GSX build, and the story behind it all...

Alright got a few parts in that I ordered beginning of the week.

ACT 2600 pressure plate, OEM TOB, Symborski shifter bushing kit, and under the hood shift linkage bushing kit.


My trans FINALLY shipped out to Shep today, had a hell of a time dealing with FedEx.


Also had time to take my flywheel to the machine shop today and was pleasantly surprised when he said it didn't need to be cut down or anything. Just scuff up the surface a bit, clean it off with some brake clean, and it will be good to go.

Tomorrow(Friday) I'm hoping to get my Southbend clutch disk and driveshaft rebuild kit. Saturday I'm going to pick up my 4 bolt rear/axles. If the rain ever lets up here on the east coast I'd like to get the clutch and rear installed this weekend. I'd also like to start to tackle the rebuilding of the driveshaft. When I get the car back on the road I'll be renting a garage that I can finally work out of and won't have to worry about the weather.

Re: My 08-09 1990 GSX build, and the story behind it all...

Wow...I just read through your entire thread. Seems like you have had quite an adventure with this DSM. More than the average DSMer could handle I'm sure. Props for sticking with it! Can't wait to see the 11 second pass! Good luck.

Re: My 08-09 1990 GSX build, and the story behind it all...

Bradikus7 said:

Wow...I just read through your entire thread. Seems like you have had quite an adventure with this DSM. More than the average DSMer could handle I'm sure. Props for sticking with it! Can't wait to see the 11 second pass! Good luck.

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Thanks a lot man! It's definitely taken a lot to keep going on this DSM. It would be so easy to just call it quits and part it out or sell it. I would kill myself if I saw anybody else driving around in my car having a good time after all I went through. All the time, money, blood, sweat, and maybe even a few tearsthat went into it, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I got rid of it.

And after all this drive train work I'm no longer worried about putting "too" much money into this thing. I do all of this not because it makes sense to everyone else. But because I've grown to absolutely LOVE this hobby. I don't know what the fuck I would do without cars in my life. Maybe that sounds a little drastic but it's the truth. I'M ADDICTED TO MY DSM!

As for the 11 second pass. Mark my words man. it WILL happen yet this season! I just hope someone is there to take video

Re: My 08-09 1990 GSX build, and the story behind it all...

2LiterRiceEater said:

The Evo first gear is 11% (IIRC) taller than the normal DSM first. Also, I believe second is also taller, but by very very little, so not noticeable. Third and fourth are close ratio, which I have come to like along with first.

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Yea I definitely like the fact that there is more gear there. Seems like I'm always shifting so quickly outta first gear in the 1/4. I also read the the ratio between 1st and 2nd gear is a lot closer with the evoIII gear making the engagement into 2nd a lot smoother.

Over the weekend I was being kinda lazy and didn't get any work done but did score pretty big on parts from my buddy who is parting out his 1g.


4 bolt rear w/ the axles and end cups, good front axles, an extra transfer case, and polyurethane motor mount inserts for 400$. I also received my driveshaft rebuild kit from JNZTuning Saturday.

I checked and my trans got to Shep yesterday so I'm hoping to hear from them soon with the scoop. I know I'm not going to get it back this week like I was hoping but hopefully I'll still get it back next week and have the car back on the road next weekend.

This weekend I need to install the 4 bolt rear, rebuild the driveshaft, and possibly install the clutch. There is a lot of other odds and ends here and there I could do but those are the major jobs. Stay tuned!

Re: My 08-09 1990 GSX build, and the story behind it all...

I have a bit of an update here. I was finally able to find time to install my 4 bolt rear. It went surprisingly well and I really didn't run into any snags at all.

First got the axle cups installed


Then the rear went up and that was that!


Other than the rear going in I didn't get too much else done. I did however come across a deal that Forced Performance was having on the "race" style manifold.


I actually just shipped the manifold out to Bonehead Performance to get ceramic coated. Also figured while I'm at it I'd send my valve cover out to get powder coated. Got some pretty sharp colors getting put on both so I can't wait to see how they turn out.

I also finally got everything I need to swap for my EVO MAF to speed density. Just got to calibrate my MAF, install all the sensors, setup speed density on my link, get/install my meth kit, and finally get it professionally tuned!

The only thing that is really holding me up is my trans. I e-mailed shep and it turns out they are pretty far behind. Between everyone braking at the shootout and their main trans builder being out with back surgery it's taking a little longer then normal. He said they should be able to at least tear into mine this week. Hopefully I'll see the trans next week sometime. The goal is to have everything back together and on the road for EVO-STi shootout in E-town but it's going to be really close. Tis' it for now!

Re: My 08-09 1990 GSX build, and the story behind it all...

Only about a week after my previous post I received my trans back from Shep. Big shout out to Chad from Shep for bumping me up in the order so I could get my car to the Evo/STi showdown!





A few more things in my trans were messed up then I thought so I ended up having to get a stage 4. New input, output shafts, Center diff housing, double synchros, Evo III first gear, Shep spec 2nd gear, and so much more. He told me this is pretty much the same trans Shep ran when his Talon was running 8's so I don't foresee it being a problem anytime soon.

Anyway I got to installing the clutch and trans to mate up with my freshly rebuilt driveshaft and 4 bolt rear. Had a small issue with getting the clutch pedal engagement height setup right but that was quickly fixed so I got to just driving the car all around trying to break-in the clutch and trans. I also installed solid shifter bushings and solid shift linkage bushings. All that combined made for an AMAZING feel of the shifter. So solid, no play, just all around awesomeness.

I got everything pretty well broken in just in time to make it to the Showdown at E-town. I made the mistake of not launching the car once on the new clutch setup. So my first pass was the first launch my clutch saw and it didn't like it one bit. It just slipped past 5000 rpms in all gears after I launch the car. But just after I launch the car. Regular driving and pulls in any gear it holds fine. So that quickly ended my day there.

Got home, did a bunch of research and found a lot of funky things go on with the South Bend clutch disk. Came to the conclusion that it's my South Bend disk not meshing well with my resurfaced flywheel. Everyone told me that the South Bend disk is very tempermental when it comes to the step height of the flywheel. I just ordered an ACT Streetlite flywheel and am going to be getting their solid 4 puck disk. I have much better luck with puck disks and with the new flywheel I should be golden.

Meanwhile my FP race manifold and valve cover had just come back from getting ceramic coated and powder coated. Here is a pic installed on the car.



Since the car still drove fine with the exception of launching I decided to just drive it as is until I put her away for the winter which I did about 2 weeks ago.

Re: My 08-09 1990 GSX build, and the story behind it all...

Fuck yeah, now you're talking !!

Re: My 08-09 1990 GSX build, and the story behind it all...

Badass setup my friend ! Can't wait to see picture of your bay with a smim

Why not go with a 10pts ?

Re: My 08-09 1990 GSX build, and the story behind it all...

2LiterRiceEater said:

Fuck yeah, now you're talking !!

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Yea man! I'm pumped to really get into this setup!

DSM4LIFE-AWD said:

Badass setup my friend ! Can't wait to see picture of your bay with a smim

Why not go with a 10pts ?

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Thank you kind sir! And S&W sells an 8 pt cage for 400$. My best friend is REALLY good with a welder so I can get it done for a really nice price. Plus I really only need a 6 pt for what my goals are so one might say the 8 pt is overkill for me but I want the door bars. It wouldn't be hard for me to make it a 10 pt down the road if I have to.

Re: My 08-09 1990 GSX build, and the story behind it all...

DSM4LIFE-AWD said:

Got my 10pts from S&W as well, still hasn't install it ... Give them a call, that's what I did to get some special deal

Looks like you're going with DOM or chromoly tubing, why ?

Ask nothing = Get nothing

You might want to take a look at Competition Engineering swing-out door bar, part C3183. Be carefull because when switching to a 10pts that alows you to run a 1-5/8" x 0.134" tubing instead of 1-3/4" x 0.134" when going with a mild steal cage ...

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Yea I definitely plan on giving them a call before I pull the trigger on the cage. If I can swing a deal with a 10 pt I'll do it.

As for the DOM or chromoly I honestly don't know yet. I haven't gotten to that point of my research of the pros and cons of either of materials. Wouldn't it be best of both worlds to go with the thicker gauge tubing AND a 10 pt?

Re: My 08-09 1990 GSX build, and the story behind it all...

For me it was between a mild steal or Chromoly one ... The chromoly one needs to be tig welded and inspected more ofter for cracks ... Lighter than mild steal yeah but cost more at the end. When going with a 10pts you'll get 1-5/8" just like the mild steal. The DOM one stay 1-3/4" at 10pts.

There're chart on the net for weight of tubing, when you compare the weight/feet ... You'll see that for the price difference you need deep pocket to save that weight.

I know it's only 1/8" difference but you'll see when times come.

Re: My 08-09 1990 GSX build, and the story behind it all...

DSM4LIFE-AWD said:

For me it was between a mild steal or Chromoly one ... The chromoly one needs to be tig welded and inspected more ofter for cracks ... Lighter than mild steal yeah but cost more at the end. When going with a 10pts you'll get 1-5/8" just like the mild steal. The DOM one stay 1-3/4" at 10pts.

There're chart on the net for weight of tubing, when you compare the weight/feet ... You'll see that for the price difference you need deep pocket to save that weight.

I know it's only 1/8" difference but you'll see when times come.

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So it kinda seems like chromoly is the way to go. By buddy will be TIG welding anyways. I'll just have to do a little more searching and talk to my buddy. What did you end up going with anyway? Sounds like you went chromoly.