I finally did it. I drove my car after 17 months of sitting.

17 agonizing months.

To keep this short, my first motor bit the dust after major timing failure, and today I finally finished installing my JDM replacement. I got in her, and took her for a spin.

I'll say this right now: I've never felt as good as I did during that drive.

Albiet, I had no power steering and none of my guages but the speedometer and boost were functioning, I've honestly never felt so proud of myself. I'm 19, and this was my first motor swap, and I've no job to pay for it. I live in the country, and had no way to find work.

Maybe now things will start to change.

I know this is the hangout, but if anyone could get in contact with me, or even post here, I can't figure out why my guages aren't working. As well, my radiator fans never kicked in, but I chalked that down to a broken wire going to the thermostat housing.

Anyway, I just thought I'd let y'all know. I signed up on this forum a long time ago, and nearly that entire time I've had to look out the window and suffer the sight of a DSM on permanent jacks.

Life is suddenly so beautiful...

Congrats man! now go find a job and start modding

Great now you can come to the meet this weekend. Check the NW area in the foruims for the Seattle/ Tukwila thread.

Right on, I'll see if I can make it. Gives me a week to sort out all (most important, at least) of her problems, and make sure she's reliable enough to take off my street.

Also, I forgot to mention this, and thought I should.

On the short test drive I took her on yesterday, I somehow managed to meet this guy named Doug. We both looked over my car, I told him about what I'd done, and that I'd just finished, in a sort, dropping my JDM motor in, and was on my very first test drive.

He's rebuilt several cars, mostly older models, and was currently working on one ride or another, but couldn't stop saying: "That's a sweet fzckin' ride, man. Sweet fzckin' car."

Ahh, how I missed that.

Good to hear! Im on 14 going on 15

Talon007 said:

Good to hear! Im on 14 going on 15

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im on month 15 now, 16 is rapidly approaching

greathuskie said:

im on month 15 now, 16 is rapidly approaching

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But that sad thing is my car is pretty much still stock. Once I start the modding it will be another month or two

I feel your pain. What hurt me the most was that I didn't have a second car to drive, so this entire year and a half I've missed out on school and work. I've had to rely on friends who live an hour away to pick me up, and it's all but killed my social life.

So this is a pretty big step for me.

I'm going to make a thread in the problem diagnostics forum, if any y'all feel you might be able to help me out. That aside, hope your DSM's aren't out for much longer.

My folks just want me to sell this thing for whatever I can, and buy a 'Bird, like my brother's. But I've put way too much work in to this to just let her go, and I got a strong love for DSM's, even though I havn't had the chance to mod, or really experience them yet.

mine was down for 12 and 1/2 months ...last friday i took it out to break in the rebuild motor.....i know i wasnt supposed to boost ... but damn my car pulls hard!

mines been down for 2 months now... major driveline problems. end result, new ACT 2600 clutch, ACT flywheel, brand new OEM tranny. it should be done this week. it will rock when i get it back, i get to put all my parts that are just sitting here on =) downpipe, palm datalogger, CF hood

Auladan said:

I feel your pain. What hurt me the most was that I didn't have a second car to drive, so this entire year and a half I've missed out on school and work. I've had to rely on friends who live an hour away to pick me up, and it's all but killed my social life.

So this is a pretty big step for me.

I'm going to make a thread in the problem diagnostics forum, if any y'all feel you might be able to help me out. That aside, hope your DSM's aren't out for much longer.

My folks just want me to sell this thing for whatever I can, and buy a 'Bird, like my brother's. But I've put way too much work in to this to just let her go, and I got a strong love for DSM's, even though I havn't had the chance to mod, or really experience them yet.

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My parents want me to do the same thing with my car. but im trapped in the dsm ways. Now im getting a motor for a Mirage swap. Im so stupid...now i will have two to deal with.

Mine has been down on and off for a about two months now. I finally decided to have the engine rebuilt because I'm unsure if the jdm motor is a direct swap. If it is I'll do it...so is it?

a bit more trivial - we started painting the thing back in August/September and after severe orange peel decided to put it in my brother's father-in-law's barn over the winter...

just went up last weekend to finish the paint job and she'll be coming home soon