Not sure if you remember me but many years ago I finished a project Eclipse and archived it on this site. Long story short- I still have the car, and motor. I've been starting and revving the car once every 2 month for the past 7 years. It stills runs extremely strong but the strut towers have rusted so bad that it's not safe to drive. I can literally put my hand through it and touch the shocks on both towers. I have longed to finish this car as it's sat in my garage. Well, the time has come to FINISH THIS THING FOR GOOD.

I am going to finish my car the right way. I'm on the hunt for a new shell. I have a Howell automotive rebuilt 420a for my 95 eclipse GS. I would love to get a convertible frame. I'd like swap my built motor to another shell, but I really don't recall what will fit. I'm trying to have a simple motor swap and not have to rig the ECU, etc to fit my 95 into the 98 frame. Better yet, am I limited to only shopping for 95-96 shells? Also, my 95 is a manual, can I only buy manuals to swap into or can I buy an automatic since I'll be swapping the transmission over anyways? I plan to keep my manual transmission but I will buy an automatic car and just toss out the automatic transmission to keep the manual transmission I currently have- if need be.

Thanks so much for any help here.

Any 420a shell will be a drop in. Automatic or manual.

The sensor pin style changes between the 95-96 vs the 97-99 (round to flat respectively). The ecu pin outs are also different.

Really since your car is complete (minus strut towers) you have 2 options.
1) swap over your complete engine sensors and harness.
2) swap over your engine but reuse the sensors from the new car if it’s a different year

With an auto car you will have extra wires and connectors in the harness from the TCU.

Now would be a good time to do a wire tuck!

Motivational picture:

If you buy an automatic shell you have to cut a hole to mount the clutch master cylinder, but the stampings will probably already be in the firewall. Also, you'll need a pedal set, but you can get that from your car - you probably know that.

Thanks a ton for the replies- very much appreciate it. This information is helpful for sure. Whats the fuel management for the 420a looking like these days? We still running the FMU's or MSnS? I think Portfueler was around too from Hahn...

I have the FMU but I suspect the stock injectors can only handle maybe 10psi of boost. Have there been any new products or developments since, oh, 2010?

I really like that engine bay. Whats the red unit above your throttle body? You running a stock intake manifold? Also did you cermic coat that exhaust manifold?

Where in the world are you guys finding the cars without any strut or rear quarter panel rust?? I'm in the northeast but even local or most cars down to the Carolinas are all rusted in one way or another. The only nice shells I've found without rust- are in Florida through Texas through California areas since I'd imagine lack of snow and subsequent salt have stopped any rust from forming... I'm planning to fly down and rent a truck and flat bed to haul the lucky winner up to my home here in the north.. Then, sanded down and professionally coated with rust prevention paint- undercarriage, behind panels, bay, the whole deal..

Blitzeclips said:

Thanks a ton for the replies- very much appreciate it. This information is helpful for sure. Whats the fuel management for the 420a looking like these days? We still running the FMU's or MSnS? I think Portfueler was around too from Hahn...

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It's still MegaSquirt, basically. There are newer versions, but it's not like it used to be. They've become less and less open, and more expensive. You can still get the older models for a couple hundred dollars, but the latest and greatest costs well over $1,000.

I believe Hahn stopped making the Portfueler.


RE: your PM--the Spyder models used 4G6x engines, so the 420A is not a drop-in replacement. I don't think turning an RS or GS body into a convertible will be feasible. The Spyders had to have stiffer chassis to account for the fact that there was no top to provide structural support.

Blitzeclips said:

I really like that engine bay. Whats the red unit above your throttle body? You running a stock intake manifold? Also did you cermic coat that exhaust manifold?

Where in the world are you guys finding the cars without any strut or rear quarter panel rust?? I'm in the northeast but even local or most cars down to the Carolinas are all rusted in one way or another. The only nice shells I've found without rust- are in Florida through Texas through California areas since I'd imagine lack of snow and subsequent salt have stopped any rust from forming... I'm planning to fly down and rent a truck and flat bed to haul the lucky winner up to my home here in the north.. Then, sanded down and professionally coated with rust prevention paint- undercarriage, behind panels, bay, the whole deal..

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I’m running a megasquirt MS3X. It was a DIY unit that I assembled. The latest ones, as noted above, are more like Haltech and AEM ecus where the unit is basically factory sealed. All the configuring is in the software, not so much the hard internal wiring on the Ms1-3.

Red thing is my fuel pressure regulator. Yes stock intake manifold but it’s powder coated silver. I actually just got an AMM Intake off Bullett, but that won’t go on until next winter. The exhaust manifold and downpipe are ceramic coated.

My car is actually a north east car. Spent half it’s life as a DD in eastern mass. Had the typical rocker panel rust that I had to fix but other than that it’s pretty solid. Hasn’t shown any real signs of strut tower rust.

If you really wanted a convertible you can look into swapping the motor and eclipse front end into a Sebring.

Eclipse/avenger/Sebring all shared a similar chassis.