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99 Eclipse 16g Restomod Daily Driver

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So Ive been out of the DSM game for about 7 years now. In 2009 I sold my 2G, and I got a 1991 miata. I just couldn't afford the terrible gas mileage being in college and having to drive so far for classes, then drive the opposite way to work. Miata did me good, and got me through college well. I loved that car, but I wanted a turbo car when I graduated.
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So I sold the 1991, and got a 2004 mazdaspeed because I found a killer deal on one. Even with 221k on that car, it was an absolutely amazing car. But after 2 years of ownership, I was starting to get tired of such a small car, and longing for a DSM again.
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So I sold that car, for almost 3000$ profit. And I found a semi-nice 1999 gst for 3200$, with a 16g. The owner had put in platinum plugs, and hacked together an upper intercooler pipe and couldn't figure out why it was having problems everytime it got into boost.
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Updates, Mods, Maintenance, and light Restoration work to follow.
 
So the first week I owned the car, I had some work ahead of me. Car has a hacked together upper intercooler pipe, consisting of a 2g elbow, and 3 sections of pipe held together with a mix of cheap ass silicon couplers, and even shittier rubber home and garden couplers from lowe's. It also has a fake HKS SSQV.
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I plan on ditching this stuff asap, but for now it remains. I did get some NGK bpr6es plugs @ .026" in there, and a set of NGK plug wires, as well as a pocket obd II logger dongle.

Also got the emissions stuff out of the engine bay, and the vacuum lines cleaned up, eliminating some boost leaks.
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Hopefully I can find a spark plug cover, and loom amongst my boxes of old car parts.
 
Looks like a fun little project you have going, good luck and can't wait to see more updates.
 
Been a minute since I updated everything. Been going through a Divorce, and Starting a Business. Pretty sure my bi*** of an ex-wife dumped something in the oil of my DSM last time I was at her house. I spun a rod bearing back in October shortly after leaving her house. Just had the car out at a test n tune and was running Amazing the day before it happened. Then a few miles after I leave her house with the last of my shit, I pull over to check why my temp gauge is a little high. As I pulled over I heard the dreaded knocking sound. Well the oil was magically almost 2 quarts (estimate) overfilled and it smelled fishy (literally like rotten fish).

Finally got into the black this in January so I ordered an engine from Miller Imports 2 days ago. So I should get moving on this car again.

Anyways, some updates.

When Bought Both My headlights looked like shit.
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Fixing that crap
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And After
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I just used some 1000,1500, and 3000 grit, and a 3" polishing roloc for my drill. Then Switched to rubbing compound on a 3m orange pad, then machine polish on a 3m black pad. Finished off with a hand rub with PlastX. The still look great some 4 months later.

I did manage to get the throttle body rebuilt, Timing set, Replaced the janky intercooler piping and greddy long route IC with a VRSF short route and HKS SSQV v1.

Then the Shifter Handle BROKE off. WTF. I ended up having to cut open the boot so I could pull the cables by hand to get my car to work, then home. Grabbed a cheapo boot off ebay. 3$ shift boot for a honda don't look too shabby.
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Will get some more stuff up in the next few days. Working my projector retrofit right now. Then I need to get started cleaning stuff for the engine swap.

Box full of Parts I had in the closet for a projector retro in my MX-5 that never got started.
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And the Miss-Bitchy on the ramp in my new shop.
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Found out it has a full Apex'I exhaust, downpipe and Catback.
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Really diggin' your progress. I'm curious, are you going to tear down the engine and figure out what, if anything, your ex put in your there?
 
Really diggin' your progress. I'm curious, are you going to tear down the engine and figure out what, if anything, your ex put in your there?

I figure I would send the oil to Blackstone labs to see what they say. But I can't prove anything, and she didn't try and contest the divorce, or take any property or my part of my business, so I got off light.
 
I figure I would send the oil to Blackstone labs to see what they say.

Probably your best bet. Since you're buying a whole new engine, what are your plans for the old one?

I've been wanting to retrofit my eclipse with projectors for the longest time, but never had the motivation. Looking forward to seeing them on your eclipse.
 
Probably your best bet. Since you're buying a whole new engine, what are your plans for the old one?

I've been wanting to retrofit my eclipse with projectors for the longest time, but never had the motivation. Looking forward to seeing them on your eclipse.

I dunno, for now I will probably pressure wash it. pull the crank out, check that see if it can be saved. Toss the rods. Friend of mine wants the pistons if they are anygood for a 6 bolt build.

Might get a piece of glass cut to turn the block into a coffee table until I get ready to build do a build.
 
Took some 400 and 1000 grit to my intake pipe, UICP, and BOV. They were really nasty. So they are getting cleaned and polished.
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Finished up. Just used machine polish on these. Wish I had something a bit stronger but for now they are clean and look much better if not quite diamond in the goat's ass status.

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While I was polishing, and taking breaks to help my business partner reassemble a transmission, R&L Freight showed up with my engine from Millers. 1 day shipping from North Carolina with regular freight, I can't complain.

Got it unpack and on my stand, started getting it ready for new parts.
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I will be transferring my ARP headstuds, ~1000 mile timing belt and timing pulleys, tensioner, and water pump from the old engine. As well as my 16g turbo, rebuilt throttle body, and o2 housing. So I am going to get all that stuff pulled off. As well as the extraneous vacuum lines and such.
 
Well with the help of my lovely girlfriend we got the engine ready to come out. Made a huge mess when my oil drain overflowed. Gonna go snatch the engine out tomorrow

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Got the bad engine stripped down. #4 is definently shot. You can move the rod up and down about about 2mm, maybe 3mm.
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Pressure washed my trans. Looks decent. I think I may take some aluminum brightener to it tomorrow then wash it some more.

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Got my turbocharger ASSY installed. New timing belt, pulleys, ARP Headstuds, and waterpump transferred to the engine from Millers.

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Well the car is running and driving as of today. So that is good. Got a pretty good boost leak that will need to be fixed.

At least that is what I suspect. I will run a BLT tomorrow, if they comes back good and I still have issues in boost I am gonna run out my old gas, and fill up with new. And also check my sparkplug gap.
 
Fixed a few boost leaks.. Shaft seals are still leaking even though I put new ones in there when I first got it. Going to look into finding some better seals.

Also need to find a more permanent way of shutting the large barb that comes out behind the throttle body. I've got a vacuum cap on there with a hose clamp, and some RTV inside the cap.

Also had to remove the npt -> hose barb fitting from the turbo outlet, some dumbass had broken one off in the turbo, then just screwed another one in about 3 threads, so it was leaking. I ended up having to drill it out, then use a self tapping screw and some RTV to get a good seal. I don't like it but I wasn't in a position to just weld it shut.
 
Still trying to chase bugs. I've got an oil leak, hopefully I manged to fix it. Will soon see.

Still having the miss issue, waiting on my shaft seals to get here so I can replace them.

I did purchase Evo Scan, already had a tactrix dongle, so I need to make a reflash init connector.

I made a battery tie-down from some sheet steel and a cut it to fit my pc680 odyssey battery then bent it to hold the battery securely and bolt to one of the stock battery tray bolt-holes. 10 or so minutes saved a good chunk of change I have to say. Had a piece of scrap sheet metal in my shop. So it was free.

Also finished up my projector retro this week. Morimoto Mini H1s. Painted the shrouds blue, did a cutoff color mod, graphite shrouds, morimoto led halos, and ebay purple demon eyes. I think they will probably bring me a lot of business into the shop. Just got them done today and already got several comments, and a few people asking for cards when I told them we build them at my shop.

Projectors on :
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Halos only
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Purple Demon eyes
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Bi-Xenon solenoid is tapped into the high beams inside the headlight. The HIDs are just plugged into the lows, since the 2gb headlights keep the lows on during highbeam operation. The Halos and Demon eyes are wired to +12v battery voltage at the fuse box, with an inline fuse holder. Then each are wired in series to a switch to ground inside the car. It gives me the ability to operate the demon eyes and halos independent of the headlights.
 
Did you get that sifter fixed? Mine broke in the same spot same weld.. I used a tap and die to put a bolt there in that center shaft and used a silicone washer and then a locking washer as the fix with it bolted together. I just uploaded the pics of it to my profile.
 
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No I just ordered a replacement from Miller Import Parts. I still have the broke one, I plan on welding it back together at some point incase I ever need it.

Still trying to find my oil leak.

Its pretty serious, getting all over the back of the engine bay under the intake manifold, dripping down on to the down pipe.

No oil on the timing belt though. So I am thinking its gotta be oil pan, OFH, or something besides front main/or oilpump (front cover) related seals/gaskets.
 
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