2015 Build Updates

[Priority DSM]

My 1999 2g GST build.

Have a look at the progression below.


Thanks!

 

[Priority DSM]

This is going to be my build journal....starting....NOW!

Currently have owned my 1999 2g GST for a year. My first DSM was a 1g Talon AWD I picked up in ~2002.

My Talon had a blown head gasket when I bought it (2002). Drove the shit out of it for a few days before deciding I was ready to fix it. I thought I could rescue it by swapping in a "JDM Cyclone". I was wrong. I was under skilled and way in over my head for this,my first project car. I was in my teens with that car (now I'm 32 and a little wiser....a little).

So needless to say my first experience with DSM's started on a shakey foot. This brings us to present day.

-Present Day-

Weary of blowing my 1999 2g GST like my Talon nightmare,I am starting my build with a more conservative approach. I want to do supporting mods first. I want to make sure my engine is up to the task of handling the upgrade paths that are generally followed.

Maintenance
-water pump/timing belt
-fluids/spark

Bolt-ons
-Mishimoto Performance Aluminum Radiator/Silicone Hoses
-S*RS Turbo back. 2.5" down pipe cat delete, 3" cat delete back
-hard pipe intake K&N style filter

This is my starting point. Follow along the journey. Should have more parts on soon....

 

[Priority DSM]

December 17, 2014

Wheels came in today! JNC/XxR 521's. 18x8 +34 fronts. 18x9 +34 rears. A bit heavy but such is the price paid for style points. I picked them up as a set off eBay. I payed for them yesterday. The seller (wheel dealer) called me last night to verify my vehicle to check for fitment issues. He said he will try and get them out that night. This call came about 6pm. The tracking info had a delivery date of 8 days. Which is why,to my surprise, I was thrown off guard when the tell-tale sounds of a UPS truck pulling up in front of my place shocked me. 11am I had delivery of 4 brand new wheels! WHAT! That was like a 17 hour turn around from payment to arrival. Never in my life have I ordered something and got it that quick. Props to the seller and big brown for their diligence. (Free shipping to boot)

The tires, I just picked up from a local Craig's List deal. 235/40/18's all around. Nothing special but at least they are Z rated. Paid $100. Pretty close to new. Seller had them on his 9.5" wides and said they "didn't have enough stretch". 2000 miles on them. Lol. His stance fails are my gain

I don't plan on bolting on the wheels until I can get a decent suspension sorted. I am not looking into getting DONK with my ride. Hopefully I will score a set of coilovers soon.

As always, stay tuned and keep on tuning.

 

[Priority DSM]

Happy New Year!

UPDATE-

Ordered TEIN's Flex (street) Dampers this morning. I will do a basic install thread with pics when they come in. Also added about 10 more things to my wish list.

Axed myself a question this morning... "Why do I spend so much money on my car?"

Quickly answered myself- BECAUSE DSM!

Be safe. Build on builders. Looking forward to a car focused 2015. Gotta make that money tho. $$$$$_DSM_$$$$$

 

[Priority DSM]

First week of 2015 in the books! Off to a good start.

Glow shift pillar pod (3) came in along with boost gauge (Autometer Pro-Comp ultra-light). Waiting on some more PayPal funds to clear so I can pick up the AEM UeGO along with a true oil pressure monitoring solution from Autometer. Then I will install the gauges all at once.

TEINS Flex dampers arrived this morning while I was at work! This weekend will be rolling gear attention. Have to run around town to get the tires mounted on the new rims (see previous post). I hope to have it buttoned up tomorrow and some new pics up!

Fun.

A lot of other little odds and ends stacking up in the corner as well, stay tuned for the next step in the build!

Rock n Roll.

 

[91AwdBigRed]

Clean car , I like the wheel choice

 

[Tiny Jake]

good work

 

[Silver gryffon]

Just curious. What is your end goal?

 

[Priority DSM]

Just curious. What is your end goal?

Hope to have a street-able ride. Moderate HP gains. The ability to tune via ECM Link. Not building to impress anyone but myself. If I can get in my car and have fun and smile then I've reached my end goal.

That being said- I want everything. ALL THE PARTS.

 

[Priority DSM]

So TEINS are in. The install only took about 2.5 hours but I spent the better part of the afternoon pulling wheels off multiple times to make adjustments.

I have to do a few more adjustments to get everything perfect but my wrench hand was cramping up on me.

This is my first coilover experience install and ownership. In hindsight,it really is a lot of work and for future builds I would probably stick with the Koni yellows and springs.

THERE IS A REASON ALL THE WISEMEN TELL US TO USE THAT SUSPENSION SET UP. SOME OF US CHOOSE TO LISTEN. OTHERS ARE LEFT TURNING ADJUSTMENT WRENCHES ALL DAY.

All in all I am pleased with the results. Plus it keeps me out of the bars

In the failing light. I will post some better pics once I get the car washed.

Later friends.

 

[Silver gryffon]

Very nice. I'm looking at about the same type for my 98 gst. 275 to 300 hp and steet legal.

 

[Priority DSM]

Very nice. I'm looking at about the same type for my 98 gst. 275 to 300 hp and steet legal.

Yeah. I'm in California so every 2 years I have to pretty much go back to stock to pass our emissions. You don't realize how fast 2 years goes by when you are at constant war with the "sniffer".

I would like 275-300hp. Daily driver. FWD sucks tho. I already spin through 1st and 2nd with just the mods I have. Nothing I despise more than excited Honda Boy Racer proudly shouting at me from the next stop light after the run "it's just got an intake". No amount of my traction argument will break his spirit. Damn him,damn him to hell

 

[Silver gryffon]

Then, we need to solve the traction problem, heh heh heh. Hopefully, this helps:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/i-have-fwd-traction-issues.162278/

 

[kikoskills]

Nice!!

 

[Priority DSM]

2-12-2015 Update

Been a few weeks since I added anything to my build log so I thought I would document what I have on the table.

- Shopping at ExtremePSI!

So I ordered all my fuel system upgrades earlier this week.
-Wally 255
-FIC fuel rail (red)
-ExtremePSI "bundle deal" Fuel Lab Fuel Pressure Reg and AN line kit
-ExtremePSI "bundle deal" Fuel Lab Fuel Filter and AN line kit
-all new seals

Tracking says Monday. Can't wait.

- Trip to the PowderCoater

Sent a shaved valve cover to the powder coater. Getting a smooth coat of RD-01. Hopefully it will be ready tomorrow. I will throw pics up as soon as it is done.


By the end of next week I am hoping to have a completely transformed engine bay!


After my fuel mods are in I will be cranking up the boost a little and roll on that for a while untill I can save up more money for my next planned mods.

-front mount
-DSMLINK
-Hope to have enough funds together to work out a "Let's make a deal" at FP for a whole new complete turbo set up. I feel it's time my DSM went green

I spent half of my taxes on the fuel components from ExtremePSI ($600) As money comes in I set aside a few bills here and there. I am trying to do at least one major mod a month per the "upgrade path".

Stay tuned. Pics coming soon.

 

[Priority DSM]

Oh yeah. I forgot....

I did my timing belt/water pump a few months back and I developed a HUGE oil leak. Like 2 quarts a week kinda leak!

A few days ago I went back in to fix the leak. All new seals. Cam,main,balance shaft. Even though the timing belt I had on was only ~600 miles old, I decided to throw the Gates Blue Belts on.

Long story short. For newbies. While you are doing your water pump/timing R&R. DON'T FORGET THE SEALS! They are so easy to change and they need to be changed when doing the belt. The added tension a new timing set up adds to the system will put new stress on old seals and you will get bad leaks.

Nothing more fun than doing your first DSM timing belt job only to do it again two months later.

Oh well. You live and learn. Always remember your mistakes. Pass along helpful info.

-later brothers

 

[Priority DSM]

ExtremePSI came through!

Look at all this shine and newness.

Something about fresh billet just makes me feel powerful. It's like kryptonites' opposite for the tuner world. I guess that would make cash the kryptonite (I can't keep it around me)

I was reading other forum posts about the FIC fuel rail installs people were doing and some folks seemed to have issues with crooked injectors and leaks. What I have noticed on the fuel rail stanchions/stand-offs (mounting brakets) is, they have some wiggle room. My guess is that when installing the injectors it will probably serve best to line everything up loosely and THEN tighten all the mounting bolts in the final location. This will allow you to keep the injectors level and positioned correctly. The same method used when installing an exhaust system. This is all just theory. Bench testing. We shall see the outcome when out into practice this coming weekend (crosses fingers).

ALSO! Shaved valve cover is done. Powder Coater called me this afternoon and it's ready to be picked up. Sick. I will get that after work tomorrow. Pics to come, natch.

PS- fun times

 

[Priority DSM]

Back from the Powder Coaters. Nice and smooth. And RED.

 

[Priority DSM]

So a few things installed over the weekend.

Pillar pod with gauges. Boost is fully functional. The AEM needs the DP bung installed. And the oil pressure needs the sender installed. All wires have been run to the appropriate locations.

I, like many, will claim disdain for wiring and electrical, however, the process is usually more cathartic than hindrance. I actually enjoy it once I get in the "focus zone".

With all the wires for the UEGO, oil pressure, and the boost line, the glowshift pillar pod would NOT fit as an overlay to the stock pillar trim. I had to pop the stock piece out and use the pillar pod by itself. Not a problem. It turned out really well.

The install took a few hours. Prepping the gauges while in the pod to daisy chain all the common wires. I looked up the current draw for a set of Autometers and for a full set running full tilt they pull .6 amps. Instead of cutting into my cigarette lighter wires I went straight to the source. I used a product called "Add a Circuit". This product plugs into a fuse slot and has a wire coming off the back. It allows you to add a circuit (imagine that) to an existing fuse. I used the cigarette lighter fuse slot. Couldn't have been more simple and the result is fully reversible without hacking wires and pulling brittle trim.

-----------


Also. Got a few more chassis parts in!

DC Sports Carbon Series strut bars. Front and rear. Installed in less than 2 minutes. Very nice product. Didn't install the front bar yet as I plan on taking everything off the top of my motor to do the valve cover and fuel system.....and intercooler pipes....and NGR BOV. Just waiting on NGR group buy BOV to come in.

 

[Priority DSM]

March 8, 2015

Installed NGR BOV (group buy) and side mount hard intercooler pipes. Wow! What a difference. Boost comes on hard and holds, well, as hard as a T25 can I guess.

The pipe install was a bit of a fight. When I got everything together I took it for a drive. MAJOR BOOST LEAK! So took everything off and re-tightened the hose clamps. I also put RTV on the BOV flange, when I looked at the gasket from the BOV, I could clearly see that it was only compressed around the bolt edges. After doing these things- NO MORE BOOST LEAKS! So I guess RTV it is from now on. You live and learn.

I like doing mods in steps as you can really feel if something is hurting or helping.

I highly recommend intercooler piping and BOV for 2g owners. So far it is the most bang for the buck "pants dyno" boost in power I've had so far.

To be continued....

 

[donniegst]

How do u like the coilovers

 

[Priority DSM]

How do u like the coilovers

They are really nice. They ride smooth when cruising and hold in hard corners. They came alive after I added the DC Sports strut tower bars though.

I can take 30mph corners at 60+mph with total confidence. I am not even pushing it to its limits either.

They took a little bit of setting up to get it how I wanted. I am pretty low. One finger between fender and tire. I run on 18x8 +35 fronts and 18x9 +35 in the rear with 235's. I had to cut the rear fenders inside because it was shaving off rubber

I still get some tire rub under hard turns when I hit the hard bumps. But the car sits and looks how I wanted it to.

If you want some pics of how it sits currently let me know.

If I had to do it all over again though, I would just buy 2" drop springs on some Koni yellows. About the same price. Once I got the TEINS adjusted I now just leave them alone. I had to take the wheels off at least 10 times to make adjustments. A lot of work for what I use the car for. Could have put the yellows/springs on once and been happy.

 

[Priority DSM]

I just wanted to show off this weekends detail work. Like a proud dad cramming pictures of his kid all over your Facebook wall.

So here we go. This is just a violently blatant, self promotional, stroke my ego, look at me post. It will also go into my build journal....but nobody got time fo' dat.

Still tons more work to do to get it to the level I really want it to be. I still have tons of parts sitting in my living room that are 100% smog killers (thanks Obama) so in a few weeks I should have a few more details added once I can get through my smog checks. Stay tuned!

 

[miliman13]

Like the build! We have a few matching parts good too see DSM in the build journals.

 

[Priority DSM]

Like the build! We have a few matching parts good too see DSM in the build journals.

Thank you kind sir.