Street Build '91 TSI AWD 75k mile time capsule resto mod

[Turbski91]

I’m at the stage in my build where I’m deciding what paint to use for my under body, and rear end parts. I was originally thinking about using por-15, but the paint you used looks nice too. Have you used it on other builds? What’s the durability of it?

 

[Capt Obvious]

This was my first time using the Raptor. It was recommended to me by a friend that owns an autobody shop that does a lot of high end restorations and he uses it on the undercarriage of most of his builds.

The Krylon enamel I've used on lots of stuff over the years and it's a pretty tough paint if it's not getting a bunch of rocks thrown at it and stuff. I've used it on the rock sliders on my Toyota and things like that and it works great. If your car has rust the POR-15 would probably be a good idea. My car has essentially zero rust so I just painted it for cosmetic reasons and to prevent rust in the future.

 

[Turbski91]

This was my first time using the Raptor. It was recommended to me by a friend that owns an autobody shop that does a lot of high end restorations and he uses it on the undercarriage of most of his builds.

The Krylon enamel I've used on lots of stuff over the years and it's a pretty tough paint if it's not getting a bunch of rocks thrown at it and stuff. I've used it on the rock sliders on my Toyota and things like that and it works great. If your car has rust the POR-15 would probably be a good idea. My car has essentially zero rust so I just painted it for cosmetic reasons and to prevent rust in the future.

I live in south eastern PA so my car has seen its fair share of salt. Not too bad just surface. I’ll stick to por-15 seems like a lot of people like it.

 

[92AWDHX40]

Por 15 is really good I use it.

 

[Capt Obvious]

Got the rear control arms done, or at least the fabrication part. Still trying to decide if I should get all the rear suspension parts powder coated or stick with epoxy paint.

I got a rear toe eliminator kit from whiteshedspeed.com and I'm really happy with the quality. I cut off the pinch weld on the outside edge of the arms to make room for wider wheels, so I added some reinforcement to that area to cover the hole. It's probably overkill, but now I know I can fit any wheels I want.

I also plugged the ABS sensor hole while I was at it to keep water out of there.

 

[92AWDHX40]

Looks good i had to do the same thing when i installed my volk parts back there, looks good etch prime it and paint, or powder coat if you can.

 

[Capt Obvious]

This weekend's project is addressing the rear subframe mounts. All the aftermarket options were too expensive for my budget for this car so I decided to make my own with good ol' fashioned 3M Window Weld. It has a hardness of around 60 so it should stiffen things up but not be too stiff.

First step was getting all the dry rubber out of the old mounts but leaving just enough to hold the bushings in place. This was done with a combination of a drill, jig saw, and some stabby action with a flathead screwdriver.

Then it was time for the messy part. Wear some thick gloves if you ever work with this stuff, it's messy and is so sticky it will rip your gloves if they're thin.

Now we just give a few days to cure then I can sand it down a bit to look nice and get the subframe ready for paint.

 

[DreamChaser7]

I didn’t know you could use window weld for that. Pretty cool ingenuity!

 

[92AWDHX40]

Yes they have been using that for years, especially in the front mount to replace the worn out mount bushings.

 

[Capt Obvious]

It's a really popular thing to do with motor mounts, people have been doing it for decades. All of the pre-made options for these cars are $200+ so I figured for $30 and an hour and a half of my time I'd go this route. The Window Weld sets up pretty quickly (especially since it's raining so the extra humidity in the air speeds up its cure time) so I'm hoping to get the subframe wire wheeled, sanded, and ready for paint today.

 

[Capt Obvious]

Small update: Got the subframe and suspension parts prepped and painted this weekend. I use my 6x10 enclosed trailer as a paint booth whenever possible since I don't care about overspray in it, and it gets pretty warm if it's sitting in the sun.

I decided against powdercoat for a couple reasons: one is cost and two is I think it's a bit overkill for a project like this. I've been using a rattle can epoxy made by VHT and I've been really pleased with it. It sprays well, you can spray it on pretty thick without drips, and it seems to be pretty tough based on other things I've painted with it previously.

All was going great until I used a brand new can for the final coat... I couldn't tell while it was spraying, but as it started to dry it became obvious that the color and sheen of this can was off (more of a matte dark gray than the gloss black it's supposed to be).

So now I'll need to scuff everything and re-do my final coat. Once that is done I can finally start putting everything back together though.

 

[Turbski91]

Painting is always the hardest part of the build for me. Lol

 

[Capt Obvious]

Everything is painted finally and I was able to the get the subframe back in the car along with the "new" 4-bolt rear end and the control arms. Holy hell, getting the sway bar hooked up was a pain in the arse.

Good progress, bad pictures.

Next up is cleaning up the rear brakes and rebuilding the axles.

 

[Turbski91]

What brand ball joints are those?

 

[Capt Obvious]

Lower control arm joints are OEM with polyurethane boots. The upper arms are from 3SX and have Moog ball joints.

3SX Adjustable Rear Control Arms - DSM 90-94 Gen1 AWD - Mitsubishi Eclipse Eagle Talon (Pair)

The world's oldest and largest 3000GT and Dodge Stealth Source for Performance, Maintenance, and Service

www.3sx.com

 

[92AWDHX40]

Im running volk upper and tie eliminator and stock lower with moogs all around

 

[Capt Obvious]

Holy hell, getting the sway bar hooked up was a pain in the arse.

I feel like such an idiot right now, but I'm also disappointed in all of you for not catching this: my sway bar was a huge pain in the ass to reinstall because I installed it wrong. I just realized it goes on TOP of the control arm.

 

[Turbski91]

I feel like such an idiot right now, but I'm also disappointed in all of you for not catching this: my sway bar was a huge pain in the ass to reinstall because I installed it wrong. I just realized it goes on TOP of the control arm.

Happens to the best of us! Iv seen people put head gaskets on backwards. Lol

 

[Capt Obvious]

Final stretch on getting the car back together. Just need to rebuild the axles and take care of some punch list items and it will be back on the ground again. Then I can tear the front suspension apart and hopefully get it back on the road for the summer.

 

[Turbski91]

Give us a good review on those BC coil overs! My buddy just got a set for his 25 STI and i was super impressed with how they rode. Hopefully they’re good for our platform too!

 

[Capt Obvious]

I had them on the car for around 400 miles before I tore it apart. For the money I'd say they are the best suspension option out there for these cars. BC has been around for quite awhile and have established themselves as a solid mid-tier option.

They are a popular option in the VW world, with most of the tuner brands (Subaru, Honda, etc.) and have been getting more popular in the Porsche world recently (I may even swap out my very track-focused JIC suspension in my 996 Turbo for a set of BCs to make it more comfortable for street driving).

 

[CrackedDSM]

Jesus Christ.


Way to make a guy feel inadequate. This is like a wet dream of what I'd like to do with the Talon.

Oh btw your sway bar is installed wrong.

 

[DreamChaser7]

Jesus Christ.


Way to make a guy feel inadequate. This is like a wet dream of what I'd like to do with the Talon.

It has since made me change my parts list from Feals to BCs.

 

[92AWDHX40]

Mmm I may be changing out my coilovers to bc as well.

 

[Capt Obvious]

It has since made me change my parts list from Feals to BCs.

The Feals get a lot of good reviews too, though I don't have any direct experience with them. Based on what I've heard/seen on other forums if you plan to use the car for track duty it might be worth the extra money for the Feals. If it's purely a street car or you aren't super concerned with ultimate track performance the BCs are a good choice. Considering the only other real coil over option for these cars now are the Megan coils, I would (and did) absolutely choose the BCs.

I think my only complaint about the BCs so far is the spring rates are a tad too stiff, but that could be because I haven't set them up correctly yet.