96 Eclipse GS Clean Build

[galantracer53]

this is very inspiring to me as a 99 420A owner......and just a stock GS becuz all i really ever hear about moding them is to get rid of it and buy a gsx and i really dont wanna do that so its good to see someone else feels like that. good job btw! i was acutely gonna replace all the lights in the car with blue leds being most of the HVAC controls dont light up anyway and neither do most of the other switches...so im glad i got to see what it acutely looked like!

how many led bulbs did you need to replace all of the lights and swap them to leds??

 

[mitecl96]

this is very inspiring to me as a 99 420A owner......and just a stock GS becuz all i really ever hear about moding them is to get rid of it and buy a gsx and i really dont wanna do that so its good to see someone else feels like that. good job btw! i was acutely gonna replace all the lights in the car with blue leds being most of the HVAC controls dont light up anyway and neither do most of the other switches...so im glad i got to see what it acutely looked like!

how many led bulbs did you need to replace all of the lights and swap them to leds??

Go for it man, I hate hearing sell it and get a gsx. That doesn't answer the question. It's your car and you know what you want to do to it. You can get power out these motors. Heck cheapest fast way is get the turbo motor from a Dodge Neon. Just an engine swap, still the same block so bolts right up almost, you'll have 250 hp when the gsx and gst only come with I believe 220 hp. That's with the stock turbo pushing 15 psi. Upgrade just the turbo to push 20 to 25 psi with stock internals, still safe psi. You get about 350 psi. Other words its not much different. So who cars the model, yeah I'd like awd, but I didn't buy that so it's out the equation. It's your car, just because it's not a gsx doesn't mean you can't do anything to it.

Now the lights, to me was easy but stuff like that is easy to me. I don't have to many pictures of how I did it but would be glad to help. Just pm me or to help other people out go to my one post about them and just ask questions, I will answer them and not tell you to search cause there isn't much about them. I'm here to help not be a dick and not stupid questions. I followed the tec articles on here and really the only problem I had was doing the fog/mirror/cruise switches cause if I just did blue 3 leds in a roll they burnt out but simple fix add a fourth one. Fixed my problem and now they are fine.
As of how many you really can't buy to many. Go on ebay, 120 led light strip is less than $5 shipped. I bought 4 strips, 2 blue and 2 white. I still have lots of leds left. Than 50 of the tiny leds, cause you WILL lose some and burn up some while your soldering. And take your time. The longest part of this whole thing is waiting forever for the leds to get to you. Took me a month. Here is the leds I got.

Blue 120CM LED Strip Car Auto Motorcycle Flexible Grill Light Lamp Bulb 12V | eBay
50pcs Blue 1206 Super Bright SMD SMT LED Lamp Light | eBay

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/hangout/438480-need-pictures-please.html

 

[necrotopsy]

Heck cheapest fast way is get the turbo motor from a Dodge Neon. Just an engine swap, still the same block so bolts right up almost,

It's not nearly as easy as what you're making it sound. and you don't use a srt4 block, you use a EDZ block (cloud car) and keep the 420a head, but you can use srt-4 internals.
It's not simple to do.


btw, good progress on your car.

 

[mitecl96]

It's not nearly as easy as what you're making it sound. and you don't use a srt4 block, you use a EDZ block (cloud car) and keep the 420a head, but you can use srt-4 internals.
It's not simple to do.


btw, good progress on your car.

Well nothing is simple. Takes work to make power. I didn't mean to sound snappy on that post, wasn't having the best of days.

And thanks, just wish she was running already. I am getting a little farther on it though.

Got the dash out to finally put a heater core back in the car, going to need heat by the time I get this car running again.

Everything had to stay in the car, engine parts and everything else is taking up all the space in the shed.

Heater core, thanks to 96ETT.

Still got to put the rest together, but bored so I working on getting the cigarette lighter replaced and getting some LEDs mounted.

Also I am trying to get my paint back to looking good. Sitting out in the sun under a tree with no wax on it, she needs some TLC. Took the wing off to get it waxed and clayed better. And I really like it wingless.

Got the crank turned. Turns out the mains were turned before, but they just needed polished. The rods on the other hand had to be turned .05 over.

Parts came in today when I get a ride I'm taking them to the machine shop to get that done. Pistons, rings, and bearings.

Also the sealer for the bedplate came in and Summit went over board on the box .

If I can find a engine stand I can start the rebuild. Really don't want to risk it building the motor on the shed floor.

 

[mitecl96]

My gasket and head bolts came in today. Exciting almost got everything.

Than working on still putting the dash back in but first finish some of the led work.

Now just a few more things and the interior will be back together

 

[mitecl96]

I got the block on the stand and put the crank in. Got three of the pistons in. I have to get a second rod unsuspectingly. Comes in Monday so I got to wait.

 

[mitecl96]

Well I have got a lot done, just waiting on a few things.

Had to wrap it up for a few days till I could fix the valve cover and get the oil pan on.

Everything is on just waiting for the timing kit and the water pump to be ordered tomorrow hopefully.
I do say that it has turned up to look a lot better than I planned just cant wait to drop it in.

Just waiting for the engine.

 

[roguber]

I love your work, I will be awaiting developments.

 

[mitecl96]

Thanks, I'm hoping to have it running by mid next week. I'm excited and can't wait to drop it in. There will be a few things not painted like the exhaust manifold and the powersteering pump due to they are going to be replaced so didn't want to wast time.

 

[mitecl96]

Finally got everything together and already did the 20 mile break in on the motor. Just have one oil leak to fix and she will be back to being my dd.

I am planning on replacing the exhaust. Head all the way to the tip, and also I have to replace the power steering pump. but other than that most of it all is there to stay for a while.

 

[mitecl96]

Had an oil leak above the oil filter between the bed plate and the block. I had pinched the o'ring. So long store I had to pull the bed plate.
Figured I would save the trouble and do it with the engine in the car. It was completely easy. The only pain in the whole thing was putting the transmission back in.

Came up with engine stand mount bolted to the block and held up with a jackm to support the block. Worked great.

Got everything back together and fixed the leak.

The oil leaks i still need to address is a leak on the firewall from the heat core hose, and the exhaust leaks from everywhere beside the manifold.

But planing on getting a full exhaust.

 

[j5productions]

This is great man, i love the ideas, i will soon be adding some LEDs to my dash!

 

[mitecl96]

The LEDs will be fun. It wasn't really that hard or time consuming. The longest thing was waiting forever for the LEDs to get here.
The only problem I ran into was the tec. post I was following the white LEDs only needed to run in a series of 3 but what I learned quickly is the blue LEDs burnt out quickly in a series of 3 so I added a 4th one and works perfect.

 

[Jesse2012]

Wow this is actually pretty awesome, it looks good! It's not too often someone puts time and effort into making a n/t nice again, but now you'll have a dd for when you get a gsx! If you're still planning to, that is

 

[mitecl96]

Thanks, I want to end up doing something to this car. Something different and don't see many worked on. It will always be a dd.

I am wondering on getting the GSX or the 3000GT VR4. I know I want a turbo and AWD. It won't see a drag strip, but tracks and auto-crosses.

 

[mitecl96]

Got bored and decided to throw together a video of all the work done to my cat.
2G Eclipse Build - YouTube

 

[ReckReason86]

Amazing work. Glad im not the only one putting effort into a 420

 

[mitecl96]

Well my best friends got me a Christmas gift. Finally got time to paint it a semi gloss black to match everything else.

 

[mitecl96]

Finally got a valve cover. It's shaved and it was half off couldn't beat that price with it being powder coated.

 

[mitecl96]

Well around Christmas time I got bored and tired of my sockets going crazy in my tool box if a fly landed on it. I hate being unorganized so I bought a $20 tool box foam. Figured out my lay out, traced onto paper, cut it out, got a small dremel tool and cut it out. The big gaps are for the missing size. All I put in my tool box is metric, hate standard and no need for it.

Was not keeping that valve cover yellow, was going to see if anyone said anything. I was shaved and half off sale for the holidays. I was going to get a gold powder coated one but it was missing the breather.
I sanded the whole thing smoothed. By the way the worst powder coat job and I don't know what the heck these people did. Every whole was countersunk, there was over spray powder coat in the seal lips, and dirt all in the paint.

See how the holes are countersunk?

Well got it all painted to match the rest the bay.

Regular vs. shaved. I like them shaved. Looks way cleaner.

Me and my friend were talking and going to order another set of bolts to get rid of the ones that have the long stud coming off the top of the head. Well he mentioned putting a 1'' long spikes on them instead. So when I got the extra set of bolts I gridded them shorted so the spikes would sit flush and did enough to do all the bolts besides the one under the coil pack.

Now the finished product.

Finally got to a pull a part for the first time. And I went crazy. I went to get my door latch fixed and ended up getting stock powered mirrors, missing clips in the interior, a rear view mirror, a COMPLETE WORKING sunroof for $25, and a first gen. steering wheel. My friend came up with this idea and I like it and a way better horn. (never seen it before till I looked up how to fix the aftermarket horn and he had one ha )

Well went to check everything on my eBay suspension after a year of driving it as a dd. Everything has held up beside the cheap front camber kit, (see bad day Thread).

Front tires look like the on both sides, no idea why. But also was stupid and haven't ever got them rotated like I use to so that doesn't help. But very even wear I think.

Now my back tires still look like brand new and evenly wore also.

Now after a year on eBay shocks and springs and polyurethane bushing everything is still in great shape. Still rides amazing for how low it sits. I would say it rides better than most lowered cars I've been in.

After I looked at everything I put the bold tires on the back. Is this a bad mistake. I know when I spun out a year ago, it was because my bad tires.

On the way to the pull a part it was raining and at one point the car swimming in the back. I can't think of the word. Should I put the bold tires up front anyone know if its a better idea.

 

[whitewidow50]

dude i wish i can do more then a motor reabuil i wanna take of a whole block and trany and i love how your leds ganna be looking i think ima get those with a fresh half blak and half white body

 

[necrotopsy]

On the way to the pull a part it was raining and at one point the car swimming in the back. I can't think of the word. Should I put the bold tires up front anyone know if its a better idea.

Hydroplaning

Leave the good tires on the front.
It's easier to control a FWD car that's over steering than it is to control a FWD car with no front traction.

with that said, replace your tires ASAP in the back.

 

[mitecl96]

I moved them back to the front for now. I live on a curvy road and my back end sliding out scares the crap out of me. With them up front I seem to still have great traction. Once I am able to get them replaced I will but $220 is hard to save up when you only make $100 a week.

 

[grothe3297venge]

I moved them back to the front for now. I live on a curvy road and my back end sliding out scares the crap out of me. With them up front I seem to still have great traction. Once I am able to get them replaced I will but $220 is hard to save up when you only make $100 a week.

WTF.. I make more then that a week donating plasma . Go to a tire place and find some decent used tires for the rear and swap the decent tires to the front.

 

[mitecl96]

Yeah my job sucks cause I get no hours hours and I can't find another. But I'll look to see if I can fine used but I couldn't last time I looked