Street Build '97 Eclipse AWD GS-T (2006 to Present)

[banishedmunk]

Nothing but broken promises Corey. The people demand updates.

 

[sypherzero]

I waited so long for the update, I cut myself...

 

[gofer]

15OCT2011 - Naval Base Calendar Photo Shoot ​

I needed a few good shots of my car to submit for the Mitsu-Media 2012 calendar so I went out on my weekend off and snapped a few.

 

[gofer]

25OCT2011 - Parts Collection​

With vacation, work, and moving I had no time to put on the DSM goodies I had been collecting for months. Most of these things had been collecting dust but pulling them out and taking a few photos reminded me of all the stuff I still needed to do to the car. Unfortunately, my car tags were expired and I was on a mission to get it to pass California emissions before I could do anything else.

245/45/17 Hoosier DR's on Evo IX wheels

2g front bumper dzus fasteners

FP Race Manifold, SCE gaskets, and ARP hardware

Frontline Fabrication rear diff cover with girdle, Adam Porto solid rear subframe bushings and rear diff bushings, Boston Hatcher solid rear diff mounts.

Shaved valve cover with -10AN bungs.

Aeromotive Stealth 340 fuel pump.

 

[gofer]

21NOV2011 - Alternator Bolt Came Loose​

Close call! I was under the car to do an oil change and something caught my eye, my alternator bolt was all but completely out and just hanging on by a thread - literally! I don't even want to know the catastrophe that would have caused had that bolt dislodged while the engine was turning at 3k RPM.

 

[Rsawd95dsm]

Hey Gofer, where did you pick those front bumper quick releases at? Did you pick them up from the guy that makes and sells them on here? (I forget his ID)

 

[gofer]

2g DSM front bumper quick release kits

 

[gofer]

22NOV2011 - Back To Stock (CA Emissions)​

All the time/effort spent tossing performance parts on the car the government had spoken and wasn't budging. Although I lived in California I technically wasn't a resident because I was STATIONED there so, fortunately for me, I was able to get around getting my car SMOG tested in the state. The first 5 years I was good, however, the state I was registered in (Colorado) re-instated their emissions laws and was requiring me to have my car tested in the state I was stationed in before they'd send me new stickers.

Nothing like making things tough, now I know first hand how CA tuners feel, what a waste of time.

Anyway, I quit my bitching and started wrenching. Not too shabby...

Now it was just installing the charcoal canister and the spiderweb of vacuum lines.

 

[gofer]

25NOV2011 - Frontline Fabrication Spare Tire Well Block-off​

For those of you who have done the AWD swap and tossed in the 17" spare soon realized that thing doesn't fit. Because of this my spare tire well was practically useless and with the upcoming changes in the drivetrain, i.e., FF diff cover, diff mounts, etc. I realized I could make access to it easier and save some weight at the track.

Pulled out the sawz-all and went to town! I do suggest dropping the exhaust and sway bar because, if you're not careful, you'll cut right through them. Total weight savings was 19lbs in metal, this doesn't include the windshield wiper fluid tank or any of the garbage you find in there.

*Excuse the stock exhaust! Just trying to pass CA emissions...

 

[gofer]

03DEC2011 - Back To Stock Part II (CA Emissions)​

After a breather I got back to work, returning my car back to stock. This time it was just figuring out where all the vacuum lines route and raising the battery back to the stock location so I could install the charcoal canister. Seems simple but it was such a headache but, at any rate, after a few drive cycles I got ALL of the OBDII readiness checks to pass. Not too shabby for a 15yr old DSM running on 100% E85 and 950cc injectors.

Now it's time to find a shop that will test it with the AWD swap and FMIC upgrades that I couldn't "revert back" to stock.

 

[gofer]

11DEC2011 - Actual Lunar Eclipse​

Decided I'd get up early and snap a few shots of the lunar eclipse going on off my back patio, tough to shoot but still cool to watch. Eventually the moon completely disappeared as the earth lined up directly between it and the sun.

 

[gofer]

27DEC2011 - Mitsu-Media 2012 Calendar Shots​

The members over on Mitsu-Media nominated my car for ride of the month which automatically gets you a spot in their calendar, then they went on to vote me in for ride of the year and I got a spot on the calendar cover too! WOOT!

 

[sypherzero]

Car is simply stunning brother! Do you have any pictures of the bumper quick release kit installed?

 

[gofer]

I'm doing this in chronological order as I do/did mods, if you want to see them done look at Beau's gallery. EclipseGSX1736

 

[97GSXBOOSTIN]

25NOV2011 - Frontline Fabrication Spare Tire Well Block-off​

For those of you who have done the AWD swap and tossed in the 17" spare soon realized that thing doesn't fit. Because of this my spare tire well was practically useless and with the upcoming changes in the drivetrain, i.e., FF diff cover, diff mounts, etc. I realized I could make access to it easier and save some weight at the track.

Pulled out the sawz-all and went to town! I do suggest dropping the exhaust and sway bar because, if you're not careful, you'll cut right through them. Total weight savings was 19lbs in metal, this doesn't include the windshield wiper fluid tank or any of the garbage you find in there.

*Excuse the stock exhaust! Just trying to pass CA emissions...

View attachment 148402

View attachment 148403

Is this something that the made customer for you? I don't see this or the rear diff cover on there website.

 

[gofer]

Andrews site isn't the greatest and to get one you'll have to wait 5 years, give up your first born son, and contact him via ECMLink or his Frontline Fabrications FB page... and there's no sarcasm when I say you'll have to wait 5 years.

 

[97GSXBOOSTIN]

Andrews site isn't the greatest and to get one you'll have to wait 5 years, give up your first born son, and contact him via ECMLink or his Frontline Fabrications FB page... and there's no sarcasm when I say you'll have to wait 5 years.

damn, ill just do it with some sheet metal, thanks...your car is so sick btw

 

[Gearhead4G63]

man i just read you journal from begging to end, im highly impressed with the time and dedication you have put into your ride i myself am on my 4th year in the US ARMY, have done 2 tours already, i am home now, but my 2g has just been sitting my timing belt snapped on me, but you have motivated me to get off my ass and get her back on the road, and finish what i have started, i myself have a spyder but i want to do the awd swap myself, i look forward to seeing more on your car man, keep up the great work and thank you for your service. HOOAH!

 

[tylersmith2014]

i started to laugh when you said you went straight for the seats and the cop told you not to strip that the car

 

[TJCTalon]

Corey man we need some updates!

 

[gofer]

Ugh. I try to forget about this thread and how much more I need to update it to catch up to my present day build. I've got 6 days off starting this coming Friday, I may just come in here and make a year and some change worth of updates and get caught up.

Thanks for the reminder, I've just got to get off my lazy ass and pull out my EHD and start attaching images.

 

[wmrcs]

This is probably my favorite DSM ever. Thank you for building this beautiful machine!

 

[gofer]

This is probably my favorite DSM ever. Thank you for building this beautiful machine!

Thanks.

 

[gofer]

29JAN2012 - Three Speed SS Scatter Shield, Shep Cable Bracket Spacers & Shifter Cable Stiffeners Install​

I passed CA emissions so it was time to start putting everything back on, and then some. After I pulled all the emissions crap off the car it made sense to install the Three Speed scatter shield I bought off a buddy. It had already been powder coated gloss black by TCC and it matched everything in my bay pretty well. The install was easy too...

When I bought my transmission from Shep he also threw in a set of his cable bracket spacers, figured it was time to get them installed rather than sitting around the garage collecting dust.

When I installed my Mach V shifter cable stiffeners I also made a write-up for ---> http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/articles-drivetrain/425909-shifter-cable-stiffeners-install.html

I was definitely "winging" it as I couldn't find much on pressing them into the shifter cables, I used a c-clamp though and it worked great. Lucky I guess and it was a definite improvement from the stockers, something I wish I had done when I did the AWD/5-speed swap years ago.

Here's what they look like stock.

Here's the Mach V piece.

 

[gofer]

07FEB2012 - 2.3 Stroker Build​

I had been putting off building a motor for this thing for years and just hoping the stock 7-bolt would never pop. But, eventually, I came to the realization that a stock motor seeing over 100hp/cylinder is going to let go at some point and I want to have a bottom-end ready to drop in when it did.

I started doing some more detailed research and asked a few friends who had already built 2.3's but most of my advice came from Tim Zimmerman who's gone 9's in his 7-bolt 2.3. After ordering my parts and decided the route I wanted to go I gave Jackson Automotive Machine (JAM) a call as they were getting the assembly duties and I boxed up parts and block and sent it to Maryland.

The parts being sent consisted of...

• '99 7-bolt block with the revised thrust bearing
• Wiseco HD 9.0:1 CR Stroker Pistons - .020 over with a 22mm wrist pin
• Manley Turbo Tuff (Lightweight) I-Beams - ARP 2000 cap screws
• 7-bolt 4g64 stock crank