99 GS-T Spyder (WIP)

[flintoid]

This is the Build Thread for 99 GS-T Spyder (WIP). Reply below.

 

[flintoid]

Project car with 200k on the odometer- probably paid too much for it ($1,900- should have been a $750 car) but I was duped on the condition of the motor and transmission. The car sat in a barn for 7 years, so the rust isn't too bad- shock towers are in good shape, minimal rust under the car for a Ohio car, the most damage is on the radiator support. The top is some replacement the prior owner put on in a shit way. Seats are black leather and have tears, so covers or repair is in order. The motor has knock, but not always. I'm guessing it's a spun bearing or the timing job is ancient. It dumps oil out of the timing accessory side, so maybe it's just a timing job. Boost leaks like crazy, the engine gets hot, so all signs point to some issues with the timing accessories among other things. Either way, I'm picking up a running 4G63T from a 95 talon with 120k on it, tomorrow, which I'm psyched about from a local DSM expert who seems cool AF. I'll swap the CAS and it should be good to go. Replace the master and slave cylinders on the transmission which are shot, replace the clutch while I have easy access to it, and give the used motor a new timing job with new accessories when it's on the stand. The plan is to clean up the engine bay (sand, rust inhibitor plus paint), but not put a ton of work into it as I want it running more than anything so I can enjoy it with my kids when they are little. Rebuilding the old motor and redoing the brake lines, etc, and making it go faster is for when they're old enough to not think I'm cool anymore and I'll have time to put into it.

I'll document the work here and ask questions. And hopefully I learn a lot about the platform so I can share knowledge. A 2G turbo eclipse was my high school dream car (graduated in 02) and my wife's first car was a manual 2G red GST. So this car is pure nostalgia for her. And I wanted a convertible for the kids in the summer so ice cream on sundays can be a memory they have for the rest of their lives. Yeah, spyders are a nightmare, but if a nightmare can make great memories, I'm all about having it.

 

[flintoid]

Things I'm looking for:
-original chrome GST Sypder Wheels
-black leather front seats
-2G driver side mirror

Local preferred but I can drive if it's in a 3 hour range

 

[flintoid]

10-6-2023 Update:

Moved from Michigan to Massachusetts. I had 2 weeks to get the project buttoned up for a move. Things completed:

-pulled 7 bolt split thrust 99 block. Balance shaft belt is shredded and the harmonic balancer (crank pulley) was missing a bolt from previous owner = unbalanced. This probably shook the engine to death.
-99 7 bolt status: valve spring retainers borrowed, power steering bracket borrowed, timing tensioner arm borrowed, one broken oil pan bolt, unknown rod bearing condition (has engine knock)

-pulled old radiator lower support, welded in new radiator lower support
-painted engine bay (needs touch up after installing new engine - rookie mistakes were made)

-refreshed 95 Talon 4g63t. Block had 155-162 PSI compression test (bought this from user PLDSM on here, great dude. It was his daily driver talon's engine assembly)
-installed old school HKS 272 camshafts
-installed evo valve springs and retainers
-installed revised no tick lifters
-replaced valve seals
-ARP standard head studs
-cleaned head and block mating surfaces with razor blades. My timeline was short and this is something that I'm hoping doesn't bite me in the ass. Both surfaces didn't have any signs of the old gasket eating into the mating planes, but I didn't measure it with a height gauge to verify
-felpro composite gasket with copper spray
-gates timing belt + gates pulleys (Made in china) + new OEM timing belt tensioner (made in Japan)
-gates balance shaft pulley (china) + belt
-gates water pump (china)
-mitsubishi "small" 16g turbo (broke oil drain bolt into cartridge, needs to be removed by machine shop when I unpack the car in Massachusetts in the spring)
-ebay/no name exhaust manifold from previous owner installed, broke head stud and egged out - needs helicoil
-installed XTC "stage 4" 6 puck non sprung ebay clutch on F5M33 transmission. New OEM throw out bearing
-STM EGR delete plate

-99 AC compressor is different than 95 7 bolt compressors- need a 1995 AC line to reconnect AC to condenser/charcoal filter

-replaced driver side lower control arm with bolt hardware. Old one had a frozen bushing+bolt

long block / transmission assembly installed into car and wheeled into trailer. I still need to do the fuel mods, repair the turbo and head stud (rushing got me those errors), and plumb the clutch cylinders. The brake booster line needs "redone" with the one way valve (two broken hoses make one sort of thing) as well as vacuum lines sorted out with catch cans.

 

[flintoid]

Photo progress. The car now resides in a trailer waiting for the spring.

I ended up finding OEM GST wheels for it (spray painted black) for cheap right before moving. I also found a 3000gt keyfob as well as a CD changer cartridge from a 2001 Jeep Cherokee. I moved the old 7 bolt long block as well in hopes to possibly rebuild a split thrust 7 bolt down the road. I’m balls deep and not pulling out, now.

I’ll be part hunting until I get space to work on it again.

 

[flintoid]

Some notes on the condition of the car when I received it, based on stripping the 99 split thrust 7 bolt for parts for the 95 7 bolt:

-the balance shaft belt was shredded. So the engines balance shaft was not rotating
-the harmonic balancer had a broken bolt in it. So the engine assembly was further out of balance
-the engine oil had metal shards in it. Non magnetic so it’s likely got a spun bearing
-the oil that was “dumping” out of the timing side was a loose power steering hose
-clutch wasn’t engaging as the master cylinder was leaking fluid
-clutch surfaces were ok for a stock clutch
-coolant was low- only collected about a gallon
-transmission lubricant / oil wasn’t too bad- it was fluid
-rear window was stuck up but it was merely off of its rails
-convertivle top screw drive motor was missing a clip (found behind rear passenger interior panel)

And for fun, I found some Sparco seats to replace the thrashed black leather OEM seats. Yes, they are Sparco Torinos. Yes, they are clone correct for a clone of Brian O’Connor’s Kawasaki Green Eclipse RS. and I somehow have 3 of them in great shape. And no, I am not attempting to turn my SPYDAH into a clone. Just trying to get as many era correct parts into it as possible.