Knil
Probationary Member
- 2
- 0
- Nov 18, 2013
-
San Jose,
California
The story begins here:
Life takes some interesting turns and for some it is worse than others. I had recently made huge changes to my life and my living situation that at first looked drab and uncertain. Still is a bit of uncertainty but what I was that the choices I made would lead me to happiness. So 2 weeks after some deep soul searching I realized I had let a huge part of my life escape me which was my passion for motor vehicles. I had spent some time modifying the car which I assumed I would be stuck with forever and that was my Saturn...but I was never satisfied.
Some of you may be familiar with DSM Tuner "Atuca" who is right now in the midst of his G4CS stroker build. He has been a good friend of mine since grade school and was the main influence in this build. So, fast forward to today, soul searching complete, quick browse on Craigslist and I come across a 98 GSX with a rebuilt motor for $2,500. I am thinking to myself at this point...that is a steal after being used to seeing GSXs sell for $4-5k. So I jumped on it...called up Atuca since the car as local to him and asked him to take a look at it. The car was in bad shape...does not run, "air coming out of the intake", drive shaft was INSIDE the car. I can go on and on about how much work the car needs....but in the end, I picked it up for $1,500 after pointing out numerous flaws...so here she is:
Specifications/Current State:
*EVO3 turbo.
*Some brand of FMIC
*APEXI Exhaust (Hanging solely by muffler...)
*Engine supposedly rebuilt...I'll be the judge of that.
*No power steering.
*Battery improperly relocated to trunk, no battery enclosure, exposed negative and positive leads in engine bay... >.<
*Front bumper thrashed, bent, cracked...
*Front driver fender damage...
*Drive shaft is inside the car....
*Nice, boost, oil pressure, and air/fuel gauges.
*No passenger seat.
*Odometer was rolled backwards...*says 15 miles...haha.
*Black paint over red.
*Suspension drop, improperly, cut springs.
*Cracked windshield.
*All 4 tires do not match...big NONO on AWD.
Short Term Goals:
Bring the Car to Life
*Pull and inspect engine.
*Replace all seals, gaskets, bolts.
*Inspect and possible rewire for battery relocation.
*Ensure proper timing.
*Replace all rubber tubing and lines.
*Repair exhaust leaks.
*Secure exhaust.
*Boost leak test.
*Replace front bumper.
*Replace windshield.
*Basically repair all issues from current state preventing vehicle from moving on its own power.
Long Term Goals:
Off the Lot Quality
*Forged internals (If stock internals are trashed after engine inspection).
*Proper suspension/fully adjustable or proper drop.
*Tune for higher boost.
*Replace tires.
*Repair/repaint all body panels
*Repaint.
*Refurbish all interior fixings.
*Much more I am sure.
So while I am not new to DSMs thanks to Atuca, I am new to the whole rebuild experience. I am definitely looking forward to the finished product which should be and will be a shiny new looking car in the end. While this build may be more basic the most other builds on the forum, its a build nonetheless. Thanks for reading.
Life takes some interesting turns and for some it is worse than others. I had recently made huge changes to my life and my living situation that at first looked drab and uncertain. Still is a bit of uncertainty but what I was that the choices I made would lead me to happiness. So 2 weeks after some deep soul searching I realized I had let a huge part of my life escape me which was my passion for motor vehicles. I had spent some time modifying the car which I assumed I would be stuck with forever and that was my Saturn...but I was never satisfied.
Some of you may be familiar with DSM Tuner "Atuca" who is right now in the midst of his G4CS stroker build. He has been a good friend of mine since grade school and was the main influence in this build. So, fast forward to today, soul searching complete, quick browse on Craigslist and I come across a 98 GSX with a rebuilt motor for $2,500. I am thinking to myself at this point...that is a steal after being used to seeing GSXs sell for $4-5k. So I jumped on it...called up Atuca since the car as local to him and asked him to take a look at it. The car was in bad shape...does not run, "air coming out of the intake", drive shaft was INSIDE the car. I can go on and on about how much work the car needs....but in the end, I picked it up for $1,500 after pointing out numerous flaws...so here she is:
Specifications/Current State:
*EVO3 turbo.
*Some brand of FMIC
*APEXI Exhaust (Hanging solely by muffler...)
*Engine supposedly rebuilt...I'll be the judge of that.
*No power steering.
*Battery improperly relocated to trunk, no battery enclosure, exposed negative and positive leads in engine bay... >.<
*Front bumper thrashed, bent, cracked...
*Front driver fender damage...
*Drive shaft is inside the car....
*Nice, boost, oil pressure, and air/fuel gauges.
*No passenger seat.
*Odometer was rolled backwards...*says 15 miles...haha.
*Black paint over red.
*Suspension drop, improperly, cut springs.
*Cracked windshield.
*All 4 tires do not match...big NONO on AWD.
Short Term Goals:
Bring the Car to Life
*Pull and inspect engine.
*Replace all seals, gaskets, bolts.
*Inspect and possible rewire for battery relocation.
*Ensure proper timing.
*Replace all rubber tubing and lines.
*Repair exhaust leaks.
*Secure exhaust.
*Boost leak test.
*Replace front bumper.
*Replace windshield.
*Basically repair all issues from current state preventing vehicle from moving on its own power.
Long Term Goals:
Off the Lot Quality
*Forged internals (If stock internals are trashed after engine inspection).
*Proper suspension/fully adjustable or proper drop.
*Tune for higher boost.
*Replace tires.
*Repair/repaint all body panels
*Repaint.
*Refurbish all interior fixings.
*Much more I am sure.
So while I am not new to DSMs thanks to Atuca, I am new to the whole rebuild experience. I am definitely looking forward to the finished product which should be and will be a shiny new looking car in the end. While this build may be more basic the most other builds on the forum, its a build nonetheless. Thanks for reading.
