bane3d
15+ Year Contributor
- 627
- 17
- Aug 30, 2005
-
St Peters,
Missouri
Back Story:
My first 4G63:
I had to buy a minivan in 2004 and at the time I was driving a 99 Elantra which happens to have a 4G63. Very minor first time mods, it had a CAI and a front stront bar. I had put in a decent sound system and down some minor things to speed it up. I had got on it a week earlier and while flooring it down the highway, it popped the head gasket and I had a huge cloud of white smoke come out the back end. It looked like the smoke screen in the car from Spy Hunter. My wife and I decided to hit the dealership and we bought the minivan and I bought a crappy Saturn SL1 that was a stick. While signing the paperwork, I watched this beautiful mint condition Eclipse GSX pull up with a little old lady and her husband get out. I looked at my wife and said, who ever gets that car is getting a deal. I dismissed the car since I was already settled on the Saturn (it was very economical) After one day of driving, I saw a huge oil spray on the bottom of the hood and took it back saying that they messed up the headgasket they told me that they replaced and I didn't trust this car. Now while turning it back in, the guy mentioned the GSX I saw the previous day. I go out to it and take the wife for a drive. This was my first turbo car and the only thing wrong with it was that it was an automatic. After a long discussion, the wife talked me in to buying it.
The addiction:
I loved modding and knew what the potential of the 4G63 was but didn't realize just how much. I stumbled around looking for a good site and came upon DSMTuners. Immediately I was hooked. I read the entire 1000 questions. the VFAQ, and every document I could. I memorized the locations of all parts and was heavy in to the car. I was just waiting to finish paying it off. (Turns out the little old lady was a yoga instructor and this was her "scoot-a-bout").
Stabbed in the back:
My wife took my car out to Wisconsin for a 10 day get away and on the way back while outside of Chicago, the car broke down. She said all of the lights came on all at once and smoke started pouring out of the car. She pulled over and luckily had a friend in town pick her up. The car was towed to a local trusted mechanic.
Figuring it out:
I had the mechanic do a compression test and he said it was 0-60-75-0. The engine was dead. I decided he wasn't capable of fixing it (I had to explain how to do the compression test) and started looking for a shop in St Louis. I couldn't find 1 reliable shop in the entire city, but I found AMS in Chicago. I ended having a 6 bolt built for me, shipped to AMS, and had them install it. While at it, I had them install prothane motor mounts and an IPT Torque converter. I also had a new steering rack installed (mine was leaking badly) and all maintenance to make it reliable. This car had to last a long time.
Falling in love again:
I bought a ticket, flew to Chicago, took a cab to AMS, and picked up my car. I started it up and it was a louder and the whole car vibrated. I knew it would vibrate a little but man, it felt like I was in my friends 68 Cutlas. During the trip from Chicago to St Louis, I varied my speed the whole time and didn't go over 65. A very difficult thing for a lead foot like me. By the time I was back in St Louis, I was back in love with my car.
3 weeks later, stabbed in the back again:
So 1 month later, I'm getting ready to change the oil this weekend and put in an inline filter between the valve cover and intake along with doing the free mods (the car has been paid off). While taking my wife with me to pick up my daughter, the car makes a loud screech and lurches to a stop in the middle of the road. I turn off the car and pop it in to neutral. While my wife steers, I push it up hill and out of traffic (not an easy feat). I tow it back to the house and the next day look to see the carnage. I find this:
My first 4G63:
I had to buy a minivan in 2004 and at the time I was driving a 99 Elantra which happens to have a 4G63. Very minor first time mods, it had a CAI and a front stront bar. I had put in a decent sound system and down some minor things to speed it up. I had got on it a week earlier and while flooring it down the highway, it popped the head gasket and I had a huge cloud of white smoke come out the back end. It looked like the smoke screen in the car from Spy Hunter. My wife and I decided to hit the dealership and we bought the minivan and I bought a crappy Saturn SL1 that was a stick. While signing the paperwork, I watched this beautiful mint condition Eclipse GSX pull up with a little old lady and her husband get out. I looked at my wife and said, who ever gets that car is getting a deal. I dismissed the car since I was already settled on the Saturn (it was very economical) After one day of driving, I saw a huge oil spray on the bottom of the hood and took it back saying that they messed up the headgasket they told me that they replaced and I didn't trust this car. Now while turning it back in, the guy mentioned the GSX I saw the previous day. I go out to it and take the wife for a drive. This was my first turbo car and the only thing wrong with it was that it was an automatic. After a long discussion, the wife talked me in to buying it.
The addiction:
I loved modding and knew what the potential of the 4G63 was but didn't realize just how much. I stumbled around looking for a good site and came upon DSMTuners. Immediately I was hooked. I read the entire 1000 questions. the VFAQ, and every document I could. I memorized the locations of all parts and was heavy in to the car. I was just waiting to finish paying it off. (Turns out the little old lady was a yoga instructor and this was her "scoot-a-bout").
Stabbed in the back:
My wife took my car out to Wisconsin for a 10 day get away and on the way back while outside of Chicago, the car broke down. She said all of the lights came on all at once and smoke started pouring out of the car. She pulled over and luckily had a friend in town pick her up. The car was towed to a local trusted mechanic.
Figuring it out:
I had the mechanic do a compression test and he said it was 0-60-75-0. The engine was dead. I decided he wasn't capable of fixing it (I had to explain how to do the compression test) and started looking for a shop in St Louis. I couldn't find 1 reliable shop in the entire city, but I found AMS in Chicago. I ended having a 6 bolt built for me, shipped to AMS, and had them install it. While at it, I had them install prothane motor mounts and an IPT Torque converter. I also had a new steering rack installed (mine was leaking badly) and all maintenance to make it reliable. This car had to last a long time.
Falling in love again:
I bought a ticket, flew to Chicago, took a cab to AMS, and picked up my car. I started it up and it was a louder and the whole car vibrated. I knew it would vibrate a little but man, it felt like I was in my friends 68 Cutlas. During the trip from Chicago to St Louis, I varied my speed the whole time and didn't go over 65. A very difficult thing for a lead foot like me. By the time I was back in St Louis, I was back in love with my car.
3 weeks later, stabbed in the back again:
So 1 month later, I'm getting ready to change the oil this weekend and put in an inline filter between the valve cover and intake along with doing the free mods (the car has been paid off). While taking my wife with me to pick up my daughter, the car makes a loud screech and lurches to a stop in the middle of the road. I turn off the car and pop it in to neutral. While my wife steers, I push it up hill and out of traffic (not an easy feat). I tow it back to the house and the next day look to see the carnage. I find this:
