IWantMKIII's RE-Rebuild Thread (Post Fire)

[IwantMKIII]

Figured i'd start a new build thread since my car was totaled. My plans are to strip the car of any working/good order parts and putting them into a new chassis. More than likely the motor will be good, once its pulled i will have a better idea.

My budget is a mere 4,000US.......thanks a lot for nothing insurance :icon_evil:icon_evil. I handed them over 7K in receipts in just parts for the car and that's all im getting.

Background:

Well here was the car before:

When it was running 100% it was well over 300WHP/WTQ and was dead even with a C5 'vette running AFR's into the 9's

Mods inlcuded just about every supporting mod to a big turbo setup MINUS the big turbo from fuel to intake to exhaust with a freshly built engine and head. It was fun, it was fast.

Then tragedy Struck:

My roomate came running down the steps as i was making a sandwich and yelling there was smoke coming from my engine bay. I looked out not all that worried when i realized there wasn't just a little smoke but lots including large flames :aigo:. I couldn't get the hood to release and the fire dept. couldn't pry the hood open so they had to use the jaws of life :icon_mad:

As you can see the interior is nearly perfect. All electronics should be in working order...of course they can't though since half the system is burned up.

 

[IwantMKIII]

Currently:

After a two day trip i got the car home from WVU on a trailer. Its currently at Gaboonviper's old boss' machine shop waiting to be parted.

Here are a few shots on the trailer (i took full adbantage of the "breather holes" the fire dept decided to add to the hood for tieing it down properly):

I'm sorting out details on finding the right donor car. I have two options right now, i just need to find out more info on the second one.

My current options

My main objective is to locate a rolling chassis in good shape and make it at least like mine was....and do it FAST. Currently i have two options:

Option 1 is a local car to me now. Has all parts in working order, 1988, Black, 5 speed, R154, hardtop, Turbo, ~82000 miles. Someone hit it on the front fendor so front bumper and fendor will need to be replaced which the seller has replacements for. It will need to be painted and suspension replaced. he's asking 2k

Option 2 is an '89 rolling chassis in WV. From what i know its $700, 5 speed, Black and TARGA which is a HUGE plus to me since i love my targa. Will not come with engine/wiring etc which i need. Supposedly it is mint minus the paint. LUCKILY, my other friend at school recently did a 1J swap and had a 7mgte. He offered me any part i wish to take for FREE. This would include everything i would need....wiring harness, sensors, injectors relays clutch fan ETC ETC. Only issue really is i can't get a hold of the seller....i will one of these days. im determined

Option 2 is ideal however, i currently don't have a place at WVU, luckily i have a bunch of friends i can stay with in the mean time. I'd have to pull all parts id need here and take them to WV and install them there as quickly as possible if this were to happen. Plus, with this option...i could budget a bigger turbo given my engine is okay


Days 3-5: The teardown

Gaboonviper and I have been prepping the car the past couple days to strip it of the engine/tranny and LSD. Today finally we got the engine and tranny pulled at least

Prepping:

More Prepping

Poor hood....you were nice once :3d_frown:

Almost ready:

Strapping it all up, Tyler trying to loosen the last engine mount nut

With some extra help and breaking a few more parts, out she comes:

Open heart surgury almost complete (sorry supra, you don't get a replacement)

MMM smoke damage:

Getting this in the car and to be stable was a true PITA!

 

[IwantMKIII]

"Bracing"

True 4x4 ride height

DAMNIT DAMNIT DAMNIT! :3d_frown::3d_frown: Yes, everything is locked up.....and those are my keys....to both cars...:3d_frown::nono:

And while i wait for my extra set of keys to come....look what comes to join the party

Day 6

Cleaning and stripping day.

Injectors 4-6 dont look bad at all but ill probably replace them anyway $$$$ (when the clips are off they are nearly perfect minus the burn marks/smoke stains of course

Injectors 1-3...not so good...3 with clip off seems ok, no melting....one and two...well could barely get the clips off if at all

 

[IwantMKIII]

#1 closer

1-4 (3,4 still have the RC label on them)

Cleaned up the bellhousing some

hmmm which side is the cleaned side

intake off:

Yeah...thats water sitting in there:

Pretty dirty in there

A minute later...not so dirty

Quite a bit cleaner after some WB40 and paper towels

UH OH...whats this about??? Fracturing...don't know if its new or old?

Day 7-8: Stripping and cleaning

 

[IwantMKIII]

Cleaned

This was the intakes color before remember

Shiney parts accumulating

Before

15minutes later

AFPR, was ALL black, in the worst of the fire so i had to strip it, left the "A" though

One of my upper IC pipes starting to get clean. you can see how rusted it was

Cleaned

Before.....then i forgot to take an after shot lol

Accumulating more

One of the helpers in the process...old as hell but gets the job done

Valve covers thanks to gaboonviper so far:

Turbo before:

Turbo After:

 

[IwantMKIII]

Head unwrapped, notice the burnt oil from the CPS getting so hot:

Valve cover and Fuel Rail:

UPDATE**********************************************Thanks to Gaboonviper85

we sense adam has been to busy to update yall....guess i will lol

he finally found another car...not exactly what he wanted but it will do for now...

as you can see he bought a car with a motor and they worked out a deal so the owner can keep the motor and help put adams motor back in...

this past saturday i woke adam up at 6 ish am and told him to get his lazy ass out of bed and we can go work on the car.

 

[IwantMKIII]

i polished up his valve covers and cleaned up his radiator which we didnt get time to install cause we got stormed out...



***************************************************************Update 6/28/08

Running and well except my unstable AFR's. Im lacking an o2 sensor right now which is the issue. Excuse the crappy quality

 

[Zumtizzle]

Woo HOO!

This time aroung might wanna put some strong grounds bud.

 

[ForcedTorque]

Apart from the fire.........Why not pull the motor, have the bay stripped and painted, then re-wire it. You have a really nice looking car. Ya it would need a hood and header panel, but not a whole body. If you're determined to swap cars, I'd go with the 89+ style if you can. I'll be watching this one, as I feel it could get crazy in here. Most builds grow after the initial plans. I can't wait to see this one play out.

 

[IwantMKIII]

Woo HOO!

This time aroung might wanna put some strong grounds bud.

There were LOTS of grounds done after the first rebuild, especially with the battery being relocated. The only realistic possibility that could've caused the fire was the SS line to the AFPR somehow contacting the Alt connectors.

Apart from the fire.........Why not pull the motor, have the bay stripped and painted, then re-wire it. You have a really nice looking car. Ya it would need a hood and header panel, but not a whole body. If you're determined to swap cars, I'd go with the 89+ style if you can. I'll be watching this one, as I feel it could get crazy in here. Most builds grow after the initial plans. I can't wait to see this one play out.

Yea, it could be done no doubt, but its just extra time i dont really have. This car was my DD. Plus the jaws of life bent the frame which will include a decent amount of welding. I really need to stick within budget on this one but im very good at spending EVERY penny and then a little wisely:biglaugh:. Once i get this running i can sell my blazer and invest in a bit more on this one hopefully and have a fun ride to last me through AT LEAST my last year of school at WVU

Edit: Also, the fire melted a significant portion of the chassis wiring in the wheel wells so i'd have to redo all of that as well if i kept the car, simply too much time i don't have unfortunately

 

[Zumtizzle]

Sad to see the Advertised Gates Timing belt didn't stand up to the heat.

I'd just go with a Toyo/Goodyear/Ebay/Gates timing belt this time around to save a few bucks.

 

[Zumtizzle]

Option One.

Black is better.

 

[IwantMKIII]

Sad to see the Advertised Gates Timing belt didn't stand up to the heat.

I'd just go with a Toyo/Goodyear/Ebay/Gates timing belt this time around to save a few bucks.

Lol, this was a Greddy timing belt. Personally i think it held its own. My clutch fan was nothing but a pile of melted plastic underneath the car, meanwhile the belt STILL has tension in it lol.

This fire was strang in a way. It was so isolated to key points in the bay. For instance, the clutch fan melted COMPLETELY, nothing resembling fins at all, meanwhile a few inches below the power steering belt that was just replaced in nearly MINT with not even a smoke/burn mark on it. My injector clips took quite the heat, melting a few of my RC550s yet the VSV valves below and the associated vacuum lines all remain intact and untouched.

 

[IwantMKIII]

Option One.

Black is better.

??They're both black, option 1 is an 88 hardtop with body damage, option two is an 89 Targa with no damage :love: and less than half the price of option 1 but doesn't come with motor/wiring etc etc like option 1

 

[IJ.]

Deleted my 1st post so you can have pics/posts with no spaces

I think I mentioned before that our cars are made from .9mm HiTensile steel which is adversly affected by heat.

I wouldn't reuse that shell if I was being paid to but that's just me I value my life and tend to drive fast.

 

[Zumtizzle]

??They're both black, option 1 is an 88 hardtop with body damage, option two is an 89 Targa with no damage :love: and less than half the price of option 1 but doesn't come with motor/wiring etc etc like option 1

Ehh Your call.

 

[IJ.]

HT ftw

 

[Zumtizzle]

HT ftw

Don't you have a targa, too?

 

[IJ.]

Yep and they SUCK big hairy dogs balls!

 

[cruisnhard]

how much are you looking at spending?