Farkas

UPDATE: Progress! After getting the tires in, I decided while I was waiting on the NLS harness and silicone hoses, I decided I would get them mounted. JNC wheels are 15x8.25 and tires are 165/50 Achilles ATR-K, and happen to be one of my favorite of the "little" tires. I used to mount tires with a stretch like this with the old ether and lighter trick, but the Cheetah we got is a bit safer lol. You'll find entertainment knowing my dad actually thinks it's awesome to see this done, and always volunteers to help. Figured I'd share a video for fun. Finished putting the rear coils on and adjusted and sat the car down for the first time since the original diesel motor came out. It's really weird when a car has been on jack stands for so long, and then you lower it and put it back on the ground. The car honestly seems tiny at this point. I'm pretty happy with the way it sits, and there's minimal camber on the front, so hopefully that keeps the axles happy. I'm really hoping they don't start binding on me. Underside clearance looks pretty good, but we'll see how bad it is once I get the car on the road. During the coil and wheel install I finally got the delivery in the mail I was waiting for; the harness and coolant hoses. Now, to be quite frank, wiring is my weakness. I understand very basics and how continuity and etc. works, but when it comes to organizing, taking apart and figuring out where everything goes, I get overwhelmed really easily. Even though the NLS harness is about as close to plug-n-play as it gets, I'm still missing a black "trigger" wire, and I fail to understand how the starter and other little things get signal from the ignition switch. I'll work it out, and the only way to learn is to dive right in. I just really gotta study the mk1 wiring diagram and put it together with the NLS wiring diagram. I mentioned earlier I would have to figure out how to cover the new O2A shift tower inside the car since the old center console and boot no longer fit. Well, I came up with the idea of using a B&M shifter skirt, and just so happens that the OEM boot from the original center console fits right in! I'm going to trim down the skirt a little bit so it's shorter and then make a top for it out of some plastic that the OEM boot can snap right in. Should end up looking as close to original as I'm hoping. I had a hell of a time trying to figure out how I was going to route the ECU and wiring loom to get it inside the car, and after looking around the rain tray and other ways I can get it on the other side of the firewall, I decided to go through one of the existing holes for the AC lines, and notched it so the OEM mk3 firewall grommet that comes on the NLS harness, can be used. I'm pretty happy that it turned out this way, and it looks like it might have been intended to be used this way. I'll route the wiring under the rain tray and wrap it in something to keep the heat away from the wiring since it will be above the exhaust. I'm not going to bother with the hoses until the wiring is sorted. So, the only thing that's really left is getting the fuel pump wired up, install the throttle cable and clutch cable, and figure out the NLS harness. Not much left in the project, but I'm going to take my time to make sure I get it all right the first time. Last thing I want to do is chase down is a no-start condition or a wiring problem. Untitled by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8521 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8522 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8525 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8527 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8528 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8530 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8532 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8534 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

Would you take $40 for the pair of ramps on the bottom? They look like they should work for me better than the top ones.

No, that's "I'm a raging doucher" kinda money.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Treethatownsitself.jpg/350px-Treethatownsitself.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_That_Owns_Itself

You guys are still confusing eating healthy and eating organic. It's not the same!

I literally hate the words stance and hellaflush. I don't think I have ever used those words, and never have the intention of ever describing any car in such a way. IMO, there's a definite seperation between a tasteful and distasteful set of wheels. I have never been one to do anything that is so outrageous, it's entirety unsafe. Yes, I do stretch tires and maybe use a little camber, but nothing out of this world that would make anyone question safety. There's a certain way of doing it to keep it appealing, unlike most who just do it because they think it's cool, impressive, or to get attention. I just have my own method to the madness. Granted, that's a little more poke on the front of the car than I really like, but you're getting ahead of yourself. Once I actually get a tire on the wheel and can work my magic, then you can decide if it's too much for you or not. Far too early to say how it's going to look. Also, there's a reason these wheels are temporary. The original wheels I bought for this car are being resized and rebuilt exactly how I want them to sit on this car. So, I'm going to make the best I can with these cheap ones for now.

Nailed it.

Lol I wish I could take credit, but it's my roommate's car now. He got those awesome wheels with snow tires on them

UPDATE: Had my first "oops." Welp, once again I feel like I got a lot accomplished, but I had a minor setback that will cost me some money I didn't intend on spending. I got the frame notched on each side, but in the process of doing the passenger side, my hole saw caught my brake hard line and put a hole in it. So if anyone has a hard line laying around for the passenger side brake, I would love to take it off your hands. In the meantime, I pinched the line as best I could to keep the air out of the system. Suspension and axles finally went in after I got the frame notched tonight. Unfortunately, I don't have my welder at my home, so I'll have to leave the frame gaping until the car runs and I can get it over to my shop to weld them shut. Never-the-less, the front end has been buttoned together and the car is ready to go back on the ground, finally. I had been putting it off, but I finally built up the motivation to deal with the shifter and cables. I had the option of putting the O2A shift tower beneath the car like a MK3, but I didn't like how low the shift selector sat inside the car. So, I opted to mount the shift tower inside the car with the cables routed beneath the carpet and into the tunnel where it then goes over the steering rack and where it should be. Talk about a total PITA, but I'm pretty happy with the end result. I'll have to fabricate a center console to cover the new shift tower as the OEM no longer works, but I'm hoping whatever I come up with will accept the OEM boot so it retains some of the original look. Shouldn't be too hard, just going to take a little time and ingenuity. Since the original 14" wheels will take some time to get the parts made and shipped over from NZ, I decided I'll buy a temporary set of cheapies to hold me over. Found these JNC wheels online in 15x8.25 +25 for a whopping $350 shipped. They're not horrible, but they'll definitely work for the time being. Fitment is going to be tight in the front, and I'm already expecting I'll need a 10mm spacer for the rear, so if anyone has a spacer with hardware they wanna offer up, let me know! Aside from that, I made little brackets for my radiator to secure it, even though I doubt it was really going to move anyhow. Hoping my silicon coolant hoses come in soon so I can deal with the rest of the coolant system and get it sealed up. Really, I just have the harness to work out when it gets back to me from NLS, and get the fuel system worked out, which should be a piece of cake since I already did it once on my roommate's ABA swap. Just nice to be on the downside of the project, and finally get my garage back in order.. I was getting a little anxiety from the mess. Decided I would install my short chin spoiler to reward myself for the hard work hah. IMG_8408 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8406 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8412 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8411 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8410 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8414 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8416 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8417 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8420 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8421 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8418 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

Yep! Nothing a dash cover can't fix lol In reality it's not significant enough to make much difference, but in theory, it should actually have some benefit on the angle of the axles. Naturally, when you lower the car, the angle of the axles becomes greater. Lifting the motor should actually lessen the angle, but I haven't done it a significant amount where it will really help. Usually it just creates more problems with the axle hitting the frame, which is fixed with a C-Notch.

UPDATE: Another work week has gone by and I can get some more work done on the rabbit again. Not a whole lot was accomplished on the motor as I'm really waiting to get the engine harness back from NLS so I can finish buttoning up the intake manifold and route my wiring the way it needs to be. I did get a chance to fit my radiator and fit the fan on the radiator and figure out how I was going to mount it up. I just used the original radiator and flipped it so that the outlets were on the correct side. I'll make brackets on the bottom so that it doesn't go anywhere, and attach the top to the rad support one way or another, but it should work out perfect. You can see I got the front mount in, but I'm still trying to figure out how to get the rear mount in that's supplied by the Eurowise kit. Also test fit my small bumper just for fun to see what it was going to look like while my other two end caps were on their way in the mail. The ones on these bumpers basically disintegrated from age and were extremely brittle. Pretty happy with the chrome, so I'll probably leave it as-is instead of painting them black how I originally planned. Now, because the VR is such a tall motor and generally they hang pretty low on these cars, I had already ordered the shortened pan with that in mind. But, once I got the motor in, sitting where it should, I still wasn't satisfied with how far up the pan was tucked. So, with a little brainstorming I decided I had a couple options: 1. Modify the Eurowise mount which would require welding additional material onto the mount and drilling new holes. 2. Drill a new hole into the motor mount ears on the chassis. I decided to go with option two because I could always put the motor back in the original holes if I wanted to, and I didn't want to take the chance of ruining the Eurowise mount by possibly making it weak. So I got to work and as you can see, I got a good 3/4" to an 1" extra lift on the motor. Just enough that I'm happy with how it sits now, and should still have plenty of room underneath the hood. Knowing me, I can't drive anything at a reasonable height, so this is just the little extra for peace of mind that I needed. Also, when I bought the car, the previous owner threw in some Raceland coil overs for free that he said rode like crap. It was obvious why- he lowered them so much he was literally riding on bump stops. I already had a pretty good idea that I'd need these raised upper strut caps, but I went ahead and took out the bump stops and helper springs from the coils since they're a waste of space as it is, and got the caps installed. Haven't done the rears yet, but figured I might as well knock the front stuff out while I'm in there. Once I get the frame notched I'll be installing the axles and I should be able to put the car back on the ground. Just trying to think what's left... Need the harness, work out the down pipe for the exhaust, install the O2A shift tower and shift cables, change the throttle cable and clutch cable system, and I'm still waiting on silicon coolant hoses. Not too far off as the rest of that should be pretty straight forward and I think I can make pretty quick work of it. I did happen to get a C2 race file from a good buddy of mine, Ramon, so that should keep my CEL issues at bay for the SAI and etc. I think I'm on the back stretch of this swap, unless something crazy comes up. IMG_8382 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8384 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8385 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8386 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8388 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8390 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8380 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_8375 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

lol it doesn't come out of her like that... you culture the "bacteria" from the vagina and you get the yogurt.

Isn't that the American thing to do... Not own up to your actions?

Couldn't have picked a harder car to shoot. Explain the process and everything you were using to shoot... ISO, shutter speed, etc. I'm trying to understand how you were hoping they might turn out since the lighting is uneven, but you still captured the whole car- the first picture for example. Also, how many lights are you working with?

Found this for everyone's enjoyment. BFI's 18 hour VR6 swap with eurowise parts.

For sale: Canon 5D Classic. Late serial number(2121200233) with mirror fix done. Near perfect condition and works flawlessly. Comes with five CF cards, four batteries and charger. Asking $600 or best offer. 614.598.0529 sample photo from this camera: IMG_1339 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

Thanks! Sure do.. just sitting in storage waiting for the weather to turn!

I should be able to squeak a radiator in there, but mind you, this isn't the final resting position of the motor. I only have the two side mounts in currently, so it should bring the motor back maybe an inch once I get the front on to support it better. Oh, and no worries, I figured people will have questions.. :beer:

UPDATE: She's in. I recently went on night shift at work, so getting the time to work on the car has been a bit of a challenge recently. After working my shift for the week I was able to spend some more time in the garage doing more cleaning and painting more parts. Got the trans painted and most of the accessories cleaned, painted, and back on the motor. All new coolant goodies were installed, new clutch, as well as a shortened oil pan and R32 pump for a little extra room underneath. Started putting the Eurowise mounts on and decided the only thing left to do was to make room in the engine bay and consider giving it a shot. Before I knew it, AC stuff was removed from the bay, shift linkages were removed, and the old exhaust manifold and down pipe were removed. I decided with the size of this motor, it was probably best I drop the engine in first, put the bolt into the mount, and use it like a hinge to swing the trans side down and slide the trans on from underneath the car, that way I don't destroy my brake master in the process of dropping the motor in. Wasn't too bad, and got the trans mated to the block pretty easy. Getting the trans mount bolt through is another story. Because it's so late in the night and my roommate is sleeping, I decided I'd just get it half way in and call it a night- pretty much exhausted as it is. I'll figure out the front mount, starter and rear mount soon, but I was eyeing the two side mounts and decided I want to raise the engine even further. There's plenty of room between the crank and the frame rail to make it happen, just a matter of figuring out how I can do it. I'll be satisfied when the oil pan is even or above the control arms. It looks like I should be able to drill a hole in the motor mount ears just above the slotted original holes, and raise the motor an additional 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. Guess we'll see what happens! OH, and I'm sure a few of you are looking at the engine bay thinking, "jesus, that's filthy and he's putting the motor in?" Yeah. I've been contemplating the best way to go about that and decided I'll probably have the best luck just waiting until the car is moveable so that I can take it to the car wash and simply pressure wash the firewall, frame horns and all that good stuff to get the 30 year old grease and grime out. It's pretty hilarious to see how far forward the VR sits in front of the strut towers, and the massive amount of room behind the motor. Guess that means a turbo is needed to fill that empty space . IMG_1409 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_1410 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_1414 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_1418 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_1421 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_1422 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_1425 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_1426 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr IMG_1428 by Andrew M. Farkas, on Flickr

They're not bad cars, and people seem to like the SL more than others. Both Jon(V3rs3) and I worked for Saturn for a while. I would make sure it's not burning oil, or anything like that because that was common if I remember correctly. Usually muffler straps need replaced and other small ignition components, but that's all I can recall off the top of my head. Jon might have more to add.

This is in my future.

Try jumpers from a different battery.

More-or-less stock engine. Exhaust will have to be modified to fit, but otherwise, no other bolt-ons for the car, yet. They usually put down right around 165-170hp to the wheels and just as much torque for a healthy example. Once I get it running and work out any bugs I'll probably get a chip to liven it up a little bit, but I doubt I'll really want much more from a lump like this in such a small car. Maybe if I come across a stellar deal for some 268 cams, valve springs, lifters, and a matching chip, I'll consider it. Balance should be pretty poor, and I wouldn't be surprised if the car actually DOES flip parked in my driveway. But you guys know me- A car like this, it's the least of my concern. I'm more interested in seeing what it does in the 1320 than carving curves with it. The reading that I've done regarding the weight difference between the 1.5l IDI diesel and the VR6 is actually pretty surprising to me. I expected the difference to be significant, however, multiple people have taken weights of motors, and while the VR weighs in roughly 200lbs heavier than the 1.5L, once you delete unnecessary accessories off the VR like AC/PS, the spread is only 80lbs. Now, the real killer- both engines hang over the front axles differently. http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5092/5451726403_efc1b09ca5.jpg This photo shows a good demonstration of the difference, although a bit dramatic, but it helps you get the idea. This is what ultimately makes the VR swap less desirable for people who want to keep the mk1 driving like a go-cart.

Just saw a weight-in for BFI's VR6 MK1 they did in 18 hours using the Eurowise kit... 2005lbs full tank.

Honestly, a late MK1 like that isn't worth spit... especially without a title.