Hilbillyhomeboy

This shall be the story of my car. Stupidly long read, sorry. I own a 1992 Dodge Stealth RT twin turbo. I purchased this car January 2003 in totally stock form with expception to a K & N drop-in. The car had approximately 128,000 on the chassis. Allegedly it had 51,000 on the rebuilt engine via a corner of an 8x11 piece of paper in plain hand writing. I suckered my wife into letting me buy the car for her to drive during winter. I sold her on the all wheel drive. She said I could have it but I had to sell my SVX first. Well, like any good husband I bought it anyway and sold the SVX later. She was none too thrilled to see a stick shift. She can drive stick, but was way out of practice. Once she got back in the saddle she was loving the car. Speeding around all over the place, causing mayhem, laying waste to 99+ GT's and LT1's, you know fun stuff to do in a $5,500 car. I started shopping for aftermarket parts soon after. My main source for parts was ebay. Sue me, I didn't know forums existed and wasn't too hot with teh iNtArNeT. I soon found 3si.org and was on my way to creating a monster. I soon decided if I was going to do this then it was all or nothing. So I decided to go BIG. Bought components for a completely forged bottom end, and completely upgraded heads. Purchased a turbo kit capable of supporting 1,040 at the crank and about $20,000 worth of other items. Cosmetic items were also deemed necessary so I bought a 2nd generation Stealth rear bumper cover, 96 Stealth rear spoiler, and a front bumper cover from the coveted 99 3000GT, 19" wheels from JDM land(rolleyes), and a fiberglass hood with intake and extractor vents. Next step was to start interviewing shops for was capable and willing to take on a job of this size. I wanted to stay as local as I could and heard good reviews of a place called Carl Grover Motorsports which was only about 10-15 miles up the road. I make the venture up to Grover and discuss with them what I have, what I want and what I'm willing to pay. They introduce me to the techs and give me a full tour of the shop. This place is top notch I'm thinking. Full engine dyno room, complete in house machine shop, temperature controlled paint booth, multiple lifts...the works. I didn't commit that day. I went back again and interviewed them about two weeks later when my transaxle bit the dust. They were confident they could handle the job even though their forte' is/was small block Fords. They also showed me an 8 page article in the most recent PRI magazine showcasing Carl Grover Motorports. Good deal, I'm sold. I take them the car in February of 2004. They tear into it like no tomorrow and are making unreal progress....until the lead tech quits and it's time to start the head porting work. The head porting runs some 6 months or better because the guy just wouldn't do it. I'm not thrilled obviously so I tell them to get busy on the body work. Long story short, they finally complete the car December 8, 2004. Bet you're wondering why I remember the exact date. Heh, hold on this is where the fun starts. I was promised the bill would not exceed $20,000. They presented me with a $30,000 bill. The wife is overjoyed at this point /sarcasm. The car will barely run under it's own power because the tune is, well, non-existent. No big deal on the tune, I can handle that...or so I thought. Anyway, I write the big check and drive my shiny POS home. Doesn't run worth a shit but she sure looks good. I continue messing with the car for a week and the timing belt is getting ragged on the edge BAD. Take it back to Grover and they say nothing is wrong. Remember the 6g72 is an interference motor...drop the t-belt and hello valve to piston loving and consequences no man should have to endure. I research, make phone calls, ad nauseum and just can't work this out. I give up and shove it in the garage pissed. A week or two later I'm on AIM yakking it up and get a friendly IM from "turbotrio". No idea who this person is or what they want. We talk and I find out it is Jeff Yetzer from IPS motorsports. He's confident in his shops abilities to straighten out my ride so I enter into an agreement to bring the car to Columbus. This isn't too bad, about 2 hours from where I live. I deliver the car to IPS motorsports December 31, 2004. Yeah I made 'em wait for me on New Years Eve. :asshole: I meet Jeff, Mike, Brett, Tank, both Jasons, and Ryan. Real cool guys and I'm impressed with the caliber of automobiles within the shop. Few Z06's, slant nose, champagne 911, etc... They tear into the car immediately. I, like a dumbass, was trying to run two piggybacks. A GReddy e-manage and an ARC-2(made by split second, raw and coarse fuel controller but it provides a larger MAF). Jeff suggests I could sell the GReddy unit, the ARC-2 and my modified stock ECU and clear an AEM ems and never worry about engine management again. This was an excellent suggestion and I did indeed clear the AEM and put a few bucks in my pocket. Loving IPS motorsports at this point. The car is still eating the timing belt and they are too worried about this to do any type of full throttle road tuning. I agree. They replace the timing belt and it eats it also. WTF? This is retarded. One day Jeff and others were standing around the car brainstorming and the cam gears jumped....the car wasn't running. Ah-ha, the first clue has revealed itself. The timing belt routing on these cars is a bitch and a half due to the transverse mounted engine. They tear it all down and find the crank sprocket to have been pounded in with a fucking hammer and consequently it is off center. Yeah, that's the work of Carl Grover Motorsports, recognized by PRI with an 8 page spread..... Get that nonsense straightened out and she's straight as an arrow. Now starts the BIG fun. Renner starts into tuning with Jeff driving. Going real well, get it up to 18 psi and she's starting to move the fuck out. One night, they were tuning and BOOM something shat itself. They shut it down immediately to find ALL of the coolant on the ground under the car. Ooooo-kay then, WTF is this all about? Analyze everything and there's no normal or obvious evidence of where the hell all of this BS came from. Only one thing left and no way could it be that....freeze plug. Yuppers, the SOB blew a freeze plug clean out of the block. Admittedly, this is pretty damn funny. I mean c'mon how many times have you vere heard of this happening? Oh and it just had to be the fun one too, transaxle side. Grrr, damnit. Dodged a massive bullet in the fact the freeze plug went through the flywheel, clutch everything and didn't damage a damn thing. Unreal. So, IPS motorsports replaces it and decides for good measure they'll weld the SOB in there this time, hahaha. Car isn't exactly a daily so it doesn't make a shit. This works and no more coolant....for now. Next big fun item is the turbo kit. Right after the freeze plug liberation the front turbo decides to eat itself. Fuck. I contact the shop I got the kit from and after a heated debate they decide they will at least look at it. Cool, so IPS motorsports sends BOTH turbos out to them. This is a bitch, the engine HAS to be yanked to get this shit out. Get the turbos back a month or more later and the front is now stupid tight. Granted these are journal bearing, but good grief you can't even turn the damn comp. wheel. Rear turbo looks untouched. UGH, whatever, put it back together. Get it back together and I shit you not, 6 fucking miles later she starts puking that super trick double throwdown Spy Hunter smoke screen out the ass again. I'm beyond pissed at this moment because it's the god damned rear turbo now. *$@)!^% I've had it with these damn turbos and decide I'm going to make a HUGE jump and step up to GT3071R's. Jeff contacts ATP turbo and gets the ball rolling. Jeff gives me a smokin price on these bad boys, damn near cost. They show up a couple weeks later and something looks awry. Renner tears into them and sure as hell they sent 3076R's rather than the 71's. Call up ATP and they admit it saying "Yeah, we thought you needed the 3076R's, so we upgraded you. We did down size the A/R of the exhaust so you should be cool." Haha, what a bunch of fuckers. So, we're kicking ass with these, getting the boost up up up and the car is starting to walk all over the road. All wheel drive mind you, so this is no joke in terms of power. Then the header cracks. You've got to be fucking kidding me. Call up the shop where I got the kit from and he says (oh you're going to love this) "Yeah I knew that would happen, all of the first 5 kits did that. Adam used a plasma to cut stainless without knowing any better. Send them back and we'll section it and weld it back up." Holy shit, you knew it would happen and let people install the $6,000 kit anyway? Well, what are you gonna do? Pull the engine AGAIN (I've skipped a few engine pulls in this novel already for other turbo kit BS) and ship the shit off. Get it back a month or two later and put her back together. I'll be damned if it wasn't 2-3 weeks later the rear header cracks in the same place the front one did. This kit is from the "leader" in performance parts for the 3000GT and Stealth cars...... Car is still pushing coolant like no tomorrow, blowing out the welded freeze plugs and generally making me, Jeff and all of the good folks at IPS motorsports tear our hair out follicle by follicle. At this point I have no choice but to tell IPS motorsports to fuckign yank it out and send it back. Renner comes up with an idea in the interim. Why not go big single turbo? I can sell my whole turbo kit, ic kit, pipes, etc. and clear the single kit. Good damn deal, man I really like the way these guys think. So I sell all of my shit and authorize the short block to be thoroughly examined and a new one to be built(old one was bored 120 over). Oh boy, more quality work from the PRI recognized asshole up the road from me. The pistons moved around like a 6 pack of Bud bottles in a cardboard carrier. Sweet. The machine shop that took it apart said it was the easiest engine they ever took apart and hardly even had to use tools. We made 657 awhp on this? Jesus... So a few months go by and the shorty has been dropped in, heads re-installed, single turbo kit completed and we're up and running. NO problems at all. WTF? I'm not used to this, what do you mean teh car runs and performs perfect? I call :bs: Renner lays into the tuning like an animal, Tank fabs up all kinds of crazy shit, Ryan, Mike and Jason doing all kinds of tweaking and damn this SOB is actually holding. I'm about to faint at this point. Renner decides she's too crazy for the street at this point and it's time to take this party to the dyno. Get her on the dyno and she lays down a nasty 757awhp. Unfortunately, the GT42-76 also "laid down". Fucking turbo imploded, lol. Send it back to Precision, they rebuild it after oh you know a fucking month or more, and ship it back. IPS motorsports drops it back in (new turbo kit is badass, everything is so accessible) and turns the outlet up. Fire it up and it's spitting oil out of the top...sweet. IPS rigs up eleventy billion pressure gauges and takes video proving the oil pressure is dead on pre, post and in the chra. Typical Precision turbo work, if you get a good turbo from them you had better guard it with your life..... So, the turbo gets sent back. Another month+ rebuild and the damn thign is now worse than it was to begin with. Jeff calls me and gives me the bad news and asks what I want to do. Jeff never does anything to my car without permission, cool guy, I like this approach. He says PTE said we can send it back (UGH) or go with a GT4202 off the shelf Garrett unit. I'm frustrated because I want the bad boy 76 rather than the 74 G-unit. Jeff tells me about how many customers he's had with problem after problem from custom PTE turbos so I opt for the off the shelf Garrett. I made the right choice. Take it back to the dyno with the 4202 and she lays down 856awhp and 702 awtq, all boost no spray at only 30 psi. NO problems whatsoever. Take her to Kil-Kare, Linn was there, and I decide it's best for Renner to take the first shakedown passes since I haven't driven it above 18(ish) psi. First pass he walks off the line (2.9 60'), short shifts 2nd and puts the pedal to the metal at the top of 2nd. 13.3 @ 133 25 psi. Woo-hoo love the trap. I give him permission to get it off the line this time and go for it. She was cooking this time but the damn clutch gave out in 2nd gear and Renner rolled/coasted it to 11.4 @ 114. People were all sorts of confused at how it could run a low 13 @ 133 and then a low 11 @ 114. Been back to the track two more times now. Once at Trails only got two passes in. 11.5 @ 141 31 psi + 50 shot and 10.7 @ 137(ish) 28 psi. Then to Norwalk. Only got 4 passes in and it was my first time to drive the car. First pass I went 10.9 @ 138 on wastegate pressure of 23 psi, badass. Also went 11.5 @ 140 on 28 psi. And beat a modded Ford GT on my last pass. And that is it. The car is sleeping at IPS. When we really turn the wick up she pushes some coolant so we're looking into a few options over the winter. Overall, not too bad for a fatass car that weighs 3520 sans driver. Continued...

Video: http://ipsmotorsports.net/pictures/jeremys%20norwalk%20day.wmv Yes, I know I need better suspension.

I agree. My short track is plain horrible. Got to get the 60's down and everything else will fall into place. I only got 4 passes Friday. The guy at the starting line was stupidly anal about the track. 2 passes, then down for 10-15 minutes while he mopped and torched....wash, rinse, repeat...ad nauseum. It was freakin painful, it took so damn long.

Tranny is still fine, as well as the t-case. Went 10.92 @ 138 on only 23 psi Friday. Also went 140.87 on 28 psi, no spray. And whipped a modded Ford GT on my last pass. GT went 11.642 @ 132.90 and I went 11.237 @ 135.58, after I hit the limiter in 3rd at 8063 rpms and rode it out the last 100 feet of the track. GT boys should feel lucky we were only spinning it to 8 grand and that I can't 60' my car to save my life. These were all 2.0+ 60's in an awd car... Car is un-hurt and still kicking ass.

It was absolutely terrible, to say the least. I ran in the slick lane twice and it was just as bad over there. That damn guy with the mop. I did manage a 10.92 @ 138 on only 23 psi though, and 140.87 trap, AND laid the smack down on a modded Ford GT. GT made that one pass, got whooped, and left the track, hahaha.

Well hell, nobody told me that! We're gonna need a tow hitch and a trailer with an atom splitter to power all this shit soon.

Another vote for IPS.

Haha, good shit.

2 deer drinking right now. They keep getting spooked though.

Badass. Awesome numbers too Sam.

Ahh ok. Yeah Jeff is actually taking a proactive stance on his for once. She's under the knife and will be up sometime over the winter. All hand built headers, downpipe, etc. so it takes a little while. Only work on it in the evenings and weekends when Renner is free and none of the other IPS cars need attention. No pics yet. This is going to be a kit that IPS will retail. It's very innovative and they don't want the design ripped off. They want to produce another kit before pics will be released, just to make sure it is repeatable. Spinning it to 8,300 to 8,500. Clean, no knock whatsoever, but it's not tuned to the ragged edge either.

Surprisingly, no they didn't. The tech inspector was hard core on us though. Apparently you need a fire jacket and gloves for 11.50's. I had neither. Told the tech guy we were hoping for 11's. He asked "high 11's or low 11's"? Renner and I both looked at each other and said "Oh, HIGH 11's if we're lucky, these cars are pigs". I have an 8 point cage, but no loop, no scatter shield, no jacket or gloves. The 141 was the absolute last pass for any car that day so it didn't matter what happened there. Trails is getting really strict, and always seems to be stupidly busy. Probably avoid them in the future.

I hope it was never dubbed two weeks. It's been over two years. Two different set-ups though. Used to have twin GT3076R's. IPS stage 3 shortblock: http://www.ipsmotorsports.net/product_info.php?cPath=2945_986_996_3041&products_id=1970 Hand ported heads with ARP studs Hardweld Webcam "race spec" cams (soon to be replaced with IPS 280's) Chrome silicon springs with titanium keepers/retainers IPS single kit with GT4202, journal bearing MSD coils, wires and DIS4-HO 1600 cc injectors 3 Walbro pumps NX wet kit AEM ems That's the basics. Thanks Linn. Going to Norwalk Friday?

The 10 sec pass was all boost, 28 psi and lazy slow shifts(obvious in video). The 141 trap was with a 50 shot for pre-spool, off at 20 psi, 31 psi total boost. Bogged launch(obvious in video). VIDEO: http://ipsmotorsports.net/pictures/jeremy's%20gt%2042%20stealth.wmv SLIPS: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-6/759354/Resized_IMG_2237.jpg http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-6/759354/Resized_IMG_2238.jpg

She went 10.74 @ 137 and 11.52 @ 141.22 yesterday. Near 3,800 lb race weight with driver. Gaining 34-36 in the big end. Not too shabby for a fatass.

Thanks for all the positive comments folks. Weather looks good today. Hopefully, we can get the et DOWN and the traps UP.

According to 3800pro they made the minimum, and then some, last night. It's a go for sure now. I recruited 4 people myself. Also, registration will now be open until 10/31/2006 for any one that's still on the fence about going.

HAHAHA, about fell out of my chair. My God....that__was__awesome

Cool, I'm in.

Cool, that's the one I'm really wanting to go to also. I'll be in a white Stealth, ya can't miss it. I've heard lots about your car and seen it run a time or two, seems to be real strong. I think we may have briefly met last year at the NeoFest. You're friends with Justin(1veryfastvr4) right? Stop by and say Hi if ya want.

Dragway 42 - Friday 10/27, Every Saturday and Sunday in November Edgewater - Friday 10/27, Saturday 11/11, Saturday 11/18 Kilkare - Saturday 10/28 ( I believe this is the last day of the year) Trails - Sunday 10/29 (last event of the year) Obviously, all are weather permitting. This weekend looks terrible so far, in the weather department.

Great runs Sam, definitely movin out and sounds incredible too!!

RCI is a good brand. That's what I have in my Stealth. You do realize how dangerous it is to have a 4+ point seatbelt with no cage right? In the case of a rollover those type of belts will keep you in the upright position leading to potential head trauma or decapitation. I've heard neither one is all that much fun.

Hmm it'll be close. Headroom and getting his leg under the steering wheel will be hell depending on torso length. The latter cost my buddy from getting a brand new FD back in 93; he is 6'7" and could not get his leg under the steering wheel to save his life. No comparison to the interior of a Stealth/3000GT, they are much larger cars. In fact, for comparison sake, my friend that couldn't fit in the FD ended up with a 93 N/A 3000GT.

LOL! Oh boy... :gay: No doubt, couldn't agree more.