[QUOTE=rollinmyda;2309037]…… at this rate I would say that 2015 is probably more of a practical ETA.
…… but after looking at the length of the premade lines it doesn’t look like its going to work for me since I’m keeping the heater core. I’ll probably just end up making my own hard lines.
No, my engine is still disassembled. Still haven’t found a machine shop I want to use.
I’ll definitely look into blasting/tumbling everything though! [/QUOTE]
Props for being real with your timeline. Chances are as you dig into the car more, you’ll want to upgrade things or repair/replace things that currently are not on your list at this time. 2015 is very doable considering your almost rebuilding the car the ground up (or at least your headed that way).
My advice from a few brake line tuck is that if you want to go with hardlines, get SS for the lines from MC to firewall & fender to brake caliper soft lines, but the lines inside the cabin just use regular hard lines at auto stores. The reasons why are:
easier to flare
easier to bend
cost less & autoparts stores have them in stock in various lengths
no benefit to use SS lines inside the cabin
[QUOTE=Colin;2309045]I spent well over 4hrs trying to clean/refinish my block after the machine work was done and it’s still not as good as I’d wanted.
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Colin is right on the money as to DIY… anyone can start cleaning a block, but after about 2hrs people start cutting corners and settling.
Each time I build an engine for someone I always pay the machine shop to media blast the block for $40. If your going to have them do all the machining, chances are it’s already going to be hot tanked 1-2 times & thrown in the parts washer 2-4 times. Even though machining is a dirty work, most great machinist are very particular & very clean so the last thing they want to do is work on a dirty block. It’s just easier working with it on various machines with boring/honing, decking ect. Here are some before after pictures.
Wow, that’s a lot to respond to! I’m on break at work so I’ll have to be brief but I’ll try to give a more thorough response after I’m off but thanks for all the comments and pictures guys! Makes me want to take everything to another level!
I spent several hours cleaning my block/head/transmission when I tore it down but it doesn’t look perfect. Just getting the majority of the grime off makes a world of difference but I would like it to look new again so I’ll definitely look into blasting them. Have you guys had them cleared as well or do you just leave them in their original finishes? Here’s where my block was when I cleaned it.
I had already been planning to replace the seals in the HVAC system since most of mine were literally missing. Any particular recommendations on a specific type of weatherstripping? This is the second time I’ve had the dash out of this car since I originally swapped the blue to black with the rest of the interior. That was YEARS ago though and it should have been done then.
unified- Nice! That stuff should do the trick. I doubt the vents would see extreme enough temperatures to cause any harm to that stuff. I was actually thinking about lining a few parts of the dash with something to prevent rattling which I started developing after the original dash swap and that stuff might work great for that too.
Colin- your engine came out looking great! I really like the touch that the hardware gives it. Really gives it some contrast. Have you gotten the bugs worked out on your car yet? I hear where you’re coming from with the details being crucial and fighting with yourself to not go too far with it. It really came out great though! The only advantage I have that I see is that I’m not trying to hurry to get back on the road quickly. To me the most important part is that I’m completely happy with how it turns out. I don’t need to have it useable so I can really take the time to be meticulous. You can probably tell though that this is by far the biggest project I’ve undertaken and I’m learning as I go so constructive criticism, advice, and feedback whether positive or negative is always welcomed.
Charlie moua- Wow that block is clean. What a difference! If I could undo the hours I spent scrubbing and shell over $40 for that kind of finish I’d have to say I would. Lol
As for the brake tuck, I assume you’re still talking about using AN fittings for the bulkheads and firewall right? I have a 45* flaring tool for the OEM fittings but unfortunately it isn’t double lap capable so it won’t work for the MC/prop valve fittings. Are the lines you’re referring to already flared with a fitting on the end? If not I’m not understanding why theyd be available in different lengths. Seems it would be more practical to buy a roll and cut them to length. I would really prefer to run hard lines from the MC to the firewall as well just because I think its harder to find a routing that looks good with the braided lines. The only reason I was going to run braided line inside the car is because thats what came with my tuck kit. Unfortunately they’re all too damn short to reach anywhere so I don’t know what they were originally designed for. Making my own lines will give me a lot more freedom to route them how I want anyway though so not a huge deal. I just need a 37* flaring tool for the AN fittings.
512_SIR- well after all this discussion I’m planning to have it blasted and just leave it bare. Charlie Mouas came out looking oh so clean!
[QUOTE=rollinmyda;2309082]Charlie moua- Wow that block is clean. What a difference! If I could undo the hours I spent scrubbing and shell over $40 for that kind of finish I’d have to say I would. Lol
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yeah that’s what i tell kids these days. When i build them and engine and show them the invoice they harp about $40 on block cleaning & then i tell them to go check how much a can of brake cleaner is & consider how many cans they will need to go through… if they don’t passout from the fumes. lol
On the subject matter of painting it or not.
My advice on keeping your block/tranny looking fresh for years to come depends…
if it’s NOT your daily driver then don’t paint it. Chances are you’ll be pretty mindful of it and easily notice dirt / grime which can be easily cleaned off if you don’t let it sit for a while.
If its your daily driver, after block is media blasted & machined to your spec, mask off important stuff, take it to :
a) powder coater and have them powder coat it wrinkle texture. Wrinkle black, wrinkle gray or even red aren’t too reflective to light and it looks very clean. Texture is thinner than regular gloss hard coating, but still reistant to majority of cleaning chemicals, oils, gas, ect. The industrial polymer wrinkle coating will outlast most of your entire car. lol
or
b) automotive paint shop, primer, flat gray paint is good enough, it will last +5 years with out any visual imprefections. you can clear it but i don’t like that glossly look.
Yeah it will not be my daily so I’m sure I’ll be very mindful of keeping it clean. After spending all this time getting it to the point it will be, it would be stupid not to.
So here’s my update… I picked up my Recaro SRDs today. I seriously love these seats. Not only do they look great but they have to be the most comfortable seats I’ve ever sat in and they hug me just perfectly.
I wish I had better pictures. My phone camera sucks. They are MINT though!
No they’re black. A really deep black too. I’m not sure why they look so light/blue but I blame it on my camera.
They are kind of a race seat but believe me they are sooo comfy compared to our stock seats. I wouldn’t have wanted all out buckets for anything other than 100% track use either.
Thanks! Yeah its basically the same exact seat but without the red stitching and the RECARO is at the top instead of below the holes. Minor differences though. The black and red wouldn’t have worked with my paint scheme.
Yeah man. Ended up in a position where I could use the money more than the seats so I said to hell with it.
As picky as I am though, I wasn’t completely happy with the condition of them, being ‘used’ and all. After a good cleanup they looked great but… Ultimately I’ll be happy to get some NEW seats. Since the teg isn’t going anywhere there’s no rush as far as seats go.
Builds and pics like this make me itch for them though! Gah!
What are you doing as far as brackets? Definitely keep us in mind, with a lot of pictures and measurements, etc…
Well that sucks. You barely even got a chance to enjoy them but I definitely know how that goes. I’ve gotten rid of a few things I would have rather kept but just gotta remember that they’re always replaceable or even upgradeable! Sounds like you’ll be doing the latter.
I’ve looked at a few aftermarket options but the prices are kind of ridiculous. Bride ROs are like $410/pair and the MOs are like $470/pair. Way more than I’m willing to pay for something I could easily fabricate with my existing rails. There are cheaper options but I really want to retain the slider option. I’ll probably just end up fabbing some up, in which case I’ll be sure to document the process! Which reminds me, my welder is still inoperable…
[QUOTE=ls/vtecstitch;2309111]
did you paint the bolts? Where’s your build thread?[/QUOTE]
No build thread. And no, the bolts aren’t painted, that would just be a bad idea since it’d just mar and chip. They’re zinc plated.
Seats look great Mike! Those are a great choice for what you’re building.
The answer to that is sorta lengthy, lol. It probably depends a lot on where you get it done. My friend had used a place before and was getting some hardware done for a new car he’s building, I just threw in on his order and we split the cost. They have a $150 minimum fee per color and they do it based on weight, not number of pieces. We had black, gold, and silver done. Gold was the biggest batch, and I think we were right at the weight where it still qualified for the minimum fee but any more and we would have gone over. The other two colors we didn’t have as much so could have done more for the same cost. Seems expensive, but then I realized that they have to dip each piece in separately, they hang them by wires. I assumed they’d just put them in a big mesh tub or something an dip them, but nope, they had to hang each bolt we brought in. That’s a lot of labor.
