They all make it look fun.

Cold nights, laughter, and dirty finger nails. This is what this weekend was. From trying to wire Bills foglights, to getting the head off of the EM2. I'd say we are starting to look like a solid team.

The wiring that was on the EG was a mess. A terrible terrible mess. The wires were so corroded inside the insulator that the solder was nowhere near fusing with the copper wire inside. Looks like we need a complete re-wire for that car. '

The EM2 is coming along, we need to drain the coolant in between the block and the cylinders. Though, I feel we should block guard it while the head is off. But I've never block guarded anything so I would have to research the procedure.

The Galant is going back to Fizz tomorrow to get the exhaust buttoned up. The rattle is driving me absolutely CRAZY! As well as the can thats pointing down. Let's hope Fizz fixes it without a hitch.

Galant is boosted

I got the Galant running about a month ago. I am still working out a few kinks but she is running decent, despite the fact it's on a GReddy E-manage Blue.

I am getting a slight stumble at idle from time to time (most likely due to an over rich condition at 600 RPM), and I have been chasing an oil leak at cold start for two weeks. I traced it back to a used -4 line that I got from a friend that runs a diesel shop. The line ends on the SS braided line just doesnt seem to hold the pressure on high idle cold starts. I just replaced it with crimped ended SS line from One6 Motorsports and crossing my fingers the leak stops.

The interior is still a mess with pieces of insulator everywhere and a bunch of holes from former switches that I didn't think through before I started drilling through the plastic. Figured I'd clean and vacuum it the next lazy day I get. Work has officially over-ran my life!

The E-manage is going to get tuned by myself in the next couple of weeks as soon as Fizz finishes installing the last hanger and the wideband bung for the exhaust. Let's just say if the stumble doesnt go away after leaning the Airflow adjustment map at idle, I have a EVO ECU, and conversion harness waiting from BlackHeart Motors in Colorado.

I'm just glad I get to drive BabyG again. Despite the fact that it is too stiff, loud as fuck, and a work out to drive. I wouldn't want to drive anything else on my daily commute. I just love her too much!

It's about to get real.

Stay tuned. A monster is ready to be unleashed!

Needs a little umph.

I think it's about time for me to get something done on BabyG that I've wanted to do for a while. Unfortunately it's not in the form of the EVO swap I've been dreaming of. Something a little smaller scale, but with the same concept.

When I completed the five-speed swap on BabyG, she felt like a new car. I loved the response that came out of the little 4G64 with its 100 whp (if that) of fury. It felt amazing to feel the car move when I gave it the smallest amount of throttle. I thought to myself, "wow, she's actually got some grunt".

It's been a little over a year since I have five-speed swapped her and I am again looking for more power. I know that bolt-on's will not give me the power I want. I am thinking I need a little forced... induction.

Besides the five-speed swap, this year hasn't really been anything beneficial for the Galant. I just spent most of the year really enjoying the little things about her. Like, the way the wheels glisten as I watch Tegan drive away to park her, the way the wheels fit and how they look so at home with the lines of the Galant, the way the JDM tails look at night along with the 4300K H.I.D's and yellow fogs, The FAT FAT FAT tires mounted on the dinky 16x6's, and GOD DAMN the way it sounds! I cream my pants everytime I hear the exhaust rumble through the powerband. It feels like the first time I ever heard her sound that good, EVERYTIME.

I played with the ideas of doing a full exhaust and nitrous but I knew deep inside it wouldn't satisfy me at all. A full exhaust added on top of my 60mm TB and Short ram intake will not gain any noticeable power, so I scrapped that idea. Nitrous would be pretty inconvenient considering I'd have to fill the bottle often, plus not having the power on tap kind of seems silly to me. I knew there was only one way to get the power I wanted and still keep the car as a daily driver without spending 5k on a motor/harness/ECU swap. Boost.

Like how the five-speed swap went, I will be collecting the parts over the course of the next few months. I can only use money that is not accounted for by bills. It's a strict budget, and I HAVE TO stick to it. Prolly around $1500-2000. This means I have to do some smart shopping and some junkyard treasure hunting. I am looking at a 10psi-15psi set-up on WRX injectors and a Greddy E-manage. Wish me luck.

P.S. Tim, I'm gunnin' for MINI.

10 years old

We've had Baby G for ten years and in my possession for five. Pretty crazy to think about. Back then, I thought a ten year old car would be too old, but yet, I still have many plans before I am done with the car completely (Most likely never going to happen). And now that I think about it, people are still going crazy with 1G's and the car still looks pretty good for how old it is (20 years old if you count from the 1Ga with the flip up headlights). I guess it's one of those timeless designs that will never actually look their age. I hope it will be the same with the 8G Galant, Because I seriously love this car and replacing it with something else will never give me the same satisfaction.

Though, I hate that your average 16 year-old can now afford them for pretty cheap. It sucks to see them riced out or just plain abused and not looked after. Kinda saddening.

What drives you?

What drives you? When I ask this question, I want you all to think about what truly gives you the drive to get up in the morning and continue with a project? Whether it's your daily ride or your garage queen, what pushes you to push-on and create what you think is the best representation of your personality on 4 wheels?

When I got the Galant, to be honest, I felt I was settling. I was 16 and I didnt really have the choice of being picky. I looked and researched on the internet how people were modifying them and found that most Galant owners aren't too performance oriented. I played with the ideas of headrest TV's, 3 12" subwoofers, big gaudy body kit, and 19" wheels. Most of which, I wasn't really into. So I scrapped those ideas.

Here I am now 5 years after taking ownership and it's 5-speed swapped with serious suspension and tires. Though, the suspension will need an overhaul soon, the coilovers have been performing more than awesome for the last 30k miles. Still holding 70mph entrance/exit ramp speeds, and over 90 mph snake run speeds.

JIC coilovers are the next step along with a bigger RSB, adjustable links, wider wheels, and polyurethane bushings as I get the Teins overhauled and set aside for my next Galant.

She is getting old but I fall in love with her more as she ages. One day she will get painted and recieve a proper motor in the like of a EVO IX 4G63T, but for now, nothing drives me to push forward more than the satisfaction I get from my Galant. It's a car no one percieves as a performance car until I take them for a drive. It's not a fast car at all at the moment, but you have only seen the beginning. BabyG is far from her final stages.

Forgot to update

Wow, I'm such a noob. I totally forgot to mention to everyone that Mr. Smart Car himself got a new car! lol. Tim traded the Smart for a Mini S with a few mods a few months ago.

Here are the pics.