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No longer mom's grocery getter(1991 244)

But an e-fan costs money... And I'm already spending money this month, blah. I might give in though. Or see if I can borrow one temporarily.
 
So... The car currently has no rear sway bar, no bracing up or down up front... Handles surprisingly well. I'm not overwelmed with understeer as expected. I still pick up the inside rear tire, but not as much. I'm probably going to toss on a stock sized rear swaybar(16mm, maybe 19) and call it good for now until I get around to installing some stiffer springs up front. I will be reinstalling the front bracing, or at least the GT firewall braces and then I'll make some custom alloy lower braces to reduce weight. Everything's off right now in anticipation of the drags on Sunday. I still don't have **** for traction though, off the line the right rear lights up, and once it shifts into second it lights up again(in the wet, :-P). We'll see if disconnecting the front swaybar will help out with that at all.

Currently doing some research about new tires for the Tethys, I want them back on, NOW!

Jason, can I borrow your e-fan and your rear tires? Please???
 
I need to look into getting dents repaired, and if it can be done without paint fixing...

Paintless dent removal... my neighbor Jason. Real cheap and quick. He can do it in my driveway (or his, two doors down). He's buffing out the red 142 as I type this, and will soon thereafter press out all the dings/dents.
 
Yeah, I stopped by a place and got a quote for $100 a panel... I have way too many panels for that, lol. And there are spots that are from the inside of the trunk, and the paint's f'd on those... :-\

I can't wait to see your car!!!!! And drive it. I need to see what it feels like.

And I've decided that General Exclaim UHP 215/45-17s are the next set of tires for the Tethys. Can't wait to get them mounted up with some 32/38 adapters from Dale...
 
But big bars weigh a lot... :-P Haha. I'll see if I can have someone bring a stock sized rear bar. I'm going to at least disconnect the front bar, not sure if I'll remove it all the way. I guess I might as well with how far I'm going with other stuff... :)
 
But big bars weigh a lot... :-P Haha. I'll see if I can have someone bring a stock sized rear bar. I'm going to at least disconnect the front bar, not sure if I'll remove it all the way. I guess I might as well with how far I'm going with other stuff... :)

Fill the tires with Helium.
 
Thanks man! It my front suspension doesn't look nearly that nice right now, but that's mainly because it's covered with dust and a little bit of oil seeping from my rear main and oil pan... Blah.
 
Damn man, you've been busy. Your car looks awesome on the riken's, too bad they're too skinny. Lookin great as expected, keep it up.

PS, let me know if you want to unload those rear bilsteins, my car is in need.
 
Well, they're not loaners as I own them, but they are temporary while I gather funds for tires and new(thicker and hubcentric) spacers. You interested? Or did you already get some Virgos?
 
I adjusted the rear panhard rod tonight, one turn, I might want to go with two, but it isn't hard to do so I'll start with one. I think it might partially be one of the multiple reasons for my right rear tire wanting to spin so much, and unload so easily coming out of turns. It'll also look like my left rear tire isn't so far inside the wheel well, because it won't be. I didn't realize it was as far off as it was.

I still need stiffer springs, still undecided if I'm just going to toss on the GT springs after cutting them, or go with something more. If I go with something more, I'll be able to sell a pair of 25mm IPD sways and stick just a 23mm one up front, along with something stock sized(16, 19 or 21mm) on the rear of the car. I might stick a 23 up front anyway so I can sell the pair.

I'm actively pursuing getting the Tethys back on now, going to get a set of adapters from adaptitusa.com. Likely just 30-35s, instead of the 32-38 I was originally thinking of going with. This way I should be able to run 850 and 1st gen S/V/C70 series wheels including the later second gen wheels without clearance issue.

While looking at my strut mounts, I see icky stuff. They're way pushed up/stretching after a year and a half of hard usage, with occasional bottoming out of the suspension... Not cool. I want something stiffer in there, maybe I'll just have to get camber plates. Not until they're worse though, possibly sometime next year.

I can't wait to get the Tethys mounted up with the thicker spacers and some light weight 215/45-17 General Exclaim UHP tires... It'll feel soooooo nice...

That means, the Rikens are for sale!
 
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1.3"(almost 32mm) and 1.5"(38mm) hub centric adapters are on their way... I was wanting to do something like 30-35 so that I could run lower offset FWD wheels if I wanted, but oh well. I'll be limited to the Tethys and other 49mm offset wheels. I think by the time I get other wheels though, they won't need adapters... :oogle:

I got two different prices from two different people at the same company, so hopefully I'm still going to end up with the right stuff(person I talked to last and paid gave the lower quote).
 
Woah. I just calculated on Google maps that I got ~26.4mpg... Filled up the tank with some Plus instead of Premium(or was it premium and then plus???) and drove down to Corvallis Saturday night, without getting too crazy with the accelerator pedal. I had to make two pit stops in Albany because my alternator and/or regulator is giving me crap causing me to drive around with only 12 volts(and thus a weak ignition system too! :)). Thanks Tony(and Tonya too for breakfast)! But yeah, it was all highway mileage except for maybe 5 miles of city stuff, for a total of about 168 miles. This is with the ignition advance still advanced 3 degrees. Maybe it is doing something? Maybe it isn't. Still cool though to set a new record...

Not cool to have an alternator/regulator give up on me.

Hopefully I'll get the exhaust sorted once and for all in the next couple of months.

And hopefully I'll take the time to make some new lower braces out of aluminum soon.

An upper brace would be nice too along with some stiffer springs all around, but I'll deal.

I also wish those new adapters were here already, my new tires too.
 
Summary of current setup(updated 8/07/07):


So far it's dynoed 99whp and 127lb-ft of torque through it's AT transmission. Fastest pass at the drag strip is a 17.6@76mph, with a 2.6s 60'.


When I first got the car:

My mom has that same car, except its a Stick not an auto.
 
1.3"(almost 32mm) and 1.5"(38mm) hub centric adapters are on their way... I was wanting to do something like 30-35 so that I could run lower offset FWD wheels if I wanted, but oh well. I'll be limited to the Tethys and other 49mm offset wheels.
17x7 ET43 might still fit, depending on tire size and how much you've clearanced the rear fender lip. They definitely would fit if you put the 1.3" on the rear and the 1.5" on the front.
 
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