Build Threads Building a motor? Post the progress here.

Cspence's Build Thread

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 04-01-2009, 06:45 PM
  #1  
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (11)
 
Cspence's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Meriden, CT
Posts: 2,065
Total Cats: 1
Default Cspence's Build Thread

Just wanted to start a thread where I could share my current projects for the car. On the inside, I wanted to hide the cd player behind the glove box door and make some gauge mounts in the double din opening. In the engine bay, I wanted to clean things up with some sheet metal pieces, so I mocked everything up and am making everything at work. As of now, I plan on painting the bumper airdam black to match the stripe, the headlight scoop white so it does'nt stand out as bad, and then clearing the radiator cover after scuffing it with a die grinder.....Got all my pieces punched today!!! Let me know what you guys think....I'll update with pics as I continue with this.

Guage Cluster / CD Player support:
DSC03224.jpg?
DSC03244.jpg?t=1238626472
0321091838.jpg?
0318092115.jpg?
DSC03353.jpg?t=1240523158
0328091228.jpg?
0328091229.jpg?

BEFORE
enginebay4.jpg?

1st mock up:
DSC03277.jpg?
DSC03280.jpg?
DSC03284.jpg?

2nd Mock up:
0330091941b.jpg?
0330091941a.jpg?
0331091903a.jpg?

Making the Parts:
0401091629a.jpg?
0401091635b.jpg?
0401091635a.jpg?

Last edited by levnubhin; 01-31-2010 at 04:50 PM.
Cspence is offline  
Old 04-01-2009, 07:03 PM
  #2  
Elite Member
iTrader: (2)
 
240_to_miata's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Cromwell, Connecticut
Posts: 2,604
Total Cats: 16
Default

you are from CT??????? i wanna see this car, love it! come to the uconn car show april 19th!!

where do you work??
240_to_miata is offline  
Old 04-01-2009, 07:06 PM
  #3  
Antisaint
iTrader: (17)
 
Vashthestampede's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Danbury, CT
Posts: 4,564
Total Cats: 58
Default

Awesome work dude! Looks like you even made some extras, I'm sure you'll have no problem finding people that want them.

Thats cool that your cleaning everything up and doing it right. I cant wait to see how it all turns out.
Vashthestampede is offline  
Old 04-01-2009, 07:16 PM
  #4  
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (11)
 
Cspence's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Meriden, CT
Posts: 2,065
Total Cats: 1
Default

Originally Posted by 240_to_miata
you are from CT??????? i wanna see this car, love it! come to the uconn car show april 19th!!

where do you work??
Yeah I'm from Meriden. I would go to the show, but trying to get a friend of a friend of a friend who is supposed to be a MS guru out to check on the tune to make sure its legit before I go romping on it. I'm new to this turbo deal, so don't know much about it yet, although I am very mechanically inclined. Also, the car isn't registered yet since I just bought it from MXV in South Carolina, had to finish the exhaust and was hoping to get a "lean" tune for emissions....anyone know if they still do inspections in CT besides just the vin verification / emissions....like checkin headlights/wipers/blinkers/ etc. If they do, it'll be a while before I'm on the road.

Originally Posted by Vashthestampede
Awesome work dude! Looks like you even made some extras, I'm sure you'll have no problem finding people that want them.

Thats cool that your cleaning everything up and doing it right. I cant wait to see how it all turns out.
Ya, definitly made extras, figured I might share the wealth lol!
Cspence is offline  
Old 04-01-2009, 07:21 PM
  #5  
Junior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Vincent123's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Southern California
Posts: 72
Total Cats: 0
Default

i am so jealous, great work there
Vincent123 is offline  
Old 04-01-2009, 07:24 PM
  #6  
Former Vendor
iTrader: (31)
 
Savington's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 15,442
Total Cats: 2,099
Default

Gauges below the top of the dashboard may as well not exist. Just FYI, if you plan to track the car.
Savington is offline  
Old 04-01-2009, 08:05 PM
  #7  
Elite Member
iTrader: (2)
 
240_to_miata's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Cromwell, Connecticut
Posts: 2,604
Total Cats: 16
Default

Originally Posted by Savington
Gauges below the top of the dashboard may as well not exist. Just FYI, if you plan to track the car.
IMO thats why you keep the more "steady state" gauges down there... like water temp, oil temp, battery voltage, i guess oil pressure, ect. Keep the things that change rapidly like boost and AFR up top.

I have also never been on the track, only heavily autoxed..... and well, if you are looking at anything but cones when you are autoxing then you are FUCKED anyway.
240_to_miata is offline  
Old 04-01-2009, 08:11 PM
  #8  
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (11)
 
Cspence's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Meriden, CT
Posts: 2,065
Total Cats: 1
Default

Originally Posted by 240_to_miata
IMO thats why you keep the more "steady state" gauges down there... like water temp, oil temp, battery voltage, i guess oil pressure, ect. Keep the things that change rapidly like boost and AFR up top.

I have also never been on the track, only heavily autoxed..... and well, if you are looking at anything but cones when you are autoxing then you are FUCKED anyway.
Yeah same here....I don't plan on tracking the car much....just an occasional event or so. The gauges are primarily just to tune and keep an eye on here and there. My primary focus is going to be keeping the car on the pavement, lmao! I'm going to put a oil pressure and water temp guage in the open spots....and in the future others if need be with the other clusters I made up(egt, oil temp, ??).
Cspence is offline  
Old 04-01-2009, 08:21 PM
  #9  
Former Vendor
iTrader: (31)
 
Savington's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 15,442
Total Cats: 2,099
Default

Originally Posted by 240_to_miata
IMO thats why you keep the more "steady state" gauges down there... like water temp, oil temp, battery voltage, i guess oil pressure, ect. Keep the things that change rapidly like boost and AFR up top.
You misunderstood me. It doesn't matter what you keep down there - they may as well be in the glovebox or hooked into your ECU and only visible on a laptop screen. If they aren't above the top of the dashboard, they may as well not exist.
Savington is offline  
Old 04-01-2009, 08:40 PM
  #10  
Elite Member
iTrader: (21)
 
paul's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Point Pleasant, NJ
Posts: 2,957
Total Cats: 2
Default

cool stuff. I'd be interested in the gauge face plate piece if you sell em
paul is offline  
Old 04-01-2009, 09:02 PM
  #11  
Elite Member
iTrader: (30)
 
levnubhin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Va Beach
Posts: 7,329
Total Cats: 12
Default

very nice! Id be intrested in a radiator cover and that shrouding for the bumper.
__________________
Best Car Insurance | Auto Protection Today | FREE Trade-In Quote
levnubhin is offline  
Old 04-01-2009, 09:44 PM
  #12  
Senior Member
iTrader: (3)
 
slutz4's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 566
Total Cats: 2
Default

Im glad this car is in good hands
slutz4 is offline  
Old 04-02-2009, 05:20 PM
  #13  
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (11)
 
Cspence's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Meriden, CT
Posts: 2,065
Total Cats: 1
Default

Originally Posted by paul
cool stuff. I'd be interested in the gauge face plate piece if you sell em
Which one....3 centered...3 top....5....or 6? Lemme know.

Originally Posted by levnubhin
very nice! Id be intrested in a radiator cover and that shrouding for the bumper.
Not sure how it would fit on your car....everything was fitted specifically for my application so it may fit like crap for you....maybe not
Cspence is offline  
Old 04-02-2009, 06:23 PM
  #14  
Supporting Vendor
iTrader: (3)
 
ThePass's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: San Diego
Posts: 3,303
Total Cats: 1,216
Default

I'm digging the stripe and the front end's whole look.
I concur though that gauges below your eye line just don't matter. Even for a street car, I guarantee after a few weeks you won't look at any of those gauges often enough to notice if your water or oil temps are unnaturally high, let alone the AFR gauge which there is no way you can keep an eye on it except when it doesn't matter i.e. cruising.
My boost gauge is on the steering column and I hardly even notice it these days. The only times I check oil/water temp are when I look over and happen to notice them, and they are on top of the dash. Even then, I look at them less than I ought to. My AFR gauge is on top of the gauge hood (copied Savington on that one), where I can't ignore it because anywhere else it is useless.
__________________
Ryan Passey
ThePass is offline  
Old 04-02-2009, 06:35 PM
  #15  
Elite Member
iTrader: (30)
 
levnubhin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Va Beach
Posts: 7,329
Total Cats: 12
Default

Originally Posted by Cspence
Which one....3 centered...3 top....5....or 6? Lemme know.


Not sure how it would fit on your car....everything was fitted specifically for my application so it may fit like crap for you....maybe not

The rad cover might not fit since yours appears to be higher than normal but the nose ducting shouldn't be a problem.
__________________
Best Car Insurance | Auto Protection Today | FREE Trade-In Quote
levnubhin is offline  
Old 04-03-2009, 08:44 PM
  #16  
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (11)
 
Cspence's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Meriden, CT
Posts: 2,065
Total Cats: 1
Default

Got the radiator cover and bumper airdam formed up today....not perfect but a good start. Prolly going to redo these.

DSC03301.jpg?t=1238805619
DSC03298.jpg?t=1238805320
DSC03297.jpg?t=1238805568



DSC03300.jpg?t=1238805663
DSC03303.jpg?t=1238805733
Name:  DSC03309.jpg
Views: 240
Size:  110.8 KB
DSC03310.jpg?t=1238805808
DSC03349.jpg?t=1240448913

Last edited by Cspence; 04-22-2009 at 09:10 PM.
Cspence is offline  
Old 04-03-2009, 10:06 PM
  #17  
VladiTuned
iTrader: (76)
 
18psi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 35,821
Total Cats: 3,481
Default

wow, excellent work there.
18psi is offline  
Old 04-06-2009, 04:58 PM
  #18  
Newb
 
mywong23's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 18
Total Cats: 0
Default

great ideas how to maximize air inlets.

I wonder about exiting the additional air - maybe hood louvers, or side fender extractor vents?

*****************************************
re: reading guages. IMHO, at a track driving on a long straightaway, there is a second or two to glance at other guages, e.g. oil temp.

I agree that there's no time to peek during autoXing...

plus tuning guages, e.g. A/F, fuel pres, even maybe boost, don't need monitoring.
mywong23 is offline  
Old 04-10-2009, 03:23 PM
  #19  
Elite Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (11)
 
Cspence's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Meriden, CT
Posts: 2,065
Total Cats: 1
Default

Figured I'd throw up some pics of the $40 exhaust. 3" all the way back. Tubing bought on ebay.

BNB2EQCGkKGrHgoH-EMEjlLlt44QBJpMRBg.jpg?t=1239391386
DSC03238.jpg?t=1239391011
0410091329.jpg?t=1239391080
0410091329a.jpg?t=1239391105
0410091329b.jpg?t=1239391129
Cspence is offline  
Old 04-10-2009, 03:31 PM
  #20  
Miotta FTW!
iTrader: (24)
 
Splitime's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Chicagoland, IL
Posts: 4,290
Total Cats: 31
Default

Love the ducting work. I'd kill for a press to do that stuff... I have a decent amount of my own to do... very soon.
Splitime is offline  


Quick Reply: Cspence's Build Thread



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:42 AM.