So one of my buddies was selling a 89 Sunbird GT with the lt3/c20get and a th125....c? im not sure...
So $380 bucks and this lil black hoor was about to be all mine... BUT the catch, It did not run.
Well my first bet was hey, I can get it going... but then I thought better of it and asked chris/PrecisionBoost if he could lend some knowledge.
When we got to the car step one was take the plugs out... spark is good. Turn it over to make sure and we see that the O2 sensor is no longer existent in the bung. The main giveaway was the facefull of soot that Chris wore on his face once the car actually fired up.
So some seafoam, a set of rims that i had laying around, some new oil and a few other odds and ends and this bad boy was good to go. fully operational headlight eyelid thingys, working power windows, working power locks, working convertible top with no rips or tears was road worthy... well more so road going then road worthy.
It sat for a while and I tried to save every penny to try and get this build underway. School was very demanding, im just saying this to draw away from the fact that me and chris managed to have a bit of mis-communication on when he was not so swamped at work...
**I KNOW THERE ARE NO PICS AS OF YET. FLICKR IS SLOW...like the final product haha**
So the car as it sat stock:
Yeah... it says princess... WHAT! lol.
Now things that came off:
AC condensor
AC Pump (Looked like a war zone on the block as it appeared to have blown up)
AC Belt
More coming off:
Rad
AC Canister thinger
Some ac lines
VAC Canister
Stock Exhaust Manifold
Stock Turbo
Stock Exhaust
Parts of the crash bar
LOTS of junk in the trunk, from pool noodles to shoes everything in between.
Spare Tire
THE TRUNK LID, yes the popper solonoid had rusted in place so the trunk was cut apart in order to get off and make room for a new one with functional popper.
The car in pieces:
Now for the car to go back together:
Parts used are as follows.
Some T3/TO4E "O" Trim turbo
3.5" Vband to roughly 3 inch downpipe using Heavy cast elbows
The exit is right behind the rear tire... I love it.
EVO 9 FMIC Core
2.5" stainless pipes for intercooler
PrecisionBoost One Of A Kind exhaust manifold with EWG
Turbosmart 38mm Ultragate 10psi spring
*Yeah yeah the wastegate is not in the best position for proper flow, but it works so settle down*
CX Racing BOV and BOV Pipe
Some ricey green 20psi boost gauge
well now for the money shots.
Rad moved foreward.
More manifold work
TEH TURBOZ!
IC Mockup
Stock pipe used... for now...
Turbo is in!
All wrapped up!
Now she sits for winter waiting for some transmission mods.
Wow that is one heck of a project.Glad to see your interest in the older stuff,and the work done is super solid.Kudos to you.I personally have yet to come across any turbo 1st or 2nd gens junkyarding at several locations I go to.So if something comes to mind,I have a post here request for parts from you pull it yards.Throw it there,I will see it.
Thanks, I REALLY appreciate it. The older car community has been nothing but the best to me lately, unlike the newer crowd. While out and about in my speed6 its almost impossible to get a nod or a wave, or even a light flash from another mazda owner... let alone a speed3/6 owner.
But in the bird, its a different story.
My 6 has some mods too but in comparison to the open diff lane change-o-matic that the funbird has... nothing brings a bigger smile to my face then being neck and neck with a newer car. I cant wait to get a 3 bar maf, put in some bigger injectors and push the boost well past 20
if she blows, time to build her stronger.
Day 2 of driving the car around, i had some really junktastic tube on the wga line... stock piece... and it melted off, boost spiked well past the 20psi listed on the autometer gauge. At about 100kmh the car pulled very hard to the right and hit fuel cut.
But as of right now i'm having some tranny/driveline trouble. If im spinning 1 tire will the speedo still go up?
Nice looking header! Those build up pics bring back a lot of memories too!
Tony
Tony
1987 Sunbird GT turbo convert
Ported intake, Fiero 53 MM TB, 52 lb inj, ported and flowed head, tube header, Mitsu TD06, ARP rod
bolts/head studs, adj cam sprocket, 4" x 12" x 31" FMIC, Paxton AFPR, modified 125 trans/LSD
unit/3.42's, custom chip tuning, Alky Control Methanol injection
13.61 ET at 101.44 mph, 262 WHP/350WTQ
2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP roadster, 2.0 turbo w/GMPP exh, CAI and turbo upgrade, 290 hp/325 ft lbs
1969 Olds 442 convert
400 Eng, 200-4R trans, 3.73 posi, power everything, OAI
NICE man!
Lookin forward to more pictures and updates.
89 355 s10 blazer
94 sunbird, 2.0 turbo 5spd getrag swap
Turbonetics turbo, intercooler, E85 20psi
Cool. Another Albertan on here. Love the work so far.
2010 Honda Fit LX
Thanks guys.
Superbee, there are 2 gt's at my local pick n pull, want me to go tear apart the heads for you?
Hey just sent you a pm.
89 355 s10 blazer
94 sunbird, 2.0 turbo 5spd getrag swap
Turbonetics turbo, intercooler, E85 20psi
I LOVE seeing threads like this...
Well... Went to my local pick and pull today, found a 2000+ cavy, took the shifter assembly and cables. Who wants this bitch to be a manual with a team greed diff insert? I do I do, so I'm going back on Sunday to get the transmission, master and slave, clutch pedal and switch... I'm not sure if I need the axels, I do have replacement ones for the stock th125c, will the factory ones work with an f23 gearbox?
Bad ass project man. So what kind of boost will those factory engines take in stock trim? Any power goals?
I dont venture in the 2nd gen forum much but this will make me stop in more often.
Best of luck!
Thanks boss. Project is on hold though. It makes something like 7psi Iin stock trim with the gt25 that came on it. I have herd that's about good for 190 Hp. The turbo is still a gem though with no shaft play or cracks near the wasteate which is apparently very common. It's still in fine shape and my buddy wants to throw it on his 1.6 civic, so we will see how that goes.
As fas as my goals, I'm thinking after a new map sensor, ecu recal, n/a mpi manifold which has a larger plenum then the turbo version, a na tb... It's 2.25 as opposed to the 2 inch sock tb, and a nice set of 500cc vauxhaul injectors 300whp and 350wtq should be no problem. I don't think I will need more then 25 psi to reach that goal. And if it blows up in the process, it's not strong enough so let's build it again haha. The main part for me was to get a nice base set out with the turbo, manifold, intercooler, and fueling. Once I can find a transmission that will support the power I'm going to keep turning up the boost till she does blow. Is gong to be a drawn out process though since I still have 5 more months left in school. Hopefully finding a decent job upon graduation will allow me some free time to knock this car up a few notches of fun.
The real big challenge will be finding a transmission to work with this motor. I really want the 6 speed from a cruze as I have been informed that will work. It's too bad I'm super limited on transmission options. 2 auo choices and like 3 manual choices, almost all of the manuals are uk only (vaux or opel) or stupid hard to find at a wreckers.
Lots of new parts ordered. Time to start putting them on...
Car won't use first anymore. Now when hot it stalls. Problem is the tcc and tranny. M32 6 speed swap? Only time will tell.
Looking good so far.
PRND321 Till I DIE
Old Motor: 160whp & 152ft/lbs, 1/4 Mile 15.4 @88.2
M45 + LD9 + 4T40-E, GO GO GO
Looks like your going all out on this project. Have you thought about swapping to the Dohc off the daewoo engine?
well in 3 months i should be well on my way to a career after school.
hopefully i will easily be able to fund this project at a later date... so for right now just little amounts of money can be spent.
Well... long time no updates. M32 with the MF3 option has been ordered. it has longer ratios, except for first.
i did some math and 6th gear should top out well over 200 mph haha. who the @!#$ needs that!
so m32 ordered
shifter cables ordered
console shifter ordered
just need:
franken clutch setup with sunbird pp and flywheel, and a cruze clutch disk
clutch pedal with lines
possibly a slave cylinder
and finally some franken axels pending if the stock sunbird ones wont fit. i still cant find the spline count and specs for the cruze axles.
Talk about not staying in touch.I understand getting busy and money to fund that project.Just don't be a stranger and drop in over on the 1st gen forum we tend to hang there and post more frequent.Car sounds like it will be super sick when your done with it one day.Good to see you back on here since like jan?
Mzspd6 wrote:
i did some math and 6th gear should top out well over 200 mph haha. who the @!#$ needs that!
Give 'er a go at least once. Stock tires should do the job, right?
2010 Honda Fit LX
Mzspd6 wrote:Well... long time no updates. M32 with the MF3 option has been ordered. it has longer ratios, except for first.
i did some math and 6th gear should top out well over 200 mph haha. who the @!#$ needs that!
so m32 ordered
shifter cables ordered
console shifter ordered
just need:
franken clutch setup with sunbird pp and flywheel, and a cruze clutch disk
clutch pedal with lines
possibly a slave cylinder
and finally some franken axels pending if the stock sunbird ones wont fit. i still cant find the spline count and specs for the cruze axles.
6spd auto ugrade
, if it comes out good do a writeup on it as I'm sure some of the 1st gen'rs would be interested in this swap as am I.
6spd manual upgrade.
Though I thought the M32 only came with the eco bellhousing? I'm curious to see how you make that work with an engine with the GM metric pattern
I don't know much about the M32 only the F40, but I don't think anyone has done this swap yet. The closest I know of is a 88' Z24 with an F40 over on the V6Z24 forums, he might be able to help you out.
Good Luck!
First 6-speed in a 3rd Gen
yeah im sorry as with work i have been running around with my head cut off.
but then the job ended so i have had a few weeks off.... and i ended up buying a block for my speed 6 that i have been working on slowly, And now i am broke haha.
Well the trans and the shifter+cables have showed up. The m32 mounts line up exactly with the f40 a friend has in his shop so that is what spurred the decision. it looks as if it will bolt right on, but the clutch...
I have been trying to find a used Chevy cruze flywheel to see what will work with the c20 as nobody makes a flywheel for a sunburn gt that will allow a cruze pressure plate to bolt to it. Might have to just order a stock cruze dual mass for 200 bucks and see what happens.
My new job was scheduled to start this Friday but spectra energy has so many people on site that they have overbooked the camps in the area so i have been pushed back by a week, just my luck.
after i get a few more dollars in the bank the build will start up again.
So, new year, any new updates on this beast?
I wish i had a friggin garage already so i can start building mine.
89 355 s10 blazer
94 sunbird, 2.0 turbo 5spd getrag swap
Turbonetics turbo, intercooler, E85 20psi
ok well updates. clutch should be done and on its way to me soon. i just need a lemans 1.6 flywheel. i could use a nubra fw if it gets machined.
picked up my own tig welder and some metal so i can make some motor/trans mounts for the car. cruze axels slot right into place but need to lose about 3 inches per side to fit perfectly.
and enough stainless for an exhaust.
what the hell else... i have a clutch and master i need to put in and figure out how to plumb...
im just taking my sweet ass time on this project i have to say...
bought a borg warner s362 fmw turbo. compressor can swallow an entire beer can haha.
Hopefully.... this will be the last couple updates.
Flywheel has been found... truck yeah. So clutch disc, pressure plate and some other misc b.s. will be on its way.
So the last couple things to do before this project gets back on track is:
* Mount clutch pedal
* Mount shifter and run shifter cables
* machine lemans flywheel
* put the transmission back on the block.
* Make 2 transmission mounts and a lateral link mount.
* Get the axles shortened a few inches
* reassemble and build an exhaust.
* enjoy!
this is a long time coming but a light is at the end of the tunnel...
pics of progress to follow when i get home from work.
