Will do on the wrench day planning if much happens here in this area. I'm thinking what'll eventually happen is I'll have enough parts to fill a truck bed, and I'll need to beg/borrow/steal a MM'ers truck and trailer, or arrange shipping again to get the car and everything with it to one of the shops that I have in mind - that could be as far as the NYC area (I'm not sure how commercial auto transport works with extra parts...). Definitely way early, but welcome ideas regardless.
The reasoning for this, and what's more than a bit annoying, is that I'm basically hamstrung in the order of operations when it comes to wrenching on the car. It all centers around the ECU and tuning - I can't add any more power (adding or uncorking) parts to the car without risking overboosting & detonation on the stock computer - one ping and I'm taking the bus. The A'PEXi ECU should be a godsend once installed, but in order to save time and money with tuning (not to mention travel back and forth from said tuner), it'll be best to have the same shop that does the mapping also install all the parts in one fell swoop right before it hits the rollers. And since they'll be elbow deep in car anyways, I'll probably just have them install and perform some of the "restoration" steps as well. I'd like to be able to do more myself - I suppose the brakes will be a home job, so there's that.
So, given said timetable the car will probably stay as-is for a good while - but, the aforementioned "while you're in there" creep could then by that time likely, and more comfortably, accommodate a motor freshening and perhaps a set of upgraded/rebuilt twin turbos : )
Tracked down the "oil leak" to actually being a rear transmission output seal leak, so thankfully not something as immediately worrisome as an issue with the oil pan or turbos. Will be sorting that out along with the clutch in the nearer term.
Tyler - come to the darkside. Rotaries are pretty rad.
The reasoning for this, and what's more than a bit annoying, is that I'm basically hamstrung in the order of operations when it comes to wrenching on the car. It all centers around the ECU and tuning - I can't add any more power (adding or uncorking) parts to the car without risking overboosting & detonation on the stock computer - one ping and I'm taking the bus. The A'PEXi ECU should be a godsend once installed, but in order to save time and money with tuning (not to mention travel back and forth from said tuner), it'll be best to have the same shop that does the mapping also install all the parts in one fell swoop right before it hits the rollers. And since they'll be elbow deep in car anyways, I'll probably just have them install and perform some of the "restoration" steps as well. I'd like to be able to do more myself - I suppose the brakes will be a home job, so there's that.
So, given said timetable the car will probably stay as-is for a good while - but, the aforementioned "while you're in there" creep could then by that time likely, and more comfortably, accommodate a motor freshening and perhaps a set of upgraded/rebuilt twin turbos : )
Tracked down the "oil leak" to actually being a rear transmission output seal leak, so thankfully not something as immediately worrisome as an issue with the oil pan or turbos. Will be sorting that out along with the clutch in the nearer term.
Tyler - come to the darkside. Rotaries are pretty rad.
Current: '20 Kia Stinger GT2 RWD | '20 Yamaha R3 | '04 Lexus IS300 SD
Past: '94 Mazda RX-7 | '04 Lexus IS300 (RIP) | '00 Jeep XJ | '99 Mazda 10AE Miata | '88 Toyota Supra Turbo
My MM Movies - Watch Them Here
Past: '94 Mazda RX-7 | '04 Lexus IS300 (RIP) | '00 Jeep XJ | '99 Mazda 10AE Miata | '88 Toyota Supra Turbo
My MM Movies - Watch Them Here