Ha ha, welcome to my world. :p
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:lol:
More pics of the new car, please. :D
It just got somewhat de-stickered and I'd really like to clean it up first but that might have to wait a while. Tomorrow morning I dig into the header/cat swap to make it legal. Yes I'm a glutton for punishment. :)
For having 1200/850 springs and a race seat, it's remarkably comfortable on a 9 hour trip. Custom valved Koni 2812s probably do it no harm. :)
Ride is all about the shocks.
And the 2812s are no joke.
Inverted in the rear, no less.
:)
http://www.pbase.com/bryanh/image/15...0/original.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/bryanh/image/15...1/original.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/bryanh/image/15...2/original.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/bryanh/image/15...3/original.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/bryanh/image/15...5/original.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/bryanh/image/15...6/original.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/bryanh/image/15...7/original.jpg
^Raceparts! :D
Man, sucks to have to lose those nice pipes!
Wait. You are allowed to run headers in ST*... unless the stock ones have cats?
You're allowed to run headers in ST* that don't move the cat more than 6 inches from its stock location. Only problematic for the newer cars with close-coupled cats.
I assume that Bryan is removing the ones pictured because they aren't CARB-legal and he needs to smog the car to register it.
Yup. Silly state over-regulation. Sniffer should be all that matters!
The OEM headers have no cats, but they are shorties and the cats are right after. These shiny headers are PPE long tubes, which replace the factory cats. The Y-pipe on the car now is custom with high flow cats for ST* legality.
I'm kinda curious about the extension at the rear of the headers - it comes out and does a 90 degree bend, ending in a threaded plug which happens to be O2-sensor sized. But you can see there's already an O2 sensor nearby. What is this thing? World's smallest helmholtz resonator? :p Quick n easy hookup for a wideband O2 for tuning?
Replacing the drivers side header was actually pretty easy. Passenger side was at least 3x harder, because I refused to remove the big coolant hardpipe that everything attaches to. It took 20 minutes for each header nut to figure out which combination of tools/extensions/conversions to use. It's now loose but stuck in place, just barely not clearing the starter and a bracket for fuel lines. Hmph. Suppose I'll have to remove the starter in the light tomorrow.
T is returning her RX8 to stock tomorrow too, swapping parts with a local owner. It'll be a mini wrenching party. :lol:
P.S. - the early VQ has torque for a V6. Only NA car I've owned that can cruise easily up the Grapevine in top gear. The '93 MR2 NA came close, but was only a 5spd and was revving 4k on the highway anyway.
Still, I want more torque. :D The last tune on this car was done with different headers, so I'm hoping a new tune once these go back in will add a few grunt units. I may also look into whether lightwieght pulleys do much for the VQ. Shame I can't change the flywheel. The stock one is something like 27-30lbs. You feel it. Want the revs to drop during an upshift? Tough cookies. The clutch must do the work, unless you are a very patient person.
P.P.S. - Feels racy with the seat, and stiff engine/tranny mounts. :) Even the starter motor can be felt in the chassis before the engine fires.