CptTripps' Restoration 2 - The Grey Matter Build, Back in Doug’s garage Options

[CptTripps]

I've got a nice complete grey leather interior (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drooley.gif)

Been holding off selling it but times are changing (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

PM me...I'm interested!

I am not sure how easy it will be getting in and out of car with suede on seats??

I think I would stick with all leather, though I understand the keep-butt-planted benefit of suede (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving-girl.gif)

I think just having the centers as suede would be the best of both worlds. Keeping me planted, and letting me get in/out.

Yeah you got into the "hard labor" stuff this weekend didn't you? I was sore for days. Good job!

You did the right thing by nabbing the whole wiring harness. Read the fine print and you'll see Small Car will not take one if it's been cut. Found that out a week too late (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) . Its cool that the engine and trans are from the same car. Total compatibility. Don't want to deter you from modding that engine but it's highly unlikely that it needs a rebuild. How many miles again? It'll look much cleaner and less cluttered when you take the power steering pump and pulley off and some of those hoses and whatnot. I think you can remove the EGR stuff as well (I did). You kept the ignition key and switch right? The key is chipped I think and the car won't start with the stock ECU without it.

The center diff is worth $250-$300 on NASIOC. It'll be gone in a day or two once you post it. Sold mine immediately for $250. Apparently they are the weak spot for 4WD.

Good tip on the diff! I'll do that for sure!

The engine has about 60K on it. Small Car can't do the harness because it's out of an 06 and is "drive by wire". He said they don't work on anything newer than 05. I think I may be on my own with this...

Interesting that I need to get the key to make it work. This may be getting more complicated than I was expecting!

I plan on taking all that stuff off the motor and having it soda-blasted so it's cleaned up before I even bring it back to the garage.

[Chris H.]

Yeah I would grab the key and ignition switch (grab the whole steering column actually if you still have it). Pretty sure you need it. Kent mentioned it and his is an 01. Many folks are integrating the donor steering column into the 914. Mike Bellis' (kg6dxn) monster Audi turbo conversion is drive-by-wire and it turned out great. Don't let it scare you too much (said the guy with the 95 OBD1 car (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) ). Take a look at his thread. There's also the option to use an aftermarket ECU, which gets you out of the harness cutting/have to use the Subie key game and allows you to tune the car with a laptop on the fly. Someone with more knowledge will post a link to the place (outfront motorsports maybe?) where you can find Link, Stinger, and other aftermarket ECUs. They are like $1500 but Smallcar would have charged you $800 to cut your harness. Then you can sell the stock stuff also, even though I know cost isn't really your concern as much this round.

I'm out running around today but good luck man!

[CptTripps]

Hmmm....maybe I need to get over there and grab a few more things before I go too far.

[jimkelly]

I think sometimes with cars with chips in their keys, ecu's need to be flashed/reset somehow?

[CptTripps]

Ha. Forgot that I left the ECU at the shop too. Guess I'll need to run over and grab that too.

It'd be cool to have the ignition on the dash like the 911 and 914/6 if there was a way to do it. Hmm....

[CptTripps]

70lbs of wiring harness has been in the corner...staring at me...mocking me. I say "Screw you wiring harness!"

http://www.outfrontmotorsports.com/ems_computers.htm + $1,400 = EMS Stinger and the wiring harness to 'plug and play' my way to less headache.

Anyone else been this route?

Now I'm off to put 70lb of copper on eBay with the ECU.

[badmiata]

AEM’s Series 2 Programmable Engine Management System is another one. It looks to be a little bit more but is newer. Have you looked at what Cobb's acessport can do with the stock ecu? The whole idea of the key and transponder with the stock ecu really sucks. I was also tryng to imagain the key alla 914/6 in the dash. I guess you eliminate 914 key and wire it to subaru key?

[effutuo101]

70lbs of wiring harness has been in the corner...staring at me...mocking me. I say "Screw you wiring harness!"

http://www.outfrontmotorsports.com/ems_computers.htm + $1,400 = EMS Stinger and the wiring harness to 'plug and play' my way to less headache.

Anyone else been this route?

Now I'm off to put 70lb of copper on eBay with the ECU.

seriously considering this option.
I have a megasquirt with harness that I will probably sell. I need faster compute time and resources to tune. My squirt does come preloaded with a 2.0 turbo profile if anybody is interested. about 90% of the wires are complete and ready to plug and play.

[CptTripps]

seriously considering this option.
I have a megasquirt with harness that I will probably sell. I need faster compute time and resources to tune. My squirt does come preloaded with a 2.0 turbo profile if anybody is interested. about 90% of the wires are complete and ready to plug and play.

Funny...I have 2 PMS from people telling me to look at the MegaSquirt kits instead of EMS.

PM me if you're interested in selling it. I'm just looking for something I can plug in and drive the car. I really don't know what I would need a faster computer for...

[CptTripps]

Got me some parts today! Getting closer!


Perrin Equal-Length headers
STI Oil Pan (so the headers fit)
Perrin Up-Pipe
Crucial Racing 3" Divorced Down-Pipe (After researching, this pipe is worth what I paid for everything.)
914Rubber.com "every damn seal" kit.
1Q of Por15

[CptTripps]

The quality of the Perrin stuff is really pretty awesome.

Very thick metal. Expertly welded.

[DBCooper]

Yeah, now THOSE are man-sized flanges.

[914forme]

Mine is a EG33 but Outfront wants a little more than the website would lead you to think. "All we need is the core wire harness for the plug ends and your cam gears
for modification. The price is $180 for the gear modification and $1700 for
the computer, wire harness, programming, and igniters."

Yep $1880, SDS wants $1800. MegaSquirt 3 Pro, and all the items needed to get it going. $1674 with lots of Ebay scrounging. Not sure its really a savings.

Nice score on the header, up pipe, and down pipe.

Oh and wear gloves for the POR-15,that crap is nasty stuff.

[Chris H.]

Those pipes might look good powder coated. Just sayin'.

[DBCooper]

Mine is a EG33 but Outfront wants a little more than the website would lead you to think. "All we need is the core wire harness for the plug ends and your cam gears
for modification. The price is $180 for the gear modification and $1700 for
the computer, wire harness, programming, and igniters."

Yep $1880, SDS wants $1800. MegaSquirt 3 Pro, and all the items needed to get it going. $1674 with lots of Ebay scrounging. Not sure its really a savings.

Nice score on the header, up pipe, and down pipe.

Oh and wear gloves for the POR-15,that crap is nasty stuff.

I did the harness and EMS Stinger from Outfront. Makes it easier, but you pay for the convenience. Have you checked Megasquirt from DIY Autotune, or better from Mario at the Dub Shop? I think they may be more palatable.

And those stainless header pipes are an easy polish. It's free, and you can change your mind later, get them coated.

[CptTripps]

I'll polish them soon...but I think I'm going to heat-wrap them, so I may not bother. I've heard that ceramic-coating is better though...and won't catch fire if oil gets on it.

I keep going back/forth on the Megasquirt. The Stinger is already dialed-in and works...that's worth something to me. Plus, I see a lot of guys with subie-914s that are using a Stinger...that counts for something too! True it's 2X as much...but I'd rather not feel like I have to mess with it. I've spent the last few days on the MS forums, and these people never seem happy...or to be running right.

[Mike Bellis]

Be careful with heat wrap. While it will keep the heat in and help with scavenging, it will also heat cycle the metal making it brittle.

Just about every header manufacturer's warranty is voided by using this stuff.

I had a set of 14ga headers on a V8 grenade on me. Both sides of the engine within a few minutes of each other while driving from SF to LA. I had them wrapped for about 12 months... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[jimkelly]

(wrap) it is amazing, how daily, we learn about more things we never knew : )

[CptTripps]

I didn't even think about that. Maybe I'll just wrap by the area that's closest to the oil pan.

Headed out today to get Bigger injectors (650cc), fuel rails, and a turbo off of an STI. (Vf39) I want the fastest spool possible. If I go too big on te turbo, I'll spend more time in "lagville" than I want.

Then all I need is the engine mounts and I think I've got about 90% of what I'll need for the build.

I wanted "one last drive" today, but it's pouring rain and my flanges are still bare metal. Bummer...

[DBCooper]

I had a set of 14ga headers on a V8 grenade on me. Both sides of the engine within a few minutes of each other while driving from SF to LA. I had them wrapped for about 12 months... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Ditto here, though on a motorcycle. Ceramic coating (on the inside) is supposed to be the real deal.