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Sweet, but too bad it's not a manual. Can you put the seat belts in the 323? Because the auto seat belts really suck balls. What other interior bits fit?
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Apr 2, 2008 23:45
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 13:36 |
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Good progress Sock. *pats on back* Are you gonna put in some poly bushings while you're at it? Or at least new OEM rubber ones? Might as well "while you're in there" haha. I'll be curious to see how your 323 and MR2 compare handling wise when you're all done with both of them....It's possible the 323 might end up being more fun. 
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Apr 6, 2008 23:24
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Haha, I thought this was going to be a DD. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you're building a track car.
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Apr 11, 2008 14:10
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poisoned pie posted:Also I bet you had that poo poo that just chips away as as pie. I'm sure it helps working in cold temps. Down here (Florida) it gets soft and gooey.
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Apr 12, 2008 01:23
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Where in Canada do you live? I'm moving to New York pretty soon, if it's not too far I'd love to come by and check it out when you're done. Hopefully I can find a nice 323 and EGT donor when I get up there. I won't have the benefit of a forklift though. 
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Apr 19, 2008 15:40
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What about the oxy sensor? You can run without that?
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Apr 20, 2008 22:27
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The EGT front bumper looks killer, I can't believe it just bolts right on, these cars are like legos. Will the rear bumper fit? Sideskirts? I want to build a 323 GT so bad.
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Apr 26, 2008 13:42
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Sockington posted:Basically, it's like a cheaper version (less inflated) Honda Civic hatch with a DOHC ZC swap or similar. ~2100lbs and 130hp. Yep, and it looks better than a Civic too.  Great job Sock, I've basically been dreaming up in my head what you have done, and it's been cool to see you go through the process.....Any questions I may have had about the swap have been answered. Hopefully when I get moved to NY, I can find a decent 323 and EGT donor. So how does it drive compared to when you first got it? How do the ZX2 struts feel?
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May 1, 2008 14:07
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The side skirts turned out nice. Although the stance looks a bit odd because the wheel gap is bigger in the front. Are you gonna paint it?
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Jul 27, 2008 12:55
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Sounds great. If you go with a blower/turbo it will be the best sleeper ever, not to mention the hotest of hot hatches. 
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Jul 30, 2008 12:52
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Lookin' good sock. I would show more support but my lovely satellite internet doesn't like pictures.
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Aug 17, 2008 02:42
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Puting a computer on the bench too? If so be sure to take before/after pics of the greasy keyboard. Also, I'm learning how fun it is to wrench on a car in the cold, I have a wood stove in my garage but it has a hard time keeping up when it gets below 20. And gently caress rust it sucks 
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Nov 25, 2008 20:52
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Sockington posted:Also, wtf winter. Pfft, that's all the snow you have so far? Not even December yet and look at this poo poo.   VVVV you suck Applebees Appetizer fucked around with this message at 22:02 on Nov 27, 2008 |
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Nov 27, 2008 21:02
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That sucks dude. You can least get to stripping the parts you want and get rid of the shell, then decide weather or not to keep or sell the parts.....I would hold on to them for awhile just in case you run across another MR2. Is it possible to bring one in from the south? Or maybe a "YO JDM" import (that's big in Canada, right?) It seems like that's the only way you'll find one that's rust free.
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Nov 30, 2008 22:59
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So why exactly is that land barge in your garage again? You must be ready to destroy that thing by now. Also, I don't remember if you mentioned it already, but do you plan on swapping in MX3 suspension/rear subframe? Does it really widen the stance? At least that's what I read on the Protege forums.
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Feb 17, 2009 13:54
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So how are you getting rid of the rusted shell? Talk about a lucky break with the rust free cars in Canada, wasn't the 323 from Cali too? Congrats man, can't get any better than that, looking forward to seeing more progress now that you have a rust free car to work with, make things a lot loving easier. drat I can't wait to get back to Florida and rust free cars, this rust poo poo is for the birds.
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Mar 15, 2009 04:25
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Have your neighbors looked at you funny yet like wtf I used to always get funny looks having my cars in pieces all over the front yard. Especially when I was flipping cars for extra cash.
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Mar 18, 2009 03:54
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That MR2 looks good, but to me body colored wheels are just too much, a little contrast makes all the difference.
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Mar 21, 2009 19:02
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Dude, wouldn't an angle grinder with a wire brush make 10x quicker work of that frunk? Drills are just too drat slow IMO. I can't believe how clean it is underneath. You must have been giddy when you got a good look at it.
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Mar 23, 2009 01:45
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Sockington posted:Hope they're afraid of duct tape too. That's interesting, I'll have to give that a try. So I'm assuming with all the framing you're doing in the garage you plan on insulating and adding a heater for winter months? Whatever you do don't buy any sheetrock that came from China
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Apr 28, 2009 04:27
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Hey Sock I finally found a 323 One owner, 60k miles for a cool grand. Going to pick it up next week, flying down to Ft Lauderdale and driving it to my brothers in Tampa where it will stay until I move back in Oct. I had credit with Southwest Airlines so said gently caress it, $160 round trip aint poo poo. Most people would think I'm nuts flying to FL for a thousand dollar car haha. It's an automatic but I don't care, I'll daily drive it until I find a manual V6 MX3 donor and swap everything into it.
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May 2, 2009 01:35
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Sockington posted:It's all a bolt-in-affair from the MX3. Yeah I was thinking about that.....How would I go about getting one? I still want a donor MX3 if I can find a nice one, I can always put the K8 in and later on a ZE, the K8 would still be a lot better than the stock motor. Although I was wondering how the stock motor plus the auto trans would respond to a budget turbo/megasquirt setup. The motor has such low miles it would almost be a shame to take it out....Maybe give it some head work too....It would actually be perfect for the area of Florida I live in, urban sprawl flatland, horrible traffic. The auto transmissions in these cars are actually pretty good, my blue 323 shifted smoother than a babies rear end. gently caress I don't know, I have a lot of ideas, that's what's great about these cars. I guess it will depend what falls into my lap over time. I obviously wouldn't pass up a good deal on a BP either so I guess time will tell. So far I know for sure it will be getting ZX2 struts and some flat black Rota Slipstreams right off the bat.
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May 2, 2009 14:54
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Hmm, I wasn't aware of the V6 having pricey parts. I think you're right on the BP, I'll be better off in the long run. And I'm all for ease of maintenance, not to mention BP's are everywhere. I can't imagine importing a ZE would be cheap either. As far as the ZX2 front subframe swap, the whole thing bolts right in? What's the advantage of bigger ball joints? Does that come with bigger brakes too? Also how is the ride with the ZX2 struts and H&R springs? It's going to be my DD/Baby hauler so I don't want too harsh of a ride.
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May 2, 2009 19:04
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So what you mean by "track" is pushing the wheels farther out and widening the stance? I would assume this allows for wider wheels, what size wheels/tires are people running with these setups? I can't wait to get started, there is a HUGE pick n pull yard near my house in FL with tons of BG/ZX2 chassis around, I should be able to put together a great car on a budget, looks like the ZE swap is out because I can't justify spending that much anyway. BP it is. I'll bet getting the ZX2 subframe will be a royal bitch with hand tools though....Oh well that's what I have my brother for. We'll both have 323's now and have a blast wrenching on them. I'm going to concentrate on handling first, once I get the suspension to where I want it I'll start planning the BP/manual swap. Thanks for all the info Sock, I'll be joining the forum once I have the car.
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May 2, 2009 20:08
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Jesus, that looks really time consuming......Has the wife said you love your projects more than her yet?  I get yelled at for spending too much time in AI
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Jun 17, 2009 22:38
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I couldn't see you ever considering a body shop job after this. Also, you might end up like one of those guys that parks in the back of parking lots so you don't get any dings. If I spent that much time prepping and painting a car I'd freak out if some soccer mom flung her minivan door into the side of my soul crushing paint job.
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Jul 27, 2009 21:29
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Sockington posted:Thanks. Sorry dude If anything you've just come to the realization sooner......I remember my dad making me park his spanking new IROC in the shade as far back as possible about a half mile from the mall entrance. I imagined you doing it with your 323 and it made me giggle. You could always stick on some cheesy ding guards Unless you could find some sweet JDM GTR ding guards 
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Jul 28, 2009 03:56
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Sockington posted:It feels like all sorts of awesome. Weird vibrations through the floor while driving. Heh, I drove my mother-in-law's automatic Miata the other day and forgot how fun they are. On a twisty road with OD off even the automatic is fun to drive. 
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Sep 27, 2009 16:47
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Baby Hitler posted:You probably drive something so terrible that couldn't navigate a corner at reasonable speeds then, because the auto models feel pretty scary near the limits since they have so much driveline slack with the TC. Coming from a Cherokee, Caravan and Crown Vic yeah. Pretty much the exact opposite of what you want to drive in teh twisties. Made it fell like a loving Ferrari.
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Sep 27, 2009 21:31
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Sockington posted:Was coming to make fun of you about these too. You also own a 323 that overheated like a bitch in the middle of Florida. It's still in Florida waiting for me. I sold the Cherokee and Caravn and will be driving the Vic down. I'm leaving here (BFE NY) in a week and I can't loving wait. Although I'm not too excited about dealing with the 323's issues. I think I'm going to put a new rad in it and sell it for a last gen Protege or ZX2. It needs too much work than I'm willing to deal with at the moment....If it had a manual I'd probably keep it.
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Sep 27, 2009 22:39
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Sockington posted:ZX2 shares suspension with the 323 (i.e., dirt cheap upgrades). Swapping auto > manual isn't really all that hard. Just get a manual donor Escort GT/Protege LX and you'll be set. Time is an issue too. Taking care of a two year old full time leaves little time for projects. You'll find that out soon enough haha. It just needs too much (found out after the fact of course) than I want to deal with. I was going to DD it until I had time to gently caress with it, but it's not even a good DD as it is. The interior is hosed and needs to be replaced, even the dashboard is warped (FL heat yay) and the A/C doesn't work and I have no clue why. I just want a decent DD at this point, I need one to cart my son around in.
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Sep 28, 2009 01:25
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Sockington posted:Parts are starting to show up! Hey sock, what year is your focus, and how do you like it as an automatic DD? I'm thinking of going with an automatic ZX5 or Protege5 for a DD. Also I posted this in the SVT thread, but if you haven't seen it yet tell me what you think: http://www.lentechautomatics.com/4f27eproducts.html The valve bodies improve flow and increase pressue improving shifts and reliability.
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Oct 6, 2009 13:24
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^^^The Protege and Focus have the exact same automatic transmission (4F27E). From what I've read on the Mazda forums, the valve body upgrade makes a HUGE improvement on performance, it increases fluid pressure so shifts are much quicker and firmer. The problem with the stock valve body is that it restricts fluid pressure to get those "buttery smooth" shifts which is also a detriment to reliability. It's cheaper to achieve more pressure via an ECU flash, but apparently it's not good for the reliability. An external cooler and valve body upgrade helps improve reliability dramatically. There are tons of people in the Mazda forums boosting their automatic Proteges reliably with the VB/cooler mod. I've owned a manual Protege5, but the area I live in FL is not conducive to manual transmissions at all and it's really no fun. With the mods an automatic would be perfect for where I live, and it's nice to know I could add some (reasonable) boost down the road and have it be reliable. I haven't driven a ZX5 yet, but so far the fact that the Protege is built in Japan, and the ZX5 in Mexico is putting the Protege in the lead for me so far.
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Oct 6, 2009 17:45
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Well I've read lots of opinions and did tons of research on the VB upgrade, and no one seems to think it's too harsh and they really seem to love it. Although a few mentioned shifting into reverse was like a "thud" but honestly as long as i know it's not harming the transmission (actually helping it) it won't bother me. I like quick, decisive shifts, and I don't need a Protege to act like it's a Lexus. Besides, if it were that bad i could always put the stock VB back in.
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Oct 6, 2009 18:08
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Sockington posted:Boo-loving-ya. Won myself a GTR intake manifold for the 323 today. So you did all that work to the stock manifold for nothing?
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Oct 6, 2009 22:08
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I'm no intake expert, but I'm assuming the GTR manifold helps route air more efficiently thus creating more POWAAAA?
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Oct 26, 2009 16:34
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So are you going to port and/or polish the GTR intake? I'd be a litle worried about loving it up myself, but you seem to have the skill down pretty decent.
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Oct 26, 2009 17:54
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What about a cheap used wood stove off craigslist or something?.....When I was in NY working on my Cherokees it was cold as poo poo but the stove kept it warm enough to where I didn't have to wear gloves or bulky poo poo. It just takes awhile to get going depending on the size of the stove. If you get a big stove you'll be sweating your rear end off.
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Oct 27, 2009 14:13
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Seriously how did you do that 
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Oct 27, 2009 20:22
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 13:36 |
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Well done. Is that some sort of copper color?
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Dec 5, 2009 16:35
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