93GS Tear down and rebuild - by Onlytrueromeo UPDATE 10/03

[Ryan]

Glad to see you haven't given up. This will be the cleanest MX on earth when you're done.

[onlytrueromeo]

Heh thanks for the compliment. I'll never give up, just occasionally slow down...time/money you know. Never enough of either!

Hopefully I'll be able to start blasting/powdercoating within the next few months. I need to save up some $$ so I can build myself a cabinet and buy a powder gun...will hafta start with cheapie harbor freight until I can afford a better system! Then I should be able to do anything Hoping to incorporate soda blasting as well for those delicate engine pieces!

[Dark_Rider2k3]

Needs more pics man!

Also, you still figuring out your oven?

[onlytrueromeo]

Oven's all set to go - I can't powdercoat yet since I still need a blaster/cabinet and powder gun. I can borrow a pressure pot from a friend, but I need to save up a few hundred $$ so I can get everything set.

Got plenty of work to keep me busy, cleaning/wire wheeling for another month lol.

[Ryan]

Think you could maybe do VC's for us? family pricing? haha...

[onlytrueromeo]

I'd be willing to do anything after I get better at it (have a spare integra engine I picked up for free to test the P/C on! I'll hafta contact Jeff obviously. Will be doing Ceramic Coating as well if I can get the temps up high enough!

[onlytrueromeo]

Few more pics as promised. Camera battery died, otherwise I'd have another shot of the engine bay sans subframe and wiring harness. Will snap some more this week, priority right now is reorganizing the basement before the woman kills me. Need to clean parts/tools as I am running out of space and everything is a bit too dirty and unlabeled for me to stuff into bins right now.

Stuff to be cleaned (Least favorite task, but muy importante)


Resting spot for the engine for now, until I decide to swap it into my other mx3 or whatnot.

Don't know if I eventually want to strip it, powdercoat it and sell it, or strip it, powdercoat it and rebuild since it's the original VIN number, and might be nice to keep as a spare engine "just in case". Car will be going FI eventually and I'm a newbie at it, so have to plan for something to break.

[Dark_Rider2k3]

man once again amazing! This is my dream someday, and seeing you do it is awesome.

But I know when I do mine, it will be with an SE

[Nd4SpdSe]

I gotta ask, hows the truck treating ya?

[onlytrueromeo]

Xterra's doing well Gotta replace the exhaust as it's groaning at 3k rpms, don't know where the crack/leak is but the y-pipe is busted anyways. Thinking about the NISMO exhaust, should be able to get it about $300 shipped. Have an '04 so it shouldn't be a cracked manifold, and it sounds like its coming from under the rear seats, but I can only duplicate it under load not in the driveway.

Hoping the tires will last me through the winter, they're dinky General Grabber highway, and I don't have the big $$$ for the BFG AT KO's that I want.

[onlytrueromeo]

UPDATE:

Update coming later today!


Been working 11-12hr days and been out of town 2-4 nights a week the last 3 weeks, so not much time home or to work on the car. Still, the engine bay is near 100% disassembled and the entire wiring harness / interior is removed. The few things I have left to remove are the gas tank and fuel filler neck and hard lines.

[Savin]

I'm curious to know....What ever became of this car? So much promise then *poof* Romeo falls off the face of the planet.

[onlytrueromeo]

You will be happy to know that I am still around and still have the MX3s sitting in my driveway and garage...unfortunately nothing else has changed with them. I have, however, started a fund for paint. My progress has been halted the last 2 years due to house renovations (built an addition, New roof and deck and and currently remodeling 2 bathrooms). My projects on the house are wrapping up though and once I take my PE exam in October I will be getting back to other things. My wife has been very patient but finally said I needed to get moving on it...I will be having a massive clearance sale on the spare parts in the spring and will hopefully have saved enough to get paint. The project is sitting nicely in the garage with no rust and half the body stitch welded.

[Savin]

Glad you haven't given up on the cars! The house is definitely more important than the cars. Post pictures of the remodeling! And I look forward to seeing the future progress of the cars!

[Nd4SpdSe]

Wow, you're still alive and kicking! Would love to see some updates!