Soo.. I've had a 7 year project going. 7 years ago I picked up a 98 R/T already swapped to 2.4, with crane 18s, blackdog long tube..etc
Well the plan was to make it turbo, so over the 7 years a lot was done (so much so I've had to look at the project log to remember what was done and I'm missing a lot lol)
Not everything but the gist: car was gutted, non-AC blower unit, all bushings replaced with prothane, a lot of powder coat and almost every bolt replaced. Engine was fully redone, bored .020 over w/ JE pistons on SRT rods, crank scraper, crane 14s, Eddie FierroTurbo/Race ported 01 stratus head with 36mm intake,30.5mm exhaust (+1mm IN, +2mm EX vs stock SRT valves), 3.55 T350HD w/ cable bell housing and OBX LSD, 2G knuckle upgrade w/ PT & Shadow axles. Solid FMM (helm joint), bobble relocate, TTi lightweight UDP (original TTi not the remake), Manual steering rack, solid side/trans mount, spoolboy setup -6 feed/return all hardline, Maddog STS (shorted throw possible w/ rod brake), kyle shift rod ends, Odyssey battery, big ass intercooler w/ 2.5" piping, TiAL BOV, Fully ported stock manifold/turbo + ceramic coating, BDJ 3" Dump exhaust, Megasquirt MS2, SRT intake+TB (numerous TBs)....etc
Its issues.. none other than not getting Megasquirt to properly control the SRT IAC (2wire pwm) enough for me to even attempt to tune it. No biggie.. No rush to get it done obviously.. But honestly I should have went with a RRFPR instead of Megasquirt, I'm a smart guy but the whole tuning end of things.. I just can't wrap my head around it well enough to even think I would be able to tune it myself. I've gone through numerous TB setups trying to figure some way to get back to a stepper IAC, and recently (as in 2 weeks ago recently) I did. The MPX 60mm TB for the 1G almost works on the SRT intake manifold, almost as in I have an adapter plate that will allow it to work but still it'll needs to be configured/tuned, and I know megasquirt can be a real pain in the ass at times which is why I've stalled on this car for the past 2-3 years.
The "backup car" 2nd gen
A few years back I was able to pick up a huge pile of 2g/1g parts and a somewhat working 2002 base model for practically nothing. I got it mainly for something to tinker with and to build into a reasonable means of transportation in case anything were to happen to my daily driven Subaru Impreza STI. Since then I also bought a 2002 PT MTX purely for the engine/transmission/axles/tires. Rebuilt that motor, repaired the issues with the trans (cracked bellhousing) and put it in the 2002 base model which was slowly converted interior wise to 100% SRT interior, power locks, power windows, remote keyless.. the whole nine yards. Now to the exterior.. I was able to obtain 2002 R/T front and rear bumpers in usable but rough shape. Mind you this car's body is rough.. so rough I wasn't able to use the rear sway bar I grabbed from the junkyard due to the holes in the frame being completed rusted
closed. I broke SOOO many bolts in the process of doing everything to the car even the studs that hold the bumpers on. After making the interior so nice and looking at the outside I was sad.. it looked like a POS, so I got some new tails since the ones that came with the car were trashed long ago. And there was the biggest issue I have with the car.. The rear end was tweaked.. Tweaked so bad that the trunk closes on top of the tail lights no matter how the trunk lid is adjusted. The drivers side tail light fully bolted in had room behind it where it met the rear quarter that I can put my pinky finger in the opening with ease.. son of a bitch!
Now to the most recent developments..
So pissed off with how the 2002 looked exterior wise I started hunting for a clean shell to swap EVERYTHING over to, engine, interior.. everything that was still in good shape. A lot of annoying craigslist ads for vehicles that were sold long ago but they still updated the ads even tho they were sold. A lot of people having an awesome deal but not returning phone calls/texts or emails.. I finally happened on a 2004 base model for $800.
The 2004 Base model:
ATX 140k miles, had a brand new cylinder head, timing belt, water pump..etc as of 08/13 (Previous owner snapped a timing belt and had the repair done at an actual GOOD Dodge dealer here in Michigan), It has about 3 rust spots.. the rocker pinch weld and a spot near the tail light. It has a dented up drivers front fender and the transmission will not go into reverse. A/C blows ICE cold air, factory sound system is bangin, interior in excellent shape aside from being driven with no floor mats and has a pretty good heel mark in the carpet. Pretty much a good shell for me to swap everything into.. right?
The discovery:
So I went to the junkyard Friday to find some door handles that were painted to match the new 04 since it had base black handles, found only 3 door handles and found an airdam from a 03+ and 02 to go with the bumpers I now have. I decided to go to the other pick and pull location (we have 3 really good pick n pull junkyards here in the metro detroit area.. rarely is there REALLY good stuff tho). I walk back to the Chrysler section which is always the LONGEST walk ever and head to the back row so I wouldn't be doubling back when I left. Messed with some stratus door handles to find out the rears are the same but the fronts are different (internal latch arm is longer on stratus). Then I looked over at the ground and I saw a familiar shape. That shape was the lip on the 01-02 R/T & ACR bumper.. I was like HOLY SHIT! Quickly I started thinking what I needed off this and what was still good, first I ran around to see if they key was in it.. IT WAS! then I checked the PCM, it was there but it was trash, the car was in a accident involving the front driverside, the pcm was pretty much smashed into the trans. So I remember.. side skirts.. I need side skirts. HOLY CRAP they were there, IN excellent shape. So I nabbed the side skirts and all the clips (didn't break a single one), then I looked at the engine some more. I've owned a 02 R/T and I've had many magnum engine parts in and out of my possession so I wasn't too excited about anything in there except for the trans. I did grab the intake manifold just cause I ruined the one I had at home (failed attempt at putting it on a 2.4 DOHC) Back to the trans, it was there and in good condition, even looked like it was out somewhat recently (its a 12 year old car) It appeared to have been poorly painted silver but in excellent shape for how old it "could" have been. So since I only brought a handful of tools into the yard with me since I was only going for door handles I started my way out to pay for the skirts and intake manifold. I didn't even process the final 2 rows of cars I just cut thru the cars and headed down the last aisle. And that's where it was..
Don't judge a book by its cover:
There it was.. a GT Cruiser with only its radiator missing. Now that PT I had bought was uglier than anything I've seen before.. But I bought it for its parts not how it looked. It was a failed attempt at making it look like "Lightning McQueen" from cars, they had spray bombed the entire car red and half ass'd a lightning bolt on the driverside, the passenger side they taped it but never sprayed it nor removed the tape.. Hideous.. This GT Cruiser that I was standing in front of came pretty close to that ugly PT I bought and scrapped. It was originally the dark purple but they decided to paint it intense blue without priming over the purple, added really bad quality flame and skull stickers on the doors/trim. If the hood wasn't up when I walked past I wouldn't have even popped it to see what it had inside it was that ugly. So since I clearly did not have the tools to pull a transmission I really didn't have the tools to pull an engine so I rushed up front and paid for the skirts and intake manifold, loaded em into the car and grabbed my tool box and went back inside. For some reason it had to be my lucky day other than finding this engine.. Someone had left the A-Frame engine hoist in the same aisle as the PT. I would have had to make 2-3 trips just to get that over to the PT since I would have to leave my tools in my car, push the A-frame over to the PT, walk back out and grab my tools, walk back in and pull the motor, walk my tools back out to the car, walk back in and hope someone didn't steal the engine I just pulled and then push that awkward thing up from and then what?.. load it into the trunk of the subaru? yeah right.. I can barely get a transmission through the trunk opening, theres no way I would get a long block. So phone calls were made to find someone available with a truck to come pick it up once I got it pulled. It was 2:54pm when I posted on FB what I had found. And at 5:49pm the engine was finally out. And just in time since my buddy had just arrived with a truck to haul it home. So I grabbed all the other bits and pieces such as the PCM, Skim, Key, 03 Rail, Stage 0 Injectors.. some how they got lost in my tool bag so I guess they were free?
Get all the way up front and the yard workers tell me why didn't you grab the alternator or starter? And I'm like.. uhh price sheet says "4cyl wo/ Accessories .." they inform me that accessories really just means the A/C compressor. So I run back and grab the alternator and starter, pay for everything and load it all up and head home. But theres more.. On the way back from loading the engine into the truck I noticed 2 silverstone rims over by the tire rack, asked the guy there how much and he said $40 ea w/ the tires. Kinda more than I'm used to paying for stock rims and not even a full set but they were in great shape. I carried them inside by the spokes, paid for them and tossed em in the wheelbarrow and when I was outside I picked the one up by the inside rim and omg.. the biggest dent I've ever seen in a rim.. it looked like pac-man. Of course since I never do, I didn't get a guarantee on anything including the rims. I drag them back inside and show the teller the damage.. apparently they had no idea it was like that because they wouldn't have sold it to me but thankfully they allowed me to return them and voided the sale.. I would have been really pissed to have been stuck with only 1 good silverstone and a bent one without a story of my own to go along with the damage.. A lonely 2nd day at the yard:
It's now Saturday and that R/T trans is still bugging me cause I looked for so long locally to find one for my initial build on the 02 R/T and had to settle for the 3.94 from the PT which is close but not the same gearing. So I decide to go back to the junkyard after that trans. During the engine pull the day before my phone and facebook were being blown up about things like 'does it still have?' 'can you grab me?' My one buddy Ryan (Mazda787B) wanted the head off that R/T and was planning on going to the yard that morning to grab it so I figured cool I may have some help today. Well something came up and he wasn't able to make it so there I was by myself again pulling crap out of cars that didn't want to give up the goods. But my experience with the motor the day prior told me one sure thing.. In my toolbox I have just enough and just the right tools to pull an engine at the yard by myself, If I can pull an engine out of a stupid PT I can drop a trans out of a 2g. After fighting with the mangled drivers side control arm the whole thing went pretty smooth, hell the engine even stayed upright and the mounts weren't that great looking. So yay.. victory! Not quite. I still had to find and pull some knuckles off a MTX PT for a friend abroad as well as a set for myself. The 02 Base has brand new ACR calipers as well as a brand new NON-ABS 4 wheel disc master cylinder. But.. why not go with bigger fancier brakes? You know like SRT brakes which will bolt up to these PT knuckles. So thankfully the yard had 2 02 MTX PT's and after busting axle nuts off (That exhaust pipe I found was my best friend that day.. made my breaker bar invincible) and fighting with stuck rotors I had in my wheelbarrow a trans+clutch, Clutch slave+master (off one of those MTX PTs) and 4 PT front knuckles. It was another good day at the yard.
Third times a charm and now I had help!:
Now its SUnday.. Amit (03_SXT) and DJ (dvon17) are some of my best buds and fellow neon heads. Chatting with them thru my work day we decided to hit up the yard again.. 3 days in a row for me. DJ punked out and had prior arrangements which we thought was bull so just me and Amit went to the junkyard. I wanted ABS brake lines off that R/T (That poor car.. robbed of practically everything but its interior and head/block/exhaust manifold) and Amit wanted some odds and ends since he hadn't been out to the junkyard in a few years. I got my brake lines+ABS sensors, Amit got a whole pile of little things and a few bigger items but sadly the yard closes early on Sunday and I was unaware it was Sunday since I never get a chance on Sunday to go to the yard. I thought we still has 2 hours but they were kicking us out, after being there for 3 days in a row I knew there was no chance they wouldn't let us check out.. I've been there at least a 100 times but never 3 days in a row, they know me but now they know my and remember my name so there was no way we were leaving empty handed. Sure enough they bent the rules and allowed us to purchase the things we wanted.
It comes full circle:
So today at work I'm pondering what to do with all these extra engines I now have.. I've changed my plan to swap the NA 2.4 from the 02 into the 04 due to the newly found SRT engine and the R/T trans I really didn't need but I got it anyways. So now I have a 3.94 NA trans, a NA 2.4 that I'm not going to use let alone the 04 2.0 SOHC that works that I'm about to pull, a junk 03 2.0 SOHC with a rod knock and a 03 2.0 SOHC R/T block thats bare. And I'm not willing to ship any of these items so selling locally is my only option. But.. the local neon scene is practically dead so I'll be sitting with these engines and trans for sometime I'm sure. But then it hit me.. The 1G has a ton of SRT parts, parts that are going to waste right now, parts that could be used on the 04 SRT swap.. And I have this NA 2.4 and the 3.94.. What if I rob whatever I can from the 1G for the 04 Swap, and then swap in the NA 2.4 + 3.94, use the OBX Long Tube that wouldn't work on the 2G. Sell the remaining parts including the Megasquirt, then all I have to do is source new wiring harnesses and a computer and the 1G will be 2.4 All Motor again..
If you seriously read all that I'm sorry for my punctuation and grammar errors..
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Soo.. What do you guys think I should do?
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A) Keep the 1G a 2.4Turbo and rebuy the same parts for the 04 swap and hope I can sell the 3.94/NA 2.4 locally?
B) Swap the 1G to NA 2.4, use what I can off it for the 04 swap, sell the remaining parts
Jason AKA Bootz
