The wrap up.

Well here is my final information post about my whole bloggin experience. It was a fun time, and a great learning experience about what to expect when creating and managing a blog. here is my list of comments so that you may be able to see my progress in becoming part of the blogging community

Comments:
American Car makers-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16430790&postID=112604017825190191&r=ok-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16430790&postID=113254181124752274&r=ok-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16430790&postID=113217645729281721&r=ok-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16430790&postID=113156191585785209&r=ok-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16430790&postID=113097441194598009&r=ok-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16430790&postID=112949269159595348&r=ok-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16430790&postID=112977962702251132&r=ok-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16430790&postID=113045543573693794&r=ok
Celeb Gossip-http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=16466908&postID=112610697427878010-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16466908&postID=113244745515705098&r=ok-http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=16466908&postID=113267503929098632-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16466908&postID=113244232950281615&r=ok-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16466908&postID=113123399628615034&r=ok-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16466908&postID=113123161548296844&r=ok-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16466908&postID=113035711916854547&r=ok


Prof Athlete Breaking law-http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=16518379&postID=112682697551355233-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16518379&postID=112915278537856281&r=ok-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16518379&postID=113045062231438682&r=ok-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16518379&postID=113096425163913200&r=ok-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16518379&postID=113192224218733728&r=ok-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16518379&postID=113252984697240354&r=ok-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16518379&postID=113209765241535368&r=ok
http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16518379&postID=113261591300821526&r=ok
Recipes-http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=16081313&postID=112663269045436393-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16081313&postID=113224891670680288&r=ok-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16081313&postID=113207970407188545&r=ok-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16081313&postID=113150348462448410&r=ok-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16081313&postID=113099781142454420&r=ok-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16081313&postID=113080831031202911&r=ok-http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16081313&postID=113021475133374972&r=ok
http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?blogID=16081313&postID=112961951612038998&r=ok
http://www.blogger.com/publish-comment.do?logID=16445529&postID=112985297362707647&r=ok


I will also be sending you an email with these attached.

The wrap up.

The aftermath

Well as it would happen, today I took the car out in the rain to let it get pelted by the natural rainfall. As it sits there getting soaked, i prepare in my raincoat with my cleaning supplies to give it a wash down after a hard run. After the car is cleaned on the outside, I bring it in to the garage to give the interior a nice wash and finally the engine bay.

As I am cleaning the guts of the engine bay, I look down only to find every tuners nightmare. A drip of oil seeping from in between the head and the block. [img]http://www.makingapril.com/greg/Oil1.jpg[/img][img]http://www.makingapril.com/greg/oil2.jpg[/img]

Anyway, after a day of hell and getting on the honda boards I found out that its the gasket in my vtec solenoid. So after a hard day of work I will pick up some gaskets from the dealer to fix the problem.

Secondly, I have started to get synchro grind in my transmission. I completly relate this back to the crap fluid used by the shop that did my swap. So I will also be stopping to pic up the friction modified Syncromesh fluid at the GM dealer (the only american car part ill ever buy...sorry kyle) for a quick fluid change

Finally, my brakes are getting worn and it is time for an upgrade. But the bigger rotors and calipers will have to wait until after the winter, as they are a precious part affected by the cold. Stay tuned!

A sunday Drive

After driving the slow single cam beater for a week it was time to break out the hatchie for a spirited drive out in the backroads of Maryland and Delaware. I push the car out of the garage, clean it from top to bottom, and grab my favorite cd from the book and head out, strapped down in a 5 point racing harness securing myself deep in the MOMO bucket preparing for the drive of a lifetime.

The CD blarin on 273 as I find my way deeper and deeper into Marlyand an finally I find it. I look to my left and see the windiest, twistiest swirliest road. I stomp on the brakes, and make a quick U-turn at the next street. The Radio gets turned off as I shift into 2nd at 6000rpms. I take to the turns gear to gear as the red light flashes at 8000rpms telling me to shift. I slam gears hearing the engine whine taking my car up through the hills and around turns as if it was on a track. For a half hour it was up and around until i couldnt make my way back. I find the nearest road that leads towards 95, slow down, pop the cd back in and relax as I loosen up the seatbelt as I head back home.

7 exits into Maryland and 2 tolls later I arrive back at my house, the car safe in the garage...dirty from a hard day at work.

The latest!

Light at the end of the tunnel

Well, as you may have read, the hatchie was at risk in the past couple of weeks due to money owed for a drag racing ticket. However, there has been a spectacular turn of events in which I am now able to keep the pride and joy and still make it through the court date. Last Sunday, the daily driver was picked delivered at the King of Prussia mall to a fellow named skip for the great price of 1700 bucks. Split between my roomate and I that is 850 each. heres the best part...He didnt want the winter wheels...which are a valuable asset. They can be sold or traded for money or goods up to 350 dollars.

So to the next development...do I play it smart and take the cash? Or go for a trade for parts that can make the hatchie a faster more tuner race car? Tough decision...but not really. I think I am gonna play it smart and take the money and run....right to the lawyer cause I owe him a buttload of cash.

http://www.7ent.com/images2/KAD1012070.jpg

or this

http://www.fenews.com/fen37/topics_act_analysis/dollars.jpg

eh tough call but I have the rest of my life to build a car.... but only one time to hid a drag racing ticket from my parents!

The Sad development

Today has officially been marked as the worst day for my hatchie tuning. As I may or may not have stated, June 1st 2005 was a night to be remembered...and regretted. A night out on the town, I found myself challenged by a friend at a stoplight. Not only was he my friend, but we had known each other for 8 years and we are roomates. That being said, we decided to take a dig from a stoplight to see whos faster.

As we pulled off to the side, to meet up with a friend or two from earlier in the night, we were confronted by a near by bicycle officer who had witnessed the whole race.

Where am I going with this? Well, 900 bucks later, and a court date at the end of this month, I happen to be strapped for cash. This means that I have to find a way to come up with a decent amount of money in order to make ends meet. The Hatchie mush be sold!!!!!!!!!!!

As we speak a member of our nations military is gathering together the finances to come and take the hatchie off my hands. I am now back at square one, making the beater my permanent daily driver. Completely stock. OUCH.

Which brings me to my next point. Dont drag race in front of police officers. And if you want to save yourself some embarassment, dont get busted by cops on bicycles. Its pathetic.

Until next week....

The Competition

Well, for the longest time, the hatchie owned the tuning game at 9 Courtney Street. It was the fastest, most extreme wildest ride we had to offer....but unfortunately it has been dethroned. An all wheel drive, turbo, 2Liter Subaru has come along and dominated what has been an exceptional run.


On the eve of this Halloween, my roomate flew down to Atlanta to pick up a car with one of the most rare motors ever to be found in the United States. A JDM version 7 Spec-C (which means nothing to the majority of the world) motor with a monster turbo upgrade pushes an untuned 325 wheel horsepower (comparable to that of a ferrari, however this is to all 4 wheels, not just the rear 2) With the highest flowing head Subaru has to offer, and anther half liter of potential this car has the ability to be the fastest car that I have ever driven/driven in.

Mods:
JDM Spec C motor
18G turbo upgrade
Blitz front mount intercooler
Aquamist water injection
HKS headers
Carbon-Ti Exhaust
Uppipe/downpipe
EcuTek Tuning

The video of the dyno run can be found here

www.makingapril.com/greg/GregDyno1.WMV

Impressive.

Stay tuned for updates

The Beater!

As winter steadily approaches, I cant afford to keep plowing snow with the front of my car because it is so low lke i do every other year. That being said, a fellow roomate of mine and I decided to purchase a winter car. a 1995 civic coupe with monster truck style winter tires was acquired from my old boss at a summer job for only 800 bucks! Thats 400 a piece for a running clean honda civic coupe.
http://www.makingapril.com/greg/A.jpg

The reason we got it so cheap was the thing needed a little bit of work, however, with my previous knowledge and a garage full of parts removed from the hatch I got this thing up and running in a jiffy.

It needed brake pads
http://www.installuniversity.com/mb/install_graphics/amg_brake_drsp/brake%20pads%20removal.jpg

As well as a heat shield to be removed to stop an annoying chatter when the car idled
http://eliteone.com/civic/heatshield.jpg

Finally it needed a bushing to be replaced on the steering rack because the steering was looser when turning side to side.

http://www.suspension.com/8-304-b.JPG

And with 50 bucks in parts I had laying around I upped not only the drivability of the car but the overall value. After a nice snowfilled stop and go winter, I will be able to sell the car for twice what I had purchased it for.