So here is the story. I bought this car last year around July. It had a cracked radiator and had over heated. However she started fine and it seemed she just needed a LOT of TLC.

Here is a link to the original thread....

http://www.myspecv.com/f/view_topic.php?id=6786

Now I'll post some pics here to show you how I've done.

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400234-1.jpg)
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400237.jpg)

From this
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400012.jpg)
To this.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400017.jpg)

Went through a ton of items, replacing and repairing. Cleaning... She turned out like this.

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400023.jpg)

Drove her around for about 1000 miles. Then she stopped.... literally stopped. I'm in the military and really didn't have a lot of time to work on her right away. I found the clutch had no pressure. The tranny had little to no oil left in her, and the frickin tranny had separated from the block... literally. Out of 4 bolts... only 1 was left in the frickin block....

So I finally got the time to work on it.

Started with this.

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400016-2.jpg)

Found this....

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400022-2.jpg)
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400023-1.jpg)

Ended up going from this

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400020-2.jpg)
To this.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400034.jpg)

And this
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400028-2.jpg)
To this.
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400035.jpg)

And while I was there....

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400038-1.jpg)

I also had a problem with the stock exhaust.... it tore itself apart.

So I'm running open header now, the timing is advanced fully so I need to retard it and find the sweet spot.

Here is a vid.

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/th_SA400005-3.jpg)

And I'm done. She's finished for now minus a few small things.

So what do you guys think?

That's what i'm talking about. Alot of people just junk these cars when they start giving them too many problems. We need more people like you to keep these things rollin'!

you are doing a good job man, keep going :clap:

Way to bring her back to life. Where'd ya get the tranny from btw?

Original tranny. I painted it and the block. I have MUCH more pics but you can see those in the link I posted in the first post.

Thanks for all the comments. She drives SOOOO much better now. Got the exhaust patched and pretty much everything is done but a couple of things. Small things that will be done today. Then just a paint job and maybe some paint on the wheels. She'll be beautiful again.

Oh, she needs a radio too. lol

K the open header vid sound BAD A$$

Seems like a lot of work for what it is, teh misfit of all motors.

Here is a few more pics.

Old interior

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400245.jpg)
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400242.jpg)
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400240.jpg)

To this....

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400012-3.jpg)

And here is the final product... until a paint job that is...

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400009-1.jpg)
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400013-2.jpg)
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400014-3.jpg)

There yas go....

Updates. Replaces both front turn signals. Looks a lot better.
A/C has been recharged and swapped with R-134a
Still having a problem with the TPS so I'm using the setscrew to hold the idle.
Getting ready to remove the tint.


Found a guy who does AWESOME bodywork and he offered a price of about 5-600 for a complete paintjob with SOME bodywork.

Still probably gonna do it myself but it's a good find.

whats with the blue painter's tape ??

It's about time people start restoring these cars instead of tearing them down and destroying them!

:beer: :beer: :beer: Great Job Obsidian! :beer: :beer: :beer:

i must say that this eclipse has gone through ALOT
i saw the first pic of the huge **** hole in the window and i thought someone got **** at you bowling, so they returned the favor lol but thats a lot of time and effort to be put into your eclips.e major props man. you made it possible, cause i am at the cross roads where to either rebuild my 1g or sell it ans buy something new and work on that.

just wondering....how much money you put into your rebuild?

again man great job :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

I'm on a slow freakin connection right now so I'm not even going to try and look at the pics but I'm assuming you see the tape on the air intake and the spark plug wires.

Air intake was holding the speedo cable in place while I was driving around with it disconnected. The old **** did NOT want to come out so I had to cut it to pull the trans and engine. It's fixed now and there is no blue tape there anymore lol.

Spark plugs. The cam cover is gone and I thought it would be alright until I got a mis-fire. One of the wires was getting TORE UP on the cam gear so I tape it up and then I tapes them all together. I have a 5 plug clip now holding them all together and to the throttle cable.


I've put about 1000 into her. There is a couple of things to mention here though.

1. I did ALL the work (minus a few friends helping with the big ***)
2. That means that there is no labor charges in there. That is where car expenses REALLY add up.
3. I now have a ton of knowledge on this motor and trans that I wouldn't have gotten elsewhere
4. I really enjoyed working on it.

All is good in my book. I'm trying to sell her as she sits for 1700. You may think that is a lot but I have a strong feeling that this car (with everything repaired where it is) will last another 100k. Hell my last motor (in my first car) lasted until 188k and it only died because I was a dumb mechanic at the time. This one has 144k on her and EVERYTHING that needed to be replaced or could have while I was there, was. So pretty much anything major that could have failed has been taken care of.

So, for a good mechanically sound car with COLD a/c (in the south I might add) for less than 2 grand? yea that type of car goes fast.

I still hope no one wants her (got a few people lined up already.... :( )

I hate when that selling thing happens.

I just sold my dirtbike because i moved to a city and have no place to ride it. I almost cried when it left, it was freakin awesome. the best bike I ever had. Had to sell that first AWD talon I had because it was a wiring mess and didn't feel like taking the time to do it. Felt bad on that one too. Just built the 2.3L 6 bolt too, didn't even get to hear it run 0 miles and 0 hours.

Selling a vehicle sucks but the money is nice :blush-anim-cl:

did you do a performance rebuild or stock?

Just a stock rebuild. Honestly, whoever builds a 1.8 for race is just stupid.

If I end up keeping her, well, it sounds stupid as hell, but I'm going to start some custom fabrication in my head.

But yea, all stock for now. I built her up for a reliable beater. And that she is... and much more.

top motor?

that company makes engine rebuild kits for 1g dsm's

well if you wana do a race otor you should ahve done a 4g3 swap and built tht, but if its a daily driver then im sure you made a right call :grin:

So I sold my project car, the eclipse. Here is some final shots of her. Still minor problems but nothing crazy. The guy buying
the car knows about them and stills wants it. Final selling price was $1800. I'm taking payments from him with him under
contract.

So the pics.

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400011-5.jpg)

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400012-6.jpg)

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400013-3.jpg)

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400014-6.jpg)

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400015-4.jpg)

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400016-4.jpg)

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400017-5.jpg)

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/obsidian/SA400018-3.jpg)


I'm sad to see her go, but one thing about the contract is if anything happens, he's going to try to have me work on it first.

It will still kinda be my project. Hopefully he will get a paintjob. I'm thinking he won't because of the money involved but that
can be my next project. Repair and paint of the body. Should be fun.

Now for the next project.... I'm thinking a not so dead small truck this time around....

Thanks for the time.

-Brandon

wow, after all that job, but, if you are ok with that, have fun with your next project, i hope you post some of that in the forums

thats kinda sad, that you sold it. if i put that much time into a car, even the 1.8 Eclipse, i would have a **** hard time selling it. that car looked really nice when you sold it; it had certainly come a long way from when you bought it. mad props on bringing that car back from the dead :gunsmilie: