Black_ops_miata said:Very cool build and write up! If you need any help/advice/mentorship getting to your first Hillclimb, let me know. Either I or a friend would be happy to help.
Appreciate it!
I have zero delusions of placing anywhere remotely respectable. Just looking to have fun, and go at my own pace.
In reply to Shawnb :
That's the perfect way to enter hillclimb. Start with a good idea of the route, make a clean run, then focus on getting better. Pretty soon, you'll be aiming for certain times. Each time you attain a goal is a win. As a multi-time hillclimb champion once told me after I crashed out of a hillclimb in Oregon, "You can't be a hero, if you don't make it to the top."
The car is at paint, but parts keep showing up which is good! Figured some would get a kick out of this dinosaur tech!
When the VR4 was on the dyno, it was just a quick tune to make sure it wasn't dumping loads of fuel in the motor. At the time, zero ability to log. I tracked down a few Palm's along with the proper cables. Getting all of the software to work with windows 10 wasn't easy!
Wow that is some wayback tech! Pretty cool you're keeping it retro themed, that same tech worked in the 90s and 2000s to get DSMs into the 12s and 11s easily, it should work just fine today!
I wonder if ECMLink has the ability to control the cyclone actuators natively, or if the solenoid activation features must be used. Good question for Tom Dorris at ECMLink, it may be that there is a ROM with native cyclone control retained while allowing full control of everything else with ECMLink. Just some thoughts if you ever do want to go down that route.
I've now seen this car in person.
Its neat! And will be even neater with a cage and paintwork!
Never cared much for dsm, or rhd, but this one may change my mind permanently. It has changed it in the case of this car.
engiekev said:Wow that is some wayback tech! Pretty cool you're keeping it retro themed, that same tech worked in the 90s and 2000s to get DSMs into the 12s and 11s easily, it should work just fine today!
I wonder if ECMLink has the ability to control the cyclone actuators natively, or if the solenoid activation features must be used. Good question for Tom Dorris at ECMLink, it may be that there is a ROM with native cyclone control retained while allowing full control of everything else with ECMLink. Just some thoughts if you ever do want to go down that route.
I emailed ECMLINK from two different email address over the course of months. Never got a reply. I believe it can be activated from link though. Some appear to have issues using the JDM ecu with it though? I have a Haltech sitting around for when a more serious setup get's installed. For now, I like the old school vibe of the mods.
Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) said:I've now seen this car in person.
Its neat! And will be even neater with a cage and paintwork!
Never cared much for dsm, or rhd, but this one may change my mind permanently. It has changed it in the case of this car.
Can't wait to see how it turns out. I wanted the rear blue portion, to be in Remus blue which is from an EVO 6. Lapis blue appears to be very close, and that's what he is going to use.
The car needs a ton of cleaning up. Both subframes need to be dropped for bushing upgrades, custom arms, 4WS delete, etc. Timing belt, and waterpump need to be replaced as well. Still a ton of work that needs to be completed!
Oh man, taking me BACK with the palm pilot and mmcd!
Shawnb said:Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) said:I've now seen this car in person.
Its neat! And will be even neater with a cage and paintwork!
Never cared much for dsm, or rhd, but this one may change my mind permanently. It has changed it in the case of this car.
Can't wait to see how it turns out. I wanted the rear blue portion, to be in Remus blue which is from an EVO 6. Lapis blue appears to be very close, and that's what he is going to use.
The car needs a ton of cleaning up. Both subframes need to be dropped for bushing upgrades, custom arms, 4WS delete, etc. Timing belt, and waterpump need to be replaced as well. Still a ton of work that needs to be completed!
I would recommend while you're doing the 4WS delete, do the rear active toe eliminator kit (I guess its 4WS eliminator kit in this case), to replace the bushing with a heim joint. This allows you to set the rear toe exactly.
https://volkmetalcraft.com/product/1g-active-toe-eliminator-ate-kit/
You could make your own too, won't save much money to be honest unless you can get free lathe time. I have drawings available in my build thread.
You could also make your own adjustable upper control arms, then you can adjust camber easily.
https://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/1g-tubular-rear-lower-control-arms-how-to.462250/
You can see where this is going with "while you're in there" modifications, but these basic alignment mods are really necessary wih the DSM/VR4 rear end to get proper control of alignment. I
If you want to get real crazy, look into sending the rear diff to TRE for an upgrade to the Evo style locking rear diff. TRE is the best drivetrain shop in the business for DSM and EVO parts, hands down. The rear diff is pretty easy to drop in these though, so you can always upgrade that down the line.
http://www.teamrip.com/dsm-awd-rear-differential-rebuild-services/
Very cool car. Makes me miss my DSM.
engiekev said:Shawnb said:Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) said:I've now seen this car in person.
Its neat! And will be even neater with a cage and paintwork!
Never cared much for dsm, or rhd, but this one may change my mind permanently. It has changed it in the case of this car.
Can't wait to see how it turns out. I wanted the rear blue portion, to be in Remus blue which is from an EVO 6. Lapis blue appears to be very close, and that's what he is going to use.
The car needs a ton of cleaning up. Both subframes need to be dropped for bushing upgrades, custom arms, 4WS delete, etc. Timing belt, and waterpump need to be replaced as well. Still a ton of work that needs to be completed!
I would recommend while you're doing the 4WS delete, do the rear active toe eliminator kit (I guess its 4WS eliminator kit in this case), to replace the bushing with a heim joint. This allows you to set the rear toe exactly.
https://volkmetalcraft.com/product/1g-active-toe-eliminator-ate-kit/
You could make your own too, won't save much money to be honest unless you can get free lathe time. I have drawings available in my build thread.
You could also make your own adjustable upper control arms, then you can adjust camber easily.
https://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/1g-tubular-rear-lower-control-arms-how-to.462250/
You can see where this is going with "while you're in there" modifications, but these basic alignment mods are really necessary wih the DSM/VR4 rear end to get proper control of alignment. I
If you want to get real crazy, look into sending the rear diff to TRE for an upgrade to the Evo style locking rear diff. TRE is the best drivetrain shop in the business for DSM and EVO parts, hands down. The rear diff is pretty easy to drop in these though, so you can always upgrade that down the line.
http://www.teamrip.com/dsm-awd-rear-differential-rebuild-services/
I have the Volk kit, and everything to make my own control arms. Also, have a custom mustache bar. Everything in the rear is getting replaced.
TRE is great, and I will be getting that diff setup once the car gets ripped apart again for more serious upgrades at the end of this season. For now, it has LSD front & rear and the JDM spec came stock with the 4 bolt rear.
Awesome! Sounds like you have a very solid plan moving forward.
For the rear diff, you could also look into getting an Evo1-3 clutch LSD from eBay or other, you will also need the correct axle cups to go with it. Jon at TRE can install it for you, and also modify the Evo LSD similarly to how he modifies the Evo8-9 LSD to increase locking force. I got a LSD and axle cups from eBay in Malaysia and had TRE install it along with the diff rebuild service, I've yet to install it.
Ahh palm pilot dataloggers and gvr4s. Memories of 1439/2000. 
Ditch the 4ws if you're doing any work on the rear end. I remember topping up my PS every month or so from the small rear end puddle it would leave. I was sad to delete it but a rusty rear steering rack that leaked had to go.
Car looks great and have fun with it!
bluej (Forum Supporter) said:Oh man, taking me BACK with the palm pilot and mmcd!
I still have mine somewhere lol. I remember the first time I switched to DSMlink. Felt like Jasmin in Aladin lol
crankwalk (Forum Supporter) said:Ahh palm pilot dataloggers and gvr4s. Memories of 1439/2000.
Car looks great and have fun with it!
4WS is being removed. Shockingly, mine doesn't leak and work's perfectly. My front rack needs to be replaced though, had to find one in Malaysia due to my car being RHD.
I tracked down a few Palm setups, and none of them would accept any memory cards that I had. They can only read very small cards, so I found a new in box 16MB Palm card. It still has a $50 price tag on it, probably from 2002. 16MB, hilarious.
Also, decided I didn't want to go with an aftermarket BOV. I've never had good luck with any, unless a Tial unit. The stock 1g DSM/GVR4 BOV are actually pretty solid if you can find one still in good shape. New ones haven't been made in ages. I found probably the last new one left. Embarrassed to every say what I paid for the pleasure.
Picked the car up from paint today. Pulled away, and it was misfiring badly. Realized the AFC wasn't powering on, so I disconnected it and drove the hour and a half home with no mass air reading. Not fun, but it made it. Went over the wiring to the harness, and got the AFC to work. My guess, the painter probably moved the AFC out of the way (it was sitting on the pass floor) not realizing it was connected to the harness of the car.
Next week it goes in for the full tune. Tracked down a rare ETS j pipe that will be swapped out, along with the new 1g BOV, and a new fuel pump.
Then 4WS delete, and a host of others upgrades, then cage.... Slowly getting there.
Does it look as good in person? It looks FANTASTIC in pictures. Wish i had a chance to see it, butbeen slammed.
Dusterbd13-michael (Forum Supporter) said:Does it look as good in person? It looks FANTASTIC in pictures. Wish i had a chance to see it, butbeen slammed.
There's obviously flaws, but it's 100% acceptable for a race car. No complaints from me.
WOW!!! This is quickly becoming the coolest VR4 build in the country. So glad you'll be properly thrashing it at hill climbs as well. Maybe I missed this, but will you be getting a cage fabricated for it?
That ETS J Pipe is exceedingly rare. I had a full set of ETS piping kit for a 1G and sold it stupidly, the VR4 kits are even more rare now. They still make the 1G front mount intercoolers, and the "street" core is still one of the best values out there. They've since moved onto the newer more profitable platforms like most any other tuning shop.
Have you thought about a permanent mount for the SAFC? Since you might be fiddling with it, I would suggest something like a RAM mount, they are what we use in the OEM world for engineering vehicle mounts for laptops, tablets, etc.
engiekev said:WOW!!! This is quickly becoming the coolest VR4 build in the country. So glad you'll be properly thrashing it at hill climbs as well. Maybe I missed this, but will you be getting a cage fabricated for it?
That ETS J Pipe is exceedingly rare. I had a full set of ETS piping kit for a 1G and sold it stupidly, the VR4 kits are even more rare now. They still make the 1G front mount intercoolers, and the "street" core is still one of the best values out there. They've since moved onto the newer more profitable platforms like most any other tuning shop.
Have you thought about a permanent mount for the SAFC? Since you might be fiddling with it, I would suggest something like a RAM mount, they are what we use in the OEM world for engineering vehicle mounts for laptops, tablets, etc.
Not sure about the coolest, but thanks!
Yes, it will be getting caged. Only a 4 or potentially 6 point for this season. I plan to take it out in the mountains here and there, and have left AC in the car for that reason. Not comfortable driving on the street with a full cage, so over winter I will have it fully caged. Along with a built motor, and possibly dog box.
I still have 100% stock piping, and intercooler and plan on keeping that setup till winter. Only changing to the ETS j-pipe because my stock one doesn't fit properly with the FP manifold and exhaust banket.
The SAFC will be mounted in the glovebox, as I won't reall ever need to touch it. It's only just siting on the floorboard, because the car still needs lots of work. Rear subframe needs dropped, front steering rack changed, along withe very single suspension component and bushing,
Well, today was a good and bad day. For months, I've had someone out of the country seeking the perfect EVO 6. This morning I was informed it was found.. Pulled the trigger, and wired funds. Decided to list this, and if it sells I will import the EVO 6 as a race car and continue a hill climb build with that. If not, I will just keep the Vr4 and import the EVO 6 once it's legal. Really hate to get rid of this, but it would make sense all things considered.
Anyways, it went back on the dyno yesterday and made 280hp on 15psi. Stopped there. Fair bit of timing being added, due to the stock maf. Using a 2g maf is the work around for that, and in kicking myself for forgetting to install the one I have. Oh well, always something.
Sad to hear its maybe going away, it was a really unique build with all the "period correct" mods including the palm pilot! But, can't fault you for going to an Evo 6, that's quite the jump in performance. You're getting in ahead of eligibility, wish I had the opportunity to do so before they're all gone or priced out of the market!
I have a suggestion, keep both!
Can you share pics of the 6 yet, or are you trying to keep it under wraps until it arrives?
Agree...where is the Evo 6 pics???
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