rmontalvo23
Well-known member
Well I purchased my Galant in March of 2011 when I was living in San Francisco, CA. The original plan was to buy a car that I knew I could fix myself. As I was searching Craigslist for a 95-99 Eclipse/Talon I found a young guy who listed a Galant VR4 for sale for $1,500. The catch was that the car had a rod through the block. Which to me was no big deal, swap in a junkyard short block and we are on our way. Long story short, I went there with the cash in hand and told the owner "if it starts I'll give you the $1,500. If it doesn't I'll give you $800". Guy turned the key and it instantly started up but wow what a noise it made. I asked him to start it because if I ran I knew that everything in the car was operational. Fuel, ECU, wiring, etc, etc.
Here is the craigslist photos of the car when I bought it. Notice the cut springs, car looked so sad.
Fast forward 5 months and I still did not have the car running. I wasn't able to work on the car myself because I was renting a place where I couldn't work on the car, I didn't have any tools, I was working a lot, you get the idea. I found a forum member that lived a few miles away and he went to work on getting the car running for me. Bought a motor from another forum member thinking I could trust the guy. Got the engine and come to find out he sold me an engine with a .40 over bored block with .20 pistons. 2 weeks later we found another engine in San Francisco. Paid the guy, took the engine to the machine shop to get cleaned up. Went on a business trip for a week, came back and went to the machine shop. The previous owner of the motor went to the machine shop and told the guy that I never paid him and he took the engine with him. YES the machine shop gave some random guy they didn't know my engine because he said "he didn't pay me". Ok so we are at 2 motors wasted. Another 2 weeks and we got a Junkyward motor, got it installed. 400 miles later and the oil pump locked up and trashed the valves. Are you keeping track, because we are on motor number 3!!! Ok so now I just go to a dealership and buy a daily driver because I am tired of riding my bike to the train station every day.
Fast forward two months and I get laid off from my job in San Francisco. Take my severance and pack my cars and head back to Florida. Arrive in South Florida with the galant and now it's time to make a decision, do we put it to stock and sell it or build the car I've always wanted. I've had 2 other Galant VR4's in the past but never built them and ended up selling them both because I was bored (I was an idiot I know). Talked to a good friend of mine who I consider being a DSM master. He can build a 4G63 with his eyes closed. The decision was made to take my entire severance check and dumb it into the car, why... BECAUSE I'm Single with no kids.
So here we are basically 2 years after I originally bought a Galant VR4 to be a daily driver. We've had our ups and downs with the car. Even when we built it ourselves in my garage. There is a lot more to the story of this car and I will post a few more parts of the story over the next few months as we finish her up. But to not make this first post literally a bible I will stop here.
Here are some photos of what the car looks like now along with a current mod list.
Mods:
Eagle Rods with JE Pistons all clevit bearings. Fully balanced assembly with balance shafts eliminated
Ported 1G head with Comp Cams degreed with Fidanza Cam Gears, Stainless valves, Brian Crower Springs and Titanium Retainers. Mitsubishi Metal Head gasket with ARP studs.
ETS Intercooler, VENOM intake manifold, Self made -10 AN Catch Can, Tial Blow off valve and a S90 74mm Throttle body and a 4 Inch intake pipe into the fender.
AEM Series 2, AEM gauges, Kenn Bell Boost a Spark, Taylor Wires.
FP3065 Turbo, FP Manifold, Tial Wastegate Custom turbo back 3 inch stainless exhaust.
Clutch Masters Twin Disc (FX600), 17x7 Rims, Hankook Ventus tires, 4 Bolt Swap with 5 lug conversion
AMG Front and Rear bumpers, AMG Front Grill, AMG Steering wheel (not installed yet)
Dual Intake 255 LPH pumps, Aeromotive FPR and Fuel Filter, -8 Feed with -6 Return, AEM Rail
Current pictures.
Here is the craigslist photos of the car when I bought it. Notice the cut springs, car looked so sad.
Fast forward 5 months and I still did not have the car running. I wasn't able to work on the car myself because I was renting a place where I couldn't work on the car, I didn't have any tools, I was working a lot, you get the idea. I found a forum member that lived a few miles away and he went to work on getting the car running for me. Bought a motor from another forum member thinking I could trust the guy. Got the engine and come to find out he sold me an engine with a .40 over bored block with .20 pistons. 2 weeks later we found another engine in San Francisco. Paid the guy, took the engine to the machine shop to get cleaned up. Went on a business trip for a week, came back and went to the machine shop. The previous owner of the motor went to the machine shop and told the guy that I never paid him and he took the engine with him. YES the machine shop gave some random guy they didn't know my engine because he said "he didn't pay me". Ok so we are at 2 motors wasted. Another 2 weeks and we got a Junkyward motor, got it installed. 400 miles later and the oil pump locked up and trashed the valves. Are you keeping track, because we are on motor number 3!!! Ok so now I just go to a dealership and buy a daily driver because I am tired of riding my bike to the train station every day.
Fast forward two months and I get laid off from my job in San Francisco. Take my severance and pack my cars and head back to Florida. Arrive in South Florida with the galant and now it's time to make a decision, do we put it to stock and sell it or build the car I've always wanted. I've had 2 other Galant VR4's in the past but never built them and ended up selling them both because I was bored (I was an idiot I know). Talked to a good friend of mine who I consider being a DSM master. He can build a 4G63 with his eyes closed. The decision was made to take my entire severance check and dumb it into the car, why... BECAUSE I'm Single with no kids.
So here we are basically 2 years after I originally bought a Galant VR4 to be a daily driver. We've had our ups and downs with the car. Even when we built it ourselves in my garage. There is a lot more to the story of this car and I will post a few more parts of the story over the next few months as we finish her up. But to not make this first post literally a bible I will stop here.
Here are some photos of what the car looks like now along with a current mod list.
Mods:
Eagle Rods with JE Pistons all clevit bearings. Fully balanced assembly with balance shafts eliminated
Ported 1G head with Comp Cams degreed with Fidanza Cam Gears, Stainless valves, Brian Crower Springs and Titanium Retainers. Mitsubishi Metal Head gasket with ARP studs.
ETS Intercooler, VENOM intake manifold, Self made -10 AN Catch Can, Tial Blow off valve and a S90 74mm Throttle body and a 4 Inch intake pipe into the fender.
AEM Series 2, AEM gauges, Kenn Bell Boost a Spark, Taylor Wires.
FP3065 Turbo, FP Manifold, Tial Wastegate Custom turbo back 3 inch stainless exhaust.
Clutch Masters Twin Disc (FX600), 17x7 Rims, Hankook Ventus tires, 4 Bolt Swap with 5 lug conversion
AMG Front and Rear bumpers, AMG Front Grill, AMG Steering wheel (not installed yet)
Dual Intake 255 LPH pumps, Aeromotive FPR and Fuel Filter, -8 Feed with -6 Return, AEM Rail
Current pictures.
