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DSG Time Attack VR4 build *Tons of Pics**

Hey guys, I don't post here very much but I wanted to fill you all in on the G-VR4 build that I have taken on with the help of my older brother Alex from DSG and the entire shop really. My name is Nick and I'm one of Alex's younger brothers, (the youngest). Id first like to publicly thank Alex for all his help as I would not have gotten nearly as much done as I have, or should I say as We have.

I'll start with the pick up. Alex and I drove up to Vermont to pick up #300/2000 from a good friend of Alex's. This gentleman is an engineer and had hopes of doing ice races in this Galant. He had spent a lot of money getting into shape with things like a TRE transmission, a big 16G turbo, a Spearco front mount, external oil cooler, solid poly bushings throughout, SS braided lines on all hydraulic lines, clutch and brake, rear steering delete with a TSi LSD rear end, ABS delete, Galant RS motor with the balance shafts removed, 2g MAF, an SAFC, 16x7 Sparco Rally wheels, H&R springs, (I think) with AGX struts (soon to be gone), and a bunch of other stuff I'm sure to be forgetting.

So the rest was up to me. We picked up the car in beginning of November and pulled in all the way back to the DSG shop to being the heavy diet I planned on assign it. I know these cars are quite portly from the factory, and luckily mine was already missing the rear seats and most of the interior, including the entire carpet. The only things remaining where the roof liner, the dash, both front seats, the front seat belts, and the door panels.
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The engine bay had some interesting colors that look like they were the result of a 4 year old with a box of crayola crayons. Nothing really matched and everything that was painted was chipping a rusted.
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The shifter was one of the first things I decided to fix. The windshield was leaking across the top, (something I discovered later), so the shifter was incredibly rusted. After a few minutes with the media blaster and a couple more in the hand of Master Fabricator/Engineer Alex, I had a customer short shifter with long rod and super short throw.

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As the paint was drying on the shifter, I tackled the valve cover. A hour or so of sanding and a few minutes in the parts washer got most of the ugly blue paint off.
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I chose a dark grey hammered paint, actually the same stuff that Alex used on the EVOII.
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Other notables in the pics above are the painted intake manifold and custom DSG heat shield for the turbo. The engine bay continues to change as the project continues, you will see as the pics progress.

The oil pan was pretty badly dented, as if someone had jacked the car up by it. . . So it was removed, along with all the sub frame rails and was pounded back into shape. I felt better having done that, as the oil capacity was probably increase by half a quart or so. Before re-installing everything, it all gets a healthy coat of black POR-15 paint.
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As I said before, the car was put on a major diet, and we attacked the heaviest parts first. The bumper supports.
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The only thing remaining on the rear bumper is the cover and the 2 mounting points that protrude under the trunk. The entire support has been removed. And in the front, much the same:
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As I had said before, the windshield was leaking pretty badly. This, plus the fact that a family of rodents was calling it home while it resided in VT, was causing a foul musky mildew odor to linger about the interior. Getting the nesting out of the heater box was the very first thing I did to the car, but the water leak was a bit more involved. We removed the windshield we resealed it with window weld.
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Alex then helped to tidy the engine bay. He cleaned up the intercooler piping a bit from this:
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To this:
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There is more work to be done. As of now they are all stacked up and rubbing against each other. Once properly massaged they will all fit snuggly, but without contact. The BOV, by-pass valve, what-ever-you-want-call-it has been clocked 90 degrees so it diverts air back into the intake piping also. I plan on sending all the new piping out for anodizing soon, I'm thinking gold to match the wheels. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

The work on the interior continued; the carpet was out, but the sound deadening remained. And in order to get down to a fighting weight, it had to come out. (Also so we could get the roll bar in)
So it went from this:
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To this:
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I was advised to use a bit of dry ice and freeze the tar paper before trying to remove it. But luckily for me, it was brittle enough for me to use the air hammer and a chisel bit. 2 hours later, the entire floor was striped. (And my ears were ringing for another 2 hours after wards.)

You'll notice that the roll bar was just placed in the pic above. It was sourced from Garfield on this board, who Id like to thank again for his efforts while figuring out the shipping issues we faced.
Alex and I have since welded the entire cage in, with the exception of the passenger side harness bar, (we ran out of tubing).
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The cage was from a Galant RS, so it really fit perfectly. The only issue was that the main hoop was lined up with the B pillar, and didn't allow for a proper harness bar to be fitted. So we chopped about 6in off the rear mounts to move the hoop back for the harness bars.

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Once moving it back, the rear doors would not fully close. So the rear door panels had to be removed. It was tight fit, but it fits none-the-less.

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Thanks Al. I feel much safer.

The stock seats will simply not due for what I have planned for the car. They may be nicely suited for cruising the town with their supple leather and multiple ergonomic adjustments; but for racing, they are heavy and do not provide the proper support and comfort needed. So I bought 2 Sparco Sprint seats instead. I wanted black, none were in
stock, so I settled for red.
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After Alex fabbed up some seat brackets and the seating logistics were sorted, I was able to sand and paint the entire floor of the car with POR-15, (I love this stuff)
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So the interior is really coming together. And the remaining tubing is in the mail. I bought some 5 point harnesses that will be installed after the passenger side harness bar is in, and then I'll finish painting the cage and the rest of the interior.

The next step is the exterior. It currently sits Belize green with all 16 years showing on the paint. The front bumper is in the worst shape, and will need the most attention. Ive thought about this for a long time and after discussing it with the rest of the DSG guys Ive decided on white. Al's EVO is white, Bill's 240 Maxi is white, the STi will be
white, as so will mine.

And just so I could get an idea of how it will look, I did a few photochops:
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We also discussed a two-tone job, and an all black paint job.


There will be many more pics to come as work continues. All questions, comments, suggestions and concerns are welcome. I am new to the DSM world, but a self proclaimed "Vet" of the Honda nation.
 
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rheckert

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 4, 2004
Messages
4,115
Location
Indianola, Iowa
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gifNice work. You are well on your way and you have some good guidance to help you along the way. Keep us informed, sounds like an awesome project.
 

Nick, it looks like you guys made a lot of progress /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/applause.gif I have an uncut Kensington grey bumper you can have. It definitely needs to be painted but is structurally a lot better than that one
 

Red seats, white car, bronze wheels, YOU COPIER!

Just joking, I could care less, looks good though..

How heavy is the por 15 stuff? Where can it be bought from?
 

Quote:
Nick, it looks like you guys made a lot of progress /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/applause.gif I have an uncut Kensington grey bumper you can have. It definitely needs to be painted but is structurally a lot better than that one



Whoa! A front bumper I assume? Ill take it. I dont really need the bottom cut out like it is, the intercooler is mounted much higher than normal.

Let me know when a there is a good time to come and pick that up from you.

Also, I have a whole rear door panel setup that is in really good condition if anyone needs it. I was going to throw them away, but after looking at them and noticing what good shape they're in, I decided to see if anyone on the board needs them. Switches, handles, hardware etc, I have it all.



Quote:
Red seats, white car, bronze wheels, YOU COPIER!

Just joking, I could care less, looks good though..

How heavy is the por 15 stuff? Where can it be bought from?



Im sorry, I dont know any of you guys or your cars. So if Im copying you, it wasnt intentional. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, or something like that.

The POR-15 is a bit heavier than a spray paint, but its much better and stronger. It seals the metal completely to stop rusting and prevent future rusting. Perfect for cars approaching "antique" status. Alex introduced me to it, and we've ordered quite a bit from http://www.por15.com/ Its not exactly cheap, but its worth every penny.
 
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kcpaz

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 28, 2006
Messages
1,307
Location
Gilbert, AZ
looks like you are off to a good start. I'm sure by now you have figured out that aside from a substantial money investment, there is an almost larger TIME investment. I see that you are building this car for some type of Time attack/Time Trials racing. I'm sure I don't have to tell you this but I will mention it anyway. Make sure that with everything you do, you keep reliability your number one goal. Road racing is totally different than drag racing, and mechanical failure can be more common. Focus your money on these areas first...

SAFETY: Get a fire system....especially being that our cars are old, fuel injected, turbo cars. I also noticed that you have your battery in the trunk. If you haven't already, make sure the battery is properly mounted in a sealed box, and you have a battery shut-off switch that is accessible from the exterior of the car.

COOLING SYSTEM: with constant boost, and high RPM's your stock cooling system will struggle to keep up. A good aluminum radiator and some water-wetter are highly suggested. Make sure all of your rubber hoses are in good condition too.

BRAKES: What goes fast, must stop fast. This is kinda under safety, but also deserves being noted on it's own. At a minimum, racing pads, and some high performance, high temp fluid. Some sort of a big brake kit is a good idea, but I can understand if the expense is a little much when trying to budget such a large project.

Once you cover those three areas, then you can go hog wild with whatever you want. I'm sure you already have a good support system of people who have probably told you all of this, (or you already know) but I figured I would take some time to remind you just in case.

Again, I'm not trying to be a jerk, just trying to help out a fellow apex lover /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Okay, I'll get off of my soap box now.

If you haven't already, check out my project log...


https://www.galantvr4.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Number=356114&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1

Separate post with some more cage pics...

https://www.galantvr4.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Number=368676&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1

Look over everything, you might get a few ideas that could help you out. I'll be watching your progress
 

Your wheels, give them to me...now!

Nice work! It will be cool to see it done!
 

I am well aware of the money aspect of the racing and all its glory. I had been racing my H22a Accord and doing quite well it too, until I melted a piston at Lime Rock. My Honda is my daily driver, and I realized I couldn't continue to race it and brake it if I needed it to get to work on Monday. Thus this project began, and my bank account has bee hurtin' ever since. Its for the love of racing and driving really fast, its well worth it.

And onto the other safety stuff. A fire system will come later. Surprisingly, not many of the events/organizers require a fire system, and for now a I think a bottle will suffice. I may eat those words someday, in that case, I do have a fire suit Ill be racing in.

The battery does have a very secure box mounted in the rear. I'm going to get rid of the huge ground wire and just ground it right to the frame instead. I battery switch will also be later, as its not required for the events Ill be doing.

The cooling system: I lived in Goodyear AZ for a year, and I know how hot it gets out there. The cooling system should be fine with the right mixture of water wetter, water, maybe a thermostat and a decent cap. The temps around here max out around 100, and I doubt that one day that its 100 degrees will be a day that Ill be racing. Duly noted however, and taken into consideration that the cooling system may become an issue.

Brakes. Right now there are the stock calipers and power slot rotors. I have a set of Carbotech pads for the front and Ill have to figure something out for the rear, which also has slotted rotors, (I think). I have some nascar brake ducts in the mail to help cool the brakes. Alex also just finished his GTO/R32 front brake setup that I think Ill eventually be upgrading too. Once I gather up some more cash.

I need to hear this stuff, I know there is a lot more to do. More suggestions would be great.
 

skivittlerjimb

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 20, 2003
Messages
1,440
Location
Danville, CA
It's good to be the little brother! I'm Belize Green with envy. I'll just have to beat you on the track! (Fat chance of that...)

How do you like the Sparco Sprints so far? I'm skeptical a tube-frame seat would be comfortable enough for anything but 30 minute track stints, and I need my race car to be long haul friendly, as it won't be a trailer queen anytime soon. Also, were the seat brackets very tough for Al to fab. up? I may need a pair exactly like that very soon, for a seat of used Sparco Evos, so keep whatever templates may have been created handy, please!

I'll also be very interested to see how you route the brake ducts and what you ordered for that application.

Don't underestimate the need for serious cooling on these cars, even in New England. At a minimum a high quality radiator, Water Wetter, and a 20% glycol, 80% water mix is what I'd run in the summer. Wiring up the stock shrouded fan to run from a toggle switch might be a good idea, too, as would functional hood vents in the factory location to help vent turbo heat and pull air through the radiator.

From the research I did on the factory RS roll bar and various cage spec. requirements out there, I didn't think it met some of the minimums in terms of diameter and thickness. Any worries there? Also, any plan to add some sort of A-pillar bracing in the future? Galant's have nice, strong, boxed b-pillars, but if you ever roof it (God forbid), the a-pillars are much weaker. This is simply what I've been told... I'm no engineer or cage builder!

Ideas on what your suspension set up will be, and what Class you'll be running in?

Thanks so much for sharing your project pics and if you don't mind, I'm sure I'll have lots of questions for you and your big brother in the coming months. Thanks, too, for saving a car from NE Rust disease and giving it a much more exciting future.

-Jim B.
280/1000
1432/2000
 

Bimmubishi

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 15, 2003
Messages
5,702
Location
Boston, Massachusetts
Jim, if we come accross some used seats should I let you know? We have a Cobra FIA seat at the shop now for a rally car. The customer is switching to Sparco I think. I can ask him if he wants to sell. It's tough, i know without sitting in them.

We debated on the roll for a while. Nick's goal is to get the car done soon, and for reasonable money and since a roll bar is the only requirement, we're going to do a new cage next year and go with what we have this year. Adding the diagonal and harness bars makes the shape legal. We're still combating with the diamater being 1.5 inches. If we can bring the weight down enough the car will be completely legal for COM, and as it stands it's legal to do GT Live and Redline events so I guess that should suffice.

I think hat the whole cage from Cusco/Safety 21 etc requires way too many changes to even work with as the a pillar bars are bent and the front joints to the main hoop are seriously lacking strength so when we go to a cage we'll be cutting this out at the floor plates and using the main hoop as a template since this one fits so, so tightly against the roof line.

Suspension is up next.. Nick's not decided between Moton or Penske Triples. Just kidding. We're not sure what the budget will be yet. More from him on that. One thing should be mentioned. He brought this car back from the dead! It was mouldy, smelly and generally beaten. Now it's clean and well cared for. Watching him made me tired.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
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powerplay

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 24, 2004
Messages
2,054
Location
Norwell, MA
Hey Nick! The car looks great! You and Alex have been very busy. Keep up the good work and let us know when you are ready to go racing. I want to be there to see you kick some serious butt!
Scott
 

Polish

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 10, 2005
Messages
8,936
Location
NE, IN
Great job so far. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/applause.gif
 

The thing I love about you guys, is your not scared at all to get right to cutting and welding.

Having a big brother that makes his own parts, dominates Time attack, and makes magazine covers (and oh yeah I hear he has a little shop on the side, too /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif must be the balls.

Effing DSG FTW!
 

Bimmubishi

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Joined
Jul 15, 2003
Messages
5,702
Location
Boston, Massachusetts
Hahah I wish things were that cool man. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Nick's done all the work btw. I just sit back, watch, then weld stuff when he needs help with that.


Al
 

Thanks again for all the comments guys. It nice to hear all these good things. Alex, as usual has down played his role in this project, as I may have been doing some of the grunt work, its been his guidance that has gotten me thus far, and with his guidance that the car will be "finished."

This car will have been built under the rules outlined in the COM book, as they are the most strict, if you dont include SCCA or NASA. And since I dont plan on doing any wheel-to wheel racing yet, it should be fine. I read the rules quite carefully and found out that if I can get the car under 3k lbs, the 1.5" diameter roll bar will pass tech with no issues. Its hard to say how much weight has actually been removed, but I know the 10lbs hear and 30lbs there adds up very quickly, so I'm not so concerned with that. It should be damn near 3k as its sits right now, (I hope).

The seats should be comfortable enough for now. I spent a total of 18 hours sitting in a sparco seat this summer driving down (and back up) to Summit point last summer, and the only complaint I had was when my ass was going numb. But once I had lost feeling in it, the rest of the ride was fine. I'm pretty narrow, to the seats fit me really well. And as far as towing it, I may have to get it registered to be able to drive it to an event or two, but hopefully Ill have access to a truck and will be able to tow it to the bigger events. I dont mind driving it on the street as much as I mind getting stuck at the track if/when something breaks. I did that in my Honda and it wasn't a fun experience.

The cooling system should be OK for now. I know these cars can run hot, but after having talked to Alex about this, it should be OK. I know another DSMer who does COM events and with a couple of holes drilled in the thermostat his GSX never gets over 185 degrees. So there are some cheap options I have before shelling out the money for a Koyo or Fluidyne.

Suspension has yet to be decided. I may go with the Bilsteins from the EVO IX MR if I can find them at a reasonable price. Its fairly common to see them for sale on the EVO boards anyway, so I'm not in a huge rush for those. But I do realize that the AGX's are not suited for what I have planned for the car, and I expect to see them crying fluid within an event or two if they are not changed out. They are cheap, and you get what you pay for. I learned that a long time ago. I also have a set of the Tein tops to use for a little extra camber in the front.

The class is going to be a tough one. I realized after buying the car that I would be racing against Alex. After a big "Doh" ala Homer Simpson, I realized that there may be a silver lining in this case. Alex has always been quick to help me out with anything Ive asked, and this is no different. In this class I may be able to learn from him in addition to racing against him. But he is not my only compatition. There are a few other cars I have to lookout for, one of them being a fellow DSGer. So in COM Ill be in a Prepared class, PB maybe. In GT Live and Redline, it think its just done by tires and driveline.


I'm glad everyone is enjoying this build so far. I certainly have been. I'm just hoping with all this work that I can step as a driver and do the car justice.

Please keep the comments and suggestions going. I like hearing them from this board as I know you guys are all die hard Vr-4 guys.
 
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CP

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Joined
Aug 30, 2004
Messages
8,938
Location
West Simsbury, CT
My car is on the slow boat but is heading in the same general direction as this car...and Jim's. Sorry folks, but another one is going to bite the dust and be turned into a road course car.

I've been asking around about cage options, but am going to wait another year for that (bye bye COM events for now; so happy that I just sent them dues for another year /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif ). I also need to find funds for another daily driver first before I can start stripping my interior and tar paper. I'll probably be going with the same exact cage that this car will get next year.

As far as things to concern yourself with at the track based on my experience with my GVR4 over the last two years:

1) Cooling - I use 100% distilled water with Water Wetter all summer long during track season. Whatever residual coolant stays in there during a change handles rust protection, or so I'd like to think. My car always runs hot, seeing coolant temps via the logger upwards of 225* during daily commuting. I'm sure it gets hotter than this at the track, but I haven't ever checked. It has burped coolant once on a hot day after my 3rd session. Ever since I wired both fans to a switch, I haven't had any issues. I may spring for an aluminum Koyo radiator if funds allow this spring. I'm working on some ducting between the front bumper and the radiator, and really need to find some JDM hood vents.

2) Brakes - Based on my experience (guessing the car weighs around 3200#), the stock brakes won't cut it for continual lapping. They're too small for such a heavy car. However Alex didn't have any trouble with the same exact brakes on his EVO2. Ditch the ABS, run stainless lines, Motul fluid, race pads, and go with a larger setup when you can afford it.

3) Fuel tank - I can't run with any less than 3/4 of a tank or the car experiences fuel starvation on high-g left turns (the left-hander at LRP or T2b at NHIS). I think I'm going to have to switch to either an external pump setup with a surge tank (already discussed with Alex), or more likely will put in a feul cell when the car is retired from daily duty.

4) Do the suspension right (ask Alex about mine and Scott's). And find some light wheels to use with track rubber.

I run non-competitive "safety" events with high-end German luxury cars, so I probably won't be seeing you anytime soon at a time trial. CJForce may also be able to help you with some tips, as he races his GVR4 with the SCCA down in the VA area.
 

CP

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 30, 2004
Messages
8,938
Location
West Simsbury, CT
Yeah, that could be part of my cooling problem. I don't think it's coming out just yet after the drive back from WG last year in 90* temps. Does it restrict flow to the radiator THAT much? As I stated, with both fans ON for sessions I haven't had any further problems..but the car always runs hot.

You know, maybe I will pull it in the next few months, and just grin and bear the heat in the summer. However it's nice after a long hot day baking at the track to cool off on the drive home. I don't think I'd have made it home on July 3rd (heat stroke issues if you recall) without cold air in my face for the entire trip.
 
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