my crazy dx build

[89dxthehonda]

im new to the site but i want to get ideas and oppions i have an 89 dx bought it almost two years ago. used it as a daly driver best car i ever drove it only had 163000 on it when i bought it not bad for an 89 and it just rolled 180000 when parked it in my garage. i have big plans want to keep it carburated but that the only thing for sure want to make it a great show car but can beat these cockey kid with dads cars lol. i love my car had alot of offers but i couldnt sell just something about it i cant let it go guess i got the 3 gee bug lol but cant wait to hear ideas give me all u got cause im going all out on it. ill post pics as soon as i get 5 post cause it wont let me till i do so let me know what u think or have in mind.

[Importordomestic]

I would restore the car back to factory original, this will net you the best start for keeping the car the rest of your life and make it one really nice mint show car. Now there is alot of work in doing a project you have outlined here.

I would incourage you to read this thread (https://www.3geez.com/forum/showthread.php?t=60009) from beginning to end (still in progres)

:thumbsup: to another 3g and the sweet life.

[89sedan]

if you are really really serious on your build - start with taking the car down and reweld / respray the bodyshell, sand and refresh all the suspension, transmission etc

but of you're not so serious, just respray the car (or even polish it), throw some nice wheels and make it low. That's what i would (and will) do

[89dxthehonda]

i want to do a crazy build im up in the air about the carb been looking around at some stuff and been reading that u cant get alot out of the engines with a n/a build that was what i was going for but im not sure what do u think woud be the best thing to go with?

[Vanilla Sky]

How "all out" are you planning?

[89dxthehonda]

a sleek fast show car im gonna do it right no half ass but if i could find an a3 head and intake manafold and harness i would turbo it but its hard to come by in my area gonna go to a couple local pick and pull and see if i can find something but idk yet i am trying to figure out how to convert it to obd1 but its hard to find a thread on here that explains it.

[89dxthehonda]

hood is poped in this pic

[Vanilla Sky]

If you're going all out, why bother with an a20?

Where are you that an LXi is hard to come by?

[89dxthehonda]

Maryland eastern shore. because its a strong engine cast iron can handle alot there is alot avalible for it and who has one that can beat a k20 and i am gonna be very unique with it im gonna make alot my self like the harness and alot of the electrical components. ill prob make my own ecu that will be integrated with my on board ecu. the engines have alot of potential they just need to have it brought out.

[Vanilla Sky]

The head is pretty restrictive on these engines. If you port the head and run some boost, then you'll be utilizing the engine better.

Why bother with a "custom" computer? Run either Megasquirt or OBD-1. Both are better documented, and for your purposes, I think Megasquirt would be the way to go.

[2ndGenGuy]

He's probably talking about Megasquirt if he's talking about a custom computer. You can build them from scratch with the specs if you want. The beauty of the open platform. Though it's kind of a waste of time, when you can buy a pre-built unit for like $300 or whatever. You could always just run a shot of nitrous for pissing off Mustangs. Then leave the rest of the car stock.

I think before you go tearing the car apart though. Definitely focus on one thing, the bodywork. The car definitely looks pretty straight and clean! And getting that squared away would make the car really stand out!

[89dxthehonda]

can a megasquirt replace the vacume box cause thats what i want to get rid of and i want a tuneable ecu. if i have my stock head ported can i use it for FI or not.

and i was thinking about that just doing an all engine build with a rediculous cam and a 4bbl 750 cfm edelbrock carb with nos but my biggest issues is getting rid of that vacume box whats the best way to do that.

and yea the car has a perfect body little minor digs and stuff one deep dent above the driver break light and thats pretty much it no rust any where except for a little spot on the finder its a good foundation to start with.

[Vanilla Sky]

Yes, you can get rid of that box if you Megasquirt. If the price were closer to $200, I'd megasquirt my challenge car.

[89dxthehonda]

what excatlly is a megasquirt?

[Vanilla Sky]

http://www.megasquirt.org/megasquirt.html

Don't go to megasquirt.com at work, LOL.

[89dxthehonda]

thanks man thats alot of help but whouldnt i still have to change my dizzy and harness thats just a ecu right?

[Vanilla Sky]

With MS, I'd go coil on plug and leave the distributor out of it all together. Crank fire for the win. You can use your existing harness or build one, your choice.

[89dxthehonda]

how does that work not using the dizzy

[Vanilla Sky]

A crank trigger setup. That site that I linked above would answer better than I can since I've yet to 'Squirt a car.

[2ndGenGuy]

Well if you're going to run a 4bbl carb, you won't need that box. All that box does is control various functions of the stock carburetor. If you want to get rid of it, you can follow the vacuum removal guide. I don't think any cam though will let you run a 750CFM carb. Unless you're only going for peak power or something (at the sacrifice of bottom end power and drivability), I have heard that a 600CFM will be way more than enough.

If you're running a carb, also you won't need an ECU. The ECU is only needed to control the fuel injectors and ignition timing if you want to.

The heads for fuel injected and carb'd motors are the same. So portwork / headwork won't affect what form of fuel delivery you want to use. They both will benefit equally.

Damnit Vanilla, you keep beating me to the posts..

[89dxthehonda]

but the dizzy has two vacume lines that run to it other that that i could do everything else if i dont hook those up what would it do?

[Vanilla Sky]

You can cap those off.

I'd suggest doing a lot of reading before taking on such a project. If you don't, you're going to end up paying someone way too much money to fix what you couldn't get working right.

[Importordomestic]

but the dizzy has two vacume lines that run to it other that that i could do everything else if i dont hook those up what would it do?

well this thread took an excelent turn. If you are interested in a megasquirt conversion I will help you. I have squirted multiple cars and tuned them as well.

my buddies Ae86 with 4age 11:7:1 compression full blueprinted balanced the car has since been to 2 DE events for a test and tune.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLrQKIab618

[Vanilla Sky]

Have you squirted a 3gee? If so, I have some questions for you.

[lostforawhile]

but the dizzy has two vacume lines that run to it other that that i could do everything else if i dont hook those up what would it do?

well you need the advance one hooked up but not the other