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First true test and tune today, cranked it up to 8psi, with some "real" timing in it and she moves quite well lol. That new stall really helps lighting up that turbo. 4500 and up is stupid, enough that I short shifted into 2nd at 5500 because I got "skurd" a little...the power delivery is not what I'm used too (like my C6ZR1, which is instant), it's not that exciting off idle but like I say, stay in it past 4500 and you start wondering if you really should have done that LOL...should make power well into the high 6000...goal is 14psi, but I might find that 10-12 will be enough.
Next "mod" is meth injection. I spent an hour or so trying to figure out if I could fit a water to air intercooler (of the correct size, not some undersized "to fit" that will bottle neck or do little cooling) but I really have no room when you factor in the piping. since it's a "street car" that won't see boost for much more than 5 sec at a time, I feel Meth injection will work out well (and provide some added octane/cylinder cooling)
Still finishing the polishing/waxing/detailing and your typical odds and ends you do with a new build, But this ride is just about done (well they aren't really fully done ever as we always find other things to tweak)
who said it was done?...ha!
I decided to ditch Fitech and switch to holley, now I can have my dakota digital gauges talk with the holley and display all the sensors into my digital read out on each gauge.
I also can have the holley control my water/Meth injection, which is getting installed next. I got the basic stage 1 snow kit, which uses a hobs switch to come on at a prescribed boost level. With the holley system, I can program that to come on with whatever input I want (so at a given MAP, or TPS angle, or both, or a combination of that, I can also add RPM minimums...I mean it just goes on).
Took a while to instal, had to run some power wire from the battery and all that fun stuff, but at last, tonight I gave it a go, fired right up and dare I say even the base tune has better throttle response than my fitech had (and I spent hours tuning that).
I also don't have to have the handheld to plug in the laptop, it has its own dedicated CANbus connector, therefore I'm not sure what I'll be doing with that empty space where the fitech hand held resided. Granted, the holley screen display gauges too, but, I'll have AFR and boost displayed in the gauge... I may make a small tray insert, for a nice spot to put your phone or wallet, as the car as zero storage other than the small console glove box.
I used the re-enforcement bar as a place holder for the holley (I used to have the fitech fuse box bolted there). A quick CAD drawing and a squeeze from the cnc plasma table made this boring but useful bracket to hold it. I still have to zip tie the harness in place and clean things up a bit.
Last edited by mirage2991; May 19, 2020 at 09:48 PM.
Got the car fired back up with the holley. What an awesome system this is. Only "mild" issue was the inital start up was on the rich side (11.2 lol) but after it did its first learn cycle I was able to re-tun the VE table and that should be much better the next time around.
This thing has such a HPtuner flare to it, it's crazy! really like the software much better than the Procal from fitech!
There's a pretty significant difference on how the car is running now...much smoother. Even the IAC is quieter and well as the injectors (no kidding!). I guess holley must be using different drivers than fitech (I'm familliar with noisy drivers from the 3D printing world, a mother board/driver change made my printer go from annoying as all get out to barely audible ! )
And some more changes. Since I'm not running a hand held anymore, I added a "glove box" to the console, for a good spot to put my phone...or a couple/three cd's (evidently it has 3 CD slots in there...old school but not A-Track old school lol)
Also started the Water Meth install, it's all hidden inside the fender:
Finished the water meth injection install, added the LED light to the console with some more CF wrap. The led turns on when the system sprays. It is controlled by the holley ecu, set up to turn on at 4psi and above 3800 rpms.
Took it out for its first test drive with the holley and meth kit, and it works great. I was getting around 158* intake temp and within 3 sec of being into boost it dropped 30* (1/2 throttle for maybe 5 seconds). That was with just water.
WOW! That is amazing! What are the tires and wheels? They kinda have an old school of fat in the back with skinnier in the front look, but yet with a modern flare! I really like it! Not so skinny in front that you lose handling. Spacers on the rear, I am sure the thread shows if there is work in the back or to flare the rear end. Or maybe a different rear differential? Looks great!
WOW! That is amazing! What are the tires and wheels? They kinda have an old school of fat in the back with skinnier in the front look, but yet with a modern flare! I really like it! Not so skinny in front that you lose handling. Spacers on the rear, I am sure the thread shows if there is work in the back or to flare the rear end. Or maybe a different rear differential? Looks great!
wheels are torq thrust 15x14, tires are 29x18. Full narrowed frame rails with ford 9” And custom built 4 links with panhard bar and anti roll bar.
fronts are 17x8, pretty standard width with stock suspension (stock but all new) and stock sway bar, though i run a rack and pinion, steering is tight and very responsive.
Last edited by mirage2991; Jun 3, 2020 at 07:06 PM.
After debating this for a bit I've decided to list it for sale...been wanting to start up a biz and that would fund that venture...it's definitely sooner than I wanted it but, let see if there's interest out there....still enjoying the car though, looking to see if I can get it into hotrod mag or the likes....
bitter sweet but never a better day than today (as they say)
A little 4th of july project:
converted the car to LED headlights. Pretty straight forward. Had to enlarge the holes in the buckets a little so the back of the bulb would fit (used a dremel), other than that it was plug and play
Comparison between stock on the left and led on the right Low beams High beams
After debating this for a bit I've decided to list it for sale...been wanting to start up a biz and that would fund that venture...it's definitely sooner than I wanted it but, let see if there's interest out there....still enjoying the car though, looking to see if I can get it into hotrod mag or the likes....
bitter sweet but never a better day than today (as they say)
wanted to share the video of the car that inspired this built back when I saw the car in hotrod mag I believe it was. I actually had contacted the builder to pick his brain a little.
Couldn’t leave things alone.... i was not very happy with the stock tank and the fuel basin for the fuel pump. One, it did t go down far enough because the bottom of the stock tank is at an angle, which would leave about 3.5 gallons of usable fuel when the pump pick up would be at the fuel llevel, and second, anything bellow 1/4 and i’d see fuel pressure drops from fuel slashing (no baffles of any kind in the stock tank.
this is now fixed with a TankInc efi tank. Very nice piece!
Also put bigger injectors, because boost is addictive!
sporting some SEP1000cc’s
Last edited by mirage2991; Apr 21, 2021 at 11:05 AM.
As always, I have a hard time leaving things alone....well in this case, it's more a case of adding something to it.... I essentially fell into a great deal for a hardtop, couldn't pass it up...so it has began: hardtop resto:
removed the headliner and started removing the old seals.
.…...annnnd I might add...the dash gauges look sharp! 
