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Model specs:155 hp |
I bought this car as I slowly moved towards the road racing scene (NOT street racing) because I got it for a good price, I knew there was tons of aftermarket support, and it seemed like a good car. When I purchased it, it had an automatic transmission and didn't run. My friend Rex and I took a battery with us to see if it would run and the damned thing started right up. Luckily, I had already paid the guy, so I hopped in and drove it away. Eventually the trans would pop out of gear, however it could be restarted and driven very short distances, which was all I needed for the couple miles to my house (it actually turned off as I was pulling into an intersection once, luckily no traffic and quick thinking got me through...) From then on, the car has been a constant work in progress but steadfastly reliable and an absolute joy to drive. I eventually replaced the engine b/c the valve stem seals were leaking (seemed easier to just yank the motor) and put a newer KA in. I've replaced random bushings and kept the fluids changed and really have not required any major work due to breakdowns. I learned a lot of my skills as a mechanic on this car and it's been through a lot during my ownership. Eventually, my girlfriend and I started tag-teaming this car at autocrosses and she quickly became addicted to the "go-fast crack pipe". This car eventually became solely hers, primarily because we had Piper Motorsports make a seat mount for her Sparco Ultra seat, which sits considerably closer than I do, and is a bit of a snug fit for me. The car has since received a pair of G-force latch-link harnesses, a poly transmission mount, and energy suspension steering rack bushings. To date, the car has 163,000 miles on the chassis, with 1,536 miles of track abuse and it seems to love it. |
Modifications:Manual transmission conversion |