My BG hatch V6 swap, rear brake upgrade, etc

[MD323]

awesome work dan,

it looks like alot more work then i was planning on, but i still have the V6 ich so the my 323 is still going under the knife

[FE3-323]

looking clean

[Dan [Sac]]

It seems like a lot of work, but it wasn't. Would have been easier to do it all at once, but this way worked out too - also, I haven't done anything that hasn't been done before, so nothing new

The best advice I can give is to stay organized and keep good notes. That way you don't get lost or forget to do something that may be critical. You won't be able to rely solely on threads online, so you'll have to learn a bit of the stuff yourself, which is never a bad idea.



As far as the mx3 gauge cluster - it will not fit if you try to put it in as is - for mine, I removed all the mounting 'legs' (small phillips screws), and had to shave a very tiny amount of plastic from the top of it with a dremel. Then I just set it in place of the 323 cluster to see how it fits. Once I had the 3 plugs in the back plugged in, it sat quite well. When I put the front 323 bezel on, the damn thing was actually quite snug in there. It does not move while driving, but when I replace my bezel I'll double sticky tape the bottom part of it just for extra peace of mind.

So basically right now it's just 'in' there, no fasteners. It's held in place from the back by the 3 plugs, and form the front by the bezel. It's not pinched, but it's just right - kind of hard to explain.

Also there are 2 tiny gaps (less than a pinky's width) on either side (left & right) as seen in the pics. Those are not visible in terms of being a nuisance while driving.

[Dan [Sac]]

Just to add a correction to something: re: steering column swap with the MX3 tilt unit.

I initially said that you'll need to fab an adapter plate to make it work - it turns out that that plate is a factory thing, and I just forgot to remove it off the donor MX3 - thus when I tried to install it on the pedal bracket it seemed to 'not work' initially. So if you're pulling a tilt column off an mx3, get that small plate with it (the 323 has no plate for the non-tilt column).

[Dan [Sac]]

awesome work dan,

it looks like alot more work then i was planning on, but i still have the V6 ich so the my 323 is still going under the knife

This video won't help your illness:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvpCTch0e18

It's a decently difficult undertaking, but if you take your time and work dilligently the rewards are just ass-kicking good. After I'm done with the drag car I'll definitely build another one of these. It's just too much fun.

[Lex]

Everything looks great and clean Dan. I was very curious, what transmission do you run in the probe that has held up? (I know, a little off topic)

[Dan [Sac]]

Stock g-series with open diff. They hold up about 6-10 passes.

I'm planning on selling the 323 ZE as a means to raise funds for custom straight cut gearsets in the chase for single digits this summer.

[323v6pr]

wow runs nice,take it to the dyno or to the track lets see some 1/4 times.
im running 13.7 @102.5mph on street tires

[Dan [Sac]]

I went to the strip tonight and it went 14.5 @ 97, which is pretty good, given how gingerly I had to get off the line (2.3x short times).

[323v6pr]

I went to the strip tonight and it went 14.5 @ 97, which is pretty good, given how gingerly I had to get off the line (2.3x short times).

kinda slow,u should be traping at least 100mph on 1/4mile

[almighty4wd]

it's all in the tires. slicks would help get it over 100mph. but for a fairly stock, I still say that's not bad.

[323v6pr]

mine's stock(klze) and im running 13.7 @ 102.mph on street tires.
mods:intake,exhaust,ebay crap headers thats it.

[Dan [Sac]]

kinda slow,

Highly disagree, for a couple of reasons. The car can run a 14.3 as is - this was my first time out with it and all my 60ft times were above 2.35. Second, adding headers and a test pipe will easily shave another .4-.6 in a car this starved for top end breathing (I'm sure running a 150k mile stock cat isn't helping). So it can go 13s without much work. With slicks, low 13s are a given, and if one were to make a little more effort (say, a 65 or 67mm TB, some Colt cams and a RAM intake), 12s are within reach.

I already decided against headers for emissions and comfort purposes - same with the test pipe. The car moves plenty fast, and I don't really have the desire to go out every week and tweak the launch and practice - I have another car for that purpose.

[323v6pr]

get a test pipe man,let that baby breath

[323v6pr]

got any 1/4 videos?