I drove to Defined Autoworks last weekend in Ohio from Arkansas to see my car for the first time in 14 years. I actually saw if when I took the engine last year but it was so far into a storage situation I really couldn't see it. It is sort of a 14 year old time capsule look into my past in an odd sort of way. So much has changed in that 14 years on all levels here in clown world 2024.
I texted a good friend of mine today a picture of the car and told him, “The devil in the red dress is back to collect my soul. I imagine she will come knocking at my door mid August.”
Logan had hosed it off and wiped it down with microfiber when I arrived and it looks as good as I had hoped. The paint was expensive and it looks 99.5% perfect. I still haven't found the .5% flaw but I am sure it's there.
The hood closing issue I thought we had was eliminated when the plastic heat shield on the intake runners was removed.
The car has been stored in non-climate controlled inside storage on concrete for 14 years. Ohio is not super hot that much and the cooler and cold weather has preserved the paint and interior well. The key is the static state it has been in I think. The paint, bodywork, Forgeline wheels, Toyo R888, Recaro Pole Position Fiberglass velour seats all have zero miles.
I have the Recaro's mounted on stock FC3s sliders with Recaro brackets. I was 46 years old when I decided to rip out the entire strangler seat belt system. It has no seatbelt system other than an inertia based race harness system I installed. At least you can open the glove box when strapped in. I was still lifting weights back then. I can't now because I need a shoulder replacement. But the seats were tight back then but they felt good. When I sat down in them yesterday it was immediate obvious I am not going to deal with this at 60 for a daily driver. I am going to sell them at some point when the car gets back to me. I actually sold my GTUs seats to a buddy of mine and was told that he never installed them. I hope he stored them well as I know I can get them back. I really want Recaro GT seats but at 4k a set that isn't going to happen at this point.
I need to find a complete non powered S5 seatbelt setup, piece by piece or as a complete package. I know there is a company on Ebay that sells them but I am don't know about the quality. They are called Collector Auto Supply. At least they are made in the USA...if that actually means anything anymore.
I did the expanding foam back then in all the frame rails I could access. I remember pulling the retractors from the side frame rail and thinking it's going to be a bitch to remove that foam if I ever want to revert back.
I also brought some of my old/new parts back. I have a set of used T2 axles I bought 14 plus years ago. I don't remember how many miles but I know I searched for the best set I could find back then. I have a set of Ronin FC axles as well. I have the Ronin Grande axle kit now, so the T2 and Ronin axles will be for sale as a package. It was suggest that I offer them here as a full set of T2 and Ronin FC axles for 900.00. I will post an ad soon. Ronin will sell a set of boots to someone if the boots can't be found. Logan has them but at the moment he can't put his hands on them.
The car doesn't have the modified Shine Auto chin spoiler on for now. I had the brake ducts filled in as the were only for show and I get air to the brakes with other ducts. I also have the original smaller lip that I might actually like better.
The engine and transmission are mounted and the Grande hubs and Performance MPR caliper brackets with FD StopTech rotors are installed in the rear and that really all that's done so far.
