1G AWD DSM - my 2020 Challenge Radwood build

Picked up my hopeful 2020 Challenge car today. I've been wanting to build a Challenge car for awhile now and after Radwood theme was announced, I decided it was time to join in the fun.

Wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to build, so I was browsing Craigslist and FB Marketplace to see what caught my eye.

Found this 1990 Eclipse GSX on Marketplace less than 30 minutes from the house. Hasn't ran in years and I've never owned a DSM but why not give it a shot. Here is how it looked when I first saw it.

Asking price was $800, I offered him $400. After some shrewd negotiating, we ended up meeting in the middle at $400. 

Here is the obligatory on the trailer pic after I got it home.

More to come...

Love these - still some very fast low buck beasties.

Ah my 1g gsx had those heavy ass wheels lol

I know a guy that does awesome rustoleum work....

Here are some more pictures after I got home with it today.

Guess someone wanted to make it a sleeper.

Pretty much stock from what I can tell, other than the big K&N filter.

So bring forth all the DSM wisdom. And if anyone has some upgrades/parts they want to sell cheap, let me know.

Dusterbd13-michael said:

I know a guy that does awesome rustoleum work....

I'm going to attempt to do all the paint and body work myself, if time and budget allow before next year.

Running and driving take precedence over appearance. I can always take the 12 for concourse.

Westside, paging Westside...

I remember being a senior in high school when these came out. Went with my best friend to look at them.  Salesman allowed me to test drive it and even encouraged hitting it hard in the corners.  Few minutes later he admitted he didn't give a E36 M3 he just wanted an excuse to light up a joint. Let us drive around 30 minutes while he smoked. Best test drive ever. 

In reply to untchabl :

Awesome score! I’d double your money if you were closer. 

That right there is a unicorn. A mostly unmolested 1g? Man you scored. 

Ooh, 6 bolt! Excited to see what you make of it.

DSM Wisdom: 

1g bottom end will hold ALL the power 

16g "big" EVO is the best balanced turbo for the car 

DSM Link is simple and capable

Get the capacitors in your ECU replaced 

Spend the $ to go speed density 

Replace your water pump and timing belt

use the timing belt tool or you will be off a tooth 

Your oil pan is leaking

The water pump behind the turbo will rust thru and develop pinholes

Driveline bushings will help your NLA, hard to come by AWD part last longer 

Happy DSMing!  

In reply to NordicSaab :

How much of that list is do-able on a Challenge budget? I'm a complete noob on DSM stuff.

What's the going rate for the "big" 16g? Will it bolt on the stock manifold? I've already found someone local that has a "small" 16g, what's it worth or should I just hold out for a "big" 16g?

Who repairs the ECM's? 

What drive line bushings should be replaced? Stock rubber bushings or poly bushings?

Dude, the 1g awd dsm should be the drag winner if not overall radwood winner. Can anyone say 60ft?

Nice buy at $400. 

Re turbos, look for one outside of the dsm crowd. If it's anything like my Saab experience, the "best" turbo was a one year only 9000 turbo which had the same compressor (and turbine? I don't remember) but a bigger exhaust outlet. All the Saab guys knew what they had, but a junkyard or eBay part seller would probably not know the difference.

Is that a super rad neon gear shifter? If so, hope it works, thats gotta stay. 

untchabl said:

In reply to NordicSaab :

How much of that list is do-able on a Challenge budget? I'm a complete noob on DSM stuff.

What's the going rate for the "big" 16g? Will it bolt on the stock manifold? I've already found someone local that has a "small" 16g, what's it worth or should I just hold out for a "big" 16g?

Who repairs the ECM's? 

What drive line bushings should be replaced? Stock rubber bushings or poly bushings?

Re: small 16g turbo. How much are they asking? Any 16g is an upgrade from the 14b. Yes a 16g should bolt to the stock 1g manifold. I used to get 16g between $200-500 depending on its condition and what turbo.  There's small16g, big16g, evo3big16g,

My favorite turbos back in my dsm days were the hta68 and fpgreen. Whew! 

Check and see if you have a E-prom ECU first. I know they're hit or miss in dsm's but every galant vr4 had one stock. 

Maintenance: timing belt, water pump, get the idle sorted (it'll have idle issues lol) , vacuum leaks.

Mods: Ecmlink, 16g, slightly larger injectors, walbro 255 fps, intake, exhaust, and 272 cams, a decent clutch, and a larger intercooler (evo8/9). Those mods will make you plenty fast for cheap. 

I've built many different flavors, DSM's gave me my first taste of modding a car and turbos. I've had everything from stock, to 2.4 w/fpgreen, to destroked 2.2 from 2.4 with longer rods and an hx40 turbo. 

This makes me miss my 1g auto gsx and galant vr4

vfaq great link for any DSM noob

NordicSaab said:

DSM Wisdom: 

1g bottom end will hold ALL the power 

16g "big" EVO is the best balanced turbo for the car 

DSM Link is simple and capable

Get the capacitors in your ECU replaced 

Spend the $ to go speed density 

Replace your water pump and timing belt

use the timing belt tool or you will be off a tooth 

Your oil pan is leaking

The water pump behind the turbo will rust thru and develop pinholes

Driveline bushings will help your NLA, hard to come by AWD part last longer 

 

Happy DSMing!  

Don't forget use a 2g head for maximum shenanigans. 

Robbie said:

Dude, the 1g awd dsm should be the drag winner if not overall radwood winner. Can anyone say 60ft?

Nice buy at $400. 

Re turbos, look for one outside of the dsm crowd. If it's anything like my Saab experience, the "best" turbo was a one year only 9000 turbo which had the same compressor (and turbine? I don't remember) but a bigger exhaust outlet. All the Saab guys knew what they had, but a junkyard or eBay part seller would probably not know the difference.

Holset hx35 was the hot ticket after everyone got bored of 16gs 

Would a chinese tdo4e be a good upgrade for him?

Dusterbd13-michael said:

Would a chinese tdo4e be a good upgrade for him?

Td04e or t04e?

Td04e

This was always my bench build for 2k challenge.  It looks really together for the price.

I'm hoping that the engine is good. I know that the fuel pump is bad, it's sitting in the back and it's really crusty. 

Hoping to try to do a compression test tomorrow. I hooked a jump box to it yesterday after I got it home and the engine spun over freely, so at least it isn't locked up.