I picked up a set of stock wheels so I can rob the Advanti's after the Challenge and use them on my Miata. $100.
I also did a bit of research on Saturn-specific nitrous, and I think I have everything to make a safe rich 75ish shot work. I just need to get my bottle filled and figure out how to mount it and the solenoids this weekend. Might even wash the car. Otherwise, pretty much ready for the Challenge. Still not sure what to do with it post-Challenge.
Have you done anything to stiffen up the rear on this?
hobiercr said:Have you done anything to stiffen up the rear on this?
In reply to hobiercr :
The PO put it on lowering springs and stiffer shocks.
All this last minute Challenge thrashing around here got me jealous, so I did stuff to my Challenge car too. You know it's Challenge season when you bump into the Georgia Tech college kids at Summit Racing at 9am while getting your bottle filled.
Install was pretty straightforward. I tapped the fuel supply at the fuel rail using the test port. Turns out 4AN hose will thread right onto the Schrader valve, so you just have to remove the valve core like on a tire.
Well berkeley. Idk what I did, but now it won't start. Has fuel, cranks, everything else on body works. Check engine light, but I don't have my code reader here. All fuses in tact. I grounded the solenoids at the same ground as what might be for PCM. The 30A fuse I added for solenoids blew. I wonder if I fried the PCM. Might try to junkyard one today otherwise I'm clueless. berkeley.
In reply to maschinenbau :
Oh no! I hope it's something simple and easy.
Edit: and budget neutral!
Neutral safety switch on the clutch pedal?
I ran to PAP and all they had was a 2002 SOHC PCM, so I grabbed it anyway. Got home and did the security relearn procedure, which takes 30 minutes. Go to start and...nothing. Swapped the ignition module, nothing. Pulled a plug and turns out I actually did have spark this whole time. Huh. So started taking the nitrous off and noticed the line between fuel solenoid and nozzle was full of gas. Uh oh. I try starting with it open, and yup the solenoid has been filling the intake with gas this whole time. So I plug the fuel rail again and after much cranking to clear the gas it fired right up! On a SOHC PCM no less! Unfortunately I had a lot of fuel in the exhaust to burn off...it was bad, but eventually all went away after some driving. Swapped back to my original DOHC pcm, and all is well again. Basically wasted two days.
So my crappy fuel solenoid is stuck open, which means no nitrous. I'll take this as a sign to just go enjoy the Challenge stress free as a participant, with as little mechanical drama as possible.
In reply to maschinenbau :
If you get squared away with the Saturn (sounds like good news so far), I would love any experienced help this week in Peachtree city :)
Can't wait to lose to you anyway..
In reply to classicJackets (FS) :
I wish I could back in time and decide to work on your Challenge car this weekend instead of mine. Peachtree City isn't too far from me. I'll be your pit crew.
maschinenbau said:
Still not sure what to do with it post-Challenge.
Sent you a message
En route!
Successful Challenge road trip! Entering the Saturn in the $2000 Challenge was the perfect way to experience the fun, comradery, and party of the event without any of the speed, mechanical drama, or towing woes. All we did was load up the trunk with snacks and a cooler and hit the road.
There was some really crazy stuff this year!
My co-driver handled the autocross, along with pro driver Danny Shields putting in our best time of 56.339, good enough for 18th out of 39. While he was driving, I spent most of Friday trying to get the "Riggamort" V8 Austin Healey Sprite to run. Efforts were futile but it was fun to try. After dinner I took over driving for the drags. I laid down back-to-back 16.8 quarter miles, with all metrics identical. I forgot to snap a picture of my time slips, but nothing really worth sharing there. The launches were violent enough to rock the engine quite a bit though, and the tailpipe hanger weld snapped. It's trapped inside the subframe/control arms, so it just rattled around until we could find a hose clamp to rig it up. I'll weld it back up when I get home. For concours, I opted not to be scored and just took the 12 points, though it looks like I could have scored a few more places with my story and the modifications. Meh, I wasn't here to win.
During concours I accepted an offer from a father and son who are going to pick it up in a couple of weeks. Sounds like it will be the boy's first car. I think it will treat them well, just as it has for me. Thank you Emergency Backup Saturn, you were the right car at the right time.
And it is sold! It went to a great home last night after serving its dual purpose of backup daily driver and chill Challenge car. Out of the 13 cars I've owned so far, only 2 have been the same brand, and they were Saturns.
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