*cross posting, because I think it would be a worthwhile/ relevant discussion*

Where to begin?

Ok, I've been so busy chasing after my super-duper-build-it-up-sleeper-project dreams that I haven't paid any attention to reality.

End result? Who knows, because I'm not finished yet.

Anyway, here's the current state of affairs (in stream of consciousness order):

chassis - EF (91 si hatch to be exact)

motor - undisclosed (suffice it to say it's got a swap making ~180whp)

suspension - type R shocks + type R specific TEIN S-TECH springs + itr lca's & itr front shock forks.

brakes - itr 5-lug all around, w/ stock itr pads. itr abs has also been retrofitted into the car.

wheels - staggered weirdo/ budget setup: rota's (15x6.5) in the front, and stock itr gunmetals (15x6) in the rear.

tires - 205 azenis with the option of some 225/45 hoosiers that have been sitting for like a year.

Now for the problems:

I don't have much negative camber, and would like some more. I guess I need to get a camber kit. $$$!

I have relocated the battery to the rear to free up space under the hood for the itr abs actuator. Apparently I now need to have a marine type box to pass SCCA tech for this particular mod. I would also like to get a light (~11 LB) battery. Furthermore, to pass tech at the drag strip, I also need to add a kill switch. $$$ again!!!

The exhaust is a no frills unit. I originally purchased a hytech twinloop for use on this hatch. I felt it would quiet down the exhaust as well as give me mad usdm bling points with the show car judges. Little did I know when I went up to grand muffler to get my custom 2.5" piping that the can won't even fit under the car in the rear. It is THAT big. So I had them put two inline resonators in the b-pipe and do a race legal side exit exhaust behind the passenger's door. I believe this falls under scca rules as legal.
BUT, the problem is that there is no way in hell it will pass the 90 dB limit that is self-imposed by the Atlanta Region of the SCCA.
So now, the only thing I can think of is to literally CUT out the spare tire well, and then reweld a flat piece of metal (aluminum) over the hole. That will give me some room in the rear underside of the car to fit the unholy twinloop..... $$$ for welding labor!

During this whole process, I added some traction bars onto which I was able to have fabricated a skidplate (to protect my $BLING$BLING$ header) and front lower tie bar. The drawback to this? I am now bumped from SM to DM.

To top it all off is the massive primary oversight of using a 91 Si as the chassis for buildup. Can you believe that if I was to have used an '88 base model hatch, I would have saved ~300 LBS - just because that car is THAT much lighter?

So now I need to fix all of the above things in order to actually meet my project goals. Not to mention all of the crazy motor work I've been meaning to do for some time. Dammit, 200whp won't help me at this point anyway.....

Why rant now? Well I forgot to sign up by friday online for the SCCA event - even though I've been waiting for this event for a good two months now! AND I stayed up till 4am on Saturday + I figured my car wouldn't slide by the bmwcca's decibel restrictions either. So now I've relegated myself to drifting this crazy hatchback late nights - seeing as how it's been raining so much lately. (Surprisingly, this setup is quiet neutral with a hint of lift oversteer with azenis all around - in the wet of course.)

My resolution is to storm DM next year for real! LOL

The good news: I got my AC recharged today by a good local friend of a friend for $25. ICE COLD!

 

random comment -- you can't "reweld an aluminum panel" where the spare tire well was -- it'll either have to be popriveted or bolted. you can't weld aluminum to steel.

 

Or you could just sell the blingin muffler on Ebay and put an ultraflo on it.
And a kill switch is ~$15 bucks.