The Project Pad

I thought I'd start a thread for this car here since I feel like this forum is still somewhat relevant, and likely to provide good feedback.

The backstory is I got the car from a fellow forum goer after it blew up in my home town on its way to Denver. He didn't want to deal with it and it had other issues as well, so I picked it up as a home for my junkyard AAN.





So being that the motor was just a couple hundred bucks and the car was basically free, and I was tired of everyone telling me that I could "build" a Honda dos so much cheaper, I decided to make this my ultimate budget build. It's been a long time collecting parts and waiting for time to work on it, but I think it will be worth it. Eventual goal is 500 whp and 2500 lbs for $5k or less. So far I'm pretty on track, I need to tally up my recent spending spree...

So far I've got...

-AAN installed with mustang trans mounts
-7a flywheel with a 6 puck disc from a southbend 2.7t kit and the stock NG PP. I really need a good deal on a better PP, but that'll come when I blow up the 01E
-Holset HX35 on an eBay tube header
-boxster calipers on the shelf, awaiting 5 lug swap
-01E and 4K driveshaft waiting to be needed
-550cc injectors (for now)
-eBay 50mm BOV
-hella 500 lights (for when my passenger headlight doesn't fit with the
-deleted ABS


Still need:
-b4 p/s pump
-large bearing front knuckles
-some exhaust piping
-a Mac valve
-the rest of the 01E swap stuff
-a better pressure plate!
-Rods! And ARP studs and associated stuff to have the motor apart
-a driver window reg


And just things to do:
-finish gutting interior
-wire up the motor
-install radiator/coolant plumbing
-install heater box without AC bits
-delete sunroof
-break into trunk... Keys were lost

I'll probably just split duty with the VEMS in my 200 for now, I also need... Well... Want to buy some KW coilovers...

And now some pictures for the progress I've made...
Cleaning...


Looks pretty good, I think this car only had 140k on it or so


Still cleaning


Before the holset


Lots of rattle can... Maybe I'll powdercoat after I've reached my goals


Deconstructing the wiring


And it begins (this was over a year ago...)









After that I got pretty sidetracked switching jobs and bring my 200 avant back from the dead.

But then holset!


More goodies and some assembly


Holset party


eBay crap


Getting her ready



It's in... I think it's in!


Final welding on the manifold after a successful test fit


That's all for now! Need to source some b4 bits and start on the wiring and whatnot.

Looks really good! I'm also stockpiling parts for a budget AAN swap into a typ89 sedan. One of these cars with even a basic tune on an otherwise stock AAN will be a riot.

I'm curious why the passenger headlight won't fit after removing ABS?

That was a typo, I posted this all on my phone. It was supposed to say with the holset, but holset got deleted I guess

Ahhh... makes more sense now.

paradox11235 wrote:I thought I'd start a thread for this car here since I feel like this forum is still somewhat relevant, and likely to provide good feedback.

Thanks for posting this here. It's always nice to see more projects. I have to say though, I'm a little offended (for the project pad). You think posting to the nitwits on facebook is more relevant than this forum? Ouch.

I really don't like how everything has kind of drifted over to Facebook. People pay more attention to it but you can't really go back and find old posts and whatnot. Not easily anyways. I like it for buying/selling and getting quick answers to small questions. But the project pad is definitely the best forum at this point, although it doesn't seem to get all that much traffic

I think that's one of the saving graces though... look at audizine and vortex; they get tons of traffic but the people tend to be, well, special.

That's true. When I got my first Audi motorgeek was still pretty good though. Lots of traffic and good content. Just kind of went downhill in the last few years

Yeah, for a while I was trying to convince people to come over here, but after witnessing all the tards on fb, I've stopped promoting lol

We need to keep the good ones here though! I prefer it becuase it's an organized record of my builds.

Anyway, carry on!

Nice to see this thread come back to life. I remember talking to Chris about what to fix just to keep the 90 on the road.

It definitely needed a bit, I think the NG just blew a headgasket. But it needs a window reg and a new front caliper, and probably a whole bunch of bushings. I'm picking up a beat B4 to steal some bits off of so I'll probably just grab the entire suspension and brakes, then I can do the proper 5 lug swap and just get some apikol brackets for my brakes

Happen to know if the b4 fold down rear seats swap into the b3?

I also have a b4 I intend to rob for parts for the b3 that will get an AAN (such as rear suspension haha). Would be nice to add the folding rear bench...

I mean, I'm sure it's possible with enough fab work but they're definitely not a bolt in affair. For one you've got the gas tank issue... Also the rear suspension is totally different. B4 is about the same as B5 in the rear.

Yeah, the b4 rear suspension is going in for sure. Fold down seats would just be a nice touch. Sounds like the gas tank would have to get swapped over too?

B4 suspension in a b3? Are you cutting the rear half of the b4 off and welding it to he b3? As far as I know everything from the subframe mounts to the strut mounts is different

paradox11235 wrote:B4 suspension in a b3? Are you cutting the rear half of the b4 off and welding it to he b3? As far as I know everything from the subframe mounts to the strut mounts is different

I don't think I have ever heard of anyone ever even attempting to use a B4 rear suspension on a B3. As said above, you might as well cut both cars in half, and weld them together. Or just use the B4...

Hmmmm...

I asked around, and the answer I got was it's all interchangeable, and I'd need to use the b4 rear axles or at least the outer CVs.


I had considered using the B4, but it's really a total POS with lots of issues. Best thing it does is lots of heat quick from the CC unit. The B3 sedan I have is already a 5 cylinder and overall in much better condition, with only a few issues to fix.


Anyways, sorry to clutter up your thread Eli. Carry on

It's no problem, if I could run a b4 rear I probably would, I had just thought they were pretty dramatically different. The front is all interchangeable, but the rear struts bolt to the side of the wheel well instead of passing through the top.

Did a little work today, finished up some welding on the turbo and manifold and started getting the lines sorted. Probably need to take a couple inches out of the drain line, feed line worked out nicely (used a 12mm to -3 banjo fitting, a -3 to -4 adapter, an aeroquip 22" -4 brake line, and a -4 to 1/8 npt fitting at the housing).

Finished welding the V-band to the compressor outlet. I forgot how much welding cast aluminum sucks.



Also welded my seat bracket up to use the stock slider. It's even more obvious that the steering wheel and seat aren't in line...



Dropped the motor in my coworkers 80 as well, should be interested to see how the hx compares against the hy on stock bottom end AANs.

Definitely interesting. I was planning on a HY35 with a stock 7a before I tripped into a seemingle bottomless rabbit hole.

I'll likely be getting a set of rods for this shortly, but at this point i'll probably have it running before then

PRY4SNO wrote:Definitely interesting. I was planning on a HY35 with a stock 7a before I tripped into a seemingle bottomless rabbit hole.

lol... It never ends dude!

Nice work Eli.