My 98GT Project "Highway star"

Tally_4.6 · Mar 25, 2015

We both have AB '98s with 2.73s, and have plated dirtbikes?

J/k i swapped my rear out for the one in the black car, and my dirtbike doesn't like dirt lol

DKblue98GT · Mar 25, 2015

After 33,000 miles my 555's were worn out. I decided to try Mickey Thompson Street comps.

I had 255's on the front and 315's before but bigger is better, I ordered 275's and 315's this time.

I would like to do 18 inch wheels but the roads here are so crappy I'm afraid the ride would be too rough.

Some of you may have noticed how far back my right front tire sits in the fender. With the 275's the tire rubbed the liner on right turns.

I had replaced the liners when I bought the car and the rubbing bugged me. After the new tires I noticed the car had started to wander on the freeway. I replaced the inner tie rod ends and it was better but still not great. I decided I needed a MM steering shaft and solid rack bushings.

While I was installing the new parts I realized the k member wasn't square in the car. Big can of worms...

DKblue98GT · Mar 25, 2015

Time to square the K member. As long as I was taking the wheels off I decided to replace the control arm bushings with poly ones. I read Rich V's write up and dove in.

As long as I had the control arms off I figured I would do poly motor mounts so I pulled the k member off. A long as I was doing poly motor mounts I should do a poly trans mount. I had bought a poly trans mount years ago but wait, it doesn't fit a 98 GT... Stifflers trans cross member fixed that.

As much as I would have liked to order a MM k member, coil overs and control arms I just can't right now.

I almost ordered a set of BBK shorty headers but I had to hold off...

I cleaned everything up, squared the K as per MM instructions and put it all back together and got an alignment.

Wow, what a difference! The steering is very precise and the grip is pretty amazing.

DKblue98GT · Mar 25, 2015

Since the front has new bushings what about the rear? I ordered J&M upper control arms and new axle bushings and install tool from MM.

Now that I am working on the rear end I noticed my right caliper is sticking. I want cobra rear brakes but can't afford them right now so I got my rotors turned and bought an Autozone caliper for now.

DKblue98GT · Mar 25, 2015

Tally_4.6 said:
We both have AB '98s with 2.73s, and have plated dirtbikes?

J/k i swapped my rear out for the one in the black car, and my dirtbike doesn't like dirt lol

I have seen that supermoto, it's sweet! I want 3.73's but they have to wait until my wife finishes her masters and gets a job.

DKblue98GT · Mar 25, 2015

Time to change the fluid in the diff.

Until I can do gears axles and a nice diff cover this will have to do...

lwarrior1016 · Mar 26, 2015

Wow, nice car man! you have done some great things here. What made you change the height of that shifter handle? I know you said you did like how tall it was, but was that just a feel thing or did it get in the way? I've been considering doing a tall handle like yours was.

DKblue98GT · Mar 26, 2015

lwarrior1016 said:
Wow, nice car man! you have done some great things here. What made you change the height of that shifter handle? I know you said you did like how tall it was, but was that just a feel thong or did it get in the way? I've been considering doing a tall handle like yours was.

Thanks, I thought it was ugly and after I put the Corbeau's in it was way too tall. The seats are lower than the stockers. In 2nd and 4th it hit the cup if there was a drink in the cup holder.

DKblue98GT · Mar 26, 2015

One of the things I don't love about this car is that there are plastic push pins holding most of it together. I bought a riv nut setter and started replacing push pins with bolts. I have done the front and rear bumpers, the fender liners, the front fender trim and the radiator cover so far.

When I was working on the radiator cover I noticed the expansion tank was leaking so I replaced it with an aluminum one from Canton.

DKblue98GT · Mar 29, 2015

I am no longer willing to look at my rusty brake rotors, this was the result.

I painted my rear calipers to match my front ones. I used the Duplicolor kit and I never want to do that again... I bought the front brakes years ago before red calipers were played out. I wish I would have gotten black but oh well. "Dumb is dumb"

Once I had the rotors painted I felt like I had to do the backing plates. I drilled the rivets out of the front ones and reshaped them a little bit before paint. I will re attach them with bolts.

I soaked the rusty rear rotors in a product called Evaporust. You soak the rusty part until the rust goes away, it works!

DKblue98GT · Mar 29, 2015

While the front end was apart I realized my left side ball joint was binding. I ordered new Moog ball joints from Summit. I also spent some time cleaning up the spindles with a wire wheel. I will paint them when I install the new ball joints.

You can also see where I replaced the plastic push pins for the fender liners with riv nuts, washers and bolts.

DKblue98GT · Mar 29, 2015

I liked the GT front bumper with the chin spoiler but my steep driveway hated it. I went with a Cobra bumper because I like the look and it doesn't scrape. The New Mexico sun has been hell on the crappy paint job this car has.