My 98GT Project "Highway star"

DKblue98GT

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I bought my car in November of 2009. When I was younger I had some fast cars, a few first gen Camaros, a 66 Chevelle SS396.

I got into bicycle racing and for the next 20 years I had practical cars... I work in a city 65 miles from home and had a vacation house in Colorado 230 miles away. In New Mexico everywhere you go is a long highway drive.

I wanted a fun driver and couldn't afford a $70,000 pro touring Camaro or Chevelle.

I always liked Notchbacks and the SN95's so I decided to look for a fun car. Next thing I knew this car more or less fell in my lap, it had new Atlantic blue paint and it was cheap.






The front bumper had a scuff but otherwise it looked good. I got if from a guy who bought it for his 16 year old daughter, she hated it so he was desperate to unload it.

The car had 97,000 miles, a cold air intake and Eibach Pro kit springs with KYB shocks. It ran and drove well.
 
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DKblue98GT

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The first thing I did was get new wheels and tires. I had Crager SS wheels on a lot of my old cars so Bullit wheels were a natural. I got Hypercoated Bullits with Nitto 555's. I also got the bumper fixed and added a chin spoiler.



 
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DKblue98GT

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Next it was time for a new shifter, I got a Triax because I had not seen the MGW yet... I am a tall guy and have my seat all the way back. I needed a longer handle on the shifter so I added a UPR "Rockcrusher" The new handle meant I needed a new shift boot so I got Shift, brake and console cover boots from Redline.




I also replaced the headlights and corners.
 
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DKblue98GT

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Next it was time to start adding maximum Motorsports parts. First were full length sub frame connectors and caster camber plates. I also relaced the cold air intake with one from American muscle.

Next was time for exhaust. I got a Magnaflow catback and an SLP catted X pipe so it would pass emissions.


 
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DKblue98GT

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The sub frame connectors made a huge difference in the way the car handled so I decided to add a strut tower brace too. I installed a pioneer head unit with the mach 460 amps and speakers.

I found a set of Corbeau CR1 seats on craigslist and bought new Microsuede covers from Corbeau and installed them with a manual drivers track and corbeau adapter plates.



Then I made a rear seat delete.


The rear seat delete made it so I could remove the wheels from my bicycle and put inside the car and the wheels in the trunk, very handy for road trips to Colorado.
 

sleepn_sn95

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Looks like a very clean car! You cant beat Atlantic blue

Any future plans?
 

DavidBoren

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I didn't reply earlier because there is so much more listed in the signature, I thought I would be interrupting everything... I mean, we haven't even gotten to the cobra brakes yet, if this build thread is going to be posted in roughly the same sequence the mods are listed in the signature.

Great work so far. Keep it up.

If you really want it to be a star on the highway, invest in a cobra irs swap.
 
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DKblue98GT

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I didn't like how tall the shifter was so I shortened the stick.


I also installed new grey carpet from LRS and bought an SCT tuner from American Muscle.
 
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DKblue98GT

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My plan for this car is do the suspension and drive train and eventually build a nice 2 valve motor.

The biggest limiting factor for this car has been the fact That I like to ride my bicycle so much. instead of working on the car I am riding or taking a road trip to ride.

Next up on the suspension was MM HD lower control arms, Eibach sway bars, Tokico blues and a Steeda bumpsteer kit.

Now that the car was starting to handle pretty well it was time for better brakes. My wife and family usually give me gift cards for the holidays so I got the SVE Cobra front brake kit from LRS. I know it can be done cheaper but I don't care, it's a nice kit.

Old.



New!






Eventually I will do bigger rear brakes and a Cobra master cylinder.
 
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DKblue98GT

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Since I did the Cobra front brakes the stock donut spare will not work. When you drive in the middle of nowhere as much as I do you need a spare.

 
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DKblue98GT

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Next it was time to replace the clutch. I got The SVE mongoose clutch from LRS. The clutch is rated for 350 horsepower, since my car probably make about half that I'm good.

The old clutch and flywheel were wasted so I got a new Nodular iron flywheel and Ford Racing throw out and pilot bearings. The car already had an aftermarket quadrant and firewall adjuster.

I also got a Ford racing aluminum driveshaft, a MM pinion snubber and removed the "Dogbone"

Hammered:


 
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DKblue98GT

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More gift cards more parts, This time an SR 70mm Throttle body and plenum and American Muscle CAI. Not very noticeable except that it gave me a hanging idle, awesome...

I made an IAC restrictor plate with a few different size holes and didn't love the results. I ended up cleaning the IAC with brake cleaner and it fixed the problem.

Right around then the NPI manifold started leaking coolant from the right rear side. I had bought a PI manifold and cams a few years back and so I installed the manifold. It runs pretty well now for a mostly stock motor.



I drive this car about 500 miles a week so it needs to get decent mileage and be reliable. I would love to mod the crap out of this motor but as long as I work so far away it's not an option.

With 2.73 gears this car gets 25-26 mpg at 80 plus. I25 between Albuquerque and Santa Fe is like the Indy 500. People are going 90 plus and it's pretty easy to get caught up in the chaos. I usually set the cruise at 81 and listen to Pandora. I am in no hurry to get to work...
 
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DKblue98GT

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After the last round of mods which was around the end of 2013 the car did not get much love. I was doing a lot of work on my 88 Toyota extra cab and also bought a dirt bike not to mention still riding my bicycle a lot.



Plated 2003 Yamaha WR 250
 
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DKblue98GT

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I keep remembering more thing that have been done to the car...

A few years ago I was driving home from work and about 20 miles from home the car died. I was able to pull over, it started right up and I drove home. The next day I drove to a store an it started getting hot. I popped the hood and coolant was pouring out of the side of the radiator.

I almost bought a Mishmoto radiator, I like to upgrade when I replace something. I just read too many bad things about Mishmoto so I bought a stock radiator an new hosed from LRS.
 

mcglsr2

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Nice work so far :) And love that Toyota truck!
 
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DKblue98GT

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Nice work so far :) And love that Toyota truck!

Thanks, I have had Toyota trucks for the last 20 years. This one has a short throw shifter, 1 inch body lift, 2 inch suspension with Bilstien shocks, poly body mount bushings, 33 x 10.5 BFG's.

I just got poly control arm bushings that I need to install. It has the 3.0 V6 which will eventually be replaced by a 3.4 from a newer Tacoma.

Blah, blah, blah. It never ends. ..
 

mcglsr2

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Thanks, I have had Toyota trucks for the last 20 years. This one has a short throw shifter, 1 inch body lift, 2 inch suspension with Bilstien shocks, poly body mount bushings, 33 x 10.5 BFG's.

I just got poly control arm bushings that I need to install. It has the 3.0 V6 which will eventually be replaced by a 3.4 from a newer Tacoma.

Blah, blah, blah. It never ends. ..

I want to get an older one like yours, lift it just a tad, and then just beat on it. Not sure what it is about them, but they look....purposeful. And I feel like I could beat it to within an inch of it's life and it will love every minute of it. I don't really have much need right now for a truck but I keep thinking I'd find an excuse if I started to get a little serious about buying one :)
 
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DKblue98GT

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I want to get an older one like yours, lift it just a tad, and then just beat on it. Not sure what it is about them, but they look....purposeful. And I feel like I could beat it to within an inch of it's life and it will love every minute of it. I don't really have much need right now for a truck but I keep thinking I'd find an excuse if I started to get a little serious about buying one :)

I think everyone needs a truck, I drive the crap out of this one. I found it on Craigslist in Phoenix it had 197,000 miles on it. I flew in and drove 8 hours home the next day. It has been super reliable. I drive it back and forth to Santa Fe all the time. Rust is a big killer on these trucks, it's worth it to pay a little more for a rust free one.
 

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