Reelax's Ride - the 10 year build

[Reelax]

*WARNING* - this is gonna be long so don't hold ur potty (it took me a few nights to write this so i don't expect u to read it all at once)! - *WARNING*

well i thought i would put an article together on what a 10 year USDM 8G build looks like and to commemorate my car's 10th anniversary! i bought this car in JULY 1999, brand spanking new. at first it was supposed to just b a temporary car until i bought the car i really wanted (in fact this was my second choice as i was gonna buy another SUV instead), but i fell in love w/ it and just had to make things to my liking. i will now never ever sell it, not only because i could never make my money back (the total still depresses me a little), but also because it is and will always b my toy. i can't promise that my next car will b a daily like this one was supposed to be (i'll probably mod the crap out of whatever i buy), but it's safe to say, if i had to do it all over again, i probably would have done it just about the same. although this time i would not have to try so many diferent parts and directions to get to the goal.

i actually got off to a fast start on this car (started modding it on the dealership lot, haha!) since i allready had plenty of experience tuning Honda's, my cousin's Mazda as well as my first car (SUV), i was not intimidated at the thought of being a little modified right away... but i didn't know at the time i was going to lose my mind and do this much to it. i did mods in bunches since i would get bored, then do a lot, then get bored again, then do alot, then get bored again, then do alot more, well u get the picture. throughout this build, i had to prototype lots of parts, improvise/invent alot, import parts myself or pay premiums since they were either not made or not available here; all of us in the early days had to do all kinds of stuff to get parts made, u guys have it so easy now. over the years, i've also worn out or broken hundreds of parts so don't get discouraged if the same thing is happenning in your build... nothing ever lasts forever, but it always gives you an opportunity to upgrade.

i'd like to thank all the members who helped me, give a shout out to those i've had the pleasure to meet in person, and i'd like to pass on what i've learned in the proccess. for the OG's this will be like a walk down memory lane (try not to get too misty eyed w/ the nostalgia guys), for others it will be kinda like a history of this platform that u might not have been aware of... of course others have done more, but not many. anyways, enjoy!

here's my most recent MOD LIST:

1999 USDM ESV6 EA8A 3.0L SOHC 6G72

OUTSIDE

'98+ JDM 1 piece headlights w/ custom clear corners
MCCULLOCH H7 6000K HID low beam
MCCULLOCH H1 6000K HID high beam
MCCULLOCH H3 6000K HID fog beam
custom wiring and relay network converted to H7/H1 from H4 dual filament harness w/ diode bridge
AUTOLUMINATION switchback 1157 white/amber dual colored LEDs
PIAA 998 projector fog lights
'96-'98 JDM gunmetal grill w/ black mesh custom mounted.
JDM ROUTE SERVICE NIFTY-R front bumper w/ black mesh
JDM SUPER VR4 side skirts custom molded
JDM SUPER VR4 rear lips custom molded
SLP SS rear valence custom molded
EGR colormatched rear window visor
MERCEDES BENZ diamond silver full car paint
REDLINE TUNING elite hood struts
35% blue marine application tint
VALEO frameless wiper blades
RACTIVE power folding mirrors w/ custom amber LED turn signals
dealer installed one-touch moonroof w/ illuminated switch relocated to center bezel
'96-'98 JDM tail lights custom wired all LED
custom V6 3.0 LITRE side badges
debadged rear (all removed except the red triple diamond)

INSIDE

ACAUTOTECHNIC buttonless shift knob atop stock cut shift knob
ACAUTOTECHNIC brake handle over trimmed stock handle
NOKYA blue anodized pedals and dead pedal
'02 GTZ OE carbon fiber twist trim
ACAUTOTECHNIC S7 reverse EL gauges (customized w/ initials on speedo) w/ SPEEDHUT inverter
DEFI VSD CONCEPT heads up display
BROADWAY convex rearview mirror
custom LED dome light boards
COVERLAY black dash overlay
SEM satin black vinyl dyed passenger airbag cover and forward dash vents
Carbon Fiber gauge cluster bezel
CLASSIC SOFT TRIM installed one-touch moon roof
relocated custom sunroof switch
'96+ JDM door sills
silver airplane air freshener
dealer installed leather

AUDIO and SECURITY

BOSTON AUDIO pro 6.5" and tweeter separates w/ crossovers
MTX 10" 8500 1000 watt RMS subs x2 in a slot ported box
MTX 1501D 1000 watt RMS (2 ohm) digital monoblock amp
MTX 1004 360 watt RMS 4 channel amp
OPTIMA blue top deep cycle marine battery
PHOENIX GOLD 4 gauge wiring and power distribution
MONSTER CABLE patch and speaker wire
VIPER w/ on-arm 4x auto window roll-up, auto moonroof close, 1 blue LED in each door window sill, trunk pop, dual stage shock sensor, dual microwave scan and other top secret stuff

PERFORMANCE

AEM CAS blue cold air intake w/ bypass valve
AEM 9" DRYFLOW air filter
MAGNECOR KV85 competition ignition wires
HOSE TECHNIQUES blue silicone hosing on all vacuum lines
AC AUTOTECHNIC blue anodized battery tie down
custom mandrel cat-back exhaust w/ 2.75" to 2x 2.5" piping
AERO TURBINE resonator
AERO TURBINE straight through mufflers x 2
SLP SS dual center mount wide oval exhaust tips

SUSPENSION

VOLK RACING SF-WINNING gun metal forged multi-piece 19"x8.5" +48mm
NITTO INVO 235/35zr19
POWERSLOT slotted rotors front and rear
G2 blue painted brake calipers front and rear
AKEBONO street compound brake pads
GOODRICH stainless steel braided brake lines
TEIN SS-P full matched adjustable dampening coilovers w/ pillow ball upper mounts and front camber plates
INGALLS camber kits front and rear
ROAD RACE ENGINEERING limited edition front upper strut tower brace
D3DESIGN Full Chasis Stiffening Kit (prototype)

OLD PARTS (i know i'm forgetting alot but here is what i can remember)

THERMAL R&D straight through race muffler
THERMAL R&D 5" exhaust tip
MPHUNLIMITED downpipe w/ straight pipe (cats eliminated, prototype)
INJEN 1-piece cold air intake (1st generation for 3G eclipse)
'99-'01 OE front bumper custom cut, flushed and meshed removing lower bars
'99-'01 headlights w/ clear corners bright rewired w/ custom relay network
'99-'01 OE mudflaps colormatched x4
'99-'01 OE mudflaps x8
H&R springs (prototype) cut 1 coil per corner
KONIG MONSOON 18"x7.5" +45mm x6
YOKOHAMA PARADA SPEC-2 225/40zr18 x10
PIRELLI 7000SS 225/40zr18 x8
DUNLOP W-10 225/40zr18 x6
FALKEN GR-B 225/40zr18 x4
TOYO proxes FZ4 225/35zr19 x4
CRUNCH 500Wx2 amps (2)
MTX THUNDER 10" x2 in a badpass box
SPEEDHUT CUSTOM EL gauges (prototype)
AC/GDI reverse EL guages
HIDKITS H7 4250K-10000K adjustable frequency HID
METAL POWER H1 6000K HID
RAYBRIG chrome amber 1157
NOKYA 893 hyper white fog bulbs

there were three major stages to get to where it is now, each stage was about 3 years long. here we go:

STAGE 1: 1999-2002

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/EX000042.jpg
H&R prototype 8G V6 springs making this among the first few, if not the very first, USDM 8G lowered on aftermarket springs (no other aftermarket springs were available and the 3G eclipse had not even been released yet). 18x7.5 KONIG MONSOONS (softest wheels in history) w/ 225/40r18 FALKEN GRB's
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/P0001371-2.jpg
most likely the first JDM tailights on a USDM... brought them home w/ me in my luggage from a business trip to asia, having no idea if they would fit or not, or even what bulbs they used, ended up adapting and adding bulbs/sockets to the stock harness and boring out the JDM holes to fit USDM. no plates yet... the car is less than 4 weeks old at this point.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/tails.jpg
THERMAL R&D racing muffler w/ THERMAL R&D 5" tip, full cat back piping. i also debadged the car on the dealer's lot as i was taking delivery... thought the trunk badges looked ugly when i first saw them (but i liked the red diamond) so i peeled the model off after i checked if there were pins going through the trunk lid, then i peeled off the brand name... the salespeople thought i was crazy!
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/lowergrill.jpg
cut/flushed lower front grill w/ expanded steel mesh riveted in then molded (the whole bumper was repainted)... i thought the stock lower grill looked too cluttered so i got this idea and brought it to a body shop. i cleared the corners w/ a screwdriver and may have been the first to do this as well; this was all before i joined BGR's yahoo group (the predecessor to TGC), so we don't really know for sure.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/thenandnow.jpg
tinted the windows blue 35% and cut the H&R's 1 coil at each corner (i hate wheel gap!), added and colormatched the mud flaps (and kept cracking them on driveways because they were too low).
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/108-0889_IMG.jpg
INJEN 1st generation CAI (3G eclipse V6)... first cold air intake on a USDM 8G, my service advisor at mitsubishi told me he would try fitting it since the engines were the same... he even kept it on my service record as a mitsubishi installed item, saving my warranty! my first ever post on the yahoo group was about this fitting our platform. also in the pic, limited edition ROAD RACE ENGINEERING strut brace i bought and installed at TGC's first ever meet... august 2001.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/109-0962_IMG.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/109-0963_IMG.jpg
first ever EL guages made for the USDM 8G (SPEEDHUT prototype); after lengthy email and phone conversations (of me pleading with them to make these), i had to send my entire gauge cluster to SPEEDHUT for them to do their r&d to measure and fit these... so i was driving around not knowing how much gas i had, or how fast i was going, for about a month while they had my cluster! i was glad to do it though: all SPEEDHUT 8G gauges were/are made off the original measurements from my cluster, and none may have been made if i didn't beg them and promise we would buy a bunch.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/JDMday.jpg
the first JDM 1-piece heads and JDM grill conversion on the USDM 8g. i just decided to get my ROTOZIP and start cutting (shooting sparks all over the place)! took me 9 hours to install (just to fit, not including wiring). i had no idea what, how much, or where to cut so i ground off a little at a time (from the car and the headlights) and test fit over and over... time consuming as hell but i was determined (but cautious at the same time). being first involves alot of risk, but being unique carries alot of reward. i also cleared these before i installed them by splitting them w/ a hair dryer and removing the screw that holds in the amber reflector lenses then resealing w/ silicone... way more trouble than stock heads.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/jdmcluster.jpg
my first set of HID's... HIDKITS H7 low beam 4250K-10000K adjustable (these could actually change color and were controlled w/ a dash mounted dial/mode switch!). HID was SO expensive back then... about 10x more expensive than now. notice the high beam, fog and corner (bright re-wire) are all hyper-white halogens which are blue coated (ewww).
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/120-2003_IMG.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/119-2000_IMG.jpg
well soon my infatuation w/ HID led me to replace the high beam H1 halogens w/ METAL POWER HID H1 5000K... these were totally ridiculously bright, and completely unnecessary (notice how bright the unshielded high beam HID closest to the grill is compared to the shielded HID of the low beam next to the corner). i loved it.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/115-1513_IMG.jpg
MPHUnlimited down pipe with high flow cat (prototype). which one do you think flows better? again, the first USDM 8G to test this part. increased high-end horsepower but moved the power curve up in the RPM range as well. plus it made my car sound like a ski boat! i went this route because headers were not made by anyone yet. btw, totally illegal, but hey i didn't have to smog until 2004 so what the heck.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/reelax036.jpg
early renderings of what i wanted to do to my car... very optimistic (naive) timeline of summer 2001 (who knew it would take years to actually get there)! i started doing lots of research around this time into acquring these elusive parts... but i formulated a blueprint in my head and this shows that i allready had the overall "look" in mind way back then.

STAGE 2: 2003-2006

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/119-1970_IMG.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/119-1968_IMG.jpg
so more prototyping... D3DESIGN CHASIS STIFFENNING KIT. went down to get this 5 piece chasis stiffening kit installed (one of the first sets fittd to the galant). went to check compatibility and have the car measured by D3DESIGN for differences... good news, there wasn't any! changed the car's characteristics and eliminated alot of flex! the fabricator took my for a crazy ride to show me what differences it made to the car's handling... he actually scared me a little w/ how he was flinging the car around hairpin turns in this windy road near the shop... but the car held firm and felt much more planted.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/119-1972_IMG.jpg
well nothing is ever perfect. one of the braces under the car was banging/rubbing the CATCO hi flow cat that was installed on my downpipe... these braces were designed to fit w/ stock size piping and my larger piping and larger cat did not completely clear this brace and ultimately it broke the cat's internal packing and the car started rattling inside (sounded like sand and change inside). the solution: i removed the cat and went test pipe (i still didn't have to smog untill 2004 right?). with test pipe, my car was pretty much straight piping from collectors to the muffler... it sounded stupid loud and actually spit fuel out the tailpipe (u could always smell the fuel that the cat was supposed to burn up). i seriously contemplated the AUTOLOC flamethrower mod (tailpipe spark plug and cabin switch) but decided against it as i didn't need any more reason for the law to impound my ride.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/120-2011_IMG.jpg
on a trip to the dealership for some other parts i saw the "new" 2002 GTZ and really like the "carbon fiber twist" trim pieces as opposed to the cheezy woodgrain stuff that came with my car. i didn't want to do the overlay stickers as i thought they looked like, well, stickers, so i bought the entire set from a dealership online (4x door switch covers, shift surround, radio/HVAC bezel). also pictured are a buttonless shift knob (the whole top half of the shifter moves down to depress the shift release button) and a E-brake handle (required cutting and stripping the vinyl material that sits underneath it for it to fit) from AC AUTOTECHNICS. also you can see the blue NOKYA pedal/dead pedal set i installed; they are not clamped on but are actually drilled into stock pedal arms.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/115-1579_IMG.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/115-1579a_IMG.jpg
around this time, GDImports (GALANTESP) and AC AUTOTECHNICS got together to prototype and release the first set of "reverse EL" gauges for the 8G... i like them better than my SPEEDHUT set so i scooped up a set and swapped them (of course i had to modify them to keep my initials on the speedo).
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/119-1958_IMG.jpg
so for years we had been trying to track down this rear window visor we had seen on pics of JDM/world spec 8Gs and after years of our inquiries DANGERDANJ found them in hong kong! he set up a group buy w/ ECARBOY and we snatched up 5 of them from him (we paid around $170 each!). this is one of the first 5 of these in the US... i had mine colormatched and clear coated. i also got my JDM door sills in this GB.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/109-0902_IMG.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/108-0899_IMG.jpg
well the INJEN 1st generation CAI had a design flaw... the elbow that comes out of the throttle body puts the piping too far outboard and makes the piping come in contact w/ the battery tie down which eventually rubs through the piping since the engine and pipe move, but the battery and tie down don't (this is why this version is no longer made). all the new versions use a rubber/silicone elbow at the throttle body allowing more clearance to the battery tie down. so i switched to an AEM CAS w/ bypass... it fit much better and the added bypass protects agains hydro lock in wet conditions. also the new AEM and INJEN designs keep the MAF in the engine bay, my old INJEN put the MAF at risk right next to the filter behind the driver's fog light.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/15234294149.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/15234363525.jpg
so i'm a dumbass, seriously. i'm driving home from OC in the middle of one of the worst rainstorms in years... the freeway is flooded a few inches deep and i have bald tires (i never bothered to fix my rear camber since i dropped the car). i lose it and end up doing a 540 into the center divider at around 50mph. KONIGS suck (this is not the first time i've had trouble w/ these wheels, i had to buy six of them as they kept bending and i had to kleep replacing/fixing them). i guess it's a perfect time to upgrade!
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/52705943045.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/canons110017.jpg
wells since my rear suspension was damaged in the accident, i replaced major parts of it. it was a no brainer to step up to coilovers and i promised myself at this point that i only get "top shelf" parts, no more budget concerns... enter TEIN SS-P fully matched coilovers w/ upper pillowball mounts and front camber plates (one of 1st 3 sets installed on the USDM 8G - TEIN was even suprised when i told them they were on my car). things start to get expensive from here forward. i also had the shop install INGALLS camber kits and correct my camber (front and rear) so that i wouldn't eat through tires every few months (had allready been through 8 full sets of 18" tires by this point) as the wheels i had in mind were 19's and 19" tires cost significantly more than 18's. also put in a OPTIMA BLUE TOP deep cycle marine battery (D34M) to match my intake and HOSE TECHNIQUES blue hose kit.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/58084719365.jpg
POWERSLOT slotted rotors, AKEBONO ceramic pads, GOODRIDGE stainless brake lines, G2 painted calipers (twin piston fronts). didn't want to have boring brakes behind my new wheels that were on the way from japan.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/canons110029.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/canons110076.jpg
after a few weeks of wait they arrived! special order color gunmetal VOLK RACING SF-WINNING multi piece forged wheels, 19x8.5 +48 w/ 225/35zr19 TOYO PROXES FZ4. had to get the rear fenders cut to keep these from scraping at the ride height the TEINS were set at. also notice the notch ground out of my tailpipe since the car was so low, it would make contact w/ every driveway i used...
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/66197992837.jpg
so i wanted folding mirrors but i also wanted mirror mounted turn signals that could be seen from the front AND the rear. what else to do but improvise. modified some mirrors made for a HONDA ACCORD. ground down the metal mounting bases w/ the ROTOZIP to sit flush, modified the blinker section (they came w/ an LED board w/ bue LED's, gross!) using new 194 sockets and amber LED 194's (the pic above was a test w/ a regular amber 194), drilled new holes in the door and used new screws and washers to mount. i also modified the passenger side mirror's tilt motor mount to angle the mirror down further.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/IMG0761.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/IMG0760.jpg
new gauges again... PROPHET (DNARACING) and MESSIAH persuaded AC AUTOTECHNIC to produce S7 gauges for the 8G by placing an order for a few hundred sets. i had to show support (and they looked pretty sweet too!). i added a real CF guage bezel and customized the guages w/ my intials on the speedo.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/canons110296.jpg
here's how the car looked in 2004-2005. i was happy. i left it alone. i was gonna focus on other stuff, then i got the itch again...

STAGE 3: 2006-2009

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/64659006853.jpg
i had this plan way back in 2000 when i first saw it on a pic of a white VR4 in japan. i researched it, located an importer in japan but then never pulled the trigger... fast forward to the end of 2004,i finally decided i would do it so i made the calls, paid for it and then just waited. ROUTE SERVICE NIFTY-R bumper for the LEGNUM VR-4. this bumper is hand made and never kept in stock... it is only made after the order is paid in full. 1 month and about $1500 later i picked it up at US customs near LAX. look at the size of the box! this is the second one in the US (i helped another member acquire it and he brought it home w/ him after his service tour in asia); there are only about 10 of these in the world, and i've only ever seen pics of 5 cars w/ it.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/64126259717.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/64126267269.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/64126273797.jpg
i also had one of the first 5 SUPER VR-4 kits imported into the US (GDImports) just sitting around collecting dust since 2001. i never sold this kit because i knew one day i would use the parts (only ended up using the sideskirts and the rear lips). SILLYASIANZ once yelled at me when he came over to my house and saw it laying on the floor in a spare room back in 2002... he couldn't believe i had it and had no intention of selling it, copying it, or installing it in the near future.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/64694963717.jpg
this is how i got the front bumper home... the box would not fit in my car! for the next few months my newly acquired bumper would join my SUPER VR-4 kit, sitting and collect more dust until i located the exhaust and rear valence that i wanted.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/10758k-10761.jpg
here are the parts to complete my vision. i always wanted a dual center exhaust. found exactly what i wanted... on a 35th anniversary SLP CAMARO SS! did more research and joined muscle car, LS1 and F-body boards to locate and reserach these parts and finally ordered them from SLP. they are now out of production and extremely rare... they might pop up on ebay once in a while but the combo will still grab a premium and chevy guys covet this setup (so i know when they ever see it on my car they will hate me that much more)!
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/96924758533.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/96924781573.jpg
ready, set, prep!
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/96924812037.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/96924704645.jpg
test fitting and more prep
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/canons110808.jpg
rear bumper molding
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/canons110807.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/canons110806.jpg
rear bumper fabrication... 4 pieces, 3 materials: urethane OEM '02 bumper + fiber glass SUPER VR-4 lips + ABS SLP CME valence. the screws were removed after the bonding material dried.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/98834689285.jpg
front bumper painted
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/9910_lg.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/109834886661.jpg
fogs mounted and aimed... PIAA 998 projector fogs converted to MCCULLOCH H3 6000K HID
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/canons110869.jpg
crash bar trimmed on the sides.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/131716726533_0_2.jpg
everything behind the grills blacked out in flat black
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/canons110816.jpg
holding up the tips where i want them. btw, the reason i had to keep the USDM bumper is that it is longer than the JDM versions. the way my exhaust is routed needs that length in order for the tips to sit flush... the JDM bumper sits much closer to the trunk and would make the tips stick out about 4" ruining the "clean" look i was going for. i wanted the tips to be hidden from the side of the car and from the top, but not sunken into the bumper. they are exactly flush as if it came off the assembly line that way.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/canons110838.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/canons110842.jpg
it's alive! first time the car has started in almost 3 months of surgery and paint! you can almost smell these pictures and the smoke coming out of the new exhaust.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/rear1.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/underback1.jpg
here's a better look at what went into the exhaust... AERO TURBINE resonator to 2.5" custom split before the rear axle, 2X AERO TURBINE stainless mufflers (airfoil design w/ no internal packing), SLP 35th aniversary CAMARO SS Center Mount Exhaust tips (rare and discontinued). the axle back piping ran about $300... and that was the cheap part.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/mirror.jpg
detail of the side mirror finally painted! looks like it came stock right? well almost... the accord window is almost the same shape and i did my best to make it look like it matches up, but there is a curve on the front edge of the galant window that doesn't exist on the accord... o well, u can only see it if you are really looking for it!
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/Picture047.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/IMG_0853.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/100_2718.jpg
well here is my car's first public appearance since the makeover... MOD'06 (Mitsubishi Owners Day 2006). it is an annual event thrown by MITSUBISHI for their tuners... over 1200 modified mitsubishi's of all types attended and they rolled out the CONCEPT X (EVO X concept) for it's west coast debut. my car took home "best execution" (best in show) honors as judged by the MITSUBISHI senior designers and executives.

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/reelax047.jpg
my vision turned into reality... i think i came pretty close to my rendering from 2001-2002!

well after that things slowed down alot on the tuning. i only did mild tweaks every once in a while (when i was bored). but stage 2 and 3 cost roughly $15,000 so u can see why i cooled down.

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/mod07jalopnik1.jpg
MOD'07... only new mods are REDLINE TUNING ELITE hood struts (finally got rid of that stupid hood prop!) also i dropped the front end another inch (we actually raised the front slightly when i first got the car back from the body shop, but i liked how it looked so much better at the lower stance before i had the kit put on, so back down it went).
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/mod07BCR1.jpg
2 of the other most infamous G's from the west coast parked next to me... BILLET and CALI! this is actually the first (and last) time these three cars have ever been in the same place together.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/IMG1523.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/IMG1526.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/invotread1.jpg
well 2 years was the longest i've ever had tires last on this car because i never bothered to correct the camber until i got the coilovers... correcting the camber was something i should have done a long time ago! new tires: NITTO INVO 235/35zr19
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/school1.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/schoolfront1.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/schoolrear1.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/vertwheel1.jpg
a 2007 impromptu euro meet... i wired quad fogs for my cousin's C230K, and other members of his club showed up, so we went to the school down the street and took some pictures.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/garagefixdiagonal1.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/garageprofile1a.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/garageend1.jpg
a 2007 MBWORLD.ORG photoshoot i crashed... they were shooting w/ tripods and expensive DSLR's. i was flattered they wanted to shoot my car, and the results were pretty cool!
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/MOD08a1.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/MOD08a2.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/lowcorner1.jpg
MOD'08 and the after party. i don't think i did a single mod to my car from MOD'08 to MOD'09... o wait, had to get a new battery, same model, just new (and it went dead the night before MOD'09 because i let it drain since i never drive the car).
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/DSCN1674.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/IMG0570.jpg
MOD'09: CALI, BILLET AND REELAX together again... my car hasn't changed but BILLET did it big w/ new wheels and new candy red CF, and CALI is in a whole 'nother G!

well thanks for looking! i'm going to bed!

UPDATE:
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/IMG0654a.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/IMG0666.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/IMG0769.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/th_IMG0669.jpg (http://s242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/?action=view&current=IMG0669.mp4)
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/th_IMG0674.jpg (http://s242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/?action=view&current=IMG0674.mp4)
i had a big crack and hole in my dash (well the car is 10 years old!). i painted the airbag cover and front airvents black then installed a black COVERLAY the night before MOD'09... last week i installed the VSD CONCEPT (heads up display) taken out of my cousin's old EVO VIII MR. the pic of the center console shows the relocated sunroof swtich next to the center pocket and the VSD control box on the side of the center console. the last 2 pics are videos so click on the pic to see the HUD start up, switch from MPH to RPM, then shut down. works perfect and has given me some more ideas, but i'm done modding for now...

[Galanttuner10]

nice write up and beautiful build and car. funny how these cars seem temporary then we cant seem to get rid of them and then we mod them haha

[pinoyesv6]

the memories. great build reelax.

[Jeffylou87]

Nice write up, 10 years is a long time.. I was late to work because I read the whole thing.. lol

[00galantguy]

awesome write up worth the read!

[polishmafia]

One of my favorite Gs on this site. Thanks for the writeup. Amazing!

[4-G-rim]

Its always cool to see a build with pics of the steps. Awsome build man...one of the cleanest 8g's for sure!

[littlerick]

amazing car, i hope one day my car will look half as good

[9G]

sweet.

[qnz]

wow. you were a ricer back in the days. cut springs. konig wheels. huge muffler. indiglo gauges. hehe

[QnzMostWanted]

wow! nice write up, great build, i remember the car when i first joined the Yahoo boards, *sniff* memories *sniff* lol

[Stewi]

nice write up

[evil-G-nius]

What a pile of crap
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I just took!

Oh the car is awesome. Back in the day with those open cats...the car sounded like a cesna! LOL. It used to spit gas out on the ground...it was the single reason the global warming temps have risen in the last few years! LOL...Still, Rani had a vision and executed beautifully

[greddy]

wow, nice write up, great to see the history of this car!

[stvn_mj]

It's cool reading the whole history of your car. Its an amazing looking Galant.

[ShiZnitH]

A lovely G that is :D
Congrats on a great build :)

[krow]

Thank you for paving the way for so many. The write up was a great read!

[blue8g]

dang that's a history!

[E_Emerson88]

palnning on doing anything else??

[Serstylz2]

question, temp controlled HIDs, still around?

[Reelax]

wow. you were a ricer back in the days. cut springs. konig wheels. huge muffler. indiglo gauges. hehe

i know huh. rice rice baby! but to my defense on the cut springs... there was no other option since there were no springs even made for the eclipse yet, let alone the galant. my H&R set was pre-production and the next set that was released was EIBACH which were less aggressive (less of a drop). when real coilovers became available i jumped on it.


...

Oh the car is awesome. Back in the day with those open cats...the car sounded like a cesna! LOL. It used to spit gas out on the ground...it was the single reason the global warming temps have risen in the last few years! LOL...Still, Rani had a vision and executed beautifully

yeah it was pretty dangerous back then. i don't miss the smell of gasonline all the time though, it used to give me a headache! it got so bad sometimes that people told me they could smell the fumes inside cars that were following me on the street!


palnning on doing anything else??

only thing i could do w/o spending stupid money is redo my ICE. anything else i would undertake at this point would involve ALOT. what else could i do beside major performance or major body mods and new wheels/brakes? every project i could start would affect other parts on the car making it spiral way out of control instantaneously. actually i'm kinda afraid to do anything else to it at this point... it would just involve so much more than any minor tweek! also, maintenance is allready getting expensive since this is a 10 year old car and things are starting to break in bunches.


question, temp controlled HIDs, still around?

last i checked the company stopped doing business years ago. their website is now a generic page and i haven't seen another company make them... plus they were around $650 when i got them in 2001-2002... nobody pays anywhere near that much for an HID conversion kit anymore.

[spardavr4]

Nice read Reelax. Very nice transition from stock to what you have now. It's amazing to see your car as it transformed over the years. I haven't really done much but it amazes me how mine has changed.

[mrjaydeeone]

what a great read and build

[boondocks95]

great write up , very inspirational and motavating

[RedGalant2k1]

Back in the day is what I'll say..., this has and always will be one of the nicest Galants, Mitsubishi's, or modified cars period.

[beam514]

Instead of getting ready for work, I read this hahahah. Nice write up though and interesting progression of the G

[4g63lover]

awesome write up man.

[peanotation]

truly an incredible journey; i have been honored to see this car in person many times and the pictures don't really do it justice... one of the best Galants ever built... much respect and congrats R

[Reelax]

thanks for the love guys!

[keta11]

Always a pleasure seeing your work bro!!

[Bring380GT]

Long time! man! I love the your G totally different! I also love the window displayed RPM/MPH gauge :)

[Galante]

nice history.. nice ride

[Reelax]

thanks again guys... i may be motivated to do a little more to the car soon. been planning out different projects to see what i would need and where i would source parts.

[minesbroken]

Dude...all that work...all that attention to detail and you have a factory tape deck with a crooked pocket in your dash? just sayin...

beautiful job on the car man...

[johnygezony]

Dude...all that work...all that attention to detail and you have a factory tape deck with a crooked pocket in your dash? just sayin...

beautiful job on the car man...

His car is going to to violate your car just for saying that

[polishmafia]

Dude...all that work...all that attention to detail and you have a factory tape deck with a crooked pocket in your dash? just sayin...

beautiful job on the car man...

Keep your comments to yourself. Reelax has done an incredible job in pioneering modding 8th gen USDM Galants. Negative rep given.

[03-Galant-ES]

Keep your comments to yourself. Reelax has done an incredible job in pioneering modding 8th gen USDM Galants. Negative rep given.

x2. I want to see him get out of that neg rep black hole.

Reelax this is my 3rd time reading this and still am amazed. Your car is extremely clean and I hope that once I start putting some money in mine it cleans up as well.

[Jeffylou87]

Why not consider a 5-speed swap?

[E_Emerson88]

^ i dont think he drives it enough to do it.

[Reelax]

Dude...all that work...all that attention to detail and you have a factory tape deck with a crooked pocket in your dash? just sayin...

beautiful job on the car man...

was making room for the double din DVD HU. notice the pocket and the HVAC controls are swapped and the sunroof switch is next to the deck, just never got around to putting in the DVD head since i was deciding on either that or a carputer. there's also about 1500W RMS supporting the stock head through a independent crossover and 2 amps, so the head unit is actually not that important and can be swapped at any time.

this car will never be finished, but again, any project i would do on it now would cost thousands... there are no "small" tweaks left to do on it right now.

[Reelax]

Why not consider a 5-speed swap?

not on this car. if it had more performance than yeah maybe, but this is a four door cruising/show car now... i never push it hard anymore so a 5 speed would b out of step w/ the intended usage.

[ricky_db]

every time i read this i find somthing new

[jonry]

the stuff of legends! in the galant world of course

[mtgraves2010]

Just finishing reading you thread. Ride is awesome and sick. Just looking at my starter G and seeing how great it can become after seeing the end-result of yours is something. Man, your ride is S-I-C-K. Awesome job. Me, if my ride was like that... I would be driving everywhere showing it off...

[evil-G-nius]

God I remember checking this thing out before the conversion was finished. While it was being pieced together and painted...memories! He really doesnt drive the car much but when he does it turns heads for sure...which is not easy to do in LA

[RedGalant2k1]

God I remember checking this thing out before the conversion was finished. While it was being pieced together and painted...memories! He really doesnt drive the car much but when he does it turns heads for sure...which is not easy to do in LA

Thankfully so even in LA. The body kit took long enough to piece together and import, roughly 5 years to find a complete kit. It took me roughly 3 years of waiting and shopping for a complete VRG kit. That car has more time, dedication, and care than cars triple its price and more.

[oakrdrs187]

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/rear1.jpg
I felt this needed to be quoted.
Dat Ass!!

[keith6110]

That exhaust setup is nuts. I like the fabricated rear bumper!

[Skyforger]

I like the mirrors, and more shots of the car head on with the mirrors not folded in?

[oakrdrs187]

:icon_wink:^ What he said.:icon_wink:

[Reelax]

here's the best one i have from head on unfolded:

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/MOD08a1.jpg

here's another:

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/IMG0570.jpg

[oakrdrs187]

So clean.....


F.U fucking front plate law!!:097:

[foxbrand]

wow, just read all of this thread, amazing work!

now if only I could track down one of those chassis brace kits

[RedGalant2k1]

wow, just read all of this thread, amazing work!

now if only I could track down one of those chassis brace kits

Those chassis brace kits only rarely come up for sale, mostly on C3G. But it would be nice to get one and remake it...cough Cali...cough....

[Exhaust power]

Didnt you recently get a new front bumper?

[Reelax]

Didnt you recently get a new front bumper?

who r u asking?

[Exhaust power]

who r u asking?
You lol i swear i remember seeing something a while back.

[Reelax]

You lol i swear i remember seeing something a while back.

u must b confusing my car w/ another member's. my car has not had any significant changes in 4+ years. it looks the same as it did in 2007.

[galant1983]

I love ur exhaust setup!!fuck it i love the whole car!!!! Great job

[Reelax]

thanks guys again for the love.

[8thLS6]

I love ur exhaust setup!!fuck it i love the whole car!!!! Great job

I 2nd that

[oakrdrs187]

Reelax is definitely top 10 TGC.

[Redhaze]

i have to say your car has the sexiest ass

[Reelax]

thank you guys!

[Reelax]

so like anything, stuff breaks. driving to my cousin's house the radiator starts shooting coolant through a toothpick size hole out the front of the core. i tried to plug the hole w/ bar leak but it was too big so i sourced a new radiator and swapped it in. took about 2 hours (would have been much faster but i also had to modify the radiator rails to fit my jdm headlights). did the whole thing w/o having to raise the car, just took off the bumper for access to the transmission lines and lower radiator hose. fun!

[wetamup2k3g]

Any reason you didn't want to raise it up to change the radiator?

[oakrdrs187]

I don't think I've raised my cars to change the radiator before either. I didn't feel I needed to. With the i4 everything is so accessible from the top IMO

[wetamup2k3g]

I'm fat, so my gut needs clearance and excess bending over doesn't go over well with me, so the easiest thing for me to do when I changed out my radiator was to raise the car up and do the bottom work laying down on my back. Just me though.

[Reelax]

my jack stands were at home but i was at my cousin's house. but i found that it really doesn't need to b raised because you can get to everything once you take off the bumper (i've gotten good at taking it off). the lower radiator hose is the only semi-tough reach but i did it by feel lying on my back... the trans cooler lines can easily be reached after you pull the radiator halfway out/up and the top radiator hose is right out in the open. all the bolts that secure the radiator to the car are on top (4 bolts holding 2 brackets) then the radiator and fan shrouds slide right up. actually, come to think of it, i only had to remove the bumper because of it's design and how low my car sits (it sticks out alot further and lower than stock); i might have been able to do it all w/ the bumper on if it was a stock bumper and my car was stock height.

it's actually lucky that the radiator failed at my cousin's house (the radiator was in really bad shape for probably a very long time but i could not see the damage while it was in the car because the air conditioner condenser core sits in front of the radiator blocking any view)... it would probably have been much worse if it happened at some random place because all the shops were about to close for the long weekend (thanksgiving).

[wetamup2k3g]

I see. Thought I'd ask because I figured removing the bumper was harder.

[Reelax]

yeah it probably would have been easier to raise it but i didn't have my jackstands and i allready took the bumper off to try to see how big and where the hole in the radiator was so i just went that route. i was actually surprised at how easy it was to do the replacement; the hardest parts were modifying the radiator rails (cut and folded for clearance where my jdm headlights sit) and disconnecting/connecting the bottom radiator hose w/ one hand while squeezing pliers on the hose clamp w/ the other hand (while lying on my back unable to see what i was actually doing).

[oakrdrs187]

I'm fat, so my gut needs clearance and excess bending over doesn't go over well with me, so the easiest thing for me to do when I changed out my radiator was to raise the car up and do the bottom work laying down on my back. Just me though.

I had a talk with my gut that day and promised some good eating if it got the hell out the way for that one job! LOL!



my jack stands were at home but i was at my cousin's house. but i found that it really doesn't need to b raised because you can get to everything once you take off the bumper (i've gotten good at taking it off). the lower radiator hose is the only semi-tough reach but i did it by feel lying on my back... the trans cooler lines can easily be reached after you pull the radiator halfway out/up and the top radiator hose is right out in the open. all the bolts that secure the radiator to the car are on top (4 bolts holding 2 brackets) then the radiator and fan shrouds slide right up. actually, come to think of it, i only had to remove the bumper because of it's design and how low my car sits (it sticks out alot further and lower than stock); i might have been able to do it all w/ the bumper on if it was a stock bumper and my car was stock height.

it's actually lucky that the radiator failed at my cousin's house (the radiator was in really bad shape for probably a very long time but i could not see the damage while it was in the car because the air conditioner condenser core sits in front of the radiator blocking any view)... it would probably have been much worse if it happened at some random place because all the shops were about to close for the long weekend (thanksgiving).


I bet you were the only person to be thankful your car broke down (at your cousins) before thanksgiving.

[Gshark]

Sir reelax one question,did you encounter any problem with your car when you cut your h&r springs before your coilover upgrade?tia sir
&

[Reelax]

Sir reelax one question,did you encounter any problem with your car when you cut your h&r springs before your coilover upgrade?tia sir
&
no problems, but i only cut them because there were no other lowering springs available yet. if there were shorter lowering springs available back then i would have just replaced w/ those instead of cutting. i would also never cut stock springs as that is unsafe due to them being low spring rate to begin with, and would be not have enough load bearing strength which could cause spring failure if too much spring was removed.

[greddy]

I'm curious reelax, how often do you drive your car and what kind of miles are on it? after all the work and everything in it, do you daily it or is it more of a weekend car now?

[Reelax]

I'm curious reelax, how often do you drive your car and what kind of miles are on it? after all the work and everything in it, do you daily it or is it more of a weekend car now?
i dailyed it until around 2008. after that i started driving it only about once every few weeks. this summer i started driving it more again maybe once a week. the car has 136K miles on the clock now.

the only mods i've done to it this year are:

PROCLIP mount base to MOTOROLA navigation dock for Motorola photon Q, custom integrated, USB audio out to 3.5 aux audio input to HU, USB charge, tucked wires.
KOOLERTRON OBDII bluetooth scanner running on TORQUE android app.

[keith6110]

KOOLERTRON OBDII bluetooth scanner running on TORQUE android app.

Nice! ^^^ Work good I assume?

[Gshark]

Thanks reelax.

[Reelax]

Nice! ^^^ Work good I assume?

it works surprisingly well actually. i initially bought it just to scan a code that popped up. it displays the codes, can look them up, and can email them to you as well. turned out the code was a simple fix and the condition went away (was a misfire code but i pushed in all the spark plug wire boots and the rough idle immediately went away upon restart). after confirming everything was good again, i cleared the code via my phone. then i started seeing what the OBDII interface and android app actually can do and i was amazed that it can read and display (dial, graph, digital) all available OBDII sensors at near real time (1/4 second delay probably due to speed of the phone itself but in the options there are ways to speed up the sync that i haven't played with yet). there are a bunch of sensors that report to the OBDII like throttle position, rpm, speed, coolant temp, MAF, fuel pressure... i'm not sure about all that are available since i haven't thouroughly tried them all yet, but there are a bunch. on top of the OBDII reporting the app can use the phone's gps and accelerometers to add in acceleration, altitude, speed (GPS) etc. on top of all that, it can log all those things together including actual global position... like a mini data logger or telemetrics w/ integrated actual location using google maps and can email all of it to you in a file. it will also give drive cycle data since DTC clear and current cycle status. pretty cool i think, but i've only used it a few times so i'm not sure about all that it can do yet.

[oakrdrs187]

it works surprisingly well actually. i initially bought it just to scan a code that popped up. it displays the codes, can look them up, and can email them to you as well. turned out the code was a simple fix and the condition went away (was a misfire code but i pushed in all the spark plug wire boots and the rough idle immediately went away upon restart). after confirming everything was good again, i cleared the code via my phone. then i started seeing what the OBDII interface and android app actually can do and i was amazed that it can read and display (dial, graph, digital) all available OBDII sensors at near real time (1/4 second delay probably due to speed of the phone itself but in the options there are ways to speed up the sync that i haven't played with yet). there are a bunch of sensors that report to the OBDII like throttle position, rpm, speed, coolant temp, MAF, fuel pressure... i'm not sure about all that are available since i haven't thouroughly tried them all yet, but there are a bunch. on top of the OBDII reporting the app can use the phone's gps and accelerometers to add in acceleration, altitude, speed (GPS) etc. on top of all that, it can log all those things together including actual global position... like a mini data logger or telemetrics w/ integrated actual location using google maps and can email all of it to you in a file. it will also give drive cycle data since DTC clear and current cycle status. pretty cool i think, but i've only used it a few times so i'm not sure about all that it can do yet.

Ok i'm sold!

Where can we get?

[Reelax]

Ok i'm sold!

Where can we get?

i got it from amazon. i think i searched "elm 327 bluetooth" and paid like $20. well worth it!

[keith6110]

i got it from amazon. i think i searched "elm 327 bluetooth" and paid like $20. well worth it!

Only a month behind lol. Thanks man!

[Reelax]

14 Years old now... Had to replace the starter and passenger side axle assembly (cv joint exploded). Both were surprisingly easy to jobs. Replaced the optima blue top under warranty as well and cleaned the throttle body (car was not idling after coming to stops). Other than that the car is still running smoothly and now has about 140k miles on the clock.

washed and waxed last week:

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/ooreelaxoo/IMG_20130812_182243_069.jpg

[M-Rod]

Any new plans in the works?