1987 Shelby CSX #115 Restoration and Build Thread

[SilverFleet]

Hey everyone,

I figured it was about time to start a build thread to chronicle the work I'm doing to my 1987 Shelby CSX. :eyebrows:

The car is CSX #115, sold at Norwood Dodge (now Central Dodge) in Norwood, MA. It made its rounds around New England, and eventually I ended up buying it as a rusty, abandoned project car with lots of extra parts for $100. Along the way, it received a host of speed parts, including some sort of upgraded turbo, a CSX/Lancer Mopar Stage II ECU, 42lb/hr injectors, and some other odds and ends like intake and throttle body port work. It also had a paint job at some point, making it all black and adding some cheesy lettering instead of the cool stock graphics. :rolleyes:

Also, along the way, it received some other "mods" that were not so great, like the 25 pounds of redundant stereo wiring I pulled out of the car, the cold air intake made of dryer ducting that went right behind the lower front bumper hole that probably just sucked up water, and (my personal favorite) replacing the stock radiator with one that was too wide, and bolting the intercooler directly to the inside of the radiator. You guys know how turbos LOVE hot air, right? :lol:

Here are a few pics from right after I picked it up. Yes, I have the 4th wheel, it was in the trunk.:thumb:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/1987%20Shelby%20CSX/DSCF7526.jpg

Arrrgh... hate those graphics! They are clear coated on too, so I can't peel them off. :mad:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/1987%20Shelby%20CSX/DSCF7528.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/1987%20Shelby%20CSX/DSCF7531-2.jpg

See the passenger's seat and how it's not bolted on? I'll show you guys why in a little while...
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/1987%20Shelby%20CSX/DSCF7533.jpg

This is an engine bay shot from the former owner. He kept the blow off valve, but I have another cheapo one from another project that will work. Check out that intercooler and where its bolted!
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_2xR6gnHU2Gk/SrZyWTaDspI/AAAAAAAAGCA/pVwA4snjIgw/s640/P1000484.JPG

---------- Post added at 09:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:03 PM ----------

Part 2:

Those pics above were mostly taken at my buddy's house last July. I had to store it there because I was in the process of buying a house, and I had nowhere to put it. :p After finally closing on my place after a 6-month short sale process...

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/1987%20Shelby%20CSX/DSCF9253.jpg

:thumb: There it sits in my garage.

Oh, and anyone still ogling over how the hell I got this thing for $100... one word: RUST. There's definitely a good amount of rust on this thing.

[cordes]

Really glad to see you starting a log on this one. First in.

[SilverFleet]

The rust on this car is located in a few spots. Most of it is in the front floors. The passenger side outer rocker is gone, and the spare tire well has a nice chunk missing. Let's start with those floors:

Here's the passenger side.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/1987%20Shelby%20CSX/DSCF9256.jpg

You think that's bad? Look at the driver's side floor!!!:yuck:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/1987%20Shelby%20CSX/20110410205932.jpg

Luckily, the frame rails are still somehow solid. I started cutting that rust out a few days ago. It was my first time ever doing any sort of rust repair on my own. I usually have a friend do it, but I figured that this car would be good to learn on. I had a friend come over and guide me through using an angle grinder, and it's now my favorite tool ever. :lol:

Here's a pic of the driver's side after poking it with a screw driver for a while. Is that panel to the left of the frame rail original? It looks like a botched patch to me.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/1987%20Shelby%20CSX/DSCF9284.jpg

Here's how high up it goes. Scary.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/1987%20Shelby%20CSX/DSCF9285.jpg

After cutting:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/1987%20Shelby%20CSX/DSCF9289.jpg

I didn't mess with the section by the toeboards because it looks like a tough spot to fabricate. I'm going to grind that area down a bit to bare metal instead of cutting it.

Here's a nice spot behind the middle crossmember on the driver's side:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/1987%20Shelby%20CSX/DSCF9299.jpg

Love that it's a new access point to that compression fitting there. :lol:

Here's the passenger side after some cutting:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/1987%20Shelby%20CSX/DSCF9298.jpg

...and the whole floor overall:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/1987%20Shelby%20CSX/DSCF9301.jpg

Here's the spare tire well..
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/DSCF9326.jpg

I was thinking of actually cutting the whole spare tire well out and making an aluminum plate to go over the hole. It would save weight, but is that a bad idea?

[cordes]

I've heard some guys say that the spare tire well helps to keep air out from underneath that part of the car and that removing it without some sort of a ramp if you will, can hinder you.

I don't know how true that is though. In all honesty, I would keep it in there just because the P body tire wells usually rot out all the way. I don't know how my spare stays in there.

[SilverFleet]

I forgot to mention something earlier. I *might* be entering this car in a future Grassroots Motorsports $20xx Challenge. :eyebrows: My friends and I have been there the past few years under the name Team External Combustion. Some of you here (like Pat, Vigo, and a few others) should recognize my screen name from posting on the GRM boards. :thumb: In the past, we have been responsible for these:

1987 BMW 325is
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/GRM%202009%20Challenge/chartforproject085.jpg

1991 Turbo Miata running Megasquirt
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/Grassroots%20Motorsports%202010%20Challenge/DSCF9077.jpg

And the infamous Auto-X Cherokee that we turboed overnight in the hotel parking lot:nod:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/Grassroots%20Motorsports%202010%20Challenge/DSCF9098.jpg
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/Grassroots%20Motorsports%202010%20Challenge/63328_479238058139_66381183139_6808957_5270403_n.j pg
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/Grassroots%20Motorsports%202010%20Challenge/DSCF9150.jpg

If this car makes it, it's going to probably be in 2012. I'm getting married on the Challenge weekend this year, so most of the team will be at the wedding. If I bring it, I'm shooting for the "Under $1000" class win. :) Everything that gets done to the car will be done in compliance to be within that budget. It works out because I'm not made of money anyway. :lol:

[cordes]

I remember that Cherokee. Awesome work. I really hope to hear reports of another TM at the event.

[SilverFleet]

Some more pics...

I tried to make some sense out of the engine bay over the weekend. I removed the crappy intake tube and most of the intercooler and turbo tubes to clean up the engine bay. It was filled with pine needles, leaves, and acorns. I also moved the coil back to where it's supposed to be. Looks a little better now. :D

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/1987%20Shelby%20CSX/DSCF9309.jpg

This isn't an original coolant overflow bottle, is it? Also, can I get a timing belt cover off of any 2.2-2.5L, even a non-turbo car?
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/1987%20Shelby%20CSX/DSCF9310.jpg

Another shot of that spare tire well and the hole.. the rest of it looks like it's about ready to go too:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/1987%20Shelby%20CSX/DSCF9323.jpg

[cordes]

The timing belt covers are all the same, but not too many folks put the top one back on.

That is not the original coolant overflow bottle.

[SilverFleet]

Thanks for the heads-up!

I've got some plans for it this weekend. I'm picking up some sheet metal to make patch panels, and if it's nice out, I may hit up the junkyards around here to look for some odds and ends.

[PunKid]

Looking good.

[SilverFleet]

So, when are you gonna post a thread on yours? :p

I'm going to need your help getting this car running when I get to that point. I just need to get those floors patched.

[PunKid]

I actually started typing up a log, but then I got distracted so maybe one of these days I will.

Getting it running wont be hard, I have learned a lot with the electronics and ins and outs of these cars from the omnis.

Did you ever yank the head?

[SilverFleet]

I haven't yanked the head yet. I've been trying to focus on the rust repair for now. I want to make sure I don't disassemble it so much that I forget how to put it all back together.

Also, the previous owner had the car running until the fuel rail started to leak. He replaced the rail, but never hooked it all back up because he said the clutch was gone. He said that it was at the point where the car wouldn't shift at all.:confused: I'm not sure if it would be a good idea at this point to pull the motor and tranny and just go nuts, or to pull the head and do the clutch after and try to do as little as possible to get it going.

It also needs a lot of work before I can drive it at all, which includes doing the brakes, replacing the E-brake lines, getting tires that aren't bald and/or flat, finding some new seats for it, etc.

[StraX22]

Glad to see another TD at the challenge, especially with the track record of your team!

Dropping the motor and transmission isn't that difficult on these cars, or at least it's not after the first time.

[SilverFleet]

Glad to see another TD at the challenge, especially with the track record of your team!

Dropping the motor and transmission isn't that difficult on these cars, or at least it's not after the first time.

Thanks! Hopefully, I can get it whipped into shape for the 2012 event. :thumb:

I'm jumping a little ahead, but I was thinking about the front seats situation. My stock seats are junk. Both sides look like Wolverine used them for a scratching post. What are some popular "junkyard budget" (i.e. cheap) swaps for these? I actually like the stock seats, but they are hard to find in the salvage yards around here. If anyone has some good pics of some different seats in a P-body (or other Mopar FWD product), post 'em up. :)

[Vigo]

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/Grassroots%20Motorsports%202010%20Challenge/DSCF9077.jpg
:love:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/Grassroots%20Motorsports%202010%20Challenge/DSCF9098.jpg
:love:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/1987%20Shelby%20CSX/DSCF9301.jpg
:yuck:

:p

Glad to see you posting!

[SilverFleet]

Vigo, nice to hear from you dude! ;)

I almost started parting the car out when I saw how bad the floors really were! :yuck: But then again, I paid a whopping $100 for the whole thing with a ton of parts, so I wasn't too upset.:thumb:

I more or less bought it to learn how to do body work, because my other car (1979 Trans Am) needs a lot of that, and I have no clue how to do that stuff yet. I've always liked turbo Dodges, Shelbys, and 80's awesomeness, but never thought I would end up with one myself. When this car came along, I jumped on it because of the price and my "Challenge" experience. In the process of working on this CSX, I've really taken a liking to it. Even if it doesn't end up as a Challenge car, I still want to see this car's restoration through to the end. :)

[StraX22]

If anyone has some good pics of some different seats in a P-body (or other Mopar FWD product), post 'em up. :)

The fabric on those seats does not wear well at all. The last time I checked the only remaining original fabric was bought quite some time ago, but then again that's rumor.
On my last van we installed stock seats out of a later year model shadow. They were quite comfy and even had a good bit of bolster. Here's a pic:
http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/pp167/StraX22/DSC01310Medium.jpg

If you need any detailed photos of a specific part of a CSX let me know.

[135sohc]

For a stock application those Shadow ES seats are hard to beat. I :love: mine!

[SilverFleet]

What about Dodge Neon seats? I'm sure there are lots of those still in the salvage yards around here.

[StraX22]

Those should be able to work with minimal work. Even better would be the SRT4/Viper seats but they would probably break the bank.

[SilverFleet]

I would imagine that the SRT4 seats are expensive. Also, I haven't seen a SRT4 around here in months, let alone seen parts from one for sale.

[vntned]

Ive got SRT4 seats as cheap as $200 for the pair but that was with some bolster wear.

Ill agree with what was said about the early Shadow ES buckets, well bolstered and still comfy, just keep your eyes open.

[SilverFleet]

I would imagine that the SRT4 seats are expensive. Also, I haven't seen a SRT4 around here in months, let alone seen parts from one for sale.

Not one hour after I said the above, I see an orange SRT4 on my lunch break.:lol:

[SilverFleet]

Small update: I went to a huge swap meet over the weekend, and to my surprise, I found something useful for the CSX. I picked this steering wheel up to replace my messed up stock wheel:

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/20110514153412.jpg

It's a Grant, and it came with some random adapter on the back, but I will make it work with what I have. It's the same overall diameter as the Shelby wheel, and kinda looks like the 88-89 wheel a bit. The horn button fits this wheel too! Best part: it only cost me $5. :eyebrows:

Now, I really have to get those floors repaired and start in on the mechanical stuff. :thumb:

[SilverFleet]

I picked up some sheet metal to fix the floors lat night. I still need to order the outer rocker panel for the passenger side, but I'm focused on getting the floors done for now. At least the ground effects cover up the rust on the outside!:p

[SilverFleet]

I worked on the floors a little more last night to square off the holes where the patches will go, and I decided to look under the car at the bottom of the floor so I didn't grind through a fuel line or something. I was in awe of how rusty the passenger side rocker was, so I decided to remove the ground effects to see how bad it really was. Check this out:

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/1987%20Shelby%20CSX/20110519193234.jpg

:yuck::confused:

Yeah, so does anyone sell rocker panels for this thing? :lol:

[Vigo]

pic no work.

[SilverFleet]

Try it now. I moved things around in my Photobucket and broke the link like an idiot.:p

[Vigo]

Oh yeah, i see it now.. eesh. Wow. 2dr shadow rockers shouldnt be too hard to find, though.

[SilverFleet]

The only place I saw that sells them is JC Whitney. They say they are slip-on rockers, whatever that means. Anyone else sell real ones?

[Vigo]

A million southern junkyards... :p Next time i go to one ill ask about price. Shipping wouldnt be great but then again new ones might not be cheap either.

[SilverFleet]

I just found this place:
http://www.topbananaparts.com/servlet/StoreFront

$75 shipped for both sides!

[SilverFleet]

Switching gears a little...

A friend has a set of tires that he can sell me cheap. The car needs tires bad. The issue is that they are a 205/60/15. I know the stockers are a 205/50/15. Will the taller ones fit on the stock wheels, or am I asking for trouble?

[Vigo]

They'll fit, but they'll look dumb. IMO.

[SilverFleet]

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking too. I might actually go with a 195 instead of the 205 anyway. It seems like the 205's balloon off the wheel and look ridiculous. And besides, they are cheaper.:thumb:

[vntned]

205/50/15s are often cheaper than 195/50/15s.

[supercrackerbox]

205/60/15 was factory size for all the '84-'86 Turbo Z Daytonas except for CS models, and they also had 6" wide wheels. They'll fit fine.

[SilverFleet]

They are probably going to throw off the speedometer too with the larger diameter, correct?

[86Shelby]

Slightly. 35 mph, may read 33-34 mph on the speedo assuming that it was that accurate to begin with. Only one of my TMs have been accruate, otherwise they have all been off 2-3 mph either way.

[Vigo]

205 fits a 6.0 fine in all aspect ratios you can actually get (50-65). Biggest ive put on a 6.0 k-car is 215/60r15 and i think it looks good and works well.

The problem here is that only certain things look 'good' on a CSX. Stock 205/50r15s is one of them. IMO if you want to run a larger diameter tire, you need larger wheels and lowering to make it look right, otherwise you are just raising the car and making the wheel/tire look less aggressive.

205/50r15 is one of the cheapest tires you can get, IF you are willing to settle for the lower-end ones. If you're determined to buy used, 205/50r15 are somewhat hard to find, but Id try asking on the local enthusiast boards/forums, like a local SCCA site, or of cars that typically use that size like small hondas. Unless these tires AND the mounting balancing are near free i dont think it's worth the money to end up with something thats a downgrade from stock. Again, just my .02.

[SilverFleet]

LOL

That reminds me, the previous owner said it needs a speedo cable. Is that a Shelby-specific part, or is it a standard 1987 Shadow piece?

[Vigo]

standard piece, should be pretty easy to find. It's probably close enough to be interchangeable with MOST cable-speedo k-cars. They all have the same ends.

[PseudoSport]

Hey, I’m helping SilverFleet with this project and was curious if anyone has bought and installed the replacement rockers that are available. I’ve found several different vendors and noticed there are 2 different kinds available (slip fit and standard) but I can’t see if either extends down to the lower seam where they are spot welded. If they do the replacement should be easy. So far the vendors can’t provide me with any better pictures or answer my questions.

[SilverFleet]

Update:

I've been side tracked lately with a bunch of stuff, but I worked on the car a bit yesterday. I cleaned up the passenger floor to get it ready for the patch panel, and I removed the ground effects off of the driver's side. It wasn't as bad a the passenger side, but it still needs to be replaced. Also, just like the passenger side, the fender got rusty and I'm now looking at both rockers AND fenders for panels I can go out and buy (hopefully). Next is removing the rear bumper. Every time I close the doors, rust falls out from back there, so I need to see what needs to be replaced.

Side note: I HATE spiders. This car is like a giant spider colony. A ton of them were on the offensive when I was working on it yesterday, and that's why I stopped working on it.:bolt:

[Vigo]

Yeh, sometimes insects are out of control! I remember a few months back i had to stop working in a carport because of bees, which led me to go on an hour long bee-killing rampage because i didnt want to stop working. I tried pressure washer, pool skimmer, and starting fluid (+propane torch=flamethrower). Turns out the flamethrower was most effective but when i ran out i had to resort to knocking them down with the pool skimmer and then finishing them off by boot. Took a while but it had to be done. :p I got a few more hours of work in after that genocidal rampage.

[cordes]

Yeh, sometimes insects are out of control! I remember a few months back i had to stop working in a carport because of bees, which led me to go on an hour long bee-killing rampage because i didnt want to stop working. I tried pressure washer, pool skimmer, and starting fluid (+propane torch=flamethrower). Turns out the flamethrower was most effective but when i ran out i had to resort to knocking them down with the pool skimmer and then finishing them off by boot. Took a while but it had to be done. :p I got a few more hours of work in after that genocidal rampage.

Put some gas in a spray bottle. It'll knock them out of the air like you've never seen.

[SilverFleet]

I was thinking of getting a bug bomb for the garage. I want them dead, all of them!!! The rear of the car looks like the infested part of the colony in the movie Aliens, except they are cocooning flies and ants instead of humans. I swear, spiders are not from this planet.

[Juggy]

Put some gas in a spray bottle. It'll knock them out of the air like you've never seen.

brake clean works wonders too!

[SilverFleet]

Yeah, brake clean MELTS bees and other bugs. It's pretty amazing. :nod:

[SilverFleet]

This is turning into a bug battle thread instead of a build thread!:lol:

I went out to the garage 2 days ago, and the spiders decided that they were going to start trapping men in their webs. They built a HUGE 6-7 foot tall web that went between the car and the walls of my garage.:confused: Since I already declared war on them, I went on the offensive. I busted out the brake clean and a shovel. I knocked down the web, and I sprayed the little bastards until they melted! I killed a ton of them, and I hope they learned their lesson. I'll be out there again tonight, and I'm hoping the little bastards won't be.

Back to the car...
One more area of extreme rust is the rear bumper support. How do you remove the rear bumper on these? It's so bad that every time I shut the door, more rust falls off. It's actually pretty funny.

[PunKid]

I bet its humid and cool in there and thats why you have so many spiders. If I remember the side door is pretty drafty, so I would also open up any windows to keep the air moving in there. If you fix that door then I would close up any opening and run a dehumidifier in there to keep the moisture levels down. I have been wanting to do this in my garage but I have that giant opening for the attic stair case.

[cordes]

The spiders are trying to eat the aforementioned bugs. You're chasing your tail.

[SilverFleet]

Bump from the dead...

I've been through a lot of life-changing events since I last updated this thread. I had to prepare for my wedding, then actually get married, and then I got sick and had to have surgery. The result: not touching the car since around July. I had the aforementioned surgery this past week, and after spending 2 weeks sitting in the house being bored, I went out to the garage to get something done on the CSX. :thumb:

First off, I bought rockers for the car. Yes, someone makes them! I bought them off of Ebay from this guy:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rocker-Panel-2dr-Dodge-Shadow-Plym-Sundance-1987-93-/120777726537?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item1c1ee9da49

They extend to both the seams in the door jamb as well as the one under the car pretty well and provide plenty of coverage. Best part: they were dirt cheap. I paid around $70-75 for both sides shipped. There's no reason now to have to find a rust free car and cut it up when they are this cheap to buy new pieces! I'll post some pics up of them later.

I also began to strip the car further to get ready to replace these panels. I pulled the hood, front bumper cover, fenders, and doors off to give me room to work. The fenders are rusty too. I haven't decided whether to patch them because I'm cheap or to just buy new ones.

My plan right now is to install the rockers first and then tackle the Swiss cheese floors. I have an old Subaru hood that I'm going to cut up and shape into floor pieces. It doesn't have to look pretty, but it does need to be functional. After that, I will either fix the fenders or replace them with new/used ones. I also want to pull the drivetrain while it's apart to be able to freshen it up on a stand rather than in the engine bay. While it's out, I need to clean up and wire-tuck the wiring harness. It's been spliced and hacked by a former owner to install stereo garbage and who knows what else. Then, I think I might try and paint the car.

The paint on the car looks good from 20 feet, but there are lots of dents/scratches, and I can't stand the cheesy 90's graphics that a former owner clear coated over the last time it was painted to make it look "sporty". I'm thinking the car will be all black instead of the two-tone, with a blue pinstripe like they usually have where it bisects where the black and gray were. I want to make some 80's-style custom strobe-style Shelby CSX graphics for the car, also in blue. It will look awesome, I promise. :nod:

[SilverFleet]

I've started to finalize my cutting and get ready for the actual patching process on my floors. I had a friend over a few weeks back to help me mock up some patch panels and we cut and shaped one out already. I will have to make 4-5 separate pieces to do the floor completely. Before I can weld them in, I picked up some POR15 paint and slathered it on some of the spots that will be covered up by the new floor panels:

Inner frame rails:

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG0206.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG0210.jpg

The part of the inner rocker where the fender mounts on the passenger side (right under where the ECU goes):
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG0208.jpg
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG0207.jpg

And another spot behind the driver's seat:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG0211.jpg

Once this is all painted up, I can start welding up the patches. After that, it's time to weld in the replacement rockers. :eyebrows:

[PunKid]

Looking good!

[1BADVAN]

Wow! Props to you for all that work, out in the west we hardly see rust on these cars, and if we do we usually don't even try messing with it. I would like to see pics with the new floor welded in.

[SilverFleet]

Yeah, up here in New England, a "project car" usually means a "full blown restoration".;)

It's funny when I show people this project or pics of it, and they don't understand why I'm restoring a Dodge Shadow. Either that, or I tell them I have a Shelby, and they get all disappointed when I show them the CSX and not a GT350 or a Cobra. I still don't understand how this thing is so much rustier than my 1979 Trans Am. That car also needs floors, but not like this!!!

I'm hoping to start welding in the floors this weekend, maybe even tonight. I cannot wait to get the rust repair phase over with and start playing with the go-fast stuff this car came with. :eyebrows:

[Pat]

Yeah, up here in New England, a "project car" usually means a "full blown restoration".;)

It's funny when I show people this project or pics of it, and they don't understand why I'm restoring a Dodge Shadow. Either that, or I tell them I have a Shelby, and they get all disappointed when I show them the CSX and not a GT350 or a Cobra. I still don't understand how this thing is so much rustier than my 1979 Trans Am. That car also needs floors, but not like this!!!

I'm hoping to start welding in the floors this weekend, maybe even tonight. I cannot wait to get the rust repair phase over with and start playing with the go-fast stuff this car came with. :eyebrows:


Looking good!

Make sure that it's not leaking from under the dash onto the floors. The seam sealer in the cowl dries up and cracks and water seeps inside the car, which usually means .the sound deadening under the carpet remains wet. This wrecks floors fast.

[30 PSI SHADOW]

ha ha WTF is the prblem with these cars? ITs a fricken shelby for gods sake! is there anybody that thinks these are real cars? anyway im proud for you to save it! Hopefully you can bring it by a local meeting this year.

SDACNE.com

[SilverFleet]

Urgh... I'm starting to lose my motivation with this car again. :(

Since my last update, I had a friend help me with showing me the basics of welding, and he helped weld in most of the passenger side floor (no pics yet). There is still one small patch to go on that side. I also bought another cheap distraction: a 1997 Dakota. I've been trying to fix all the little things on that to make it a functioning truck with the little spare time that I have.

Someone motivate me before I give up on this project! :)

[SilverFleet]

Ok, so I'm back on board with the project! :thumb: I cleaned out my garage and I feel better about everything.

Here's a shot of the passenger side floor now:

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG0288.jpg

Most of it is patched except for the spot up by the toe board and another piece up in the corner. I need to path those, grind down the welds, and get going on the other side. Then, I can do the rockers, other small patches, and put it all back together.

I also removed the front grill for inspection. It has some cracks that I will be fixing with some plastic epoxy.

Another question: A friend has a set of Shelby Charger front seats that are in decent shape that I can get from him for nothing. He tried selling them but no one wanted them, so he offered them to me. Has anyone ever tried to bolt a set into a CSX? My stock front seats are thoroughly trashed.

[SilverFleet]

I picked up those seats from my friend, and started a thread in the Interior + Exterior Modification forum about them.:thumb:

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG0338.jpg

I also picked up the rest of the sheet metal I need to do the floors. As soon as I can borrow my friend's welder again, I will finish up all the patches and start the rocker replacement.

I also visited a friend of mine (PunKid) over the weekend and checked out his GLH's new TII setup. After looking at his car being put back together, the engine bay of my CSX makes a lot more sense. I can't wait to finish the tedious rust repair and get started with the fun stuff. :eyebrows:

[SilverFleet]

It's been a while, but I worked on the car last night.

I had a friend over my place last night who has been helping me with the CSX. We began to shape that large patch panel on the driver's floor. The one thing holding me back was that I didn't want the floor to to the "tin can" popping that my friend's GLH does (PunKid, I'm looking at you! :lol:), so I needed to make stress channels in the patch panel. Since I never followed up with a friend on getting his bead roller over my house, we thought of another solution on the spot, caveman-style.

We took the rough patch and drew lines with a marker to estimate where the stock floor had its creases. We tried to match some of them to what's left of the floor.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG0853.jpg

Then, I took a big socket and threw it on an extension, and opened my bench vise up a little and pounded it along the traced lines with a hammer.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG0855.jpg

You get the idea... the creases match what's already there.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG0856.jpg

And here's the finished product. The Baroness approves! :lol:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG0859.jpg

I hope to work on the car more often. I'll be out in that garage tonight prepping the area for the patch. The whole area got rusty since the last time I worked on it (it's been that long). I want the car up and running by next spring.

[beeblebrox82]

verry nice!

[supercrackerbox]

That's exactly how I put beads in my sheet metal projects as well.

[SilverFleet]

Update:

I've been at a standstill for a bit with the body work, because I have to go get my friend's welder and I haven't had the chance lately. I decided to turn my attention to getting it ready to run just to see what I have. If I know it runs, it will provide motivation.

First order of business was removing the camshaft for cleaning. The prior owner left the valve cover off for a long time, and the lobes got rusty. So tonight after work, I pulled it.

I never realized how easy it was to do this!

Here's the cam on my work bench:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile phone uploads/IMAG0954.jpg

As you can see, the cam lobes are rusty. I took some 220-grit sandpaper and some Mothers metal polish and scuffed the lobes lightly. The surface rust cleaned right up.

Here's the rest of the head:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile phone uploads/IMAG0955.jpg

No scoring on the bearing surfaces, so that's good news. The head is exceptionally clean. I have a sneaking suspicion that it's been off the car before.

This bothers me a little:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile phone uploads/IMAG0956.jpg

See that ridge? All the lobes are like that. Whatever, I'm running it until I can find a TBI setup.

Here it is after cleaning it with some brake clean and a rag:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile phone uploads/IMAG0957.jpg

Looks about as good as some new cams I've bought in the past!

... And back in the car:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile phone uploads/IMAG0959.jpg

The whole process took about an hour. BTW, the cam seals look brand new. I still have to torque everything down. I didn't because I have no clue what the specs are. Anyone know off hand?

[SilverFleet]

I just bought a metric crap-ton of parts for the car from a local guy. :eyebrows: I mainly bought the lot for the NOS Mopar fenders he included in the deal, but there is a ton of other stuff that he threw in (including some nice NOS stuff) that I will be putting up for sale soon to help pay for other stuff I need to do with the car.

Now I need to just finish the body work and then I can get to the good stuff...

[Turbo Joe]

wow just noticed the thread.. keep it going your doing good. I see your location south shore? do ya mean south coast? if so I got a repair manual that will give you all the specs you'll need to work on your car, that your welcome to borrow.....btw got any extra rear seat belts?

[SilverFleet]

wow just noticed the thread.. keep it going your doing good. I see your location south shore? do ya mean south coast? if so I got a repair manual that will give you all the specs you'll need to work on your car, that your welcome to borrow.....btw got any extra rear seat belts?

PM Sent!!!

[SilverFleet]

I have been pecking away at it here and there these past few weeks.

My friend came by last weekend and we put in about 6 hours on the floors. The driver's side is mostly in, but we used flux so it's kinda boogery, so no pics yet. We have had trouble with MIG and rusty stuff in the past, so we did it this way for now. besides, we ran out of gas. ;)

After that's welded in more, I need to get the corner pieces in and fix two more holes (the spare tire well and a small hole behind the seat) and the floors will be done. After the outer rockers go on, the car will be rust free again!!! Then I can start on the fun stuff.

I'm thinking of yanking the motor to clean it up and clean up the engine bay and wiring. That should be fun. I will also be replacing the clutch at this point.

Quick question: is the flywheel from a 1985 GLH the same as the one in my 1987 CSX?

[domni058]

Hi, I live in Plymouth ma. and have a turbo Omni. I also have a lot of parts! engine and trans stuff, i'll send you a private message with my phone #. Doug.

[Turbo Joe]

No Tony they are different. 85 was a 6 bolt and 87 is an 8 bolt.

[SilverFleet]

No Tony they are different. 85 was a 6 bolt and 87 is an 8 bolt.

Booooooo.... could have had one for a very good price that would have been ready to bolt on. :( I'm not quite there yet anyway, so no big deal. You saw what the car looked like!

---------- Post added at 06:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:38 PM ----------


Hi, I live in Plymouth ma. and have a turbo Omni. I also have a lot of parts! engine and trans stuff, i'll send you a private message with my phone #. Doug.

Got your PM. I'm not sure if I really need anything that I don't already have yet, but I'll give you a call anyway at some point! Good to know another guy in the area with a Turbo Mopar. :thumb:

[SilverFleet]

I worked on the CSX a bit this weekend:


-I ground down all the welds on the driver's side floor pan. It is looking pretty good.


-I trimmed a small hole behind the driver's seat into a shape that is easy to patch. I also cleaned up the area surrounding it down to bare metal.


-I drilled out all the spot welds on the driver's side door frame for rocker replacement.


-I started to clean out the driver's side rocker area of loose rust to see what I need to replace. While down there, I noticed something that's not cool. There is a piece of bracing under there that is rotted through and not looking so great. The one on the other side is solid, but this one has some holes. I'll have to get a picture maybe tonight so you guys can see. I think it will be fine, and I plan on just POR-15'ing it. You don't see it anyway because it is under the rocker panel. I don't think that it's structural.


-I got the back of the car up in the air and on jack stands to make working on the rust back there a bit easier. The front of the car has been on ramps for over a year, and I have been too lazy to make my way to the back to jack it up, so this is nice.


-I inspected the rear of the car for rust. There is plenty. The spare tire well has 3 good sized holes. I could fix it, or I could find a rust-free car and chop the whole deal out. If I can figure out how to do that at a junkyard, that is the preferred route. I have enough scrap sheet metal to do it the other way if need be.


-The rear suspension is a beam axle-type (as many of you know), and there is a large brace that triangulates it in the back (Panhard bar?) and it is pretty rusty but solid. I would like to remove it and clean it or replace it. Also, it's pretty flimsy. I think that boxing it might be a good idea. It might help the rear of the car rotate more. I probably won't mess with that until I drive it first and see how it handles.


Also, I'm aiming to bring this car to the Grassroots Motorsports $2013 Challenge with the Team External Combustion guys (including Turbo Mopar forum member PunKid). We have a few possible vehicles to choose from, but I think this one would be very cool to bring. After all, it is a numbered Shelby car! That has to count for something.

[Reaper1]

Stiffening up the panhard bar is a good idea. They tend to bend if the car is pushed REALLY hard, or the back end hits something. I think Johnny (Poly Bushings) sells replacement bushings for it too. Might be worth a look. :thumb:

[SilverFleet]

Stiffening up the panhard bar is a good idea. They tend to bend if the car is pushed REALLY hard, or the back end hits something. I think Johnny (Poly Bushings) sells replacement bushings for it too. Might be worth a look. :thumb:

And that was my other question. I noticed that there's some bushings back there that could use replacing. :)

Since the car will see auto-x duty (both before and at the Challenge) I'd like it to handle really well.

[Pat]

Welding the panhard bar is tough to do without warping it. What I did was cut the ends off of the stock bar and welded them onto a piece of tubing I cut off of a thrown out hand truck. Plenty strong and definitely challenge friendly.

[SilverFleet]

Welding the panhard bar is tough to do without warping it. What I did was cut the ends off of the stock bar and welded them onto a piece of tubing I cut off of a thrown out hand truck. Plenty strong and definitely challenge friendly.

Wow, I like that idea. I might have to go that route. :nod:

[Pat]

Wow, I like that idea. I might have to go that route. :nod:

Figure out what springs and ride height you'll have and then make sure you set the tube length right to center the axle.

Check out the ScAries build thread...there are pics and details in there somewhere towards the beginning.

[SilverFleet]

So.... I'm trying to come up with some ideas of what to do for an intercooler and radiator setup.

The radiator in the car now appears to be a non-turbo Shadow one. It's a lot wider than the TII one, so I can't mount the stock intercooler where it is supposed to go. I have two choices here: either find a narrow radiator and mount the stock intercooler where it's supposed to go, or get a front mount intercooler and mount it in front of the core support somewhere.

I'm sure this has been covered before, since no one makes anything for these cars anymore. I know that there are manufacturers that make nice aluminum ones, but this is a GRM $20xx Challenge car, so I'm limited budget-wise as to what I can do. Because of this, I think it would be easier to go the route of finding a new intercooler.

My biggest concern is getting airflow to the intercooler. The CSX front bumper doesn't have the ventilation in front that other bumpers do. Any ideas or existing setups out there?

[Reaper1]

Some people have had luck with Honda Civic radiators...for your purposes that actually might be a good choice.

[cordes]

I would front mount a cheap IC if possible.

[SilverFleet]

My friend Greg stopped over on Saturday and we got a lot done.

-The driver's floor is now completely welded. I need to grind the new welds down and seam seal/paint it.

-Passenger side floor is done except for the corner toeboard. We ran out of wire, and it was getting late.

-While Greg was welding, I got busy under the hood. I removed the intercooler and the existing radiator looks fine. After some measurements, it looks like I can get a good sized front mount up there in front of the radiator.

-I torqued down the cam caps and reinstalled the old stock fuel pressure regulator. I have a brand new adjustable one, but it didn't have a fuel line, and I want to see how it runs stock to start. See where I'm going with this?

-We also tossed the computers back in and hooked up a battery to the car for the 1st time. Lights lit up and door chime started dinging. That's a good sign. Most of the dash lights are out, but who knows if things are grounded right now with so many parts missing from the vehicle.

-Key on/engine off resulted in every relay under the hood clattering. Fuel pump did not kick on either, probably because of missing grounds/stuff not being hooked up. The stock electric fan kicked on no problem. I have no clue what's going on with the wiring or even where to begin, but it's a start.

-Car turns over freely. I was afraid that the alternator was seized, but it isn't.

It's coming along. I have today off, so the plan is to clean up the welds we did and start fixing the driver's seat. Hopefully I can repair or replace the hinge. I want to see if they fit with the CSX sliders.

And some pics! People love pics.

From this:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/1987 Shelby CSX/DSCF9284.jpg

To this:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile phone uploads/IMAG1092_zps90635aab.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile phone uploads/IMAG1094_zpsa01a01bf.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile phone uploads/IMAG1093_zps1d6bb533.jpg

This look like a stock throttle body to you guys?

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile phone uploads/IMAG1096_zps2ba0249d.jpg

Inside of the 2-piece. Looks like someone cleaned it up in there.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile phone uploads/IMAG1098_zpsfbb15242.jpg

[SilverFleet]

Another quick update:

Looks like I'm going to have to find some other seats. The Shelby Charger driver's seat that I have is really messed up. The recliner is completely screwed up, and I can't unbolt one half of the slider because the threads on the seat itself are stripped out. I have another spare Charger/Omni seat that's in better shape, but I'd have to switch upholstery. At that point, I think I'd be better off just getting other seats that I like.

I went to the junkyard today and looked at seats out of other cars. I really liked seats out of mid 90's Celicas and late 80's Preludes. There was also a 1987 Lancer ES there, but the seats were ripped. I've seen some Daytona ones that look comfortable before, but I haven't seen any in a yard around here for a while.

I have a set of Mitsubishi Starion seats in my basement, but they need to be recovered. Since this is a GRM $20xx Challenge car, that is not going to be in the budget. Besides, they are supposed to be for my '79 Trans Am anyway.

[Reaper1]

Do you have the injector harness completely installed (most importantly the ground on the fuel rail, and the ground that goes to the firewall? If not, that explains the relays chattering. If so, make sure the wires aren't broken at the eyelet terminal for the fuel rail ground. That thing caused me to get rid of an entire vehicle because I didn't check it thoroughly enough! DOH! :(

[SilverFleet]

Do you have the injector harness completely installed (most importantly the ground on the fuel rail, and the ground that goes to the firewall? If not, that explains the relays chattering. If so, make sure the wires aren't broken at the eyelet terminal for the fuel rail ground. That thing caused me to get rid of an entire vehicle because I didn't check it thoroughly enough! DOH! :(

Most likely this is part of the problem. The previous owner replaced the fuel rail and didn't fully install it after. as you can see from the pics, the engine bay is a mess. I'll look around for more grounds to connect.

[SilverFleet]

I worked on the car some more tonight. First, I took a fresh look at the grounds... again. I re-checked all of them and hooked up the fender ground I talked about in my last post. I hooked up the battery and it still chattered. Urgh...

Then I looked around the engine bay. There was a plug right around the fuel rail that was unplugged. Boom, plugged that in and no more chattering! :thumb: I must have looked at that stupid plug a thousand times and didn't figure to plug it in.

So, back to trying to start it. It turned over fine, but wouldn't catch. I again switched power modules, still nothing. Then, I got back to basics. I pulled a plug, and it looked like this:

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG1133_zpsdc81bf16.jpg (http://s57.photobucket.com/user/slionthewal/media/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG1133_zpsdc81bf16.jpg.html)

All of them were covered in black soot. I pulled them all and cleaned them up, and tried to start it again. This time, it farted a couple times but wouldn't start. The battery was getting low, and it was getting late, so I called it quits for tonight. But at least I made some progress.

The plan now is to get back to basics: fuel, air, and spark. I'll check those and see what's going on.

[Reaper1]

That plug that you plugged in, if it's the one I'm thinking about, is the one for the fuel rail, and that connects the engine bay harness to that ground I was describing on the injector harness. That completely explains the issue!

I hope things go well for you and it starts up without much problems after the basics are checked! :thumb:

[SilverFleet]

Thanks! That's exactly what was going on. At least everything seems to be hooked up the right way now.

I'm thinking that the trouble I'm having getting it running is probably fuel-related. I can't hear the fuel pump kick on and the car hasn't run since probably 2008-2009. I will pull the fuel filter and see if anything comes out of there. If not, then the tank is coming down. I bet it's nasty in there.

I also bought more welding wire last night and will try and do some welding this week on my own.

[SilverFleet]

Well, I think I found my fuel issue.

I went under the car a few days back to look for the fuel sender part of the tank to test it, and I noticed that the tank is now seeping fluid down the strap.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG1149_zpsb70f699c.jpg (http://s57.photobucket.com/user/slionthewal/media/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG1149_zpsb70f699c.jpg.html)

But wait.. there's more! The tank around the pump/sender is very soft. It's all a ball of rust. And all the lines are garbage.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG1150_zpse644839e.jpg (http://s57.photobucket.com/user/slionthewal/media/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG1150_zpse644839e.jpg.html)
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG1151_zpsae090c81.jpg (http://s57.photobucket.com/user/slionthewal/media/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG1151_zpsae090c81.jpg.html)
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG1152_zpsd531aa98.jpg (http://s57.photobucket.com/user/slionthewal/media/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG1152_zpsd531aa98.jpg.html)

So now, I'm looking at a Fuel Pump Hanger, Sender, lines, straps, and most likely the tank too. :( I'm going to drop the tank and see what happens. If I can salvage the tank, that would be great, but it's not looking like that's going to happen.

Also, are there any cheap fuel pump upgrades I can do while it's all down off the car? I'm thinking of installing larger lines from the tank to the fuel rail as well.

Also... Anyone have a cheap rust free spare hanger assembly and/or sender lying around? Remember, I'm trying to keep things cheap so I can get this car into the Under $1k class at the $2013 GRM Challenge. Let me know!;)

[Reaper1]

HOLY CRAP!! :yuck: That is horrible! I'd check your injectors just to make sure they aren't clogged (the rail side). Also, check the cross beam that the panhard bar mount brace bolts to. I've seen people have that thing rotted out before. If it is, that can be dangerous because if it decides to let go while you are cornering hard the rear axle is just going to go wherever it wants because the mount is pretty flimsy without it.

[SilverFleet]

HOLY CRAP!! :yuck: That is horrible! I'd check your injectors just to make sure they aren't clogged (the rail side). Also, check the cross beam that the panhard bar mount brace bolts to. I've seen people have that thing rotted out before. If it is, that can be dangerous because if it decides to let go while you are cornering hard the rear axle is just going to go wherever it wants because the mount is pretty flimsy without it.

Last I checked, that area was alright, but if it isn't, this might be the end of this car. Since the car will be seeing lots of autocross duty, I'd rather not lose the rear axle while racing. Hopefully, it's good to go, but I'll definitely take a closer look.

[SilverFleet]

I worked on the CSX a bit this weekend. I finally got the tank out of the car, which was quite the ordeal. I had to pull the filler neck which took some finagling, and it was splashing fuel all over the damn place, but I got it out. By the time I got it out, I was high as a kite from the fumes. The wife found me very entertaining. :pI'll wear a respirator next time for sure.

But anyway... the tank is junk.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG1155_zps7d7f92fa.jpg
It has some rust holes here and there too, so it's not salvageable.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG1156_zpsd7e03c5f.jpg
The inside was rusty too, and the fuel was pretty gross. I forgot to take pics of the pump assembly, but it might actually be salvageable. I have to test the pump to make sure. The sock and the rest of it definitely need to be cleaned or replaced.


The big issue is the other thing that is still in the tank: the sender. I'm not sure anyone makes one, and there are two lines that come out of it. One snapped clear off due to the rust, so it's junk. I can get the fuel pump hanger assembly if need be, but I'll try to re-use the one I have. The fuel pump hanger that was on there isn't the original one either. I know this because it said "For V6 and Turbo" on it, LOL. I will be ordering whatever I can in the coming weeks.

Also, the rear axle and panhard bar mounts are good. They were spared the wrath of the tin worm. My panhard bar is bent though, so that has to get replaced.


So yeah, if anyone has a spare hanger assembly and the sender, please let me know. They are hard to find locally.

[Reaper1]

There are aftermarket senders. They are something like $90, though. I actually had a tough time getting one, myself (when I was working at Auto Zone), so I also sourced one from members here.

[SilverFleet]

i have a sender and fuel pump hanger on their way to me now. They were donated by a guy on the GRM forums. The only issue is that they are from a 1987 K-Car, but they look similar. We'll see what happens.

[Reaper1]

They should work fine. You'll have to swap the fuel pump (unless it's already a turbo pump), but other than that it should be fine. How are the rubber o-rings? If they are suspect I'd say just throw down and get new ones. I consider that a safety issue. Same with the fuel filler seal in the tank.

[minigts]

Yeah the placement of the fuel tank is dumb. I had such a hard time removing mine, many a swear word came out. Mine was rusty inside, but I didn't have a new tank, so I just replaced the pump and cleaned up what I could.

[SilverFleet]

They should work fine. You'll have to swap the fuel pump (unless it's already a turbo pump), but other than that it should be fine. How are the rubber o-rings? If they are suspect I'd say just throw down and get new ones. I consider that a safety issue. Same with the fuel filler seal in the tank.

Yeah, I definitely could use new seals. Are they even available anymore, or am I going to have to improvise? The filler neck one was cracked anyway. The sender seal completely disintegrated, and the pump one is intact but has seen better days. Last thing I need is fuel leaking all over the place when the car is on a track.

I may need a vent too, the one on the old tank didn't want to come off nicely.

[Turbo Joe]

I might have a spare sender for ya but i do have an extra set of brand new oring seals so no worries there. I'll try to remember and post back tomorrow.

[SilverFleet]

Quick question: I'm about to order a tank. Are all the P-Body tanks interchangeable? I've noticed that the '87 and '88 have different part numbers. The '87 says "without in-tank tube" while the '88 has the internal tube. Does it really matter? The one for the '88 with the tube is $40 cheaper.

[Reaper1]

If you can;t get the o-rings from Joe, I think one of the aftermarket tank manufacturers actually has a kit with them in it. I'm 99.9% sure you can still get them at the dealer simply because they used the same ones for SO long! At least until '95, probably even later than that.

I know for 100% you can still get the filler tube one from the dealer. It's something like $25. Expensive, but well worth it. I have to get one for my '88 Z now. I'm not sure if there's an aftermarket for that one or not. I think I tried and that's why I ended up with going to the dealer. They had a whole bag of them under the parts counter!! LOL

- - - Updated - - -


Quick question: I'm about to order a tank. Are all the P-Body tanks interchangeable? I've noticed that the '87 and '88 have different part numbers. The '87 says "without in-tank tube" while the '88 has the internal tube. Does it really matter? The one for the '88 with the tube is $40 cheaper.

I'm not sure I understand what tube they are talking about...

[SilverFleet]

Yeah, I'll need those o-rings! Joe, shoot me a PM and we can figure something out. I should be around tomorrow at some point.

And I have no idea on that internal tube either, that's why I'm asking. I do know that the fuel sending unit had a rubber hose going to the internal baffle, I wonder if that's what they are talking about... I have no clue.

[Turbo Joe]

found a bunch of parts you need pm sent.

[SilverFleet]

Update:

I bought a gas tank.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG1203_zps8b816808.jpg

I got a Dorman one and it looks pretty nice. It has the internal baffle like my stock tank too.

Turbo Joe and I made a trade for some parts in order to keep everything Challenge-budget friendly.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG1204_zps5b24f8cb.jpg
In exchange for a 1989-90 turbo P-body hood, I got a complete fuel pump assembly with a Holley 225gph pump, a complete set of Mopar Performance front strut assemblies, And some Fat Mat sound deadener. He probably got the better end of the deal, but I needed that stuff badly, especially the pump. The one I pulled out of my tank looked like an artifact from the Titanic shipwreck.

I also tried my hand at welding a small patch myself with flux core:

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG1187_zps1c96cdb5.jpg

I need to clean it up a bit better, but I'm happy that I started trying to weld myself. I like it, and I'd like to get my own setup someday (I'm borrowing a friend's right now).

Speaking of that friend, he came over this weekend and helped weld in the rest of the passenger floor:
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG1220_zps48de35e0.jpg


I still have to clean up the welds, but the passenger compartment is now all steel (and flux core) again. No more rust up there! We also started getting the replacement rockers fitted and mocked up for installation.

I have another problem: The spare tire well. :mad:

I was poking around back there and found more rust than I remember, including some under the bracket the spare tire bolts to. I'm going to try to find another car locally that has a rust free spare tire well and cut the whole thing out. Does anyone know if other Chryslers of that vintage (like the Daytona, LeBaron, Lancer, Spirit, etc) share the same spare tire well as the P-Body, just in case I can't find another Shadow locally?

[Turbo Joe]

You mean a 225 LPH pump not gallons..lol.. wow that would be huge.. but anyway did you get yours up and running? I'm close to getting mine running again, finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

[SilverFleet]

You mean a 225 LPH pump not gallons..lol.. wow that would be huge.. but anyway did you get yours up and running? I'm close to getting mine running again, finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Yes, that's what I meant! LOL

No, I didn't get it running yet. I want to get the tank painted up before I put it all back together. We got side tracked with welding too.

I also confirmed that I do have the +20 injectors on the car, not +40's. With the adjustable fuel pressure regulator, it should work nicely.

[Shadowjake]

Subscribed! Nice car and keep up the good work bringing her back!

[SilverFleet]

Quick question:

I'm looking to go with a front mount intercooler on the CSX. I found a cheap one for sale that's in great shape, and the size is 28" x 7.5" x 2.5" with 2.5'' inlet/outlets (I think). Is that going to be too small, or will it work? I can't run my stock one because of the radiator that's in the car.

Also if anyone has something bigger for sale on here that's around $50 shipped, shoot me a PM. :thumb:

[SilverFleet]

Last weekend, I shot the fuel tank with some Bondo undercoating. I only did one coat so far, but it looks good.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG1234_zps56dad81a.jpg
I also went out last weekend to just about every local junkyard looking for a spare tire well for the CSX, but found only one Shadow and it was completely thrashed. The spare tire well was rotted and crushed. http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/media/img/icons/smilies/unhappy-18.png I really don't know what I'm going to do about fixing mine. I wish I could just cut it out and keep the spare in the hatch when I drive it, but from what I'm told, that creates airflow issues when you are going real fast down a track or traveling at highway speeds. I may have to resort to fixing it with fiberglass for now. http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/media/img/icons/smilies/whatthe-18.png
Also, another thing I have turned my attention to is looking for some new seats. While at the junkyards, I looked for seats and found nothing even remotely salvageable. Then, today, I remembered that I should probably check out my old Subaru stomping ground over on NASIOC to see if anyone is selling some WRX or 2.5 RS seats. Low and behold, I find a set of 2003 WRX seats in decent shape for $60! Not bad, right? It gets better.


My wife calls me on the way home from work tonight to talk to me like she usually does. Then, mid-sentence, she stops and tells me that there is a random set of seats on the side of the road. They where sitting in front of a house that I know well, because in the driveway, there is a beautiful late 90's World Rally Blue Subaru 2.5 RS as well as a late 90's red Volvo V70R, and I want both cars BAD. She stopped and snapped a few blurry pics (it was raining) and I told her to just snag them.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/062613204839_zps996abdd2.jpg
She came home with them and they have turned out to be mid 1990's Subaru Impreza 2-door seats. http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/media/img/icons/smilies/laugh-18.png
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG1240_zps50d22e42.jpg
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/slionthewal/mobile%20phone%20uploads/IMAG1241_zps4878e193.jpg
As you can see, the driver's seat has some tears in the vinyl, but my wife wants to try and patch them up. The dilemma now is if I should also get the WRX seats too. I like these Impreza seats because they fit me nice and they are very close to the color of the rest of the interior.


Special Thanks to my wife. She is awesome.

[SilverFleet]

Quick update:

In addition to the seats pictured above, I did also pick up a set of 2003 WRX seats. They have bigger bolsters and are black and blue, which I can deal with. They are in perfect condition.

The biggest issue I'm going to have is getting them installed in the car. Does anyone have any tips to share for mounting a pair of junkyard seats in a P-Body? It's not as easy as just bolting the old sliders onto the new seats.

[minigts]

Quick update:

In addition to the seats pictured above, I did also pick up a set of 2003 WRX seats. They have bigger bolsters and are black and blue, which I can deal with. They are in perfect condition.

The biggest issue I'm going to have is getting them installed in the car. Does anyone have any tips to share for mounting a pair of junkyard seats in a P-Body? It's not as easy as just bolting the old sliders onto the new seats.

I made an adapter out of 3" wide steel plates, bolted the rails to that and then to the seats.

http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/showthread.php?49420-GLHS-937-Restoration-Project&p=910687&viewfull=1#post910687

May not be that simple, really depends on where the seats and rails will bolt to the adapter.

[SilverFleet]

Quick update:

I just picked up everything I need, save for some high pressure fuel hose, to get the tank in and get the car up and running again! Also, at the suggestion of someone on the GRM Forum, I may have a solution for my spare tire well issues.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/CREWZIN/Helpful%20Photos/rearend.jpg

Someone suggested to take the spare tire carrier off of a Caravan or a PT Cruiser and cut my spare tire well out and replace it with flat steel. I thought someone mentioned to me a while ago that you cannot do this on the P-Body because it will mess up the under-car aerodynamics, but I don't see how. I'd also probably shed a few pounds in the process. Any thoughts?

Side note: I was watching the first episode of Breaking Bad (Season 5) and they were in an Arizona junkyard. The big magnet crane picked up a rust free late P-Body Duster 2 door to throw in the crusher. I couldn't help but yell at the screen about how they are crushing my parts car!!!:lol:

[cordes]

I too have read that taking out the spare tire well makes for a lot of drag under the car. I wouldn't do it anyways as it is some actual work for a minimal return on weight savings. I look at it as all down side.

[SilverFleet]

The past few months have been really busy for me, and I have had pretty much zero time to work on the CSX. The car has sat, and it's taking up space in the garage that I need for other projects.

I have decided that I'm giving myself an ultimatum: if the car is not running and driving by December 2014, it will be leaving.

The short list right now is:
-bend up and install fuel lines
-install fuel tank
-hear it run, if it sounds good, then pull the drivetrain for clutch replacement/engine bay cleanup, if not, re-assess situation
-finish installing outer rockers/fix trunk rust/seam seal + paint floor


And before you all ask if I'm selling, if it leaves, it's already spoken for. :p Stay tuned...

[Turbo Joe]

hang in there bud.. I've been very busy myself with real life things and haven't touched my car in a while but keep the faith ! we're going cruising this summer !!

[SilverFleet]

So... I haven't turned a wrench on this car since last summer. :( My POS Dodge Dakota has sucked every second of spare wrenching time up, so this has sat. Also, it has been such a brutal winter up here that I have had zero motivation to even try to work on it. But since the weather is warming up, I want to get going with the CSX. I'm still sticking to my goal of a running and driving car by the end of the year.

The first thing that I want to do is hear it run.

To do that, I need to install the fuel tank and patch up the fuel system. Advance Auto Parts sells the correct high pressure EFI rubber fuel line, so I need to get some of that and a few rolls of steel tube and patch up my fuel system.

Anyone know what diameter the various fuel lines are? I honestly have no clue.

[Pat]

5/16" feed, 1/4" return.

[SilverFleet]

5/16" feed, 1/4" return.

Thanks Pat for the quick answer! Maybe I can pick up some line this weekend.

[SilverFleet]

I haven't updated this thread in a while. Wow.

I've had a busy year. All my car project energy has been going into other things, and we spent a lot of time this year prepping our new AMC Spirit GRM Challenge car, so my CSX has been put to the wayside. A few weeks back after I returned from the Challenge, I kept that momentum going and began hammering out some stuff on the CSX. In essentially three Saturdays, I have done the following:

-Cleaned and painted the passenger side floorpan, still have to do the driver's side and complete seam sealing it

-Installed the fuel tank and filler neck

-Replaced the fuel feed line going to the tank and inline filter, but I need to re-do the vent and the return

-Re-did the battery terminals

You know where this is heading. I have been trying to get the car running to hear whether the engine is any good, as it would determine the direction of the project. If it sounded ok, I'd button it all up and get it road worthy ASAP. If it was bad, I would pull the drivetrain and put the car outside while I focused on my other project car (1979 Trans Am). After doing all that, I attempted to start it. It wouldn't. It kept burping but that's it. We confirmed fuel, air, and spark were happening, so it had to be bad timing.

Now keep in mind, other than pulling the camshaft and gear to clean the cam lobes up from some mild rust, the engine has not been touched by me. When I pulled the cam and cam gear, I made absolutely sure to install it EXACTLY as it came off. I then looked at setting timing at TDC. It was off by a few teeth on the cam gear. After changing that, I tried again.

Here's the result: http://youtu.be/B0lfSK6UnUw

So yeah, it runs!!!:eyebrows: We were trying to run it on carb cleaner because we didn't know if fuel was getting to the rail, but it turns out that it was. There was some air in the system, but it bled off after it fired up. It didn't knock or anything, and sounded healthy. I ran it the next day, and it fired up immediately, attempted to idle, and even took throttle input. I feel A LOT better about the project now. My new goal is to have it registered and driving by the spring. Talk about back from the dead!