Am I in over my head?

[ValiantPoe]

I posted here a little over a year ago, asking for advice on a turbo 86 build. Things and money didn't go how I planned, and right now I drive a 99 civic dx hatch . I just got a job, though, and now I'll have extra cash to dump into a project car. I still want to get an 86, but this time around I want a 20v swap.

The thing that worries me is that I won't be able to do the swap, and all of the other things involved. I have very little mechanical experience, apart from changing my oil and replacing my O2 sensor when it went out. I have read practically every thread and guide out there about 20v swaps, and have a good idea of the parts and money it will take to do so. But what I want to know is how hard is the swap to do, and will I be able to do it?

[Nick94tt]

Everybody's a mechanical virgin once. It plays the biggest factor in troubleshooting issues as they come up vs posting all over the internet and waiting until someone who's run into the issue before can find it. IE - you've got the new motor in, but it won't fire because of an intermittent short somewhere in the lead to the coil. Or the rear main seal goes out a week after you button it back up and put it on the road, or you wind up with wrong parts from the store (happens to everybody eventually) etc. Second hand parts will always come with their headaches, and transplanting an entire driveline almost always brings them out.

Things that will make completion more likely -

A garage / safe space to work on the vehicle
Tools - Hand/air/whatever you can get your hands on. You'll definitely need stands and a cherry picker (engine hoist)
Having a COMPLETE swap ready to go
Organization - Labeling nuts/bolts/sensors/harness connectors so you know where they go later
Electrical experience - Can you track down a short, or use the service manual to diagnose faults? (If not, you'll be learning)
Not counting on local help - It's nice to have a friend next door, but waiting for help can stretch things out.
Doing things correctly from the start. Shortcuts almost always bite you in the ass.
Start a build log. Might bump your motivation knowing others are watching.
Living somewhere in SoCal... Seems like the 86 guys are more common around there than herpes at Cancun during spring break.
Being willing to go elbow deep and not sit around wondering about finishing the project.


That said - It might make more sense to just rock the DX and put your money aside for housing/college/business. Trying to mod a car and go house hunting doesn't go hand in hand, lol. Not knocking the dream, just been around to watch it happen. Fun car living under a cover in the apartment parking lot waiting to get stripped/hit, all the while getting torn into because you're not allowed to work on it there.

Odds are you've got a friend locally you can help with more advanced mechanical work first as well. (heads, brakes, suspension, etc...) Even if you just run for tools, you'll learn as you go.

[Nick94tt]

Just thought of a few more things.

Safety and reliability work first, then go fast.

Grab a small notebook for the car. Anything you install/modify goes in it with model/part numbers/location on car/date of install/receipt (or a copy) for warranty purposes. Same story with wiring. Been doing it for years and it's saved my ass more than a few times. (Halfway across country, was able to walk in already knowing the part they were trying to sell me didn't fit, and walked out with the same one I used the last time)

Seems like a lot of effort, but you won't have to go looking for things down the road - Also a hell of a selling point later on.

Also - broken bolt extractor set (can usually find them on clearance for $5-10 at sears/local hardware places), can or two of PB Blaster, gojo, breaker bar, and some solid rubber padding for kneeling/laying on. (The half inch + stuff they use in kitchens to save back strain - Save your knees, they'll only get worse later. Also nice to not be laying on cold concrete constantly.)

You could also try refreshing your current motor/breaks/trans fluid. Replace the valve cover gaskets / vacuum lines / etc (if they need it). Cheap warm up, and if you can't get that back together without leaking it'll give you a preview of things to come. Also makes it easier to sell off later. ^_^

For new parts - Rockauto, amazon, and advance auto parts if (there is almost always a 30%+ off coupon code floating around - if you've got one local great, if you need to ship you have to hit $75 after discount for free shipping. I also get another 5% cash back through fatwallet.com) have been winners for me. Find it on rock, then double check everywhere else. I've got a pair of front struts coming in the mail that cost me $3.80 each after rebate. Just did all four corners with name brand pads/rotors for $41 shipped.

Sorry about the walls of text.

[ValiantPoe]

Wow. Thank you for all of the advice. I'm a junior in high school still, so I don't have to worry about the house for now. I have a spacious garage I can work in, and I'll have to save up for the tools.

[Nick94tt]

Worry now. The market is full of nothing but rotted out REO's in the average first buyer's price range.

If the rents are alright with a 6 month build with one half of the garage taken up, you're better off. I'd let them know exactly how involved it'd get ahead of time.

Oddball question - If you can weld, given any thought to a locost 7? If it's meant to be a project/toy car it's hard to beat the bang for the buck there. The stock bluetop would be a rocket in a 1400lb vehicle. Sacrilege here, but an ae86 actually makes a great donor.

[Nick94tt]

Because I can.

[redroku87]

That is much sex.

How hard was it to stick together?

OP: AE86s are money pits.
Complete and total money pits.
And nothing is worse then having the money and thinking to yourself there is no way that this could end badly.





...and then I called Hasselgren.

[Nick94tt]

Not mine, but I do agree. ^_^

Just a recurring thought... With all the time and effort it'll take to get my current car daily ready, would it really be that much more of a pita to just build a tube frame and bend some aluminum? Should pretty much sum it up. The largest factors are the utter non-snow going nature of my other car and lack of garage for tinkering.