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1986 N/A

1988 SC

1988 V6 SC

It had some VERY Minor surface rust on the inner lip of the driver's side wheel well, had some decay on the bottom of the car under the fiberglass body kit, and was beginning to rust through on the lower left rear corner.  I cut out the decayed area (it was relatively small) and fiberglassed it in.  (It can't be seen at all..its on the underside of the car).  I ground out the beginnings of the rust on the lower left corner and the wheel well, and Carl resprayed those small areas for me.  That took a total of about 2 afternoons...very small amounts of problem areas.

The headgasket was apparently fine.  The car ran better than I'd ever hoped.  The initial plan was to pull the engine right away and rebuild it, but it ran so good, we pulled just the tranny and I put on a Centerforce Dual friction clutch.  I drove the car all summer, with the only problem being the clutch hydraulics (about 2 months after the clutch went in).  Last winter (2000-2001), the decision was made to pull the engine and rebuild.  Why?  Why not!  I wanted more boost, and I LOVE my car, so I figured a brand new engine would be a good place to start.

The saga follows below:

	Here is a bunch of parts after sandblasting.  I sandblasted EVERYTHING (except the block, and a few sensitive items like the AFM).
	Parts in the process of powdercoating.  Carl and I are set up to powdercoat relatively small parts.  It takes time (for sandblasting and cooking), but its worth it.  This picture gives an idea of the size of the shop...this is about 1/30th of the shop.
	Here is the engine block with the crank and pistons back in.  I had the block, pistons, and rods tanked and cleaned at a local machinist.  We just painted the block...Sand and engines don't mix.
	My new oil pump.  Those suckers are expensive, so I took a picture.  Since I was doing a rebuild, I figured it was worth the extra money for the oil pump.
	Oil pump and oil baffle on the engine.
	ARP head studs.  Note:  The head stud towards the passenger side front interferes with the distributor.  I just ground a little off the distributor gear to make it clear the head stud.  I took pictures but they didn't come out.
	I had a 3-angle valve job done at Apex Auto Machine outside of Chicago.  They specialize in high performance head work.  Carl dropped it off and said that there was a Ferrari V12 on an engine stand....good enough for me.  It was expensive though....
	The bottom....
	Block, head, and oil pan.  I powder coated the oil pan.
	cams, water pipe, etc.
	Timing stuff.  I powder coated the rear timing cover just to be clean.  I'm paranoid, so I used almost all Toyota stuff on the rebuild.
	Timing covered up.
	TaDAH.....!  Never, NEVER, ever take apart your SC.  Carl and I learned this the hard way.  We wanted to make it pretty...big mistake.  For starters, the bearings are not available...anywhere.  The simply do not exist.  And they are impossible to get out.  The are held in the case with a high strength glue which fills a groove in the case and the bearing outer race.  Carl's dad Andy welded a big bolt to the outer races, and then used a piece of pipe and a big washer and bolt to get them out.  I found a bigger bearing, had the case machined to fit the bearings, and then put it back together.  It was much harder than it sounds.  It was **cough, cough** probably worth it though.  The bearing that is on the driven rotor side was pretty burnt up.  It practically fell apart in our hands.  Anyhow, don't ever do this.
	The new bearings in the case.  The bearings in the other side are always in contact with oil, so they weren't messed with.
	The Supercharger back together.
	Proud Uncle Carl.....
	The Piece de Resistance.  I didn't want "no stinking Crank pulley".  I wasn't too keen with the whole overdriven water pump, and the clutch on the original pulley was all but destroyed.  So Carl made me an aluminum SC pulley, with a ratio slightly larger than that of the Cusco/Nevo variety.  And I don't have a stupid clutch.  The idea with a supercharger is power NOW, when you need it.  And those clutches definitely have a delay.  I warn all of you...your SC clutch is on its last legs..and they're expensive.
	We're currently testing this bad boy.  If it works out, we might have some manufactured.  We're not sure of the price yet..or if its even possible.  More later....
	Pulley end....
	I had my injectors cleaned at RC engineering in California.  They send you a sheet telling how they were, and how they are.  Before cleaning, my injectors all dripped and flowed like 365 cc/min.  After cleaning, all of the injectors flow at greater than 390cc/min...good for over 200hp.
	I used some miracle exhaust manifold paint (Disclaimer...I sandblasted the parts first which helps).  Carl told me it wouldn't work.  600 miles and it still looks good...hmmm..
	Piece de resistance part 2.  the Fidanza flywheel.  Its very pretty.  This is the back.
	Flywheel front.
	Flywheel on the engine.
	The Centerforce Dual friction clutch.  (it was on the year before..that's why its dirty)
	Umm..I conned SuperCarl into taking apart my transmission.  Talk about a leap of faith.  The synchros for second and third were terrible, so I figured "what the heck".
	Carl, reassembling.
	Take 2.
	Tranny, sandblasted and pretty.
	take 2.
	Engine ready to go in car.
	Engine, still waiting.
	Last minute shindigs.
	SST 69.  Lift car very high, set back down on cinder blocks with a 4x4.  move engine stand.  Very carefully roll engine under car.  Put engine stand back.  Pick Car back up.  Put down onto engine.  Carl and Ed posing.
	Car, being lowered.
	From top, car is down.
	Next, pick engine up into car....Its mounted here.  Carl's doing the Japanese import magazine pose.  (If only we could get the parts here that they do there)
	Piece de...whatever.  The air/water intercooler from a Celica.  I bought mandrel bent pipe from summit, SuperCarl welded it for me.  PowderCoated of course.  (the pipes, not the intercooler.)
	Another view.
	Oh...I have JL Audio 8's under my seats.  I copied the idea from superCarl.  (he's got tens...and way more skill than I do).  I hammered out dimples in the bottom of the car where the magnets go, then built boxes out of fiberglass, wood, and a lot more fiberglass.  It was hard, but very worth it.  No ghetto boxes behind the seats or in the front trunk.  And I can still take out the T-Tops.