What have you done to your MSP today?

I actually like that routing it isn't too bad. They should sell the piping by itself.

Here is my car on the Teins, looks so much better. Not the stance I wanted with coilovers but i'm happy with it.
Before:

After:

Rear strut difference:

Comparison, actually higher than stock bc the motor is torn down on the other MSP


If the rears rub I will switch back to the racing harts, I am not too crazy about the MBs on it now but I like the color and they are lighter.

what tires size and offset are the mb's? arent they like 17x7 +43? you'll prolly be fine with a rear fender roll if it rubbed.

Are those just regular protege struts? Pretty nice and even drop on the teins. Wonder what sportlines would look like on new struts...

Thinking of painting a 3.5 lip I used to used to run on my p5 to spicy and use it on my msp. What u guys think about it?

I say do it.

Valk said:

Are those just regular protege struts? Pretty nice and even drop on the teins. Wonder what sportlines would look like on new struts...

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Yes they are Tokico HP blues for a Protege. You can get the original MSP struts with the higher spring perch but they are $230 a piece which is insane. I like the .75" drop anyway.

323 said:

what tires size and offset are the mb's? arent they like 17x7 +43? you'll prolly be fine with a rear fender roll if it rubbed.

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Stock size 215/45 17, yes they are +43 or 42 something like that. The Michelins are 'fatter' than the BFGs I ran on the stock wheels but the passenger side rear rubs on bumps or with passengers. I even beat the fender lip back a bit with a rubber mallet. Driver's side didn't rub but the strut was also slightly bent so it cambered in enough to clear.

Just got done installing the rear struts so I will test drive and see if it rubs.

Car with the rear struts installed. Claimed 2" front drop, .75" rear drop.

That drop looks great. Functional too.

Only picture I have. Engine kept using a bunch of oil randomly. Twice it ran REALLY low. The first time damaged #4 rod bearing slightly. The second time it totally ruined it. After I pulled the motor and had the machinist take it apart, I figured out how the oil was getting into the motor.I knew it was the #2 cylinder because that plug kept oil fouling. Also, after it was apart the machinist said that combustion chamber and piston were in really bad shape. He said one of the intake valve guides on that cylinder was worn and the valve was loose. That was not allowing the valve stem to seal properly and so it was drawing oil into that port. Anyway, issue is fixed now. I also forged it with K1 rods and Arias pistons (bored .040" over, dropped compression to 8.5:1). The main and rod journals both had to be ground due to the low oil pressure, so all of my oil clearances are now at .003" on the mains and rods. I also deleted the swirl valves near the head. The Exedy Stage 2 clutch was on there from before, but only has a couple of thousand miles on it. Installed a new CHRA on the turbo and I plan on running 15psi. Also installed the Pope 3" turbo outlet. I had part of the exhaust done yesterday to connect the 3" pope to the existing 2.5" exhaust that was on there. The existing exhaust has crush bends and a crappy muffler, so it's going to go away soon, but it was too cold for the mandrel bender to work, so they couldn't do the whole exhaust. I did get rid of the cat's and added a bung for my wideband. I started breaking the motor in last night, but I realized that the pump for my W2A intercooler had died and so I couldn't do too much boosting. (I don't use an easy break in. I load the motor in A LOT. I've done this for about 6 motors and they all have great compression and don't use oil) That's it for now until the pump comes in. Once I get the intercooler working again, I'll keep beating on it until I'm satisfied that the rings are properly seated. Then it's a change to synthetic oil (used synthetic gear lube for the trans BTW, seems fine) and start tuning. I have a unichip and a tuning license. We don't have emissions testing in KS, so I'm going to get rid of the O2 sensors so I don't have to deal with it staying in closed loop when in boost. I'll also be able to make it run leaner during light loads so it gets better gas mileage. Then get some bigger injectors (are 440's OK for the stock turbo at 15psi?) make a bypass for the MAFS to increase it's airflow sensing capacity, and start tuning. I'd like 225whp, we'll see if I can hit that or not.

yeah i had same tire size, 17x7 + 40. it rubbed a lot on the passenger rear corner but not after rolling the fenders

float_6969 said:

Then get some bigger injectors (are 440's OK for the stock turbo at 15psi?) make a bypass for the MAFS to increase it's airflow sensing capacity, and start tuning. I'd like 225whp, we'll see if I can hit that or not.

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440s will work no problem. I was running up to 21psi on my GT25 without issue and completely safe AFRs.

Perfect. How were you tuning?

hornsfan10609 said:

They should sell the piping by itself.

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I already emailed them about that. They said they would do it, but won't guarantee fitment with any other FMIC. Well, duh. Anyway, I'm waiting on pricing for the piping kit. I just wish it was all 2.5" piping. The hot side is 2". I know that the turbo outlet is 2" but why not use a reducer there and use 2.5" piping instead of using 2" pipe and a reducer at the hot side of the intercooler? I will keep you guys posted on what I hear from them.

There will be less pressure loss with the smaller piping and it would fit better in the tight spaces. I have a 2.5" pipe for my hot side and it barely squeezes between the slim fan and AC lines.

float_6969 said:

I'd like 225whp, we'll see if I can hit that or not.

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Awesome build! Even with an AFC and 440s you can make a lot more than that, I would guess 275-290 at the wheels depending on tune. I just read a magazine article from 04 that ran an MSP with an FMIC, exhaust and boost controller on the dyno (stock ECU). @7.3psi 191hp, 175tq @8.8psi 210hp, 187tq @10.3psi 219hp, 196tp and they ran on 11.7psi until it hit fuel cut around 5k rpm and it made 225hp when it cut out. Article said if the graph continued the car 'would have' hit 242hp.

Alamo1 said:

That drop looks great. Functional too.

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Thank you sir, I agree. May have to camber the rears in a bit but this car is and always will be about 'hot, nasty, badass speed'. -Eleanor Roosevelt.

323 said:

yeah i had same tire size, 17x7 + 40. it rubbed a lot on the passenger rear corner but not after rolling the fenders

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That's the next step, I guess the guys running flush offset rims run a lot of camber.

float_6969 said:

Perfect. How were you tuning?

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AFC. Even at 16+psi, I still had AFRs in the 11s, so I'm guessing the OE tune being so rich may have something to do with it, but not sure how it would take over in place o f the AFC map sensor.

I'm having a grand old time replacing the blown out WGA in my MSP. Outside. In the rain. Like an idiot. (hand)

Have a question, the little black box mounted to the stock sub box/rack bracket that has two black wires running to it. What is it for? The MSP I bought doesn't have the stock sub setup and the wires have been cut. My other car does have the stock sub but I can't tell what the function of the box is.

Sounds like a crossover, but the amp has a crossover built in

The wires for the rear defroster match the wires that run to this box and are part of the same harness, both black one has a blue stripe. But they are different wires.

Soooo...where can I get an ssafc?