Hey guys. Well, a few of you all know me, and since my yellow J I have wanted a vert for some time. I finally got it. And I almost got her to where I want her. Shes a little rough right now, but will shape up as time goes by. But here is the build so far.

The day I got her home:


I was very happy about the way the interior was, and I bought it since she ran pretty good, and was in overall decent shape.


This was the first thing I did to her. Found a guy on here that wanted just the stock front end. He gave me everything, the hood, the streetfire front end, type j sides and type J rear. I installed it, and was waiting for the paint work to do the whole car.






Then found a set of 00 toyo tails, only downside is they were painted silver, but ill take care of that when the car gets painted


Once we got out first big snow I ended up messing up the bumper and bottomed out hard on a side street so I ended up finding a great deal on a complete 03+ Type J kit brand new. So I jumped on it. And she looked like this.

I never installed the new skirts and rear since I didnt want to damage them. Again I was waiting on the complete paint job that I was working towards.

I also came across a great deal on a brand new set of KYB Blues and MR2 Springs. Now I know there not the greatest suspension setups, but they work great for what Im using them for, and at the same time, I drive out to Detroit and met up with Airtonics to buy his wheels off him. Great guy to deal with BTW. So one night I got bored and installed everything! Also picked up a new sound system, 2 Kicker L7's, and a Hifonics Brutus 2000 watt monoblock amp.




Suspension install pics




After suspension install pics

The wheel is up since its ona brick to get it off the jack...




She seems to sit higher in the back, but its okay for me for now.

Well, once we had that huge snowstorm I ended up cracking yet another bumper, and decided to go back to the 00 front and got a Urethane Drift front, and ended up looking like this

<couple decals I put on just because



Well,once I started getting happy with her again, I started to get happy. Then boom, one day driving along, I got hit and pushed into a curb in Chicago heading to my fiancee's house, and I was back at square one. she looked like this




So needlesstosay I damaged yet another bumper altho this one wasnt bad at all. But I said im done with all the damn body kits and just went back to normal, sorta.

I then went and installed a stock 03 front bumper, since I had the 03 hood doing nothing in my back yard, and the headlights in the garage, so I went to that, and just was happy with it. Now I dont have any pictures of that now, but you will understand in a second.

The VERY NEXT DAY after fixing the front end damage, while driving to work, I hear a little knocking. At first I think nothing of it, but when I get to work, I notice its my engine. Yup, you guessed it, my engine spun a bearing. Typical right?? Lol. So now instead of finishing her off, I need to look for a motor. But I said I will not go back to a 2.4. So I got a killer deal on a 05 Malibu Classic from a buddy of mine (900 with 19K complete car that was totaled, so engine and trans is fine). So ECOTEC HERE I COME!!!

So here are the during and after pics of the engine swap. Now im Eco powered and I could not be happier
Just after we got the motor out of the parts/donor car
Header I bought for the new install
WAI intake, but the filter color was wrong and since I never said a color they wouldnt take it back, oh well, ill buy a better one later on.
after removal (best pic I have of the new front)
Its out!!


ITS OUT!!!

New engine in



New Header installed:



That took a little bit of getting in there, but it worked I was very happy!

This is the way she sits right now:







Well, thats it so far. C & C welcome. Yes im going to be getitng her painted very soon. I also am going to be getting the wheels re-powder coated white, as well as new tires. Im done with the body kits, and the different front ends. I still need to finish the box for the subs, and clean up some stuff. But for now, im just enjoying it. I love the 03 front, and I love the car so far again. Yes the engine is painted GM Orange, and I figured why not and did it since the engine was out and I painted the valve cover white for some contrast, it was done just because and Im happy with it . Oh and no, those heater hoses did not stay that way and now are in fact stock heater hoses. And plus being one of the few Eco swapped verts on here is always a nice thing Enjoy!!

your droptop has seen more changes then mine

azncav wrote:your droptop has seen more changes then mine

I know right!!! But funny part was all the changes were from damage. With the exception of the engine. I took great care of that and it still did it. But I also knew it would do it sooner or later. Glad it happened now. But I am loving that Eco motor, and It came out great. I wanted that stock look and I think I got that right on.

mines out of boredom then lol

not to be rude but. will some one please post 03 front end pictures please single color ,, just playing guys great cars by the way hope to someday find me a vert



Modding my j since I found the org

john lenko he has one lol

Nice progress thread. I had no idea this vert went through soo much. How many miles were on your old 2.4?

Wow, I can't believe all the front end changes. Lol. That sucks about all the minor mishaps. I do like the sunfire phase the best, but that's just cause I'm bias. lol.

Very nice on the Eco swap as well.

Nice man, should of cleaned up the engine bay while the motor was out










~2014 New Z under the knife, same heart different body~
______________________
WHITECAVY no more
2012 numbers - 4SPD AUTOMATIC!!
328 HP
306 TQ

Rookin Rood!

Freelancer, the 2.4 was at about 128,000 miles. The trans was still ok too, I actually drove the car for about a month until I can come up with the money to get the other engine. My girls vert still has the 2.4 but that one I son the last leg also. It has a pretty bad oil leak that I cannot figure out where its coming from since everything is soaked in oil. But when her car dies its gonna get the eco swap also

Whitecavy, yeah you are right. But it started taking long then I could afford and while the car was down I ended up starting at a new location with Napa and I started at 6am so I just needed to get her done. I plan on building the piss outta this motor for some HP gains so when it gets yanked ill clean it up quite a bit, since by then ill have a beater with a heater and now I have a shop so I can do everything while taking my time.

Thanks again for the comments everyone! I really was worried about putting it up and getting a lot of harsh critisism, but everything seems to be positive. I know I need a paint job, that will come in time. Right now I'm just glad that it runs good. And I also have a wedding to pay for soon in Aug of 2012 so after the wedding the car will get some more loving. Thanks again guys/gals!

loving it all, esp the rims. very glad its back to 02 front. hope to see it in paint soon

Can't wait to see it all finished!



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(tabs) wrote:loving it all, esp the rims. very glad its back to 02 front. hope to see it in paint soon

hes back to 03 again.. notice the base front?

the paint on the motor not a fan could have tapped off stull or removed it for paint now you have pain ton parts of the fuel rail lines and looks like you did it while you were waiting for someone at the bank



JBO since July 30, 2001

Im a fan!










~2014 New Z under the knife, same heart different body~
______________________
WHITECAVY no more
2012 numbers - 4SPD AUTOMATIC!!
328 HP
306 TQ

I like...sometimes u gotta do what u gotta do. Get an ls sport front and then u will be golden.


GMR has got nothing on this

NOTa2_4 wrote:the paint on the motor not a fan could have tapped off stull or removed it for paint now you have pain ton parts of the fuel rail lines and looks like you did it while you were waiting for someone at the bank

Lol, you 100% correct. I didnt pull the fuel rail, but like I said it was more of a joke then anything. Im not worried what it looks like. I did it for fun. I do plan on removing the fuel rail and doing that black, but thats later. The engine was out and things were tapped off, but the tape didnt really hold really well. The side motor mount was my sorry attempt to touch it up a little, but that mount is coming out and going black so im not worried about it. Thanks for giving constructive criticism tho.

I am also back to the 03 base front. I kinda like it, but im looking for a lss front and if I find one before the car goes to paint, thats going on. I am just gonna keep it clean as possible for now. I think I have finally grew out of the bodykit phase

Thank god for no more body kits, although honestly I liked the sunfire one. Quite the journey u've had with that thing.

I'm sub'd.

one of my all time fav wheels.

Lol thanks Blu! Yeah I liked the sunfure front, but I got tired of the body kit after I cracked that bumper again and I tried the stock front and just wasn't feeling it with the hood and such so went a diffrent route. I'm actually falling more and more for the basic 03 front end. And, unless ur a jbody person, you can't pick out the diffrences and what should not be done. And I love it. I take the car to shows and rep my shop and most ppl just look past it, until I tell them the work, then there like "oh I didn't notice that". Granted the car itself is nothing to look at, but I always stress to potential customers its not the car but the work so far itself I'm showing off. But either way, she will get done, hopefully sooner or later. I still have big plans for that eco, just need the funds to make it happen lol.

Looks good Mike! Glad everything went well with the eco swap for you!

It's about time you made your own build thread Mike, Glad to see all the fronts you had on that thing. I think I only saw 2 of them in person though. I think I speak for the chicago guys when i day we will miss the artistic rendering that was on the 00-02 hood, but I'm a fan of 03+.

i like it, makes me want a vert more and more

Looking good. Keep at it I'm sure it will get there one day.