A new project begins

"Decay buys too many beaters" (decay) 02/07/2018 at 01:23 • Filed to: Turbo S2000, decay's beaters, project car hell

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A few months ago a friend of mine mentioned that he was looking to sell a few of his shop cars so he could make room for newer platforms. I had been in love with a certain yellow s2000 of his since I’d first seen it, so I asked about it. He gave back a number that was WAY lower than I expected, so a few weeks ago I pulled the trigger. Now this is not exactly a normal s2000.

First off there’s this

That’s a GTX3582R gen 2 running around 40psi. Unfortunately, the brand new motor died on the dyno shortly after install. Cylinder pressure got past a few piston rings and oil starved bearings on a power run. So first thing first, I need to pull the motor, pull the head and take some ring gap measurements to see if the motor was built correctly. After that the short block goes back to the shop for a hone and some new bearings. The previous set up, a smaller turbo and a 2l motor made 820WHP.

The current motor, a 2.4l stroker, made 860whp despite having low compression on cylinder 3.

The changes are not limited to the motor, there is very little s2000 drivetrain remaining. The original diff died around 500hp and was replaced with this.

A Ford 8.8 rear end out of a Thunderbird SC (independent rear suspension)

The transmission died shortly afterwards and was replaced with this.

It’s a getrag V161 out of a JDM Mk4 Supra Turbo.

Originally my friend couldn’t get the stock dash speedometer to work with the supra transmission so it was swapped out with a Motec C125 full color dash.

And my favorite bit of the whole deal, engine management is a motec m150, I am really excited to learn the ins and outs of this system after fucking around with stock ecu re-flashers all my life.

I’m still not quite sure what I’m going to use it for. Part of me wants to throw on a GTX3076, lower power to about 550 whp, and use it on some of the big tracks around me where the turbo FRS still feels slow. Part of me wants to leave it as is and just own a 4 cyl that can make hellcat owners cry.

Either way, step one is to fix the hurt motor. I’ve got a bonus coming in at the end of the month, and have decided I’m going to put that toward finally buying a two post lift for the garage, so any work on the car is paused until I get that done. Realistically, I’ll probably be up and running by halfway through summer of this year, and I’ll keep updates coming out as I go (probably, like this one, at night because that’s when all my free time is!)

AestheticsInMotion > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 01:33

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Jesus. This does not in any way qualify as a beater. I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to hand it over friend

Decay buys too many beaters > AestheticsInMotion 02/07/2018 at 01:38

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God, what part of “doesn’t run, needs motor removed” don’t you understand!? Totally more #beaterspec than the $200 Miata right now :p

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 01:43

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Now this, I like.

Can we expect more in depth photo dumps as you make progress? I always look forward to lengthy posts on oppo with detailed photos and stories. It’s what got me into Oppo in the first place.

Decay buys too many beaters > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 02/07/2018 at 01:50

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Of course!

I used to document most of my work and post on forums, but seeing how Facebook has all but replaced the modern car forum (much to the detriment of shared knowledge within car communities as a whole, but alas, that is a rant for another day), this is pretty much the only place left where I can do semi detailed posts without running my own site.

j.davism5 > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 02:05

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That’s uh...thats pretty serious. I would go for the detune, but that is a wild setup. Build enough so that you can use it. The rest is just noise and tyre smoke. But 800 rwhp is just nuts. Good pick up, I hope its easy to get back on the road.

Decay buys too many beaters > j.davism5 02/07/2018 at 02:15

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And not a lot of dyno trickery going on. The stock car did about 190whp on this dyno, and my FR-S did about 150 bone stock. It’s nutty, only car that’s ever given me the same rush as a liter bike.

Even at 600 it’s still a 9 second car. So I’ll need a drag license and some safety mods to run it at any strips.

AestheticsInMotion > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 02:15

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Turbomiata.net is still a haven of knowledgeable car folk with real experience! That and here are the only places I really hang out anymore

AestheticsInMotion > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 02:18

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I’ll remove the motor for you, and take care of it properly. No need to thank me.

Also... Did your friend do all of this with the stock transmission..? I know they’re over-engineered but have they been shown to handle anywhere near that power before or was he just waiting for it to blow in order to get something beefier

Decay buys too many beaters > AestheticsInMotion 02/07/2018 at 02:22

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I’ll keep that in mind when it comes time to put my OG Begi aerodyne turbo on my NA!

You know Aidandj off miataturbo? He lives right up the street from me

Decay buys too many beaters > AestheticsInMotion 02/07/2018 at 02:24

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It’s in the post, has a v161 swap out of a Supra, they are super overbuilt, capable of handling more than 1000hp without mods.

AestheticsInMotion > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 02:25

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I’ve definitely seen the name, but I don’t know him. Despite finally having an actual account, I’m still mostly just a lurker over there, spending more time than I should going through build threads and new product ins-and-outs

AestheticsInMotion > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 02:26

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Ohhhhh okay I thought that came after grenading the stock transmission.

I’d kill for a garage full of 90's Japanese halo car parts. The level of engineering..... Oh man

Decay buys too many beaters > AestheticsInMotion 02/07/2018 at 02:27

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That’s the correct way to forum. Lurk until you have enough knowledge to not piss off the OGs with stupid intake/exhaust/wheels questions. That’s what soured me to the whole FRS/BRZ forum scene.

Decay buys too many beaters > AestheticsInMotion 02/07/2018 at 02:32

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Yeah, everything in the post us on the car right now, it’s kind of a lot. And that’s just what I know about, I’m sure I’ll find more as I go deeper.

I can’t even begin to add up what it would cost me to do all this from scratch. Transmission alone is worth 6-7k

dannyzabolotny > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 02:33

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So does it make any torque down low with the big turbo setup? To me, that’s the main flaw of the S2000.

Decay buys too many beaters > dannyzabolotny 02/07/2018 at 02:38

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No.

Has less than 200ft lbs until above 5000rpm. The fun is in the zone from 5500 to 6500. In this 1000rpm band it GAINS 500hp and 300 ft-lbs

kanadanmajava1 > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 04:56

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Looks fun. I have heard that even stock S2000s are slightly tricky to drive fast. I doubt that tripling the power has made it easier to handle. What’s your own opinion?

random001 > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 06:08

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Yellow!!!!!!!!!

bob and john > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 07:25

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Right, this settles it.

Im riding across canada one day and coming to see you and play with your collection. Both bikes and cars.

StndIbnz, Drives a MSRT8 > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 08:23

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I was not expecting that! 550 in the vehicle would be nuts already, but 800+!? Damn.

syaieya > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 08:45

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How does something with that power curve handle street driving?

Like i know 200 torque isnt gonna light anyones hair on fire but it will keep up in traffic. Can you just short shift 3000 rpm everywhere like a diesel or does it get upset at you like the turbo doritos for it?

Nerd-Vol > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 09:26

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I can’t wait to see more! That’s a ton of power.

This is just like my car except with a turbo, ford rear end, Supra transmission, hard top, and in yellow. I bet if we parked next to each other we would be confused.

Decay buys too many beaters > syaieya 02/07/2018 at 09:34

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Yeah you can drive it like a normal car, so long as you keep the load low enough to not spool the turbo.

Decay buys too many beaters > StndIbnz, Drives a MSRT8 02/07/2018 at 09:35

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It’s utterly too much in every sense, feels like a liter bike.

Decay buys too many beaters > bob and john 02/07/2018 at 09:37

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Sure, I’ll let you have a go in the Miata and the Ruckus :p

Decay buys too many beaters > kanadanmajava1 02/07/2018 at 09:40

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Makes it a whole lot worse. However, this hasa Racegrade IMU (3axis accelerometer 3 axis rotation sensor) feeding the ECU and running an advanced traction control system.

Decay buys too many beaters > Nerd-Vol 02/07/2018 at 09:45

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We’d probably end up getting into the wrong cars and wondering why the keys don’t fit!

DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 09:53

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I believe that zone can officially be called the “danger zone”.

William Byrd > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 10:16

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That looks terrifying. I love it.

Decay buys too many beaters > William Byrd 02/07/2018 at 10:48

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Working name for the car, until I come up with something better, has been “Project Terror”

William Byrd > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 10:50

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Project Oversteer Terror might be good as well.

We used to joke at autocross events circa 2004'ish that it wasn’t a matter of if each S2K on course would spin, but when. And that was with the stock engine.

Decay buys too many beaters > William Byrd 02/07/2018 at 11:02

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I can program talent with this little guy

3 axis accelerometer, 3 axis rotation sensor. It makes Mclaren 720s style traction control possible. Logic is already programmed in to the ECU, just need a big open lot and some time for fine tuning

dannyzabolotny > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 11:05

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Hmmm, I wonder if a supercharger would help with that lack of low end torque. Though I guess it’s a “feature” of the S2000 to have all the power up top?

William Byrd > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 11:10

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Well that’s just magical, not sure I knew that existed. Pretty cool.

Decay buys too many beaters > dannyzabolotny 02/07/2018 at 11:12

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Superchargers never did it for me. PD blowers usually start to taper off up top, and centrifugals to me, feel incredibly boring to drive.

There is a rolling antilag in the ECU firmware that I will play with at some point, basically retards ignition timing to the point that still combusting gas is sent into the turbo to spin it faster than it would normally. I know it can hit upwards of 15psi standing still.

Decay buys too many beaters > William Byrd 02/07/2018 at 11:14

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It’s how all the cool kids in high level Motorsport cheat these days, after all they’ve already got the sensors installed for telemetry :p

dannyzabolotny > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 11:53

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I guess I’ve always driven cars that don’t have much above 5k RPM anyways, so a PD blower works fine for me. I’m all about that low-end torque...

Decay buys too many beaters > dannyzabolotny 02/07/2018 at 12:26

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Not me! Although my 540i did offer me a nice respite from my usual shenanigans, my real love is high HP high rpm screamers (mostly bikes)

One thing to keep in mind, the s2000 is different than most things you’ll run in to. 5000rpm is only a little over halfway on the rev counter, so there’s still a lot left over that. The gearing is such that, once you’re out of first you don’t HAVE to be in that sub-5000rpm zone ever again.

dannyzabolotny > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 12:42

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Different strokes for different folks, I suppose. I’ve only driven high-torque cars like the 540i (I think I’ve had almost a dozen of them), M5, 750il, Mercedes S500, C5 Corvette, and Mustang GT, where going past 3k isn’t ever necessary. Never had a motorcycle, and I don’t intend to (I hate road noise/wind, I always keep my windows up in every car).

Decay buys too many beaters > dannyzabolotny 02/07/2018 at 12:57

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Ha, we are on different ends there. I keep the Miata above 3000rpm 100% of the time I’m driving it, Something about having to wring a car’s neck a bit to get the best out just does it for me :p

It’s funny, whenever I let people drive the Miata, they all seem used to driving cars with torque and short shift the hell out of it. I have to tell them specifically to just STAND on the throttle right to the limiter, after doing that once or twice they usually crack a smile and begin to drive it very differently.

... they usually end up buying Miatas too

dannyzabolotny > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 13:04

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I do that sometimes in the 540i/6 as well, the only difference is that if I get carried away I get into triple-digit speeds. I have too many speeding tickets already, lol. It’s nice to be able to shift at like 2k RPM for super smooth, relaxed driving though.

Decay buys too many beaters > dannyzabolotny 02/07/2018 at 13:13

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Ahh, I do miss that a bit. Nothing quite beats a big V8 for highway cruising. Sometimes I wish I still had my 540, but decided at the end of last summer to finally buy the gear and make a run at doing 100% motorcycle commuting (in the wettest climate in the US, mind you). By about December realized that I hadn’t driven the BMW in two solid months, decided it was time to move on from it. Even when I did have to drive it was usually a third choice after the FR-S and the Miata.

dannyzabolotny > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 13:22

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Out of all those, the 540i would be my first choice, haha. But I’m weird and prefer bigger cars. I recently sold my Corvette because it was too small inside. I plan to take my 540it (wagon) on the track at some point in the near future, because big cars are life.

Decay buys too many beaters > dannyzabolotny 02/07/2018 at 13:35

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And here I am considering buying a Kei car because the Miata feels too big.

dannyzabolotny > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 13:56

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Hahaha, how tall are you? I’m 6'0" and 200lbs, so I get cramped pretty easily. I drove a friend’s Z3 M-Coupe a while back and I felt so cramped afterwards... still want one though.

Decay buys too many beaters > dannyzabolotny 02/07/2018 at 14:00

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5'11" 150lbs, I seem to fit in most things pretty easily.

dannyzabolotny > Decay buys too many beaters 02/07/2018 at 15:35

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Interesting. You’re probably narrower than I am, with a 50lb difference. I end up sitting way far back in most cars because my legs are pretty long so I get cramped pretty easily. And headroom is an issue for me, even in my E39 I only feel like I have like two inches of headroom.

Decay buys too many beaters > dannyzabolotny 02/07/2018 at 15:59

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Yeah I guess so, don’t really get claustrophobic though, a nice side effect of all the cave exploring I did as a kid.

That said, I seem to fit in most things with a helmet on without much issue.