JDOliver Conquest

Swaps in Progress, on the Road and on the Track.

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JDOliver
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Location: Western KY

JDOliver Conquest

Post by JDOliver »

My project has its origins in the current owner of Chrysler, FIAT.
After a couple of years autocrossing and local rallies in my FIAT Spider I realized that major upgrades where needed. I was in the market for an I.R.S., some wheels, a turbo, and a roll bar. A friend had just bought a Conquest for his junkyard at took me to look at it for the rear end. The exterior was almost all straight, and the interior was very good. The only thing missing was the engine. There where also three turbo 4g63s in various states of disassembly. Then I did the costs on what it was going to take to get the FIAT where I wanted it to be VS. 4g63 Conquest.

I bought the Conquest for $250 and traded a VW VAGCOM cable for anything from the 4g63 cars I needed. One had been rolled so it was a running engine before it got there. There's a lot more, but it would take several more paragraphs. Paid for the car mid 2008, finally got it home mid 2009, stripped it down to the body late 2010, pulled the engines apart and reassembled 2011. Ordered and received Bill Hinchers W58 adapter during 2011 also.

Where I am right now ? Putting the body back together and sanding for paint, flywheel off to the machinist, figuring out the last details getting everything on the front side of the engine, and pick up a transmission. That's the January schedule. The rest of my plans; D2 coilovers, using Megasquirt which had on the FIAT, rebuild the braking system stock, put a cage in it eventually. Plans are to have it running and racing April this year. Here's a few pics to start. I need to drop more on the photobucket that I've taken with my phone.
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moidsm1
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Post by moidsm1 »

Nice project. Good luck
JDOliver
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Post by JDOliver »

A little update. Got tired of trying to deal with the effects of trying to use the Mighty Max water pump and picked up a stock one. For those that haven't tried, it pushed the pulley further out, created a lot more work in getting the engine cover back on, and generaly created as many problems as potential benefits. I plan on rallyX with this car so it needs the covers on there.

Plans are to get the Jay Racing block off/AN fitting that directs water out the side and move the alternator to the other side. I have to put the pump on it see if I have to ditch the short front outlet still and do something else.

Got the car sanded down an tried some of the Duplicolor Lacquer on a few parts. It was so thin that even sanding shown through and I dislike spraying clear since it's one more chance to screw up. I picked up a little epoxy primer to put on it instead but the weather turned colder. Ill use the time to get back on the engine plumbing till it warms up.

I should drop off the flywheel tomorrow and grab a trans by the end of the month.
DJpowerHaus
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Post by DJpowerHaus »

JDOliver wrote:A little update. Got tired of trying to deal with the effects of trying to use the Mighty Max water pump and picked up a stock one. For those that haven't tried, it pushed the pulley further out, created a lot more work in getting the engine cover back on, and generaly created as many problems as potential benefits. I plan on rallyX with this car so it needs the covers on there.
Truth. Its a pain to use the truck pump. I'm still thinking that for my setup it has a better final result, but I was okay moving the power steering too and most people will not be.

I have an AN (-20 I think) racing thermostat housing at home if you're looking for something like that.

I'm weary of the removable j-racing water necks. I used on on craig's car and I always felt like with too much wiggling it would leak. I've welded mine on and I'm totally happy with it.
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Getting the engine bolted in is about 10% of the way there.
The next 80% can go quickly with help and skill.
That last 10% takes about as long as the 90% that came before it.
TsTKl
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Post by TsTKl »

thats exactly why I went with the jay racing solution I did. They sell it straight off their website with an option for a -20 outlet so you could use that theromostat and not have to worry about any leaks. Just make sure you mount it high enough to bleed the system properly.
JDOliver
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Location: Western KY

Post by JDOliver »

I am thinking one of the Jay Racing long outlets if it will get by the water pump pulley and using an external thermostat that I have sitting around. I'll probably pull out a volvo coolant bottle and use a volvo sealed radiator. That puts the air escape as high as you can get the top of the bottle, you just have to make sure you find a way to make sure you get as much air out of the head before the first start.
JDOliver
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Joined: Sun May 17, 2009 10:17 pm
Location: Western KY

Post by JDOliver »

Thought I would post a few pictures. I'm good at taking them but bad about organizing. Picked up my flywheel from the machinest $30 and clutch set for an 87 toyota pickup this week $80. The supra kit has a slighty larger disk but the exact same pilot and throwout for $160. The pickup disk is just under 9inch and supra just over.
Cleanup before body work.
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Random bodywork in progress. I really should have just left it alone since it's only going to see racing duty but I couldn't.
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Engine test fit with mitsubishi mounts. It's a little too far back and likely not lined up correctly from some of Bill Hinchers information. I'll make some adjustments as I decide on plumbing before driveshaft work.
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Mr. Bill Hinchers work, the W series adapter
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The 4g63 with Jay Racings front outlet$70 and a Mighty Max pump. I put the stock pump back on now and will post picks once I have all the accessories and routing done to drop in the car. I plan to cut and weld the stock piping so I can retain the alternator and power steering it the stock locations for simplicity. That will be awhile.
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Part of the wiring that fills up the interior of a conquest. Very heavy.
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I'm doing a little body work while picking up mechanical parts here an there right now. There are several W series within 60 miles so deciding which one I want will be next. There is a what looks to be about 5 inch difference in shifter location between 85 and 88 models so I'll be deciding based on that.
90awdtsi
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Post by 90awdtsi »

what transmission are you going to use? and just curious does anyone know if a r-154 will fit in the starion? and will the shifter line up?
JDOliver
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Location: Western KY

Post by JDOliver »

I will be using a W-58. The R-154 length vs. W-58 vs. T-56 is already covered in a thread on this forum in detail.
JDOliver
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Post by JDOliver »

Jumped on here for a little update. When prepping this car for suspension work I found some serious subframe and overall alignment issues that I couldn't work around. I saved the interior for someone looking to restore one due to the very good conditon.

Fortunately the little bit of money I have spent on motors and adapter can go into something else. I have been looking around for another more modern platform that I won't require quite so much to be dropped into suspension and will be a streetable car. I picked up a RX-8 recently and am now in the research part of what is possible with it. I've owned muscle cars and Miatas and this is my favorite so far. I took a long roadtrip and autocrossed it before the engine was finished. I am almost certain that it won't get another Renesis or rotory but I haven't measured it out for a 4g63 setup yet. The engines out so that will probably happen this week.

I am still struggling with a front of the engine 4g63 setup I really like along with a crankshaft pickup.
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