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kaeser1's 89 Colt GT Turbo Build - Updated 1/29/2012
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Author:  kaeser1 [ Fri Dec 16, 2011 7:55 pm ]
Post subject:  kaeser1's 89 Colt GT Turbo Build - Updated 1/29/2012
Figured I would start a build thread on my car to keep track of the progress. I have an original 89 Dodge Colt GT Turbo car that I purchased from Indiana. The car had 138,000 miles when I bought it and was in need of 22 years worth of maintenance. I found that the original owner had the timing belt replaced at a Firestone location...... It was HORRIBLE!! There was a groove worn down the center of the best caused by broken plastic, the lower timing cover was cracked and installed incorrectly (the AC and PS belts were rubbing it), and the covers were missing bolts. Other than the timing belt, air filter and a few brake parts, everything on this car was original. I went on rockauto.com and started going through all of their categories and ordered all of the parts I thought needed to be replaced before I started driving the car. Below is a list of the maintenance parts I have installed on the car since I bought it back in July..

Timing belt, tensioner, tensioner pulley, idler pulley, water pump, cam seals, all accessory belts, valve cover gasket, spark plugs, fuel filter, air filter, upper and lower radiator hoses, thermostat, radiator cap, all new fluids, KYB GR2 shocks and struts, front strut top hats, rear shock mounting bushings, bump-stops and boots, etc.

Here are some pictures of the car after I was able to detail the inside and outside.

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I couldn't stand driving the car around with the stock white steelies, so I decided to get some lighter and wider rims along with some sticky tires. I purchased some 15x7 Drag DR-34 wheels with a 40mm offset and some 195/55 Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2's. I then detailed the engine bay and purchased a Hyundai valve cover from 89mirageman that he painted with a wrinkle red finish. I also installed a 91-94 DSM shifter that makes shifting 10x better.

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I just ordered about half of my parts to do my much needed brake overhaul. I purchased some zinc coated and slotted rotors, Porterfield R4-S pads, ATE Super Blue fluid, and Techna-fit stainless brake lines. I still have to order a reman'd master cylinder, reman'd calipers, and wheel bearings. I will be taking a lot of pictures of the install (mid January) and will post them when I am done.

Future Mods:
Eibach Prokit 1G DSM AWD Springs
Yoshifab strut tower bars
3" exhaust
Air-to-water intercooler setup
Author:  quikgt [ Sat Dec 17, 2011 12:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: kaeser1's 89 Colt GT Turbo Build
Nice-I so love the white,looks original paint!!
The DSM shifter hard to install?
Author:  CSM Shaun [ Sat Dec 17, 2011 1:17 am ]
Post subject:  Re: kaeser1's 89 Colt GT Turbo Build
Good work on the valve cover, I like it!
Author:  CaptainTonus [ Sat Dec 17, 2011 2:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: kaeser1's 89 Colt GT Turbo Build
WOWZERS! Beautiful car, man!
Author:  89Mirageman [ Sat Dec 17, 2011 2:17 am ]
Post subject:  Re: kaeser1's 89 Colt GT Turbo Build
Car looks great man and that valve cover does look great 8) . Call me crazy but I actually like the color matched steelies with the beauty rings.
Author:  Cuda-68 [ Sat Dec 17, 2011 4:19 am ]
Post subject:  Re: kaeser1's 89 Colt GT Turbo Build
Very very nice! I wish I had a white Colt GT as clean as yours, and white wheels on a white car is the S imho.
Author:  redcoltcr [ Sat Dec 17, 2011 7:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: kaeser1's 89 Colt GT Turbo Build
Beutiful car !
Author:  kaeser1 [ Sat Dec 17, 2011 8:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: kaeser1's 89 Colt GT Turbo Build
Thanks for the comments guys!!!
Quote:
Nice-I so love the white,looks original paint!!
The DSM shifter hard to install?
Yes, its the original paint, the door handles look like poo, but the rest of the paint turned out great after I used polishing compound and some NuFinish on it. The DSM shifter really isn't that bad, you don't have to try to make a frakenstein shifter from other cars like other people are doing.

A few things you have to worry about:
-The bases between the two shifters are not alike, you can only mount the DSM shifter by the 2 front mounting holes. If you take out the base bushings and hard mount the shifter, its not going anywhere.
-You will need the eye bolt from the DSM front-rear selector cable to fit the the DSM shifter (FYI..its the same eye bolt on a CSM left-to-right selector)
-The front-to-rear selector cable mount sits about 1/2" closer to the firewall than the CSM so you will have to expand the eye bolt adjuster to connect to the shifter.
-The DSM shifter has a stop that is formed on the the lower arm of the shifter, take off the rubber silencer and grind off the stop.
-File off some of your shift boot mount to clear the pivot point of the DSM shifter. (Do not split the boot mount, you will hate yourself, just keep removing some material until it clears the shifter pivot)

This seems like a lot, but its not really not. I have done this on 2 different cars and it has worked great. I guess pictures would be better than the description but you will see what I am talking about if you tackle this project.
Author:  kaeser1 [ Sat Dec 17, 2011 8:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: kaeser1's 89 Colt GT Turbo Build
Quote:
Car looks great man and that valve cover does look great 8) . Call me crazy but I actually like the color matched steelies with the beauty rings.
They needed some work and 14's just don't cut it (they are freakin heavy). They are just sitting in the basement now. If I have the money when these tires wear out, I will probably get the Drag wheels powder coated white. I wanted either white or bronze wheels but had a really hard time finding them in 15x7. I wanted bronze Slipstreams like Tony had but Rota did not have any at all when I was looking.
Author:  xxNocturnalxx [ Sat Dec 17, 2011 9:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: kaeser1's 89 Colt GT Turbo Build
I love the solid white with the red sripe, wow :o
Author:  aaronsbig16g [ Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: kaeser1's 89 Colt GT Turbo Build
Looks good, loving the wheels.
Author:  93'TSIColt [ Tue Dec 27, 2011 10:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: kaeser1's 89 Colt GT Turbo Build
mmmmm my GT's twin!! but cleaner!! I envy your cleaness!!! Is there any rust at all on that beaut!!??



How many miles on her?
Author:  kaeser1 [ Wed Dec 28, 2011 4:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: kaeser1's 89 Colt GT Turbo Build
I just hit 140,000 miles on it the other day.

There was a tiny bit of rust on the pinch seam in the rear fender wells, I ground that out and sealed it up. The car was undercoated when it was bought new so everything looks really good underneath. Some of the exhaust is rusted, but that is coming off anyways.
Author:  kaeser1 [ Sun Jan 29, 2012 5:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: kaeser1's 89 Colt GT Turbo Build
I installed my new brake setup the other day. Here are all of the parts:

SP Performance Slotted Rotors, Front and Rear
Porterfield R4-S Pads, Front and Rear
Technafit Stainless Steel Brake Lines
ATE Super Blue Brake Fluid
Re-manufactured Master Cylinder
Re-manufactured Calipers, Front and Rear
Front Wheel Bearings
Front Sway Bar Bushings
Front Sway Bar End Links

Link to brake parts: http://www.topbrakes.com/searchResults.php/32582#

The Colt hardly stopped before I installed theses parts. One of the front calipers barley worked, one of the rear calipers had a broken e-brake mechanism, the rotors were original and warped, and the pads felt as though they were made from skin. I really can't believe the difference this setup made. This thing stops FAST!!!!!! My buddy has a Miata that is setup for autocross and he admits my car stops A LOT faster than his. I had Hawk HPS pads on my Subaru Legacy and they don't compare to the stopping power of the Porterfield R4-S pads. I hate the captive rotor setup, but it really wasn't that bad to take apart. We used a 2' pry bar between the rotor and the hub to gently pop the rotor assembly off of the hub. Much faster and easier than a slide hammer or taking the hub to a shop and getting it pressed off.

The only problem with this setup was that the rotors were zinc coated..... During the bed-in proccess the zinc coating that was removed got really hot and solidified all of over the rims and calipers. It took me over 2 hours to clean all of the solidified zinc/brake dust mixture off of the front two wheels. If you guys go towards this setup, either get the zinc plated or mill finish rotors.

Pics:

Front-
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Rear-
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Author:  Flying Eagle [ Sun Jan 29, 2012 9:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: kaeser1's 89 Colt GT Turbo Build - Updated 1/29/2012
So, let me get this straight. Your car now looks even more attractive? :lol: :prayer:
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