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It’s funny how when you start a project like the Fairmont you work out a budget based on practicality. Once you get into the build, at least for me, it seems that things get ratcheted up a notch and the budget seems to go out the window. The entire time you are trying to do the right thing. It becomes more difficult to look at some of the choices you make objectively.
What are your thoughts and experiences?
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Being that I’ve already completed a few modded car build, I think that it’s a common pitfall that you want to buy the best for the car, but can’t decide when to stop?
For me, it kind of depends on the affordability of the modification vs the benefits, but more on the affordability part.
Always stick to a total budget for modding.. With a set budget, I cannot and won’t simply buy every single overbuilt part that’s on the market, but rather work out what critical areas the car needs and allocate the budget accordingly.
For example, if the car has been known to have cooling issues, then obviously more budget will go to the cooling system. If it’s handling, more of the budget will go towards addressing the handling.
People who think that cars come off the assembly line perfect usually don’t get the idea of ‘improving’ the car because they don’t think about the budgetary constraints that go into building a car that might make the car ‘less perfect’ than it should be. So in building on modifying a car, I would address the weakest link first. But always remember the endgame when building a rolling shell from scratch, it’s to get the car MOVING. (Unless of course you are simply tinkering for the sake of tinkering or R&D of making custom parts.)
My approach is,
I figure out a set budget that I need to get it moving (usually I’ll go over, but usually not like double the amount)
So how much percentage of that will go to
a) driveline (increased power/not, transmission needs rebuilt?)
b) body and interiors (addressing rust, dents, interior bits, leather seats, entertainment system and what not)
c) supporting mods (rollcages, uprated mounts, chassis stiffening if required etc.)it makes more sense to spend enough to get it moving, then figure out the priorities. and purpose and choose the mods accordingly. without spending so much that the other areas of the build finds themselves devoid of a proper budget.
What are your goals for the car?
Are you adding more power? Or just fixing it to be drivable?
Pretty sure you’re not going to break the bank much if it’s the latter.
It’s when the former that you can break budgets in a big way.P.S. 4 microns, with that kind of filtering, isn’t that putting a heavy load on the pump?
I think when modding a vehicle we all have had the terrible experience of buying a part for a good price and then not too far down the road it’s not adiquite so we find ourselves buying the top of the line unit anyways, so even more money plus the headache of having to deal with the problem and do it all over again. So why not just go all out in the first place and never have a problem? Right. No doubt Eric, you won’t have a problem with debris in your fuel system ever, but was it all necessary? It’s even worse when it comes to tools. You know that the cheaper tool’s one thing it is unable to do is going to be the very thing you will need it to do.
Recently I bought an engine support bar, OTC 1725. I could have gotten one like the shop has that is the square tube type for less than half, and it would work, but then again, my reason for wanting one was because it worries me when I watch that thing flex when it has an AWD V6 drivetrain it’s holding, so I got one which is overkill, but I will never have to worry about that thing not being strong enough. Just FYI, that thing is king of engine support bars.
[quote=”stilllearning” post=169311]P.S. 4 microns, with that kind of filtering, isn’t that putting a heavy load on the pump?[/quote]
I think any potential flow restriction is more than balanced out by the much larger surface area of the filter media in the awesomer filter.
Gotta say, though, that I would have put a filter that large in a protected area, like the trunk, instead of dangling it outside off the bottom of the floorpan.
I understand wanting to build something really cool and when you build a few cars, trucks,or whatever as you build your mind wonders,” what if” then you change a few things maybe before the builds done or after its done. Sometimes things just don’t workout as you planned, and there is always the fine tuning. After you get enough builds under your belt, it seem the builds get easier due to the experience and simple becomes more cool, you don’t spend money on things because you’ve seem that done a lot before and you get to a point that it doesn’t matter. Yeah it’s cool to drive a tire burning thumper, but its a lot of work it’s even more fun to have a reliable, turn the key, put her in gear and go. What I am really getting at is age and your stage in life, when your younger it’s balls out, when your older it’s fun just to cruise around, with the occasional burnout. When your older your usually in a better financial situation to build a sweet ride, but you have more respect for that dollar.Happy Rodding
A lot of good points.
I did set a budget in the beginning and for the most part I stuck to it. However when the engine made way more power than expected, things changed quite a bit. Had I built an engine that was in the 300-350hp range I would have been better off. However, I wanted to build something different so I added the turbo. After taking the engine apart to find that I needed a new block, things started to go down hill. After buying the new block, it all seemed to snowball from there. So it was really just the one decision about the turbo that set things on the ‘overbuilding’ path.
As for the placement of the pump and filter, it really is the best place. You don’t want to mount fuel components like that inside the vehicle, even in the trunk. If there was ever a leak it could be catastrophic. Also, it makes changing the filter much easier. I stand by my placement. The only reservation I have about the fuel system now is if I should be running a boost controlled fuel psi regulator. I have one if I need it, I just hope I don’t because it will require upgrading all the lines in the fuel system. Once again getting back to overbuilding.
I do agree that experience should help with this issue on future builds. I suppose I’ll just have to wait and see.
Thanks for everyones input.
The hard/expensive thing is taking an old inexpensive car (30+ years old) and trying to make it do everything great.
Many new performance car can do this, but they have had hundreds of millions spent on development.
If you want to build a car for a specific type of racing, or event, than plan the build and budget for that. Otherwise you usually end up with so many compromises, the car does not do anything great.A lot of times overbuilding just moves the weakness down the line. I’ll use my experience from Rock crawling. I started out with a vehicle that had a moderate lift and 35″ tires. By the time I was done I had 1 ton axles, dual transfer cases, locked differentials, Ram assist steering, a full roll cage with suspension seats and 5 point harness with a plethora of other goodies. I basically ended up with a vehicle that could drive over almost any type of terrain but pavement. I think the secret is knowing when to stop overbuilding and upgrading. I think that because of the line of work we are in we fall into the trap of overkill because we don’t want to fix the same thing twice and things spiral out of control from there.
One question I have for you guys. Has anyone ever actually finished a project? I mean it seems lie we get them built running and even drive them around for years but are they really ever done?
Now you have to think is this really going to benefit you…
lets look at cause and effect… yes, you will get cleaner fuel but with the more density filter but what has to push the fuel the pump… effect is your pump will have to work harder and you will have to change the filter more often… another thing to think is what will happen when it starts to clog up.. you will get less fuel to the engine decreasing the performance..
People think oh ya this is better on performance because the ad said so and it sounds better but you really you have to think about it what happens when it starts to ware out.. and how log will it take until it gets there and is it worth it or not and would I be better getting a standard one instead???
Just my thoughts seeing what you all think about itI don’t think the filter will restrict flow. The much larger surface area of the filtering media in such a large filter compensates for any potential flow restriction.
As for the filter clogging up, well, that’s its job. What would be the point if it didn’t trap unwanted particles to begin with? When it clogs, you clean it or replace it.
Besides, it’s not like today’s fuels have leaves and dead mice in them. As long as the interior of the fuel tank is in good shape, it’ll probably be years before the filter needs attention.
In today’s world of fuel injection, fuel filtration is really important.
So important, you wouldn’t believe how many times gasoline is filtered between the refinery and your engine.
My wife’s 1999 Honda CRV has got a metal canister fuel filter on the firewall. It’s about the size of two shot glasses. I’ve never replaced it in 400 000 km.
I back washed the filter once onto a clean white paper towel, at about 300 000 km. Nothing came out.
Great video Eric (as always)
Will overbuilding make it awesomer? YES. I love seeing and hearing about someone who had lots of forethought into building something beyond the “it looks better” or “an advertisement says it gives X more horsepower”. Just seeing a well thought out plan, and its even better when you see one that shows after thoughts of “if it breaks” or something that makes it easier to service in the future.
And I loved the phrase “How fast do you want to spend”. MY 1970 C10 is a great example to this. The answer is 5 to 10 years but maintain it as a DD as much as possible. I need that time to get better at the craft and time to plan what I want to do. Meaning with the easy stuff my rule is “do no harm to the future”. For example, the truck came with the switch for the defroster fan broken off. I checked around to find that I’d need to buy the whole $250 console for just one plastic lever 🙁 And in that same mind, fixing the one I had doesn’t have a ETCG video yet 😆 and if I can’ t find another one when money becomes no issue again, well, I need to do something else.
I ended up making my own work around. I bought a small spool of 16Ga wire, an inline fuse, and a Hi/LOW/OFF switch from the parts store, all for about $40. I ran a wire from the positive battery post, to the inline fuse, to the positive terminal on the blower motor, then ran a line through an existing hole in the firewall, then mounted the new switch in an exiting hole near the old lever. and then ran to a ground. Voila. I have a blower. The workaround is safe, the inline fuse will ensure the motor’s safety (I’m using a 4A fuse as was stated in the fuse box), and I didn’t hurt any of these hard to find parts if they turn into repairs and not replaces. When the money tree arrives, I can remove all of this and no one will know the wiser.
Love ETCG1 Eric and keep up the great work on Oliver 🙂
Thanks for everyone’s input on this. It seems overbuilding DOES make it awesomer. At least for some of you.
For those of you commenting on my fuel filter, I don’t consider the system finished yet, but it’s low psi, 14psi max, so you don’t need to worry about the hose that I used. The filter will work as a reservoir for the pump who’s inlet is lower than the filter outlet.
My main concern with the system is that some of the lines are too small. Particularly the ones coming out of the tank and the one running from the filter/fuel pump to the engine bay. I’m considering a fuel cell and different lines, but that would be more $$. I guess we’ll have to see how it works out.
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