FAILURE 1 – Bucky and the FPR
A few weeks back, we had everything set for the tune. Bucky said, “I’ll see you tomorrow” (which was a Sunday). He was gonna put on a base map and do a street tune. Bucky also took my Fuel Pressure Regulator so he can make a bracket.
Come the next day… he didn’t show up and went MIA. Since then, I have had no contact with him, even though I’ve text and tried to call. I had to get another FPR. Luckily, I grabbed my LINK ECU, which was in the office with the rest of Project Leopard’s stuff. *NOTE THIS!!! One thing I did leave behind, was the NTK Wideband, thinking that the next time I come down, we would get it going.
Moving forward without depending on Bucky.
FAILURE 2 – Prepping Project Leopard
It’s been about a month since I was in LA (for JCCS) and I had to figure out what to do with the tune. I hit up Lamar of Total Shop Prestige here in NorCal. He said whenever I’m ready. I decided that I need to get Project Leopard here in NorCal since my tuning option in SoCal was no more.
I rented a Uhaul pick up truck and drove to LA on Friday night. I would reserve an autotransport trailer from Uhaul to pick up Sunday. Saturday was going to be the time to put the FPR, NTK wideband and base map and hope to have Project Leopard move on it’s own.
Upon getting ready, the NTK wideband 02 was missing from the office. I immediately called Jacob (my son) and had him look in my garage where I kept Project Leopard’s parts. The NTK wasn’t in my garage either. I knew I didn’t bring it up with me, but I had to make sure it wasn’t in my possession.
The NTK Wideband system was missing! – WTF
****UPDATE****
Just found out that Bucky took it to figure out where to set it up. He did this without telling anyone.
I asked Matt (Thrice Engineering) to bring a couple of small pieces of metal to make a bracket for the FPR. Hung was able to mount the FPR, but then he said we need a fuel pressure gauge. Which I didn’t have at all.
No Fuel Pressure Gauge – uuughhhh.
Hung also said we need to take off the right side intercooler pipe and put on an IAC barb. We have the hose, but for some reason, a barb wasn’t welded on during the whole time Thrice was doing all the welding.
REVISIT welding a barb for the PCV AND BUNG FOR IAC.
Hung and I started to fill some coolant and he noticed some leaks, so he tightened those up. But then he noticed the leak at the Greddy Intake manifold fitting they RVT’d. This was the Boost Doc coolant inlet fitting that Marco, Jason and Hung said wasn’t right. I wish at the time when we were assembling that part to weld it in (which I wasn’t opposed or anything). So there is a slow drip. That means it has to come out and be welded on properly. Which means the Greddy Intake Manifold has to come out.
Boost Doc fitting leaking – smh
With these issues, I couldn’t put a base map on, which means I couldn’t move the car easily onto the autotransport trailer, which means if I brought up to NorCal, it has to sit while those issues were solved. I was trying to contact Lamar to see what he wanted to do. I only planned to have a tune done with him. I know his shop doesn’t have space and I don’t know if he has time to fix my car.
While I waited for a response, I started to put my car together with some of the stuff that’s just been waiting. I wanted to put the Mac Valve, but realize I don’t have anything to mount it with.
Need to get a bracket.
It was getting pretty late into the afternoon and Sid said maybe I should leave it there for another month (yes, I pay storage fees to Infinite Auto Design). I also had to cancel the reservation for the auto transport.
Pay storage fee, cancel auto transport trailer and wasted money on renting a Pick up truck.
Next day, I was trying to get all my resources together. Hung said he has no more time for my car, which HAS put in a ton and so I don’t want to bug him about it. He’s helped me SOOOO much. As I was thinking when to come back down, I just had to clean up the storage office where Project Leopard’s stuff is. I did this to make sure that the NTK wasn’t hidden one of the storage bins or boxes or if I misplaced it somewhere. Unfortunately, I didn’t find it. I cleaned up a bit and decided to bring back a good amount of stuff I had for Project Leopard. I just didn’t want to leave behind some expensive parts.
The Next Plan
I ordered
- NTK wideband 02 system
- Tomei Fuel Pressure gauge
- Mac Valve bracket
- Oil catch can
- Coolant reservoir
- Brake Master heat shield
I have to take off the Greddy intake manifold (which means I need to get another plenum gasket), have the coolant inlet fitting properly welded on and also the barb.
I am not going to lie. I feel defeated. It feels like I can’t catch a break. Believe it or not, I tried to keep as very little people involved.. and with SR20store, Sakura Garage, Bucky… supposedly trusted people… wasted my time and effort. These setbacks of things needing to get redone because it wasn’t done right the 1st time… and the lack of communication…
Anyways, I will get this car done, but I just realize how much trust I put into people to only screw me over.