Chef's 1992 929 project

Been busy. Got a new motor and transmission a while back. Apparently the slightly more powerful JDM version but I haven't really compared to the one in my car yet. Took 10 days off work and started ripping into her with my buddy. I swapped the front and rear coilovers around some so I could have better up/down adjustment front and rear. Before I was max down in the front and max up in the rear. Now I have the same drop and I can go either direction. It could lay on the floor if I wanted her to. I replaced upper and lower front control arms and did all 4 brake rotors and pads.









Ended up a bit low. LOL I had to raise it some fron here.



Now the fun begins















I picked up this M90 supercharger locally for a future project. I think I have it all figured out just need to find someone to make me some parts.







I think hood clearance is going to be an issue. LOL nothing a nice scoop and/or motor lowering or even hood spacers can't fix.

 
So far I have been prepping and cleaning the new motor to go in. Got all the wiring harnesses off both motors so we should be able to at least get the old motor out tonight. I've completely removed the air conditioning system as well as cruise control. Then I went through and removed a bunch of unnecessary brackets and such from the engine bay. I'll be relocating the battery to the trunk and putting some jumper terminals in the bay by the radiator in case the battery goes dead (electronic trunk popper and no key mech anymore). I've got a new radiator coming because the old one is toast. I'll be installing two pusher style electric fans to replace the stupid large mechanical fan that was on the front of the original motor. The electric fans will be powered by a switch relay with an in-line temperature sensor telling them when to turn on and off. Should work like a charm. My thermostat opens at 180 degrees so I got a sensor that will kick the fans on at 210 and turn them off at 195. If that leaves the temp needle too high I have a 200/185 switch I can replace it with.
 
Got the old motor out and the new one in and wired up. Worked into the early morning hours with my best friend and most of today after a few hours of sleep.















 
Haven't updated with pictures or videos because I don't have any. Need to get them from my buddy.

The motor is in and it even fired right up on the first try! The new motor is STRONG! It can drive on its own but I need to finish installing a new radiator with electronic fans. Not really a hard job just don't have time right now. Once that is done I need to get her to my buddy to fabricate a new exhaust. It's loud because I broke some exhaust flanges taking everything off for the swap.

I also realized I have never posted any interior pictures. Here's the interior. I added the wooden Nardi wheel to give her a more vintage feel. I also stumbled onto some OEM polished door sills on ebay that say Sentia on them and snatched them up! They're like the ones that the mx6 had but polished to a nice shine!



 
doppleganger

Haven't updated with pictures or videos because I don't have any. Need to get them from my buddy.

The motor is in and it even fired right up on the first try! The new motor is STRONG! It can drive on its own but I need to finish installing a new radiator with electronic fans. Not really a hard job just don't have time right now. Once that is done I need to get her to my buddy to fabricate a new exhaust. It's loud because I broke some exhaust flanges taking everything off for the swap.

I also realized I have never posted any interior pictures. Here's the interior. I added the wooden Nardi wheel to give her a more vintage feel. I also stumbled onto some OEM polished door sills on ebay that say Sentia on them and snatched them up! They're like the ones that the mx6 had but polished to a nice shine!




Hi,
I'm new here. First off, love your car and what you've done. Secondly, I have the exact same car! Color and all!
I've been following what you've been doing and am ready to dive in. Firstly I'm changing exhaust, wheels and tires, and installing a double din nav head unit. I have one BIG question though, where on earth do I find the CLEAR Lens headlights that you spoke of!?

Keep up the good work on that awesome ride!
 
Thanks! It's good to see someone else owns one of these beautiful cars and cares about it.

I found the headlights online from a japanese parts importing company. They're the normal headlights just someone sanded down all the fluting on the back sides of the lenses and made them clear. You can find things like that for the 929 you just have to search ebay regularly and do random google searches. No parts companies even know what the 929 is so you won't get much help from the big guys.
 
A japanese parts importing company? Okay I'll try searching some more! I love your door sill pieces too... I'll be looking for some of those :)
I'll post a couple picks of mine in a few days. I just ripped out the back seat and trunk carpeting to start my stereo install. Factory amp is gone now and the wiring is coming out also. I think that shelve where the factor amp sits is going to become the new home for the sub.
Any idea how that rear speaker shelve cover comes out? I'm thinking it might just pop up if I pry on it?
 
The tan part that covers the speakers? It just pops out but be gentle because the old plastic WILL break. I picked up a better looking one from the junk yard for my car but eventually I want to make a nice stained wood piece to go there instead.

You can find some parts on ebay once in a while if you search for JDM 929, MS-9, or JDM Sentia.

These are the real "Clear" headlights. Mine are just polished inside to remove the fluting.

http://forums.mazdaworld.org/103-929/81605-clear-hd-headlights.html
 
A wood stained piece would be sweet, match the psuedo wood grain around the shifter and stereo lol. So the rear speaker shelve just pops up huh, I figured it did but I didn't want to just start prying at it. Do i need to remove the seatbelts or just pop that plastic panel retainer in the middle and then work at it?
THanks for the info! You are lightyears ahead of where I'm trying to get!!
 
If you have the back seat off I think there were little clips there holding it in place. I didn't have to move seatbelts.

I don't have the wood grain around my stereo or shifter. But I do have a nice wooden nardi wheel that I would try to match.
 
Well here's some pic's of the green beast. This is what I'm starting with. All I've done so far is replace the head unit with a temporary one until I get a double din touch screen and replaced all the speakers. The factory ones were "all" shot, the foam on all of them disintegrated lol. The power antennae doesn't work so I'll work on that soon. I'm starting with some comfort items so I can drive it for now :) Eventually I'll start tearing stuff down.
It runs fine but has a slight shake at idle, not quite a miss or dead hole... has new plugs, leads and distributor cap. Do these things normally idle like that? Also, this thing shifts hard, almost like it has a stage 2 shift kit in it! I know nothing about these cars but, is that normal?? 20150407_143420_resized.jpg20150407_143429_resized.jpg20150407_143451_resized.jpg20150407_143507_resized.jpg20150407_143525_resized.jpg
 
It looks great! I like the gold emblem kit you have on yours! I put a diamond style front grill on mine that's gold too.

My stereo works when it wants to. I'll rewire it someday I guess. I took the power antenna out of my mx6 and swapped over the mounting brackets and such from the broken 929 antenna. They're basically the same anyway. The mx6 one was a little longer so I had to remove one of the solar vent fans from the side with the antenna on it. I don't have the solar sunroof anymore anyway.

The idle on mine is pretty good. I haven't run the new motor much yet but the old idle might have had a few stumbles. The car also had a bunch of valve tap and smoked a lot so it had some other issues then too. Mine did shift pretty hard too. There is a transmission cooler in the radiator and automatic transmissions shift a lot harder when the fluid is cool. Especially hard before everything is up to operating temperature.
 
Do you have more recent photo's of yours? I don't see a gold diamond style front grille in the photo's, I see the original chrome one though. I think I'll do something like you with the antennae, maybe a trip to the wrecker and pull whatever I find and make it work. I'm thinking maybe if I ever decide to body work and go to paint that I might just fill the antennae in and do a hidden antennae. It might make the lines on the ass end look cleaner on the passenger side to match the driver's side, what you think?
 
It's on there but it's behind my old man car bra that I love so much. The trim piece around it is still chrome but the emblem is gold.

I think that would look good! I've got a few new things going on with mine in the next few weeks then I should be able to drive it every day and get some new pictures.
 
That bra though...........! I love that bra.......... (lol2) Let me guess, a lucky ebay find?
 
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Haha yes ebay and nope lucky find. They're pretty easy to find and not very expensive. I just couldn't find pictures of a 929 with one on so it was kind of a blind purchase. I couldn't be happier with it though.
 
A few semi recent pictures and some new parts I picked up off a 929 in a local junk yard. I love how this car is coming together. My interior will be basically mint and the exterior is looking great as well.











 
Sick 929! Enjoyed and nice too see other 929 getting attention. Love the ride height on yours, I need to go lower on mines but needs fender work.LOL
Check mines out
 
Chris have you done anything recently to your 929

Really enjoying this sexy thang!
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