In life we can make many mistakes. Some turn out well…rarely, but this time it was great.

My wife had severely limited my performance budget because we are planning a move to Connecticut if her job offer pans out. I had taken it upon myself to start doing a lot of the more complicated work on my cars in order to save money and to get some things done a little quicker. I ordered a Pedders front shock tower brace from Torqued Motorsports and when it came in I was really chomping at the bit to get it installed. By the way, Mike at Torqued is a great guy and went above the call for me on the bar. I had mentioned that the only thing I did not like about the bar was the Pedders logo sticker. It was professionally removed by Mike before shipping without me asking, Thanks again Mike.

So, I get the car up in the air at the front. I have a jack stand and hydraulic jack on both sides and I have removed the top nut and retainer ring from each tower. I try to get my hand up under the top of the strut under the tower and find there is just no room. I needed to put the bolts for the STB into this area. Here is where I lose my mind. I undo the second nut on the top of the passenger tower thinking it is somehow holding the strut up in the tower. Then I go to eat lunch. When I come back the strut rod has made its way down into the spring area of the strut. I try to push the rod back up into the hole, but end up knocking the top washer down into the boot, big F*n problems now. I figure that I can get a better alignment of the strut rod if I lower the drivers side a little, so I do that and all hell breaks loose. The passenger spring decides it no longer likes its life in captivity and pops a little side ways pulling the strut mount to and angle and destroying the strut bearing sending ball bearing all around the garage floor. I believe all I could say was “****”. I broke out my unused spring compressors and spent the next six hours reining in the rouge strut. My wife came out periodically to ask about my progress. She knew I was not happy. “How much to fix it” she asked. “Im guessing…If they even have the parts in this country…about $500.00 if they have to replace the strut” Then it hit me like a diamond bullet. “You know for just a little more (thinking a lot more) , I could get Pedderized…..Honey”. “Just go do it” She replied. So I called up my friend Mike at Torqued again and told him about the mess I made. He set me up with all the Pedders struts, springs, new strut mount, new strut bearing and urethane for the rear which arrived on Monday. I had not been driving my G8 for fear of doing damage to the tower with the bad bearing and mount. I could not travel far on it so I called the guys at New Era Performance which is only twenty miles from my house. Mike at NEP, yes another one, said they could do the install and get it aligned correctly. I am also having run the car on his dyno so I can figure out where my mods have taken my G8’s performance. More on that later.

The suspension will be in the G8 by next week. I will post pictures of it the minute it is done. It should look great with the drop front and rear, especially with the twenty inch Breytons. I would like to again thank, Mike at Torqued Motorsports and Mike at New Era for all of there help and speedy service.

--Mike

Glad things are working out. Sounds like you had the makings of a real CF on your hands for a while!

Glad things are working out. Sounds like you had the makings of a real CF on your hands for a while!

I was going to cry at one point. Thank god I had a large supply of Guiness close by ;). All's well that ends well. One of my biggest problems in life is that after only reading directions one time I jump right in. Need to slow down and pay more attention.
By the way checked out your site, some good titles I need to check out.

--Mike

I was going to cry at one point. Thank god I had a large supply of Guiness close by ;). All's well that ends well. One of my biggest problems in life is that after only reading directions one time I jump right in. Need to slow down and pay more attention.
By the way checked out your site, some good titles I need to check out.

--Mike

I'm the same way, I've hosed up quite a few things over the years! Glad you liked the site :)

Good to see you getting Pedderized Mike. Doesn't matter HOW you got there. :D
I had mentioned to the Pedder folks, that if they use a wire to capture the thread on the bolt, they could get it in without fighting clearance issues with the strut.
It's pretty simple really....just take the guitar strings from your rocker brother and wrap them around a bolt in similar size. You can then thread your bolt into the wire and take the loose straight end and push it up through the hole you drilled. Once the bolt is through, you can hold it while you un-thread your wire.

Good to see you getting Pedderized Mike. Doesn't matter HOW you got there. :D
I had mentioned to the Pedder folks, that if they use a wire to capture the thread on the bolt, they could get it in without fighting clearance issues with the strut.
It's pretty simple really....just take the guitar strings from your rocker brother and wrap them around a bolt in similar size. You can then thread your bolt into the wire and take the loose straight end and push it up through the hole you drilled. Once the bolt is through, you can hold it while you un-thread your wire.

Yup. That is the way I ended up doing it. They should make it part of the instructions. I used some stainless wire I had lying around, worked great.

--Mike

VERY understanding wife.

I think MY wife would kill me.............

Should've been called: The Story of the three Mikes lol

And yeah my wife would've killed me ;)

Good to hear!


What area of CT do you plan moving to? I live in the Hartford area and work in Meriden, so you may routinely see me driving my PBM GT to work. :wink2:

Good to hear!


What area of CT do you plan moving to? I live in the Hartford area and work in Meriden, so you may routinely see me driving my PBM GT to work. :wink2:

The job is in Hartford, not sure where we would live. She has a list of towns she has checked out. I just want a house with a good size yard and a minimum of a three car garage.

--Mike

This is why I always have my son help me with my mods. That way I can blame him for the screwups!

RRM

This is why I always have my son help me with my mods. That way I can blame him for the screwups!

RRM

;) I would have blamed my wife for distracting me, but that would have played out badly :):):)

This is why I always have my son help me with my mods. That way I can blame him for the screwups!

RRM

LOL. See if I come help now!

Your wife is a rare find. While she is in such a good mood ask her for a ProCharger to go with your Pedders Suspension.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0V8X7R3Fpw

Thank you for choosing Dallas Mike at Torqued and Pedders. We appreciate your business. Welcome to the PEDDERS NATION!!!

happy everything made it quickly mike

welcome to the pedder's nation!

happy everything made it quickly mike

welcome to the pedder's nation!

Thanks Mike. Very happy with both tranactions with your business. Top shelf. Hope to call on you again soon.

--Mike

I Do Not Know Why, But We Seem To Have A Lot Of Mikes Inthe Pedders Community. In Fact, We Even Have 2 Mike White's!. So To Keep The Mike Tradition, Mike At New Era Will Be One Of Our New Dealers Very Soon. Still Going Thru The Paperwork, But He Will Be In.

Thanks Again,

OH, BY THE WAY, You have a great, understanding wife!! So take good care of her!!!


Mike
Dms

Hi Guys,
I stopped by New Era after work today to checkout the freshly installed Pedder's suspension parts. Mike from New Era told me it looks amazing and he was not kidding! I also am very impressed with Mike's operation over there. They took the time to wash and detail my car before I saw it today and it's not even done. I had stopped in to see my parts being installed earlier this week and saw a very professional job being done. If you are in Upstate New York and want your G8 warmed over by the right people, New Era are the guys. I’m very pleased. He is now doing a dyno tune for me and adding some JBA headers and if things go well financially next month it's getting one of his bad-ass cams and maybe some sway bars from Torqued MS! If I keep adding parts I’ll never get the car back!! Anyway, I'm getting off subject. Here are the pictures from my very bad cell phone.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2242/2739331513_fcbc70ded1_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3198/2740169940_79d7f7a4a8_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3166/2739331351_f45ff92735_o.jpg

--Mike

Wow mike your car looks killer.
Glad you went with the 55 rear springs

Wow mike your car looks killer.
Glad you went with the 55 rear springs

I am very happy with it. the combination of the springs and the 20" Breytons is unbelievable. The car looks like a european tuner car. It looks very fast and elegant at the same time, exactly what I was shooting for.

--Mike

I am very happy with it. the combination of the springs and the 20" Breytons is unbelievable. The car looks like a european tuner car. It looks very fast and elegant at the same time, exactly what I was shooting for.

--Mike

Really Sharp! Looks great. Nothing like a happy marriage.

Awesume!. So how does it drive??

mike
dms

Assume!. So how does it drive??

mike
dms


Believe it or not, I do not know ;). Mike told me to take it out, but I had to get home and if I had taken it out it would have been for hours I'm sure. He had it out for a while and said he was very pleased. The car is not yet aligned, having that done this week. Besides, I want to get the whole experience. New Era is doing some additional work on the car and they will be done next week. I will take it out for a really good test at that point.

--Mike

Really Sharp! Looks great. Nothing like a happy marriage.

Are we talking about me and my wife or the Pedder's parts and the Breyton's? :):):)

Looks fantastic! Like you said muscle and elegance!

Believe it or not, I do not know ;). Mike told me to take it out, but I had to get home and if I had taken it out it would have been for hours I'm sure. He had it out for a while and said he was very pleased. The car is not yet aligned, having that done this week. Besides, I want to get the whole experience. New Era is doing some additional work on the car and they will be done next week. I will take it out for a really good test at that point.

--Mike

So take your wife out on a roadtest, and show her how improving the handling makes the G8 much more safer. Let her dirve in a parking lot, where there is lots of room, and let her play alittle. Praise her on her skills, and tell her youa re proud of her.

mike
dms

Let her dirve in a parking lot, where there is lots of room, and let her play alittle. Praise her on her skills, and tell her youa re proud of her.

mike
dms

mike, let's keep this g rated
:wall:

Good catch! LMAO! :)

So take your wife out on a roadtest, and show her how improving the handling makes the G8 much more safer. Let her dirve in a parking lot, where there is lots of room, and let her play alittle. Praise her on her skills, and tell her youa re proud of her.

mike
dms

:laugh::laugh::laugh: Oh...Sorry...Let me catch me breath. My wife really could care less about cars and she has proven to be a tad dangerous when presented with powerful machinery. She does get a kick out of some of the cars I've owned from a "This car doesn't make my ass look fat when I get out of it" stand point ;). She is a great girl with a PhD, but is still not sure how many cylinders are in her cars engine. Oh well, I can make up for the expenditures by buying her another lake house or something. :drink:

--Mike

This is a great thread!

:laugh::laugh::laugh: Oh...Sorry...Let me catch me breath. My wife really could care less about cars and she has proven to be a tad dangerous when presented with powerful machinery. She does get a kick out of some of the cars I've owned from a "This car doesn't make my ass look fat when I get out of it" stand point ;). She is a great girl with a PhD, but is still not sure how many cylinders are in her cars engine. Oh well, I can make up for the expenditures by buying her another lake house or something. :drink:

--Mike

Hey, if momma aint happy, no one will be happy!!

Take good care of her and your ride

mike
dms

Hey, if momma aint happy, no one will be happy!!

Take good care of her and your ride

mike
dms

I'm taking her to look for houses in Connecticut today. I'm sure she will find the one "We" like ;). Here are more pictures:


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3048/2760318315_abf91d37ea_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3184/2760318127_dab6edb2df_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3019/2761161574_b81538b0de_o.jpg

--Mike

looks unbelievable mike

Absolutely S I C K and discrete looking "Bite me baby". Good job.

I'm the same way, I've hosed up quite a few things over the years! Glad you liked the site :)

We all have. btw, you have one hell of a collection of cars.

I'm taking her to look for houses in Connecticut today. I'm sure she will find the one "We" like ;).
--Mike

Damn, well it looks like I missed you then, as I STILL haven't seen another G8 on the road here...

You REALLY need to move out this way with a quickness so that I can finally see another G8 on the road... :wink2:

Damn, well it looks like I missed you then, as I STILL haven't seen another G8 on the road here...

You REALLY need to move out this way with a quickness so that I can finally see another G8 on the road... :wink2:

Be there soon. I am going to CT again this weekend to be there for the house inspection on Saturday. I probably won't be able to stop and hang out because we are taking the kids this time. I'll make sure I look you up when we get settled. Answer me this, I am thinking about having NEP drop a cam in the G8 before I move. Do you think it will pass the emission test in CT? We don't yet have true sniffer tests in NY.

--Mike

In CT as long as the CEL is not on your fine with emissions, no tail pipe test on newer cars.

In CT as long as the CEL is not on your fine with emissions, no tail pipe test on newer cars.

Really? Just no light and I'm good? I thought for sure they would do a tail sniff. I have been holding off the cam install before I go because I was worried. I read in the CT DMV website that the charge was $20.00 every two years and you had to have the ODBII hook-up and tail sniff. I Hope not.

Hey guess what? Just heard we have a house offer accepted in Glastonbury!!!!!! I will definitly be headed up to see you after I get settles in a the next 3-4 weeks.

--Mike

Rob has it right. When I last had emissions done, I had it done at a local Mieneke, the test was done on my old 1999 Grand Prix, if I recall, I don't think I saw them stick a sniffer up my tailpipe.


I could be wrong though. But he is correct about newer cars. Just make sure you don't have an idiot light on and you're OK.




And congrats man! Glastonbury is a VERY nice town, and they have great schools as well (from what I hear from co-workers).


You'll like CT I think. I've been living here my whole life (except that 4 year jaunt in the Army) and I've never felt the urge to live anywhere else in the North East.

also, I'm a licensed inspector in CT, but don't work in CT anymore, lol