That's a great idea! I'll give that a try. I caught the original pack-rat with a regular rat-trap, but there's another one that's been lurking around.
New Here: Intro and Some Info on my Current PT Build
In mid 2019, I bought a 2005 PT Cruiser Limited Turbo, with a salvage title but only a little over 40k miles on the clock. It was obviously hit in the drivers front, but none of the actual structure was damaged (no signs of buckling or "repairs"). Indeed the only visible indications are a repaired bumper (the metal bumper under the bumper cover), and the mismatched "hand painted to match" front fender.
![Wheel Tire Car Vehicle Automotive tire]()
My plan was originally to just drive the car as a daily driver, maybe do a few simple upgrades (take control of boost away from the ECU, K&N Intake, exhaust, etc.) but otherwise mostly leave it alone. Having owned a couple of Neon SRT-4's, I am fairly familiar with the platform.
Then last year happened.
As my job switched from 4 days a week commute (one day Work From Home) to full time WFH last March, my car sat. My wife did drive it on occasion, but apparently not often enough. She came back with it one day after having just left with it and said that it wasn't running right. Sure enough, I the CEL is on and when I pulled the codes it indicated Cam Sensor malfunction; popped the hood as I still had a spare sensor from one of my old SRT-4's and discovered that a pack-rat decided the engine bay made a great home, built a nest, crapped all over everything and chewed on the wiring harness a bit (luckily only the Cam Position sensor and a O2 sensor). I seriously thought about selling it as is and letting it become someone else's headache.
![Human body Wood Flooring Floor Hardwood]()
Instead I decided to just fix the wiring (a 3 wire repair + a new O2 sensor) and clean all of the crap (literal and figurative) out of the engine bay. As it turned out, there was branches, leaves, cactus pedals, bird feathers, dog crap (lots of dog crap, Ms. Packrat was infatuated with it apparently) buried in and around pretty much the whole engine bay requiring that (thanks to the PT-Cruiser's tight engine bay) I disassemble a lot of things just to get the shop vac into some of the places; a process that lasted throughout the build (just last weekend I found yet more food shoved in a hole). It was during the disassembly of all of this that I decided if I'm going through this much trouble, I'm going to do some upgrades.
I laid out a plan for the PT Cruiser: An AGP Turbo upgrade with the supporting goodies with a target of around 400whp. I forget what the actual turbo is (it's what Kevin @ AGP talked me into as I trust him completely with these cars),it's some sort of T3 w/ a .48ar turbine housing and a billet wheel on the compressor side. Upgraded fuel system (Walbro 255 pump, injectors & a tune), upgraded turbo piping (allowing for a Blow-Off-Valve & Water Injection), upgraded intercooler, 4" intake and 3" custom exhaust (As it turns out, nobody seems to be making a decent exhaust, so I built my own). I may also put my painting skills to the test and eventually give it a fresh coat of paint (and lose the flames -- I'm not a fan). If I do that I'll be looking for body kits to improve the style and hopefully get a full-height (not interrupted by the bumper) grill.
5/22/2021:
![Vehicle Car Wheel Hood Automotive tire]()
![Light World Automotive tire Tire Black]()
![Automotive tire Motor vehicle Rim Gas Nut]()
![Hood Motor vehicle Bumper Automotive tire Automotive exterior]()
(continued...)
My plan was originally to just drive the car as a daily driver, maybe do a few simple upgrades (take control of boost away from the ECU, K&N Intake, exhaust, etc.) but otherwise mostly leave it alone. Having owned a couple of Neon SRT-4's, I am fairly familiar with the platform.
Then last year happened.
As my job switched from 4 days a week commute (one day Work From Home) to full time WFH last March, my car sat. My wife did drive it on occasion, but apparently not often enough. She came back with it one day after having just left with it and said that it wasn't running right. Sure enough, I the CEL is on and when I pulled the codes it indicated Cam Sensor malfunction; popped the hood as I still had a spare sensor from one of my old SRT-4's and discovered that a pack-rat decided the engine bay made a great home, built a nest, crapped all over everything and chewed on the wiring harness a bit (luckily only the Cam Position sensor and a O2 sensor). I seriously thought about selling it as is and letting it become someone else's headache.
Instead I decided to just fix the wiring (a 3 wire repair + a new O2 sensor) and clean all of the crap (literal and figurative) out of the engine bay. As it turned out, there was branches, leaves, cactus pedals, bird feathers, dog crap (lots of dog crap, Ms. Packrat was infatuated with it apparently) buried in and around pretty much the whole engine bay requiring that (thanks to the PT-Cruiser's tight engine bay) I disassemble a lot of things just to get the shop vac into some of the places; a process that lasted throughout the build (just last weekend I found yet more food shoved in a hole). It was during the disassembly of all of this that I decided if I'm going through this much trouble, I'm going to do some upgrades.
I laid out a plan for the PT Cruiser: An AGP Turbo upgrade with the supporting goodies with a target of around 400whp. I forget what the actual turbo is (it's what Kevin @ AGP talked me into as I trust him completely with these cars),it's some sort of T3 w/ a .48ar turbine housing and a billet wheel on the compressor side. Upgraded fuel system (Walbro 255 pump, injectors & a tune), upgraded turbo piping (allowing for a Blow-Off-Valve & Water Injection), upgraded intercooler, 4" intake and 3" custom exhaust (As it turns out, nobody seems to be making a decent exhaust, so I built my own). I may also put my painting skills to the test and eventually give it a fresh coat of paint (and lose the flames -- I'm not a fan). If I do that I'll be looking for body kits to improve the style and hopefully get a full-height (not interrupted by the bumper) grill.
5/22/2021:
(continued...)
21 - 40 of 41 Posts
You should be ok. I doubt that you'll have blowout at .28.
Something to keep in mind with that gap on a iridium plug. The manufacturers used iridium because it is hard. That translates to a long lived spark plug. The iridium plug has a VERY small electrode tip and that combined with the VERY HIGH RESISTANCE of the iridium itself, you're going to end up with a reliable, but very small spark kernel.
The makers of this chart made the comment that they left the iridium off of the chart because of its extremely high resistance. They postulated that the iridium should have been left in the ground.
Electricity travels around the outside of a wire. so a normal size electrode in an iridium plug would encounter very high resistance trying to get to the tip of the electrode.
The only way for the plug manufacturers to allow the iridium plugs to fire was to make the tips very small. That makes the outter shell area of the plugs center electrode smaller, so the current encounters less resistance on the way to the electrode tip.
So, as I said, the result is a reliable but smaller flame at the tip of the lug.
Silver is obviously the best metal to use to make spark plugs.
Jerry
By the way, 2step, the guy that bought the AGP test mule's name was Brian Bemos. That may ring a bell with them.
Jerry
Jerry
Gotcha,
It adds around 20 h/p but as you said, it's another 20 that you really don't need on your stock block with the mods you've already got.
Ray, from PTeazer can only be reached on FACEBOOK at this point.
Of course, you may be able to find one used but the odds are that you'll find that it will have been damaged during removal. I know of several times that this happened to my local owners.
Chrysler PT Cruiser & PTeazer Creations Everything Mild To Radical & More | Facebook
I Everybody wants one.
![Car Automotive parking light Tire Wheel Land vehicle]()
Rays shop did this entire build.
![Car Plant Vehicle Wheel Tire]()
Jerry
It adds around 20 h/p but as you said, it's another 20 that you really don't need on your stock block with the mods you've already got.
Ray, from PTeazer can only be reached on FACEBOOK at this point.
Of course, you may be able to find one used but the odds are that you'll find that it will have been damaged during removal. I know of several times that this happened to my local owners.
Chrysler PT Cruiser & PTeazer Creations Everything Mild To Radical & More | Facebook
I Everybody wants one.
Rays shop did this entire build.
Jerry
I got in touch with Ray at PTeazer and have the front clip and rear bumper ordered. After talking with him, the side skirts he has won't work with my rolled and flared fenders (to accommodate the 255t45R17's), but I found another set and have those on the way as well.
Meanwhile, I replaced the headlights and bought a new set of tails, which I am currently in the process of "smoking".
Three coats of VHT "Nightshades". Fully taped, partially taped and no tape. A light sanding tomorrow followed by a few coats of clear.
![Wood Paint Gas Art Tints and shades]()
![]()
![Automotive parking light Tire Wheel Car Automotive side marker light]()
Meanwhile, I replaced the headlights and bought a new set of tails, which I am currently in the process of "smoking".
Three coats of VHT "Nightshades". Fully taped, partially taped and no tape. A light sanding tomorrow followed by a few coats of clear.
Attachments
Been awhile since I had something worth updating on this project. I've been driving it around the new place, but since the town is less than 10 miles from beginning to end, and since almost everywhere I go to is less than 2 miles away, I haven't really got on the throttle hard at all. I did take it for a drive over to a nearby town, which is about 30 miles away, and I did play with the boost controller. It is now set to run 19psi normally, and 24psi on "scramble" (which can be enabled via a button). It scoots pretty good on 19 and flat hauls on 24.
And now, I just finished wrapping up putting the (unpainted) new front fascia on:
![Wheel Tire Car Vehicle Grille]()
![Automotive parking light Car Vehicle Grille Hood]()
![Tire Wheel Vehicle Car Hood]()
And now, I just finished wrapping up putting the (unpainted) new front fascia on:
21 - 40 of 41 Posts
