Towlie's 91 Base 3.1

Tell us about your Beretta and Post an Image
User avatar
StevenJMcTowlie
Registered User
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2013 5:57 pm
Location: Albany, NY

Towlie's 91 Base 3.1

Post by StevenJMcTowlie »

Well here it is. This used to be my car until about 3 years ago when I sold it because I lost my job and couldn't justify having 2 cars. It was in great running shape and I let it go for $1000. So kept my Honda since it was better on gas and has about 5k under the hood. I have since become a driver for UPS and was in the market to get myself another Beretta since I missed it so much. After looking around on craigslist I found this for sale. I knew it was mine because I had painted the drums and calipers. Also had painted the strut tower bar and upper intake plenum. The guy was selling it for $1000 so I bought it back from the same kid I sold it to.
This is what is looked like the day I bought it. It was sitting on springs that were literally cut in half. It was so low it was rubbing in the back on both sides. The steering column was broken and wobbling all over the place, no turn signal switch present. Had a car audio power cell in place of the battery. Hard brake lines to the rear brakes were completely cut off from the master to the wheels. Muffler was rusted right off at the pipe. Needles to say the car had been neglected for the past 3 years. The only thing the guy I sold it to did that was positive was replace the ECM, fuel pump and did a dash swap (old dash was cracked bad so I had removed the whole pad).

This was after the brake lines and exhaust were done

Image

Image

Image

Image

Work done since I got it back:

New brakes lines all the way back
New muffler
New serp belt
New alternator
New plugs and wires (ACDelco 7mm and rapidfires)
New springs all around (cut off 1/2 a coil in the front)
New rad fan motor
New steering column with new signal stalk
New trans select cable
New battery and cables
Sparco steering wheel


This is how it sits today:

Image

Image

Image

Image


Work to come:

New clutch, flywheel, slave & master with steel braided line
GTZ buckets
New carpet
Hood (hit a deer, now hood doesn't like to close)
Need new rear fillers and tails due to cracks
Custom HID projector fogs
Power steering cooler line
Cross drilled rotors and pads
Drivers side door weather strip and dew strip
New tires and maybe wheels


User avatar
Money pit Beretta
Registered User
Posts: 6411
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 11:36 am
Location: Kansas

Re: Towlie's 91 Base 3.1

Post by Money pit Beretta »

Nice looking. Is this the first time you posted pics?
It had a capacitor used as a battery?


keep'em flying!
User avatar
d_slover
Registered User
Posts: 32
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2013 3:06 am

Re: Towlie's 91 Base 3.1

Post by d_slover »

I'm glad to hear it made its way back to be rescued.... Beautiful car by the way


No beretta now but I am searching for a gtu/indy/gtz
User avatar
3X00-Modified
Administrator
Posts: 10912
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2007 9:18 am
Location: Brooklyn CT

Re: Towlie's 91 Base 3.1

Post by 3X00-Modified »

so it had cut springs in it and you cut new ones and put them in? Image


Mr.Pink
Supreme Unit
Sleepy Goodness
"Beretta Guy"
User avatar
themixer
Registered User
Posts: 1569
Joined: Fri Aug 14, 2009 12:13 pm
Location: Truro, Nova Scotia. Canada

Re: Towlie's 91 Base 3.1

Post by themixer »

cutting springs is bad mkay.


User avatar
woody90gtz
Registered User
Posts: 4698
Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2002 8:45 pm
Location: Walton, NY
Contact:

Re: Towlie's 91 Base 3.1

Post by woody90gtz »

What part of NY are you from?


91 "SS" - WOT 3400/5spd - 13.29@101.6 - World's fastest N/A FWD Beretta
96 "T56" LS/6spd/8.8 RWD swap - 13.45@104.7 lol
GEARHEAD dezign youtube
User avatar
3X00-Modified
Administrator
Posts: 10912
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2007 9:18 am
Location: Brooklyn CT

Re: Towlie's 91 Base 3.1

Post by 3X00-Modified »

Going off his IP I would have to say around the Albany area.


Mr.Pink
Supreme Unit
Sleepy Goodness
"Beretta Guy"
User avatar
StevenJMcTowlie
Registered User
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2013 5:57 pm
Location: Albany, NY

Re: Towlie's 91 Base 3.1

Post by StevenJMcTowlie »

3X00-Modified wrote:Going off his IP I would have to say around the Albany area.
Pretty close, I'm in Green Island which is about 20 min north of Albany.
themixer wrote:cutting springs is bad mkay.
3X00-Modified wrote:so it had cut springs in it and you cut new ones and put them in? Image
I know it's not a great idea, but to be fair the springs were cut very badly when I got it. I only cut the front springs a very little bit. The reason being that when I put all the new springs on the front looked to be sitting a bit higher than the back and since it's a Beretta, not a Thunderbird it just didn't look right to me. When I say I cut off a little I mean less than half a coil. I still had to use a spring compressor to get them in. Unlike the ones that were in there that just fell out when the car was jacked up.
I am looking for a set of quality springs that will give me about 1" to 1 1/2" drop at most without compromising ride quality or safety.


User avatar
StevenJMcTowlie
Registered User
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2013 5:57 pm
Location: Albany, NY

Re: Towlie's 91 Base 3.1

Post by StevenJMcTowlie »

Money pit Beretta wrote:Nice looking. Is this the first time you posted pics?
It had a capacitor used as a battery?
Not a capacitor but a Kinetic dry cell car audio battery.


User avatar
Money pit Beretta
Registered User
Posts: 6411
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 11:36 am
Location: Kansas

Re: Towlie's 91 Base 3.1

Post by Money pit Beretta »

Strange, guess I've been out of the loop to long to know about the dry cell.

Just so you know, springs take a little time to settle. They can drop about a 1/2 inch.


keep'em flying!
User avatar
3X00-Modified
Administrator
Posts: 10912
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2007 9:18 am
Location: Brooklyn CT

Re: Towlie's 91 Base 3.1

Post by 3X00-Modified »

Unfortunately Eibach stopped making springs for our older cars... so you might have to have someone make you springs.

Send Eibach an email and ask if you could get the specifications for the 87-94 springs that they discontinued for the Beretta PN 3805.140, then send those specs to http://www.coilsprings.com/ and ask them to improve upon it.


Mr.Pink
Supreme Unit
Sleepy Goodness
"Beretta Guy"
MY91GT(Z)
Registered User
Posts: 1255
Joined: Sun Mar 12, 2006 12:11 am
Location: Rochester New York
Contact:

Re: Towlie's 91 Base 3.1

Post by MY91GT(Z) »

or.u can buy sprint.springs.off.ebay for.120 shipped. i actually wanted to buy this car but i was laid off at.the time it came up for sale so their was no way to swing it but looks good so far


User avatar
StevenJMcTowlie
Registered User
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2013 5:57 pm
Location: Albany, NY

Re: Towlie's 91 Base 3.1

Post by StevenJMcTowlie »

MY91GT(Z) wrote:or.u can buy sprint.springs.off.ebay for.120 shipped. i actually wanted to buy this car but i was laid off at.the time it came up for sale so their was no way to swing it but looks good so far
I saw those but it says they are only for 95-95 models. I know there was some suspension changes over the years so I don't know how to tell if they would work for me or not.


User avatar
StevenJMcTowlie
Registered User
Posts: 66
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2013 5:57 pm
Location: Albany, NY

Re: Towlie's 91 Base 3.1

Post by StevenJMcTowlie »

Since I replaced the radiator fan motor I have been paying very close attention to the way the car heats up. I noticed that it was taking forever to get up to operating temp. Then it would only stay cool if I kept it moving. Also the fan was not coming on. Pulled the fan and tested it on the battery, fan worked. I figured it was time to go a little deeper into the cooling system. Went out and bought a new superstat and fan relay. Figured I would do a coolant flush, change the stat and relay and see how it felt. Much to my surprise when I drained the coolant and took of the stat housing, no stat present. Installed the new stat and relay, refilled with fresh coolant. Once the system was burped I took it for a ride and then let it run in a parking lot to see how the coolant was cycling. My temp goes just above half, then my fan kicks on like its supposed to and brings the temp back down to between 1/4 and 1/2. After two weeks of fearing the worst with my cooling system I think I have it fixed.

Now I just have to figure out where my pulse rev at idle is coming from???? Only happens when it's cold. I think I am going to start with the IACV since thats hat my Honda was doing until I replaced the IACV.


User avatar
Money pit Beretta
Registered User
Posts: 6411
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2007 11:36 am
Location: Kansas

Re: Towlie's 91 Base 3.1

Post by Money pit Beretta »

Could be a vacuum leak or leaking intake gasket/s. But clean the IAC valve and it's housing first. Wouldn't hurt to clean the TB too while your at it.


keep'em flying!
Post Reply