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Starscream5000's Build Thread

79K views 212 replies 70 participants last post by  starscream5000 
#1 · (Edited)
My list of mods has overgrown my signature limits, so since we now have an actual sub-forum for car builds, I think it's fitting to show you guys everything I've done to my ride. If you see something you don't like, too bad. It's not your car, so keep it to yourself.

My car is a 2013 Dodge Dart Limited Special Edition Blue Streak Pearl. Under the hood lies a 1.4T with a manual transmission.

Here's what it looked like after a good wash and wax:

Amazing what the lighting does to the pearl coat's appearance:


Here's what my car looks like as of 06/30/17:
 
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#2 · (Edited)
APPEARANCE

Appearances aren't everything to me, but there are some things about the Limited trim that are not to my liking.

Chrome badges? Gone:


Chrome door handles? I don't think so:



RC car antenna? I see none here:


Body color front fascia? Hello Plasti-Dip:


Silver interior bits? I originally had them painted with blaze blue plastidip, but as of 7/26/15 they are now wrapped in metallic blue. An almost perfect match to the Blue Streak Pearl coat paint on the exterior:




See that silver shifter from earlier? Hello carbon fiber. I just wish it was offered with a blue ring instead of red...


I've always disliked the stock limited wheels:


What's that you say? Andros Spec D's? They look similar to SXT wheels? They're 6 pounds light per wheel than what's on the car? Yes please. Notice the Mopar Splash guards? Yes, I've got those as well:


18% tint all the way around, including the front windshield:


OEM Rallye headlights installed on 03/21/14:


Plastidipped mopar stripes added Easter '14 weekend:







Another addition to the car the day before I wrapped the interior vents and shifter trim, vinyl eyelids and wrapped racetracks (I will be extending the molar stripe down over the vinyl later on):



Wrapped the mirror turn signals in NEO Blue vinyl on 12/2/15:
 
#115 ·
APPEARANCE

Appearances aren't everything to me, but there are some things about the Limited trim that are not to my liking.

Chrome badges? Gone:


Chrome door handles? I don't think so:



RC car antenna? I see none here:


Body color front fascia? Hello Plasti-Dip:


Silver interior bits? Most of it is now Blaze Blue Pasti-Dipped:





See that silver shifter from earlier? Hello carbon fiber. I just wish it was offered with a blue ring instead of red...


I've always disliked the stock limited wheels:


What's that you say? Andros Spec D's? They look similar to SXT wheels? They're 6 pounds light per wheel than what's on the car? Yes please. Notice the Mopar Splash guards? Yes, I've got those as well:


18% tint all the way around, including the front windshield:


OEM Rallye headlights installed on 03/21/14:


Plastidipped mopar stripes added Easter '14 weekend:





Sweet ride! Looks great. Was thinking about plasti dipping an offset stripe like that on mine. Was it hard? What type of plasti dip did you use, and how many coats/cans.
 
#3 · (Edited)
LIGHTING

There's all kinds of cool lighting on this car. Factory ambient lighting, IP surround lighting, foot-well lighting, race track lights, etc. I wanted to make mine unique, just like the rest of my car.

First of all, a red ring of light surrounding the dash of a blue ass car? C'mon Dodge, what the hell were you thinking? I removed the whole panel, cut it open on the backside, desoldered the red 5mm LEDs (2 of them) and soldered in a couple of 5050 blue LEDs. Notice the HVAC controls? I'll get to that in a moment:


HVAC. Again, red rings. Ain't no body got time fo' that:



I also stuffed some 5050 Blue LEDs into the foot-well light area where the stock 3528 sized LEDs used to be. I think I'll be taking some LED strips I have laying around and adding them in as a single LED in a each foot-well just doesn't cut it. Also shown in this picture is the LED light relocation and modification to the cover. The stock piece there was catching my foot sometimes when letting off the clutch. Can't be having that:




I ordered my car with the standard halogen headlights because I can do HIDs for much less than what they want for theirs, plus I would be replacing the chrome headlights with black anyway. My kits for the headlights and fog lights are 55W lights with CAN-BUS ballasts. No error messages for the headlights here. The bulbs are stock colored 4300K for maximum useable light output:


Headlight ballast mounted to the underside the headlight, pretty sneaky, huh?


Fog light ballast mounted to the frame:


18 5050 white LED parking light bulbs. I have the exact same bulbs for the reverse lights:



LED interior lighting:

LED trunk lighting:
 
#102 ·
LIGHTING


18 5050 white LED parking light bulbs. I have the exact same bulbs for the reverse lights:



:
Where did you get the LED turn signal bulbs? Do they set off a Warning bulb out message?

Thanks,
 
#4 · (Edited)
PERFORMANCE

When I ordered my Dart, I had every intention of modding it from the get-go. In fact, my car wasn't stock for even a full day of my ownership.

First up, with only 60 miles on the motor, DRP's prototype batch of his now, Ultimate Induction Intake. I specifically requested it to not be powder coated so that I could paint it myself. I prefer the stealth look when popping the hood. Update 6/13/16: I replaced this intake with a black HPSI intake to quiet things down some, and to take advantage of their ram air capabilities:



Update 7-4-14: installed the Go Fast Bits DV+ prototype diverter valve upgrade. This part fixes any leaking of the stock diverter valve by replacing the plastic internals with stiffer springs, and aluminum and brass internals with a high temp silicone face on the brass plunger.


Next up was an easy mod to do. I removed the stock rear engine mount and replaced it with a Turbo Tech solid polyurethane engine mount:
Auto part Tire Automotive tire Pipe Automotive exhaust


Another stealth looking mod, flat black DRP intercooler hard pipes:



Not so much of a performance mod as a sound mod, but I deleted the stock muffler and had a Y-pipe with dual 2.5" outlets installed. This is how the car should have sounded from the factory:



UPDATE 6/8/14: My other exhaust mod is the TMC catless downpipe. Coupled with the muffler delete makes this car LOUD, even when you're trying not to be. The turbine noise is several times louder now without the catalytic converter muffling the noise.







UPDATE 5/25/16: OBX copied Thermal R&D's exhaust to the T and is selling it for almost exactly half the price. I couldn't pass that offer up. To my knowledge, I'm the 2nd member on here to install it, and only missing being the first to install it by less than day, lol. I love how this exhaust sounds compared to my Catless exhaust with a simple muffler delete. The car is now much quieter, and no longer obnoxious and raspy.

WOT video:


Update 10-13-15: I had previously deleted 6 of the 8 AGS fins to drop down my IATs. I now have removed the entire AGS assembly, left the motor plugged in, and used a screw as a stop to prevent the motor's arm from over extending and tripping a CEL.

While we're on the subject on interoolers. I installed my own custom big FMIC. This reduced the IATs a little more and gave me a nice increase in power and removed the bottleneck in the intake system. Everything after the turbo is now 2.5" piping until the throttle body:






I also installed Tork's stage 1 ECU tune at the same time as I installed the intercooler. Best bang-for-the-buck mod hands down on this car:



Update 7/4/16: removed my old oil catch can setup and installed a dual Kobalt air/oil separator on the line connecting the intake manifold to the stock oil separator:


MPx front strut bar painted black:
 
#5 · (Edited)
FUEL ECONOMY

You would think that with everything I've done to increase the car's performance, I would have fairly low gas mileage, right? Wrong. The only modification I've to my car that has actually reduced my gas mileage was removing 6 of the AGS fins. Doing that made the car less aerodynamic and knocked around 1.5-2 MPGs off each tank from what I can tell.

I am a proficient hypermiler. I've owned a couple Geo Metros before ordering my Dart. Both of those cars were highly modified to get super high gas mileage. Both of those cars have seen 70+MPG tanks in the past. I know how to drive a car to get good mileage. My daily commute consists of 18.6% city driving and 81.4% highway driving, totaling exactly 56 miles per day if I just go from work to home like I normally do.

I consider my Ultragauge EM to be the single most important modification I've done to the car in the pursuit of getting great gas mileage. This device plugs into the OBDII port and reads off numerous engine parameters such as Throttle Position, Engine Temp, Boost, RPMs, MPH, IATs, HP, Torque, etc:




Using my Ultragauge (and having a steady foot), tanks like this are possible:


Here is an up-to-date record of my gas mileage since owning the car:
Green Text Line Font Parallel
 
#209 ·
HELP! Need better gas mileage!

FUEL ECONOMY

You would think that with everything I've done to increase the car's performance, I would have fairly low gas mileage, right? Wrong. The only modification I've to my car that has actually reduced my gas mileage was removing 6 of the AGS fins. Doing that made the car less aerodynamic and knocked around 1.5-2 MPGs off each tank from what I can tell.

I am a proficient hypermiler. I've owned a couple Geo Metros before ordering my Dart. Both of those cars were highly modified to get super high gas mileage. Both of those cars have seen 70+MPG tanks in the past. I know how to drive a car to get good mileage. My daily commute consists of 18.6% city driving and 81.4% highway driving, totaling exactly 56 miles per day if I just go from work to home like I normally do.

I consider my Ultragauge EM to be the single most important modification I've done to the car in the pursuit of getting great gas mileage. This device plugs into the OBDII port and reads off numerous engine parameters such as Throttle Position, Engine Temp, Boost, RPMs, MPH, IATs, HP, Torque, etc:
How were you able to mod it to get this good of gas mileage? I drive about 80 miles a day in my 2013 dodge dart limited (gt package), and I am currently getting about 33-35 mpg. I drive 55-60 in a 55mph zone and 65-68 in a 70 mph zone, if that helps for reference. Otherwise I do not know if there is something I could do as in programming, etc. I have not modded my car that much, so this is new to me, but gas mileage is very important to me with that long of a drive every day! Very interested in what you have to say as to what could help me get better gas mileage like you!!
 
#8 ·
Yes. I took care of the reverse light message by installing one 50W load resistor on each circuit, but I've not gotten around to doing the parking lights. I have a couple of 25W watt load resistors that I'm going to try out. If they work, I'll switch out the 50W resistors in the back for 25's as well.
 
#14 ·
I love the transmission mount, the stock mount made shifting rather sloppy. No plans for a shifter here. I don't care for the notchy feel that they bring. The stock shifter is notchy enough as-is.
 
#24 ·
When you put in your HID's with the canbus ballast did you have to connect the plug backward due to reversed polarity? I ask this since I plan on putting an HID system and I have never done one before and it appears that you do not get the light out warning at any time with your HID conversion. So I guess I am asking which brand ballast you used with which lights and how you hooked them up so that I can avoid making a mistake and you seem to have a properly working system with out the need for capacitors or relays.

If I am wrong on this please let me know or feel free to give me advice on what to get. Like I said I have never done a HID upgrade and you seem like the best person to ask for advice from.
 
#25 ·
Plugging in the stock harness backwards is required regardless of which ballast you use since the Headlights are reverse polarity (fog lights are normal polarity).

I don't remember where I got mine from for the Dart, but I went to ebay to get the Canbus ballasts for my 2014 Durango R/T, which also has the same canbus system throughout the car like what the Dart has. No errors on the Durango either using the ballast below (you'll need one ballast on each side).
F35W Xenon HID Can Bus Ballast for H1 H3 H4 H7 H8 H9 H10 H11 9005 9006 Headlight | eBay
 
#27 ·
I left the top fin on one side, and the bottom fin on the opposite was left in place as well. The fans come on when AGS motor's arm overextends itself. The fins stop the motor once they bump up against the plastic frame that the fins snap in place to. Without the fins, the AGS motor overextends and sets off the CEL. The radiator fans come on because the computer thinks that the AGS is blocking airflow to the radiator.

I hope that helps.
 
#29 ·
Starscream, how hard were the a/c bezels to remove? I started to pry at them today, but they seem pretty snug on there. Are they snap-in's, or do they have some kind of adhesive backing on them?

Figured I'd check before I snapped/bent one of them.
 
#30 ·
You mean the air vents? I used a trim tool and my fingers to remove them. It's a fairly large piece up inside the dash. Once you get that out, there are some really thin plastic tabs that hold the silver trimming on the vent. Be very careful not to break any.
 
#33 ·
I love the progress on the car so far! I've done quite a few similar mods. I'm looking for intercooler piping and a new FMIC. Could you elaborate on how you pieced together your own Front mount, or link me to the thread if there is one. Also if you could give your 2 cents on intercooler piping in general I would appreciate it.
 
#34 ·
This is the exact same intercooler I have:
28x8x3 5 Universal Front Mount Bar Plate Intercooler | eBay

It was a tight fit. something that's 27" or 26" long would be easier to fit. Here's a 27" one that's slightly larger than the one above that would fit easier:
Cxracing Intercooler 27x10x3 Saab Mercedes EVO 8 RX7 | eBay

Some other things you'll need will be a straight section of 2.5" pipe to run from the intercooler to the intercooler pipes. You'll only need one, you'll use around 7-9 inches per side. I went as far as to cut part of the cold side pipe off the DRP pipe to get the coupler away from the frame so that I could clamp it down easier:
2 5" OD Aluminum Intercooler Intake Pipe Straight 18"L | eBay
3 90 degree 2.5" couplers:
2 5" 90 Degree Turbo Intercooler Black Silicon Hose Coupler 2 5" Long | eBay
1 2.5" straight coupler:
2 5" Straight Black Silicon Hose for Turbo Intercooler Pipe 3? Long | eBay
6 2.5" t-bolt clamps:
10x 2 5"Stainless Steel T Bolt Clamps Turbo Piping Hose | eBay
And some brackets to mount the intercooler to where the hood release latch mounts to the radiator support:
Cxracing Universal Mounting Brackets for Intercooler Radiator Oil Cooler | eBay
Universal Aluminum Front Mount Intercooler Bracket Mounting Bar for Nissan EVO | eBay
 
#43 ·
And it only took a full year to do all this crap! Only kidding happy car/birthday Starscream500. I remember that Dodge did everything they could to delay your vehicle.

Now look at all the babying it gets!

good job.
 
#44 ·
You hit the nail on the head with how long I've owned it, today is day 365! I don't plan on driving it any today, so I've put 15,033 miles on it in one year. Just a little over the national average. I've got a few more plans in store for it, but I'm nearing the end of the mods.
 
#50 ·
First off...kudos bro! Love the build so far!

Second...in regards to changing the hvac leds, how exactly did you go about that? I am accenting my car in red so the rings aren't my issue. I would like to change the amber lights for the a/c buttons to red as well though. Also did you leave the light around the cup holder white? If not, how did you go about swapping that one out too?
 
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