After purchase i decided that it was time to start my modifications. For starters i replaced the broken in-dash and busted speakers and removed some of the random wiring from the old sound system.
After some basics to make it comfortable to drive around in, i decided i would start ordering my N/A parts to make things a little more fun till i could save up to go Turbo. Started with Injen Short Ram, Full tune up, a 4-2-1 OBX Headers, let a buddy of mine convince me i needed a strut bar right away and tie rod ends(although he ran off with my Megan Tie Rod ends and never got me replacements)(Pretty sad when a Megan Racing Approved Dealer runs off with your product.......but another story, so picked up a Megan Front strut bar.After My Initial start i found my Second and more important Love, "The New Girl" at work(Kat). We met when she came to work with me at Geeksquad. She was finishing her Master's in Literature, she was also a published writer, a classically trained vocalist and pianist. Plus she's a goth and nerd just like me. After a few awkward months FINALLY got a date. Our first date consisted of Mexican Food, Margarita's, and then a drive around in the 240. After that night it became a daily thing we would go out driving, Then Came The Greatest Day of my life July 7th, 2009, The Day Kat and I got married. Just Me and her and of course the priest and his wife as a witness.
Now, the curse of the 240 begins, we of course took the 240 to the chapel to get married and on the way home it started. The clutch Master and Slave both go out and we spend our first night as husband and wife in the parking lot of Autozone. (Still have yet to live this down, Probably Never will. So after the first disappoint hopefully things would get off to a better start. Over the next week a chunk of the exhaust broke off, the clutch went out and the brakes went out(both Pads and Brake Master). Then of course on my way home from autoparts store with everything i need to fix it one of my tires ruptures and warps one of my momos and cracks the other. Now i have to order new rims and tires on top of it. After finally getting all of these items replaced and ending up blowing all the money for our honeymoon(Yet another thing i will never live down.) This Car has Been so much trouble i am surprised i am even still married.
So to recap at this stage I have replaced, Air Intake, headers, Exhaust, Strut Bar, Stereo System, Clutch, Clutch Master and Slave, Rims and tires, Brake master, Pads, and a full tune up. nothing fancy but around 4k or so in it at this point.
After this is when my life turned upside down. September 2009, I finally saved up enough to take the wifey on a proper honeymoon. The day came for us to leave, woke up that morning and the wifey could no longer see. This began the long journey of doctors and hospitals. We started at the optometrist, took less then 10 mins, the moment he looked at the wifey's eyes he just sad i am so sorry but your optic nerves are dead. We were sent next to the ophthalmologist who then said it could only be one of two things and neither are good. After that we were sent to the hospital to see a neurologist, 2 weeks of being in the hospital and thousands of painful exams we finally had a diagnosis.
Devics disease or NMO(Neuromyelitis Optica) is a Very Rare disease top 10 of rarest disease's in the world according to the CDC. Devic's disease is similar to MS in that the body's immune system attacks the myelin surrounding nerve cells. Unlike standard MS, the attacks are not believed to be mediated by the immune system's T cells but rather by antibodies called NMO-IgG, or simply NMO antibodies. These antibodies target a protein called aquaporin 4 in the cell membranes of astrocytes which acts as a channel for the transport of water across the cell membrane. Aquaporin 4 is found in the processes of the astrocytes that surround the blood-brain barrier, a system responsible for preventing substances in the blood from crossing into the brain. The blood-brain barrier is weakened in Devic's disease, but it is currently unknown how the NMO-IgG immune response leads to demyelination. Most research into the pathology of Devic's disease has focused on the spinal cord. The damage in the spinal cord can range from inflammatory demyelination to necrotic damage of the white and grey matter. The inflammatory lesions in Devic's disease have been classified as type II lesions (complement mediated demyelinization), but they differ from MS pattern II lesions in their prominent perivascular distribution. Therefore, the pattern of inflammation is often quite distinct from that seen in MS. There is no cure and no approved treatment for prolonged life with this disease, in my wifey's case she gets extremely large dose of chemo to try and buy her some more time. The average life expectancy of a Devics patient is about 5 years.
In my wifey's case she lost her sight, lung functionality, partial paralysis on her right side, and her hands are pretty much unusable she can no longer grip or turn anything. As you can imagine loosing this much is enough to drive anyone insane let alone someone who's entire life is devoted to reading and the use of every sense imaginable for everything. My father started a fund called the "Kats Eyes Fund" which was originally setup to raise money to send my wifey and I to Europe and other locations since we were now unable to go on our own. However this never took off and just went to the way side. Come December 2009 we were finally able to take our honeymoon, so i rented us a cabin in the mountains of NC and we spent a week up there. However we didn't know that the elevation would have an averse affect on her disease. She almost died from not being able to breathe in that thin of air.
We decided to stay back in SC where elevation was low and we were close to both the families in case we needed anything. However we decided it wasnt for us considering the temperature stays 90 or higher for atleast 6 months a year. We discovered that temperatures over 80 cause the deteriorated optic nerves to swell and cause extreme amounts of pain. So Fast forward it is now 2011, its been 2 years since the original diagnosis, We decided its time to move to a better environment, so Asheville, NC here we come, low enough elevation that the wifey can breathe, cool enough that the nerves wont swell and cause pain, and full of hippies and bohemians that wont judge us weird folk,
. So needless to say the 240 has been neglected and untouched for over 2 years now.
The 240 was the first thing me and my wifey ever did togther so i ended up keeping it all these years, i decided its now time to start restoring it again. I made up my mind to take the name of the Fund my dad started years ago, this time however its going to be to promote awareness and raise money for research for this disease. This is where the 240 comes back in, I have decided i am going to completely restore the 240 to show car condition and take to different car shows around the east coast to promote Devic's Awareness and Raise the money to provide research so maybe one day they can find a cure or even just a treatment to buy Devic's Patients more time.
Now here is what is going into the 240 to make this happen. This is going to be a tribute build to my wifey and everything she means to me and everything she has brought into this world. It's going to be a Ka24e-t build, which in my opinion is the least common engine build in 240's, which fits perfectly considering how unique my wifey is. The HP Range for this build is going to be around 350 whp.
Mod's Will Include
Full Rebuild both top end and bottom end all with forged internals( Overkill i know for 350 whp but who cares, my wifey is a perfectionist so i am not slacking at all on this build)
Turbo Setup
Excessive Oil Pan
Excessive Intake Manifold
Quest Alternator,
Oil Pump
Water pump
Upgraded Pulleys
Greddy emanage ultimate
Intercooler Kit
Aluminum Radiator, with fan shroud and dual electric fans
Stage 3 clutch
Lightweight Flywheel
Steel 1 piece Drive Shaft
J30 Differential Upgrade
Full suspension Overhall
Five Lug Swap
Full Audio system including custom boxes, speakers, tweeters, subs,
Sound Matting entire Car
Replacing Hatch
Body Kit
Midnight Purple II Paint Job
180sx tail light conversion
And More......
My wifey is the most unique and interesting person i have ever met in my entire life and i feel this is by far the best way i can give her a lasting impression on the world. Shes the Love of my life and i wouldnt be here today without her.
