Semi Newbie S13 project

[mythic540]

Please dont flame me for this..........so I got a 91 s13 SE for 500 bucks, 1) Its not a shell its actually the whole thing stock believe it or not 2) Its automatic and I'm investing in making it a 5 speed 3) It runs (well did run til I started removing a lot of parts recently) and I figure might as well rebuild the engine or maybe buy another one stock in the meantime to use while I rebuild the other one.........now my question to you guys and please if you know of any links or resources to check out please post them up, my question is do I absolutely have to have ALL of the stock components on the car when I'm putting it back together? For example, when I'm putting the dash back together can I switch out the stock gauges for some aftermarket ones? Can I build the engine without all the excess parts that seem like theyre there for emissions? I've been doing a lot of searching and reading of other people's builds from this forum and others and I keep noticing that a lot of these guys engine bays look so much more cleaner and spacious. I would love to know what they are leaving out or if there is a good resource to check out that can teach what you absolutely need to get an engine running smooth at its most basic level (without any of that extra emission stuff etc.) I'm reaching out to you guys because I know there are a lot of knowledgeable guys on this forum that know way more than I do. Please chime in with anything you think could help me get a grasp on what I need to be investing in (within reason of course) and what is essential for the car to run properly

[adrianfromthecastle]

Wire tuck, relocating fuse boxes, and probably removing the whole a/c unit? Is that what you're talking about?

[mythic540]

Yea, stuff like that, I guess what I want to know is what can I leave out without having to do any major fabrication work on things like the chassis or engine bay