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Well instead of exhuming my Intro thread with updates for the Element, I thought I would make my own showcase thread here.
This isn't really an update or anything, but more or less to give you guys a sneak peek at what I was looking into for the Element tonight...drum roll please......
THE STEALTH TOASTER REALTIME 4WD CONVERSION!!!!!
Haha yes, in my boredom last night, I decided to look for parts and price out the conversion on my Element. I found all the major components on www.car-part.com and one yard has all the parts for a 2004 4WD EX AT Element.
My Excel spreadsheet is currently at $3,842.00 with the good old government included in that:
ELEMENT AWD CONVERSION PARTS AND PRICE LIST
Part Price
Transmission $1,700.00
Transfer case $350.00
Propeller shaft $225.00
Rear differential $600.00
Half-shaft $125.00
LF CV shaft $75.00
RF CV shaft $75.00
LR CV shaft $125.00
RR CV shaft $125.00
Sub-total: $3,400.00
Total with tax: $3,842.00 CDN
I have the major components covered so far and they all come from the same yard (I'm assuming they have/had a wrecked one) and the incidentals like bolts, nuts, brackets, etc I can get from work for free or for a really cheap price.
Only hiccup I think is going to be the hanger bearing support which the 2WD models do not come with from the factory. I know Honda does offer unibody components for individual sale (body shops order from us all the time) so I'm going to see if the support is available separately and if so, I'll check with the body shop my work deals with and see if they can laser align it and weld it on the same as if they were doing a collision repair. Worst case scenario, a custom metal fab place opened up down the street so I'll talk with them and see if I can have something made up from aluminum that will work in lieu of a hanger bearing support. I'm thinking something along the lines of a plate with supports that spans across the propeller shaft tunnel which the hanger bearing will bolt to.
I'm actually pretty stoked about the idea. To be honest, if I had ALL of the components necessary to make it work and assuming there was an appropriate hanger bearing support in place (either a welded-in OEM piece or custom), I'm guessing I could finish this in a Saturday doing all the work at the shop in my bay. Yes it's a very realistic and doable coversion (same as how the factory would do it) and while it is something that's not going to happen anytime in the next year or two (I still have 3.5 yrs left to pay on the Element LOL), it is a little project I have my mind set on completing myself. I like having projects with my vehicles, even if it takes me 5-10 years to complete them
All things being well and good, I'm aiming to have the Element converted before it is paid off. Well that is under the condition I have not financial hardships between now and then of course LOL. And fear not my friends, when I do get the chance to start it, I will make every effort to document it in the same meticulous manner as I did my flashing sidemarker modification
.
This isn't really an update or anything, but more or less to give you guys a sneak peek at what I was looking into for the Element tonight...drum roll please......
THE STEALTH TOASTER REALTIME 4WD CONVERSION!!!!!
Haha yes, in my boredom last night, I decided to look for parts and price out the conversion on my Element. I found all the major components on www.car-part.com and one yard has all the parts for a 2004 4WD EX AT Element.
My Excel spreadsheet is currently at $3,842.00 with the good old government included in that:
ELEMENT AWD CONVERSION PARTS AND PRICE LIST
Part Price
Transmission $1,700.00
Transfer case $350.00
Propeller shaft $225.00
Rear differential $600.00
Half-shaft $125.00
LF CV shaft $75.00
RF CV shaft $75.00
LR CV shaft $125.00
RR CV shaft $125.00
Sub-total: $3,400.00
Total with tax: $3,842.00 CDN
I have the major components covered so far and they all come from the same yard (I'm assuming they have/had a wrecked one) and the incidentals like bolts, nuts, brackets, etc I can get from work for free or for a really cheap price.
Only hiccup I think is going to be the hanger bearing support which the 2WD models do not come with from the factory. I know Honda does offer unibody components for individual sale (body shops order from us all the time) so I'm going to see if the support is available separately and if so, I'll check with the body shop my work deals with and see if they can laser align it and weld it on the same as if they were doing a collision repair. Worst case scenario, a custom metal fab place opened up down the street so I'll talk with them and see if I can have something made up from aluminum that will work in lieu of a hanger bearing support. I'm thinking something along the lines of a plate with supports that spans across the propeller shaft tunnel which the hanger bearing will bolt to.
I'm actually pretty stoked about the idea. To be honest, if I had ALL of the components necessary to make it work and assuming there was an appropriate hanger bearing support in place (either a welded-in OEM piece or custom), I'm guessing I could finish this in a Saturday doing all the work at the shop in my bay. Yes it's a very realistic and doable coversion (same as how the factory would do it) and while it is something that's not going to happen anytime in the next year or two (I still have 3.5 yrs left to pay on the Element LOL), it is a little project I have my mind set on completing myself. I like having projects with my vehicles, even if it takes me 5-10 years to complete them
All things being well and good, I'm aiming to have the Element converted before it is paid off. Well that is under the condition I have not financial hardships between now and then of course LOL. And fear not my friends, when I do get the chance to start it, I will make every effort to document it in the same meticulous manner as I did my flashing sidemarker modification