As you may or may not know, I decided to stop beating on the Firehawk for auto-x and hpde's, so I added a 2001 Formula for that purpose.

I had done a few things before like brakes and shift lights, but not quite this much. Between last weekend and this weekend, I've pulled the stock exhaust and fitted up a SLP 2otl , taken the Koni DA's and coil overs out of the Firehawk and put back in the original SLP/Bilstein suspension, moved the Konis over to the Formula, added a driveshaft safety loop to the Formula, took the HP+/HPS pad combo and matched rotors off the Firehawk and moved them to the Formula, and hope to have the Strano 35mm sway bar and shift light installed on Sunday.

Had a few mishaps along the way. It took me a bit to get a hang of the spring compressor. I don't know if it was the progressive springs or what, but it was tough to get the compressor in and more particularly, out of the spring once compressed. Then I misaligned the cap the first time and had to recompress the spring. Ugh. The good nes is I learned fast and the next one went 3 timeas as fast.

Then on the exhaust, I wasn't sure what I was doing, but I thought undoing the y-pipe to cat pipe might help in getting the system out. Whoops, broke a stud. Snapped it clean off. I guess WD-40 can't work miracles in getting things to budge. So that will be a nice leak when I get her fired back up. Is that error going to cost me more to fix than having had the whole thing installed at a shop?

Anyhow, I don't know what I would have done before the Internet. I used Mitch's write-up to learn how to do brakes, and picked up tips here and there on the spring and shock swapping, and the whole shift-light install was done thanks to an online write-up. Since I'm not in a metro area where others could teach me, and I can't imagine learning what I have through a magazine, I'm just amazed but what the Internet and people like you have been able to help me do.

I tend to agree on that. Primarily with LS1Tech, I greatly expanded my knowledge of cars in general... although naturally the LS1 f-body in particular. I had worked on my 94 Explorer (long since deceased) before I ever got into f-bodies, but that was much more of a trial and error process and only involved basic to moderate maintenance issues... the worst of which was a fouled up clutch install, because I didn't have the right tools to get to some of the bolts. Even though I do live in a metro area, the internet has been an outstanding tool not only in learning how to work on these cars, but to also become friends with people in the area that know what they're talking about and have proven so already. While I hate taking advantage of people, I absolutely love taking advantage of situations that allow me to learn more about the hobby in general. As long as my friends don't mind, I love butting in on their installs, even if I do nothing more than watch. That way I've learned to do things on these cars I have no way of even being able to do in the next 5 years (Eugenio and Trackbird know of a particular mod I'm referring to... ). While I haven't modded my car so much, mostly due to funding on a college budget, my mind has started gearing towards a custom approach to mods. I don't find it as interesting to take off the shelf parts and throw them at a car to arrive at the same place everyone else is at. Now I'd rather take the time to think things through and build things myself, even if I wind up in the exact same position that an off the shelf part would of put me in. The cost may be slightly more or less, but instead of just getting a part, I gain more knowledge. I think that's one of the great appeals of this hobby; I'm not only learning how to fix my own car, but also to increase the performance of it in the right way. Even as we speak, I'm building a stainless steel braided line for my power steering. The old one developed a leak and I found that I can get a line at Auto Zone for $25, Napa for $45, and the dealer for $95. Down the street at Jeg's, I've gotten all the parts for right around $55, which is the mean cost of the other 3 OEM style lines. My line will wind up doing the same thing as OEM, but now I know how to assemble SS lines... and mine will be more durable, as well as rated to 2500 psi.

Sorry for the novel... I didn't plan on the response being quite this long. Heh.

BTW, Absolut, don't worry about snapping those studs. If I remember right, they're around 10 bucks or so at the dealership. They're not very expensive. Just use the hex head on the very end of the stud to remove them from the flange and feed the new stud in. No more leaks. Another tip, instead of WD-40, I've had MUCH better luck using PB lubricant on rusty parts. You can find it at any auto zone, advanced auto, etc. White can with a yellow top.