26DEC2003	Attempted to steam clean the rubber wheel well covers (the panels that remove for easier access to the innter tie rod ends).  No dice.  I'm going to try a foamy engine degreaser on them.
27DEC2003	Nothing completed.
28DEC2003	I went ahead and pulled off the sway bar, the sway bar brackets, and the strut rods.  The strut rods are on there pretty good, and I don't have a wrench big enough to fit the nut.  I'm going to try a pipe wrench and a vise.  I've gotten the bushings off the sway bar, and they're in pretty bad shape. When putting the sway bar back on:  The lower oil cooler line is really in the way.  I'll have to feed the sway bar past the oil cooler lines first, and then get it arranged on both sides.  To do that, it might be easier to put the bar in place, rest it on the jack, then slide the mounting brackets over the bar and into place.  That's how I had to take the assembly out.
29DEC2003	I picked up the suspension from KOI today.  The shop pressed in the ball joints and the control arm bushings for me, and I started putting it all together.  The control arm was a very tight fit with the poly bushings, I had to use a hammer and a rag to gently tap it into place.  The bolt went back on without any problem.  I used a grease gun to re-grease the NOS ball joint I got off eBay, and attached the steering kunckle to the control arm.  Next, I bolted the shock tower into place, and put the tie rod ends and the sleeve in place.  The ends still need to be tightened up, but it is, at least, attached on the driver's side.
30DEC2003	I put the right control arm and tie rod ends on today.  It was a little difficult getting the steering knuckle to mount up to the strut tower, but I found starting on the aft-most bolt was the "shortcut".  I also tightened the sleeves for both sides, and everything is looking really good.  What I'm really happy about, though, is that with the new steering hooked up, the play is gone from the wheel.  Before I pulled off the old steering, with everything off the wheel (rim, rotor, adapter plate, caliper braket, and caliper), there was a significant amount of play -- I could move the steering wheel about an inch or two without any movement of the spindles.  Now, however, I have only about 5mm of wheel play before the spindles start responding.  Hopefully this will result in the elimination of the "wonder" steering that I experienced when first driving this car.
31DEC2003	For the next few days, I was off visiting the in-laws.  While I was gone, though, I picked up the following: Complete exhaust, some holes but fewer then the one I have now Original Radio and speakers Cargo carpet and rubber mat Steering column cover Window switches, fader joystick, and the plastic plate that holds them Complete AC system that was holding a charge when it was removed Heat sheilding for above exhaust system
01JAN2004	Out of town
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