i've been running lowered springs a year and a half now and im still fine, was much under your budget, and i have a spare set of stock shocks if anything goes wrong. springs are fine. the springs...
wouldn't the extra grip given by the weight be offset by the fact that it takes more force to change direction/speed, meaning all else being equal, the heavier car will handle worse, even in the wet?
i think your overestimating the amount that steel expands. the coefficient is about 12x10^-6 which means a meter long pipe would expand roughly .000012m, or .012mm per degree, over 100 degrees this...
tie rods and strut bars are never going to be compressed to the point of failure. yes steel has a higher fail point under tension, but its modulus (how much it deforms with a given force) is roughly...
the synchros are there to make sure the two parts that mesh are at the same speed when your not rev matching, so if your rev matching without the clutch (making the shafts spin at the right speed)...
theres cars without 3rd brakelights cause they were built before it was required by ADR, and its unfair forcing people to modify a stock car to fit in with regulations.
if theyre JUST in the wrong spot, would you consider drilling/filing out the holes? if it was mine i'd much prefer to do that then take my chances with 3m tape
i did it myself! not the best job, and i used crappy paint so its faded abit, but ahh well, when i get the time i might re-do it with better quality paint.
if you can borrow some spare rims, do that first to find out if its your warped rims that are the problem. if that dosent fix it i'd be looking towards the driveshafts you replaced
:/ dual filament bulbs wont go in the wrong way, the teeth on the side are uneven, they'll only go in one way, if its not as bright, see if its brighter with only parkers or only brake. if its...
nicework guys! its a good idea to test the wires before you solder them, i remember when i did this i got one taillight round the wrong way, so the parkers came on when i pressed the brake LOL!...