Unfortunately I'm not very creative when it comes to colors etc., so I could not decide on the color to powder coat the wheels.
Therefore I decided on a polish finish.
Thanks again Rey for picking up and dropping off the wheels you were a huge help!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Wheels are done
Seeking a little contrast for the daily driver I decided to remove the matte black finish and power coat the wheels.
Unfortunately I'm not very creative when it comes to colors etc., so I could not decide on the color to powder coat the wheels.
Therefore I decided on a polish finish.
Thanks again Rey for picking up and dropping off the wheels you were a huge help!
Unfortunately I'm not very creative when it comes to colors etc., so I could not decide on the color to powder coat the wheels.
Therefore I decided on a polish finish.
Thanks again Rey for picking up and dropping off the wheels you were a huge help!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
EFR!.... the best thing yet....
Ahh... Can I say ahhhh what the heck happened the past two weeks!
The other day I was thinking and thinking about 2010... What have I accomplished in 2010, hmmmmm.
Exactly- Nothing! There's nothing that stands out to me when I think about last year. This year however is another story and even the past two weeks; WOW!
My memory is not the greatest but I will try to describe the past two weeks and the progress we have made.
Today is Friday April 22nd; the deadline I have been given to resubmit my taxes because they were rejected on Monday April 18th; the official tax day. This is the first year that I have procrastinated till the very last minute regarding taxes, but with so much on my mind you can see why.
Since the beginning of the year we have been working diligently on preparing the "track car" to finally hit the street. We're talking about paint, suspension, brakes, wiring, heart transplant, etc. you name it. Not to mention building two cars at the same time. That is two motor swaps, two sets of coil overs, two suspension packages, wire tucks, custom turbo kits, Cusco 2way diffs, custom exhaust, gauges, -AN fittings, you name it.
Now I have seen a few cars come together over night, however being crunch for time... All the time as a full-time father, full-time student, full-time employee, etc. balancing multiple hobbies and interest including auto motives, wrestling, long distance running, the gym, and spirituality; time is a very value asset I rarely see.
Finally allowing additional hands in the pot reaching out to longtime friends for assistance the building process has been much smoother.
Going back two weeks ago...
Track car is at Boost Junkyz and were considering plans of building the "right" turbo kit for the use of the car. Plan is the occasional drift events both local and neighboring states and they styling of driving I'm eager to engage in; time-attack. So with careful consideration and after reading many write ups and watching all the production videos we decided on the new BorgWarner Engineered For Racing (EFR) turbo. With plenty research and Full-Race's backing all lights were Go!
Once the decision was made the turbo arrived in less than a week, perfect timing. With the turbo in his has Daniel jump right on top and at that point assumed position as crew chief. Within less than one full week Daniel fabricated the manifold and down pipe.
With the hardest part completed the pressure grew, knowing this is "my" building meaning I am in charge of the funding I sat down to review what is needed to get this car on the road to show gratitude for those who helped with the progress.
Crunching numbers and parts needed... In my mind there was no way we could get the track car on the street and presentable within the time requested.
Up to-date; we are now at Wednesday April 13th about 8pm I arrive at the shop to check the progress of the master piece. Subconsciously knowing we’re currently underfunded and short on time to have the track car on the streets within the month; I presented the idea to bolt the kit to the street car.
Idea accepted... all is Go
Thursday night Daniel and I meet at the shop removing the 3076 top mount turbo kit less than one hour and a day ahead of schedule we leave the shop feeling accomplished. Now that the new EFR turbo kit is tested and sitting pretty on the street car we reconvene Friday after work to complete the final bolt, test, and tune.
Before meeting Friday evening I called Efrian at Suspicious Garage Friday afternoon with a last minute request to purchase the brake line relocation kit just in case the turbo sat too close to the master cylinder. Not only did he come through with the last minute request he also made a custom oil line and has no idea how much he helped out. See the standard Garrett turbos use a -3 oil feed line while the new EFR turbo' use -4 and after searching around all day Daniel was unable to find and adapter to make the previous top mount oil line work with the new kit. Thank you Suspicious Garage!
So kit is complete and all lines made fit like a dream. It is Friday night and now time to drive!
At start up car sounds fine, it maintains idle at 1000 rpm, no coolant leaks, no smoke, all signs point toward Go!
We hit the street at about 10pm; the first thing that comes to my mind is damn! That's a quick spool. Going from a t3 traditional ram horn style top mount feeding the 30R monster to now a t2 housing 67/58 there is a considerable difference in both spool and response.
First pull down the street the main difference noticed is the EFR never loses spool/boost. Now when you're driving and slightly accelerating but not truly accelerating for speed the turbo will spool and recirculate unused vacuum. Its trip at first was we are used to hearing the blow off valve between shifting gears or as we back off the accelerator. This internal bov or better known as the recirculating valve works 100% on its own. Talk about turbo efficiency!
On to the freeway pull I can definitely see a difference in power band compared to the 30r.
The EFR's power-band would be more comparable to a 2871 a smooth incline compared to the hit like a ton of bricks feeling generally larger turbo produce. IF we were forced to compare the BorgWarner to the Garrett series turbo I definitely recommend the BorgWarner EFR. This scenario of swapping turbo on the street car could not have played out more perfectly if it were a movie script. Previously I research the options of running a 2871 top mount turbo because I've always desired the spool/response since the departure with the coupe, but strayed away for a few reasons:
- The turbo inlet housing (clock) location caused and issue and though it had been done before it was a custom setup.
- The 2871 is rated up to 400hp and I definitely plan for more than 400 horse power.
- The 5 bolt exhaust housing...
The next option was purchasing a 3071 with is rated to up to 460hp. Therefore, I sacrificed turbo response for the best option at the time which allowed room to grow and a sufficient potential horse power rating of 500hp; GT3076.
Now driving the BorgWarner EFR 67/58 the street car has instant response about 3000 rpm or slightly sooner depending on acceleration. With the power-band of the comparable to the 2871 but the horsepower rating comparable to the 30R and a level of efficiency all alone I believe we made the best choice.
Not only is the turbo efficient in design but in cost as well. I recall purchasing my 30r for $1300, the 90 degree inlet extension $50-$100, purchasing the Tial blow off valve $260, and purchasing the Tial 44mm MVR wastegate $350. The cost quickly increases before you know it.
The BorgWarner is equipped with the internal wastegate and re-circulatory valve. Saving cost on an external gate and blow off valve the EFR series are already v-band turbos which come equipped with the boost solenoid which again saves money.
I'm excited to see the power band and actual horse power numbers on my street car hopefully next week. This has been an exciting journey with much more to come!
Stay tuned and we'll see shortly!
The other day I was thinking and thinking about 2010... What have I accomplished in 2010, hmmmmm.
Exactly- Nothing! There's nothing that stands out to me when I think about last year. This year however is another story and even the past two weeks; WOW!
My memory is not the greatest but I will try to describe the past two weeks and the progress we have made.
Today is Friday April 22nd; the deadline I have been given to resubmit my taxes because they were rejected on Monday April 18th; the official tax day. This is the first year that I have procrastinated till the very last minute regarding taxes, but with so much on my mind you can see why.
Since the beginning of the year we have been working diligently on preparing the "track car" to finally hit the street. We're talking about paint, suspension, brakes, wiring, heart transplant, etc. you name it. Not to mention building two cars at the same time. That is two motor swaps, two sets of coil overs, two suspension packages, wire tucks, custom turbo kits, Cusco 2way diffs, custom exhaust, gauges, -AN fittings, you name it.
Now I have seen a few cars come together over night, however being crunch for time... All the time as a full-time father, full-time student, full-time employee, etc. balancing multiple hobbies and interest including auto motives, wrestling, long distance running, the gym, and spirituality; time is a very value asset I rarely see.
Finally allowing additional hands in the pot reaching out to longtime friends for assistance the building process has been much smoother.
Going back two weeks ago...
Track car is at Boost Junkyz and were considering plans of building the "right" turbo kit for the use of the car. Plan is the occasional drift events both local and neighboring states and they styling of driving I'm eager to engage in; time-attack. So with careful consideration and after reading many write ups and watching all the production videos we decided on the new BorgWarner Engineered For Racing (EFR) turbo. With plenty research and Full-Race's backing all lights were Go!
Once the decision was made the turbo arrived in less than a week, perfect timing. With the turbo in his has Daniel jump right on top and at that point assumed position as crew chief. Within less than one full week Daniel fabricated the manifold and down pipe.
With the hardest part completed the pressure grew, knowing this is "my" building meaning I am in charge of the funding I sat down to review what is needed to get this car on the road to show gratitude for those who helped with the progress.
Crunching numbers and parts needed... In my mind there was no way we could get the track car on the street and presentable within the time requested.
Up to-date; we are now at Wednesday April 13th about 8pm I arrive at the shop to check the progress of the master piece. Subconsciously knowing we’re currently underfunded and short on time to have the track car on the streets within the month; I presented the idea to bolt the kit to the street car.
Idea accepted... all is Go
Thursday night Daniel and I meet at the shop removing the 3076 top mount turbo kit less than one hour and a day ahead of schedule we leave the shop feeling accomplished. Now that the new EFR turbo kit is tested and sitting pretty on the street car we reconvene Friday after work to complete the final bolt, test, and tune.
Before meeting Friday evening I called Efrian at Suspicious Garage Friday afternoon with a last minute request to purchase the brake line relocation kit just in case the turbo sat too close to the master cylinder. Not only did he come through with the last minute request he also made a custom oil line and has no idea how much he helped out. See the standard Garrett turbos use a -3 oil feed line while the new EFR turbo' use -4 and after searching around all day Daniel was unable to find and adapter to make the previous top mount oil line work with the new kit. Thank you Suspicious Garage!
So kit is complete and all lines made fit like a dream. It is Friday night and now time to drive!
At start up car sounds fine, it maintains idle at 1000 rpm, no coolant leaks, no smoke, all signs point toward Go!
We hit the street at about 10pm; the first thing that comes to my mind is damn! That's a quick spool. Going from a t3 traditional ram horn style top mount feeding the 30R monster to now a t2 housing 67/58 there is a considerable difference in both spool and response.
First pull down the street the main difference noticed is the EFR never loses spool/boost. Now when you're driving and slightly accelerating but not truly accelerating for speed the turbo will spool and recirculate unused vacuum. Its trip at first was we are used to hearing the blow off valve between shifting gears or as we back off the accelerator. This internal bov or better known as the recirculating valve works 100% on its own. Talk about turbo efficiency!
On to the freeway pull I can definitely see a difference in power band compared to the 30r.
The EFR's power-band would be more comparable to a 2871 a smooth incline compared to the hit like a ton of bricks feeling generally larger turbo produce. IF we were forced to compare the BorgWarner to the Garrett series turbo I definitely recommend the BorgWarner EFR. This scenario of swapping turbo on the street car could not have played out more perfectly if it were a movie script. Previously I research the options of running a 2871 top mount turbo because I've always desired the spool/response since the departure with the coupe, but strayed away for a few reasons:
- The turbo inlet housing (clock) location caused and issue and though it had been done before it was a custom setup.
- The 2871 is rated up to 400hp and I definitely plan for more than 400 horse power.
- The 5 bolt exhaust housing...
The next option was purchasing a 3071 with is rated to up to 460hp. Therefore, I sacrificed turbo response for the best option at the time which allowed room to grow and a sufficient potential horse power rating of 500hp; GT3076.
Now driving the BorgWarner EFR 67/58 the street car has instant response about 3000 rpm or slightly sooner depending on acceleration. With the power-band of the comparable to the 2871 but the horsepower rating comparable to the 30R and a level of efficiency all alone I believe we made the best choice.
Not only is the turbo efficient in design but in cost as well. I recall purchasing my 30r for $1300, the 90 degree inlet extension $50-$100, purchasing the Tial blow off valve $260, and purchasing the Tial 44mm MVR wastegate $350. The cost quickly increases before you know it.
The BorgWarner is equipped with the internal wastegate and re-circulatory valve. Saving cost on an external gate and blow off valve the EFR series are already v-band turbos which come equipped with the boost solenoid which again saves money.
I'm excited to see the power band and actual horse power numbers on my street car hopefully next week. This has been an exciting journey with much more to come!
Stay tuned and we'll see shortly!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Finally an update.... right... HOME Stretch
It's been a while since the last update; though I wish I had more time to dedicate like before it's just not there. So I try to make progress when I find time available. The current updates have had more hands in the pot than just mine. It's almost becoming a mini team build in a way. Ralph had helped me with painting the interior and engine bay when I had a week off of school. Now Daniel has blessed the track car with his special touch and one of the most important Fascist of the build.... Turbo kit.
I had used Daniel’s (Boost Junkyz-602-421-1504) services before and was thoroughly impressed with the turnaround time, superb quality, and straight and forward prices.
When I went to Daniel with the idea and opportunity he immediately jumped on board and said yes! Project mayhem
was 100% full go forward from there on, as soon as the turbo arrived the kit was complete start to finish within one week.After much research we decide to go with the first BorgWarner 67/58 top mount SR20Det turbo kit for immediate turbo response, accessibility, and simplicity while every other Nissan is swapping Sr's for domestic lsx motor transplants, etc.
Not going to lie, if I had 12 thousand laying around I would also swap a lsx into the track car. However, I must live within my means. Not to mention the 67/58 is 500 horsepower capable with a spool and power band that will feel similar to the v8 minus the obnoxiously sound.
The new BorgWarner turbo only make sense.
The Engineered For Racing (EFR) turbine wheels are comprised primarily of titanium and aluminum with approximate 1:1 turbine: compressor weight ratio which dramatically improves turbo response.
Utilizing the t2 housing and proportionate runners there is no need for twin scroll.
The feature which attracted me the most is the convenience of the compressor bypass valve,boost control solenoid, and wastegate all combined within the turbo.
Before for EFR was released I had been researching options to clock the Garrett 3071 to position as a top mount set up. However, the options to do so seemed to drastic compared to the BorgWarner EFR. I would have had to purchase the turbo, purchase a Tail wastegate, and the Tail blow off valve.
The street car is running the same SR20Det swap as the track car with the 525hp rated Garrett 3076 top mount set up compared to the 500hp 58/67. At the end of the month I we're able to post dyno numbers to directly compare both set ups.
I'll try to update regularly as the build is now piecing itself together.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
lil Fab work
Daniel @ Boost Junkyz help with my much needed battery box; super durable and perfect fit!
This battery is going anywhere!
This battery is going anywhere!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
300z/ 5 lug Brake upgrade
There's plenty information floating around the World Wide Web how to complete the infamous z32 front and rear brake upgrade. In fact, most are overlooking the previous "big brake" swap and going even bigger with the z33 brake upgrade. As the stories goes, if you try to keep up with the Jones's you will never finish your car; it will always be a project.
This year is dedication 2011
Representing the idea of staying focused and executing task.
Mind you I've had this "track car" in my possession for a few years now and it has not seen one day on the track. So for now I will have to call it my potential track car as I attempt to stay focused to one day see this car enjoying a manful life of tire shredding, smoke bearing, motor revving, sideways glory.
That's the dream and I'm sticking to it.
Back to this weekends' progress and this weekend is not close to being over just yet. Today is the annual IFO - Import Face Off down in Tucson. There will be drag racing, car show, and maybe a drift session if I recall correctly. However, I cannot enjoy watching others preform as mine sits so close to being finished. With Monday being a holiday I'll have additional time to advance on the project with a little preparation.
One thing I've come to have is a profound respect for is the build process itself. Previously thinking about those who would pay somebody else to build their car as a lesser individual. Now considering all the time, work, and effort involved in even the simplest of processes and the headaches with limited tools and time. I can see why someone would turn to an automotive shop. Allow the specialist to do what they do best!
This weekend I jacked up the rear-end of the car, dropped the rear sub frame and gas tank. I still need to find a proper procedures to dispose of the 5 year old gas in the tank, in due time.
Removing the sub frame from the 95 240sx I noticed every sub frame bushing had ripped/torn apart from its original design. This car was an automatic before I added the five speed master cylinder and hardware last week. Differential and sub frame bushing upgrade is a must from here on out. After researching the options of ploy urethane and solid bushing I have decided to go with solid. The car being gutted from the original sound deadening material will allow noise to travel either way. With the solid bushings in place there should be less play in the suspension while driving.
With the rear-end up in the air it was the perfect time to complete the 5 lug and 300z brake upgrade.
I had the brakes powder coated a while ago but never got around to completing the install. Fronts were a direct replacement that took maybe 10 minutes. I captured a few pictures with the good old G1 as a reference to the install.
Step 1.
-Jack up the car from the rear-end
-Position jack stands to support car
-Remove axles completely from vehicle
(at this point you have two options- some may prefer to remove the e-brake cables- I on the other had complete the brake upgrade with out removing the original e-brake cable until it was time to install the newer conversion cable. I thought this was helpful to ensure you're using the right cable on each side)
-Remove the two bolts holding the rear caliper in place
-Remove caliper off the rotor (some may slide easily while rusted rotors will require force)
-Remove the rotor
-Remove the four bolts holding the hub in place
-Remove hub and dust shield.
Step 2.
-clean the center of the rear uprights before installing 5 lug hubs (light sand paper and wd-40)
-Place 300z dust shield to upright
-Install 5 lug hubs
-Insert studs through the upright into hub
-Install e-brake cables
-Install rotors
-Install 300z calipers
Step 3.
-Once both sides are complete adjust your e-brake cable to make upgrade functional.
This year is dedication 2011
Representing the idea of staying focused and executing task.
Mind you I've had this "track car" in my possession for a few years now and it has not seen one day on the track. So for now I will have to call it my potential track car as I attempt to stay focused to one day see this car enjoying a manful life of tire shredding, smoke bearing, motor revving, sideways glory.
That's the dream and I'm sticking to it.
Back to this weekends' progress and this weekend is not close to being over just yet. Today is the annual IFO - Import Face Off down in Tucson. There will be drag racing, car show, and maybe a drift session if I recall correctly. However, I cannot enjoy watching others preform as mine sits so close to being finished. With Monday being a holiday I'll have additional time to advance on the project with a little preparation.
One thing I've come to have is a profound respect for is the build process itself. Previously thinking about those who would pay somebody else to build their car as a lesser individual. Now considering all the time, work, and effort involved in even the simplest of processes and the headaches with limited tools and time. I can see why someone would turn to an automotive shop. Allow the specialist to do what they do best!
This weekend I jacked up the rear-end of the car, dropped the rear sub frame and gas tank. I still need to find a proper procedures to dispose of the 5 year old gas in the tank, in due time.
Removing the sub frame from the 95 240sx I noticed every sub frame bushing had ripped/torn apart from its original design. This car was an automatic before I added the five speed master cylinder and hardware last week. Differential and sub frame bushing upgrade is a must from here on out. After researching the options of ploy urethane and solid bushing I have decided to go with solid. The car being gutted from the original sound deadening material will allow noise to travel either way. With the solid bushings in place there should be less play in the suspension while driving.
With the rear-end up in the air it was the perfect time to complete the 5 lug and 300z brake upgrade.
I had the brakes powder coated a while ago but never got around to completing the install. Fronts were a direct replacement that took maybe 10 minutes. I captured a few pictures with the good old G1 as a reference to the install.
Step 1.
-Jack up the car from the rear-end
-Position jack stands to support car
-Remove axles completely from vehicle
(at this point you have two options- some may prefer to remove the e-brake cables- I on the other had complete the brake upgrade with out removing the original e-brake cable until it was time to install the newer conversion cable. I thought this was helpful to ensure you're using the right cable on each side)
-Remove the two bolts holding the rear caliper in place
-Remove caliper off the rotor (some may slide easily while rusted rotors will require force)
-Remove the rotor
-Remove the four bolts holding the hub in place
-Remove hub and dust shield.
Step 2.
-clean the center of the rear uprights before installing 5 lug hubs (light sand paper and wd-40)
-Place 300z dust shield to upright
-Install 5 lug hubs
-Insert studs through the upright into hub
-Install e-brake cables
-Install rotors
-Install 300z calipers
Step 3.
-Once both sides are complete adjust your e-brake cable to make upgrade functional.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
New direction
So I started de-looming the stock chassis harness from the 1995 240sx. Starting mapping out the engine bay wire tuck along with the ugly ugly chassis wiring that seems to hide in huge bundles under the dash when other attempt to relocate their fuse boxes.
After de-looming just the chassis harness inside of the cabin, before even getting to the engine bay I realize there has to be a better way. All the work involved would be so time consuming; to get the chassis harness to its desirable length almost 4 feet of wires would need to be removed. Same goes for the front chassis harness (engine bay). With the fuse relocation in place approximately 4 feet of unnecessary wire length would need to be de-loomed, measured, cut, soldered, wrapped, and loomed again.
The question at hand is if is worth it to me in the case of my "track car," which it was worth it with the street car to keep all the stock accessories etc. However, in this case with the "track car" I was unsure if the wiring time was worth the opportunity to utilize the stock speedometer, water temp, oil pressure, fuel, and other stock gauges on the bezel.
I decided NO, it's not worth the time which is very limited in my case and headache to complete such a complex wiring job for a track car.
Therefore the new wiring project will begin shortly, custom fuse box, all new wires, clips, stealthy shrink wrap.... The works.
In the meantime I'm in pursuit of locating the "right" motor for a heart transplant.
LS1 anyone?.... Message if I you have a killer deal :)
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
trying to manage..
Time is one thing I can't seem to locate these days...
Work, school, Dion, the shop...
Always needing to be somewhere every moment I blink my eyes. Eh oh well this is life as we know it and to do work one must sacrifice a little sleep.
Trying to make progress, hopefully I'll complete the motor swap within the coming weeks.
For now have begun the chassis harness reduction and will then complete the engine bay tuck.
100% complete chassi harness all stock 1995 Nissan 240sx 108,000miles- oh boy.
That's just for starters-
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Slow but steady.
Full time work, school, and demanding son does not always allow me to spend the time in the garage as I would like. Sitting in a cube daily definitely doesn't help the process either.
Work on the track car may seem slow.... but steady. Finally got around to spraying the main portion of the shell. Still need to paint the hood and doors and over fenders once they arrive, after I order them :)
This car should come together fairly easy once the paint process is complete, almost there.
Full time work, school, and demanding son does not always allow me to spend the time in the garage as I would like. Sitting in a cube daily definitely doesn't help the process either.
Work on the track car may seem slow.... but steady. Finally got around to spraying the main portion of the shell. Still need to paint the hood and doors and over fenders once they arrive, after I order them :)
This car should come together fairly easy once the paint process is complete, almost there.
Barrett Jackson 40th year Anniversary Auto Auction 1971-2011
Monday night Jared and I spent the evening enjoying a special preview of all the cars being auctioned off to the public and highly paid professionals. The world's best collector cars and antiques.
Such an awesome event! If you have never been you should definitely plan to attend the next Barrett Jackson Classic car auto auction.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Practice Practice Practice
Definitely utilized the two week fall break between classes; made progress on both the daily driver and track car.
Practice makes perfect..... one day
OG wheels
Practice makes perfect..... one day
OG wheels
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Weekend warrior
Economy sucks
Gas Prices are high
Daily driving great distance
So I did the math and realize my 6.0 Chevy 2500 is not the best vehicle for daily driving especially using premium gas... O_o
In preparation for a productive New Year spending less on unnecessary expenses I acquired the Honda civic. From 13 miles per gallon to 35 miles per gallon... The civic will do the trick.
Civic used strictly for daily driving, being the #1 stolen car in America I had to add security features. In addition I couldn’t roll the bucket in its stock condition. She's showing signs of aging.
Decided a facelift is needed to improve her self-esteem.
Saturday spent time sanding, sanding, wet sanding, and more sanding.
With progress made I was able to mask off and spray Monday night.
Facelift complete ready to roll.
Track Car waiting its turn...
Need to finish glassing inner fender panels and minor body work first
Gas Prices are high
Daily driving great distance
So I did the math and realize my 6.0 Chevy 2500 is not the best vehicle for daily driving especially using premium gas... O_o
In preparation for a productive New Year spending less on unnecessary expenses I acquired the Honda civic. From 13 miles per gallon to 35 miles per gallon... The civic will do the trick.
Civic used strictly for daily driving, being the #1 stolen car in America I had to add security features. In addition I couldn’t roll the bucket in its stock condition. She's showing signs of aging.
Decided a facelift is needed to improve her self-esteem.
Saturday spent time sanding, sanding, wet sanding, and more sanding.
With progress made I was able to mask off and spray Monday night.
Facelift complete ready to roll.
Track Car waiting its turn...
Need to finish glassing inner fender panels and minor body work first
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