Shadowhunters S14 Build Thread

[Shadowhunter]

Updates Page 2!



Well I figured it's about time to show you guys what I've been working on. I have been on the forums for a bit now Reading,searching and learning. I decided to get an S14 about a year ago. I have been working my ass off for about 3 years now and have not have been having any fun. I felt something was missing from my life and that was motorsports and having fun in cars. I decided it was time after a three year hiatus to get back into it. I found a nice S14 on Craigslist.

Took the train up to Simi Valley. Looked at it, drove it, the car was pretty beat up. Subframe clank, dings,hood had clearcoat failure and rust,broken windshield. But the title was clear, and the car was 100% stock with 178k on it. The dude was asking 3,800 I offered 3,500 and he took it. The tires on her were showing steel so he offered to get a tow truck down to San Diego for me free of charge. I came back home with this:

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/50/l_73976b79c6d4404496726e3a2792ca97.jpg

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/53/l_26b91ab6a70c47a3a9090bd882c067e7.jpg

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/28/l_de1f45ede4d64f21a1abefc9fe6138f4.jpg


First thing I bought was a spin knob and the car pretty much sat for 4-5 months. We had to move due to our landlord losing his house,He was able to find a new house for us, which worked out to my advantage as it had a two car garage =)

My car is built to be a daily driver/weekend track for now. Main focus on drift,but I do enjoy grip driving as well. I plan on getting another daily driver and turning this car to full track at some point. The first thing I decided to tackle was the suspension.

Most people do motor work first or looks or whatever. Looking underneath the car the suspension was showing it's age. Cracked Balljoint boots,the front wheel bearings had play as well as loose tie rods is what welcomed me when I looked under the car. I figured that suspension setup is crucial and what I found underneath was not going to take the abuse of drifting. So
the car went up on jackstands in the new garage.
http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/7/l_1afb1d90cb8241a4b1ea3180cd891b7e.jpg

First thing I started with was Tie Rods and steering rack bushings. I picked up a set of TEIN inner and outer tie rods and some Energy Suspension Rack bushings. The Stock Tie Rods were Really stuck in there but after a few hours they finally budged.

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/7/l_ad924287989741558672106afdd2d924.jpg

Getting the bushings aligned to sit perfectly was no easy task either, and doing it by myself was with one hand pressing up against the rack pressure and the other getting the tear drop bushing aligned wore me out.

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/48/l_b8e68c4833e04329a752322bd86f4bb8.jpg

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/53/l_00b9bc0716da411d81d6b2c92d7c104c.jpg

Next thing I decided I needed to tackle the subframe The clank was bad and looking at the bushings they were barely hanging on. I got the subframe off and started working on getting the rubber out. I drilled and used sharp instruments to finally be able to get the center parts out and Fire to burn out the rest.
http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/86/l_3ec8bed177ce4498982771f5233f0a8e.jpg

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/87/l_c4d9daa83b654c00b4348a3ad44e3163.jpg


http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/13/l_85dfd437341648aab94c21ea49a60ea2.jpg
Burned those nasty things outside so it didnt smell up my whole house. Upon Recommendation from Josh from 240sxtechdvds I got some Aluminum subframe bushings off of ebay instead of spl they were half the price. I also purchased some energy suspension rear diff bushings. I Got Urethane instead of solid bushings for the rear diff because I figured not only would it create unneccesary vibration in the cabin but with all the drivetrain movement solid would probably not be the way to go.

The subframe bushings were CNC'D so I figured it would be a good buy. Never having to replace those things again is an awesome concept. I Tried for many hand numbing hours to get the metal collars from the previous stock bushings out and could only get one out partially.(Before I bought my compresser) I took it to a shop here in S.D. called Rush Motorsports to have the new bushings pressed in.

They told me when I came to pick the subframe up that there was tons of corrosion and it even took them 3 hours to get them out. With the new bushings pressed it was time to replace the rear diff. I figured while the subframe was out this would be a perfect time. I saved $ for quite some time and read about the various brands and of course had to think long and hard if I wanted to go 1.5 or 2 way. I ended up Going with the Kaaz Super Q 2 way LSD.


http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/10/l_46c25c330d6d4cf9b5b1d726b6b8b0c8.jpg
Stock Rear Diff Removal:


AxleShaft Removal
http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/46/l_fb588b7698e34808b2b510a3d989c477.jpg
Oil Seal Removal
http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/58/l_3707f19835bb42658dfced93fb6677a6.jpg
Bearings and Spacers Removed
http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/48/l_eedd1c8631054322bd401a4272862bd4.jpg
Stock Diff Removed.
http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/79/l_f7d5d4e04f3641caa76c6d8eb4282305.jpg
Pinion Gear Removal
http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/17/l_2b36884d78f94ec1a433466996b7f430.jpg

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/56/l_3b0cc75dd05b41078b09b4214cf1e2fc.jpg
New Oil Seal Install
http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/13/l_4831c01ccaf84e2995c46fabcd79d063.jpg
New Kaaz Super Q Installed
http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/42/l_0f7c853f787a4f1795cd7acd65e40fd1.jpg
I Went to Rush Motorsport and had them check out the Backlash to make sure everything was Kosher and it was.

I Ended up taking the rear diff out later and changing the cover to one with heatsinks,Found one On Zilvia for the Cheap and Ended up painting it and Throwin on a moonface plug for quick fluid changes.
http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/59/l_42232881140544b4a9ced99d602ac41c.jpg

The Rear Diff Diagram Without the painted cover
http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/8/l_a5a1d828f9314a70ac19547bc8fc92f9.jpg

After The Rear diff was all installed again I put the subframe back up.
The Front end needed some more attention One of The Tension Rod brackets was damaged a bit so I Decided to pick up a Nismo power brace to replace it.http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/16/l_28a8b4c1f3f1414594fad21dcfc9a707.jpg
At this time I also Decided to go with with SPL tension Rods. They looked like a real quality piece compared to all the cheap Chinese crap that is out there.http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/81/l_4da424110da640c2a6aad647be060178.jpg
SPL Tension Rods Connected to Nismo PowerBrace
http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/47/l_eb12c1a4c0af418aabfc41a6a5d09cf3.jpg

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/10/l_c088b041efc74f868997e81d323544e2.jpg

A few weeks later I got some Redline MTL and a Circuit sports short Shifter.

http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/41/l_8092c41127d94741bf04e0bf6f6bd265.jpg
Half The Short Shifter on
http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/18/l_d0e449b445d1471fa80e87167545b83b.jpg

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/45/l_c6d7eda64c5b4753bc35b3e39996bc36.jpg
Shifter Installed. I'm now Rockin a Nismo Shift knob. Not too happy with the circuit sports shifter. This is the version 1 I am thinking about upgrading to the V2 as this one not only rattles like a bitch but a few times has come unscrewed. I used some locktite on the threads and it seems to be keeping the shifter screwed in at least.

Next up was some Coilovers. I researched long and hard on this subject. Wanting performance but not something that breaks the bank I found the Stance GR+ Pros to be affordable and good performers. I found a few vendors on Zilvia that were doing sales and had a bidding war. Managed to pickup the coilovers for $890 shipped and could not pass that up. Started to put em on soon as I got em.

Stance VS Stock
http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/109/l_939d4e95d4984540bbe28dd994feed37.jpg
Got those installed with No major issues. I decided it was time to Get the rest of the rear suspension. After more research SPL was the clear winner. Picked up some SPL RUCAS, TOE Rods,& Traction rods.

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/6/l_0fa7f70a2e554eef86fa8c0be8a38d0f.jpg

http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/25/l_a0630f4ea76b48cd97b76e1fb2a3f8bd.jpg.

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/6/l_21c6f020219e489a9f469c3738d284d4.jpg
Got those installed without any major hassles.

At this point I decided that I needed to get a 5 lug conversion. I plan on going 3z Big Brakes pretty soon, and I was not willing to go through the hassle of constantly getting rotors redrilled. I made the initial mistake of getting Nissan OEM fronts and ichiba rears from mynismo.

But in the end I did not trust the ichiba bearings and didnt feel like taking off the hubs a second time anytime soon.Getting OEM bearings was 170 a peice which did not seem worth it considering I could get the OEM rear hubs for cheaper. I sent back the Ichibas and swallowed hard as I shelled out the boku bucks for the OEM rear hubs. Soon as I got em it was time to install once again.

Axle Nut coming off
http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/39/l_d9979e521d2c40e092709482809bb968.jpg

Disc Off Nut Off
http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/55/l_ae84f2179c184d8799ab62e3c4967f2a.jpg

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/12/l_a6f45e7539bc4064b12f443816492da8.jpg

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/16/l_570913ecc9744d5cb63cd7442cde0c1f.jpg
Belive it or not I pulled off all 4 of my hubs using this Method:
http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/54/l_c18187b0b5c54334a6fae98f35b91bf0.jpg

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/74/l_e333ce4909304d1a89a0d4af43e81313.jpg
One of the front Bearing races broke off right on the spindle the bearings were so bad and stuck on there. There was no way to get it off,pliers,Vice grips,chisel method. We decided to make a method.
http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/104/l_36ad5de35a464a0c9281539a56ccf271.jpg
had to cut a notch into the bearing race and use an air hammer to rip it off, even with the air hammer it was no easy task.

Front Hubs and New Rotors installed With New Dustcap.
http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/47/l_974c3c34a76d44f79d068e2e6cef15ae.jpg

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/14/l_f7b829bd38614008aa95888afd8cbf0b.jpg
Manged to pick up some clean 5 Lug SE wheels on Craigslist for $80
http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/19/l_b85118d7a2814898811314967cdb80a3.jpg

http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/45/l_b750978c7cbd4dffa142c32e4ca55f65.jpg

I decided The icing on the cake should be the balljoints and picked up some Moog Balljoints from Amazon of all places with free shipping ended up costing me $65 for both balljoints what a great deal. Removed the whole spindle.Had to end up removing the Control arm. I broke a Balljoint press trying to get these things out.(yes I removed the C clip) Stripped the threads right off the press. Ended up taking the arms and balljoints to a shop next to my house and they used the hydraulic press to get em out.
http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/100/l_ae3a3b1ce0764871a08392b1d4e8b239.jpg

New Moog Balljoint
http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/82/l_276f7f9531db408ba98ba6b3b46636af.jpg
Spindle Reattachment
http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/29/l_190ea370de584c27bed9575c234ebf95.jpg

Last But not Least I picked up some Whiteline front and rear Swaybars.
http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/67/l_83c0804f390d45a6a87d26920e4383c4.jpg

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/2/l_2d7ad1d7b1d24ed19a67ef2668b87c20.jpg

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/111/l_d03e81d5209d46e881c530b9a046576f.jpg

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/41/l_6e73a479053d420bb2d87da1b6126f36.jpg


Well That's about it. Been working on this for about a year. Would have been done sooner but I live In California and make only slightly above 30K a year so in CA money that makes me poor. Soon as I could buy stuff I would and put it on asap. Built 80% of the car myself. My friend recently moved here from Georgia and has helped out alot for these past few weeks helping me get it together. Dropped over 6k into the car so far. Not including the 2k i have spent on tools. I set a deadline of October 8th my birthday to get it all together and off the jackstands and I made it. Had the car Towed to Rush Motorsports to get it Corner Balanced and Aligned here are the Specs:

FRONT -2.0 REAR -1.75 TOE=0 CASTER=8.1
LF=711 RF=843
LR=675 RR=556
LEFT=1386 =49.8%
REAR=1231=54.5%
TOTAL=2785LBS

Weight with 165lb Driver
LF=770 RF=862
LR=743 RR=576
LEFT=1515 =51.3
REAR=1320=44.7
CROSS=1603=54.3
TOTAL=2950
All Weight in Pounds

Feels great after the alignment and balance. Car handles neutral and oversteer can be induced easily if one so chooses. Driving the car for the first time felt amazing.I also Got the hood primed and sanded down and a new windshield to replace the cracked one. I'll get those pics up sometime soon. I am so happy the suspension portion is done,now time to go out and have some fun at the track before we begin phase two. Next up brakes. Looks like shit but handles like a 911. Thanks for reading.

Questions, comments? Post em!

[I LUV MY S13]

nice build man...pictures are all out of order but regardless looks sick...cant wait to see the turnout

[jon_mr2]

some nice parts you got there. i need to save and get some oem wheel bearings for my ichibas as well... i can just feel they are going to fail, and i havent even driven the car yet. LOL

[Alan_405]

Awesome build thread. So how are you u liking the coilovers? I was looking at getting them for my 97 kouki. How is the ride quality?

[[email protected]]

Lots of work man. Good on you

[PerilousActs]

Nice work! Very much along the lines of what I'm doing...just much much slower than you. Yay for poor college students!

[clark]

nice job, honestly.

you've basically got the same idea as me. suspension and braking.


did your diff have to get re-shimmed or anything? or did you just put it all back the way it was?

did the shop happen to provide you with the amount of backlash was on there?

do you also mind sharing how much they charged you to do the measurements? you can PM me.

[Shadowhunter]

Awesome build thread. So how are you u liking the coilovers? I was looking at getting them for my 97 kouki. How is the ride quality?

Ride Quality is great, I have them set to 6 clicks all around which in the Stance owners manual says is a a good optimal setup and I'll agree. Not too bumpy not too soft, rolls into the corners perfectly. I'm gonna get used to it the way that it is then start turning up the coils and seeing how the car feels/reacts that way.


nice job, honestly.

you've basically got the same idea as me. suspension and braking.


did your diff have to get re-shimmed or anything? or did you just put it all back the way it was?

did the shop happen to provide you with the amount of backlash was on there?

do you also mind sharing how much they charged you to do the measurements? you can PM me.

No Reshimming was necessary however they did re-do the ring gear bolts with red locktite on all of my ring gear bolts because I used blue locktite on them first. I dunno how much backlash it was I have to dig up the paperwork but it ended up costing $95(one hour of labor) To have it checked and ring gear torqued to spec with proper loctite.


Questions Comments? Keep em comin!

[jspaeth]

Yo mad love for suspension tuning. All good quality parts, car will handle as good as it can now.

I would suggest with the amount of money and time you have put into it, you take it somewhere and have a professional FULLY setup the suspension (cornerweight, adjust roll centers, blah blah blah).

I mean, at this point, you have everything almost fully adjustable (except the lower control arms), and it would probably be worth it.

[Shadowhunter]

Yo mad love for suspension tuning. All good quality parts, car will handle as good as it can now.

I would suggest with the amount of money and time you have put into it, you take it somewhere and have a professional FULLY setup the suspension (cornerweight, adjust roll centers, blah blah blah).

I mean, at this point, you have everything almost fully adjustable (except the lower control arms), and it would probably be worth it.

Not sure if you read my whole post but the car has been cornerweighed and aligned at a professional Race Setup shop. Not gonna buy fully adjustable suspension and not tune it:nono:

[jspaeth]

Not sure if you read my whole post but the car has been cornerweighed and aligned at a professional Race Setup shop. Not gonna buy fully adjustable suspension and not tune it:nono:


Sorry, I did read the whole thing, I was just listing corner-weighting as one thing on a list of things to do.

I don't even have that done to my car, although I would really like to do it.


I was just saying there are other things you can do to improve handling (aside from just alignment and cornerweighting).....that you are in a good position and have most of the adjustable parts to do.

I know that the User "racepar1" knows a shit-ton about suspension, handling, and full-out race setups.

[Shadowhunter]

I gotcha now. For right now I plan to keep it the way it is for a bit and just get used to the car, then If really need be I can get the suspension further tuned.

Some quick update pictures.

http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/34/l_e095a383cf3447738ad4a09d98e0b46d.jpg
Sanded and primed the hood. Did not turn out lookin too good, but it's better than the rust,half peeled clearcoat and scuffed remaining patches of paint. Also new non cracked windshield.

Just some quick interior shots with the new nismo knob and all vacumed and cleaned up.
http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/37/l_cec82deafcf24a9f9f4f65f58fadf27a.jpg

http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/26/l_452e3ee030a24bde9c2f78d65c6db195.jpg

[JesusFreakDrifter]

i likee it already

[tricky_ab]

Nice work so far...

[showaski39]

any info on the e-brake button and how it works?

thanks

[borracho]

I just picked a 95 myself good insparation man. . . . How do I subscribe to this thread

[PosiS14]

keep it going man, good luck

[epics13]

nice work on the suspension, keep it coming

[mrizsuki]

nice set up. mine is in progress. but i am one of those lazy guys that are too lazy to take pictures. lol. but good, no, great job!

[Shadowhunter]

any info on the e-brake button and how it works?

thanks

Basically, you remove the ebrake handle cover by pulling on it. Then Press in two tabs holding the lock on the Ebrake.Slip the cover back on and slip the button on. When the button is pressed in it stays down, meaning if I pull on the ebrake it won't stay locked. If I pull the button up It will work like a stock e-brake. Cheap and fun mod to do. Even if you are not into drifting This is a good mod to have.


I just picked a 95 myself good insparation man. . . . How do I subscribe to this thread
Thanks man, Click on thread tools on the top and click subscribe to this thread.

[Shadowhunter]

You guys reminded me that I needed to update this thread. What have I been working on? Well for one My rear diff Cover started to leak, I bought another OEM gasket and had the same situation arise. So I decided with some advice from my fellow Zilvia members to use grey permatex and no paper gasket. So far so good,no leaks. Taking out the rear diff 3 times in two weeks is a pain in the ass. Live and Learn I guess.

Installed Some Alpine Type G speakers up front because all the stock speakers in my car were blown.

Next up I decided to tackle my timing chain as it was making the crunching noise.
I removed the two guides that Nissan determined were not necessary as well as lubricated the Tensioner that was really hard to press in and out, as I kept on spraying it with lube it kept moving more and more freely. Looks Kind of sloppy But I had a track event next day so I just kind of left as much connected as I could get away with, was really careful about the valve cover gasket Put everything together and it worked out great. No noise and no leaks.

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/68/l_de406f8561b64d7dab8a01114b09d8d2.jpg

Same Night I decided I would Install this intake I had sitting around Get some more throttle response and free up some ponies:http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/91/l_cfafec2e8635455882c8878e6083e60a.jpg

Cheapie Ebay Intake I bought with Spectre Air Filter and Hose Clamps. Cheap Yet Effective. This is by no means my Final setup this is a temp intake setup before I start on my motor build phase of my project. For the mean time The Car sounds meaner, throttle response is sharper and the butt dyno does approve. Wish I could have tested this theory on the track and now.....

For the bad news: Broke an Alternator mounting bolt on the way to the track which was 2 hrs away, Rolled into the track parking lot and my car shut down on me did not even get one run in. I was pissed and no one had a spare bolt so I had to call Triple A to get a tow back home. Now I need to purchase some new bolts so I can make it to next weeks track event which I am already signed up for.

That's pretty much it for the updates right now. I'll add more as I have it.

[truebluegallo]

link for the ebay store u bought it off i need cai

[Ceepo]

^ its not hard to google shit yourself, dont ruin this guys great build thread askin jack assery things!!!

p.s. awesome build so far...

[KOUKIboy]

Good build so far... It leaves me wanting for more!! LOL so whats next?? whats your battle plan?? Keep up the good work

[Dazzla]

excellent thread...I started off with basically the same car as you. I'm about to go 5-lug too. Do you recommend spending more and going for the OEM hubs instead of buying like Ichiba etc?

[showaski39]

Thanks for the info on the e-brake button.
I want to get one for the drift events.



Next up I decided to tackle my timing chain as it was making the crunching noise.
I removed the two guides that Nissan determined were not necessary

Where is the 2nd timing chain guide? I removed one from my car but I didn't know there were 2. The one I removed was up top right in the center.

What was everything you had to remove to get the other guide off? The top one is easy and all I had to do was remove the valve cover to get to it.

[SidewayZ-s14]

Nice quality parts you're running!
You must have some cash! ;)

[dfitzg]

Good project reminds me of mine ive had it two year just dont have to time and i keep running into the worst issues with it im getting back on track tho

[stockbee]

this build tread makes me pant. Well done sir for taking care of one complete section of your car first and not trying to go halfsies on everything and spread your cash in two areas. I'm sure you're much happier for doing so.

What are you thinking engine wise for the future?

[Shadowhunter]

Man it has been a long ass time since I updated this thread. Been Super Busy working the bugs out of the car,working and being broke. I've done a bit since my previous update so let me get this thread back to speed.

Went to a drift event had a great time there and the car performed great except after tracking all day the Power Steering started to feel a bit notchy. When I got home one of the power steering hoses was leaking. I bought a Stainless High pressure line from Enjuku and attempted to replace, when doing so the Enjuku line kept leaking at the rack.
I kept unthreading both fittings and re-securing them thinking I may not have been sealing them properly, until the shitty happened. The Low pressure side of the rack got stripped out. This was some major suckage. So I went ahead and Got a new rack along with a custom power steering cooler setup.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs492.snc3/26886_110099155667834_100000032500509_256225_41993 46_n.jpg

Earl's Aircraft Superhose:

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs492.ash1/26886_110099289001154_100000032500509_256242_38880 43_n.jpg

CoolerMaster P.S. Cooler

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs492.snc3/26886_110099275667822_100000032500509_256239_53450 81_n.jpg

had my buddy custom fab me a bracket so I could mount it to the front bulkhead. Cooler Peeking through front Grille.
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs492.ash1/26886_110099279001155_100000032500509_256240_75476 17_n.jpg

Stainless(now sealed properly) and Aircraft hose attached to new rack

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs492.snc3/26886_110099295667820_100000032500509_256244_71259 85_n.jpg

So naturally The battery died Because the car had been sitting for a while and Testing it revealed I needed a new one.

I picked up an Optima Redtop. By this point I had also grown tired of working around that bigass shroud and fan. So I went ahead and picked up a CXRacing Aluminum Dual core Radiator, Shroud and E-Fans. At this point I threw in a new Thermostat, Replaced both upper and lower hoses with Silicone ones and with some help wired up a DIF Fan Controller and 6k HID's

And last but not least added a cheapie strut tower bar to the car as it seems that all the strut bars for the S14 have the same poor design.

Redtop, HID Ballast and Fan Controller Next to wash Bottle.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs452.ash1/24894_113573978653685_100000032500509_271092_61144 72_n.jpg

Ballast

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs492.ash1/26886_110099175667832_100000032500509_256231_37810 53_n.jpg

Out With the old




http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs492.snc3/26886_110099169001166_100000032500509_256229_71015 6_n.jpg


In With the new. CX radiator, Silicone hoses and side shot of Shroud/fans. So much Room Weeeeeeee.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs512.snc3/26886_110099179001165_100000032500509_256232_67890 58_n.jpg


http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs492.snc3/26886_110099182334498_100000032500509_256233_21660 2_n.jpg

Pretty much as it sits right now

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs452.ash1/24894_113573975320352_100000032500509_271091_16597 1_n.jpg


This is pretty much where I'm at right now. Just had to replace the starter the other day and added some Eclipse Speaks to the rear. I got a V2 Short shifter coming in because I am not fond of the V1. I gotta replace the valve cover gasket and brake pads later this week and then I can get her to a track and finally have some fun. So much damn shit one thing after another breaking it will be nice to finally be able to drive the car. I'll try to update this more often as I got some more "Serious" upgrades coming soon. Questions? Comments? Thanks for viewing.

[Om1kron]

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs492.ash1/26886_110099175667832_100000032500509_256231_37810 53_n.jpg

enjoy your electrical fire.

[Shadowhunter]

Lol, Everyone's a critic. Wiring has been split loomed since these pics have been taken. But thank you for your concern.

[Om1kron]

If you mean split loomed by the stupid mesh cover wrap, it can still rub metal and fray and expose the wires, and get cut. Ask me how I know?

[NMs14.5kouki]

If you mean split loomed by the stupid mesh cover wrap, it can still rub metal and fray and expose the wires, and get cut. Ask me how I know?

did it happen to you??

[onepuff]

Yea i hope you mean the split hard plastic loom. And put a grommet in that hole anyway.

[secondtonone317]

nice buildup, lots of quality parts and good work

I dont think there's a huge problem with your wires that would cause an electrical fire as stated by Om1kron but it is something that a little tape can prevent a situation. Electrical fire may be over kill, blown fuse may be more like it.

[Shadowhunter]

Yes, by split loom I mean the hard plastic stuff, not much may come of the wires being there but I do enjoy the extra insurance.

[Om1kron]

did it happen to you??

Yes......................... luckily I avoided the fire part because I could audibly hear the arching in the wire harness.

[stockbee]

Hey there shadowhunter,

Despite your inability to put parts on your car as fast as you'd like, I think you're doing a good job taking your time and putting the proper parts on instead of skimping like some of us do from time to time.

I like what you've done so far, and encourage you to keep it up. Can't wait to see how the rest turns out based on what you've done so far.

[wh0aitznic0]

+1 for buying good suspension stuff (SPL + Stance) from the getgo.

I have the same stuff sitting next to me waiting for my Tie rods to come in the mail.

[freckle]

keep up the great work dude. doin it right.

[Shadowhunter]

So I figured I'd wait until I had a decent update to show, Unfortunately things arose, problems happened, life happened and I just slacked on the updates. For this I apologize. Let's get back into it shall we?

First of all as soon as I got rolling I started hitting up track events like a madman.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Shadowhuntr/13325_123461767664906_100000032500509_314785_64889 79_n.jpg?t=1299242092

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Shadowhuntr/38742_148216788522737_100000032500509_450070_45766 37_n.jpg?t=1299242153

Car performed beautifully, I had alot of fun and it was a blast to drive.

After event #4 driving back from the track 5th gear decided to blow out, the track being 3hrs from my house sucked major ape tits. Drove home in 4th on the highway rev's buzzing away.

Got home. Slept and Began searching for a trans. I also realized reverse gear was now out, really inconvenient for a daily driver. On a few occasions I had to push the car out of it's parking spot, good thing I was doing P90X at the time. Looked on Zilvia and craig's list and couldnt find one KA Tranny in San Diego that I liked. Expanded search to L.A. on craigslist. Eventually found some kid in L.A. That had a 96 Mint trans for $150. Called And went that night.

Got off of work at 10, drove to L.A. with my friend at 10:30pm. Got to kid's meetup spot at like 12:30 because of traffic and road closures. Turns out We saw the same kid and his s13 at one of the drift events, he recognized us. Small world. Now I had a transmission. I waited a few weeks to do the install so I could upgrade everything else :) Clutch,flywheel,Slave cylinder and driveshaft. Got paid, Lets do this:

I picked up This.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Shadowhuntr/IMGP1279.jpg?t=1299243308


Out with the old Exedy replacement clutch(still in good shape too)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Shadowhuntr/IMGP1290.jpg?t=1299243434

Clutch, flywheel and old Trans Out:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Shadowhuntr/IMGP1291.jpg?t=1299243497

New OEM Rear Main Seal

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Shadowhuntr/IMGP1292.jpg?t=1299243574

New Rear Main and pilot bearing being installed:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Shadowhuntr/IMGP1293.jpg?t=1299243710

New Flywheel Bolts and F1 Chromoly 10.5lbs flywheel.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Shadowhuntr/IMGP1294.jpg?t=1299243790

Why did I pick this flywheel over others? Gasp! it's not a major name brand!
1. Chromoly. 2.People who have used it that I know have had no issues. 3.Cheap 4. Light as hell. Anyone who states this is too light for daily driving should be ashamed.

ACT HDSS Clutch
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Shadowhuntr/IMGP1296.jpg?t=1299244209

Pressure Plate:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Shadowhuntr/IMGP1298.jpg?t=1299244291

Homies Battening down the hatches:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Shadowhuntr/IMGP1302.jpg?t=1299244450

Peak Performance Trans mount(didn't like it switched to a NISMO one)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Shadowhuntr/IMGP1303.jpg?t=1299244500

Driveshaft Shop Aluminum driveshaft:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Shadowhuntr/IMGP1307.jpg?t=1299244561
Could not get this driveshaft to fit no matter what I did. It would hit ebrake cables. Returned it and got the steel one instead. No pics of that in the car but it fits!

Got rid of the clutch Damper and installed A Nismo slave Cylinder, Dif stainless clutch line and cannot be seen Nismo pivot ball and circuit sports solid bushing(too noisy, hate it):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Shadowhuntr/IMGP1309.jpg?t=1299244651

This is all I've got time to write right now. There's more and I'll try to post it soon. Maybe tomorrow. Hope this inspires people to do work!

[Renelovesnike]

nice build sofar and im likeing your choice for suspension/arms, and thats a first ive heard of the one piece driveshaft not going right on! is it just too thick??

[bc.]

This is my kind of build, i like it

[ManoNegra]

interesting, you and I think alike
this is pretty much how I have built/worked on my cars
suspension, bushings, brakes, maintenance, etc... kudos

[kalypso123]

I like simple builds like this.

[Shadowhunter]

nice build sofar and im likeing your choice for suspension/arms, and thats a first ive heard of the one piece driveshaft not going right on! is it just too thick??
It was super thick but according to DSS it should have fit, I tried everything to get it to clear but every time it would either hit ebrakes,ebrake brackets etc., Should be able to install it without any mods, no accidents on my car or anything so I really don't know what the deal was. I know the steel one Fits perfect and it made a huge difference in terms of being able to feel the car and feeling like my foot was directly connected to the rear end.


interesting, you and I think alike
this is pretty much how I have built/worked on my cars
suspension, bushings, brakes, maintenance, etc... kudos


Thanks, you'll be seeing your skullworks Oil block Adapter making an appearance soon. I still have to write my engine work update. Probably will have to get around to it tomorrow as I won't have time tonight.

[KingMidas]

Nice Build keep it up

[statickx991]

i like it!

[headablaze]

You should do some z32 brakes next. Great build!