"What have I gotten myself into?" S13 Hatch!

[relaxamigo]

My first s-chassis was a coupe I purchased in 2012. I never got too far into that car, it was a side project of sorts while I was skating and doing other things. When I finally got into driving it and enjoying it towards the final months of 2014, I decided I did not want to destroy a coupe. I consequently sought after an S13 hatchback to build during the winter of 2015 so I could really get into drifting. This is where the story begins. Finding a decent starting shell is quite difficult, but after meticulous hunting and a slight predatory instinct, I finally found one!

The owner was reluctant to sell, and I recall being a complete nuisance. After about a month of pestering him (let?s call him Lionel) he finally agreed to meet up. I hopped in the truck with my pops and a rented u-haul and arrived at a vexing neighborhood south of Baltimore. While we were pulling in, there were groups of people quarreling on the sidewalk, so we needed to scoop the hatch and get the hell out of there. Lionel fibbed and stated the car was ?rust-free.? The brake line areas under the strut towers had a bit of rust from leaks eating away at the undercoating. This helped knock the price off a little. The car ran, but didn?t drive because he said it ?needed a clutch.? Anyway, I gave the man his money and we all mashed the car on the trailer. I?d like to apologize for the quality of the photos in the earlier part of the story, I was more concerned with the car and not aesthetically documenting the process. HA!

https://i.imgur.com/cYKmqKF.jpg

Once I got the car back home, it was time to tear it apart! I got the car up on stands and realized why the car wouldn?t move. The slave cylinder was dangling from the rubber clutch line and damper. There were also boxes of junk and random parts in the trunk, and I had no idea what I had gotten myself in for. Then came the worst part of all, the damn car had both HICAS and ABS! I didn?t know this at the time, but one of the parts that was laying in the trunk was the ABS module, and explained the rats nest of tee?d off brake lines in the engine bay from what I assume was an ABS delete. Anyway, I wanted to fully get rid of HICAS, so I swapped subframes with the coupe.

https://i.imgur.com/S88EOEu.jpg

I picked up that spare (gold) one for the coupe so it wasn?t left with a HICAS subframe. My friends Marc and Alfonso kindly came by and helped me swap them out. The coupe subframe already had subframe risers, and battle version arms that would come in handy for the hatch.

https://i.imgur.com/wqwCPWx.jpg

At this point, I thought things were going quite well. I had the suspension from the coupe, and I would have this car running in time for the first event of the year! After I removed and converted all the HICAS and ABS crap (I?m going to upload a guide for this soon), I should be ready to go, ideally. Well, after grinding down the rust by the brake line bracket, it ended up being worse than I originally thought. I really despise rust, it bothers the hell out of me so I needed to repair this ASAP. I picked up a Miller welder with my pops to help with his projects, and I used this as a learning opportunity.

Cut the panel out:
https://i.imgur.com/ReEfS8i.jpg]

Made a template out of cardboard and welded the new piece on:

https://i.imgur.com/DEcJ9Mi.jpg


Welding thin metal was super tricky, and I had to be careful not to concentrate too much heat in one area. It obviously wasn?t something worth posting on WeldPorn, but it was sealed and annihilated the rust. But now, I was faced with a slight dilemma. Fresh MIG welds are highly prone to rust, and although I had repaired the damage, the other side (in the engine bay) needed to be sealed and rust proofed as well. Doing that with the engine in the car was an unfeasible task. The engine needed to come out to gain access to the other side of the repair. Otherwise, the rust would return, making all this work useless. The next Saturday morning I rushed to the car and removed an engine for the first time! My bud Goey came by and helped me pull it out and made the task a bit less fastidious.

https://i.imgur.com/uEJj1Ls.jpg

I cut the core support and welded tabs under it to facilitate the overhaul. The new goal was to clean up and repaint the engine bay. I had only planned for a simple rust repair, but things snowballed into pulling the KA. It was at this point that I began to fully understand the domino-effect of building a car. As you work, you start to uncover minor issues that require attention and the amount of unanticipated moves you have to make to realize your goals grows exponentially. This can be especially frustrating for someone in my position as relatively new to cars (more on this later).

Anyway, I pressure washed and ground off the old seam sealer:
https://i.imgur.com/OyOUdlU.jpg

I looked online for inspiration on how to do my bay, and particularly enjoyed how VW cats shaved and tucked their entire bays. I was fascinated with the illusion they created of a ?floating? engine, with no visible wires or holes, just a smooth cradle for the engine. Obviously, I wasn?t adept enough for such a feat at the time, but I did attempt a subtle shave, and it was good welding practice!

https://i.imgur.com/F3d4KRJ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/gxvMHJ5.jpg

Removing the battery tray carefully without trashing the metal underneath was a feat. I wasn?t going to keep A/C so i shaved those holes too:

https://i.imgur.com/Q2DEtlc.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5g5tcL5.jpg

This project was great for practicing thin metal welding. I had to remove the front subframe so it was easier to work in there.

https://i.imgur.com/VCJZodo.jpg

Got part of the bay primed to see if there was any smoothing left to do where I welded and shaved:
https://i.imgur.com/IMOLcEm.jpg

The engine bay prep was beginning to take a toll on my well being. Between a full day?s worth of classes and my job, it was becoming really overwhelming and I?ll admit I wanted to just give it up. My pops was starting to notice that I had no energy, and said that I should take it easy with the car, and offered to help whenever he could. I developed a type of obsessive nature once I got the ball rolling. He was the reason I got into this hobby in the first place, as a kid my life revolved around his cars. He?s into restoring classics, and keeping them in near factory condition. I respect that a lot, but my enthusiasm went in a totally different direction! I will never forget the look on his face when I showed him what I wanted to do with the car. Either way, he?s super supportive of what I do, and I?m greatly appreciative of that!

I finally got the bay primed, everything was looking up! My friends came by to help do the final prep work to the base coat
https://i.imgur.com/x2OJhjV.jpg

I?m ashamed of the color choice in retrospect but hey, we all make mistakes. At the time I thought it was ?cool.?

https://i.imgur.com/vCRxaKM.jpg

I started putting the shit back in the engine bay, I assembled my own power steering setup after getting rid of the HICAS junk. These are Earl?s fittings and hoses with a permacool universal oil cooler. A solid power steering system is essential, the fluid is under a LOT of pressure.

https://i.imgur.com/1DSlpdG.jpg

Continued to re-install the rest of the stuff in the engine bay. Things were coming together and I was pretty excited. Those brake lines are courtesy of Marc, really funny looking back on them now. Even with the kink those lines lasted around 1.5 years with no issues!

https://i.imgur.com/Sa0ulNr.jpg

With the engine compartment in order, I wanted to tackle the engine itself. The odometer read 311k miles, a chilling fact. I was able to get in contact with the guy that owned the car before me, and he confirmed the mileage! We even became friends as he was a local cat with mutual buds, funny how things work. I didn?t want to get to crazy tearing this engine apart, I just replaced all the main seals and gaskets and hoped for the best. I also tried an emissions delete, and it worked out nicely!

https://i.imgur.com/H90P6ps.jpg

Got a paper plate clutch kit (Exedy oe replacement)

https://i.imgur.com/CkTmNKT.jpg

Alfonso came by again and helped me put the engine in the car. For two people that hadn?t done this before, things went semi-smoothly after some finessing.

https://i.imgur.com/zuScHSs.jpg

Got all the other odds and ends mashed in there too:

https://i.imgur.com/Qp43ejF.jpg

Got myself some new wheels for the front as a reward for making it this far! Enkei Kojin 17??9+35 (horrendous sizing for the front but I didn?t know any better back then)

https://i.imgur.com/Cxn5zyB.jpg

It was at this exact point in the build that I hit a massive barrier. Everything is on, and the car is ready to start. I had put a lot money and effort, and even lost a girlfriend to this thing! I tore into it more than I had ever planned, and was really wondering if it was going to start. I plugged the battery in, and the car had power. Turned the key; nothing! I looked over things and realized the ECU wasn?t plugged in. Nice.

Simple enough of a mistake. *Crank crank crank* Still nothing! The car would backfire on occasion, so I checked the timing probably over 20 times. I ended up flooding the cylinders so badly with fuel that I locked the engine up. It wouldn?t crank anymore and the starter would make an pitiful noise. The first Drift Valley event of the year was coming up, and I was wholly devastated that all this effort was for nothing. To me, it wasn?t fair. It wasn?t fair to have put all this work into a project and have it all fail at the critical moment. My friend Nick Pullin was kind enough to have offered me an engine he had laying around, but the first Drift Valley event was looming near and I wouldn?t have it done in time. He is a pretty big hoarder, so I appreciated the gesture heavily. I lost interest in the car for a few months, and let it sit while I skated and pursued other interests.

One day, I had to get something out of the warehouse where I kept the car and I got a sudden itch to pursue this project once more. I still couldn?t rotate the crank by hand, that thing was locked tight. I looked online, and most of what I read about locked engines stated that the thing was as good as roasted. I figured the fuel in the cylinders washed the oil out and created a lot of heat while I was cranking it and fused the piston rings to the cylinder walls. Life lesson- don?t go in dry. Anyway, I wanted to be absolutely sure it was seized, so I hooked up a 6′ pipe to my 1/2 breaker and climbed on top of the bar. After a massive leap of faith and a few bruises later, the crank actually rotated! I drained the oil, filled it with some good-good and went back to square one. G was kind enough to come back and help me with this issue. In this game, it?s really nice to have friends that can answer your dumb questions. I would consistently pester Nick, Ivan, and G for guidance and direction.

Anyway, G came over and taught me the importance of being simplistic in your diagnosis. It?s easy to get caught up in the problem and oversee obvious solutions. We double checked the timing, and it was fine. I had tried to replace injector O-rings while I put the engine together, and didn?t lube them; essentially trashing them. Don?t go in dry, remember!? Instead of spraying a fine mist of fuel, the spray more closely resembled a garden hose. I replaced the rail and injectors, and it still wouldn?t start. G sprayed carb cleaner into the intake, and it fired up! I was hyped! I replaced the pump with a Walbro 255, fixed some grounds, and cleaned up the wiring and we were back in motion.

I addressed the front end with some tein tie rods, put my D-max coils from my coupe on this car, and was ready for Drift Valley! Hell yeah 5 lug!

https://i.imgur.com/kw8Z9Q4.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/VYvtdwn.jpg

With the car running, I wanted to address ?aesthetics.? In the rear the body was cracking. This could only mean one thing, BONDO, AND LOTS OF IT. Apparently the car had been hit in a parking lot, and the body shop (if we can even call it that) simply filled the whole damn thing with filler. I was in no position to pull all that damage out, and set it straight. It was more of a task for an artist than a kid like me. B-Magic overs it is. I couldn?t even sand the bondo off, I had to get all 1/2″ of it off with a grinder

Measure twice, cut once:

https://i.imgur.com/jgLDSju.jpg

FYI, looking back on this, I should have cut higher. If you plan on tucking rim, cut 4-5″ above the body line. After pulling my overs off recently I need to address this and raise the arch. The tire rubs ever so slightly under load tucking a 17″ on 215/45. Note the killer bodywork by whoever tried to repair this before:

https://i.imgur.com/5MFOsVy.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/CLND4QL.jpg

More welding practice!

https://i.imgur.com/N4blfZu.jpg

3M two-part Hardened body seam sealer!

https://i.imgur.com/Q2Ts0zP.jpg

With this out of the way, it was time for the maiden voyage! I lowered the car on the stands, slowly released the clutch, and the car moved! This was a truly gratifying feeling, never in my life have I dedicated so much of myself to a project.

https://i.imgur.com/aalfkQg.jpg

Drove it around the compound, and everything seemed good. I painted the valve cover and proceeded to break in the clutch. A slight uneasiness lingered in the back of my head driving the car on the street. A lot of moving parts were disassembled and reassembled!

https://i.imgur.com/48HsSE0.jpg

Cruised around with Marc in his hatch:
https://i.imgur.com/suRMhWu.jpg

G gave me a bumper, and I made a half-assed attempt at a ?paint match.?

https://i.imgur.com/AZ7MUXN.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/J6CZF5J.jpg

I thought I was so cool with my ?drift-spec? 240sx. Chuki extensions on a pignose, bumper sag, no signals, and a spray painted bumper. I didn?t care at the time, I felt on top of the world with my running and driving s-chassis. I continued to break the clutch in and prepared for Drift Valley after missing a good chunk of the season. A few days prior to the event, the car sputtered and wouldn?t rev past 2.5K RPM. I wasn?t sure if someone?s abuela had cast a curse on me, but I was tired of stuff breaking! Maybe I wasn?t cut out for this. Anyway, I woke up the next morning with a clear head and found a ruptured fuel hose by the tank and a disconnected MAF plug. Nice. Got that taken care of and kept mashing on. There were four events left in the season, stocked up on spares and was ready to go!

https://i.imgur.com/pGxitfF.jpg

The first event was awesome! I started to get the hang of driving this car, and by the end of the event I was linking the course. I took things slowly at first, just a corner at a time. This was the final test of my perseverance, and I?m glad I stuck through with it.

https://i.imgur.com/9dKaXSz.jpg

Got some better fitting wheels for the front and I continued to do some more events that season to make up for lost time:

https://i.imgur.com/EkeYx64.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/vJ24daJ.jpg

The damn thing was so funny looking during these stages it?s hilarious to reminisce! I began having a ton of cooling issues after a hose burst on me at the track. I frantically bled, changed thermostats, did the whole works and nothing seemed to help. I kept mashing on and repairing things as they broke. Ended up overhauling the entire cooling system and cleaning the engine galleries as best I could.

https://i.imgur.com/RPPtpxc.jpg

I kept on driving, learning, and researching! The journey was getting fun by this point; I was getting pretty comfortable driving the car and was confident repairing things as I destroyed them. Drifting is abusive!

[relaxamigo]

Edit: fixed bad photo links above

[wolfpack]

Hell yeah Juan!

[relaxamigo]

Drift Valley coverage:


https://youtu.be/x3FEKQgzZHU

[Jissan]

Putting in the work, making the events, and progressing as a driver, with zero fanboyism.

Kudos man.

[relaxamigo]

Putting in the work, making the events, and progressing as a driver, with zero fanboyism.

Kudos man.

Much appreciated! :bow:

[relaxamigo]

Fun things first, a couple more photos watermarc took at the last driftvalley:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5817/21518585638_3d77e2b897_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/yMwnPd)

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/772/21706407525_02c68db42f_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/z581HB)

And the not so fun things:

So I had been running the stock temp gauge for the first event (big mistake) and it had always been acting funny. I had to get a new wiring harness from prosport for my temp gauge and I did not get it in time for the event. Once I got it wired in, the gauge read in the 200-220 range. The stock gauge was always in the middle. Once it even read this:

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/709/21706454425_419bcf4aa0_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/z58fEe)

Not sure what kinda drugs the gauge was on. Anyway, turns out my water pump belt had been loose this whole time! :facepalm: Man I felt dumb, I guess the belt was skipping. This meant that I had been beating on the car for awhile and the car had probably been running hot! Fortunately nothing was damaged too badly, I don't think. I frantically took a compression test of the engine cold and it was pretty low at 145 across all four. Not sure if it was due to running the car hot, but at least it was even.

This KA burns a decent amount of oil. I'm planning on doing valve seals soon, and hoping it makes it through the season. I have a spare longblock that needs work, and in the offseason I'm going to rebuild it to have something fresh for 2016!

Took the front end apart to do motor mounts, water pump, thermostat, and belts. Cutting up the core support and welding tabs for a bolt-on setup was one of the coolest things I've done to this thing! Makes life so easy:


https://farm1.staticflickr.com/587/21519621529_506fc5e50f_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/yMBFKp)

Andy and I pulling the old mounts out:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5806/21708627735_e42e24168e_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/z5joH6)

NICE:

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/770/21680399036_1f9b602f05_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/z2PHio)

Nismo mounts are sweet. Raised the engine a bit for oil pan clearance, the trans mounts are dope too! Now the engine and trans don't feel like they have a mind of their own.

[relaxamigo]

After a long fiasco with the company I ordered a water pump from, it finally came in. I decided to do a new pump and thermostat to play it safe. This KA has 311k miles on it, and I wanna keep the damn thing as long as I can!

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5691/22011831439_a311bd43e5_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zx7oBa)

Took it for a test run and everything SEEMED to be okay, hoping for the best. I have the last DRIFTVALLEY this weekend and I'm super stoked! Also washed the car for the first time ever!

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/623/22209022031_bdc616758e_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/zQx3uX)

[relaxamigo]

While I was waiting for parts, I took the time to practice my welding. I modded an integra muffler to fit on an EG hatch for my friend Marc:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5819/22186062652_f7f230bc1f_z.jpg

Also made a bolt on battery tie down because that shit was swaying around with the strap last event and was hella sketch:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5618/21575989724_79a42029c7_z.jpg

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/631/22198739125_b341d8354b_z.jpg

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/738/22011858699_0fd2486b7e_z.jpg

Cool! Now we're safe. I also like camber, so I went ahead and started dabbling in FLCA extension:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5687/22209056531_cddcedb801_z.jpg

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/576/22172598176_c63d7882c8_z.jpg

Just need to pick up some 1/8" steel to box the bottom and I'm gonna try them out on the coupe. It's just a 25mm extension

All I have left to do is put the body panels back on the hatch tonight and do some more test drives and we should be ready for the event this weekend!

[TheRealSy90]

Any pics of the removable core support? And how it bolts on etc. I want to do this to mine. I'm also bolting my intercooler underneath it and need to keep it sturdy somehow.

[relaxamigo]

Any pics of the removable core support? And how it bolts on etc. I want to do this to mine. I'm also bolting my intercooler underneath it and need to keep it sturdy somehow.

I'll get some for you tonight. I basically cut right after the bend and welded tabs to the bottom with holes drilled in. I have a screw and a nut holding them to the rest of the core support.

If I were to do it again, I would drill out the spot welds closer to the ends and weld tabs on there instead.

[relaxamigo]

Here's where I cut for the removable core support, I recommend drilling out spot welds further out though:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5715/22206316300_217623152f_z.jpg

[relaxamigo]

The last driftvalley event of the year went well. I had to load the car onto the trailer alone for the first time, but the nice thing about this whole drifting thing is that you start to get the hang of things after a while and develop a sort of rhythm.. I got the damn thing on there alone in fifteen minutes! Then I headed home and hung out with my friends and good a good nights sleep.

I made it a thing to not fuck around with the car the night before and just have everything ready to go the next morning so I can get in the truck and go. The next morning I woke everyone up, made french toast and off we went! It was my first time with my dad there and it was really nice to have him with me. He has been a big part of the build and has always been out of the country the days of events.

I had kind of a shitty start to the event, two runs in and I blew the coolant line that loops under the intake manifold. First though was, "damn I'm gonna be out the whole event!" Upon further inspection, the line developed a pinhole towards an end. Marc took a knife and hacked away at that shit and I threw it back in! I was somehow able to shove my hand under the intake manifold. After a cut up and burnt forearm, the car ran again!

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/587/21772386304_7b4fcbf1cd_z.jpg

After this, the car didn't run to well. I would drift, then temps would spike on grid. I think the engine sucked in a hellacious amount of air from the leak when I drove it back to pits from the grid. The event organizers (Fresh Roots) were nice enough to let me park my car up front and wait for my turn with the engine off so it didn't overheat!

Besides that, the car felt pretty good, here are some photos:

Shenandoah, VA is an incredibly beautiful place to drift:

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/756/22405929161_0a8a64b966_z.jpg

The man himself, Marc Pitts. This dude has been to almost every event and I'm super thankful to have him by my side!

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5776/21774046883_7c1caf4c0c_z.jpg


https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5713/22395134255_02214c11d7_z.jpg

Stock ass KA makin a little smoke!

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/605/22208302649_7c3e898df5_z.jpg

Aaron also came out for the first time and gave us a big hand on the pits. Thanks for coming dude! The event went well besides the hiccups. I was allowed to do some cageless tandem for the first time because I was putting down some solid runs. This was a little scary, but I definitely wanted to take this next step in. Here's a run with Dylan Wiley:

V2RLkt6tMR4

Definitely wanted to keep my distance for the first time!

The car started overheating a little too quickly towards the end of the event so I called it a day. I definitely did not want to grenade my poor KA. We all got in the truck and headed to chipotle for a family dinner!

Midnight Matsuri was a week away and there was no way in hell I was going to miss that. Drifting under the lights, who would want to miss that!? The next day I started tearing the car apart again:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5772/22395131615_fedef8550c_z.jpg

I tested the thermostat and it was okay. I don't have climate control but I still have the heater core hooked up, so my only theory was a hellacious air pocket in the system. I looped the heater lines and plugged the core. After extensive bleeding, the car held idle at 180 and things were looking good! Thanks to Willis "Killing the Game MEDIA" for these dope shots:

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/566/22395132315_ab056427c1_z.jpg

Great! Car is burnout tested. We're good to go for matsuri. Lets bring back the underglow! Mah boy fonz helping drop some vinyl :keke:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5673/22207142200_a932b59c71_z.jpg

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5747/22369156066_8f31878ae2_z.jpg

I bought a chop saw and wanted to play with it, so I wanted to try and make a bash bar out of some old trampoline legs made of 1/8" tubing.

Tubing cut:

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/726/21788780444_e3a9c57558_z.jpg

Welding:

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/654/22422366411_b2875d18c2_z.jpg

Mocking up:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5749/22224711389_ba0a48c05b_z.jpg

Done! Still need to add a reinforcing bar in the corners, though. I'd also like the bar to come out away from the car a little further and wrap around the inside of the fenders a little. All ready for Monster Matsuri tomorrow :2f2f:

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5619/22224671549_1108c7f490_z.jpg

[bmaddock]

Cool build thread man, I remember seeing your car at Monster Matsuri. I was hanging with the Jspec booth guys and the purple S13.

I'll have to introduce myself next event. Are you going to 100 DoD? I'm hoping to drive that one.

[relaxamigo]

Brandon's coupe!? Gotcha dude! Yeah I'll be at DN this sunday, and definitely 100dod. Say what's up!

[Heywood Jablomie]

I was kinda hoping you were going to stick the sube front on

[R_Rod_s13]

Clever screen name :keke:

[relaxamigo]

With each passing event, I was getting more comfortable with the car. I was slowly learning to relax mentally, and I felt like it was doing wonders for my car control.

https://youtu.be/Zwv0aT66BG0

[S-Nation S13]

Battery breaker box what are you using ?

[relaxamigo]

The breaker switch? It's a 150 amp stinger I think

[Hoonigan19]

nicee man. keep it coming

[relaxamigo]

It's been a minute since I've updated this! I have a ton of content to put up, but as usual between events it has been super super hectic, a lot of shit went on! The drift nirvana event was a super important one for me because last time I was at this track I sucked real bad.

I could nail the beginner track (d-loop) pretty well but the next step up (pistol grip) gave me an incredibly hard time. I was understeering and flying off track the entire time in the coupe, I left that day super unsatisfied and outright bummed out. But shit happens, and that feeling of wanting to return to nail it is what I had fueling me this time around.

I don't have a ton of media, but here's one of my runs from each track. I'm happy to say I linked the track and had a great time!

Pistol grip:

https://youtu.be/00xwtpk4CRQ

[relaxamigo]

Nick from Wolfpack Drift Club invited me for a birthday celebration at our favorite track. It was an awesome atmosphere and I progressed a lot! It was cool having everyone together, including Paul who flew in to celebrate. Nick’s parents have always been great to us, helping out where they can and getting awesome media. I picked up some skirts and traded welding labor for rear valences!

https://lodisk.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/img_5945.jpg?w=1000

https://lodisk.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/img_5900.jpg?w=1000

I felt awkward with the only non matching car, this was to be addressed soon. Here’s my first fully destroyed tire!

https://lodisk.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/img_5895.jpg?w=1000

Here's Paul and Bill's video from the event:

G-qiC0-42i4

[relaxamigo]

I was reasonably content with the few events I did in 2015. The car felt nice, I was comfortable driving it and ultimately tearing it apart to make repairs. The following winter I had 2 main goals: address the tumultuous overheating and the aesthetics. While I was overseas I came across a mismatched origin stylish kit and thought it would be cool. It needed some tender loving affection but that didn’t bother me. The car wasn’t aggressively lowered at the time, but the skirts hung pretty damn close to the ground. When I pulled the hatch out of the shop for the first time, I instantly ran over one of the skirts! They had a fresh coat of paint on em and only needed some scuffing for a new finish. The clamor of crushed fiberglass will forever be entrenched in my head.

Aero “fitted” and skirt repaired along with some paint prep

https://i.imgur.com/tNkHjlz.jpg

Hanging out with Willis at the shop, lovely bumper fitment

https://i.imgur.com/BhA2OTw.jpg

I have forever been plagued with the issue of automotive ADD. I start working on one facet of the car, and my attention wanders to other things. Instead of completing paint prep and bodywork, I started looking into the overheating issue. As I mentioned in the previous segment, I had exhausted just about every avenue in my endeavor to alleviate the overheating. Although the headgasket tested negative for damage with a leakdown and liquid color gas test, I wanted to replace it. This was tremendously nerve-wracking. Before I had only removed minor components and changed seals, but for me, this was a significant overhaul. With the help of the FSM, the internet, a few beers, and Aaron’s help, we got it done!

So empty looking!

https://i.imgur.com/bMX9rhe.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/UebXUlW.jpg

Got the head cleaned and machined:

https://i.imgur.com/jQm0Rpr.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/21CODFX.jpg

I’m glad there was no extensive damage given the frequency of the overheating. There’s a lovely look at Marc’s brake lines! He was kind enough to let me use his fancy snap-on torque wrench that lets out an audible *beep* every time the torque setting is reached. It’s idiot proof and perfect for me.

https://i.imgur.com/XcMy5Ly.jpg]

Double checked the timing, and kept everything straight thanks to my friend Krash’s guidance and it fired up on the first try! This was exhilarating and left a deep feeling of accomplishment. My jovial day soon turned sour, however. The car still got hot! I could not believe my own eyes after installing a fresh OEM headgasket, temperatures were still high. I ditched the pro-sport gauge for an autometer one, and temps still read the same.

Around this time, my pops and I were no longer able to use the small warehouse we kept everything in, so the build took a short hiatus. I completed the paint prep in a frenzy, and Aaron graciously let me store the hatch at his place. While I had some downtime, I came across a decently priced pair of wheels I had sought after for years; Work Equips. When I was a young[er] rapscallion and had just gotten into cars, I fell in love with them and Alfonso astutely pointed out what they were. I picked up a set, wholly ignorant about three piece wheels, yet eager to learn.

https://i.imgur.com/nt56bek.jpg

They came in 17x9+35 I believe. They had a massive inner barrel and a tiny lip, but I didn’t know any better. I split and resealed them in the same specs, and the fitment was comical! I didn’t care, I felt like a king with my new equips, happily analyzing the antique stamping on the back of the face and at the inspection stickers with plenty of history. With Aaron’s help, we finally got it painted and drove it back to Gilbert’s shop in the rain for a roof wrap!

Tai and Gilbert getting things done!

https://i.imgur.com/nLvT5fC.jpg

My first fully painted car! The daily isn’t even a uniform color.

https://i.imgur.com/eG1iTdf.jpg

Painted the aero as well:

https://i.imgur.com/LULFgp5.jpg

The aero still fit quite poorly, but I didn’t mind at the time. Everything was done in time for the first Drift Valley of the year, and it was the first event where all the Wolfpack cars were matching.

Rollers are my absolute favorite!

https://i.imgur.com/C36l0LH.jpg

I did my homework on three piece wheels, and asserted that I needed a smaller inner barrel to run a bigger lip. I tracked down some oem 17x5.5" inners so I could run a 3″ outer creating a 17J +9 wheel. While I waited for those to arrive, I picked up a pair of Weds Farmas locally in 17x9—8. I split them to polish the faces and run a 4″ outer lip, resulting in a 17x9—9.5-15.

[Gostt02]

Nice car! You did a lot of work! Wish I had as much space to work as you have!

And by the way, your mother rocks! Mine wanted me to take her with me for a trip, she loved the car!

[IslandBoy]

The Chosen Juan. Didn't know you had a build forum. Pretty tight son. Seeing what this car started out as and what it is now is awesome. The work you put in is very admirable, young blood. Looking forward to drifting with ya in the future homie (oh yeah this is Jarel btw.) ✊������

[relaxamigo]

The Chosen Juan. Didn't know you had a build forum. Pretty tight son. Seeing what this car started out as and what it is now is awesome. The work you put in is very admirable, young blood. Looking forward to drifting with ya in the future homie (oh yeah this is Jarel btw.) ✊������

Hey dude! thanks man, I have a TON of updates I need to get through. :naughty:

[Escape 240sx]

Love this build im 17 with my s13 hatch just did a s14 ka swap and picked little tips from you, I like the powersteering setup i broke my hardlines and gotta find away to bypasss that cooler just dont know how. But following this to see more of this build up!

[relaxamigo]

Love this build im 17 with my s13 hatch just did a s14 ka swap and picked little tips from you, I like the powersteering setup i broke my hardlines and gotta find away to bypasss that cooler just dont know how. But following this to see more of this build up!

the hardlines are junk, just asking for trouble. I have a rubber line feeding the pump, braided high pressure line to the rack, a braided line exiting the rack to the cooler, and a braided line leaving the cooler back to the reservoir!

hope that helps

[Escape 240sx]

the hardlines are junk, just asking for trouble. I have a rubber line feeding the pump, braided high pressure line to the rack, a braided line exiting the rack to the cooler, and a braided line leaving the cooler back to the reservoir!

hope that helps

hey thanks man! hope to see more updates!

[JesusFreakDrifter]

nice build keep it up

[relaxamigo]

With aesthetics in play, it was time to drive! Shenandoah is an absolutely breathtaking place. The track is perfectly situated in a valley of mountains, and you are surrounded by untouched scenery. Everything is green, and makes the entire driving experience that much more serene. When you first pull in, the road is straight and all you can see is a steep mountain range and the morning fog.

https://i.imgur.com/ATNvv6j.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/yrOmvsL.jpg

Everything felt great, nothing broke after beating on it for the entire day. This was the true test of the headgasket job! I was able to dampen the overheating by looping the heater hoses (didn't have heat) and clipping the small valve on the thermostat to facilitate bleeding. It's a little taboo, but helped.

Things were going a little too well?. Finally during the Drift Valley/US Drift combo event I had a brusque malfunction. The car shut off on me in the infield and it was low on power for the rest of the day (more than usual). The battery light also came on. After a voltage test, the alternator failed and was no longer charging the battery. Even despite these issues, I kept driving. My head was in the wrong place, and I was frustrated. In order to compensate for the lack of power, I had to manji halfway through the bank to keep the wheels spinning; an abysmal idea. I threw the car too hard and I grazed the wall. The damage wasnt too bad, I was able to pound most it out with a hammer and a 2x4. The overfender effectively rebounded back into place, who would have thought!?

https://i.imgur.com/anZLl0w.jpg

The entire event put me in a fairly somber mood, but I had to keep trudging on. There were other events looming near. I distracted myself by working on the equips, I refinished one of the center caps and the 5.5″ inner barrels came in from Apt5 wheels. I still had to wait on the outers to come in but it was enjoyable figuring out the wheel math to get the perfect tsuda-ichi fitment!

https://i.imgur.com/KHfvma1.jpg

[pfregeolle]

You definitely need an update on this thing my dude!

[relaxamigo]

You definitely need an update on this thing my dude!

yes pablo when I find a moment I make moves on this!

[relaxamigo]

I also picked up some CR2P, not really sure why. Tucking 18s was exciting, though. I got rid of these later in the year..

https://i.imgur.com/fpKKL76.jpg

I also distracted myself by finishing up the Farmas while I waited for the Equip parts to come in. Polishing is a meticulous task. Sanding out all the small blemishes was a nightmare! Your hands begin to ache, head begins to pound, and the amount of beer necessary to stay sane cultivates. These came out pretty cool, I'm not all too sure if the huge face adequately matches the style of an schassis, but the divergent style spoke to me. It was around this time that I developed a plaguing addiction for old Japanese wheels.

Tom graciously mounted up the tires and I caught him mid cheetah-blast!

https://i.imgur.com/ZQNPt2A.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/TisGRry.jpg

The Farmas had too aggressive of a fit in the front, fortunately my ride height wasn't too low at the time and there wasnt much impeding the tire from smashing the fender.

https://i.imgur.com/TVmryiN.jpg

[IslandBoy]

Raaad homie. See you at Matsuri Saturday?

[Malik]

yes more updates please.

[relaxamigo]

Despite the exciting new front wheels, I needed to conquer the intermittent power loss issue. Drift Valley was just a few weeks away and the KA still felt feeble. I recollect trying just about everything, fuel pumps, MAF, wiring, vacuum leaks, knock sensor, you name it! I was blindly swapping parts over with the hope of repairing the issue. After a lot of screwing with the engine, the issue seemed to come and go. I tried all kinds of wild things, from wiring a resistor in the knock sensor circuit, to hardwiring it with a coaxial cable. I ended up driving like this for the largest part of the season, none of my friends were able to figure this one out! This conundrum was heavily disheartening, I wanted to outright swap the engine out with something else at times and simply call it quits.

Although I might have overthought it at the time, persistence is key. If you're hardheaded enough, the solution will come to you? eventually. I destroyed my bumper on the way to the shop one saturday, pretty bummed but it sat way too low and it was bound to happen. I got stuck on a grooved part of the highway and hit a gnarly bump. The front end of my car looked like it was blasted by a tornado with the amount of fiberglass that shattered. Repairing the bumper was a messy, itchy task that I hoped to never repeat again (but did many times).

https://i.imgur.com/25RNvhf.jpg

On the way back, around 3 AM in a deserted tunnel!

https://i.imgur.com/1HNovIV.jpg

The next Drift Valley bestowed itself upon us, and the car ran poorly as usual. Although it baffled me a little, it was important to chase the silver lining. This forced me to be more shrewd in selecting my driving line. I kept the angle shallow to maintain momentum, and only used angle when I could afford to slow down. This was one of the first times where we had successful tandem driving. Listening to the turbulence of another engine right beside you was a novel sensation. Staying relaxed and concentrated was more paramount now than ever! You also learn to trust your tandem partner, it's essential for a good dance!

https://i.imgur.com/Bh3tBVp.jpg

A wangan wing made its way over to the car, I'll freely admit this was an awkward styling point.

https://i.imgur.com/ufGR7Tr.jpg

I installed a wideband on to facilitate the diagnosis process, but it simply made me overlook other things. The wideband readings were not particularly off-kilter, but it was still constructive to monitor the output of the almighty KA.

https://i.imgur.com/dKLgwRS.jpg

I finally got the equips finished, and CLEARLY needed more practice sealing three piece wheels. My technique was nowhere near proficient. I had too thick of a coat of silicone, making it easy for the tire bead to catch it during mounting and cause a leak. That?€™s precisely what happened! I had to take the wheels apart a few more times until I made a leak-free seal. The Equips had a much better fit and were true to the era of the s13.

https://i.imgur.com/vYlDAQY.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/NI1QyB0.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/Rfeh2uG.jpg

The wing, however, didn't fit the styling of the car at all! It required a much wilder style like Bad180sx.

https://i.imgur.com/qCmlxQb.jpg]

This matsuri was a total party, around halfway through the day the water came down monsoon-style. I foolishly took a lap and cracked the bumper again! Some people waited too long, and kept on driving. The infield at Shenandoah is concave for water to drain. However given the violence of the storm, the drains' efforts in keeping up with the downpour of the water were futile. The infield essentially turned into a lake, and people were getting stuck and hydrolocking their cars. The calm after the storm sure made for a killer photo-op though!

https://i.imgur.com/4FZZcly.jpg

Bill captured some vivid moments at night:

https://i.imgur.com/1to1IQW.jpg

I remember seeing this next photo and finally understanding the importance of lengthened front lower control arms.

https://i.imgur.com/SzSipK0.jpg

The power loss issue was still rampant. Although it was forcing me to be more aware of my driving line it was beginning to limit my progression. With all the tandem driving we were doing it was time to make the car a bit safer on the inside. I picked up a safety21/Cusco 6 pt bolt in, a Mazworx harness bar and some corbeau harnesses. Having some safety instruments in the car eases the brain to continue pushing your limit!

I snagged another matching pair of equips for the rear. This time around, I found some with better starting sizes so all they would need are new outer lips. Best part: they were LO disk! The final size was 10.5 -5, which was a tad wide for my taste but they filled the arches nicely.

https://i.imgur.com/ljt9gto.jpg

I really enjoyed driving on a 16″ wheel in the back. Tires were cheap, and the minimal weight made it easy to keep them spinning and steer the car with the throttle. Only issue is they looked kind of lame, so I found a rare set of Heroes S-911 on ebay! They were also 16s but with forged components, weighed in at 16.5 lbs each. They were also a little more aggressive than the Z32 I had, which was a plus.

I mentioned a wheel addiction, right?

https://i.imgur.com/vF5Pr11.jpg

We had a private day at Shenandoah and it was the perfect venue to work on technique and get some tandem practice in! These events were great because we all got to enjoy each other's company, and really attack the weak points of each driver to become a more cohesive unit.

https://i.imgur.com/UZxBRFt.jpg

As usual, Bill nailed some fantastic moments. The car was going in a better direction without the wing and equips up front.

https://i.imgur.com/CGYK0sf.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/VLEhqR7.jpg]

I vividly recall the morning after this event as something that descended from the heavens. I had started the car in the garage to move it, and it ran dreadfully. The entire engine was shaking, the wideband was reading 10.0 and there was fuel pouring out of the exhaust! Aaron came over to hang out and look things over with me. We pulled the fuel rail off and placed a piece of cardboard under it to see if there were any leaks. When I turned the key to prime the pump, injector #2 let out a waterfall of fuel that gave Niagara a run for its money! Oddly enough, the injectors were something I had never looked too far into. I had tested voltage/resistance, but never flow tested. I wasn't sure if it was a seal that broke, or something internally. Injectors are fucky little gadgets. Either way, I was ecstatic that the solution to my issue all year was potentially diagnosed.

Ordered some new 270s, and the car was back to normal. It was obviously still KA sluggish, but the difference was night and day. It pulled like it did earlier in the year, and I felt goosebumps spring up along my arm knowing the car was back to its old self. The car may have been a little angry with me for grazing the wall earlier that year, or driving it with a known malfunction.

With the new injectors on, I did some testing!

https://i.imgur.com/hcwxlGY.jpg

Work wheels from different generations!

https://i.imgur.com/E8UxdWf.jpg

Driving the car for the next few weeks was exciting, but I had to do a pull from time to time to be absolutely sure that the power loss issue wouldnt make an impromptu return. The entire issue screwed with my head a good bit for most of the year! Once I was positive the car was stout, I wanted to install some parts Ive had laying around for awhile. These arms took far longer than I had expected to make the first time. The concept seems so straightforward until you really bite into it! They came out great and have held up perfectly after over a season's worth of abuse.

These are a 38mm extension.

https://i.imgur.com/gBkieL5.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/o6wopZc.jpg

Camber! Sitting at -10 with the DMAX coilovers. I paired the arms with some shortened knuckles to maximize their full potential. Lastly, I scooped a pair of Cusco tension rods to finish up revamping the front end. I can?€™t stress enough the importance of swapping out the junk stock ones, I held out far too long on roasted bushings. The stock rods on most S13s are most likely garbage, and will make the front end feel incredibly loose; especially at lock.

https://i.imgur.com/kAEVUwq.jpg

There was one last important change before the next event: aero! I was getting tired of destroying and repairing fiberglass aero. The time, effort, and itchy arms simply aren't worth riding low and tearing the fiberglass apart. Fortunately I didnt have an expensive kit. The fiberglass also made loading the car onto trailers a nightmare, the time spent removing, and reinstalling the skirts and bumper was starting to add up. It's also the last thing you want to deal with when you're returning from a track day at one in the morning. The answer was clear. I needed OEM aero, and I needed to match the rest of the team. I had been collecting OEM 180sx aero for some time, and finally came across the missing pieces to the kit; the front bumper! Got everything primed and painted for the final consecutive Drift Valley and we were off! This event, I actually ended up driving the car to the track and home, and I was on the brink of perdition the entire ride there.

https://i.imgur.com/soMYyz8.jpg

If youve read up to this point, I'm sure you have attained a grasp of how much I value Drift Valley and its organizers. While Drift Nirvana and Swing Set events have played a part, Drift Valley has had a transcendent influence on my driving. They held the first event I ever attended, and the atmosphere, smiles, and encouragement has sucked me in ever since. The organizers are all drivers, and they keep it strictly grassroots. DV takes driving and safety seriously. Most of the regulars from Drift Valley have molded into strong drivers today, and I fully assert that these events play a large role in their development. Despite the grassroots feel, there is a good deal of competition among the veteran drivers and they push each other's limits frequently.

https://i.imgur.com/eC1QEJD.jpg

The knuckles, FLCA, and tension rods getting put to the test!

https://i.imgur.com/trrrI0x.jpg

Even with OEM aero, I still found a way to abuse body panels.

https://i.imgur.com/qqGNaDm.jpg

Despite a wet event, everyone had a great time. These are the great people of Drift Valley!

https://i.imgur.com/ZPEq2cc.jpg

My friend Tom wanted to get his KA vert to the track so I accompanied him to a Drift Nirvana and hung out for the day!

https://i.imgur.com/OqH9Shx.jpg

Fall shit!

https://i.imgur.com/iZTwwrm.jpg

The last night I got to see my friend Stephen before he was taken from us. Rest easy brother, look over us wherever you are.

https://i.imgur.com/luwuwSJ.jpg

Getting to work on the rear equips! The faces were a little hurt and needed some love.

https://i.imgur.com/XffgR5M.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/SpXmDXu.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/tI5lLma.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/vKvYffO.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/XEjcXXk.jpg

Accurate :ugh:

https://i.imgur.com/otdzvXI.jpg

At this point I was absolutely drunk with joy having my favorite matching set of wheels on an schassis.

https://i.imgur.com/NGUdJRo.jpg

Put the hatch in a ditch after hitting some salt and trashed my front lip. Good thing it was fiberglass! I also wrecked the fuel and brake lines under the car. The ride height was beginning to take its toll on the car. I drove an hour home with no brakes! No going back, though. Got the car up in the air a few days later, and replaced the fuel feed and brake lines that run under the car. This was a total locomotive huff and puff of a task. Thankfully, Tom lent me a hydraulic flaring tool and after a ton of bending and measuring we were back on the road and ready for the Wolfpack bash.

https://i.imgur.com/3jYFKWS.jpg

This Wolfpack birthday bash was even more fun than the last! The driving was picking up, and with the hatch running like a top Nick was able to dive in. We all had a great time as usual; pushed each other out of our comfort zones and planned goals for next year.

Mel got a sweet moment here!

https://i.imgur.com/d5vZuds.jpg

Made a power brace to stiffen up the car! You'd be surprised how loosely assembled these cars are. Just a bunch of 16/18/22 gauge sheet metal glued together with sealant and spot welds. A strut brace and power brace are essential.

https://i.imgur.com/iiTkxVA.jpg

The junkie just can't get enough. OEM 4″ inner barrel and a LO disk!

https://i.imgur.com/Ft8emRw.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/V2IC0mw.jpg

With the car all braced up, I headed out to 100DOD to finish the year strong! The event was packed, but everything went smoothly. I was extra careful this year with the road course. The car was significantly lower than the year prior, and an off-road excursion would be exponentially catastrophic.

https://i.imgur.com/RtL39ka.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/JeCDF1V.jpg

Here's a clip of pistol grip, one of the trickier courses!!

sWbUDLoUjAM

Putting 100DOD behind me, I was euphoric with what I had accomplished in 2016. Winter was looming near, and it's the epoch of movemaking! The green engine bay was brooding my frame of mind whenever I looked at it. It sullied the appearance of the car when the hood was popped! I essentially imagined a baby vomiting in the engine compartment.

I drove the car around for a little while before I got to tearing it all apart.

https://i.imgur.com/gkWVPU8.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/UZZD2o8.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/QEhAXS4.jpg

Made another one of these shits:

https://i.imgur.com/ahWGwKu.jpg

Then I had an unsavory incident in a parking lot. I was cruising through looking for a spot, and a woman in a Lexus backed out quickly and mashed into the hatch! She didn't hit it hard, just scuffed the bumper. She says she didnt see me because the car was too low, but it was difficult to discern what she was saying from her thick Eastern-European accent. She seemed quite upset about the whole ordeal, and it was the holidays so I let it slide.

https://i.imgur.com/yRUryKM.jpg

That's all for 2016! Thanks for sticking along for the post (if you got this far) and I'll have the next update out shortly. 2017 was a wild year, and the most exciting thus far.

[KJR50]

http://i1323.photobucket.com/albums/u587/camsauce0/build%20thread%20APR42017/6_zps9tw85mdx.jpg[/URL]


You know the characters is not "Laboratory", right?

[relaxamigo]

You know the characters is not "Laboratory", right?
well aware the characters is not laboratory

[anothersr20]

Im not sure on how I missed this thread. I dig it, Sub'd.

[Reece]

Good shit, keep it up.

Also p l e a s e post some pictures of the updated wolfpack hq...

[relaxamigo]

Im not sure on how I missed this thread. I dig it, Sub'd.

Thanks!

Good shit, keep it up.

Also p l e a s e post some pictures of the updated wolfpack hq...

Coming soon! :naughty:

[moOlZz]

Nice driving Dude! What alignment has the car?

[relaxamigo]

Nice driving Dude! What alignment has the car?

Thanks sir! Not really sure... getting this car on a rack is kind of a nightmare. Last time I took it somewhere after I put the longer FLCAs on, the manager of the shop turned me around instantly. We got everything as even as possible with toe plates, and I love the way it feels :2f2f:

[relaxamigo]

WOW this thread is heavily outdated - looking to get back in the swing of things! Got a few updates I'll add in periodically

During all of the prior year, I was disgusted with the engine bay. I was embarrassed to pop my hood for tech inspection. The color was awful, and it was peeling and chipping everywhere. This was a valuable lesson learned in doing things properly the first time!

I pulled the hatch in the garage and tore everything apart, even pulled out the main engine bay harness. I wanted things done right without the need to repeat it. That harness is an absolute nightmare to remove, I havent been able to do so without pulling the dash.

https://i.imgur.com/1NlgvXX.jpg

Boogers!

https://i.imgur.com/CnWAong.jpg]

After doing a semi-shave the first time with the green bay, I now knew what holes were unessential. This allowed me to shave a few more, predominantly on the wheel wells. I wasnt keen on spending a ton of money on paint, so I went with POR-15 top coat diluted from a harbor freight gun. There's a certain chaotic nature in spraying POR-15, and you have to be really careful with the quantity of reducer because it WILL trash the gun, ask me how I know.

https://i.imgur.com/PhmaqAk.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/OaLr0lx.jpg

Started putting a few things back in

https://i.imgur.com/yiJH1Qk.jpg

Picked up a few drivetrain upgrades during cyber monday! One piece steel shaft, fidanza flywheel, and stage 2 competition clutch.

https://i.imgur.com/Rp45jYI.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Hh58bkT.jpg

Got the almighty KA in the cradle!

https://i.imgur.com/MIc9rTF.jpg

With the bay addressed, I could focus on the harness. This whole endeavor took me a few weeks.

https://i.imgur.com/kzMjfKB.jpg

Everything I removed! All I kept for the front was headlight wiring and brake master cylinder plugs.

https://i.imgur.com/9LXoMVM.jpg

Fortunately, everything needed to complete this was available online. The SMJ pinout and wire color charts were incredibly helpful. I made my own de-pinning tools out of old wiper inserts and went to town! It was nice to get in a groove and mash on instead of figuring out what the hell I was doing.

Some hot tea was essential for those cold and long winter nights! One word of advice for anyone that wishes to attempt relocating their harness- label EVERYTHING before you go ripping it out of the car. It makes it MUCH easier to know which plugs/wires do what.

https://i.imgur.com/H0jR2AG.jpg

Overall, I was pretty content with how everything came out. I wasnt pursuing a VW ultra shave and tuck, just something mild. I figured if the engine in the car is a refrigerator it might as well look tight. The fusebox relocation really makes the engine look like it's floating.

When I got the modified harness in and hooked the battery up, I was THRILLED to see all the lights coming on! The sensation was rewarding and with the car operational, I re-installed the interior.

https://i.imgur.com/nGGylPZ.jpg

I'm not entirely sure why I decided to entrench myself in a slew of arduous tasks, but if two wasn't enough I decided to hand polish some battles. Dreadful task.

https://i.imgur.com/atK2jtm.jpg

Finally, I acquired kouki tails!

https://i.imgur.com/yrA3EVp.jpg

The first event of 2017 was successful, no mechanical issues, the car didnt catch on fire after the harness tuck, and the new flywheel/driveshaft combo felt amazing. The car revved MUCH faster now, and there was less slop in power delivery. I damn near hit redline pulling the car out of the garage, I didnt know what to expect from a flywheel that weights less than half of its stock counterpart.

https://i.imgur.com/M15PqdE.jpg

With the car stout, my attention wandered to finding cool parts online. Found these R33s for the super low on ebay because they were dipped black.

https://i.imgur.com/aZCaOkD.jpg

After more mind numbing work:

https://i.imgur.com/4tXMv4U.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/N0ILfXL.jpg

R33 is a super versatile, light forged wheel. It's a no-brainer that they thrive from such immense adulation and usage.

Finally completed the kouki 180sx aero!

https://i.imgur.com/g7bVLfc.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/OIDTWki.jpg

It was late spring, and the Low Style Heroes event was looming near. This event was garnering national attention- and with good reason. Akinobu Satsukawa from A-Bo-Moon had his car shipped overseas to drive our local track! This was an incredible once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet a gentleman that made a large dent in team matched driving.

I took a day off work that week and loaded the car up early. I didn't want to get caught in the middle of any issues and made sure the car was all set. Here's what my event prep looked like the day before!

https://i.imgur.com/LSAmVHM.jpg

It was a two day event, and I didn?€™t prepare any sleeping arrangements so I crammed a bunch of pillows and blankets in the passenger area of the hatch (no seat) and camped out in there! It was actually decently comfortable.

Jofel Tolosa from Super Street took a killer photo in the infield!

https://i.imgur.com/qyx7OEv.jpg

On grid with Akinobu Satsukawa!

https://i.imgur.com/PBRPfDt.jpg

Cranking that 80 PSI

https://i.imgur.com/MICte3c.jpg

I buckled my fender after hitting full lock coming out of the infield!

https://i.imgur.com/2IxGh25.jpg

Took the car for a drive after the event to make sure everything was okay!

https://i.imgur.com/9YPgEt8.jpg

Super Street covered the event a few months after, and to my surprise I found a few shots of the hatch in the magazine!

https://i.imgur.com/HtbNTG7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/gXCBDP5.jpg

Went to the shop to put in some work. The loft we built provided a cool background for all the cars.

https://i.imgur.com/sx7wBS4.jpg

The next event was a matsuri at Shenandoah. This was one of the best Swing Set events, there were very few drivers, the atmosphere was relaxed and the vibes were great!

https://i.imgur.com/UM2eVkT.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/9i9sbWG.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/xucBCnp.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/VHrZHXK.jpg

I wanted to lower the car a bit more, and the DMAX I had were maxed out in the rear. They were excellent entry-level coilovers and handled a ton of abuse, but I needed to up the ante. I went with some broadway static 500s with swifts!

https://i.imgur.com/EsHyuKL.jpg

The super short shock body and spring essentially allowed you to bottom the frame out before you reach maximum low. Here's a comparison of my old DMAX and new BWS rears with both maxed out.

https://i.imgur.com/Nf2Si5x.jpg

Even with somewhat aggressive spring rates, the ride was just right. Took a trip down to Fredericksburg to hang out with some friends! The rears are at their highest setting here with just above the minimum thread engagement. Committed to the low!

https://i.imgur.com/0OjPUIB.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/C96BVK0.jpg

I had been sitting on some Blitz 03 for quite some time now. I finally sourced some lips for the fronts and got to work! The practice from sealing and re-sealing wheels was finally paying off.

https://i.imgur.com/IA8QOQn.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/tUdoQgu.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Ez6gZbr.jpg

The new shoes had a total new presence to them! I loved the combo of the limited edition gunmetal/gold colorway.

Another great private day in the books

https://i.imgur.com/sKReIYa.jpg

Running 16s in the back is not particularly aesthetically pleasing, but I can?€™t deny how well the car drives with them! Paired with the lightweight flywheel and a small, light rear wheel, the KA is incredibly rev-happy.

https://i.imgur.com/LeXghZ5.jpg

Not too long later we all went to Dover for a First State Drift event. These events ran clubloose rules, which I thought was great. The staff was friendly, spectators were hyped, and the weather was great!

https://i.imgur.com/eIFq2Ug.jpg

This weekend I put the hatch on double duty. As soon as I unloaded the car off the trailer and organized all my stuff, I gave the car a deep scrub and prepared for ImportExpo the following morning! I had never attended something like this, but I had a good time nonetheless.

https://i.imgur.com/APToaBA.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/RaN3s70.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/yJhSkso.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/g7VL6dS.jpg

As I was leaving the event, I got caught in a storm! The event was held in Washington, DC, and the roads had my butt clenched for the duration of the trip. As I left the venue, it began to pour and visibility was minimal. I was driving into every feature on the road from potholes, cracks, man hole covers, and steel plates. I think the car suffered more traveling to and from this show as opposed to a day at the track!

Finally found some cover under a bridge

https://i.imgur.com/7A5cva3.jpg

[relaxamigo]

Picked up some XT7 in preparation for the next event! I was planning on entering a solo competition at Shenandoah in a Meihan- style layout. I was pretty pumped for this, we had been practicing clutch kick e-brake entries all year during our private days.

https://i.imgur.com/k9RENJI.jpg

To my surprise, I ended up winning the competition! I laid down four consistent runs without mistakes. Grassroots style competitions are phenomenal for the weekend driver that wants to see how they stack up against others. I won back my entry for the event!

https://i.imgur.com/pmr71JD.jpg

I also got some runs in with Preston and Alex, two consistent drivers with good looking cars. They love chasing my slow ass KA!

https://i.imgur.com/CNVIRYc.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/tukF3Xj.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/KWU1YuI.jpg

Followed this event up with another private day where we drilled entries even harder!

https://i.imgur.com/obTZbVB.jpg

If you look closely at this photo, you’ll notice a set of lines that strayed from the rest…

https://i.imgur.com/uUFM6om.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/peu750H.jpg

This marks the third time I’ve wrecked this car! I got way overzealous with my entries.

https://i.imgur.com/qerwH8R.png

It ended up crumbling part of the rear bumper mount. Fortunately the tails were unaffected, really dodged a bullet there. My buddy Travis hooked me up with a new rear bumper. Got that painted and I was all set!

Got some cool shots of car:

https://i.imgur.com/NpuW5vV.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/opre9D4.jpg

Quickstyle Motorsports got a hold of Koguchi and were bringing him down to Dominion Raceway in Virginia. Surely, I was not going to miss out on this opportunity to meet the dude that influenced a good part of our style.

I was a little hesitant, this event was held on the road course and it looked extremely fast. I wasn’t sure if the KA was up for such a feat, but in 4.9 we trust! I tried doing the layout in second, and the car wasn’t having it. It was sitting in redline, and it wasn’t garnering the momentum I needed.

Running the line properly required trust, and “foot-the-fuck-down!” I overcame my mental barrier and threw the car in third and hoped for the best. I had a few off track excursions at first, but in the end, I found the perfect line!

https://i.imgur.com/Syf5kCT.jpg

Meeting Koguchi was surreal, when I first unloaded the car he walked over, looked at the car, looked at me and simply said “Shakotan!”

https://i.imgur.com/gsdO25S.jpg

Here’s a clip from that day!

https://youtu.be/2D7oVYvJKDs


Fast forward to 100DOD, and I stuffed the car into a wall. Had a bit of a mental lapse in the early morning, and crushed the front passenger side of the car. Trashed the kouki bumper, hood, and fender. We quickly loaded the car up on the trailer and headed home to analyze the damage. The corner of the core support was pretty caved in, but luckily the bash bar, strut tower bar, and the power brace all did their job.

It’s following wrecks like these that one realizes the importance of bracing the s-chassis. It isn’t until you really analyze the structure of the vehicle that you realize the car is composed of thin sheet metal spot welded and glued together.

Anyway, I spent the afternoon pulling the damage out and had things looking semi-decent:

https://i.imgur.com/dVddxL6.jpg

We took the car out for a quick drive to ensure that there were no driveability issues, and to our content, the car drove just fine. I found a diagram that showed all the measurements for the engine bay and everything structural was straight!

https://i.imgur.com/AG6NoEY.jpg

I had a bit of a bug in my head following the wreck, and deemed the only adequate solution was to get back on the track as soon as I could. The following weekend an autocross club was holding an event at the same track, and welcomed a drift class. The course was run backwards, but either way I just needed to regain my confidence.

Loading the car up in the snow made for a shivering, troublesome and slippery experience. It was great having some friends come by in the 20 degree weather to support me, really appreciated that. The car got some funny looks from the autocross folks, can’t really blame them!

https://i.imgur.com/t0SRTcz.jpg

At the end of the day, I did what I came to do.

https://i.imgur.com/rQEz4xz.jpg

We took the car out for a quick drive afterwards before tearing everything apart for the winter in preparation for a cage! I still have a soft spot in my heart for kouki 180sx aero, but we will try and do the pignose some justice for now.

https://i.imgur.com/aEXEwPY.jpg

Quite a lot has happened since, more updates coming soon!

[Malik]

Definitely shankotan

[Fuglychuki91]

Fuck dude why didn’t I know you had a thread on here too. Always peeping your blog.

[relaxamigo]

Yikes this mf over a year and a half old. Here are some updates:

Picked up an Enjuku pre-bent 8pt during black friday in 2017. I began to take driving more seriously, so I wanted to also take safety seriously. The bolt-in was awesome but I felt safer with some door bars.

The cage arrives on a pallet, un-notched, and each tube is slightly longer than necessary to allow a custom fit. Before I got started, I removed everything from inside the car, and cleaned up the sound deadening where the cage would need to be welded. I also ordered 8′ of additional DOM tubing to practice on, and have handy in case I fubared a notch or cut (this was needed in retrospect).

The cage is certified for Formula Drift, thus compliant for US Drift and pro-am sanctioned events. I have no plans to participate in competitive drifting any time in the near future, but if I?m going to weld a roll cage to my vehicle, I want it to be compliant.

After stripping the interior, I began practicing some notching. I had never notched tubing before, and did copious research on the process beforehand. There seems to be a large dichotomy among the realm of race-car fabrication on the utility of a notcher. Some have had success with a cheap harbor-freight notcher, and others swear by expensive JD squared style notchers. Others entirely discredit the need for a formal notcher, and argue that all you need is a chop saw, a grinder, and some math. The latter seemed like a nice challenge, but more importantly, it was the frugal approach.

After hours of practice, the process of notching without fancy equipment became second nature, and allowed a nice custom fit.

https://i.imgur.com/39vgJi8.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/YPK2XSe.jpg

I even tried some difficult angles to mimic the kinds of cuts necessary for the cage.

https://i.imgur.com/LHh4SGy.jpg

Welding on a perfectly notched tube is incredibly rewarding and not to mention highly satisfying!

https://i.imgur.com/91q2AR5.jpg

It was time to get started, I spent a solid few days making measurements and ensuring that everything was centered. The positioning of the main hoop was critical to the front down-bar distance from the A-pillar, but also driver?s seat clearance. I had some good help holding the tubing in place while I made my marks (thanks Lynds), and it was time to weld!

The first puzzle I needed to solve was the baseplate for the main hoop. The hoop legs sat on an awkward location on the floorboard, right by a 30 degree bend in the sheetmetal. I contoured a flat 1/8″ plate to the bends on the floor, then carefully cut an incision and reinforced it to create a flat platform for the hoop to sit on. The cuts were really tough, I had to exercise extreme care to prevent over-cutting the platform. In retrospect, this plate was dumb as hell. Should have just made plinth boxes. Was fun to make though.

https://i.imgur.com/3S6edug.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/4Rb9MnA.jpg

Here are the plates fully welded in! Side note: not ALL the welds on the cage came out aesthetically pleasing. Given the awkward location of some welds, I was focused on getting full penetration!

https://i.imgur.com/Pl7rLiJ.jpg

Front down bar plates:

https://i.imgur.com/PgJf2BY.jpg

Rear x bar:

https://i.imgur.com/VgxD7YH.jpg

The diagonal and harness bar really tested the high-angle notching I practiced earlier. After lots of measurements, I was able to get the 0.5″ or 1/3 tube diameter overlap necessary for a safe weld.

This next part of the cage proved catastrophic. I wanted the down bars to connect the main hoop to the rear suspension pickup points for truly take advantage of the rigidity a roll cage offers. The pesky rear seat mounts were in the way, and those needed to be cut out and spot welded off the car. I utilized a mixture of both cutting and spot-weld removal to ditch those fastidious pieces of metal from the interior. At one point, I used a grinder to make more clearance for the drill. I was cutting in an awkward spot, and the blade broke, causing the grinder to catch and sever my knee. My girlfriend took me to the hospital, and I had 8 stitches put in, rendering me useless for two weeks (or so the doctor thought).

I wasn?t going to let this keep me from working on the cage, After a bit of healing I was anxious to get back in the car and keep working!

https://i.imgur.com/qBQnKzl.jpg

I didn?t weld in the additional strut bar brace, simply because I use the inside of the hatch to store and transport tires to the track and the brace would prevent that. Hopefully the cage provides sufficient bracing!

If there?s one thing I learned through the process, it?s that roll cage fabricators must be contortionists of some sort, or perhaps occupy themselves with hours of yoga. The angles, positions, and locations you need to weld are an absolute nightmare!

https://i.imgur.com/74T0JrN.jpg

I wanted the door bars as wide as I could get them to allow seat clearance. I notched them at a slight angle to facilitate entry and exit.

https://i.imgur.com/dHwiRVW.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/EVxUna7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Dvnmoja.jpg

The pre-bent nature of the cage does not allow for a true custom fit. You essentially have to adapt to what you have been dealt. I wasn?t a fan of the main halo design, I would have preferred two down bars from the main hoop to the floor. However, I imagine the cage was designed like this for ease of shipping. Either way, I was able to get the halo to hug the roofline and make contact all the way across.

https://i.imgur.com/Z8tIiJR.jpg

This was one of the more difficult notches of the whole project! The two tubes were not on the same plane, thus measuring was tricky.

https://i.imgur.com/QzigE7l.jpg

The design of the down bars did not allow for the bar to hug the A-pillar, this is the best I could do! Perhaps with a longer end portion, the bar could have hugged the A-pillar, but it would have required an extreme notch by the halo.

https://i.imgur.com/EMOAi67.jpg

For safety reasons both on and off track, I made it a point to have the halo hug the roofline. I was able to get this portion of the cage to sit higher and tighter than my old Cusco/Safety 21 bolt-in. My head has sufficient clearance with and without my helmet!

https://i.imgur.com/Was1POV.jpg

Color and putting shit back in:

https://i.imgur.com/ABuzjPe.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/lcOqmJY.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/xA98lHv.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Fgb7HR3.jpg

More to come soon

[zombiewolf513]

subbed! Good shit!

[relaxamigo]

I finally grabbed procrastination by the nuts and tore the car apart. There was a lot of body damage throughout that needed to be addressed. It?s not until you sand everything down that you realize how much abuse the sheetmetal takes; there are even things you don?t notice through the clearcoat. The first thing I did was pound out the damage from Shenandoah?s walls on both rear corners of the car! If you scroll back through earlier posts, the driver-side rear took a decent hit.

A few whacks with a 2?4 and a hammer + dolly and..good as new!

https://i.imgur.com/EXU4AoU.png

Around this time I had started a new job, and my free time became a little scarce. It made meeting deadlines a bit more difficult, but I was still motivated to get the car ready for Springfest. I found myself sleeping 2-3 hours a night for the two week period. I was running off extra doses of black tea throughout the day to prevent my eyelids from sealing shut at my desk. Fortunately, work was light at first and I could keep mashing on the car in the evenings.

Here?s the other corner

https://i.imgur.com/KA1JvKu.jpg

Welded hood nozzle holes shut

https://i.imgur.com/XpPi5E9.jpg

After two arduous weeks, here we are! Woke up real early one Wednesday morning to take the car into paint. Drove this thing on corded tires a few miles down the road to my Peruvian bro.

https://i.imgur.com/SgAWstM.jpg

When I got there, I instantly tore everything apart so he could paint the front end in pieces. Got a call Saturday morning, and rushed over to pick it up! Slapped the wing, headlight covers, and the mirrors on, and drove it home with my pops.

https://i.imgur.com/4Zz9XWj.jpg

With everything painted, it was time to address the best part of these ?subtle? changes. I could probably write an entire post on the wheels I selected, but I?ll try and keep things concise. I came across these things in early 2017 from a Russian dude online. I tried my best to hold off, but I simply could not resist the temptation of owning what I allege to be some of the most iconic wheels available for that early 2000s look. Splitting and grinding the welds was a complete nightmare, not to mention highly nerve-wracking. After sitting for over a year, I took all the Blitz Technospeed Z2 apart, and we got them ready for re-assembly!

https://i.imgur.com/EoZEbCY.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/EswtkYd.jpg

With the Z2 together, it was time to tie everything together. The look of the car was inspired partly by Koguchi?s 180sx, but I wanted to retain my low ride height and OEM aero for street purposes. The canards added an extra splash of aggression, and the kouki fender extensions help hide the camber some in the front. Somehow, I was able to cram all this work in in just over two weeks, and we made it to Springfest!

https://i.imgur.com/ECQxdIw.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/cOUwi9p.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/2T7p1br.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/rq1u1B2.jpg

Somehow I got the car in a solid five minutes before a tsunami hit (not an actual tsunami) and the streets of VA beach faced a flash flood. The show was decent, some cool, creative builds showed up. On the way home I launched the car airborne a few times on I-95, not too pleasant but the hatch successfully completed the eight hour journey with no issues.

https://i.imgur.com/ABHppEO.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/2HeZgIp.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/D4buqCj.jpg

A few weeks later I went to Team Vibes at Shenandoah with TopShelf team. The car behaved all weekend with no casualties.

Kicked it with Nocturnal Terror and their wild French Canadian style

https://i.imgur.com/cG5sjlO.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/wdVi2fN.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/pa5yAiR.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/VgGGmpG.jpg

this is one of my fav photos of hatch:

https://i.imgur.com/Qxltdkp.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/YmdFsUS.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/mgO8NpW.jpg

After team vibes, my new job?s pace really picked up and I lost most of my energy to do anything outside of recovering after a long work day. It?s so easy to get caught in a routine and focus your energy on one thing and forget the things you used to live for. I found it increasingly difficult to muster the motivation to get back in the garage and enjoy the car the way I had for years. Finally, in October 2018 I hit up a Quickstyle Motorsports event. I really enjoyed the previous one with Koguchi so I was thrilled to return. The car did not require much additional maintenance to prepare, just tires and fluids and we were good to go! My girlfriend kindly came with and helped ensure we had a smooth, enjoyable day! It was her first time at a drift event, she was a little scared at first due to the uncertainty of what to expect. After a few laps, the fear was gone and we had a blast


https://i.imgur.com/QlZHOAV.jpg

I also lowered the car quite a bit before this event:

https://i.imgur.com/wv6dj0S.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/yoD0R9O.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5CrLFqI.jpg

Unfortunately towards the end of the day two things happened:

I fucked up on turn 4 or 5ish, caught the wheel late, pulled too much angle, and inevitably scrubbed a ton of speed and Rich made contact! It was entirely my fault and it only damaged the bumper and the bash bar. Second kouki bumper I?ve destroyed! Had a great time shredding with him and the SmileFactory Z!

On my last run, I hit some strange bump and the outer lip of my rear wheel went outside of my overfender and snarled the ever-living fuck out of it. Turns out my wheel bearing had a ton of play and all three of the knuckle bushings were destroyed, resulting in excessive wheel movement. I was kinda asking for it, the lip was riiiight on the fender and those knuckles/bearings have been abused for years

https://i.imgur.com/6S2yyH7.jpg

After the Quickstyle soukoukai, I REALLY neglected the car. It essentially sat untouched from October until early spring. My job became even more stressful and demanding, which meant drifting was the least of my concerns. Finally, I got kind of bummed always seeing the car sitting around without a bumper and the overfender damage so I decided to find some time to do something about it:

I essentially had to re-make the arch with resin and fiberglass mat ? itchy experience.

https://i.imgur.com/fYs2YvJ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/QQlwjEK.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ThP6h9I.jpg

At this point, I needed to figure out the next move for the exterior. The choice was between sourcing another kouki 180sx bumper, or switching the look altogether.

Drove the car around naked:

https://i.imgur.com/Yff0DIb.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/QBiYFWg.jpg

As much as I loved the look, I wanted to experiment. I had a Parts Station Duce (PS Duce) kit laying around that I purchased on impulse in 2017, but it had a coupe rear bumper. I traded some parts for a PS Duce rear bumper and completed the full kit for a hatch:

https://i.imgur.com/OMMbVuR.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/1kfJ3TQ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/C3N4vXg.jpg

Added some nards:

https://i.imgur.com/OdnFVtS.jpg

[Fuglychuki91]

When da coupe build coming haha jkjk love that you?re updating here mane

[relaxamigo]

When da coupe build coming haha jkjk love that you?re updating here mane

yeah, it was weird seeing this thing all outdated. Still have a ways to go! I'll add coupe stuff soon!

[Thursday7]

wow, what a rollercoaster this was, from monster energy engine bay and Cosmis to this. I love your vocabulary too, makes reading these at my work desk feel less mind-numbing and irresponsible.

[relaxamigo]

wow, what a rollercoaster this was, from monster energy engine bay and Cosmis to this. I love your vocabulary too, makes reading these at my work desk feel less mind-numbing and irresponsible.

Thanks man! Still got a lot to update but a rollercoaster is def a good way to describe the changes in taste over the years :hyper:

[tuzzio]

You know, you almost lost me when you said "the cold winters". I woke up this morning and it was 1* in New England. hahaha.

Awesome content. So much style and clearly shredding that NA KA. Good stuff man. At first I was like man, should've kept the car white! But the wheel choices and aero made the black look good. Good thread.

[Touge_Monster]

Killer build and great thread. Thanks for sharing your progression!

[relaxamigo]

You know, you almost lost me when you said "the cold winters". I woke up this morning and it was 1* in New England. hahaha.

Awesome content. So much style and clearly shredding that NA KA. Good stuff man. At first I was like man, should've kept the car white! But the wheel choices and aero made the black look good. Good thread.

thanks man! I know that shit don't compare to the winters up north but fuck I'm used to living near the equator :D

Killer build and great thread. Thanks for sharing your progression!

thank you sir!

So now that it was almost time to take the hatch back out, I needed to address that busted knuckle bushing issue. no point in fixing the quarter only to roast it again.

When the rear of the car was jacked up, I could grab the wheel and move it a couple millimeters in any direction. Further analysis revealed that the hub had some play, the arms had play, and the axle had play. I spent a few days reviewing my options, and concluded that if the whole rear suspension requires an overhaul to repair these issues, there?s no point in re-installing the OEM knuckle with crusty old bushings (or new bushings, for that matter). I?ve thought about rear drop knuckles for quite some time, but I never did much research to understand how they work or how they would help alleviate some of my issues. I already have solid subframe risers, and the subframe sits as high as it can get without making SERIOUS modifications to the body and subframe.

I went back and forth between a lot of drop knuckle options and settled on Driftworks. The 50mm correction, rubber bushings, and keeping the hubs in the stock location sealed the deal. While I was at it, I grabbed new RUCAs and traction rods:

https://i.imgur.com/tGtr99P.jpg

Old crusty parts out:

https://i.imgur.com/Cdo6fX2.jpg

In 2018, I broke a RUCA heim after the joint kept smashing into the frame from the ride height:

https://i.imgur.com/IH3PscO.jpg

same with the other side:

https://i.imgur.com/eouJHD6.jpg

traction rods also hit:

https://i.imgur.com/MCdl9dv.jpg

Given that the knuckles are almost entirely custom made and not re-iterations of a factory knuckle, I expected some minor fitment issues. The large cut-out for the bearing carrier to sit in was slightly too tight, and required shaving off 1-2 mm for the carrier to slide in flush. The two mounts for the brake caliper were not perfectly linear with each other, and came a little bent. Those needed to be hammered back straight so the caliper bracket sat perfectly centered on the knuckle in relation to the rotor. Again, these were just minor issues, and I assume fitment varies some across applications given that this was a fully custom part. Despite the minor issues, everything tied together nicely:

https://i.imgur.com/yHy6ILC.jpg

The knuckles are THICK and well-reinforced throughout. I was pretty happy with the construction of the units.

Note below my suspension geometry prior to the Driftworks Geomaster II knuckles. I?m no engineer, but those arms look ready for takeoff Apollo 11-spec. You can also see the jam nut on the RUCA making contact with the frame in a resting position (imagine the forces those things took under load while transitioning). The P2M angled toe rods which are designed to provide clearance against hitting the subframe bushing STILL make contact under load.

https://i.imgur.com/PkMngc8.jpg

And below, my new corrected angles with the Geomaster II knuckles:

https://i.imgur.com/4dzwD6I.jpg

For the height the car is at, I'm VERY pleased with the amount of roll-center correction these knuckles gave me. I wasn't expecting to obtain fully functional flat angles with maximum grip and decreased-camber-upon-compression type setup. I really just wanted my arms to behave themselves and stop hitting my car.

For reference, here?s the height of the car when the above photo was taken, just to emphasize the amount of correction one can expect to obtain from these knuckles:

https://i.imgur.com/C70OiZv.jpg

Final thoughts:

These knuckles achieved the desired result for me. For you nerds that love function, they also zeroed out my camber quite a bit, even after I pre-set my new RUCA and traction rod to the EXACT same lengths as my previous setup. Obviously I had no desire to change my car's setup, so a few adjustments from a string alignment brought me back to my old setup. I highly recommend these knuckles to anyone seeking to retain some functionality with a lowered car. The GKTech arms also worked well with this application and had a large amount of adjustability. I had to raise the coilovers 50mm to compensate for the drop from the drop knuckles, and when I lowered the car the frame hit the floor before the wheels did. The Broadway Static coilovers are actually at their highest safely-permissible setting at the moment, with 25mm of the shock body threaded into the coilover body. If I wanted to raise the car any more, I'd need to purchase longer coilover body mounts!

[tuzzio]

I wish I could have geometry correction, but still need camber under compression, not trying to destroy oem metal!

[relaxamigo]

I wish I could have geometry correction, but still need camber under compression, not trying to destroy oem metal!

I'm with you there dude! The camber under compression really helps the quarters. All I cared about was leveling out the angles of the arms... LOL

With the aero somewhat sorted out, the drop knuckles installed, and a fresh string alignment - it was time to take this thing out for a rip! I hadn't drifted in quite a long time, I believe a year or so had elapsed, so I was a bit anxious. There was a venue somewhat local to me in VA called Spirit JP that was blowing up and had a cool meihan-style layout and decided this would be the move!

https://i.imgur.com/az8a13J.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/iblCRPe.jpg

Took a few laps for me to get used to driving again and by the afternoon sessions I was feeling pretty good!

https://i.imgur.com/4nCcp5c.jpg

The entry was really fun! the sensation of "floating" the car off throttle and dropping from third to second was thrilling

https://i.imgur.com/nQ4YM5Y.jpg

I hadn't quite realized it, but I hadn't set the ride height exactly to how it was before. the car was MUCH lower now, but I couldn't raise it from the coilovers, the only way to get the car up is to remove a few degrees of camber! The 17" wheels look so big with the kit

https://i.imgur.com/6hspBDB.jpg

In the middle of the afternoon Spirit JP held a drift games where you had to park your car as close to a set of boxes mid drift. I ended up taking second place!

https://youtu.be/iLIkwXZ0KWw

Here's a clip of the entry, and a clip of the night sessions where it was pitch black!

https://youtu.be/ktQ3yQbb1qY

https://i.imgur.com/PkGWspF.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/EXIHAIm.jpg

The height of the car combined with the aero made for some weird damage! I ended up shaving down my side skirts by about 30mm and completely flattening one of my canards!

https://i.imgur.com/UChPbyy.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/2YBnPMd.jpg

[relaxamigo]

Wow, lots to catch up on.

I wanted to shift the primary purpose of the hatch to improving my driving. For me, this means swapping out non-expendable parts for easily replaceable parts that I wouldn?t mind getting damaged (as much). When you start pushing your driving, you start to make mistakes so I want those mistakes to be as painless (and inexpensive) as possible! I had no interest in repairing fiberglass after every event, but I still want the car to look OK. I?ll be running the following:

A three-piece wheel up front (any impact to the wheel will cost $150 in lip replacement and a few hours of work)
Vert doors with the nub cut off (heavier, but don?t care if they get hit)
My old hood from when I wrecked the car at Summit Point
Pignose bumper w/ aftermarket bash bar
Chuki skirts
A cut rear aftermarket bumper and bash bar
Stock taillights (can?t smash kouki tails!)
This year, I also want to experiment with how I set the car up. I?ve been driving with 12-14 degrees of front camber for almost 3 years now. The look is killer, and I am enamored with the presence front camber adds to a car. The issue is, the entry at Spirit can be dodgy at times when you rely on front grip to feint aggressively towards the wall, and using 1/3 of my tire for that grip makes me a bit anxious. I dropped from 14 degrees to 7 degrees!

I bid farewell to the arms I extended 35mm ? they have served their purpose and can now retire in peace! Running a stock S13 FLCA now:

https://i.imgur.com/LCUQ4d9.jpg

Next, I wanted to use an aftermarket rear bash bar to absorb impact better ? but wanted an OEM-style bumper. I had some junky aftermarket bumper laying around, and I decided to cut it along the body line. You can see where I marked below:

https://i.imgur.com/EOoKUTG.jpg

Goal was to have an easily removable, factory looking bumper.

Next, I wanted semi-cool cheap taillights (nothing can replace kouki tails), so I found some crusty stock taillights that someone had plasti dipped black. Gross. So I started sanding:
https://i.imgur.com/ehbz5HI.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/C42d8SO.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/h7FS2WG.jpg

Then I started sanding on the others, and prepared for paint:

https://i.imgur.com/S90W6ov.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/i1UIxy4.jpg

Oh yeah, did a two-piece lip modification, gotta love bridge joints!

https://i.imgur.com/2QzUIZd.jpg

Overall, I?m content with the new style. The car lacks the same cool demeanor it had before, but I?m down to start experimenting with both functional drift setups and aesthetic changes. After a few test-drives, the car does feel quite stout and I thoroughly enjoyed the increased peace-of-mind of having less front camber! I also enjoyed practicing my painting on the rear bumper and learned more about technique:

https://i.imgur.com/BfYw0xX.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/kZKBahm.jpg

Having matching camber front and rear on a drift car is something?. different. I could get used to this!

https://i.imgur.com/eU0PqzW.jpg

Here?s a shot of the taillights, they turned out kinda cool. Seven coats of red translucent paint on the amber portion, four on the reverse lights, and two coats of red on the whole taillight. Topped it off with four coats of clear on everything, then wet-sanded and buffed after!

https://i.imgur.com/p2FMtKi.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/LayM4gf.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/nWchMBz.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/l0ykMt7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/HI29JI8.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/I0Atldl.jpg

Got a lot more to update, just need to take the media off my camera!