vdubkidd

Welcome to my S13 build thread!
Intro: I have owned S chassis since about 2014, not too long of time but I've had fun over the years. Ill start out showcasing my S14 and the E36 I owned before diving into the S13 I have now.

The S14: owned from 2014 - 2020
Started off in the cool maroon color and painted later on to the metallic black from newer BMW/Dodge

Yes, those are vordovens. They were very cheap at the time.
IMG_0765 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr

Move on to when it was painted early 2017, looked very nice for a backyard paint job. Learned quite a bit while doing the prep, which I should be able to apply to the S13.
IMG_2671 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr

I switched some things up a few months later. Took the cheap gt mirrors off and added some accord Ganador reps that I have been holding onto forever. Also added a kouki spoiler and dialed the fitment in a bit better.
IMG_3345 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr

Later on in the year, the aero took quite the beating and I switched to a Navan/270R aero setup. Totally enjoyed this look, was way more simpler.
IMG_1790 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr

I also used this car for drifting pretty often, cool gas station pic too.
IMG_1682 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr
IMG_0005 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr

One event all of my friends decided to go. I hopped in for a tandem, and I noticed my front tires were kind of washing out. I kept driving after I told myself I needed to stop. Mistakes were made and I crashed, was devastating, but I moved on. This picture is from the rear post wreck showing all the Model 6 on it.
IMG_2056 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr

The actual damage, not the worst. But I decided to not continue with the chassis.
IMG_2152 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr

I did a part out, and sold the car. I think its still used for drifting or something. Someone wanted to sell it for $7,000 which is crazy but I guess these cars have high value.

Later on, I bought an E36 to quickly put together to flip. I like the chassis, they are just not an S chassis. I fell in love with S chassis and knew I needed to own one again.
IMG_3580 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr

Put it together with rather nice parts, and sold it for a good chunk of change. I knew it would make a great car for someone, but not me.

Fast forward to late 2020, I was out celebrating my friends birthday. One of our buddies mentioned selling his S13 hatch shell, it was nice but really stripped because it was going to be a racecar or something like that. I gave him $300 and I had an S chassis again.
IMG_8292 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr

Had an S14 SR in it, but I opted to not purchase that. I had no history on it and preferred to have a prior running engine that I saw firsthand in the car.
I initially bought the car, but was rather busy with work and losing my dog to a cancerous tumor. So I really didn't care about the car, but I regained my motivation to work on the car in early 2021. Had the car towed to my friends newly acquired shop and got to working quick.
IMG_4859 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr

One of the first things I wanted to take care of was putting full interior back in. Who doesn't want full interior in their S13?
IMG_4857 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr
IMG_4866 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr
IMG_4865 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr

Also, the car had a chassis harness tuck which deleted everything I wanted with the car in the first place. Ran a full base model chassis harness through the car.
IMG_4862 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr

Sometime in the process I ordered some cool braces for the rear. Rash Facture C pillar bar and Cusco strut bar.
IMG_5343 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr

I was also searching in like a 300 mile radius for a well priced SR motorset. I found a lot of stuff that was not worth the price. But one day, I got a message from some buddies of a longblock and running swap for sale. Paid the guys and took both home.
57E8EE0B-63A1-4BF0-908A-BDD023486A65 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr
IMG_4858 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr

Quickly threw it on the stand to go through it, needed some gaskets pretty bad and stud replacement. Plan is to keep this engine as stock as possible with only bolt ons. In the meantime I stocked up on some more parts, fmic and some other parts for the swap. My room was getting pretty full with wheels and stuffs.
IMG_4806 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr
IMG_4807 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr
IMG_4802 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr
IMG_4845 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr
IMG_4700 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr
IMG_5172 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr
63277034889__FCBF5019-6481-4971-AF7D-6BA29DA9ADE2 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr
63781806726__84F99A4E-60D6-4F6B-A3BB-0F5886399741 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr


I got to installing suspension eventually. Went with BC coilovers and GKtech rear arms, and for the front I did pbm knuckles and extended lca.
IMG_4861 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr

At one point, I got hardcore into gaming and took a small break from the car. Sold my Zieg 2 thats in the pictures to fund a gaming PC. When im not doing car stuff im usually gaming so I built the best I could.
IMG_5331 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr

Its a nice setup, if anyone plays lemme know.
After putting that together the race to get the car running started.
IMG_5221 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr

Then I kept bolting more things on
63909698006__40F8294D-6908-4847-BA63-BE38C304AAFA by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr

Yes, the bay is kind of messy. But im working on the fly
I also got word of some cool wheels that were up for sale
AVS Model T6 in 17x9 +22 and 18x9 +22, so I got them immediately
37E2F9A4-02E2-4DF1-BFB8-BD7860AD0DBD by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr

Fast forward sometime, and the car was just about ready to be started. Had a few issues my E5 ecu had a circuit burnt out and the wrong chassis plug wired in.
IMG_5350 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr
IMG_5347 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr


I got it running, and it had a couple issues. Mainly the idle, but its almost perfect now. This picture was after the first drive home.
IMG_5524 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr

After I got it home, I decided to start dressing my interior up and adding my aero. I added a bride vios 1 and some apexi gauges. Also got fineline hot road aero. And some bomex mirrors
IMG_5522 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr
IMG_5525 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr
IMG_5546 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr
IMG_5509 by Raymond Gonell, on Flickr


That about sums the beginning of this build. The next step is to get it ready for body work, get the engine running at 100%. And to eventually do a cross country trip in it. Updates will definitely be slow, but I hope to make sure updates come as stuff happens.

Here is the whole parts list:

S13 Build

1992 240sx SE

Engine
Early 180sx blacktop Sr20det
Rev9 intercooler
Pbm downpipe
Pbm inlet
Magnaflow hi flow
Buddyclub spec2 exhaust
Exedy oem clutch
Gktech fan
Gktech shifter bushing
Gktech catch can

Interior
Bride zeta 1 with head pad and back cover
S14 passenger seat
Nardi 330 with fabulous horn
Pivot open shift knob
Apexi EL gauges Oil press, coolant temp, boost

Suspension
Bc br coils extreme low 8/6
25mm extended front lca
Pbm front knuckle
Cusco rear strut bar
Hippo sleek front strut bar
Rash facture c pillar bar
Godspeed tension rods
Gktech camber/ toe and lockout kit

Exterior
180 kouki lights with Kevlar center garnish
Fineline hot road replica aero
180 bumper eventually
Ganador rep mirror

Wheels
17x9 +22 Avs T6 215/40 falken rt615k+
18x9 +22 Avs T6 225/40
Nismo lug nuts