s15 front end conversion radiator support?

[minhs13]

hey guys i wanted to ask you a question. Im doing a silvia s15 front end conversion on my 1989 240sx fastback and ran into a problem. I was test fitting the s15 radiator core support and discovered that the stock brace will not bolt up to the bolt holes on the s15 radiator core support. the stock brace is short about 1 to 2 inchs. I cant attach the bolts from the core support to the factory brace. how would go about fixing this problem? I was on the fourms and this one guy told me that I can use the S14 NISMO POWER BRACE and everything would line up. is that true? can the s14 nismo power brace fit on a s13? I don’t want to order the part and it not fit.

[Yoshi]

Wow guy.
Do a little more research before taking on something so major ;)

S15 core supports need to be welded in. That means cutting your old one out first, and making damn sure you measured correctly, as even a slightly off-center weld will making lining up the rest of your front end a nightmare.

I hope you got nice fenders...
I don't know about this "power brace", the only thing I've heard of by that name is the Nismo 1 piece assembly that holds on your TC rods...

Not to worry tho... can you return the core support? you don't really need it...
click the link in my sig for my how-to
:D

[SC_S13]

yea, yoshi's got the hook ups.
but welding is definitely involved.
you could probably get a custom brace. ones that modeled like the nismo power braces, but long enough for your setup.
but consult yoshi haha

[minhs13]

i know you have to weld the s15 core support on. im test fitting everything before i put it on. but the brace thats under the car that holds my tc rods will not line up with the s15 core support. that the problem that i am in.

[Teambadrun]

I Used to have a S15 front on my 180SX and i ripped it off a couple of months later. But even when i first put it on i was skeptical about it. I personally am not a fan of the conversions...

You will need to use S14 bonnet hinges and you can use a strut brace and what not without them hitting.

[ripnbst]

the only thing I've ever heard called a power brace is an engine torque damper, which has absolutely nothing to do with a conversion.

[yokotas13]

your deffinately wrong then

nismo power brace is a tension rod bracket with a cross brace

[drift freaq]

Are you sure your car is straight? I will side with Yoshi. Unless your stock core support is damaged, wasting your time and money on the S15 core support is futile.
The brace your referring to is actually your TC rod bracket ('s).

P.S. Ya Teambadrun I can see why you ripped the s15 front end back off your car. It looks completely ghetto fab. Done right they can be dope, done wrong they look like ass, as does any front end.

[Yoshi]

Are you sure your car is straight? I will side with Yoshi. Unless your stock core support is damaged, wasting your time and money on the S15 core support is futile.
The brace your referring to is actually your TC rod bracket ('s).

P.S. Ya Teambadrun I can see why you ripped the s15 front end back off your car. It looks completely ghetto fab. Done right they can be dope, done wrong they look like ass, as does any front end.

Sup Dave!

Poster PM'd me, he needs a new core anyhow due to some damage the original took. Good to know I wasn't out of my mind thinking the power brace was for the TCs... I'm not really sure how it'd help... even it it did mount up easily... thats only from the very bottom...? I guess I'd have to see a pic to get the right idea.

[drift freaq]

Sup Dave!

Poster PM'd me, he needs a new core anyhow due to some damage the original took. Good to know I wasn't out of my mind thinking the power brace was for the TCs... I'm not really sure how it'd help... even it it did mount up easily... thats only from the very bottom...? I guess I'd have to see a pic to get the right idea.
Yes, Yoshi its on the bottom. It should line up fine unless his car is bent. Now that you have indicated he damaged the old one and its not lining up, he should take the car to a frame shop. I would be willing to bet his front end geometry is messed up. I.E. the car needs to be racked.

[minhs13]

no dud the fram is not bent or anything. i went to my boss's shop yesterday and there was aguy doing a s15 front end conversion on his car and it was the same thing like mine but he welded the factory brace to the s15 core support. looked really nasty. this guy said that he used the nismo S14 power brace, (the one that bolt up with the TC RODS) and it bolted right up with the s13. is that true?

[minhs13]

sorry mispelled frame. ha ha

[brewster240]

nismo powerbrace, thats the name:

http://www.mynismo.com/images_products/L_2561.jpg


and on the s14/15 radiatro support, the holes for it to bolt on the bottom are spread apart different amounts then the s13.


the trick when using the s14/15 rad support for the conversion on s13 is, leave the bottom of the s13 and just use the top of the 15 one. you can seperate the spot welds and it will work fine.

[minhs13]

Could You Just Make Metal Bracket Plates For It? And Drill Holes Into The Plates And Bolt It Up?

[minhs13]

Yeah Thats It!!! The Nismo Powerbrace. Some GuY Said ThAT
He Used The S14 Powerbrace From Nismo To Bolt Up On His S13. Is That True?

[brewster240]

s14 brace i dont know, dont have one to try.

but do you understand what im saying about leaving the s13 lower spreader bar in, and welding in just the top half of the s15 support?

it makes life a lot easier.

[EroGori]

or you could just scratch all that BS and use the s13 core support and do some slight modifications as suggested by yoshi's writeup...

[tani160]

I have a question about the hole between the hood and the front bumper (between the headlights). Is there supposed to be something that goes in there or did the S15s simply just look like that? It just seems very empty, as though there is something missing (but maybe I'm just not used to being able to see the hood latch so easily).

[420sx]

you didnt need core support in the first place. should have modded original one. wasted 300 bucks didnt you

[brewster240]

his core support was bent.

he needed a new one anyway.

this was stated.