Installing a JDM S13 front end

[riot]

Allright so I've had all of my components for a while now so I decided to go ahead and start putting them on to see how they line up. I noticed that the USDM 240sx bumper support will not work very well with the Silvia bumper so I trimed off the ends and it seems to accept the bumper nicely.

Now I have ran into a new problem...the USDM bumper support still pushes the bumper out too far and does not allow the silvia bumper to meet the silvia fenders.

So here is my question. What did everyone else use for bumper support when they installed their Silvia front end? Without the support my bumper sags pretty drastically...

http://www.riotdesigns.com/240sx/bumper/thumbnails/DSCF0001.jpg (http://www.riotdesigns.com/240sx/bumper/images/DSCF0001.jpg)

http://www.riotdesigns.com/240sx/bumper/thumbnails/DSCF0002.jpg (http://www.riotdesigns.com/240sx/bumper/images/DSCF0002.jpg)

http://www.riotdesigns.com/240sx/bumper/thumbnails/DSCF0005.jpg (http://www.riotdesigns.com/240sx/bumper/images/DSCF0005.jpg)

Any suggestions?

-ryan

[AKADriver]

Not to state the obvious, but you might be able to get a Silvia bumper support. It is shorter than the 180/240SX support.

[chokudoriS13]

I'm using a Silvia bumper support that came with all my parts.

[NismoGear5]

my silvia bumper support came free with my bumper.

[riot]

Damn...I'm starting to wish I bought everything as a package...*Sigh*

-ryan

[Kid Zelda]

Originally posted by riot
Damn...I'm starting to wish I bought everything as a package...*Sigh*

-ryan

The USDM bumper support is double sided compared to the silvia support.
Solution,....cut half of it, will work, did it on a friend's s13 silvia conv'.

[riot]

Originally posted by Kid Zelda
The USDM bumper support is double sided compared to the silvia support.
Solution,....cut half of it, will work, did it on a friend's s13 silvia conv'.
Could you expand on that a little? I've already modified it slightly...what else do I need to do?

-ryan

[Kid Zelda]

Simple... cut, measure, cut, cut measure ... till it fits

:D
I'll check if I still have pictures of what we did ... doubt it, but I'll look.

[RUTH'LESSDET]

my silvia bumper came w/ a support but i couldn't fit it behind my FMIC so ditched it. I could've fit but i woulda needed to cut it up alot and i was lazy so now i have no support :D


i dont know about the usdm support, but the jdm support can fit a huge intercooler you just need to cut it up alot. I have absolutely no sag without the bumper support.


Here are some instructions i used when i put my stuff together http://sr20.hybrids.jp/installations/silvia_front/index.html

[riot]

Originally posted by RUTH'LESSDET
my silvia bumper came w/ a support but i couldn't fit it behind my FMIC so ditched it. I could've fit but i woulda needed to cut it up alot and i was lazy so now i have no support :D


i dont know about the usdm support, but the jdm support can fit a huge intercooler you just need to cut it up alot. I have absolutely no sag without the bumper support.


Here are some instructions i used when i put my stuff together http://sr20.hybrids.jp/installations/silvia_front/index.html

I'm going to attempt to remount the bumper completely to see if I was just smoking crack or it really was sagging in the middle...I'm sure I can around this problem...I think I just need to put that foam piece back in the bumper. We'll see.

Do you have any additional pictures of your car?

-ryan

[riot]

Well, I fixed the "sagging" problem. Here it is Im thinking that it has to be the bumper support (or lack thereof) this whole time when in fact it was something completely different. Here is the story.

My car was totaled months ago and I bought it back from the insurance company for pennies.

http://www.riotdesigns.com/240sx/accident/thumbnails/DSCF0007.jpg (http://www.riotdesigns.com/240sx/accident/images/DSCF0007.jpg)

Looks pretty bad eh? Nah...I can handle it...so I went ahead and tore it down to see if there was any serious damage besides the rad support.

http://www.riotdesigns.com/240sx/teardown/thumbnails/DSCF0001.jpg (http://www.riotdesigns.com/240sx/teardown/images/DSCF0001.jpg)

Sure enough it was pretty straight forward...so I just handed the car off to NOVA auto body and paint here in Austin where they replaced my rad support, passenger side baffle, and straightened the fender mount.

When I got the car back I started putting everything back on but to my suprise the bracket that mounts the upper rad support to the lower rad support was NOT lining up. Now I was worried. I was sure that the rad support was mounted just TOO low. Now I knew that I would have the SAME problem with the headlight brackets so I went ahead and cut notches out of them so they could be adjustable and move up and down.

http://www.riotdesigns.com/240sx/fenders/thumbnails/DSCF0015.jpg (http://www.riotdesigns.com/240sx/fenders/images/DSCF0015.jpg)

This was a GREAT solution and it allowed the lower mount to line up properly...AWESOME!!! So when I got the bumper and the lights seemed too far away from the bumper...I just assumed it was sagging. I never once thought that maybe the headlight brackets were too high.

Well...just today I pulled the headlight brackets and mounted them how they SHOULD be mounted and sure enough when I put the headlights on with the bumper and the center Silvia garnish everything matched up PERFECTLY!!!!!!!!

So...I guess the lesson here is NEVER ASSUME anything until you have all of the body panels. I went ahead and assumed I would have to notch out those headlight brackets when in fact I really didn't have to. Now why does it appear that the rad support is still mounted too low?!?!? I have no idea...I don't see any damage anywhere that would prove other wise so Im a little confused myself. When I drove the car it gave me NO problems...no alignment problems, no pushing, pulling, etc...it drove great...straight as an arrow. Oh well...this ain't no show car so I'll just drill new holes in the bottom of the headlight brackets and call it a day! :)

-ryan