zwzweston
03-23-2016, 03:13 PM
What's up guys,
I've decided to start this to document my build, and get feedback and comments from all the people out there who know more than me (doesn't take much, but that's another story).
My name is Zac, and I am the owner of a rolling mistake of the S14 variety. Now, don't get me wrong, I love this car--but if something can go wrong, it will. I'm sure most S-chassis owners know exactly what I'm talking about.
I've read a lot of builds, and I know what I like to read and what I don't, so I'll make this as interesting as possible for you guys, and give you a snapshot of my life outside of the Street Style Mistake.
I'll be trying to update about once a week, but we'll see what actually happens. The first segment is unforgivably low on pictures so I apologize for that, and I'll move through it quickly so you don't get bored.
Alright, let's get started.
Early last year (2015) I picked up an RX8 with what I suspected was a blown motor for stupid, stupid cheap. I messed with it for a while, fixing little things here and there, but went out to Texas over the summer for work. Came back, decided I hated the RX8 and wanted another 90s Nissan (I had a 300zx and loved that car). A quick look on Craigslist showed a body-damaged S14 for sale/trade.
One straight trade and some tow strap nonsense (on his end, not mine) later, and I had an S14 in my driveway.
(Imagine a picture of a bone stock Concord Grey S14 with nasty rear damage)
Made sure it drove straight, then took it to the body shop.
One stupid amount of money later, and I had a significantly less damaged S14 in my driveway. This car started out on a strict budget, so rather than have my rear quarter panel smoothed and painted at the body shop, I installed some FineLine Tuning 50mm overfenders.
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h328/zwzweston/20160210_165137_zps7yinvutd.jpg (http://s1104.photobucket.com/user/zwzweston/media/20160210_165137_zps7yinvutd.jpg.html)
Fitment was damn near perfect, gas door needs some dremeling to fit correctly, and the inner lip of the fender is huge so I'll cut that off eventually so my wheel can touch the fender, cause that's cool right?
I think it is. #cameraanglerimtuck
Anyway. Now that the car doesn't look like it was hit by a semi-truck anymore (I found out that is actually what happened), I started with the 240sx starter pack:
5-Lug, Coilovers, Z-brakes, and wheels.
I had a set of Advan VS-5s in my garage from the 300zx, and I've always like the way they looked so I slapped em on, which you can see in the fender picture. Super weak spec, but they're 18s and chrome so that's 2/3. Almost passing.
No pictures of these parts either, I wasn't really planning on doing a build. But here we are, back at it again with the imagination.
(Kei Office coils, ISR front hubs, OE Nissan rear hubs, and junkyard brakes with an ebrake setup sourced from Zilvia)
All of this went on easily, and I swapped the front 5-lug in a day just so I could drive it until I had a spare weekend to do the rear (which takes more time, and in my case a LOT more time).
So it's the weekend, I wake up bright and early to put on my rear hubs, brakes, and ebrake. About halfway through installation I realize I am missing a part on the ebrake assembly.
This part:
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h328/zwzweston/ebrake_zpscni3knl0.png (http://s1104.photobucket.com/user/zwzweston/media/ebrake_zpscni3knl0.png.html)
No big deal right? Well.....Nissan doesn't make it anymore, no parts stores have it, dealership couldn't get it, and I could only find the passenger's side on ebay. So while the passenger's side was being shipped, I took a trip to my friendly neighborhood Nissan shop, and they kindly let me tear the whole rear hub assembly off of one of their parts cars. They were a little surprised when I left the 5 lug hubs, the brakes, ETC. and only took a part about the size of a pinky finger, but that's all I needed.
So with that sorted out, the install went great. 5-lug, big brakes, and wheels. Nice.
(Imagine a picture of an almost stock Concord Grey S14 with white rear overs and chrome VS-5s)
Wait! I have a picture of that.
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h328/zwzweston/c1cbae3e-701f-4786-ba9e-297eeb698b89_zpso7cppsce.jpg (http://s1104.photobucket.com/user/zwzweston/media/c1cbae3e-701f-4786-ba9e-297eeb698b89_zpso7cppsce.jpg.html)
Pretty close to what you imagined? Good job.
Drove it like that for a while, not nearly long enough, and BOOM, motor says bye-bye. Don't know exactly what it was, but I decided to pull first ask questions later. Engine was pulled in about 3 days, and put on a stand in the garage. Just before the motor popped, I had put a deposit down on a Uras kit at an importer's out in Pheonix, and had already planned a three day trip with some buddies to pick it up. The opportunist in me (and the person inside me who doesn't want to rebuild a motor when he could be driving) quickly scanned Craigslist and found a running KA in Phoenix for miles cheaper than what I could find locally. Allegedly bored to 2.6, stroked, and pulled for an RB25 swap. Yahtzee!
So we loaded up my friend's truck and took off. Awesome trip, no pictures. Imagine Phoenix. Its hot, but nice.
Came back with a motor, trans, and Uras kit. Gaskets, silicone hoses, and cleaning is what my calendar consists of these days, but I'm making progress. That about catches us up, and this post was a bit of a marathon for those without a vivid imagination, so this is it until the next update. Hopefully the motor will be in next week, and we'll pick back up there.
Thanks for tuning in, more soon.
I've decided to start this to document my build, and get feedback and comments from all the people out there who know more than me (doesn't take much, but that's another story).
My name is Zac, and I am the owner of a rolling mistake of the S14 variety. Now, don't get me wrong, I love this car--but if something can go wrong, it will. I'm sure most S-chassis owners know exactly what I'm talking about.
I've read a lot of builds, and I know what I like to read and what I don't, so I'll make this as interesting as possible for you guys, and give you a snapshot of my life outside of the Street Style Mistake.
I'll be trying to update about once a week, but we'll see what actually happens. The first segment is unforgivably low on pictures so I apologize for that, and I'll move through it quickly so you don't get bored.
Alright, let's get started.
Early last year (2015) I picked up an RX8 with what I suspected was a blown motor for stupid, stupid cheap. I messed with it for a while, fixing little things here and there, but went out to Texas over the summer for work. Came back, decided I hated the RX8 and wanted another 90s Nissan (I had a 300zx and loved that car). A quick look on Craigslist showed a body-damaged S14 for sale/trade.
One straight trade and some tow strap nonsense (on his end, not mine) later, and I had an S14 in my driveway.
(Imagine a picture of a bone stock Concord Grey S14 with nasty rear damage)
Made sure it drove straight, then took it to the body shop.
One stupid amount of money later, and I had a significantly less damaged S14 in my driveway. This car started out on a strict budget, so rather than have my rear quarter panel smoothed and painted at the body shop, I installed some FineLine Tuning 50mm overfenders.
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h328/zwzweston/20160210_165137_zps7yinvutd.jpg (http://s1104.photobucket.com/user/zwzweston/media/20160210_165137_zps7yinvutd.jpg.html)
Fitment was damn near perfect, gas door needs some dremeling to fit correctly, and the inner lip of the fender is huge so I'll cut that off eventually so my wheel can touch the fender, cause that's cool right?
I think it is. #cameraanglerimtuck
Anyway. Now that the car doesn't look like it was hit by a semi-truck anymore (I found out that is actually what happened), I started with the 240sx starter pack:
5-Lug, Coilovers, Z-brakes, and wheels.
I had a set of Advan VS-5s in my garage from the 300zx, and I've always like the way they looked so I slapped em on, which you can see in the fender picture. Super weak spec, but they're 18s and chrome so that's 2/3. Almost passing.
No pictures of these parts either, I wasn't really planning on doing a build. But here we are, back at it again with the imagination.
(Kei Office coils, ISR front hubs, OE Nissan rear hubs, and junkyard brakes with an ebrake setup sourced from Zilvia)
All of this went on easily, and I swapped the front 5-lug in a day just so I could drive it until I had a spare weekend to do the rear (which takes more time, and in my case a LOT more time).
So it's the weekend, I wake up bright and early to put on my rear hubs, brakes, and ebrake. About halfway through installation I realize I am missing a part on the ebrake assembly.
This part:
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h328/zwzweston/ebrake_zpscni3knl0.png (http://s1104.photobucket.com/user/zwzweston/media/ebrake_zpscni3knl0.png.html)
No big deal right? Well.....Nissan doesn't make it anymore, no parts stores have it, dealership couldn't get it, and I could only find the passenger's side on ebay. So while the passenger's side was being shipped, I took a trip to my friendly neighborhood Nissan shop, and they kindly let me tear the whole rear hub assembly off of one of their parts cars. They were a little surprised when I left the 5 lug hubs, the brakes, ETC. and only took a part about the size of a pinky finger, but that's all I needed.
So with that sorted out, the install went great. 5-lug, big brakes, and wheels. Nice.
(Imagine a picture of an almost stock Concord Grey S14 with white rear overs and chrome VS-5s)
Wait! I have a picture of that.
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h328/zwzweston/c1cbae3e-701f-4786-ba9e-297eeb698b89_zpso7cppsce.jpg (http://s1104.photobucket.com/user/zwzweston/media/c1cbae3e-701f-4786-ba9e-297eeb698b89_zpso7cppsce.jpg.html)
Pretty close to what you imagined? Good job.
Drove it like that for a while, not nearly long enough, and BOOM, motor says bye-bye. Don't know exactly what it was, but I decided to pull first ask questions later. Engine was pulled in about 3 days, and put on a stand in the garage. Just before the motor popped, I had put a deposit down on a Uras kit at an importer's out in Pheonix, and had already planned a three day trip with some buddies to pick it up. The opportunist in me (and the person inside me who doesn't want to rebuild a motor when he could be driving) quickly scanned Craigslist and found a running KA in Phoenix for miles cheaper than what I could find locally. Allegedly bored to 2.6, stroked, and pulled for an RB25 swap. Yahtzee!
So we loaded up my friend's truck and took off. Awesome trip, no pictures. Imagine Phoenix. Its hot, but nice.
Came back with a motor, trans, and Uras kit. Gaskets, silicone hoses, and cleaning is what my calendar consists of these days, but I'm making progress. That about catches us up, and this post was a bit of a marathon for those without a vivid imagination, so this is it until the next update. Hopefully the motor will be in next week, and we'll pick back up there.
Thanks for tuning in, more soon.