The Death of a Unicorn (S13 Silvia Build) [Archive] - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

whosawmike

10-23-2017, 01:29 PM

Hello Zilvia.

My name is Mike, and I am from central Illinois. This is my first S-Chassis, so I am relatively new to this (your patience is appreciated). With that said, I wanted to make this build thread so that you guys can keep me honest. I don’t want to botch this shit, so please let me know if you see me making mistakes. I will probably have some questions as well… Thanks in advance.

Anyway, here is my Silvia. It was BONE STOCK. When I got it, it had 54,000 kilometers (33k Miles) on the clock. I picked it up last summer (2016) and aside from oil changes, the only thing I’ve done is drive it. The plan has always been to swap it, so I did not care that it was a Q’s or that it was an auto. I toyed around with a JZ swap, but decided that I would go RB25. Right now I am leaning towards RB25 NEO.

Now to the fun stuff. The pics.
Here are some high res pics of what I am starting with. The only real damage on the car is a scuff on the drivers side corner on the front bumper and some chips that were poorly touched up on the rear bumper and spoiler. It was not the cheapest S13, but I wanted an unmolested one. I was looking at 240sx coupes before I found this, but any in this condition are not much cheaper than this one was. So for a little more, I got something a little different.
https://i.imgur.com/udZgO9g.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/anS6i30.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/rQ7uxro.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/mfxfbwN.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/975Vuht.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/jqafSS2.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/NlqPvYM.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ad8CAf1.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YypYCW7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/musZTek.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/PWQEb7j.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/cUtKTia.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/OODud91.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/cRHHxCN.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/JVsLbWb.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/KZ94XSb.jpg

Here it is, fresh off of the trailer after being delivered.
https://i.imgur.com/Nrub2FQ.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/hm7BGOZ.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/Kpk0xM3.jpg?1

Some pics from a meet and it parked next to my daughter’s power wheel.
https://i.imgur.com/tXXAh05.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/swai59p.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/mQqNBN0.jpg?1
My daughter’s first birthday theme was unicorns. This was the headband that she wore. I couldn’t resist.
https://i.imgur.com/sXBXDqS.jpg?1
Here is the last time I drove it before the tear down started.
https://i.imgur.com/ZTs1Ffy.jpg?2

whosawmike

10-23-2017, 03:21 PM

I started the tear down on Oct. 18th.
Body panels and lights off.
https://i.imgur.com/tF0ht4u.jpg?1
Original front fender guards… I have not seen these on this site before.
https://i.imgur.com/PglpoQd.jpg?1
Air inlet, fan shroud and radiator removed.
https://i.imgur.com/cAomf0e.jpg?1
The more I dig into this car, the more impressed I am with its condition. Example… Here is the original exhaust.
https://i.imgur.com/4iBXbwV.jpg?1

Here goes nothing.
https://i.imgur.com/Of4h0HN.jpg?1

The engine bay is dirty, but not bad considering its 27 years old.
https://i.imgur.com/18uxvHW.jpg?1

There is going to be some blood spilled in a heart transplant, apparently unicorns bleed red and green??? I was pulling this thing by myself, so when the engine was no longer over the oil drain bucket, I just said fuck it and let it spill onto the floor. It’s clean now, but in hindsight, I should have moved the bucket.
https://i.imgur.com/nl5miVI.jpg?1

I spilled all of that trany fluid and coolant one night… The next night, I spilled a bunch of elbow grease in the bay. It cleaned up pretty well. You can’t see in the pictures, but the worst part is that under the fuse box, the paint is stained blue from washer fluid. I’m not going to complain about that on a car of this age.
https://i.imgur.com/4BnO25T.jpg?1

Tonight I plan on pulling the front crossmember out and putting in the R33 crossmember.

whosawmike

10-23-2017, 03:29 PM

I am in the process of sourcing an engine. I have tried the local-ish places to me that I know of and that I have heard are reputable (JDMhookup in St Louis and JDM Engines Chicago). Both of these places are without RB25DETs and do not have line of sight on any.

If you can recommend anyone in the midwest that I can drive to let me know. Otherwise I will be ordering one and hoping for the best:ugh:. Recommendations for that are appreciated too!

Juucso

10-23-2017, 03:39 PM

Seems to be a perfect shell for some nice and clean modifications! Hoping to see superbly clean install on the RB swap!

whosawmike

10-23-2017, 05:44 PM

Seems to be a perfect shell for some nice and clean modifications! Hoping to see superbly clean install on the RB swap!

That is the biggest reason for me to make this thread. I want you guys to help keep me on the straight and narrow.

Now I am off to swap that crossmember.

TheRealSy90

10-23-2017, 07:16 PM

dizzariot

10-23-2017, 07:30 PM

That title was misleading. Swapping a Nissan motor into an NA auto isn't ruining the car. Depending on who you ask anything besides an SR or RB would be bad. As long as you don't go full retard with a new paintjob and wide fenders you'll be fine.

whosawmike

10-23-2017, 08:20 PM

Best advice I can give is do not get caught up in the build. Do the least amount of work necessary, in the cleanest or most thorough way you can.
Get it done and drive the car. Fix or modify things as you deem them necessary after driving it. One thing at at time.

It's too easy to get caught up in the build and next thing you know the car has been on jackstands for two years..
I think it's better to do one thing, finish it, and drive again.
Upgrade/Build the car one part at a time and not tear the whole thing apart with tons of different ugrades all at the same time.
But that's just me because I made the same mistake.

This is my biggest fear and why I am doing just as you suggested. My plan is to start with a stock RB and get it back on the road. Then I'll move on to wheels and coils, then cosmetics or engine build. All of the big stuff will be done over winters. I don't want to miss any good weather during summer months.

That title was misleading. Swapping a Nissan motor into an NA auto isn't ruining the car. Depending on who you ask anything besides an SR or RB would be bad. As long as you don't go full retard with a new paintjob and wide fenders you'll be fine.

I'm with you. I don't see the big deal, but I have had quite a few people tell me that it will be ruined if I do more then wheels and coils, then use it as a daily. For one, this NA CA18 with an auto is not a lot of fun. For two, live in the midwest. If I daily this thing, it will be just another rusted out S13 shitbox by the end of the winter.

I also agree with you on the paint and fenders. I don't want to jump on a fad that I can't undo when it gets old, like cut up fenders. I want to keep it classic. I plan on OEM Aero bumper and skirts, then respray with the current colors.

TheRealSy90

10-23-2017, 08:43 PM

That's one reason I'm jealous of people that actually have seasons. You get time to drive the car, and time to work on the car for a while in the off season. Down here it's always driving weather so you either never work on it, or you tear it all to pieces and it starts to fuse to the jack stands lol.

If you don't lower it so much that you can't reinstall the front fender liners, you are on the right track.

whosawmike

10-23-2017, 09:09 PM

If you don't lower it so much that you can't reinstall the front fender liners, you are on the right track.

No promises there. It would be nice, and I’m not going to slam it to the ground, but I do think I will have to roll the fenders for the fitment that I want.

Here is an example of my ideal fitment
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171024/63d0849afea84584cfd8a41879b4856f.jpg

silviamang

10-24-2017, 12:00 AM

Wow man the car looks great.
As for the engine, I would get a hold of the shop that you bought the car from. Iirc he has a relative that does engine/parts importing in the NoVa area... I met him years ago but forgot his name. Either way, Japanese classics should be able to point you in the right direction.
Good luck with the build.

tuzzio

10-24-2017, 08:06 AM

The only ruining you're doing is putting an RB in it.

JZ > RB.

whosawmike

10-24-2017, 08:15 AM

The only ruining you're doing is putting an RB in it.

JZ > RB.

When I bought the car, I really wanted to go 2j. I like the 2jzs more. I absolutely LOVE the sound. However, the cost and complexity of the swap steered me here. I figured with the money I save going this rout, I can get my build farther faster. Or build up the 25 with the cost difference.

Also, I'm not looking for anything crazy like 1000hp. I think the 25 will do just fine.

Edit: BTW, I've seen your build. Your car is beautiful.

CamryOnBronze

10-24-2017, 09:43 AM

MattDuqueBMX

10-24-2017, 10:20 AM

I'm in the south burbs! 1J hatch in the works, hit me up if you need any help with anything. I've had quite a few S-Chassis'. What town are you in? & come pop out with my group sometimes downtown! A lot of drifting goes down within our little group of skid kidzzzz.

whosawmike

10-24-2017, 10:45 AM

Oh man, this is awesome! I am so jealous of starting from a clean slate. I would love to have that opportunity.

FYI, you can still run the fender liners when the car is lowered like Broadfield, myself, and others have done. Here is a great writeup Toby did years ago:

http://zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=344753

They're also still available new from Nissan if you're looking for fresh ones.

Looking forward to this- very cool!

Thanks for that link. I will definitely be doing that in the future. I have been admiring Toby's car since I got mine. It is a bit of an inspiration for me and when the time comes for me to have some interior work done, I will surely be giving him a call. I was reading his blog one day and recognized some stuff in one of his pics. He actually lives in a neighboring town to me. I wonder if he still has anything laying around from his part out...

Also, I just glanced over your blog. Your car look awesome. I will go back and read through it when I have more free time.

I'm in the south burbs! 1J hatch in the works, hit me up if you need any help with anything. I've had quite a few S-Chassis'. What town are you in? & come pop out with my group sometimes downtown! A lot of drifting goes down within our little group of skid kidzzzz.

I am in Peoria. Probably I bit to far for either of us to give each other a physical hand with anything, but thank you for the offer. I used to live in West Chicago, and when the car is back on the road I would love to make some trips up that way. I'll be sure and hit you up when I do. Where are the spots everyone meets at these days? I used to go the the Streets at Woodfield and some diner... I think it was on North Ave out by Carol Stream, but Im probably wrong. This was all about 10 years ago now. A lot has probably changed.

MattDuqueBMX

10-24-2017, 11:11 AM

A lot of spots are more or less near downtown. We have a good amount of spots other than that though. There are a few spots I have out in Mokena/Joliet/New Lenox as well. If you're familiar USAIR drift events out in Shawano,WI I'm usually in that area for events (Shawano is about 3 or so hours from Chicago). You're about 2 hours from me, not too shabby. If you need a big hand with anything I can get a couple buddies to make a trip out there for a weekend or something. Have a few buddies in that area. I also agree with JZ swaps being a little on the expensive side haha. I was considering selling my plug and play 1JZ/R154 swap for $4600 not too long ago, but the fun I have in it is priceless so I had to pass on his offer.

whosawmike

10-24-2017, 12:24 PM

Does anyone have any information on identifying RB transmissions? I am seeing a lot of differences in them when I am looking for an engine. I made a thread in the engine tech section. If you have some knowledge on the subject, please help point me in the right direction. It is the only thing stopping me from ordering an engine.
RB Trans Identification (http://zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=652207)

MattDuqueBMX

10-24-2017, 12:34 PM

There's a lot of different trans' that fit with them(adapter may be needed) so I'm sure that's what you're looking at. You can kind of fit any trans on it as long as you have an adapter plate. Wouldn't really rely on that though because some adapter plates are worth more than some trans' themselves.

MattDuqueBMX

10-24-2017, 12:38 PM

whosawmike

10-24-2017, 12:45 PM

FYI, a Z32 trans fits them I believe. But if you end up getting a Z32 trans make sure you get the N/A version. The only difference in the NA and TT Z32 bell housings are the inner diameter, since you're using an RB bell housing, this is negligible.

Edit: CD009's usually do pretty good, I think a KA24 trans works as well.

I would really like to have the RB25 trans though. I hear they are pretty stout. Also, The mount kit I have is for a RB with a 25 trans. So that would make things easier for me.

My big concern is getting an RB20 trans by mistake, as it is my understanding that they are weak in comparison. It would almost be ideal to get a 25NEO with a standard 25 trans. I hear that there is more to choose from in the way of push style clutches.

I hear that the CD009 transmissions are tough, but the gearing does not make them ideal for our cars. That, and the fact that there is no speed sensor on them.

MattDuqueBMX

10-24-2017, 12:52 PM

I wouldn't say they're not ideal, they're used a lot in 240s. A lot of SR20 powered S13s use them and love them from what I've heard.

MattDuqueBMX

10-24-2017, 12:56 PM

whosawmike

10-24-2017, 02:15 PM

For a CD009:

A speed sensor from the driveshaft will need to be fed to your speedo. If you have ABS, you can use a Dakota Digital converter box to have the proper speedo calibration. If you do not have ABS, you’ll need to mount a driveshaft speed sensor on the input yoke of your diff.

I have no abs. A CD009 is an option here, but it adds unnecessary cost and complexity. I really just need to make sure that I get an RB25 transmission with whatever engine I find. As soon as I find a definitive way of telling them apart, I’m ready to place an order.

Photobucket really screwed things up here. I have found a few threads that look like they have an answer, but they all go something like:

Here is a picture of exactly what to look for when identifying an rb trany...
(Broken picture of exactly what you are looking for, brought to you by photobucket. Fuck you)

afishysilvia

10-24-2017, 02:57 PM

Thanks for that link. I will definitely be doing that in the future. I have been admiring Toby's car since I got mine. It is a bit of an inspiration for me and when the time comes for me to have some interior work done, I will surely be giving him a call. I was reading his blog one day and recognized some stuff in one of his pics. He actually lives in a neighboring town to me. I wonder if he still has anything laying around from his part out...

Also, I just glanced over your blog. Your car look awesome. I will go back and read through it when I have more free time.

I am in Peoria. Probably I bit to far for either of us to give each other a physical hand with anything, but thank you for the offer. I used to live in West Chicago, and when the car is back on the road I would love to make some trips up that way. I'll be sure and hit you up when I do. Where are the spots everyone meets at these days? I used to go the the Streets at Woodfield and some diner... I think it was on North Ave out by Carol Stream, but Im probably wrong. This was all about 10 years ago now. A lot has probably changed.

Man Peoria! I was just there for training all week. I work for CAT and often take trips out there. I would love to link up and see this beauty one day sometime! beautiful car:naughty:

deolio

10-24-2017, 03:40 PM

why not sr? you'd be able to run ac, cruise control, and all the cool things and probably be easier to source. i would love to see working ddc in there :love:

dizzariot

10-24-2017, 06:16 PM

why not sr? you'd be able to run ac, cruise control, and all the cool things and probably be easier to source. i would love to see working ddc in there :love:

+1

To sum up some of the other things said here:

1.) If you're trying to 'do right' by a community of Nissan guys then keeping the motor Nissan is the right thing to do. I understand the merits of the 1/2J swap but it's not going to play well into the theme you're trying to go for. This is all just my opinion, though.

2.) The SR swap on an RB budget would be awesome. Easy to squeeze out 250HP and retain creature comforts in your car. I can't understand why an RB would be your choice for 250HP unless you just like the idea of being able to say "It has an arbeetwennyfive." That's totally fine, too. Just wanted to point it out.

whosawmike

10-24-2017, 06:27 PM

Man Peoria! I was just there for training all week. I work for CAT and often take trips out there. I would love to link up and see this beauty one day sometime! beautiful car:naughty:

I work at CAT in engine development. Feel free to hit me up if you are in the area.

why not sr? you'd be able to run ac, cruise control, and all the cool things and probably be easier to source. i would love to see working ddc in there :love:

I have nothing against SRs, but I love straight sixes. At work, we refer to them as Gods engine. I am probably a little biased towards them though, as straight 6 engine development is what I do for a living.

As for the cool things you speak of, the car came from the factory without cruise control. I am still going to try for AC even though I almost never use it in this car. I went with the R33 crossmember and have the Syko engine mounts. In my research I have found that with this setup, I can mount a larger radiator in the stock location. This should allow me to keep the condenser under the rad support. Anyway... I am going to try.

It bothers me, just a little, if a car has something that doesn't work. Like... I would not like to see a button for AC and not have AC.

With that in mind, I think that if I can't swing the AC, I am going to say fuck it and go all out. Fully tucked radiator, harness tuck, loose the brake booster, maybe even loose the power steering or do some kind of tuck on the PS tank. This is all irrelevant and in the distant future.

I guess I want it all or nothing.

BTW, what is DDC?

whosawmike

10-24-2017, 06:45 PM

2.) The SR swap on an RB budget would be awesome. Easy to squeeze out 250HP and retain creature comforts in your car. I can't understand why an RB would be your choice for 250HP unless you just like the idea of being able to say "It has an arbeetwennyfive." That's totally fine, too. Just wanted to point it out.

I think my last post will explain my RB choice better. To elaborate, the engine install is only a short term goal. In the long game, I would like to build the engine to around the 500hp mark. I know its doable with an SR, but I would not want to "squeeze" one that tight.

I picked the straight six platform before I picked the s-chassis.

spooled240

10-24-2017, 06:47 PM

https://media.tenor.com/images/61230c0ccdb9f3b1efa47dd9bea25429/tenor.gif

just kidding..just stay away from the hacksaw, fiberglass and the hoonigan stickers and you'll be fine.

You can have a/c with an RB, you'll just have to have custom/extended a/c lines(compressor is farther up the engine bay)

Also, you might be able to have an thicker radiator in the stock location with some Flex-a-lite 210 fans. I'm not 100% sure though, it gets pretty packed in there even with the Syko mounts. edit: you'll most likely have to use the stock radiator.

Subb'd!

deolio

10-24-2017, 07:13 PM

I have nothing against SRs, but I love straight sixes. At work, we refer to them as Gods engine. I am probably a little biased towards them though, as straight 6 engine development is what I do for a living.....

BTW, what is DDC?

word! that's understandable haha looking forward to it :)

oops meant dcc* - which is digital climate control. looks very pretty, but is somewhat of a headache to get working. just a cool oem+ thing that i feel would suit this build. pic of dcc -> s13 DCC (https://scontent-sea1-1.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/s480x480/e15/1740492_664984173561013_1482370206_n.jpg?ig_cache_ key=NjkyNzg3MzM0MjEzMzkxOTMz.2)

TheRealSy90

10-24-2017, 09:05 PM

Getting rid of AC, PS, and Brake Booster is where your build will start taking a turn for the worst.

whosawmike

10-24-2017, 09:13 PM

Getting rid of AC, PS, and Brake Booster is where your build will start taking a turn for the worst.

Hmm. I like the look of a clean bay, but you are probably right. My goal is to keep ac. So if I give up and go the tucked bay rout, I have settled. That’s a slippery slope.

deolio

10-24-2017, 09:55 PM

it’s possible to have a clean bay without sacrificing creature comforts. just takes some effort

MattDuqueBMX

10-25-2017, 01:08 AM

it’s possible to have a clean bay without sacrificing creature comforts. just takes some effort

Indeed! Kind of regretting taking all of that out of my hatch! (Well, not all, but not having working A/C at least).

crash n' burn

10-25-2017, 05:12 AM

Bro, don't delete that shit. You'll be less prone to drive it. My a/c doesn't work consistently in my coupe, so I didn't drive it much this summer. No P/S in a street car isn't that fun either.

CamryOnBronze

10-25-2017, 08:13 AM

Thanks for that link. I will definitely be doing that in the future. I have been admiring Toby's car since I got mine. It is a bit of an inspiration for me and when the time comes for me to have some interior work done, I will surely be giving him a call. I was reading his blog one day and recognized some stuff in one of his pics. He actually lives in a neighboring town to me. I wonder if he still has anything laying around from his part out...

Also, I just glanced over your blog. Your car look awesome. I will go back and read through it when I have more free time.

Thank you! Peoria is a cool area, I took a number of trips down there to hang out with Toby and our friend Kyle (he actually works for CAT too ironically... he had a red hatch on bronze TEs a few years back) and enjoyed hanging out down there. I think Toby has unloaded pretty much everything from his part out now from my understanding, but it has been a bit since I talked to him so I could be wrong.

As for debating all of the shaved bay stuff, DON'T DO IT! I messed with all of the crap you mentioned on my car back in 2012 and I majorly regret it. Leave your heat, AC, brake lines and booster, power steering, etc. in the factory location and you will be much, much happier. That's my two cents anyway! It's the biggest thing that I hate about my car right now.

You've been blessed with an awesome opportunity in this chassis. I would try to preserve as much as possible. Still modify it by all means, but think about the long haul (if you intend to keep it, as it seems you do.)

onehundredoctane

10-25-2017, 08:16 AM

Love the car! But is it really a unicorn if it's CA, Auto, and Brown interior. . . ? Seems like a budge build, and I'm looking forward to seeing progress!

whosawmike

10-25-2017, 07:51 PM

Love the car! But is it really a unicorn if it's CA, Auto, and Brown interior. . . ? Seems like a budge build, and I'm looking forward to seeing progress!

What?! You aren't a fan of brown interiors? I freaking love it, and the brown tinted windows.

whosawmike

10-25-2017, 08:38 PM

Good evening guys.

Before I get to my tiny update, I want to let you know that I am selling most of the original stuff I have removed from the car. If you are interested in it, let me know. I am working out of an oversized one stall garage, so I don't have the space for it.

I am not shipping the big stuff, but I have:
CA18DE with the auto trans, harness, and ECM. No Leaks. Clean AF(~36k Miles)- $300
Original Exhaust
Radiator
Inlet piping including filter box
2 piece drive shaft
Fan Shroud
I have more... I think.
If you come pick it up, I'll let it ALL go for $450.

Also, I am still looking for info on the RB25 transmissions. I have money burning a hole in my pocket, and I'm itching to buy an engine. This is the last bit go info I need before I make my purchase. Please look at THIS THREAD (http://zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=652207) if you can lend a hand with IDing transmissions.

Now for the update. It's small, but whatever. I dropped the S13 crossmember. I then transferred over the rack assembly to the R33 crossmember.
Out with the old
https://i.imgur.com/GVpfMEW.jpg?1
In with the new
https://i.imgur.com/A4hFCxN.jpg?1

I replaced the rack bushings with some energy bushings even though they were fine. I got the suspension put back together and she is back on all fours. I wanted to put the sweet looking syko mounts on, but the instructions recommend mounting them to the engine then dropping it in:rolleyes:.

signal240sx

10-26-2017, 08:12 AM

CompleteXen

10-26-2017, 08:34 AM

Never been a fan of rb swaps myself, but you definitely have a clean blank slate.
Best advice I can give is do not get caught up in the build. Do the least amount of work necessary, in the cleanest or most thorough way you can.
Get it done and drive the car. Fix or modify things as you deem them necessary after driving it. One thing at at time.

It's too easy to get caught up in the build and next thing you know the car has been on jackstands for two years..
I think it's better to do one thing, finish it, and drive again.
Upgrade/Build the car one part at a time and not tear the whole thing apart with tons of different ugrades all at the same time.
But that's just me because I made the same mistake.

Probably the best advice someone can receive when jumping into a build.

I have way too many customers who come in wanting a small bit of power, they come in for a GTE swap or to install a single turbo aiming for small increase. You quickly see the builds spiral out of control, as our minds work faster than our hands.. Never limit yourself just understand to pace your build for your own enjoyment.

Clean ass car, might want to consider a 1J VVTI setup over the RB but thats just personal preference.

afishysilvia

10-26-2017, 10:30 AM

Thank you! Peoria is a cool area, I took a number of trips down there to hang out with Toby and our friend Kyle (he actually works for CAT too ironically... )

No irony there man...if you live in Peoria or the surrounding areas of Illinois, you more than likely are affiliated with CAT haha.

And DEFINITELY keep the AC....that's a no brainer.

whosawmike

10-26-2017, 11:06 AM

Hi what's up.just came across your thread.what a clean beauty....I have a 92 coupe im converting to a silvia.I am in mapleton-Peoria.would luv to check out car,exchange knowledge,and maybe even lend each other a hand if needed! Don't really know any of the few 240/silvia locals

You're just down the road then! I have met a few of the S-Chassis owners in the area at the local events, but don't really know them. I would love to help with yours, and I know that I will probably need a hand with mine at some point. Maybe when its time for me to drop the new engine in.

What all are you converting? Are you doing the front end conversion or full RHD swap?

signal240sx

10-26-2017, 01:19 PM

You're just down the road then! I have met a few of the S-Chassis owners in the area at the local events, but don't really know them. I would love to help with yours, and I know that I will probably need a hand with mine at some point. Maybe when its time for me to drop the new engine in.

What all are you converting? Are you doing the front end conversion or full RHD swap?Front end swap.and have a sr20 to drop in already.figured ill run the ka with a turbo till she blows first.have everything to do both swaps but hood.ps my car still had the fender liners too haha.

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk

Keegster

10-27-2017, 07:55 AM

If you want to look at old photobucket photos, you can google the thread and google images will still show you a low res image, it may help.

If im correct the best transmission to get is out of a r33

And I have plenty of buttons that don't do anything. Examples include, but are not limited to: AC, manual climate control doors, rear defrost, cruise control, sometimes the passenger window switch. Someone had fun with the body harness in my car.

As far as the build is progressing, I think a rb silvia is not done often at all. If you could keep the engine bay looking as oem as possible, I think it would compliment the car very nicely.

greenwood

10-27-2017, 10:42 AM

why not stay ca with manual trans till it blows up?

https://media1.giphy.com/media/L95W4wv8nnb9K/giphy.gif

whosawmike

10-27-2017, 11:31 AM

why not stay ca with manual trans till it blows up?

Then I am adding money and time to something that I never wanted to begin with. Plus, who knows how long I could beat on that engine before it went.

whosawmike

10-30-2017, 01:08 PM

Here we go!

I found an engine, but it was not local. I hope this is not going to be an issue, but none of my local-ish spots have line of sight on when they will have any. I went with a Osaka JDM out of Quebec. I've heard good things, but I'm still a little leery about buying a second hand engine sight unseen. I bought the car the same way, but this feels different. Probably because I've seen the way containers full of engines are shipped.

Anyway... It's done now, so no use fretting over it. It should be here early next week. In the mean time, I am going to work on installing the clutch peddle and master cylinder. I will also start trying to find a spot for my (admittedly too large) intercooler.

Here are some pics of the engine. I will post some more when I get eyes on it.
https://i.imgur.com/IfY4gdG.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/tb2TIS6.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/GXxY1jd.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/zUBOst7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/HVClRdg.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/j5jdeIx.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YISfWO9.jpg

afishysilvia

10-30-2017, 02:36 PM

Heck Yes!!! Cant wait to see this thing in action! So clean.

whosawmike

11-24-2017, 01:02 PM

Well... It took a while, but the engine showed up on Tuesday. There was a problem with customs that resulted in it getting turned away.

It arrived pretty much as advertised, but the pallet it was on broke causing it to lay over and rest on the accessories during shipping. I will probably have to replace the AC compressor and the idler pulley. No big deal though.

I have started pulling it apart to clean it up and do some maintenance. There are so many damn hoses on this thing. I also want to get the valve covers painted.

I have been taking advantage of the Black Friday deals today. I ordered a Mishimoto KA radiator and the harness from Wiring Specialties.

Hopefully things will move along pretty steadily now.

https://i.imgur.com/JND12wE.jpg?1

shaggyjake

11-25-2017, 01:05 PM

Looks like it's gonna be a sweet build. Sub'd.

whosawmike

01-10-2018, 08:24 AM

Its been a while. I would like to have gotten farther than this by now, but December was crazy at work. I had the week from Christmas to New Years off, and planned on devoting a bunch of time to it between those two holidays. Then I got sick. :down:

Anyway... Here is whats happened since the last update.

I cleaned up the engine and did some maintenance on it. I replaced the timing belt and the water pump. I replaced the accessory belts and the pulleys that were damaged in shipping. I also painted the valve covers and timing belt covers.

On the car, I installed the clutch pedal and master cylinder.

https://i.imgur.com/P1QNDBA.jpg?1

Last night, I dropped the engine into the car. That is a tight fit!!! I used the Syko mount kit, and could not be happier with the product. It lined up perfectly. The hardest part was getting it into the bay, and I imagine that it would have been much easier with another set of hands and eyes.

Here it is in the car. It was getting late, so i literally bolted it in, folded up the cherry picker, and snapped the pic.
https://i.imgur.com/Z7SSYc1.jpg?1

Tonight, I am going to mount the radiator and take some measurements for fans and a shroud. I am also going to try to wire the engine. Hopefully the Wiring Specialties harness lives up to the hype and it is as easy to install as I've heard. It sure looks like its high quality.

And a little thing. This morning I ordered a 1 piece driveshaft from the Driveshaft Shop.

greenwood

01-10-2018, 10:49 AM

Nice! I used top hat mounts on my rb into s13 back when they were a thing. people talked trash about their mounts, never had a problem. shrug. lol

RVAE34

01-10-2018, 10:50 AM

Great swap and love the color on the vc.

signal240sx

01-10-2018, 11:26 AM

Very cool!!!nice clean look bro.I'm not to far from ya if u remember.wish I coulda helped ya out with the extra eyes and hands ....if were outta the negative temps hit me up sometime ha

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk

cole d

06-20-2018, 09:44 PM

Any updates?

afishysilvia

06-20-2018, 09:59 PM

Where does one acquire such a dope power wheels ? lol the camber on that is awesome

whosawmike

06-21-2018, 05:38 AM

Ya... Sorry that I dropped the ball on this. My father passed unexpectedly in January, so I had a lot of family stuff going on. My wife and I also bought a new house. With that came prepping the old house to sell, and moving of course. Moving actually turned this engine swap into another chore that I had to get done before the move rather than a fun project.

Anyway, with all of that, I was lacking a bit on the documentation. Here is what I have though.

After getting the engine in and wired, I was able to do the first fire. It sprang right to life. It was a bit rough as I had no charge piping so the MAF was not seeing flow.
QGNH6SUlAD4

At this point I started planning out the charge piping. Looking at the best way to do it with the stock manifold, I saw that I was going to be cutting holes in places I didn't like. The plan was always to get a plenum at some point in the future. Because I didn't want to cut holes that were going to need to move in the future, I just ordered a plenum now.
https://i.imgur.com/b8TK2uo.jpg?3
https://i.imgur.com/QEZqgLo.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/YHSYhfo.jpg?1

I got the exhaust, cooling fan, and some other odds and ends buttoned up. You'll see that I am jumping the car with my daily. I was having intermittent charging issues that left me stranded on the side of the road on 2 separate occasions. I got it figured out since then. There was a loose connection on the 2 pin plug on the alternator.
DI8oHaYkUUY

Here is a clip of the first test drive. It's more of a sound clip as I was trying to drive and hold the phone. Sorry for the poor quality. The picture is after the fist drive. I dig the no hood no bumper look. lol
lEQYl5nZacA
https://i.imgur.com/ZFf3i5w.jpg?1

With all of the life stuff that came up, I did have to take some short cuts to get it on the road. I still need to set up a catch can. Right now I just have a filter on the valve cover. I also did not get the AC installed. I am ok with this. When I get the new front bumper and skirts I will need to respray the car. I want to do the bay too. Hopefully that be this winter. I will get the AC done then. I will also work on tidying up the bay. Under that manifold is a mess of cooling lines and wires.

Here is how it sits now. Someone snapped a couple pics at a meet last Friday. It is the only meet I have had time for so far.
https://i.imgur.com/gckspT8.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/VLr4p6W.jpg

whosawmike

06-21-2018, 06:04 AM

Where does one acquire such a dope power wheels ? lol the camber on that is awesome

You gotta put in the work! Future plans for the power wheel are to do a 24v conversion... duh. I want to set it up to activate with a button on the steering wheel. I also want to find an old nitrous solenoid and put a fake nitrous purge on it.

I'm just having fun with this thing.

Here it is before:
https://i.imgur.com/53TKxMu.jpg?1

Here are some more of it. My daughter loves it, but is still to small for it. She has to stand to touch the pedal, so when she hits it, she immediately looses he balance and lets off again. She'll be 2 in September, so she has plenty of time to grow into it. I plan on taking it to the next local cars and coffee meet. Start them young!
https://i.imgur.com/A5yZ9vZ.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/d9wGgdr.jpg?2
https://i.imgur.com/1bYI4Zf.jpg?1

JrDarknes

06-21-2018, 11:34 AM

whosawmike

06-21-2018, 11:43 AM

Looking clean, nice build.

You have a plan for the A/C? I am very curious, Ive searched and read that the KA24E compressor can fit with no modifcations but not sure if thats true. Then I read you can make a bracket for the KA24de Compressor and all you would need is one custom line. I am so puzzled loll.

My engine came with a compressor and the car had everything else. All I really need are the lines. The lines that came with the engine were cut and the cars lines are too short to reach the compressor.