tb13

So, now that its back on the road I can focus on getting a swap ready for it. I have thought over every option from Vortec to SR to 1jz, but I think I have decided on going with a CA18DET. Now, that probably sounds really really dumb to a lot of you, but hear me out. The CA is the perfect motor for this car. I am building a "Well Rounded" vehicle, this means keeping weight down, keeping power within a reason and making sure I keep the balance of the car.

I am not just going to drop a CA into it and call it good, its going to get some upgrades to make it one hell of a street motor. To do that I need a special turbo setup, one that will give great response on the 1.8L and not fall off like the stock turbo. Concept Z Performance in collaboration with Turbos Direct developed a turbo kit for the Z32 that uses very special GT2560R's. These GT2560R's utilize a custom billet wheel that allows them to outflow larger turbos, but retain response. I plan to get a single one and strap it to the CA, it will flow enough to make 300+hp and be responsive enough to have fun on the street or track.

To increase response even more, I am going to mid mount an intercooler (Keep charge piping short and with as few bends as possible), port the intake manifold and run E85. All together I hope to see 325rwhp with response that is unmatched. Should make an incredible street car. Really excited to start piecing everything together!

soundboy

Ca18det?
parts getting pretty hard to locate for those ca18

RalliartRsX

The CA18DET with it's iron block is only about 20-40 lbs full dressed (between the two) lighter than the all aluminum SR20DET. Not only is the CA a fair bit older, it also lacks .2 liters of displacement. I would give up 20-40lbs for the displacement as a well balanced car is not simply about weight, but tractable, usable/streetable power.

If you buy any CA, expect to rebuild before swapping it into the car (more $$$$). I understand the thought process, but looking at the big picture (in terms of "balance" and more practical) I would stay away from the CA. In addition, although the US market received a NA version, parts for this engine are fairly scarce, so best not have any issue (which will more than likely be the case).

In the long run, although it is very vanilla running the SR just makes sense (parts are available, more displacement, etc). There is a reason (or many reasons) you do not see many CA18DETs running around.

e1_griego

If this is a "grip" build then put real shocks on it.

Antihero983

I loved this thread before, but the CA18 makes me love it even more. Keep up the good work dude!!!!

__________________
"So here I am, right back at it again, just like I've always been"

tb13

Considering I am going to swapping the coil packs for Vortec coils and deleting the ignitor, most parts are pretty easy to find.

Trust me, I have considered the SR quite a bit. I actually had almost a full SR in my garage not to long ago. The CA is old, but that does not mean they aren't great motors. It will be compression tested and resealed, maybe rebuilt if need be, but in stock form they can hold 350rwhp without issue so I think it will suit my needs just fine!

In time, I just got it back on the road and it REALLY needs some new coils.

Thanks man, glad everyone doesn't absolutely despise the CA

tb13

Last friday, before I went on vacation, I got the car "Aligned". Called a Big O Tires neat my house because they have a really nice alignment rack and they assured me they could do the alignment. Look at this shit, paper work says both rear wheels have -1* of camber, yet the drivers side is sticking out nearly an inch from the fender. Both rear fenders are rolled the same amount. No, there is no damage to the unibody or subframe, the rear upper control arms are adjusted differently, yet somehow the idiots were assuring me the camber side to side was identical.





Looks fucky, right? I grabbed a level to check their work, make sure that camber was identical side to side... Called it, they are COMPLETELY different.




At this point I went back and complained, they are going to be "fixing" it. They will also be cleaning up all of the sloppy numbers for everything else, going for the following:

Front:
Camber: -2.5*
Caster: 7.5*
Toe: 0*

Rear:
Camber: -1.5*
Caster: OEM
Toe: 0*

Anyway, I readjusted some of the rear arms for the time being and took the car out last night. I am beyond happy, even with the rear adjusted a little weird. Cornering grip is wonderful, the KA can't even break traction when cornering at high speeds under throttle, its honestly incredible. Found some slick concrete and tried out the S15 helical for the first time. Even on slick concrete, the car just accelerates. The inside tire will make a bit noise, but it won't completely break traction completely. Really excited to get more power under the hood.

Overall I am super happy with the car at this point. Probably going to get a new set of coilovers soon, I really want a nicer ride when I am driving the car around, the coils on it now are brutal on the streets... Probably going to lower it a bit more too.

tb13

Its been a bit, the car has been running and I have been driving it around, fixing issues that arise and tweaking the car all the time. So far the chassis has done nothing but impress me and make me wish there was something special under the hood to match the handling with some get up and go.

My quest for a CA18DET came to an end recently when I was unable to find a motor set. All of my local importers were unable to source one for me for a decent price which left me sitting with my thumb up my ass trying to decide what the next best thing would be.

Obvious choice is an SR20, but I have never been a fan of the DET head. They are restricted in the flow department and the valvetrain can be a nightmare. Sure, port and polished heads flow very well and upgrading the valvetrain extensively can make the valvetrain handle high rpm, but when it comes to cost vs performance the DET head lacks.


That is where the VE head comes into play. I'm sure you are all aware of the incredible performance the SR20VE head offers when paired with a RWD block and turbo setup. The superior design makes for a head that flows incredibly well and packs a valvetrain that is capable of 9k+ rpm with stock parts. On top of outstanding flow and revised valvetrain, Nissan's NEO VVL allows for two cam profiles on the same camshaft to allow for profiles that are optimized for low/mid range power and top end without any sacrifice that comes with running a cam that is too aggressive or too mild. Best of both worlds.

I made this choice recently when I received a raise and decided that if I am going to build a motor, I may as well go all out the first time and regret nothing. Up until today it was just an idea, but I solidified my choice when I picked up a turbo setup that will accompany a VVL head perfectly.

This setup popped up locally for a great price and I had to have it. it consists of a Garrett GT3076R, Future Fabrication twin scroll manifold and downpipe that is compatible with any SR20 downpipe. With this setup I will be upping my power goal, but still shooting for great response. The manifold will be modified to run twin 38mm wastegates because at the moment it is setup to run a single 44mm that isn't divided, negating any gains twin scroll offers I was told this setup on a redtop SR made 390rwhp on 17psi hitting full boost around 4400rpm. I am aiming to make 400rwhp , but with the help of manifold modification and a VE head I hope to lower the spool to below 4krpm to make for a very nice power band that is streetable. I am also going to get a high boost tune for around 500rwhp for when I want to have some highway fun or just to do the occasional burnout





Lots to come, this isn't going to happen over night. I plan to cut no corners and build an SR20 that will be reliable and put a shit eating grin on my face every time I drive the car!

Antihero983

Hurray for updates!!!

__________________
"So here I am, right back at it again, just like I've always been"

RalliartRsX

LOL! I saw that setup for sale and was about to scoop the manifold. Much prefer that it went to you!

Glad you went away from the CA.

tb13

HURRAY! Now depression sets in as I stare at a sweet turbo setup that isn't on my car

I JUMPED on it, I almost settled for a Borg Warner Airwerks turbo and a lame ass manifold.

I am happy and sad about going away from the CA. I would have had the car running way sooner with the CA, but I would have wanted more from day one which would have pissed me off... The SR is going to take a while, but I will have the setup of my dreams.

tb13

Snagged a huge part of this build today! I have been looking for a really nice SR block for a few weeks now and a friend of mine offered to sell me one he was saving. I wanted a block that hadn't been over bored or decked so I could run the smallest overbore and an OEM P12 VE head gasket, this block is exactly that. 100% virgin block, never been decked, never been over bored. I payed a bit of a premium for it, but it was worth it to get a block I know I can trust.

tb13

Haven't done much with the car lately, only drove it once this last week because its so damn hot outside... Drove it around last night and noticed a pretty nasty shake in the steering wheel which I think is due to having a sloppy inner tie rod on the drivers side. Regardless the car is still running well, but I seriously can't wait to get the SR into it and really enjoy the car.



A few weeks ago a craigslist post popped up for a new reman steering rack and a complete SR bottom end. The guys number seemed to be dead, but I kept checking it daily until he finally updated it. I finally got a hold of him and was able to go snag the parts. Ended up with the steering rack, complete redtop bottom end and an Xcessive skid plate for $200.



The bottom end I picked up I am pretty excited for. I am still going to build a VET, but now that I have a complete stock bottom end I am going to make use of it while I build the VET's bottom end I really want. I was told this bottom end was replaced due to the motor smoking. The PO said the compression was perfect when pulled, but he didn't care to deal with finding the real issue so he just built a new bottom end and left this one to sit. It rotates over perfectly, cylinder walls look prefect and the pistons show no signs of detonation. With that said, I am going to refresh this bottom end with some new fasteners and slap the VE head on it so I can enjoy the car sooner. My turbo setup is going to be a bit much for it, but on E85 I should be able to make some nice power even with a stockish bottom end.

Now to some of you it might seem like a waste to spend money on rebuilding a stock bottom end, but to me it means that I can enjoy the car sooner. I'd love to do it all at once, but my income limits me quite a bit. With having it running, I will have all the time in the world to build a sweet bottom end that will handle how ever much power I want to make. I might even sleeve the extra block I have and run 90mm pistons to create an SR22...

tb13

So I think I am just going to keep this pile of shit since its so god damn hard to sell a GOOD S13. Sorry to anyone who was actually interested.

Its looking super basic on Z32 wheels for the time being, my 5Zigens were all out of balance so with these it drives so well. So well that it has swayed me to keep the car for the time being...