Gaijin

[Gaijin]

Calling all those interested,

 

Im building a Kiwi zed in its final design scope.

 

General notes;

 

- Street car, Warrant Of Fitness/registration

- R34 Neo turbo engine, GT3040R, water/air intercooling etc

- Programmable ECU, traction control, ABS even?

- Complete R34 rear subframe, LSD, toe/camber adjustable, big brakes etc. Increase track 150mm+

- Large piston front struts, big brakes etc, adjustable roll centre,camber,more castor, increase track 140mm+

- Power steering

- Full cage, to front struts

- Full interior, sound deadening,music

- Plenty of custom mods

- 18x9.5" 265/35 rears etc.

- NO DODGY BODYKITs either !!

 

The car will not be the fastest, best looking, tidiest zed out there.

I understand that it can be considered 'butchering' to some.

But should be OK for a comment or even critique.

 

Progress is well underway.

 

If the club is keen to see (about) weekly updates and pics, Im happy to oblige.

I can give some tech notes as to whats going on, why, and hassles to avoid if someone is to do something similar.

 

I have slammed the whole lot of postings all at once, no drip feeding here.

 

thanks

martin

[Gaijin]

Okidoki,

 

Gajin will begin the tech notes from here.

I hope I can provide a long and technically interesting forum for the zed people

 

I have been reviewing the Hugo 240z (see you tube vids, great rock too)

he has something similar, with numerous differences to fabrication, especially the rear subframe install.

I will note these differences as I go along.

 

The current workshop has been great, professional, fast, calm, open to discuss good and bad ideas.

I am no longer available for any wrench turning myself with current medical issues.

 

I see this as a great thing for the project (=PROGRESS) and a poor thing for finances (vacuum cleaner).

[Gaijin]

Enter the incompleted

Pull out L24 powertrain

strap on the rear subframe to trailer

send the lot over to Herberts Fabrication

[Gaijin]

Getting ready for the shop

lovely light cars they are.

note macpherson stut rear, and not for much longer.

Hello double wishbone

[Gaijin]

.....better dust of the welder....

 

Note the Battery cables

behind the seat? hmmmmmmm

[Gaijin]

Here we have the goods being collected down South East of country.

2000 ER34 manual with 30kms on odo.

Hang on a mo, its missing parts...

- No turbo or manifold

- No clutch

 

Everything else is here, ECU, loom, all the brakes and subframes front and rear.

 

Just what can I fit into a '73 S30 chassis?

 

Time to find out.

Lets get this lot cleaned up, and up to Auckland.

[Gaijin]

More organs.

 

Gbox looks a little more beefy than the stock S30 4 spd. Plenty of external castings protruding out. Apparently handles big HP. Lucky me eh.

The ex-owner of this lot, a freindly civil contractor down in the bay, had stripped a perfectly nice er34 to turn into a show car, but perhaps the finances are better spent firing bullets at stags.....good man, and thanks again Vinny.

 

Being the last generation of RB25's, it is different to the R33 S1 & 2 engines, because of the use of solid lifters in the head, different injectors sizes and set-up, variable valve timing, and a higher CFM & more efficient turbo, with a tidy 280ps flywheel factory. Its still a cast iron block, ally head big beast mind. The classic part of the er34 r25 turbo engine updates, is that the engine (standard) is a LOW EMMISION VEHICLE : LEV. This wont be no Prius however.

[Gaijin]

A delightful, rebuilt and ready to wimper L24 stocker/4 spd.

Now sold on. Bye bye says the butcher.

Check out the giant spacers that used to be part of Motorsport Autos 17" Koenig wheel set.

[Gaijin]

Dreaming of a working zed, you better believe it.

Check out the initials carved into the doors bog.

I love old cars, you get so much more than you pay for...

[Gaijin]

Lets get into it.

Breif to Mark Herbert:

 

- Get the rear subframe into the S30 chassis.

- Keep it low profile

- Not worried about cutting up gaurds

- Is it finished already?  haha

 

- To fit in 18 x 9.5" wheels, standard er34 offset for size, 265/35/18.

 

Once the rear is in, we agreed to discuss progress, make sure client/fabricator get on OK, and see if we continue working.

Fair to me.

 

- Rear profile. Subframe not modified, ie. standard width. Circa +160mm total. I like the new width/track, lets forget about shortening this beast, would be a crying shame, just think of the lat. acceleration capacity...feeeeel the 'gs. HICAS gone using peice of steel bar.

 

- Sans tire, looks OK. Subframe located, but no welding just yet. Clearance checks seem OK.

 

- Mark holding wheel at the approximate ride height, ie. includes sag. We will look at gaurd mods later, ignore the lack of room. Will be around 120mm clearnace from chassis underside to road. PLENTY (100mm is minimum legal clearance in NZ)

[Gaijin]

So, Gaijin, how on earth are those 265's going to turn in anger with a little smokey bakerlite/ceramic hairdrier with dissapointingly frugal injectors?

 

Let me see..we need response to keep up with these youngsters in Evo's & rex's, yet have top end to satisfy....surely turbos dont do both?

 

Enter 3082R, aka GT3040R. Perhaps a little small on the turbine wheel/housing for drag, but should be spot on for club racing. This can be updated easily to a 3582R aka GT3540R, which would turn the stock internally RB25 into bent rods and the rest. Best stay small to start, go bigger later, if its too slow.

[Gaijin]

Big nose checking out the extra track.

Sure makes the diff seem small.

 

Most of the rear end stays standard for now.

 

Changes planned include;

-Hicas lock - installed in blue.

-Camber links - require-rewelding due to poor welding from China? Taiwan? Dunno. Xray man said go away, even before getting the test equipment out. Grind back and TIG again.

-Freshen standard brakes

Tires are Trademe specials 265/35/18

[Gaijin]

Strut assembly not where it should be,

Original strut way too long to fit, requires an off the shelf Koni/Bilstien unit or something cheaper.

 

Camber link also not in

[Gaijin]

Using the z31 turbo 5 stud front hub,

8.5" wide wheel

stock er34 disc and calliper

- Fitment looks ok

- Very heavy! Reducing unsprung and rotating weight should be my target.

Going light with disc and hat, aftermarket calliper and alloy hub will make a great improvement for the money

Lets start looking...

[Gaijin]

Go Neo!

 

For a light weight daily driver, a turbo with response is desirable. GT3082R 0.82 AR exhaust housing, gt exit, external gate, dual cartridge ball bearing. Cant say too much about the ex manifold, apart from it costing a few hundred slides.

It might even fit into the engine bay...

Intake manifold will have to go

[Gaijin]

Spec is for a basic cage suitable for light track use, kept tight to lining, mild steel.

Will tie into front strut towers once car is further setup, and sitting on a flat table to check chassis is 'straight', which will be pretty unlikely.

Rear bar across luggage dept. ties the rear subframe mounts together with something more than panel steel. Pickups behind the seat area ties the front mounts for the subframe.

Looks like just  a few fires have started with the welding. Keep the heart racin'

[Gaijin]

In these times of recesion, there is no better pick me up than painting everything in gold.

er, maybe not.

 

Drivetrain stripped of all ancillaries ready to slot into place.

 

Cross member has the pretty average camber adjustment from old, inner wishbone adjustable point.

 

Note engine mounts completed, using stock rubber. Will give movement, but will also be good for NVH reduction. Too many fillings in the mouth to rattle out. Wish they were gold...

[Gaijin]

Manifold choices are OK on the market, with short list including;

- standard across the top (works fine)

- chinese greddy copy ($, casting issues, % of rejects high)

- Greddy ($$ , no bellmouths, hard to source 2nd hand or killer deal)

- Aussie fabricated stuff ($$$, too many $ for the gain)

- JP and Thai ($$, bellmouths, quality looks OK, deals available) Decided then!

 

80mm TB (attempt to keep intake velocity up, better response)

SARD fuel rail (has 11mm injector holes, while manifold has 13mm. May need to open up rail diameter)

 

General clearance OK, TB tightish to inner wheel arch. 

 

Anodizing is garish.

 

Note engine position against firewall, nice'n'tight. 15mm odd clearance there. Also the height of engine relative to bonnet catch, with the oil pan off the JDM 200zr making life easy to drop it low.

 

Compressor housing getting jiggy with the cam cover, will scallop out cam cover then

[Gaijin]

Exhaust is prepped.

I like the smooth 3" mandrel main.

Wastegate is Tial 38mm (maybe big enough, if the boost is set nice'n'high)

Position of wastegate pipe exiting manifold useless (lowest pipe in pic), with exhaust gas having to do a 180 deg. turn to exit. Hello boost creep. Will change this to improve flow to 'gate. One downfall of the 200 slide chinese unit.

 

Arizona Z Car aluminium radiator, non cross flow, pipes not in the right place either, lucky the xchange rate is still OK then! Bolts up to stock mounts, but this is sans rubber mounts, which would ensure the ally welds would fail quickly. Time to apply mods to radiator then. People talk about the weight savings of ally radiators. Maths do not look good! ($/kg). Cheaper to ditch the passenger.

[Gaijin]

Note gate pipe position. Not the best place for it. Ill try once to get it working before we fabricate a new manifold.

Ill try taking it just under the flange to turbo, reduce angle change = 90deg.

[Gaijin]

Well, about time to tease those of you running carbs. (I will regret saying this)

 

- Turbo, exhaust,gate,water intercooler,radiator into position.

Pipework has more work to clear tight spots here and there.

 

Modified TB location on intake manifold, to clear inner gaurd. TB running 80 degree to usual install method.

 

Heat exchanger out front of radiator, pumped  by bosch intercooler water pump (controlled by ECU)

 

My deadline for road going widow maker is late Jan, for a  family wedding, and of course in Feb, for a (NZ) Z club Taupo track day, to gently roll around the track whilst smoking a cigar (probably not legal now).

 

Front end slowly coming together.

Arizona z car struts, camber tops, 70mm longer bottoms arms, lengthened and adjustable tension rods, 5 stud ally hubs, ally disc hat, heavy duty rotors (more cooling vanes, thicker meat) of around 12.4" ish rotors, 4 pot wilwoods, ally mount.

Roll bar and steering linkage needs sorting.

 

Power steering now in and done, MR2 rack. This is a toyo-ta type.

 

Found some ZG flares that will fit, extra wide front and rear. Thanks for the pics.

 

Secret fuel system hidden in back, bosch 700hp efi pump, lift pump, filters, tank increased in size (modified original to increase fuel vol, and house a surge tank), and it all looks completly stock. Beauty.

[Gaijin]

- cage fully welded up now, and completed.

- car a roller, can push between the workshop and the bank manager.

- Neil Fraser has viewed the car, and more than happy with the efforts, with regard to certification.

- Front end has steering arms attached, thanks to the donor skyline for compatibility

- Front anitroll bar mocked up, will be sent away for manufacturing, two settings, forged ends.

- Camber plates re-made, to REDUCE the -ve camber from the lower arm lengthening (70mm+ each side)

- Camber plates pushed out to the max, without chopping up to much of the outer strut tower. Requires a beating to stop springs rubbin'

- Lower arms and steering arms are close to parallel, and are around horizontal at ride height. ie. -ve camber change on bump only.

Can make up some of these 'bump steer' spacers, but these would change the bump/camber change characteristics (for the better), and make the bump/steer worse. Steering arm - knuckle would require lowering to improve. Something to look at later, once susprog3D is up and running.

 

Car is being removed from Herberts Fabrication within a fortnight, for the next phase of works - or break.

 

Have asked Roland Miester (Pi Research/Development Pectel Manager) for sponsorship for the SQ6M Pi ECU for the car. A very cool and beefy ECU, dual motorolla processors, data logging, internal memory, fly by wire, traction control, and run dual lambda sensors for quick learning....go the UK!

Perhaps more plugs will see some results? Go Roly! Perhaps an opportunity for Pi to expand into the aftermarket ECU industry? Their usual fare is F1, V8 super's, WRC etc.

 

Super BAMF ZG flares are manufactured and on their way from the States (+1" wider at the front, 1.5" wider rear, than the standard ZGs seen out there)

 

- Better hurry up if Im  going to make the Feb Taupo track day eh?

[Gaijin]

Look forward to the next phase of works, whenever they start.

 

The mock build up, before the panel beaters.

 

Overall, I have been happy with Herberts with the work they have done. Quick and good quality.

[Gaijin]

Finally getting closer to obtaining some JDM wide spec zg flares.

This guy is doing moulds, producing in f.glass and carbon fibre.

Rears are 1.5" wider, front 1" wider.

This should easily take care of wrapping up my wheels, and possibly leave some room for a spacer, increasing the track more.

Surely going more square on the wheelbase/track ratio wont help doing 720's on the motorway?

Go-kart handling for sure.

 

On a random point, ZGs were designed for an arcing movement of a Mcpherson strut, hence the angular shape.

The rears flares may need the extra width to take into account a relatively more up/down suspension movement (or certainley less camber change on bump)

We will see soon.

[Gaijin]

The beast is out in the light, ready for the next round.

 

Mock build before the panelworks.

 

All wheels/tires stick outta gaurds.

Nice n low

 

Happy with that.

 

Tires are the same size as Porsche GT3 cup cars, great 2nd hand deals.

They are hard as rock, but for a 6 pack each, who cares.