Shoota_77

Ripped the K-frame out so I can install the engine and tranny from underneath. There's so many things that need painting or cleaning but I'm trying to get it done rather than this turning into a full restoration at the same time. I know I should but I want to get it up and running and if I can be bothered going back later for a resto then great! I learnt on a previous Datto Ute (not my current one) that if you get too deep sometimes you can get so far into it you feel like you're drowning and give up. I'm still painting heaps of stuff don't get me wrong but stopping short of going the whole hog. Some things I'm just doing a quick blow over with some paint to tidy up for now which is a bit rough but meh! Anyway, a few picks of the car sans K-Frame and front hubs-

Check the seat pressures VERY carefully. A lot of the Jap branded springs are pretty light. The BC (Brian Crower) have good pressures and well priced. I'm sure there're others that are good too.

Selector has to come off. There is a double roll pin (smaller roll pin inside a bigger pin!) Knock the small one out first, then the bigger one. Don't try and take both out at once. You need to slide off the selector AS you're removing the transfer case. They need to be separated a bit first to allow room for it to slide off the selector shaft.

Finally sorted out my turbo oil drains. Was a pain in the arse to get right. I wanted to have both drains going back in to the main oil return but it was just too hard. I ended up using one of the extra AN fittings I had welded onto the sump. I recommend anyone doing an RB30 conversion to do the same. It turned out fairly neat in the end. My poor AN fittings got a bit scuffed from having to remove them a few times. Almost worked like this but sat a tiny bit too low and hit the drive shaft- I tried a 45 degree angle but that then lined everything up with the exhaust so back to the drawing board! Ended up like this with individual drains. All flows nicely now with good angles, still had to angle everything to keep it away from exhaust and other components-

Thanks for the very kind words. Yeah it's been a bloody drawn out process I know! Getting pretty close now so it'll all be worth it soon (I hope!!). I will be pooping washers when it comes time to hit the key for the first time!

Started stripping the wiring loom to rewire it for the new ECU plugs and to add the additional sensors. With the terminals backed out oof the ECU connector it looks a bit like Medusa's hair do! Unfortunately the terminals are different in the new plugs (Deutsch style) so I'll have to chop them all off and re-crimp on the new ones. I want to try and neaten the wiring up a bit but can't really see a way to do it. I'll run a few wires inside the guards but most will just stay as they are. Ripped the transfer case off the gearbox and was going to just give it a wash and bolt it on to the new tranny but thought "nah, I'll f#$k my brain even more and rebuild the transfer case while I'm at it. In hind sight it was bloody lucky! This is the reason why, when I separated the cases this fell out of the bottom- Which when I pulled it all down resulted in this- Potentially it was gunna go boom at some point! It was well and truly due for a rebuild (gravelly bearings, blocked filter, bloody filthy etc) so glad I decided to do it now. It took me a good half a day to clean everything up to be ready to be reassembled but she's good to go once the new bearings and seals arrive. I'll be playing around with the plates as well to do the "transfer case mod" as it's known. I've got a spare set of discs (and a chain luckily!) so hopefully that makes a nice difference.

Been committing a fair bit of time in the shed lately. Doesn't seem like I've done much though. Dialled in the cams. They were spot on recommended specs at 0 mark on the cam pulleys so that's re-assuring! Stripped the front bar, intercooler, etc off. Putting new (old!) intercooler on plus all new pipes and hoses for intercooler from turbos to plenum. Had to remove the ABS module to be able to get the engine harness out. Wasn't happy about having to do that but ah well! I felt I'd done enough to deserve this sticker.... Dropped the trans out to replace with a rebuilt (cryogenically hardened gears allegedly) gearbox-

Pricks....

Hi Trent, I'm genuinely interested to know why you say that? Everyone has their own theory on it (most based on "cause I read it on..... forum") but you've obviously got the experience to back it up! I'm about to change over mine to thermos but before I do would love to hear why not before I do it! Cheers.

Ctrl - Alt - Delet

Normal nuts are fine. Just make sure they're tight enough seeing you have nothing to lever off with the fan hub gone.

Defo 8mm mate, just measured mine.

I hope you get your money back but be careful mate, he'll be able to sue you for defamation for more than what you're trying to get back off him.....

At a guess I'd say they're 8mm. I'll measure later but someone may know off the top of their head.

I think it's a pretty good turbo for the power you're chasing. 400kw is a good figure for the street and the 35 will do it with pretty good response. You'll be running minimum of 98 fuel though, probably won't get there on 91 without knock issues.

I don't think a wiring loom is going to help too much as a lot of that crap is aftermarket. Good luck with that birds nest!!

You don't buy an OLD Mustang for build quality. It's 2016, this car has the fit and finish of a car 10 years ago. Not good enough. It's definitely got cool factor but not enough for me.

My boss bought a red convertible. I much prefer the look of the coupe. As Prank says the interior is HORRIBLE!! I was very underwhelmed when I hopped in. It just doesn't look finished off properly. They're good value for money but cheap at the same time. Switches are cheap and nasty. In this day and age it's unacceptable to be as bad as it is. Don't get me wrong I love the look of it but definitely not for me. Give me $55k worth of updates on my GT-R any day rather than $70k on one of these!!!

Great work mate, good on you for travelling a path seldom travelled! I LOVE the fact you've used a genuine M3, god that's gunna piss the BMW enthusiasts off!!! Keep up the great work and nice photos. It's gunna be an awesome car and like I said, piss off a few pig headed Beemer owes at the same time.

Actually got a bit done over the weekend which was good. Still miles to go but getting there! Balanced up the wastegates to crack open at 1 bar. I'll possibly bump them up later on but it's a good starting point. I'll be using a MAC Solenoid to control boost so I may end up backing them off and using the solenoid to control boost based on speed but we'll keep it simple for now. Dumps and wide band oxy sensors on- Manifold heat shields- Modified the power steering bracket to fit the block. For those that don't know the power steering bracket bolts to the block on the taller RB30 block rather than the head. You can see it on the photo above, there are two bolt holes to the top right of the far right water pump bolt, the top one in the head is the RB26 top bolt hole, the lower one that pokes out further is the RB30 point. Waiting on about 30 AN fittings (faaark they add up.....) so can only do a few more bits and pieces till they come. Still have to completely redo the engine bay wiring loom to add the extra wires I'll need (crank and cam triggers, ethanol sensor, fuel pressure sensor, ignition module, etc etc etc) plus rewiring it to suit the different plugs of the Haltech. That should be great fun....

Welcome to a life of great pleasure and the equally great frustration of GT-R ownership! I hope you're handy on the tools or deep of pocket, once the modification bugs bite or the engine gremlins strike you'll need to be good with both! Enjoy!

Got my turbo housings and bits and pieces back from getting the paint cooked on, they came up pretty good- Re-assembled turbos- Mounted up the turbs- Just mucking around with braided turbo water/oil lines now. Putting the turbos back on felt like a big step. It's still going bloody slowly but feels like I'm finally getting somewhere again! I've got less excuses now, my brother in law came around and fit my reverse cycle air con which takes the chill off the shed nicely! It's never going to be warm in there but it makes a big difference-

I know if I ever go to Japan I'll waste stupid amounts of time crawling through wreckers trying to find obscure GT-R parts when I should be appreciating the beauty and history of the place!

Sorry guys, sold.

Each to their own but I hate carbon wrap. For me it's real carbon or nothing. They never look even remotely good so why bother. That applies to wrap, dip, whatever. Like I say, each to their own!