Finally Got My Ceffy Registered In The Uk

[Lum]

What can I say, I love it to bits already. Sure it doesn't accelerate as fast as my old Legacy (Liberty) B4, but it corners so much better, makes the Legacy feel like a large block of lard that understeers a bit. I'm guessing this is because of the different design of AWD system over Subaru's.

Note the crappy rear foglight conversion. Just a bit of translucent red tape over what used to be the reverse light. The numberplate light is terrible too. My car was fitted with a backlit numberplate in Japan, so to get it through the UK MOT they stuck that thing on. I'm ordering a translucent numberplate and will be going back to the backlight ASAP.

The dash lights. You'll have to take my word for it that all the green is actually the same brightness when viewed IRL, and that the edges of the lines are actually sharp and so on. My cameraphone is crap in the dark. I love the green with yellow needles though.

Shot of the centre console, you can also see the only bit of damage on the car here, that little tear in the plastic. I have an Apexi Multichecker to go over that though. Oh, and the white sticker is a little KPH -> MPH chart I made up as a temporary measure until I can get my Defi HUD installed.

And finally the wheels that are going on.

There are some mods planned. The priority is to fit my Defi HUD so that I can have a speedo in MPH, since KPH only is a little bit naughty in the UK. I then want to replace the speakers, I have some 6.5" alpines (with separate 2" tweeters) for the front doors and some Alpine 6x9s for the parcel shelf as well as 2 50W RMS Alpine amplifiers. Once those are in, I'll be replacing the radio with my Car PC and gluing the USB soundcard to the top of one of the amplifiers in the boot, well away from my mobile phones.

Once my insurance history calms down a bit, I'll start playing with the engine. I'm planning on an Apexi power intake, custom exhaust, maybe a bigger turbo (there's a T28 in the shed doing nothing) and a Nistune kit. I'll also need to do a little work on the autobox, planning a mod whereby the dropping resistor gets disconnected based on a pressure switch, so that you get fast clunky gearchanges only when you're making above, say, 2PSI and smooth gearchanges while below that or on vaccum.

Edit: Oh yeah, in the meantime the guy who looks after our Nissans wants me to drill my airbox so that the pigeon noise when you lift off is louder. I'm not convinced it's a good idea, even though I do like that noise on my GFs S13 through the Apexi intake.

Edited March 11, 2009 by Lum

[Lum]

Update time:

R33 brakes and Momo wheels:

Got my transparent numberplate in the post on Saturday, meaning I could use the backlit frames the car came with and bin that stick-on LED light that was used to get it through registration, and was starting to fall off anyway

Also fitted an Apexi Multichecker, Defi Link Controller II (with no gauges yet) and Defi VSD Concept, which sorts out my other issue, the fact that I had no MPH speed display

Still need to sort out the amp and speakers as these are a prerequisite before I can put my Car PC in.

[Silvia GTR]

Man that is a really clean Ceffy you got there, you don't see many in that condition over here. Keep us posted on the mods you do.

[Lum]

Man that is a really clean Ceffy you got there, you don't see many in that condition over here. Keep us posted on the mods you do.

It's not going to be heavily modified, nor is it going to be drifted. I got one of the 4WD versions specifically to avoid getting one that's been used for drifting It's also staying as an auto for at least the next couple of years which limits the mod potential somewhat. I also tend to keep it looking as original as possible, no bodykits or anything like that, though if a set of Autech bumpers/skirts came up I'd probably put those on. I would've kept the standard wheeks if they'd fit over the brakes, but at least those Momos are from the correct time period.

Hopefully it'll stay in good condition. As I'm using this as a daily driver, it depends mainly on how well Nissan's paintwork holds up against stonechips and whether someone decides to drive into the back of me again (happened to the Legacy 3 times in the 4 years I owned it)

Edited April 17, 2009 by Lum

[Silvia GTR]

Shit luck on the legacy! Ohwell if your not going to do too much on it you may aswell turn up the boost a little, cmon you know you want to!

[Lum]

Shit luck on the legacy! Ohwell if your not going to do too much on it you may aswell turn up the boost a little, cmon you know you want to!

I thought that was a bad idea on the stock turbo because the ceramic blades like to detach and land in your engine.

Next up is an R32 GTR anti roll bar, then filter and exhaust. Then I'll think about turbos, and probably bodge in an FMIC from a Volvo 740

[Lum]

Well, some of the local chavs decided to modify my car for me, by dropping a brick off a bridge onto my windscreen

That's going to delay my plans somewhat. Wonder how long the insurance are going to take to get me a new windscreen.

Edit: Oh year, the brick got my boot too. So much for having a really clean car

Edited April 22, 2009 by Lum

[Resin]

oh shi*t, was this while u were driving? sorta looks that way if it hit ur boot! that happend a few times in aus and most bridges now have mesh and wire on them to prevent that. oh and also what bunch of idiots !

if you are only going to do a few mods. Just do the swaybays, maybe the r34 smic upgrade (bolts striaght up, some minor cutting to the bottom of the front bumper) and a small amount of extra boost. but other than that leave it the way it is ....much more drivable and enjoyable!. esp around town. Oh and maybe a some better brake pads.

Edited April 23, 2009 by Resin

[daisu]

Holy shit I can't believe they dropped a brick off a bridge on your car!

As for the standard turbo, you can wind it up a bit. I'm pushing 1.3 bar through mine, but I don't expect it to last very long like that. I think the general consensus is anything under 1bar should be okay.

The HUD thing looks cool, do you need a film on the window to make it work or does it project onto any glass surface?

[Lum]

Yup, bored chavs looking for something to do (I think the Aussie equivalent is a bogon?). It happens more often than you'd like to think about but you only ever hear about it when someone gets killed by it.

The HUD is supposed to be used with a film (Defi sell replacements and they're actually reasonably priced, which surprised me) but unless you're driving into direct sunlight it's fine without it.

Car is still off the road waiting for a windscreen though. Can't believe Nissan are taking so long.

[Nic_A31]

Take a brick back to the little c**ts faces!

Nice Ceffy mate, and Suburu suck Nissan's balls all day long FTL, welcome to owning a decent vehicle, try to keep her alive and well hey.

[Lum]

I could find them I would do.

And Subaru vs Nissan, The B4 was a much more powerful car, so the Ceffy was a notable drop, but the AWD is massively better and engines can be replaced and fiddled with a lot more easily.

[Lum]

Small update, Spoke to my local Nissan expert who's handling the windscreen order for me. Nissan tell him that my windscreen arrived in Holland today, so it should make it to the UK by some time next week.

Can't wait, I've been stuck in a Volvo 940 since April!

[Lum]

Windscreen finally arrived yesterday after a tale of complete incompetence from Nissan UK who decided they had no record of my order (this was a week after I'd posted that they told us it was in Holland) and we'd have to order a new one which would be another 3 months, then this Wednesday they called and said they couldn't get one as it was discontinued, then on Thursday said they'd found one in fcuking Holland. They are making out that this is the last Ceffy windscreen in the world as it's a discontinued part.

It's in the car now, and the bodywork is done. It's going to the valeters monday to get all the glass removed, then I guess it needs a good service and check over before I can stop driving it.

In the meantime I had to take my Volvo 940 off the road after driving around with no 3rd or 5th gear for a month, and ended up buying another one (this time a 940 Wentworth 2.0 turbo, auto, estate) and used the old one as a parts car. So this last two days has been a sudden rush to get everything useful off the old car and then taken to a scrapyard, engine came out by unbolting the subframe and jacking the car up, dropping the engine, subframe and front wheels, then dragging it out with a tow rope. All the other useful parts were removed with bolt cutters and the like, and now it's sat there waiting for collection, with the remains of the doors sitting on the back seat, oh and the scrapyard think they can get it out with a winch.

Still, the important thing, back in the Ceffy next week. Can't wait! I ordered up some fresh oil for it, but not sure what else I should do given it's hardly moved for 6 months.

Edited November 1, 2009 by Lum

[Nic_A31]

Drop the oil, water, and give it fresh fluids, full service and a good long drive. Also just check the oils in your differentials, make sure your hubs still rotate without screaming, etc. It should be alright though.

Good to hear it'll be on the roads again man.

[Lum]

Update time.

Sadly the Cefiro isn't looking as nice as when I got it. The other day I was driving down a road that had recently been resurfaced on the cheap, ie by throwing down a load of tarmac then spraying stones everywhere and letting the cars mash the stones into the tarmac.

They'd set a 10mph speed limit but that was far far too slow for Mr. 1.6 Honda Civic with Type R badge who proceded to blast past me and pebble dash my car

On a slightly more positive note, I found a good use for the spare wheel well since the space saver wont even clear my brakes..

[RB25DETC33]

That is a clean ceff! Unfortunately it sounds like your gonna have shit luck with this one too. Its always sad to see a clean example of a car get ruined by other peoples stupidity. Good luck with the ceff in the future.

[GravyGarage]

good to see its back on the road

i got my windscreen in a matter of days and the repairer hadnt even heard of a cefiro haha lucky we have a couple more over here i guess

i want your tail lights

[Lum]

Well I have a bit of cash and a company car just arrived (Ford Mondeo diesel) so I'm going to spend a bit on the Cefiro. Going to get a bloke to remove the dent in the boot lid from where my GF dropped my bloody disclok on it, and then another bloke who does the whole "detailing" thing, where they remove the clearcoat, sand down the paintwork so it's the same thickness all over and has a mirror shine then coat the entire thing in caranuba wax. That should get it looking nice and clean again.

Then need to tidy up that audio install a bit and chuck the car PC in the front double DIN. The USB cable you see dangling down in the above picture is for that, so I can have a USB soundcard right next to the amplifiers.

Might play with the engine a little but now that I have the Mundano the Cef is going to become more of a weekend toy and something I take to Jap car shows and the like. I can let the Mundano take all the damage that comes with day to day use.

[daisu]

Odd question for you...

When you have an imported car in the UK, are you required to change the indicator stalk onto the left hand side?