Interesting Christmas Break Projects - Anyone Up To Anything?

[GTRNUR]

Hi everyone,

Has anyone else out there that is making good progress with their car projects this christmas-new year break?

This week has been the first week of holidays Ive had in 3 years, so ive been making the most of it. So far Ive completed my RB31dett engine build, wired a V500 ECU into one of my other cars and am continuing with the cars assembly. I havent made progress like this in months!

I've found that find that when your project(s) come to a stand still its often hard to get motivated again, and often seeing someone elses success helps get you back on track again.

So with that in mind, post up your holiday break success stories. Here are a few pics of mine.

Cheers,

Ian

[emtea]

My engine crane is still being used by my dad, so was a bit bored this weekend while I wait to pull the engine out...

So started this:

Camera phone pics help hide the poor quality of my work on that...

[GTRNUR]

Thats hard work polishing those covers up! Ive seen a few people go crazy tring to get that perfect finish. Had you considered having them ceramic coated instead? www.competitioncoating.com.au do a chrome style ceramic coating that looks great and is zero maintenance down the track too. They do tinted colours as well.

Maintaining polished metal in an engine bay is a right pain in the ass. The 11 blade magnesium alloy porshce fan that is polised on the engine pic that I posted needs to be re-polished every 2 weeks because the combination of engine bay air and heat really accelerates oxidization.

[emtea]

Yeah I can see how people would go crazy doing it... It's one of those things that seem like a good idea at the time you start doing it, and about 1/4 of the way through the first part you ask yourself what the hell you are doing lol...

Ceramic coating would be nice, but it wasn't in the budget - the wet and dry sandpaper I got was $6.50 at supercheap

That porka motor looks the goods, my motor wont look anywhere near that clean I'm sure, but I'm more worried about the rebuild than keeping it clean at this stage. Besides with the "polished" (I'm using that term loosely for my handywork) covers I'll at least be able to see the dirt, as opposed to the standard black ones. On the timing belt cover I started sanding off the grease initially, was wondering why the paint wasn't coming off as easy as on the valley cover lol. Didn't have any degreaser around, so used the industrial strength hand wash on it instead, worked a charm...

[GTRNUR]

Yeah the cermaic coating are expensive, but they do work and look great. I posted up a dead link too... I'll try that agian...

http://competitioncoatings.com.au/

Once youve finished rubbing those covers with 600 + 1200 grit paper you'll find you have no finger prints. Something else to look forward too...

[Silver_GT]

Might as well post

I Promised Myself id at least get my project S3 Rx7 "Driveable" (Be able to move under its own power at least) By the time i go back to work after my break, not going to happen seeing i go back on monday! But I Gave it a crack, just been so busy with other stuff, i need another week off!

Was pretty much just a shell 4 weeks ago, Got all the Brakes In With s5 BMC, Dropped Engine in (Fully Prepped and Painted it up in True Rotary Style ) its rediculous how much little things need doing when u start from a shell, Today i Got the fuel pump and wiring sorted out, put the tailshaft in and put the oil cooler in (sortof) so to start it now ive just got a bunch of wiring to sort out/hide in the bay, and fill it up with fluids

Things was fully stripped and painted, the colour looks fantastic in the sun!

Pics;

As it sat not very long ago.

How The Motor and Box Looked When i pulled it outta the donor vehicle (terrible)

And How The Same Motor (Different Box) Looks in The New Shell No emmissions crap and fully painted up

So yes thats been keeping me busy! Maybe a few more weeks?

[GTRNUR]

Nice looking project! You'd like my mates car. Same Series RX7 as your car with some custom bodywork and a Dyson built 13B making aroung 600hp on its high boost tune. Here is some video his car at a go-woah event at a local car show. His car is at 40 seconds and again later in the video.

[Silver_GT]

i would usually condemn a bodykit on an oldschool mazda but i really like his front bar suits it nicely!

Was going to go all out with the engine on mine, but couldnt bring myself to do it, because it will only get me in trouble, and knowing me ill probly sell it not long after its done haha, so thought i'd just leave it as a cruiser with a nice reliable setup, just got a freshend up 12a in her

[GTRNUR]

The really perverse thing about Mike's front bar on his RX7 is that it is actually a modified aftermarket commodore fiberglass front bar. Your right that it really does suit it though. Its a one of a kind.

I really like the custom flame work that has been done on the front of that car too. The harlequin flames appear and disappear when you look at the car from diferent angles.

There's nothing wrong with a well built 12A either. Great little motors they are.

[Swiper the Fox]

Ive got a couple of projects going...

A full wiring job on a big $$ stadium off roader...(V88 Vi-PEC, MoTeC dash, 1UZ-FE V8 etc)

Making the worlds 3rd fastest GTR lighter to have a crack at the record (lots of carbon and a few other goodies)

Finishing off a VL drag car (V88 Vi-PEC, 2 x M&W Drag 6 CDI's and coils, 12 injectors etc)

ill take some shots and upload them soon.

EDIT: and fixing my PPG dogbox i broke today racing.

[want_33]

worlds 3rd fastest gtr outright? pump fuel or unlimted? street tyres lol? more info needed

stadium car sounds sick aswell,

30-26 in the vl?

[GTRNUR]

Post up some pics of the Stadium truck Paul. Amazing vehicles those are with their massive suspension travel. Great little motors too those 1UZFE's. I had fun messing around with a twin turbo'd one a few years ago. They LOVE a little forced induction.

[Swiper the Fox]

worlds 3rd fastest gtr outright? pump fuel or unlimted? street tyres lol? more info needed

stadium car sounds sick aswell,

30-26 in the vl?

outright...7.78sec...lots of work to get it to 7.56...but i think we may give it a shake.

Photo's of the off roader later in the week (busy with the GTR for the next few nights) the budget is unlimited on this one and given my forced induction background id say ill be twisting an arm for some turbo(s).

Single cammer in the VL...big garrett turbo, 4 link rear end, Liberty clutchless 5 speed etc

My dogbox is also coming out tomm.

all this in 4 weeks...

[gotRICE?]

Not a project, but a success story for me..

Changed the cambelt/waterpump etc etc.

Took me a good 6 hours, and seeing iv never changed a cambelt before, the fact i did it right was success!

And it fixed a worrying noise my RB25 has had on cold startups. Nice

[Beer Baron]

moved my grey 32 under it's own steam for the first time in well over a year. was very pleased to see it come up nice and quick with 9 bar of oil pressure after sitting for so long! the sound of it did give me a bit of a chubby. you are so right about the motivation thing. I could have finished it over a year ago, but other cars and the fact that it stalled for a bit just meant I couldn't be arsed doing anything. but I'm getting very keen again.

[Beer Baron]

oh, and congrats on getting the ODE buttoned up. it looks great mate. can't wait to see what you do about the timing belt cover gap. I know you will do something good.

make sure your test rig can be bolted down as the torque you will have will easily see it dancing all over the room, or maybe just flipping itself over with the first good stab of the throttle!

[GTRNUR]

Good to hear you finally getting your GTR running again. There is nothing like hearing an engine thats been dormant for a long time coming to life!

make sure your test rig can be bolted down as the torque you will have will easily see it dancing all over the room, or maybe just flipping itself over with the first good stab of the throttle!

Your 100% right there. I intend to bolt it to the concrete floor with those bolts that you have to hammer-drill into the concrete for (ramset? or whatever they are called). The test rig is all finished now with a VL auto bellhousing, gtr starter and radiator all mounted. I just need to wire a MAP based aftermarket ecu and install a fuel system on the rig which will be happening inside the next 2 weeks. I hope to have a video of the engine running shortly.

[Beer Baron]

sounds good mate. I can't remember if you told me before but why have you decided to build a test rig for starting/running the engine on a stand? Just curious as of course without a dyno you wont be able to measure output and without some kind of engine brake or dyno you can't simulate load on the engine, so guessing it will just be basic starting, diagnosis, maybe some light running etc? or is it more a step for the future to be able to test start future engines etc?

[Blitz]

sounds good mate. I can't remember if you told me before but why have you decided to build a test rig for starting/running the engine on a stand? Just curious as of course without a dyno you wont be able to measure output and without some kind of engine brake or dyno you can't simulate load on the engine, so guessing it will just be basic starting, diagnosis, maybe some light running etc? or is it more a step for the future to be able to test start future engines etc?

Get out of town - You finally installed the new engine?

[GTRNUR]

sounds good mate. I can't remember if you told me before but why have you decided to build a test rig for starting/running the engine on a stand? Just curious as of course without a dyno you wont be able to measure output and without some kind of engine brake or dyno you can't simulate load on the engine, so guessing it will just be basic starting, diagnosis, maybe some light running etc? or is it more a step for the future to be able to test start future engines etc?

The test rig uses the standard gtr engine mounts and is made from 25x65 box section steel. It should be strong enough once bolted to the floor.

Your right in that the idea isnt to measure power, or even tune the engine. I just want to run it to hot a few times and check there isnt any cross contamination between the oil and water. If there is, its easier to investigate and fix if its on a stand than it would be if it were in a car. It should be fine though considering the tolerances the whole engine machined too but I prefer to be cautious.