Duncan's Race Car - The Most Overdue Build Thread On Sau

[No Crust Racing]

GTFO Neil, nobody wants to hear about your success

 

[Neil]

On 07/10/2021 at 3:07 PM, ActionDan said:

GTFO Neil, nobody wants to hear about your success

 

Hey, I sorry NOT. I sold an RB25det head with just valves and springs, nothing else for a 1000 bucks and he paid the freight. Didn't think I needed 3.

[Duncan]

BTW, I was reminded by another thread....and it is a bit unfair to have the old girl at a smash repair for such a milestone..

 

 

But, HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY!!!

Poor girl could never have imagined what was in store for her future when she rolled off the production line all shiny in limited edition gun metal grey 

[Neil]

I have photo's somewhere of her at Oran Park when you 1st got her.

 

[Duncan]

well, they'd still be on p1 if my website was up! One day I'll fix that...

[Duncan]

So, it's been a really long time since any update, but that is mostly because it took a long time to straighten.

I think the smash repair shop did a great job considering what I gave them and the difficulty getting new parts.

Kel likes to call the car Buttercup, but I think "Cross Eyed Mary" is more appropriate these days with the headlights, despite the shop's best efforts

Very little sign that the whole rear quarter, boot, bumper etc was replaced, massive job to get her back in the shape.

Still a fair bit to do from here, clean down everything from the repair shop dust, interior back in, assemble new engine and chuck it in, the go on a rally. Not sure what the next one will be, we've missed Snowy River this weekend

[Duncan]

Right, with the 3 day weekend I got a heap more done (not)

But I did finish putting the scuttle panel cover back in with new clips and the wipers back in.

I also checked out where the spoiler had been mounted to the new boot. 4/5 to the shop for putting some sika there to seal between the wing and the boot. Genuine seal on the right

This is what it looks like when you change the wing sometime in the car's life and don't put the seal back. There was no rust visible on this bootlid with the spoiler attached (which is why I foolishly bought it to replace the one I smashed the crap out of). Worse, this boot had rust before and was not repaired properly, just bogged, then they STILL didn't put the seal back in

All back together with the proper nissan seals in place (got them new from Just Jap). Should stay rust free until the next tree hits it.

[Duncan]

So, never trust the smash repair to keep all old parts, even if you tell them too. Particularly the broken front indicator with the irreplaceable wiring.   Just Jap sorted me out with their one of their last original indicators, like BK previously send the nismo heritage ones (much more expensive) don't include the wiring. I guess irreplaceable will become more and more common.

Speaking or irreplaceable, I have a tricky problem I'll need to sort. Among the many many bits of damage around the car, the fuel flap holder shocked open in the crash and doesn't close. On closer inspection, the hollow plastic thread that the striker for the flap sits in has cracked. That is part of the whole combined boot pull part and the one in the parts car is missing too. No pic of that but it is going to need some thinking 

 

[Duncan]

Onto progress instead of anti-progress. I found myself wondering if this is really a race car anymore, because when I found out new door seals and moulds are available (door and chassis sides), I went and bought them. 

So, last 2 weekends was doors off (man they are heavy), door cards off, give everything a good clean and grease.

Old stuff looked pretty crap, although they were sealing OK I figured if they have a mid-life refresh at 31 the car should easy outlast my racing career

Gift for future Duncan, both window motors are now marked with polarity to put them up or down with a battery

Both doors clean and new seals in place

[Duncan]

The other progress I made (no pics either) was on the driver's door handle.

For years it hasn't closed properly, so I took the opportunity of the door being apart to pull it out and have a good look.

Basically, the main parts are cast aluminium, and I can only think that at some stage I jumped in or out in too much of a rush and have managed to bend the moving part of the assembly. Probably when the car was on fire one day, or I was grumpy about doing *another* engine

It was very tricky to get into unbend it in all required directions because the handle is permanently attached to the housing (they have welded or press fit the pin that holds the 2 parts together). A combination of g clamps to pull things back together and a bit of dremel time on the 2 cast parts that are meant to *just* slide past each other but were hitting pretty hard in my case, has it all working smoothly again now

[sav man]

On 6/27/2022 at 6:55 AM, Duncan said:

So, never trust the smash repair to keep all old parts, even if you tell them too. Particularly the broken front indicator with the irreplaceable wiring.   Just Jap sorted me out with their one of their last original indicators, like BK previously send the nismo heritage ones (much more expensive) don't include the wiring. I guess irreplaceable will become more and more common.

Speaking or irreplaceable, I have a tricky problem I'll need to sort. Among the many many bits of damage around the car, the fuel flap holder shocked open in the crash and doesn't close. On closer inspection, the hollow plastic thread that the striker for the flap sits in has cracked. That is part of the whole combined boot pull part and the one in the parts car is missing too. No pic of that but it is going to need some thinking 

 

Could you 3d print a new part for the flap?

[Duncan]

Yeah good call....I'll have a look into possibility disassembly. I think it would be a pretty common failure, 30yo brittle plastic

That or I need to find someone who just reshelled a coupe race car 😛

[BK]

So you sorted for an indicator loom then ? I have one used spare loom with globe holders left if needed.

On 27/06/2022 at 6:25 AM, Duncan said:

So, never trust the smash repair to keep all old parts, even if you tell them too. Particularly the broken front indicator with the irreplaceable wiring.   Just Jap sorted me out with their one of their last original indicators, like BK previously send the nismo heritage ones (much more expensive) don't include the wiring. I guess irreplaceable

Speaking or irreplaceable, I have a tricky problem I'll need to sort. Among the many many bits of damage around the car, the fuel flap holder shocked open in the crash and doesn't close. On closer inspection, the hollow plastic thread that the striker for the flap sits in has cracked. That is part of the whole combined boot pull part and the one in the parts car is missing too. No pic of that but it is going to need some thinking 

 

I take it you've broken the thread on the fuel flap release mechanism- as in this part ?

Broke the same thing on the white 32 last year - snapped in half. The mechanism parts are not available separately except for the lock ring, and is only available as part of a complete cable.

What I did find out though is that this release mechanism is the same between all fuel / boot release cables for coupe R32 - R34 Skylines and hardtop S13 - S15 Silvia's and is interchangeable. Nothing else from Nissan seems to use the same mechanism because of the combined fuel and boot release on one cable. R32, R33 are discontinued but S15 and R34 cables are still available new, so to fix I obtained an S15 cable and swapped the mechanism onto the 32 cable as all the cable lengths are different. I found that the S15 appeared to be made out of a different plastic compared to the older 32/33 ones and is hopefully more durable.

Should never have been made out of plastic in the first place.

 

[Neil]

On 27/06/2022 at 6:55 AM, Duncan said:

So, never trust the smash repair to keep all old parts, even if you tell them too. Particularly the broken front indicator with the irreplaceable wiring.   Just Jap sorted me out with their one of their last original indicators, like BK previously send the nismo heritage ones (much more expensive) don't include the wiring. I guess irreplaceable will become more and more common.

Speaking or irreplaceable, I have a tricky problem I'll need to sort. Among the many many bits of damage around the car, the fuel flap holder shocked open in the crash and doesn't close. On closer inspection, the hollow plastic thread that the striker for the flap sits in has cracked. That is part of the whole combined boot pull part and the one in the parts car is missing too. No pic of that but it is going to need some thinking 

 

Have you looked at the Patrol buddy, if that's no good go to the wreckers. I'll bet there is an older hatchback or similar that used the same type of latch system

[Duncan]

Thanks for the tips guys, the good people at just jap have an r34 one on the way

https://justjap.com/products/genuine-nissan-boot-lid-fuel-latch-cable-fits-nissan-skyline-r34-coupe

Once I've got a new one working I'll look into disassemble the old part and see possibility to getting a run of new ones made up, it is obviously a thing

[BK]

On 27/06/2022 at 5:46 PM, Duncan said:

Thanks for the tips guys, the good people at just jap have an r34 one on the way

https://justjap.com/products/genuine-nissan-boot-lid-fuel-latch-cable-fits-nissan-skyline-r34-coupe

Once I've got a new one working I'll look into disassemble the old part and see possibility to getting a run of new ones made up, it is obviously a thing

Get a metallic one made up if possible- maybe someone like FPG will make it into a production part and I'll grab at least 3.

Since you've got an R34 cable coming, are you going to swap the mechanism to the 32 cable or see if the entire 34 cable assembly does infact fit the 32 ?

This would be good to confirm -

It probably might as I suspect the 34 cable will be slightly longer but still fit. The S15 cable I got which was the cheaper way to go was way too short even for a 32, but only bought for the mech assembly anyway as you'll generally never snap the actual cable.

[Duncan]

Yep I'll check the length is same or longer and try and swap it over as plan A, because that gets me sorted and means I have a spare (borken) 32 one to look at alternatives over time...will report back

[BK]

I think I threw my broken part away after failed attempt at using epoxy to fix.

[Neil]

On 28/06/2022 at 1:46 PM, BK said:

I think I threw my broken part away after failed attempt at using epoxy to fix.

And you know whats funny, over the last million years we have cut up so many GTR'S and never ever thought of keeping one as a spare. My god the stuff we have throw away over the years that is now worth a fortune is mind boggling. Full interiors to start with. Hicas stuff, we chucked it out randomly, now everybody wants it.

 

[BK]

On 28/06/2022 at 4:53 PM, Neil said:

And you know whats funny, over the last million years we have cut up so many GTR'S and never ever thought of keeping one as a spare. My god the stuff we have throw away over the years that is now worth a fortune is mind boggling. Full interiors to start with. Hicas stuff, we chucked it out randomly, now everybody wants it.

 

Yep I freak out at stuff I've thrown away or sold for nothing in the last 15 - 20 years. Even complete cars - the last 2 GTR I sold for $17k and $25k....🤦