Unzipped Composites

Yeh thats the stuff. It is very easy, you just need to use the right materials. Plastic being a low surface energy and very high flexibility makes it difficult to bond to, so rigid resins like polyester or epoxy (your two typical fibreglass resins) will struggle to bond and will eventually delaminate. These plastic-specific repair products are just as easy to use (even easier in fact), but will do a good job of a permanent repair.

Fibreglass isn't going to stick long term to a plastic bumper, even with very good mechanical key. @PranK if you want to do the job yourself, look for a plastic bumper patch kit for a 2-sided repair. Something like this: https://wholesalepaint.com.au/products/3m-flexible-bumper-plastic-patch-automotive-repair-kit-05888 Personally I prefer the kits that use a thermoplastic or aluminium mesh patch that is bonded in place with a 2k polyurethane adhesive, but these self adhesive patches work OK too - just make sure the surface is VERY clean first, which means wipe with isopropyl alcohol, then sand with 240 grit (ignore the instructions not to sand), then wipe again with the isopropyl. Then you can use a flexible plastic filler (Isopon is good, 3M better) like any generic body filler and fill from the back before sanding smooth.

Oooo you are speaking my language! Off to check out your channel

You could give Andy @ Maddog Customs here in Perth a ring and speak to him about building a kit cage that you can then have shipped to you and welded in. I know he was looking at doing this, he hasn't done it yet but he may be open to that. He has atleast built several Silvia cages, so he should have the drawings in his software and be able to do it. Never know, worth having a chat to him about it.

If there is a 2D dimensions sketch available for the IC7, then I would be happy to adapt the drawing I've done for an AIM MXS into the factory MFD surround. Just beware with the factory MFD surround though, for one it is very small - not sure on the IC7 dimensions, but the AIM dash literally only just fits and is in fact cut off by a few mm. And second, it isn't actually flat, the bottom of it sits forward because the OEM MFD has a second piece of trim that covers the gap. So you will have a 15-20mm gap in between the bottom of the display and the MFD surround.

Also, hope your head shop machines heads better than they spell: "BASE CIRCLKE DIAMETOR..." 😆

Yeh you're a lucky bugger In the year I've been looking, I've seen 3 Neo heads for sale... First one was recently built with 3000km's on it since build; Kelford cams, oversized valves (would want to check this has been done properly), VCT deleted (not ideal), hand ported by the owner (not ideal) - they wanted $12,000, and were not happy for the purchase to be subject to my machinists approval (alarm bells). Second one was completely stock, but had been cooked and was warped 25 thou. Machinist said no, too hard to straighten without it cracking or warping sideways. Third one is apparently virgin and completely stock, and still available as far as I know - but he wants $3500 for it. Would still need to buy new valves, springs, retainers, guides, etc. etc. So when the Supertech conversion kit costs $3300, and would result in the complete head ready to go, it starts to feel like really poor value to just buy the stock Neo head for the same money.

Yeh no intent to use any of that.

Yes, Supertech kit is shim-under-bucket. Have spoken about going shimless, but machinist talked me out of it because of the wear issues. He convinced me there's nothing wrong with shims provided everything is setup properly. My intent is definitely to use Kelford camshafts, so I will get in touch and have a chat to them. In all honesty, the more I read the more I'm wondering if converting to solid is worth it. I don't plan on hugely aggressive cams, I'm prioritising response over peak power. Turbo will probably be a G25-660, so I'm not trying to spin the engine to 9000rpm either. Stockish rev limit, moderate cam profiles - is solid really worth the trouble? On the other hand, my problem isn't the money, I actually think the Supertech conversion kit is quite good value considering I'll be doing all of the included components minus the lifters even if I stay hydraulic - costs wise it isn't much different. My problem is that I don't want oversized valves, and Supertech don't have a standard size option. I would much prefer to use Ferrea standard size valves and Ferrea springs. What about the Tomei solid lifters? They only do the lifters not a full kit, so is the conversion just a case of solid lifters and solid cams, and I can still use my choice of valves and springs? Or would the valves and springs need to suit the solid conversion?

Yeh, I can appreciate that and at the end of the day I agree - but after years and years of getting stung by 'reputable' workshops doing half assed jobs (including the 'best-in-the-business' head shop here that thought taking a die grinder to my buckets was part of a standard clean-up on my virgin Neo head) I just have serious trust issues. I have my machinist/engine builder that I trust, so I won't be engaging any third parties. Unfortunately my machinists machine for doing valve seats isn't totally suited to doing inserts. He can do the rest, and he said he CAN do the inserts but there's a chance the machine messes it up and then that head is wrecked as well, so we are hoping to avoid doing inserts. Guides etc is not a problem. This car is being built for a purpose, and that is to run a 61 around Wanneroo Raceway while toeing the line with Clubsprint class time attack regs. That is fast, but it's not hugely ambitious. A ~500hp full street trim RWD Skyline can do it, so I know I don't need to go crazy with everything and I can afford to draw the line at a relatively basic build. Realistically, I don't my heart set on cracking 600hp, I don't care if it falls a little bit short or we need to curb it that target is just what I am using to select the parts for the build. Really the Supertech kit is overkill for the goals of this car, and I'm not 100% sold on it, but I also dont want to use hydraulic lifters and cams so I'm somewhat restricted with my options. Wanneroo Raceway with 4.11 final drive means I am going to be living high up in the rev range, and hydraulic valvetrain just doesn't feel like a good option. Really a stock Neo head with springs/retainers and cams, and new OEM valves is all I need/want, but these days that Neo head is either impossible to find or will cost more than the Supertech kit and then still need to factor in the valvetrain costs. It's easy to get carried away and do it all with the 'do it once do it right mentality' which I do very much agree with, but at the same time the more this build costs the further away the finish line is and I do want to get it on the track and start developing the products I have in the pipeline for it, so I'm trying very hard to keep my eye on the reason I'm building this car.

Hey guys, I'm looking for anyone that has used the Supertech solid lifter conversion kit and what your experience was. I'm sure it's a good quality kit, but I'd like to know if there were any unforeseen parts of the process, for example, did you need valve seat inserts for the oversized valves? What are the camshaft options for an RB25 with solid lifters, will aftermarket solid cams for the Neo work or are there still other differences there? Application is for a full time race engine; high CR (~10:1) with around 600rwhp. Just looking into this at the moment because after spending the last year trying to source a replacement virgin Neo head for my build, I'm desperate enough to get the build going again that I'm considering just running a vanilla RB25 head and converting it to solid lifters. I would prefer to not use oversize valves, but nobody except Ferrea seem to do that.

Golebys say they have G25-660 in stock? Far superior turbo to the GTX, if you were considering a G25 in the first place then I wouldn't go backwards to a GTX.

The baffled sump possibly isn't necessary for a street car, it depends a little bit on how you drive it. But for me, it's a good idea, and it doesn't break the bank. Not sure on the DIY kit, haven't heard of it. Yes no problem to reuse your stock oil pump and just fit a billet gear set. Make sure you get a crank collar, that's critical. And personally I would get a billet backing plate as well, the cast oem plate is prone to flex so it's a decent improvement without going to a full billet pump. I wouldn't do the rear head drain, those kits are so expensive for what they are and they don't work as well as the manufacturers would have you believe. Of course they help a little bit, they are an extra vent, and I would do one on top of the 2 sump vents to the catch can to have 3 vents total, but especially for a street car it isn't necessary and you would get better bang for buck just doing the vents to the catch can. Definitely new water pump and all new belts while the engine is out. New balancer is not a bad idea, for a street car I would look at just getting a brand new OEM one.

Also, agree with Ben about the head torch. Worklights are great for lighting up the area (and keeping you warm), but you will find you are constantly in the light and working in your shadow, making it virtually dark again. Head torch or a magnetic torch is the go.

Posting to follow progress, I feel I'm going to like this build. Don't be scared to write posts as long as you want and ask any questions you want to ask, this is your build thread and this forum is an absolutely filthy wealth of knowledge. Head wise, it sort of depends what your goals of the build are as well as what condition your engine is currently in. If you're looking at a power level around the Hypergear 45SAT territory, I would say springs are a must, and probably guides just while you're in there. But if your stock valves are looking good, I probably wouldn't bother going to aftermarket valves. Cams I would say are a good idea, but if it's a street car then don't go crazy and just get something that can bolt in without head modifications, you dont need crazy lift and massive duration. Bottom end wise, I wouldn't necessarily be looking at full kits, they aren't always the best value. An OEM gasket kit from EFI Solutions is good value, sounds like you may have found that already. The Spool H-Beam rods come with ARP 2000 rod bolts as standard, and I would suggest you don't need to upgrade to 625+ rod bolts as the 2000's certainly won't be the weak point you find first, so you can save yourself some money on the rod bolts. CP Pistons are a great option and they're cheap enough, so stick with them. Are you planning to run E85? If so, don't drop your compression ratio with the pistons, either stay the same for ease or bump it up if you want performance, but this would mean custom pistons. You haven't mentioned anything about oil control mods, which you are definitely going to want to do at this stage. Certainly get a crank collar for your crank as you have a short nose crank, you want to increase that contact patch with the oil pump drive. N1 oil pump with a billet gear set at a minimum, Nitto/HSE billet high flow oil pump if you're feeling fancy (for a street car, I would just run with an N1 pump and billet gears). Oil gallery restrictors are a must - leave the VCT feed as is, block the front feed entirely, 1.5mm restrictor for the rear feed. Modify sump while it's out, baffles and trap doors are a good idea but perhaps not so necessary for a street car. Proper ventilation is essential - two fittings as high up as you can fit them on the passenger side of sump that vent crankcase pressure to a catch can. You can don't need an expensive rear head 'drain' kit, but they can help as an additional vent. If you haven't heard of this before it may feel a little overwhelming, so I would recommend settling in with a 6-pack of beers (it's a lengthy read) and reading the RB oil control thread in the Forced Induction forum. The good stuff is from about page 30 onwards from memory. Headgasket - don't just buy one, make sure you have a chat to your machinist about what thickness you need for your chosen compression ratio. Same with the engine bearings, have your machinist work out what sizes you need based one the condition of your crank and block.

Why does side exit influence what size down pipe you have? Go as big as you can on the downpipe and taper down to the side pipe if you need to.

Thing is, if he's already developed it then all of that work is already done, he doesn't have to redo the print design every time he prints one. Literally just press print on it. And then there's a couple hours work in bogging and painting it, so it isn't a heap of work at all. Obviously if he has 3 months of orders stacked up and one printer than that's going to be where the hold up is, but he's gotta talk to you in that case.

5 months is a bit ridiculous for any of the stuff they make... what's the part?

Won't last, will need repairs before you've got 1000 hours on the washing machine, be prepared to do this atleast 3 more ti... Sorry my bad, changing focus is hard for me.

Yes, but there's a pretty drastic difference between getting 300,000+kms out of an OEM engine and the kms you will get out of an engine making 3 times as much power as it was engineered for. I just feel this is a bit of a funny mentality in this industry, everybody expects they will never have to spend more money on their build because they dropped a fortune on it in the first place; when realistically the more money you spend on it the more you are going to need to spend. I don't have any problems with people building stupidly powerful engines, I just wonder why we aren't more aware of what we are getting ourselves into when we do it.

If the cars are being maintained by people that know what they are doing, then they probably aren't breaking things - they're pulling them down and rebuilding them before they get to that point. I'm not even talking about RB's, I'm talking about any engine. Honestly, how long do you think a V8 Supercar engine lasts? It would last less than that on the street too. The best in the business with a vested interest in making them last as long as possible can't make them last, but you get guys on YouTube that have built 30 engines saying they can make a 700kw engine indestructible? Garbage.

Yeh this is the thing - a track car actually uses 500hp. If you have a car that once made 500kw on the dyno, but all you do is drive it 20kms to work everyday at under 3000rpm - you don't have a reliable 500kw car, you have a reliable 120kw car haha. And even then, you will probably still find yourself pulling it down before it ever gets close to 50,000kms. Nobody is jumping into their 160,000km-since-rebuild 500kw Skyline, driving it to the track and thrashing it for 3 hours, then driving it home. Nobody.

Crank is still a short nose crank, same as any other RB25 so not hugely sought after. If its in great condition is doesn't need a grind then maybe ~$200. If its got some gouges or enough where to warrant anything more than a links then the nitriding will be removed and I'd say its pretty worthless, 50 bucks maybe but more likely a bin job. Pistons for the bin. Rods, these days probably not so popular anymore, people probably more likely to go with a set of Chinese forgies if they are building a cheap motor. Maybe $150?

All about how its presented on Insta. The breakages get left out when you're trying to sell reliability.

Sydney Composites should be able to sort you out. Doesn't look well made though. That isn't a crack in the 2nd and 3rd pics, thats a delam from a poor lap joint. Somewhat difficult to fix permanently, though I'm sure Sydney Composites can work with it.