Daleo

My kit showed up this morning! Thanks Cam, PM'ed, and left feedback. Looking forward to fitting these; all I need is some free time when I'm not bloody working...

The shudder you are describing (especially in reverse) sounds clutch related. The fine vibration under load actually sounds a bit like tailshaft centre bearing to me. I'd stay away from Pedders if I were you; you might as well hand them your cash and credit cards and walk out, the end result will be much the same.

The best thing to do is just keep welding; practice makes perfect. I reckon pipe welding is the most difficult thing to do neatly, so just keep at it, you're not contaminating your welds, which is good. Are you purging? Depending on the finish you like, it might be worth your while to get some pickling paste for cleaning. I'm not into the polished finish, so pickled, then brown 3M pad gives a nice brushed finish; but to each, his own. You'll get smoother and neater; the prettiness will come. Good on you for being game enough to show pictures, good luck.

I'd definitely be looking at fluid level before going any further.

Spot on Terry; my sentiments exactly. A good mechanic is one who will take the time to explain complex issues in a reasonably non-technical way; rather than talk down to the customer, assuming they won't understand, or trying to bamboosle them with BS. They are also the ones who will allow, even encourage you to see what they're talking about, because they have nothing to hide. They are the ones who will happily show you the parts they've replaced; without being asked. That kind of transparency enables both parties to go away informed; even if they're not always happy. I hate the old "Car's out the front; pay me $$$" it just doesn't fly with me at all.

Don't do it! As an extension to the "Don't buy wheels that fit the car; make the car fit the wheels" ethos; I propose a "Make the road suit your ride height" solution. You just need to keep frequenting the roads you use; until you've worn a groove them all to suit your ride height, no more clearance issues. Anything still grinding will eventually be worn away; consider these items "Surplus to requirement" Problem solved. You're welcome.

A 245/40 /18 or 245/45/18 will have a virtually straight sidewall to a very slight amount of stretch, but will be just about spot on. I'm pretty sure 265/40 is factory fitment on a GTR 18" isn't it?

:banana:

Lol, I was only really referring to the exterior; rivetted on flares over the existing rear doors, etc. Everything under the skin is beautifully fabricated. Definitely has attitude.

Like this? http://www.eurotuner...dl/photo_1.html Ghetto; but pretty cool...

The one with the Aero kit? I've seen that one a few times now; I think it's from Glenbrook somewhere.

A few mechanics I've come across have tried this line; particularly prior to me starting to maintain my Missus car. She wanted to have a "Log Book History" for resale; but it didn't take long to show her that it was a crock. I have flat out refused to pay for any work I didn't authorise on a couple of occasions; and on the Missus car I had a local mechanic "remove" a set of $200 (not including labour) rear brake pads that he claimed were "Metal on Metal". I showed him the purchase receipt for the BRAND NEW PADS that I had installed in her car a week earlier, and demanded he furnish me with with the pads that he'd removed from the car. He basically went to water in front of me, and claimed I was doing him out of his "easy money"! Presumably i'm not permitted to work on a car I actually own... He came clean and said that he didn't think the "girl" who dropped the car off would know; so he loaded her up. What a stupid mutt; didn't even have a bogus set of pads to show. Must've been a heart starter when I walked in... I told him to get himself f##ked, and then told the other 4 customers waiting in his workshop by this time; that he was a flat out crook. I trust very few people with anything that I own, but if I find someone good; I make sure they know they're appreciated.

Washed my filthy car today. I've been looking at foam lances for a while now for my Karcher; prices ranged from $200 odd to just under $75 delivered (UK). These are pro quality items, and you can adjust how much foam you actually get. Anyway, I saw this at Bunnings; http://www.karcher.com.au/aus/Products/Home__Garden/Accessories.htm?&sdp=ac&pid=26418480&accessoriesGroupName=Special+applications&pn=Foam+nozzle%2C+0.3+litre&title=Foam+nozzle%2C+0.3+litre&refP=%2Faus%2FProducts%2FHome__Garden%2FAccessories.htm%3F%26accGrNm%3D10011604__Special%2520applications It has a 300mL cup and was only $15! It works great! Took a little fine tuning to get the mix right; and you need to work fast in the foaming stage, (the cup empties fairly quickly) but now I'm foaming like a rabid monkey! For anyone who's wondering; the foam softens the muck on the paint better than just hosing; allowing you to pressure wash off most of the stuff that scratches the paint when you manually wash. The more you can get off without touching the paint; the less fine scratches you put on the car. On a black car it makes a big difference to how often you need to do paint correction.

Go and talk to your local Paintless dent removal specialist; ask them if they'll do a cash job if you remove all the trim from the door. A lot of the time it's just the gesture that they appreciate. I had 3 small pin dents done by a great PDR guy in my area for $60.

Run far, run fast! There's no reason to have that shit all over the place like that, on a10 year old car; unless you're trying to hide something. Keep looking; the right one will come along.

Just trim the lip off the dust shield; all will be well Do the Brembo's use 12mm or 14mm mounting bolts?

Good stuff. Looking forward to what you've got in store for the Stagea.

Very nice; common rail and computer control was only becoming a reality in large engines as I was leaving that part of the industry. I did see some pretty interesting Turbo/superchargers with the GM stuff; but not those kind of boost numbers. It was cool knowing the turbos I was balancing & building were turning at 80,000rpm with a 60 cm wide impeller. Some Napier turbo assemblies were 100,000+ rpm! All on a floating bearing too; no BB set ups. What kind of power are they producing; I'm guessing in the 3000 odd HP bracket?

Spotted a Gold AR-X in East Blaxland yesterday; flashed, got a wave back. Bloke seemed very excited to see another Stag in the area and then proceeded to sit on my arse all the way to Penrith. A bit more of a gap next time mate.

Nice work! One question; the link you've provided, lists the price at $462. Where did you source the radiator from? Cheers, Dale.

That's bloody good economy Cam! Has yours been on a dyno yet, or are you just running a "Guesstimate" tune atm?

Nice pics Paul; cubes+boost = WIN! I've been out of the game a while (used to build V16 2 stroke GM Diesels and a bit of Paxman stuff) Things look to have moved on a little! What make is that V20? What is it you do Alex? Never really thought to ask... Or are you just in it for the seamen?

Holy crap! Wholly crap. How to make your Stagea look like a fairground attraction...

Top stuff! If I did that; I wouldn't even be able to get out of my garage... I guess that would save on tyre wear.

Your best bet would be to get underneath with a prybar or large screwdriver and start levering against the suspect bushes; don't forget the subframe bushes and moustache bar bushes. Unless I'm cutting someone elses grass; I can help you out with Whiteline bushes. Link; http://www.whiteline.com.au/do_segue4.php?make=Nissan&model=Skyline&model_final=SKYLINE+R30&vehicle=10%2F81-6%2F86 Just let me know what you need, and I'll get you a quote. Cheers, Dale.