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Damo's R32 Gts-r, On Going Project Fun Car. History And Use Full Info


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it was part of my agreement with the other half that my car doesnt go for the sake of our first house. i dont mind mine sitting safe and sound while i work on the house (or bens car) once you move forward in life you realise that cars are important but they can wait.

that is precisely why my build is taking so long.. house + renovations = no money for poor old car = very sad me!

but i know its sitting there safe in the garage and noone is going to send us a letter saying we have to move out in 30 days.

Damo, with your dash.. how does it fare with time and working around it?? i started prepping the dash and was about to cover it when the mrs said i should wait and do it last, when its ready to drive again, as the suede may go shitty with the dash just sitting there and me working around it?? has yours degraded at all with activity around it.

  • 2 weeks later...

update. pulled apart original sub frame removing all the all the arms ready to be cleaned and reassembled on the new sub frame. Found 3 out of 4 rose joints were beyond their used by date. these were originally Just jap arms and i thought that they would be impossible to get replacement joints for but turns out they are a commonish size and reasonably priced.

Note to self: this is not a "cheap" "Budget motor sport" Mod for your car.

worn rose joint/ rod end. the bras bush has worn and the whole lot jiggles.

DSC02728.jpg

next was onto making the new front LCA mount on the subframe. i got some 50 x 100 x3mm RHS steel and some 30 x 30 x3 angle to do the few mods. turns out working out where to put the mount and getting it spot on isnt quite as hard as i had first thought.

this is a prototype to see if i would even attempt making my own mounts

DSC02723.jpg

dont get to woried it wont look like that.

i also got some washers and drilled the centres out to be a snug fit on the suspension bolts so i could do this rear mod. the rear upper control arm is elongated to allow factory adjustment and this has a big heavy bolt designed to adjust the camber. to get rid of the bolt and to move the hole as far out as possible im welding washers on to the sub frame.

DSC02721.jpg

the pic shows the elongated hole from behind and where the washer will sit. if your concerned that 2 washers doesnt seem strong enough than have a look at the thickness of all the other pick up points.

this is the difference in bolts used for the job.

DSC02728.jpg

with a little luck on my side i will have a sample subframe bush made up ready for testing by the weekend and the diff will be back with a new ratio.

Damo, with your dash.. how does it fare with time and working around it?? i started prepping the dash and was about to cover it when the mrs said i should wait and do it last, when its ready to drive again, as the suede may go shitty with the dash just sitting there and me working around it?? has yours degraded at all with activity around it.

the suede will fade in direct sun light because its not of motor industry quality. mines not showing to much dust and dirt but being black it hides it well. if you want it to look all flash and new than id wait. depends how much dust is going to be in your car.

update. pulled apart original sub frame removing all the all the arms ready to be cleaned and reassembled on the new sub frame. Found 3 out of 4 rose joints were beyond their used by date. these were originally Just jap arms and i thought that they would be impossible to get replacement joints for but turns out they are a commonish size and reasonably priced.

Note to self: this is not a "cheap" "Budget motor sport" Mod for your car.

worn rose joint/ rod end. the bras bush has worn and the whole lot jiggles.

DSC02727.jpg

next was onto making the new front LCA mount on the subframe. i got some 50 x 100 x3mm RHS steel and some 30 x 30 x3 angle to do the few mods. turns out working out where to put the mount and getting it spot on isnt quite as hard as i had first thought.

this is a prototype to see if i would even attempt making my own mounts

DSC02723.jpg

dont get to woried it wont look like that.

i also got some washers and drilled the centres out to be a snug fit on the suspension bolts so i could do this rear mod. the rear upper control arm is elongated to allow factory adjustment and this has a big heavy bolt designed to adjust the camber. to get rid of the bolt and to move the hole as far out as possible im welding washers on to the sub frame.

DSC02721.jpg

the pic shows the elongated hole from behind and where the washer will sit. if your concerned that 2 washers doesnt seem strong enough than have a look at the thickness of all the other pick up points.

this is the difference in bolts used for the job.

DSC02728.jpg

with a little luck on my side i will have a sample subframe bush made up ready for testing by the weekend and the diff will be back with a new ratio.

Damo, with your dash.. how does it fare with time and working around it?? i started prepping the dash and was about to cover it when the mrs said i should wait and do it last, when its ready to drive again, as the suede may go shitty with the dash just sitting there and me working around it?? has yours degraded at all with activity around it.

the suede will fade in direct sun light because its not of motor industry quality. mines not showing to much dust and dirt but being black it hides it well. if you want it to look all flash and new than id wait. depends how much dust is going to be in your car.

your assuming we measured ;)

We are going to mesure up our Targa R33, and copy that. It's just off getting stickered up at the moment.

For what? I didn't think you were running this year?

subframe mods look good. how did you end up measuring the front end of the LCA position?

as ben said im just going to take measurements strait off a r33 cradle.

thats the most ill be doing to this sub frame for now. i am worried about the amount of sticktion my LCA may have but ill rectify if nesasary.

Prototype bush has been made and going in for tidy ups on measurements tomorrow. should have completed units back by the weekend. lucky its a long weekend.

Damn I wish i had the know how of you guys... there is no way id touch any suspension mounts...the gamest i am is to fit camber arms.

So thats why im buying a set of slicks lol...ill get my grip the easy way

i take the oh that cant be that hard. and if it did brake or fail its only going to do XXX amount of damage.

when you see the size of the material and the the way its welded form the factory its not to hitec.

Great thread Damo! You guys make me want a bigger garage!

well its pretty cool having 1 car space for the car and 1 car space to make stuff for the car. but when the money jobs come in it all gets packed up. never enough room.

small update.

R33 stock turbo is on and all associated piping back on. only thing left to do was modify my screamer pipe as it was dumping onto the chassis rail.

now looks like this

DSC02751.jpg

DSC02753.jpg

ill give it a coat of hot pink in the morning. to tidy it up a bit.

and from underneath it looks like

DSC02755.jpg

it sits higher than the chassis rail so it wont be the part collecting ripple strips. keen to see if it changes the note.

i also like the look of lobster back thats why i dodgyed it up this way.

happy day.

got my sub frame bushes today and pressed them in and bolted the sub frame up to make sure its all going to work.

these are the Drift Mushrooms

IMAG0063.jpg

and one pressed in.

IMAG0062.jpg

they fit superb.

if anyones keen My machinist friend is happy to make these to order. :down:

definately better than pineapples but a hell of a lot of work to chuck in by comparison.

why leave the mushroom top so tall? free lowering....

the bushes go in backwoulds compared to the factory ones (push in from the bottom), so the frame sits hard agains the chassis. The excess is out the bottom to pick the nut up properly

go inspired today by reading other build threads.

Mainly thought that i owe it to fellow SAU readers to put more pics up ect.

Screamer pipe finished off and bolted on.

DSC02762.jpg

new stainless rear section added

DSC02761.jpg

top side of sub frame showing the drift shrooms and also the welded on washers for the upper rear mount to keep fixed position.

DSC02760.jpg

bonnet getting a revamp. welded up holes in bonnet. cut out more of the underside and tack welded the suport to the upper skin. going back to saturn black.

DSC02758.jpg

carbon cover made for over part of the wiring loom. just to tidy it all up a bit. anyone know where i can get a flatter front strut brace as my current nismo one looks way to high now

DSC02765.jpg

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