Build Thread: Adam's Nissan Stagea C34

[Run-It-Hard]

Seeing that the Stagea will be getting a beating from here on in, it would be fitting to be able to monitor engine vitals. So I went with a brand that I’ve used many times, Racetech.

You can pick these up at a good price on Ebay. They are quite accurate too. My oil pressure gauge in the R33 was reading 2psi when the head started tapping it’s tits off.

I originally had a set of Racetech gauges in the Stagea before, but I ended up taking them out. The first setup was mounted with a universal tilt gauge holder, which is designed to point the gauges towards the driver.

It didn’t work too well on the Stagea though, so I opted for a flat panel this time round.

Installation is a simple process, the great thing about Racetech gauges is that you can bridge them together, meaning you only need to wire in one gauge to the car. All that’s needed is power, ground and constant to get them running too.

So now I can monitor my oil and water, better to be safe than sorry!

MONITORING VITALS

[Run-It-Hard]

So the Hit and Run invitational drift day was coming up, and Benny was keen as mustard to go. He kept bugging me to come down to spectate and passenger ride for the day. At first I said no, but then he had convinced me to come along.

A day before the event, I sent Paulie a text saying that he should take his car out drifting, it’s been a while. Paulie had some shit on and couldn’t make it, so I said “let me borrow the 33 for a day”. It was a joke, and I didn’t mean much of it but Paulie said “you break it, you buy it”. I was shocked to say the least, a few texts later and Paulie basically insisted I take his R33 to Wakefield.
Benny managed to sweet-talk Woods into getting me into the day too (it was booked out). It was like the stars were aligning, destiny and all that junk.
I was pumped to say the least! It has been about a year since I’ve had done a day in a car to myself.

Later that night, Benny and I head to Paulie’s house to pick up the R33, then brung it back to my joint and got it ready for the day of fun ahead.
6am arrived and I literally jumped out of bed (which is extremely abnormal for me), we grabbed all our gear and headed out for the long drive to Wakefield. The drive up made me realise how I’ve become used to standard cars. Paulie’s car felt super stiff and loud, I’ve gotten soft.

We arrived right in time for the short and simple drivers briefing, you could just tell the day was going to be chilled out and all about the track time.
Sorting out Paulie’s car I started to get anxious, I realised although I’ve been to Wakefield a handful of times. I actually haven’t driven the track properly. I started worrying about breaking Paulie’s car and all sorts of other shit (I over think a lot).
Anyway, I wait for Benny and we head out to pit lane, eagerly awaiting to be waved onto the track. Soon enough I got a feel for Paulie’s R33, what I can do, and what I can’t do with his car. But after a few runs I started noticing a slight drop in power. I kept at it for a little while longer and it slowly got worse, it was starting to affect my runs and getting to me.

So I pulled into pit lane and had a look around, checking the usual gear. I figured the problem was heat related, so I let it cool down for a while.
It was lunch time so everyone grabbed a bite to eat at Wakie’s cafe. I was talking to Benny about how disappointed I was in my driving, how I may have broken Paulie’s car and how I should use the money for the Stagea project, to get myself a house. I was down and out.

After lunch we headed out to the cars and I was hoping that the R33 had magically fixed itself. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case and the loss of power was getting worse. I was really starting to worry now. But then I started to think about it, it was loosing power coming out of the first corner and the 4th corner onto the back straight. It started to feel like fuel surge, this didn’t cross my mind as it had over 3/4 in the tank.
So I took it into the pits, put in some fuel and headed back out.

The funny thing is, I actually installed a Walbro fuel pump on Benny’s car, before we picked up Paulie’s R33. We used the OEM sock filter on the Walbro due to the size difference (OEM is 3 times the length) … Paulie’s car also has a Walbro, I started to think it has the Walbro sock filter/pickup on it instead of the longer OEM item.

Thankfully the R33 was back to normal and I was able to lay down some solid runs before the end of the day. I was having bucket-loads of fun. That’s what it’s all about right?
The loan car took a beating and come out unscathed. I wish I could say the same for Benny’s car though (more on that later).
All in all, we had a great day and it’s pumped me to get the Stagea “driftable” I NEED to drift again, soon!

A DRIFT DAY IN A BORROWED CAR - WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?

[Run-It-Hard]

I don’t really like OEM wheels, they are big and bulky and make me feel like I’m steering a boat … especially in a Stagea.

So I went on my search to find a boss kit setup that’ll bypass the airbag light on the dash. I came across a Daikei boss kit that I ordered via Japan.

The Daikei boss kit is very comprehensive, it gives you multiple bypass relays depending on what your airbag plug is, and also comes with an allen key for the two star headed bolts that secure the airbag in place.

Wheel choice this time around was a genuine Nardi classic. It’s overall diameter is 360mm which is 50mm smaller than the OEM steering wheel.

Not only does it look nicer, it feels nicer, has given me more leg room and has made turning more responsive.

TAKE THE HELM

[pipster11]

your last image link is broken

Edited September 12, 2012 by pipster11

[Run-It-Hard]

aduma it is too, here it is!

You can always click the link at the bottom to see the post direct from my website

[pipster11]

Oh yeah, i forgot about that

Not worried about a defect from removing the airbag?

[Run-It-Hard]

Nah, it's an easy fix if I do get picked on for it. There will be other things on the car that will draw more attention (i.e wheels and low).

The old MX5 I had didn't have the OEM airbagged wheel in it for 5 years ... got many defects but they always missed the wheel for some reason :lol:

[Daleo]

aduma it is too, here it is!

You can always click the link at the bottom to see the post direct from my website

The Nardi looks great on there; it's amazing how much difference a quality steering wheel makes to the driving experience.

Wish I still had my Momo Tuner; loved that wheel.

[Run-It-Hard]

REDUCING THE ROLL - VIEW ON THE BLOG

ike many things, swaybars are an interesting piece on the Stagea. The front end shares the same design from the R33 GTR, however the rear end is a completely different story.

Some have tried to fit GTR bars on the rear but due to the widened subframe (Auto only), most have not been successful. Now that my Stagea has a S14 rear subframe I could theoretically run a Silvia or GTR item. But I decided I will go with what has been tried and tested from fellow Stagea owners.

Alright so the proven formula is a 22mm soild swaybar up front, and a 24mm solid swaybar in the rear end. Reports state that body roll is nearly diminished, among other things. Sounds good!

Let’s check out what the standard swaybar thickness’ are.

The front is 22mm, just like the new item. However it is a hollow piece. There isn’t such a dramatic change here.

The rear is 20mm thick, and is also hollow. So going to a 24mm solid bar is a big difference. There is a lot of weight in the Stagea’s rear end, and the general consensus is that Nissan put an undersized swaybar in. That big boaty feeling when turning corners is generally from this little guy being too thin.

The reason for the bigger bar at the back is because the Stagea has a tendency to understeer (in 4WD mode), this helps balance it out. It’ll be interesting to see how it goes on my Stag (run in RWD), time will tell.

Installation is easy as, with only four bolts holding each swaybar to the chassis, and one on each endlink.

One thing that did start to worry me though, is when I went to fit the rear swaybar the supplied endlink wouldn’t seat correctly to the LCA. But I managed to get it fitting well by using the “hardest” setting.

So did these make a difference … were they worth the money? You’re damn right they were! Even driving around like a sane person, you notice a lot of the body roll has vanished. I used to troll my passengers by turning the wheel viciously left to right. The car would shake around like a tinnie in rough waters … but still go straight.

If I were to do that now well I’d probably find myself in a tree, the steering response has increased 10-fold. I dare say it almost feels like I’m driving a R33 now. It’s excellent!

So I can imagine with the tein super wagon coilovers installed, it’ll have even less bodyroll.

I’m all smiles!

The Whiteline part number for the following bars are:

•BNF27Z – 22mm front adjustable sway bar

•BNR11XXZ – 24mm rear adjustable sway bar

If you’ve ever thought about getting some sway bars for your Stag, do it .. do it now!

[Daleo]

Glad you like them!

[Run-It-Hard]

TURBO TALK - VIEW ON THE BLOG

When I started the re-build on the Stagea, I was torn whether to do everything at the same time, or hold off on things like bigger injectors, turbo and ECU.

If I was to postpone power mods, I’d probably spend the money elsewhere. So hey, why not!

The ultimate goal is to keep the engine bay looking like it came from the Nissan factory, or as close to it as possible. So things like a return flow intercooler and partial airbox will be present.

One of the biggest challenges will be hiding the large frame Holset HX35 turbocharger. I’m confident with some extra shielding this will be achievable.

You’re probably wondering, if I wanted a standard looking bay, why wouldn’t I just go high-flow?

Well, for what these Holset turbos go for (I picked this up for $250), and how successful they are in the US and even some Skylines here in Australia, I’m really keen to see how it’ll go on my RB25.

These Holset’s are designed for diesel engines that run a stack of boost, so the wastegate isn’t really suitable for petrol engines without modifications. I’ve used it as an excuse to get a Turbosmart comp gate. Bitches love gate..

A downfall with the Stagea is the ECU. The Stagea has a unique wiring harness which makes having an aftermarket computer a difficult exercise, and unfortunately they aren’t flashable (i.e Nistune). So many people settle for a piggy back … the Greddy Emanage is a popular choice.

Though the whizz that Anthony is, will be merging the R33 ECU harness with my Stagea’s harness. That way we can run the Haltech E11 computer out of my Skyline.

The Greddy Profec B boost controller will also be making its way from my Skyline to the Stagea.

I’ve sourced some 550CC denso injectors to take care of delivering fuel to the engine, along with a Walbro fuel pump. I’ll be sticking to petrol this time around due to practicality.

Heres the remainder of parts destined to go into the Stagea in a few weeks time. There are things like the intercooler, muffler, transmission mount, oil cooler setup, suspension arms, manual conversion parts, lubricants among other things, waiting patiently to be installed.

The C34 goes into the Dahtone Racing workshop this Thursday. Exciting times ahead!

[Run-It-Hard]

The Nardi looks great on there; it's amazing how much difference a quality steering wheel makes to the driving experience.

Wish I still had my Momo Tuner; loved that wheel.

Yeah that and a good seat can make all the difference!

Glad you like them!

I LOVE THEM! It's incredible how much of a difference they've made.

[Daleo]

Not to stink up your thread too much Adam, but regarding the fit of the supplied rear links; I agree they are a little limiting when it comes to adjustment.

The KLC 109 H/D links are a much more elegant solution.

Much greater available articulation, and completely service free once fitted.

Cheers, Dale.

[Run-It-Hard]

Good to know Dale, I'll keep them in mind!

First major shipment from Japan, I wonder what it could be?

[C34S2STAG]

Which arms are you using at the rear? On phone so can't go back think I saw neotech? Where from and how much? Looking good I'm always checking back to see what you have done. Drifting is fun and stageas love it haha

[Run-It-Hard]

I'm using stockers at the moment. I've got some prototype arms I will be putting in soon (RIH items) for testing before I advertise them to the public.

Neotech are good! nice and beefy, but I don't know if you can get them anymore, I used to get them off Ebay via performanceguru.

Drifting is f**king awesome fun! That's the RIH moto, we're here to have fun! haha. Spewing I haven't done much this year though My Skyline failed me in a big way.

I'd love to see more Stagea's drifting, would be mental to tandem with one too I don't see it happening for a while, not in NSW anyway.

Do you give your Stagea some sideways action Dave?

[C34S2STAG]

Ah sweet let us know with the arms when they are ready!

I try too haha but just open wheels. I got a s2 rs4s in rwd mode when I'm keen needs a LSD bad. My ke70 failed me hard this year also. Engine gone so time for a newy!

[Run-It-Hard]

Will do!

Yeah man they are kinda scary to slide in stockish form. I tell ya after the subframe swap (and solid subframe/diff mounts) it's pretty predictable now. Before it used to want to snap in the opposite direction and shit..

Mines wierd, it has some sort of LSD, will be interesting to see what type it has when I pull it apart to put a 2 way in there.

HA that's what happened with my Skyline, blew the first engine 2 months after buying it. Then bought a rebuilt engine and had nothing but dramas with it ... ended up destroying a head and a piston. f**king cars huh?

[Run-It-Hard]

Oh might as well spill the beans.

In the boxes are:

Coilovers, new tail light, clutch and NA grille

Will be installing the coils tonight, need to get the chassis on the pavement again!

[StageIan]

nice work Adam, good to see your up specking the stag again