37 replies to this topic

[nigelwade]

26/02/2013 (Project being prepared for hold, and long term storage until 2015/2016),

Discussion Thread: = http://www.oldschool...hp?f=18&t=20222

prior posts removed to clean up



An, early shot of the car after the shell was prepped for all the work going forward. It used to look exactly like this guys car, even down to the same mag wheels (freaky aye !)... http://i76.photobuck...beforedeath.jpg



The front lower grill being crafted in, I was never all that happy with the end result.



End result, ..

[nigelwade]

This is the engine not long after purchase.


This is the bellhousing not long after purchase.


its actually not a particularly tight fit when in place, with factory headers drops right through the chassis rails.


This is a cross member we built up and tried, the steering geometry was out too close to the sway bar too.







scapped all the above about 18mths ago (mid 2009) and reverted to factory suspension and worked around it to end up with the below.





The final version of the engine mounts in place.



Only just clears the modified front box section by 13mm.

[nigelwade]

flanges to do a new set of manifolds and itb's.



Two sets of 20 valve (silver top so 42mm) itbs for conversion.



Mounted to the top flange after minor adjustments.



Mocked up in the engine bay.,



Flanges mocked up in the valley



Injector boss's and angled spacers fresh from engineering supplier



Spacers needed to solved this problem.



trying to get a feel for where it all will end up sitting,



Should clear ok, so 70mm runners it is.



Getting ready to weld the runners to the head flange, attempting to shape things up right.

[nigelwade]

The sump pan after we cut the mounts of to start turning it around.



You can see its going to work out ...



This is the modification that was needed to get the oil pick in the right place for the now (extreme) rear sump.



So we welded up the new pick pipe so it would fit under the turned around lexus sump.



We just cut it and turned it then welded it, using the existing turn to make the first part of the curve



The sump in place, job done.

[nigelwade]

This is the first version of the fuel system, mocked up on an aluminium plate.



Fuel reg that apparently will support 850hp.



Second version of the fuel system,



I can see this being changed a bit but only to tidy it up.

[nigelwade]

The Tilton pedal box I purchased new.





Sitting in place in the foot well.


Brake rotors and hubs

[nigelwade]

The first diff, this one is the Capri Atlas diff,





The Rear Diff, from a Toyota Hiace van

Before the mounts were cut off to change them

[nigelwade]

This is the extra wide spigot bearing going in, it’s 30mm wide.



The single plate clutch, which will be used for a while until the power outpaces it. It was purchased thinking the motor would never be modified, that changed later on.



Gearbox and Bellhousing, ready to go together,

[nigelwade]

Mk3 Zepher hubs, new bearings, etc, etc

[nigelwade]

With the 1uz being so far back the heater core can't output/input from the engine bay, had to have those moved to out the side of the heater unit.



Also needed to move the pass through the firewall to over here.



still havent got all this sorted out though ..

[nigelwade]

Odd colours, ... I do like them though.





Re-did this in leather as cloth was sun aged, added 6x9's.



Added modern tacho and water/oil gauges, would still like to revisit this will all new gauges.

http://i977.photobuc... ... C08436.jpg

First shot at changing center console, came out nicer than later versions.

[nigelwade]

The flanges.



Collectors welded to flange, done.


Starting to get the passengers side on underway,



closer,



Completed. Thats one down.

[nigelwade]

Mucking around with wastegates,

[nigelwade]

Found a couple of spare hours today, so I cleaned out the garage and washed the floors, took all the rubbish out. Then went and had some lunch and finished a reading for one class while I waited for the floors to dry.

After the floors dried, I took the capri leaf springs out and cut the little bolt that holds the springs together down till it was pretty much flush. So I can mount the Hiace diff on the springs when I go to sort out rear end.

Took the diff itself outside, and started to cut the four links off (in the wrong place for me). Did the first two ok, but the angle grinder seemed a bit hot, and seemed to be struggling, I though aww fuck it, and just ignored it.

Then, while cutting the third one off, the grinder started pouring out smoke and flames out it's vents. Of course I freaked, dropped it, onto my foot, it cut my shoe (not me), and danced around my feet until I cut it's power. But that didnt stop it shooting out smoke and flames, oh no, I had to drag it outside and leave to burn away from at least 10 mins. when it cools down I'll open it up and see what happened to it, I suspect two plus years of dust and crap ignited inside it.

[nigelwade]

Its been a fortnight or so of success !

I've been working on the intake system to finish it off. I got the injectors in place, finished up the manifolds to the point where all they need now is a good air grind up on the inside and outside in places and then off to chroming or powder coating. I'm holding off until I can get a full face grinding mask the air die grinder really flyings out massive amounts of potentially blinding small (.8mm long) steel spikes. Already had one visit to the hospital because I suspected I had steel in my right eye, dont want another.

The accelerator mechanism caused all sorts of headaches I had to do it three times to get it right and in the end made up an adjustable version to help with a final version. I still haven't got it perfect I need four little wee rod ends and some threaded brass stock thats 10x10mm or octagonal. I've got it functional though, it's a bit progressive like I wanted it, slowish to move at first then quite fast opening, should be easier to drive around.

With the quad throttle bodies in place the engine bays line locations can all change now to something tidier. So I'm re-routing the brake lines, a random water line that the 1uz uses to warm its intake, 2 fuel lines, and the fuel rail lines. Which means I need about $200 in speed flow fittings again just for the fuel rails. The significant other hates these trips to the Greenlane Speed Shop (GSS) to buy fittings, I think I've dropped about $500 in fittings all up over 2-3yrs already. I'll also need some weld on alloy fittings for the cam cover breathers I'll speedflow fitting those while I'm at it, might as well.

I'll be finishing up the brake lines in the engine bay now as well, so I'll also be hunting for some brake line fittings, racebrakes are down the road from me so I'll drop in there and they should be able to sort me out, probably wont cost that much.

I'll be adding some more plugs into the main electrical loom inside the car so it can be removed out of the car and tidied up and wrapped, since no one seems to sell 24 pin high quality plugs for thing approaching a reasonable price, I have to source those from wreaked cars which is actually a pain.

I've marked out the rear end for cutting. In fact I was about to cut the rear floor pan up for the new suspension system when it occurred to me that it would be smarter to add load bearing supports to the car to stop it twisting. That and I need steel to fabricate everything so I'm holding off until I can get more steel stock in.

The next move is to address main electrical location and tidying the relays and fuses a bit, with a new setup. in the short term.

Over the next little while I'll get the steel in to build a rolling trolley for the shell I already have the wheels I need for it (two fixed, two turning wheels). I really need to me able to move around and out of the garage as needed, I'm sick to death of axle stands they make me really nervous sometimes when I'm leaning on the car to reach something or whenever someone leans on the car I find myself telling them off, it's getting old.

[nigelwade]

Picked up a turbo on the weekend. The Compressor wheel is appx 65mm on the minor, and appx84mm on the major. The exhaust wheel is something like 80mm (ish). These things normally run 30lb all day everyday, a Garrett unit. I bought it for the inlet side (backing plate/housing), the exhaust side has wrong set up for me to use (seals with piston rings not a flange)



The comparison turbo is a TD05 on a 4age (20v) manifold, off a 2.2lt Subaru engine.



Photo's dont do it justice, .. it weighs 17.3kg, and it's physically huge it really is, despite it's size the internal dimensions are not all that large.

[nigelwade]

Picture less update ..

I've tidied up the wiring on the engine and put it into the plastic casings again. I left the un-used plugs hanging free until I get a chance to work out if the stepper idle control will be used again or not (probably not).

I removed the replacement skin from the it's frame. It was actually in good shape. I did have to patch one small rust spot but I used such a low amp setting, and cooled the panel that it didnt seem to distort very much at all (just a few hammer and dolly taps and all good).

The door frame was a bit rough when I got the skin off it. I had to do a number of repairs. I took my time and did it over a week in drips and drabs and the door shell / frame came up well. I get the feeling if I hadn't re-skinned this door it would have rusted out under a nice paint job 5 years from now.

I primed and painted the inside of the the door skin after I sanded it and treated any surface oxidization so it is ready to go on, but the frame/shell needs to be sand blasted, or atleast .. I would like too.

My Argon bottle was pretty much just about out, so I used the last little bit to start the seam welding on the shell. Oddly the welder worked well, laid down some nice hot welds with excellent penetration.

I'll take some pics and add them into this post later.

[nigelwade]

Started working on my rear suspension frame, the shocks will be mounted like this,



I'm doing a variation on this theme, I'm mounting the shocks more on a 25deg angle still a cantilever system. I have a watts linkage on the back of the diff so I've got a center point to reference off, but the down side is that I have to work out how to fit that in there, think I've got it sussed out though.

Started welding it up today, using roll cage tube and some 3mm plate and 2mm plate for gussets (only). Bugger me I got the bottom cage tube so hot it saged ! it's out by 1.8mm now. But I got the center stuff all done. The centre reference off the watts linkage is in, and the shock platform, and the plates to make the centre shock mount. I'll start on making the cantilevers tomorrow and stop at the 11.5mm hole which is as large as I can go at the moment. Then seek out a solution to that.

Oh well, seems I have to make a visit to a local mechanic I know who's got a press I can use to sort that sagging issue out. Also, could just leave the sag in there, it's pretty even and wont effect anything, I'd take a guess it's 1.8mm on one side and 2.5mm on the other.

Also, the chuck on my 13mm maximum drill press wont take anything larger than 11.5mm, annoying, I need to drill a 12.5mm hole for the shock mounts. *sigh*, it never ends.

So, I had to stop at the shock mounts until I can solve that problem. Will hit again tomorrow,

Pics when I've something worth showing.

[edit]

Tack'ed up the center shock mounts, and started to think about the ratios the cantilevers are going to need. I reckon its worth doing the math and thinking it through properly before I even consider cutting anything. I did consider mocking something up and doing the trial and error thing but it seemed pointless when I really considered it. I can see its really going to work but I did work out a few things.
I really want to run a tig welder over the welds so get them looking prettier. I _need_ to mock this up under the car to learn more about this design. That bloody drill is a serious pain in the arse, I could weld up the center shock mounts if it wasnt for thatThis looks complex, but it isnt. It's possible, if I get this right, to reverse the four link back onto this frame, but it wont be possible to work out if that is possible until the base design is completed (cantilevers and shocks done).

[nigelwade]

I've had quite a number of break in attempts recently, I count 4 in the last month. Someone is very keen to get into the garage and keeps trying. I got the welder out and re-enforced the doors and made up some special locking mechanism's when the doors are closed it would literally take serious equipment to get in, cant be opened from the inside.

Wont's be alot of updates for a while. We're in the process of getting ready to move so all the tools and stuff are being boxed up, as are all the car parts. The car is going to be re-assembled and readied for transport. Hence the sudden interest in the rolling frame. Since security is becoming an issue I've had to remove the wheels off the frame .. just in case.

Progress wise, during this period I can only work on the electrics really, so I'll hit the new fuse box fairly soon and keep on till thats done. It wont take much to put the doors back on so I'll leave those off till moving day.

[nigelwade]

Out with the old, and in with the new. The electrics I made 4yrs ago cost like $300, looked pretty average, and were a great way of learning more about Automotive electrics, .. I've moved on from there.

The old ...


The new.

Got a Hazard Button.


With alot of wires out the back I have yet to even attempt to figure these out.


This seems complex .. but it's .. oh heck I'm dreading this, I've had this thing about 6wks and haven't touched it yet.



This came out of an Audi, fairly late model, does alot of cool stuff.



I welded up a frame to sit it under the glove box, fits perfectly. I'll have to make a cover out of Carbon Fibre when I next do some glass work.



I think this will be a huge improvement. It will also allow me to unplug and remove the entire dash, wiring and all, and store it safely, with the loom and all electrics inside it (including the ecu which is mounted to the dash via a frame. The next stage of this project will involve alot of heavy engineering (rear end, tubs, four link, front end wheel tubs, new inner walls forward of struts) so this makes alot of sense.