zep

I'm really spamming this thread these days.

I'm interested in converting my spring and shock rear to coilover. What needs to be done in terms of strengthening the turret and the mount on the diff.

Here's how the shocks mount to the diff normally:

Here's the turret:

And I also have the cage in the rear that I could potentially tie it in to (sorry for this shocking photo, I hope you get the idea):

Cheers boys.

Thanks everyone, lots to think about - not sure this makes it any easier though! It's really too bad that the 225 options for 15s are either offroad or semi-slick! I am a little wary of dropping back to 205s, even though that means quite a few more options.

16 minutes ago, Vintage Grumble said:

I've had A048's and NT01's, but only on a 930kg 200hp car. The AO48's were probably ultimately grippier, but gave no warning they were going to let go. They also needed a bit of warming up. The NT01's are also very good, and don't seem to need warming up, they just work well from the get go, and do give you a bit more warning before they let go/let go a bit more progressively. Both aren't great in the wet (due to starting out with like 4mm of tread or less) but the NT01's are slightly better in the wet I reckon.

One thing to remember with semis on the road, is they chuck up stones like sons-of-bitches due to the sticky icky.     

I drove around for ages on the NT01's, std rain was OK, but I did have it let go on standing water a couple of times, and poo'd my pants. You'd probably be better off to go for a really good road tyre if you're on road 99% of the time. 

Yeah, I'm a little scared about the letting go with no notice situation. And that standing water sounds all sorts of fun. I am wondering if I just suck it up and shell out for the Proxes R1Rs.

4 minutes ago, sheepers said:

something to remember when going from a road tire to a semi slick is that they are generally wider for the same size. so if your mm away with your current tires then it would pay to check fitment before comitting to buying whatever tire you end up with. 

Thanks for that advice. I was planning to buy the tires before the car went to the panel shop, so essentially I can *make* them fit!

My new engine build is likely to have close to 400rwhp in a car that's sub 1000kg. I'm a bit concerned with gaining traction. My rims are 15x7, not looking to change these any time soon.

It's been suggested that I go for 225s and there are a number of options, although they are all semi-slicks - except the Proxes R1R which are very expensive. As this is 99% a street car, should I be worried about them not getting hot enough, and/or issues driving when the road is wet? The next size option (really) are 205s, which are significantly smaller but offer a tonne more "high performance" "road" varieties. Am I better off with wider semi slicks or thinner high performance road tires?

Below are the options I've gathered in the 225 range.

What do ya'll think?

Check out the stuff from Car Builders. IF you watch their YouTube, they reckon you don't need heat and that it also comes off real easy. Seems to good to be true but I bought it anyway. Currently sitting in a box.

On 29/01/2021 at 14:24, cletus said:

Looks like a good design. Who makes them? 

If it's a "recognized manufacturer " then there is less involved than if it's someone doing one offs

Worst case scenario it might need NDT and making sure the tube sizes meet our requirements 

Hey @cletus

The place that makes them is called FabHouse: https://www.facebook.com/FabHouse05

Here are a few more pics and some info the owner gave me:

"They are made from 3mm CDs tube all tig welded uppers are factory length with adjustment rubber bushes heims joints and fit the slotted ball joints for extra adjustment"

Hey @cletus, these upper A arms are being made in Aussie and will be "engineerable in QLD". Assuming the welding and clearance are good, do they look certable in NZ? They are bolt in and give more caster and camber adjustment than the stock arms.

Stock arm for reference:

Saw this Gemini driving down K rd a few days later - who owns it? Looked like it was lowered with a young dude driving it.

1 hour ago, cletus said:

I'd say 10mm thick steel minimum. 

 

Have you got a plan for making them the right shape? I assume they will have a dogleg in them like those ones do? 

Sweet. I need to double check that 10mm wont mean the bolts interfere with the hub, but it should be okay.

I am still in the planning stage of working out the shape, but yes, they will dogleg back like the stock ones, maybe 10mm further back. I may be able to have a mate CAD them up and CNC cut them so they are one piece with no welding needed.

Hey @cletus - I'm looking to fabricate new caliper mounts for some Brembos I've got my hands on. Essentially, they will be similar to those in the pics below, but the bolt holes will be spaced wider apart and will sit back towards the car about 10mm more than current. Is there anything I need to be aware of in terms of metal types, strength, thickness etc?

Ah yep. I'm hoping to hard wire mine in. But that shouldn't be too difficult I guess.

3 hours ago, fuel said:

 

I also plugged mine into a USB power bank that lasts about 8 hours before going flat that way I would get constant footage being recorded when parked, at least for a few hours - as it seems I've been getting hit within minutes of parking my car and leaving to go into a store etc. Once the car starts back up it charges the power bank and turns the camera back on again.

This is smart, can you give some more info on how you did this?

On 15/01/2021 at 11:01, Scrubb said:

Awesome, thanks zep.

If you don't mind can you let us know of what kind of cost you get quoted?

This is from A Class Metal Finishers in South Australia. It's not cheap! But bear in mind I have 3 largish pieces of trim:

I was thinking of something AliExpress as I like to support the CCP

Hey ya'll

I'm keen to put a dash (and maybe rearward facing) camera in my gem. After all the hard work I'd hate for someone to hit and run me. Being an old car I'd like to keep it pretty discrete. Does anyone have any experience with cameras that hide well behind the rearview mirror or even in the grille? I don't need an LCD display or anything.

Any recommendations?

Cheers

45 minutes ago, Scrubb said:

What was your method to remove the paint/chrome? I've got some plastic pieces that are chrome and have black painted over some of it so I think I need to follow this process for them.

I tried a few things when trying to remove the paint but ended up using oven cleaner if I remember rightly.

The chrome was removed by Industrial Electroplaters in Onehunga.

Despite all this, I am actually going to send the remaining trims to a place over in Aussie. They specifically state that they do rechroming of ABS plastics on their website. The guy at Industrial Electroplaters showed me something he tried on that didn't work well - this is not his main business though. I'd rather go with a group who actually do plastic chroming regularly.

Cheers man. Will be keen to have a chat about a few different things that need a cert soon.

Looking to do some chassis strengthening up the front of my car. I'll probably buy this kit, or make up my own version.

https://www.retrofication.co.uk/338.html

Mostly keen on the A pillar gussets and the chassis to bulkhead gussets.

Am I going to run to any issues?

On 30/10/2020 at 15:46, Sunbeam said:

Hurhur. Missed the turbo bit...have to read from the beginning again!

I probably haven;'t really addressed it. But it is a similar build to the g-series I had in there before. It's just a slightly more modern (barely) engine.

Saying that, there is at least one dude in Aussie with a 10.5:1 comp g-series running 35psi or something. So it is doable.

53 minutes ago, Sunbeam said:

Why is 9.5:1 too high compression? Seems quite mild.

With a turbo on an engine designed in 1980?

Whoops! Yep.