~Slideways~

Thoughts on leaf spring live axles?

I mean Escorts and Rx's can handle well with leaf springs...

I went to Pick a Part and had a look at some live axles, the wheel base of the N360 is 1295 according to Wikipedia I'm sure that is with the skinny wheels though. Since it has leaf spring rear it's the easiest option for rwd if I go that direction. Its also the most horse and cart option handling wise but it's still be a rwd Kei car. The 4 stud makes it easier wheel wise. Suzuki Carry: Found a 1999 Suzuki Carry with coil spring rear live axle, its was about 1385mm. Could work width wise, but the diff ratio is going to be in the 5:1 range I'd bet. I need around 3:1 due to the small wheels, even then it'll be doing 5-6000rpm at 100kph. But it'll be able to rev to 13000rpm depending on the bike engine. Sounds bad but my old standard AE86 used to do almost 4000rpm at 100kph. VN Commodore: 3:08:1 is common, its a straight tube type so is easier to shorten. According to this diagram you can get it down to 1325mm without custom half shafts. But then I have 5x120 to deal with. Maybe I could redrill the stub axles and use 4 stud discs. Holden IRS diff in a MX5 subframe. Use a 3.08:1 Holden diff, cut up mx5 subframe. This would make it easier to fit a starter motor reverse since the diff doesn't move. This is much more complicated though, cutting floor, coil spring mounting points etc. That guy did similar with the VFR800 one, using some other diff that wouldn't be common in NZ. --------------------------------- Leaf spring rear is by far the easiest, also solves the problem of the probably stuffed standard rear drums and hard to get bits. How 'bad' is a leaf spring rear going to be for handling though? It's not going to be a race car 10/10ths thing, its mainly going to be a fun road car.

Update on the 50/50 water meth injection, it LOVES it, man what a difference. It revs out freely like a totally different engine, not something I ever expected and on the motorway it pulls way better in 5th. I'd heard that diesel turbo's love water/meth injection but man it really does! It really feels like a different engine. I'm looking at getting a TD27 turbo injection pump for the boost compensator bits, so later on I can get that built into a bigger TD42 pump since I am still on the standard NA pump with the max fuel screw turned up (might be a bit more in it still). But in saying that, it's going so much better that maybe I won't need it I mean the 50% meth is like an extra injector anyway. I'll need to tow a heavy weight and see how it goes.

I've read conflicting information, is it acceptable to modify/shorten/weld half shafts? EDIT: Looking into it, I don't think welding is an option but shortening and resplining could work.

While I was under there I finally found the speed sensor plug I got from a generic fwd Toyota at Pick a Part since my gearbox didn't have one. I was going to run the wire through the bung/hole for the AFR sensor but I ended up putting it through the gearlever hole since there is a small gap now after the short shifter install. The plug fits perfectly, I assume Toyota just have a generic 3 wire plug. Googled the pinout and found one with different colour wires, but I assume it should still be: 1- IGN power 2 - Ground 3 - Speed pulse output Now I need to wire in the Yellow Box speed correction and see if I can get a reading on the dash.

Loops in, I used the offcuts as the backing plates since the surface area is enough. Yup, the subframe is bright green. It was like that when I bought it as a rolling body it has grown on me now.

Driveshaft hoops, I used the factory 200sx two piece so I need two hoops so I bought two universal hoop kits to LVVTA specs. With the exhaust crossing over it is was a bit of a pain to work around, the 'universal kits' are good quality but I ended up cutting and welding them so much I might as well have started with some flat bar. Oh well. Love these magnet jobbies.

The fan fit nicely in there. I've wired it up with a 24v relay and a manual switch on the dash, probably only useful off roading though really.

24v radiator fan arrived. So I took the intercooler off, sprayed some degreaser through it, then covered the ends and poured some kerosene inside and left it in the sun. Poured out looking oily. Sprayed more degreaser through and it looks clean. Filled with hot water and car wash a couple of times. FIlled and rinsed with hose. Super clean inside. Fan is the perfect size (yay meth): Its back in and with manual wiring to batteries it really pulls the air through! Need a 24v relay to wire it in with a switch on the dash.

The crank case breather is plumbed into the turbo intake which has put a decent amount of oil into the intercooler so I found some bits and pieces in the garage to make a cheap ass catch can to put inline. - Aluminium tank from broken primer gun - Random brass fitting from something or other - Bought some stainless scourers - Left over oil resistant rubber hose It'll probably work better than the Ebay stuff that has nothing inside. ...Better than nothing at least.

I was surprised it didn't seem to make a difference to the EGT's, but the ass dyno tells me it definitely pulls better. Plus the steam cleaning it'll be getting is nice. Oh and I set it to come on at 7psi, the wastegate is set to 14psi. Have ordered a 24v radiator fan to fit under the intercooler too.

Temporarily installed this old Aquamist set up I got off Adoom ages ago, receipt says he bought it 10 years ago so is the older type pump. I just wanted to see what kind of effect it would have, the kit came with 0.5mm, 0.6mm and 0.7mm jets which looks to be about 160cc - 375cc. Since it just temporary I just used an old antifreeze bottle to hold the fluid and ran the pump etc under the drivers seat, I plan to mount it all in the back but I need to get some more 4mm ptfe hose. With the smallest jet and straight water it didn't seem to make much difference, so I went straight to the 0.7mm jet and about 30% meth. It really makes a difference, it pulls much better in the top end when previously it felt like it wasn't getting enough fuel. So I'll find a supplier of the tube and install it properly, I'm wondering about getting a t-piece and seeing if it would work with two jets maybe pre-turbo with the really small jet. You can get up to 1.2mm which will flow 700cc's but why not just run two of the current jets?

It could be a VSR? It must be factory due to the way it was mounted, I wonder why it was there.

Looking at installing water meth and while I was in the engine bay I wondered what this was and found it had a huge earth or positive cable tucked up under the battery tray going nowhere and an opposite terminal not connected to anything either (with no cable at all). Then one small wire going to the loom and a small spade terminal next to it with nothing connected. In my 5-6years of owning it, it won't have been doing anything. No part number on it....so WTF is it? Some kind of 24v power reducer? The writing on the top is just me so I remember which vehicle it came from in 10 years haha.

I was planning to go to Pick a Part to find an amber bulb fitting that would suit the bumper lights, since the manufacturer stuffed up and didn't include the right ones. Then I found some in a pile of jzx100 left overs that fit perfect, just needed to go to Supercheap auto to get the right amber bulb instead of clear. Mish mash of LED and Toyota bits to make it work: LED park light's work nicely, but look kind of strange with the old headlight bulbs... Had to trim the light housing a bit but then they fit nicely:

Installed the hoist over the last few weeks, took a bunch of measurements to figure out the best location based on the roof line of each vehicle since I am limited by the position of the I-beam in the centre of the garage, its there for holding up the house and also has a block and chain on it which is handy. Plus the roller door roll too. Tested with the 200SX on it and its perfect and can go to max height too. Won't be able to with the Safari but I knew that would be the case. ^That guard to door panel gap is just because the guard isn't attached at the bottom.

Depends what you are painting over it with, if 2K it would probably need a sealer coat sprayed first else it might react. I'm no expert but that's what I've found with some research. If just spraying with 1K stuff or like my trailer I sprayed with mitre10 KillRust enamel top coat and it had no issues.

While waiting for the paint to dry on the Safari I started on the clutch line and bleeding this. When I put the shorter clutch master in, I kept losing pressure after a dozen or so pedal pumps. Found it to be a leak in the fitting at the master, took it off and it looked like it might be the hose end, which is the factory JZX100 line just bent to fit the 200sx. It worked fine with the old clutch master, so maybe it got damaged. It's an awkward position to get the hard line in the right spot so decided to get a braided line made. Found these guys, 'HEL Performance' with a custom line builder on their website. So measured and found the right thread etc. Ordered at about 3pm Wednesday and it arrived over night! The quality is awesome, nice machined (cnc?) female ends etc. So far no leaks and a good pedal feel, no test drive yet. I'll be making a heat shield between the downpipe and other stuff.

Ended up having to rush this, so got it to a decent state and rattle can'd it. It turned out okay anyway and I want to respray the whole roof with the compressor spray gun later. Just needed it sealed up so I can use it this weekend. But I know it's all new metal and fish oiled etc so will last another 28 years...probably.

Skim of filler and lots of sanding. Need to get it ready to be in the weather again by next weekend. Lordy that's a long section to block back and keep flat, arms dying. Back section, lots of work to keep the roof curved right. View from the roof, two projects sit and wait.

Wife bought me an R154 Cube Speed short shifter for my birthday, had heard good things about these (cube speed, not wives). Nicely made thing, fit perfectly to the gearbox it was made for, but it wasn't made for the chassis it is in so had to trim back the gearboot plastic trim itself. Fck it feels nice! Very direct clicky engagement, currently only tested without clutch working but still feels good. It came in a box: Original factory gearstick with massive truck throw (it has been modified with an s-bend to bring it back a bit): 3rd gear: 4th gear: Cube shifter: 3rd: 4th: Super short throw, can't wait to try it. It's a bit further forward due to the straighter lever but it's in a good position from the drivers seat. Boot and trim modified for clearance: Got sick of the dash and door cards looking like sh1t after sanding dust getting everywhere so I cleaned and coated it with some leather wax stuff which seemed to work:

That'll suck. Non sliding windows but will give them a clean.

Sprayed fish oil stuff in the roof, sills and all 6 doors. Excess shit coming out everywhere haha, good thing I plan to resurface the driveway one day. You can see a couple of pin holes in the welds in the primered area where it seeped through. New gutter section on the rear: Getting there...

Man I like those mesh wheels on the crown, that's the kind of thing I'd like to widen for one of my cars.