]2eDeYe Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 4 inches clearance :D Quote Link to comment
Duke Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 2eDeYe;47642'']4 inches clearance :D Thats what she said... Car looks SICK that low...mine will be that low this summer hopefully. Quote Link to comment
tiltnose510 Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 Blueridge, How is your project doing? been a while. I drove mine out of the carport today. Quote Link to comment
Icehouse Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 Nice!! I still think it should be lower :D Quote Link to comment
bonvo Posted May 19, 2008 Report Share Posted May 19, 2008 how can it get any lower? but i like it Quote Link to comment
LAYEDOUTB2K Posted May 19, 2008 Report Share Posted May 19, 2008 sweet. its interesting seeing another completely cut up dime out there Quote Link to comment
blueridgespeed Posted September 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 Got the rear control arms blasted and painted, set the Diff in place (mocked up on the floor) and determined that MORE SHEET METAL had to come out. The rear package tray was right where the upper rear strut mounts needed to be - despite that fact that they're shortened considerably. HA! - part of this is due to the fact that the shell is set up 4 inches off the ground and I want close to 3 inches of suspension travel - that's not too much to ask for, is it? (sarcasm) Also, I'm going to take inspiration from Icehouse's "mini-tubs" and tub the rear inner fenderwells so the wheels can COME ON UP into the body un-hindered. Pics of the fenderwell work will follow - it'll probably be a few weeks. Today the shortened half-shafts were put together with new Nissan U-joints, boots etc. The little shortening trick involved making some needle bearings and machining off some of the "male" part of the 1/2 shaft so it can telescope further into the "female" part - and thus be shorter. (the shortened shaft were needed to accomodate the wider wheels but avoid that U-joint-killing angulation. We'll see how it works! 510 project Slowly creeping forward... still happily married....almost out of money.... OK all's good! Quote Link to comment
nismopu Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 Sounds like my project, lol! Slow, and steady. Thanks for the update, cant wait to this one on the road! peace. Quote Link to comment
denveratsun Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 Holy SH!T,,, that is one clean dime,,, mmmm....:D Anyone be able to tell me what kind of rims these are? I think they would look really great on a 71 wagon I am hoping to get. A name or type description would be swell. Nice car man, you are truly going all out and I am sure the hours spent at it will pay off. This thing is gonna handle like an Indy car:) Keep it up! Quote Link to comment
blueridgespeed Posted September 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 Yep, I sure can - those are Nissan OEM alloys, which I believe were a factory accesory for the Maxima. They're quite light. That car is now in Cali somewhere, but I have another set of (4) of those wheels, which I found and purchased 'cause I thought they were cool. I don't know the part # but I can crawl up in the shop rafters and check 'em out one day if you want... Quote Link to comment
blueridgespeed Posted September 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2008 -the shortened half-shafts will accomodate wider wheels and.... -these lower control arms, from a 240z (s30) Quote Link to comment
]2eDeYe Posted September 12, 2008 Report Share Posted September 12, 2008 Nice :cool: Quote Link to comment
pl521sss Posted September 12, 2008 Report Share Posted September 12, 2008 -the shortened half-shafts will accomodate wider wheels and.... -these lower control arms, from a 240z (s30) What do you need to do To fit those Z rear control arms? Very different from 510 arms. Quote Link to comment
blueridgespeed Posted September 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2008 What do you need to do To fit those Z rear control arms? Very different from 510 arms. I'm not using the 510 crossmember. I'll probably post some pics of the rear susp mocked up, but it's 240z chapman struts (basically like front MacPhersons). So the control arms mount to the struts on the outer end (they're both Z stuff, thus compatible). On the inner mount, we'll just be fabricating a subframe to house the differential and mount the inner end of the control arms. The er, "advantages" of working with a shell gutted of everything including the floor (see early post pics, I think the rear area is kinda visible) -Current plan is to use fabricated "rod ends" (a section of tubing and a threaded stud) -to house polyurethane bushings, which are commercially available for the z stuff. Luckily, the ID of 1 3/4" .125 DOM tubing fit the poly bushings perfectly without even needing to turn them down. This setup will give infinitely adjustable toe adjustment and a slight amount of track width adjustment (and independent on each side!) Pics will demonstrate better, if I'm not making much sense here. Probably a few weeks and I'll post pics of the rear susp. mocked up. -HA! a few weeks or months anyway, but it'll happen eventually! Quote Link to comment
denveratsun Posted September 12, 2008 Report Share Posted September 12, 2008 Thanks for the 411 on those rims. Yeah...you are doing a great job man! Everything is lookin' really great:D Quote Link to comment
blueridgespeed Posted September 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 Nice!! I still think it should be lower :D I'm entirely vulnerable to peer pressure (Duke and Icehouse that means you) - especially when I'm being goaded into making the car low! As most folks have figured out, the main hindrance to lowness (other that rear geometry, is clearance for the wheels up into the wheelwells. I'm talking when you're REALLY low here. Well, today I took the 3-inch cutoff wheel, reciprocating saw, and metal snips to the inner fender wells in preparation for the tubs. This will free up over 3 inches of clearance, vertically, above the rear wheels. I have the 14" Watanabes that I plan to run, but I got to glimpsing some 15x7 wheels on a certain 240z with 225/50/15's and thought "man, that'd be cool if I could run even larger wheels under the 510 some day" Well, you know what they say, "if you're going to do it, this is the time...." My fabrication mentor suggested some dimensions and after we made up a tub template, we scribed some lines and let the sparks fly! I'll post pics, which should make it more clear, but the fender lip structure and the stamped brace that sits at the 12:00 position above the wheel well will be retained in a way that the new tub will be welded to it. IT'll be very strong, without any "flopping, flapping sheet metal" Many folks might have never seen this brace if they haven't had a car this far apart, but if you pulled off the rear pillar vents and looked down in there, you'd see the braces that tie in the top of the wheelwell housing and then form a support to the outer sheet metal - following the exact shape of the "blood groove" body character line that run horizontally along our 510's Anyway, the old wheel well metal's on the floor now - so I'm commited! Quote Link to comment
Skib Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 If your running the 240z rear suspension are you going to use the stock R180 open diff. or upgrade to the R200 open or LSD diff.? Quote Link to comment
blueridgespeed Posted September 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 For now, I'll be running a 90's subaru/fuji clutch-type LSD, which is a R160. This car will probably weigh 2200lb and have about 200hp. With 195-60-14 Falkens and the above weight/power, I don't think it'll overwhelm the R160. Keep in mind (see back a few posts) that I'm running stock half-shafts, shortened. My thoughts are that this is the stuff I have around, so I'm working with it. If something fails, the next step would probably be a r180 (with LSD) or r200 LSD and c/v joints. The R160 in LSD form has held up under Lum's (heavier) 510 with 300hp and I have a friend daily driving (hard!) a 240z with a modified (prob around 200hp) L28 with the subie R160 (yes, he took out the stock z R180 and put in a R160lsd) and it's been fine for years and prob. upwards of 40-50K miles by now. If I could snap my fingers and make it happen magically, I'd do a NEW Nissan Motorsports LSD into an R180 and order a set of Todd Walrich's C/V axles, but that whole affair would push $2K, versus the minimal cost I've got in R+R time, new seals, gaskets, and Nissan U-joints for my setup. I also like the idea of the slightly lighter setup. I believe an R160 saves about 15 lbs over the larger diffs. I weighed 'em once, but forgot the exact numbers. Quote Link to comment
Skib Posted September 26, 2008 Report Share Posted September 26, 2008 very cool, this a badass project :thumbsup: Quote Link to comment
Duke Posted October 3, 2008 Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 Looks like your old car is up for sale again... http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/863831033.html Man, I wish I had the money, looks like a good deal. Quote Link to comment
slodat Posted October 3, 2008 Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 I can't believe they only want $4k for that car. It is a damn nice dime!!! Quote Link to comment
blueridgespeed Posted October 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 Looks like your old car is up for sale again... http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/863831033.html Man, I wish I had the money, looks like a good deal. (wiping tears) "sniff" I'm so happy to see she's alive and well. Wow, what a surprise. Man, I wish I had the money MYSELF! (and was closer to CA). Having owned, built, and driven the car, I can certainly attest to the fact that it's worth the 4K! Barring any major abuse or damage since I sold it, it's a sweet car that's perfectly setup with all the goodies (in my opinion). 3.7 rear LSD. Coilovers in the front. LZ 2.2 (plus) with 89mm KA24E pistons. Mikuni 44's with heim-jointed linkage (precise). Malvern Racing cam that David Weber (R.I.P) custom spec'ed for street/autocross torque based on this exact engine stroke/displacement. Fiberglass front fenders (stock flare). Immaculate restored repainted rear trunk and tank. EXPENSIVE PPG full proper glass-out repaint including door jambs, all new rubber back in including front and rear glass seals (NISSAN!). Rebuilt door hinges x4 doors, Prelude seats. Factory nissan tach. I have a lightly moded 240z with a 4.11 in it right now, and it's NOTHING like this 510 was to drive. (yet, anyway, there'll be more mods for the z once my current 510 project is completed) This car is a high-compression, high-strung beast that ran good on 93 and great with an extra dollup of race gas, so it's possible that the current owner had street-car aspirations that didn't work out. Anyone experienced with Mikunis also knows they have AWESOME throttle response, but they're pretty thirsty and, uh, this little car has to be driven real easy to best 20mpg. It sure is fun to drive sideways, though! This is a killer deal. I really think it's worth at least twice the $$, excepting that perhaps there are lots of Dimes in Ca and the going rate there might be less. I can tell you that there's a whole lot of money in it. I'd say you'd be hard pressed to do a full 2.2 LZ rebuild like this (all Nissan gaskets,etc), including 44mm z valve top end job, Tuned Mikunis (lots of time and o2 work!), 280zx 5-speed with custom mount and shortened driveshaft, and a LSD rear diff for the asking price. That's to say nothing of the car, the interior, the new rubber all around, and for goodness sake, the PAINT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I fully stand behind the workmanship on this car, I'd be more than happy to answer any questions I can about it. I'm no longer the owner, and the owner hasn't contacted me at all about the sale, so I think I'd be a pretty good resource for info on the car. I could tell you a few things it still needs to be perfect, in my opinion. Please PM me, though. This is making me nostalgic, and I need to focus on the current project (this thread) Quote Link to comment
Icehouse Posted October 4, 2008 Report Share Posted October 4, 2008 So your mini tubbing it? I don't like cutting upside down, actually I think welding upside down is worse :D So with your new suspension what is going to be the widest tire you can run? Frank has 235's under his car, and boy o boy are they nice :D With the Z suspension will that kinda rubber fit? I'm entirely vulnerable to peer pressure (Duke and Icehouse that means you) - especially when I'm being goaded into making the car low! hehe :D My goal is to someday have a dime so low when I go over big bumps the rockers hit the ground :D haha Quote Link to comment
blueridgespeed Posted October 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2008 So your mini tubbing it? I don't like cutting upside down, actually I think welding upside down is worse :D So with your new suspension what is going to be the widest tire you can run? Frank has 235's under his car, and boy o boy are they nice :D With the Z suspension will that kinda rubber fit? I'll post pics, I promise! In fact I'm going to go "borrow back" the aircard I share with my neighbor so I can load pics to photobucket and get a couple on here. The shell's up on sawhorses (floorless, glassless shells are nice to work on when you can balance the whole thing on your shoulders and move it around!) - so creaky knees and necks aren't suffering! In fact, all this work has been done while sitting on a comfy pneumatic roll-around doctor's office stool! I hope to be able to fit 225's. I don't own any 235's or x8" wide rims at this point. As far as compatibility with the Z susp, I don't think it'll be a problem (wheel offset depending, of course. Z's (like mine) run 225's all day long, so I'm sure the right 235's would work. The Z susp on this 510 project has been converted to coilovers, and thought the 2.5 dia springs are smaller than the stockers, the (otherwise best) lower spring perch on coil overs is down where it would contact the tire as it gets up there in width.... OK, job 1 today is wrangling the 4 and 8 year old daughter (wife, please come home and help!) but then I'll try to get some pics up here for entertainment value at least! Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.