ParaDime Project

[paradime]

Yah, I have the latches, but still need the little mounting clips that go in the window frame.

 

I have a question. Other than heavier spring, is there any way to keep the rear end from diving under all that power? I'm running 250 lb. springs on coil overs and a 5/8" sway bar. As you can see in the videos, the back end really squats, and accelerating out of corners, the rear end is getting kind of vague and mushy. If I roll through a corner everything feels tight and sticky. Any ideas?

[Z chopper]

maybe a 3/4" sway bar or air adjustable shocks?

[paradime]

Maybe a Miata four link rear suspension.  :devil:

[Z chopper]

Maybe a Miata four link rear suspension.  :devil:

maybe the whole miata suspension front and rear

[paradime]

Shit, why not sell the damn thing and get a Miata?

[Z chopper]

Shit, why not sell the damn thing and get a Miata?

because a miata doesn't have the classic looks of a 510

[paradime]

Oh Yah.

[paradime]

Trying to drive at night with the stock 510 headlight is bad enough with an L16, but with the SR, it's woefully inadequate. It needs lighting that's qual to the go fast. My brother will be the only one driving the car at night, so he was pushing for this upgrade. After researching the options, here's what we came up with.

 

 

These are Hella projector beam headlights that sell for $65 each. We got two low, 2 high. The bolt pattern on the outside edge of the projector housing fits right onto the flat inner lip of the 510's headlight pot. Drill four 3/16th holes on the lip and it's in.

 

The stock electrical system is not up to the job of powering these lights, so it needs a relayed power source and heavier gage wire. While pricing out the parts to put together a harness, I called Ray at rallylights.com to place the order. I told him what we were doing and he offered to build it for $130 all parts included. I couldn't pass that up. Everything down to the stock light plug interface means all I need to do is get power from the starter, ground, and connect the old headlight plug to the new relay trigger plug and it's good to go.

 

 

I plan on painting the inside of the light pots silver, and putting a chrome mesh headlight protector over each to maintain the stock four eyed look. 

[paradime]

Started to install the projector headlights this weekend and it was easy enough. The inner flange on the headlight buckets lined up perfect with the projector bolt patters on the high beam, but the low beam pattern was a bit smaller. I notch the edge of the flange where each bolt passed through and used rubber and metal washers to pinches the flange to hold the housing in place. Easy and effective. The adjustments are still done with the stock headlight bucket. Worked out great.

 

Still not sure about the look though. I tried painting the inner dish silver, but that really looked janky, so I'm sticking with black. I'm getting a set of chrome mesh headlight guards to cary the sealed beam look. I may set the lights back by mounting them from behind the flange. The issues are the bolts and washers would be visible in the dish, and having it set back another 1/2" would get in the way of my air filter mount. Still haven't decided on that. One thing for sure, this will push me to get the fender garnishes around the headlight housing and the lower grill piece. The projector lights are too much of a departure from the stock look for my taste, so having those light guards and grill bits on there should help bring things back in visual balance.

 

This gives an idea of what they looks like so far. 

 

[tr8er]

 

Un fucking canny.

[paradime]

ouch 

[paradime]

Got the lights mounted solid, and I'm happy with the look as is. On a solid black grill with the stainless rings on there, it has a sinister feel. Turns out, even when the Hella projector housing is mounted on the outside of the headlight dish it still sits deep enough to cause issues. I have to remount the air filter, coolant reservoir, and reroute a bunch of wiring. 

 

[maltese]

ouch

Why ouch? Johnny number 5 is the man!!

 

 

How's the light output with those? Good cutoff?

[paradime]

Haven't wired them up yet, but I'll get a pict of the low beam illuminating the garage door as soon as I hook them up.

[paradime]

So I hooked them up last night, and Damn :w00t: they're bright, and the cutoff line is flat and crisp. I'm really impressed. Unfortunately, Halloween decor is blocking the garage door, so the pict will have to wait.

 

[banzai510(hainz)]

cool CAR

but dont like the lights

Ruins the stock 510 lines Thasts what makes the 510 look good is the lights  . Just my opinion

[qship510]

Yah, I have the latches, but still need the little mounting clips that go in the window frame.

 

I have a question. Other than heavier spring, is there any way to keep the rear end from diving under all that power? I'm running 250 lb. springs on coil overs and a 5/8" sway bar. As you can see in the videos, the back end really squats, and accelerating out of corners, the rear end is getting kind of vague and mushy. If I roll through a corner everything feels tight and sticky. Any ideas?

raising the rear control arm pivots 1" kills most of the squat

[paradime]

raising the rear control arm pivots 1" kills most of the squat

Can you elaborate on this?

 

From what I understand, the cause of the 510's squat is that when the car is lowered, the "semi" trailing arm is not parallel to the ground in static position. It's the angle that loads up the springs under power. So, if the car is lowered and only the inner pivot points are adjusted to correct camber and toe, the trailing arm is still not in correct alignment. I've heard razing both pivot points helps reduce squat, but what dose it do to cornering? Here's the rub, razing both pivot points may flatten the trailing arm, but without also razing the diff, it fouls up the geometry relative to the diff and radically alters the roll center. The last thing I want to do is to solve one problem by creating two more.

 

I have a rear cross member floating around my garage, and I really should build it with the DatSport fully adjustable brackets. Getting wider rims to accommodate the 205 15s in the rear has really cleaned up the vagueness powering out of corners. To be honest, My fear is the absolute adjustability of the DatSport brackets would open a can of warms that I just don't have time to work out. 

[Baz]

Regardless of ride height the rear needs to be at least 25mm higher than the front measured off the rocker panel.

 

With firmer suspension setup these days the use of RCAs on the front can be detrimental.

 

The rear roll centre needs to be higher than the front.

 

The use of leaf spring type rear shocks is a fail. Rear shocks need to be close to 50/50 in rate.

 

Minor adjustments to the toe can have a huge affect on the handling.

Rear camber needs to be close to zero to 1 degree neg & toe 4mm as a starting point.

 

Note that with our kit the toe can be adjusted on the fly to tune the turn in.

[paradime]

Thanks Baz. Huge respect for the stuff you guys are producing down there. Great info, and I'll surely take it. 

[paradime]

cool CAR

but dont like the lights

Ruins the stock 510 lines Thasts what makes the 510 look good is the lights  . Just my opinion

 

I hear you Hainz, and agree, the four eyed grill is a 510 signature. I've been on the hunt for a clean stock 510 for just that reason. I LOVE the stock look of the 510. From inside and out, this SR swapped dime is far from stock though. I've stripped it down to it's basic form with blacked out chrome, the sidelights, and key holes shaved, tinted glass, and Cali style rubber. It's a modernized look, so the projector lights fit that theme, while the stainless rings hint back to the classic look. I know this much of a departure is not for everyone, but it's fun pushing that edge with this car. 

[KoHeartsGPA]

I like it, those headlights really pop, yellow and black is my second favorite combo to red & black, looks great, paradime ;)

[paradime]

Zygrene's Top 5 Driver's Cars of 2016! Out of more that 50 cars, my little monster made the list.  :thumbup:

 

[Lockleaf]

Congrats man. Very cool

[paradime]

TEST