New S14 Project - Complete Swap

[Karateboy88]

Hey guys,

I just picked up a 99.9% empty shell. The only thing it has is a rust free body, brake lines, and some of the interior wirings. I also have a 100% complete running car with bad body.

I think you can see where I am going with this. Rust free shell will inherit everything from the rusted S14.

I am looking for advice as to what order to do the swap in.

The rust-free shell was an auti-tragic. The rusted body is 5 swap.

I was thinking

-Electrical wiring-All lights-Interals (cluster, radio, power windows)-5 speed swap-Engine + transmission-Rear Sub frame-Rest of suspension

Looking for more advice. Pics tomorrow.

[driven_]

gasp*

i need one too

a rust free shell that is.

[Karateboy88]

Introducing Mr. Black and Mr. Red

5 Speed swap will ensue

The rear has some damage but I have a few friends that do body work so I may be able to score a great deal on that.















NOTHING You see here is rust other than the dash support bar. Everything else is just dirt that may look like rust to some thanks to the flash





I already pulled the interior

[driven_]

i envy you.also,i envy the fact that you got a BLACK shell.

if you come across one.let me knowwwwwwwwwwwwww.

these ruby pearl things must attract rust or something.

[s13boost]

I am in the exact same situation you are. Complete car, with a rusted out frame. Next to it is my (as you correctly put it) 99.9% empty shell. No windows, but it IS welded at every seam and nook and cranny. It DID come with a complete uncut wiring harness tho. I'm starting the swap this weekend, and my idea was to do the suspension and brake etc. first, because I think it would be much easier to work on a rolling chassis. My 2 cents. That's one sexy black shell tho. Congrats and good luck.

[Karateboy88]

Thanks for the well wishes.

I am thinking about spot welding every seam too but I don't even want to rip up the sound deadening on this rust free oem beauty

I might change Mr. Red into a track whore.

[driftneil]

i envy you.also,i envy the fact that you got a BLACK shell.

if you come across one.let me knowwwwwwwwwwwwww.

these ruby pearl things must attract rust or something.

Eh...I have 2 ruby shells, one is desicrated with rust.....The other has not a spot on it. But there from diff places, one from upstate Pa(rusted). The other from Va(no rust).....Btw I am selling the rust free one.

[tctomasc]

don't even worry bout that dash support bar, its exactly like the battery trays, they just rust

G4reat start man, keep it up

[maj Andres]

WOW, the FSM, S14, and you are going to know each other reeeeally well

[24j0hn]

ouch, a cracked windshield can cost A LOT!!!

[Karateboy88]

ouch, a cracked windshield can cost A LOT!!!

Mr. Red has a clean, un-cracked windshield. All I need to pay is for installation

[driftneil]

Real hard to pull a windshield and not crack it.....Practice on the old one first, and get a tool for it.Btw....I can get a windshield installed for 225. Not so bad if you ask me.

[Karateboy88]

We're in a "its a friend of a friend" situation so we should have it professionally installed in the $50-100 range

[Karateboy88]

<3 Liquid Wrech



Engine and transmission are coming out if we get the cherry picker. All the bolts are loosen- I hope my boss lets me borrow the lift!
Modified by Karateboy88 at 7:49 AM 7/11/2009

[HoosierSX]

chi-town... nice

[Karateboy88]

Half way out



For the lols





It's out!



Let me know if anyone has any problems with the larger sized images and I'll go back to posting 800x600

[Karateboy88]

While my engine is out I want to replace a few seals.

The engine is leaking from somewhere. I think its from behind the crankshaft pulley.

Do you know who where are the typical leaks on a KA24DE?

[Karateboy88]

Not much work done but did some important things.

I took off the engine wheel knuckle, the struts, and the control arms.

I also pounded out the ball joints. I owned an S13 about 4 years ago and my ball joint snapped off at 45 mph. Never want that to happen again so I checked these out and they looked like crap.

Since I had trouble with these before I knew what to use:

1) Blow Torch2) BFH



Anyone interested in some lightly used ball joints?

She's coming along

I am also going to replace the tie rod ends but these guys are not coming off, any tips?

Last thing I am going to do is sand down the entire assembly and repaint it.


Modified by Karateboy88 at 5:56 PM 7/12/2009

[Karateboy88]

Special thanks to my friend and his nitro cat. He just bought and after reading a series of good reviews. This cat is a lion!

The nut from the ball joint was as rust welded as the come. I couldn't move it with a 42'' breaker bar! The car cat took car of that in under 1 second.

Next, the cotter pins were rust welded into the nuts from the tie rod ends. Didn't stop the nitro car at all. That gun probably saved me a good hour or two just trying to wrestle out 2-3 nuts.
Modified by Karateboy88 at 5:59 PM 7/12/2009

[Karateboy88]

typo

[Karateboy88]

Today was a very productive day. We swapped all the electrical harnesses from Mr. Red to Mr. Black and started on the interior, including the heater and heater and a cooler ( is what it's called?)

Pics soon

I ran into one question so far.

Mr. Red has a brake booster with a number 4 on it and Mr. Black has a brake booster with a number 5 on it. Number 5 is about 2.5x as wide. What's the difference?

[driftneil]

Today was a very productive day. We swapped all the electrical harnesses from Mr. Red to Mr. Black and started on the interior, including the heater and heater and a cooler ( is what it's called?)

Pics soon

I ran into one question so far.

Mr. Red has a brake booster with a number 4 on it and Mr. Black has a brake booster with a number 5 on it. Number 5 is about 2.5x as wide. What's the difference?

The bigger one is the Auto booster...Its to compensate for the extra weight of the auto trans. Most people swap them, because it gives more room when/if you turbo. With the tie rod ends, most of the time they drop out if you bang the LCA with a ball peen. If not, just take the nut most of the way off and bang it on the top of the nut. Good luck, and nice progress.

[1sikS13]

i see there was no problem getting this home from my place. Good to see someone could put this to some good use. keep us updated Pawel.

[Karateboy88]

i see there was no problem getting this home from my place. Good to see someone could put this to some good use. keep us updated Pawel.

Hey how are you? Good to hear from you mike. Yea, there were no problems on the way home and the swap is coming along nicely.

I carelessly lost the contact info you have me of that auction guy- would you mind PM or emailing me the information again?

Thanks in advance

[Karateboy88]

Not too pretty...





Starting to Sandblast

One down

99% of electrical swapped!

Mr.Black is ready for the engine + trannyMr. Red is barren!



These are nice!

Ball joint



Sway bar links
Modified by Karateboy88 at 7:17 PM 7/15/2009

[Nismo400R33GTR]

don't even worry bout that dash support bar, its exactly like the battery trays, they just rust

G4reat start man, keep it up

true but just go get a can of one step and spray the rust, it turns rust into black primer, and it contains a self etching zinc-cromate, it will stop the rust from further spreading and pitting. just a thought.

[Karateboy88]

For some reason this isn't fitting in my engine bay?





I also have some thing for SALE

BRAND NEW - MSRP = 69.65 x 2

BRAND NEW HAWK HPS - MSRP 63.31 x 2



Left AND Right is Available + TRUNK with SPOILER- NO RUST

Modified by Karateboy88 at 12:56 PM 7/17/2009
Modified by Karateboy88 at 3:31 PM 7/19/2009

[s13boost]

Lookin sick dude. Keep it coming.

[hazer396]

how long have you been working on it?

[Karateboy88]

how long have you been working on it?

Roughly two weeks today.

Engine would be in my now but courtesy nissan is taking their sweet time to ship my order which includes a new main crank pulley seal and I want to replace that while the engine is out.

Small update but took forever to get this far.

Most of the subframe was taken apart, sandblasted (I don't have a booth so I had to keep running to Home Depot to get more sand) then primered. The all the linking arms have also been painted with a base coat.

Not completely done but almost!





I like the contrast between primer and base coat



One of the arms seems to be beyond hope



and Nissan wants $100 for a new one :tear:
Modified by Karateboy88 at 3:33 PM 7/19/2009