PhatKA-T.com S14 progress

[IvanAtSPRacing]

Updating the progress of my car.

Worked on the car till midnight last night and 1am tonight. The cage is complete except for two things the small angle brace bars that go from the main hoop inwards to the floor and the door bars. The door bars will be tricky. They are going to take some creative bending to get around the seat and then back around the arm rest. Front portion of the cage is complete. Both bars that extend from the main hoop and down the A pillar thru the dash are installed along with the eyebrow that connects the two just above the windshield. We finished the rear bar for the parachute mount / rear support for the fuel cell. We added two front back supports to keep the rear parachute mount from flexing when the parachute opens. Now its tied into the forward bar that the cage is tied to. Got the tabs for the fuel cell mounting welded in. Fuel cell is perfect height. You cant even see the sump from behind the car. The actual parachute mount and release mechanism still need to be done and I believe that we will put a few gussets in here and there for some extra support.


Modified by IvanAtSPRacing at 2:41 AM 10/15/2004

[WDRacing]

Is the stock fuel tank now removed? How much did it weigh?

[IvanAtSPRacing]

actually, its still in and functioning. I will weigh it and let you know if I EVER get the car back to MY shop. The car has been at the cage shop for almost two months. I have to actually go there and help motivate the chassis guy to work. I think our next date is Monday. Hopefully he works on it in the mean time and makes decent progress.

[Boost_Veteran]

I saw it at the event and they didnt look that bad. I get what you are saying though

[WDRacing]

I was just thinking that the fuel cell is awfully big for a drag car especially one with a working fuel tank still in. just my .02 though.

[IvanAtSPRacing]

I was just thinking that the fuel cell is awfully big for a drag car especially one with a working fuel tank still in. just my .02 though.

The factory fuel tank will be coming out. The fuel cell is replacing the tank for safety reasons, ease of plumbing, fuel flow, weight reduction, and weight distribution. The fuel cell is 10 gals because I plan to drive the car in additon to racing it.

Is it wrong to want the quickest 240sx / silvia in the world and still want to drive it to and from work on a regular basis?

[IvanAtSPRacing]

Worked on cage for a bit tonight.We installed the kicker bars tonight. The floor plates for these are actually bent up and ride up the vertical piece just in front of the rear seat for about an inch for strength.We added these winow gussets for some added strenght. Because I am not using a dash bar, this will aid in the front of the cage being more rigid.Here are pictures of the front bars passing thru the dash.

[WDRacing]

Good luck with the lag on the street my friend. Putting in the cage is such a pain in the ***. I'm totally not looking forward to that day...or month for that matter. Is it mandatory to have a chute if your sub 10's or sub 8's???

[IvanAtSPRacing]

I expect some lag but thats no big deal. Just to be able to drive around the car will be fine. The KA makes great torque and if it drives like an NA car till it hits 5500 thats fine. I have no need to accelerate so hard it makes me dizzy on the street.

The cage has been pretty straight forward up till the side bars. The back bars took a bit of time to figure out where we wanted them attached to the car. Doing the forward bar in the trunk area to mount the back bars worked out really well as it doubled as the front fuel cell mount. The front bars were tricky trying to get them thru the dash and avoid the computer, factory dash bar, bottom of dash, hood release, and get them centered in the factory vent holes. I just experimented with a spare door panel I have here at the shop and found that a heat gun from the back side gets the plastic pliable enough to make an indentation for clearance for the side bar in the arm rest area. So now we can make the side bar straight, move the seat over a bit to clear the bar, and heat up the door panel and close the door to form the arm rest around the door bar. It should work out well.

After the door bars go in, we will work on getting the window net in place. Then its to the removable parachute mount. After that the parachute release. Then it will finally be done at the chassis shop.

The parachute is mandatory on cars running over 150mph.

[WDRacing]

Off Topic...Are you going to SEMA in Nov? I'll be up there with Greg(AZHitman) and a few other NICO guys.

[IvanAtSPRacing]

I would like to be there, but I dont think I have the time...

[WDRacing]

How hard is the chute to install and remove for street use?

[IvanAtSPRacing]

How hard is the chute to install and remove for street use?

Basically, there will be a tube welded straight back from the rear bar in the trunk. This tube will end just before the license plate. Another tube will slip inside that tube and will extend out past the license plate that the chute mount will be attached to. Holes will be drilled thru the two tubes that slip together and nut bolt combos will hold them together. The end of the tube sticking outside the car will have tabs welded to it with another nut bolt combo that the chute cords will actually attach to. Chute will be mounted to a pad that will locate the packed chute just below the trunk lid and pointed slightly up at an angle to catch wind when released. Chute mounting pad will be welded to a support that goes down and is welded to the tube that slips into the license plate hole. Its hard to put in words so pictures will be coming soon.

Basically, removing two bolts will allow the chute and mount to be removed and the license plate will go back in place and hide everything. The actual release mechanism (a cable inside a sheath) will be tucked inside the trunk and its hidden also.

[IvanAtSPRacing]

Rob and I busted our asses tonight and got just about everything finished.

Side bars were finished up by Rob before I got there. I had to clearance the door and make sure the seats still fit (thanks Norbert for your help). Window net is half way finished.

Check out the safety belt buckle for releasing the window net. Circled is the chute release handle mounted to the cage eyebrow.

And all the way at the back is the parachute, removable chute mount, and release.

[Redline240]

Wow...thats all i can say...bout time we see more 240's as all out drag cars...too expensive i suppose, lol...

[WDRacing]

Any full time drag car is very expensive...The 240 will do well. I'm extremely interested in how she turns out Ivan.

[racingdc9]

Looks great Ivan.

[IvanAtSPRacing]

Well, the cage is DONE. The car is back at my shop where I can start on the power side of this project. It was pretty amazing that all the interior plastic went right back into place. I didnt have to trim a single panel to get everything back in. Norbert even brought a carbon fiber A pillar pod to the shop today and that went right into place with no fitment issues with the cage. Here are some pix

This view from the front shows the front and back seats installed. The rear seat even folds down just like factory.

Here is the window net fully installed.

With the window net down you can see the rest of the interior.

DS view from inside

PS view from inside

[TurboKA37]

the car looks amazing, i cant wait to see the progress on the engine/drivetrain. awesome car!

[Structure240sx]

definitly a sleeper

[Ebanks]

Hey Ivan- I have been lurking here just to look at the progress pics, and thought I would register to say the car is turning out great. Hope it is complete by tx so we can take it down! We have the truck whenever we need it.

If your project continues to look this promising you are going to end up making me spend more money AGAIN!

-Ethan

[IvanAtSPRacing]

Hey Ivan- I have been lurking here just to look at the progress pics, and thought I would register to say the car is turning out great. Hope it is complete by tx so we can take it down! We have the truck whenever we need it.

If your project continues to look this promising you are going to end up making me spend more money AGAIN!

-Ethan

Ethan,

Can we PLEASE find a car that you will be happy with for more then several months? You sold the first car I built for you... Now your selling the second car I built for you..... Maybe its time to give the Lexus' a rest and try a NISSAN. When I get the motor done for H&Ks car you will have to come up and drive it again and feel it at 500whp instead of the 320ish you were driving it at last time

[IvanAtSPRacing]

I got my Bogarts today. WOW, the car looks like a race car now. The wheels fit PERFECTLY. No spacers, no adaptors, just bolted right in.









New Steeringwheel

With quick release

[MarkEmark]

Mmm...bogarts....I have a set due to arrive next wednesday

They aren't actually drag wheels though, but bogart is custom making them, using CCW forged centers. Rich is a great guy to deal with over there, he's been extremely helpful and patient with me.

What is the size/width/offset of your bogarts? (rears, specifically)? Mine are going to be 16" x 8" with a 4 7/8" backspace (~+10 mm offset).

Car looks awesome!

[IvanAtSPRacing]

Mark,

Thanks.

Fronts are 15 x 3.5 with 2" back spacing and the rears are 15 x 9 with 7" back spacing. Back spacing on the front was maximum they could do. I wanted them tucked inside. On the rear, I could have gone with 1/2" less back spacing but I figured I could always add a spacer to bring the wheel out and cant really take material off to bring them in. I was really lucky and they fit perfectly. I wouldnt have been able to fit them if I didnt have upper adjustable A arms tho. Being lowered, the camber brought the top in and it would have hit the HKS Hyper II Drag coil over. Bringing the camber to around ZERO gives me about 1/4" clearance between the slick and the strut body.

I always find it fun to call Bogart. There is Rick, Rich, and Rickey that all work there. Rich was great to work with, but they did take about 3 times as long to get me the wheels then originally quoted.

[npaulseth]

Awesome. What are your HP/E.T./MPH goals?

Are you going straight T4 with the turbo? It's nice to see SP make something insane besides supras. I wish you the best of luck.

Thanks

Noah

EDIT: read the whole thread..... anyways, good luck on your setup. I'm from the DSM community, so it's cool to see a 240 compete with them.

How much are you getting that intake manifold done for? I've searched, and cant find any.
Modified by npaulseth at 12:02 AM 10/29/2004

[IvanAtSPRacing]

Noah (actually one of my brothers name is Noah),

Anyway, I am going to fabricate my own manifold. Most of the materials are in. I am waiting on a chunk of aluminum to come in for the mounting flange. The manifold that I am building wont be just a bolt in for the average KA owner. I will be deleating a lot of crap on that side of the motor knowing that emissions wont be an issue for me and that I will have idle controlled by AEM thru a GM style IAC on a large TB.

I dont know if there will ever be a direct bolt in replacement for the stock KA intake mani that will be reasonably priced. I would expect that if somebody did make one, it would end up having a price of about 1000 bux. There is a LOT of stuff that goes into, on, around that stocker.

[npaulseth]

Yah. Well the reason I ask is a good friend of mine, not sure if you know him, Cher from Elite autosport in Minneapolis, uses the AEM and has a SMIM. Having a good IM is a huge part in making good power. I would like to use my DSM knowledge to make my 240sx fast. I want to be able to play with my friend, who has 618 whp from his 4G64. I don't see a effeicent way to way power w/o a SMIM. As far as deleting stuff, my DSM didn't have PS, AC, power locks/windows, no sunroof, EGR delete. So I am custom to bare bones stuff. I hope to see your progress with this build, as it's almost exactly what I would do. Only thing is I would go with a 5 speed over the auto, knowing the disadvantage of the manual over the auto for 1/4 ETs.

Thanks

Noah

EDIT: If you don't want your thread whored up, feel free to IM me if you don't mind. I'm sure you have better things to do, but you seem very knowledgable (duh). With DSMs it's nice to have sites like NABR when I need info, and I'm still trying to find a site like that with Nissan info. This is by far the best site so far.

Noah
Modified by npaulseth at 12:35 AM 10/29/2004

[yelnatsch517]

Just one quick question. Why is it still automatic? Did I miss something?

[slow4dr]

Just one quick question. Why is it still automatic? Did I miss something?

It will be an auto.

Ivan, The wheel offsets are perfect. I hate to ask how much... but... how much?