The Journey of my s14..... Edited: Suspension refresh

[Raz007]

Well I figured it was time for me to make a thread. I read though many build threads here, but don't post that often. Decided I could use a place to chronicle my car's progress. As it's my daily driver, I won't be adding a turbo, slamming it, or stripping the interior. But it has come a fair way from day one, and so far I'm pleased.

Well without further ado:

I bought this 1996 240sx for $2000 cash while living in Fort Lauderdale. 5 speed, 120,000 miles, Aiwa deck, Pioneer speakers, keyless entry alarm, AEM intake, and a clean interior. It had been sitting in someone's backyard for around a year, and I had never seen it move. So I offered the guy $2k, and he happened to need some cash, so BAM! 240 is mine. All in good time too, as I was heading back to NC later that week. Car fired right up on the first try (I did bring a new battery with me), so I drove back to my condo, and changed all the fluids and spark plugs. Then took it to work that weekend to give it a good washing. Pics!

When I first got it:










And after the wash. Had to get some sandpaper out for the rims, damn they were dirty.





So now that it was clean, on to the next issue. The car really needed new tires, so I promptly got on a forum and found a buyer for my Thunderbird SC the next day. I wasn't planning on keeping both cars anyways, and the SC needed a lot of work. So I gave a guy a great deal, and he showed up the next day to take it off my hands. So that same day, I went shopping. Needed tires, so why not rims too? Pics:

18" four lugs........ have no idea what company. Got a great deal, so I wasn't worried about it.











And after all that, it was time to sleep. Was moving to NC in 2 days. 12 hour road trip, away!

[Frank E Bones]

As it's my daily driver, I won't be adding a turbo, slamming it, or stripping the interior

Since when has any of these things stoped anyone from dd their car? Other than stripping the interior, I would recommend the turbo and lowering the car (not slamming) Looks like your off to a great and lucky start (2k for an S14) glad you were able to avoid the drift tax Best of luck!

[Raz007]

I hear ya, the way I see it, a turbo would be a waste for me. No matter how much money I add to this motor, I will never get the power and fun of my "weekend" cars. Suspension, on the other hand, is coming soon. Probably won't go too much lower, maybe an inch. I like having the clearance, as it makes dodging roadkill and crossing speedbumps easier.

More coming.........

[Raz007]

So fast forward a week, and I'm settled in NC.







And then, one day while out for a drive, I met a turkey vulture. I won, but in death he got me some too.....




So thanks for that bird, and the new windshield was installed the next day. Minor bump in the road. So after that, I turned my attention to the exhaust. It was completely rusted out and s***..... Case in point:





So online I go, to buy some new parts. After browsing the forums here and scouring youtube for video clips, I suffered through many s*** videos before decided the HKS hi- power sounded the best. So I ordered the HKS cat back, test pipe, and OBX ceramic coated header.

Parts Arrival:








And installed. Sorry for no install picks, but I had one afternoon to get it done.












More incoming........

[Frank E Bones]

I hear ya, the way I see it, a turbo would be a waste for me. No matter how much money I add to this motor, I will never get the power and fun of my "weekend" cars. Suspension, on the other hand, is coming soon. Probably won't go too much lower, maybe an inch. I like having the clearance, as it makes dodging roadkill and crossing speedbumps easier.

More coming.........

I didnt notice the cars in your dig. Definitely badass. I do like the Mustang more though, I would love to have one some day. As far as your car, def start with the suspension, it makes the car a lot more fun! If turboing the car doesnt sound like fun to you, try swapping in an LS motor Then you can give that Chevelle a run for its money!

[Raz007]

Yeah an LS swap would be the ticket. I'm hoping that this motor lasts me quite a while though. It's sporty enough for running around, and I'm getting great mileage. Plus I'd have to change out everything...... I think she's got some miles left

[Raz007]

So now that the rusty exhaust is gone ( made $65 at the scrapyard for the cat), I decided I wanted some fog lights. Looked online for some SE lamps, but people who are selling them are pretty damn proud of 'em. So I went with some halogens instead. Wired them up in an afternoon, added a toggle switch in the cabin for them. I like them, and they are bright enough during dusk that i can run without headlights until dark. Pics:









And there you have it. Yesterday I removed the a/c compressor belt, I'm not sure what's up with the compressor, but it was noisy as hell. Without it, motor purrs and is quiet as can be. Also changed oil, all the brake pads, and gave it a cleaning. Here's some pics from afterwords.











And some interior shots.








And my favorite part of the interior, a radio that hides itself.

[kornaz]

What is your steering wheel morphing into?

[Raz007]

Oh it just works out a lot, great abs.......

[Sangix]

Oh it just works out a lot, great abs.......

[pj]

damn we have the same exact car...except yours looks +100,000,000 times cleaner and better lol

[DMan II-40]

what stereo is that? pretty neat

[Raz007]

It's an Aiwa deck. model number is CDC-MP32. Has cd-rw playback and also plays MP3s. I think it came out right when being able to read MP3 cds was new and exciting. It sounds nice, has a lot of tuning options, and the hide feature is excellent. The face flips around when I take my key out of the ignition and the little door pops out. It looks like a Transformer when you see it in action, but more importantly it makes it seems like there isn't a stereo there.

[charat]

damn we have the same exact car...except yours looks +100,000,000 times cleaner and better lol

i think that's a pretty redundant thing to say in a 240sx forum...

[Raz007]

Redundant, yes. But I still enjoyed hearing it!!!

[pj]

i think that's a pretty redundant thing to say in a 240sx forum...

yeah probably, but i dont see very many goofy green color s14's, still stock with the original mesh looking wheels. i was just commenting on the twin like similarities of his early photos and agreeing that i like what hes done with it and how nice its coming along.
as large as these forums are and as long as they have been around just about anything anyone says would be redundant, technically.
theres my 2 cent, have a sip of beer on me.

[Raz007]

So I'm toying around with the idea of buying KYB's and some lowering springs instead of coilovers. I figure with the $600 I save, I can replace more suspension components. I've been researching around the site here, and it seems that this might be exactly what I am looking for......

[TimTurboZ]

Koni Yellows and Ground Control's if ur doing spring and shock combo...or KYB AGX's but coils would be better, get used Megan Tracks, I'd never run em personally but plenty of ppl do with no complaints.

Also whats under the hood of that Stang? I have one aswell and can't wait til it's as nice as what yours seems to be

[Raz007]

Yeah I'm thinking that coilovers are a little bit of overkill for what I'm looking for, not to mention the price. I defiantly won't be installing any used parts on my car. The KYB AGX's and some lowering springs are looking just about right.

And as far as the Mustang: Motor is a 347 Stroker. Lays down about 465hp at the crank.


And the Chevelle has a numbers matching 402 cu in. big block, and gets stomped by the Ford.

[indomiekid1]

yop Raz get some coils and drop it! it' will look so clean, with your intact paintjob.
btw your muscle cars look damn nice!!

[nevertheless]

ditch the honda wheels.

[Raz007]

Thanks indo. And consider the honda wheels ditched as soon as I get those replacements you're sending. thanks!

[Raz007]

Well it's been awhile since I last updated this thread. From the time I installed my exhaust, I haven't done too much. Had a brake caliper seize, changed that. Broke my e brake cable bolt parking one day, fixed that. Changed the oil a couple times. And then a month or so ago I was walking out to my car, and noticed something fishy in the rear end. My RR tire had all kinds of negative camber, I kinda knew that already. The metal cords sticking out of the tire? Didn't know about that. So promptly went to a tire shop and got (1) new tire. Didn't want to replace all of them before I did my next project: the suspension. So got the one on, and ordered parts for my suspension. THE NEXT DAY some douche pulls right out in front of me as I'm going about 50. Didn't hit him, but in my earnest attempt to not do so, did not pump brakes or anything. Just locked those biatches up and hoped for the best. Needless to say, flatspotted the shizz outta my front tires. So back to the tire shop I go, and grumbling about old people in pick up trucks, I completed the set. Upon inspection, I was almost down to cords on all 3 other tires too. had 65% of tread on the outside. Needless to say, negative camber is not needed for my DD. So suspension it is. Waited for parts...............

And then they were here:


Parts List: Tokico HP struts/shocks. Megan Racing Lowering springs. Godspeed arms: RUCAs, Toe arms, rear traction arms, front tension arms, and front and rear sway bars, and ebay camber plates. (more on those plates in a minute.)

Also, before the flame war/debate starts. I know what you think about Godspeed parts. I know you like coilovers better. I also know what my wallet wanted. And what I wanted. I did my research. I made a thread, I got your responses. i listened to everyone's opinion. And I made my choice. And now that it's all done, I'm happy. Anyways:

Actual install took about two days of work, one day for the front, one for the back. Went to work on the fronts first, since there were less parts to install. And here is where I am so happy I bought a Florida car, didn't run into any rust, and with the help of my trusty impact guns and air compressor, bolts came off just like you'd want. Didn't take too many pictures of the install process, was on a limited timeframe (as usual) and was very against handling my Nikon with greasy hands.

So I got the front struts-springs out, and took them down to the alignment/body shop down the road from me to get the springs compressed in order to get the spring hats off the old and on the new. Everything was going good, and then it came time to put the camber plates on top. PROBLEM. Didn't work. At all.

They Looked like this:


And that won't fit on top of the hats, as the stock mounts/bearings whatever are about 5 inches thick, and those aren't. Dammit. So I had the guy put the stock ones on my shiny new parts so I could at least roll the car around if need be. (Man I can't wait till my lift gets here!! Ah the future is bright...) So with the fronts not right, I took to the interwebs. Asked around here, and in other forbidden lands, and came to the conclusion that in order for this to all work, I needed a set of Tein plates. Called Tein USA, and low and behold, they didn't have any. And then I remembered about a site called FRSport.com. Three (3!!) days later and I had the parts I needed.

HIGHLY recommend them if you need something. Great guys. So with parts in hand went back to shop, got them put together. Voila:





Before:

After:


BTW, in those 3 days, the rear got finished. Again, bolts out, parts out, new parts in. Easy as can be. Did not put the rear sway bar in, since I don't have an SE, therefore no mounting points. Have not decided if it will every go in. Probably not.


So with everything in, I rolled it out for a photo. Mind you, it was sooo far out of alignment. I had negative camber, positive camber, caster, toe, all directions. Apparently trying to get the new parts eyeballed to the same length as stock does not work too well. Thankful it was only 2 miles to the alignment shop. Interesting two miles......



So I dropped it off at the shop, hoping for a quick night!! And next afternoon, I got the call saying it was done. Alignment guy said he had so much fun dialing it in, apparently he aligns far too many cars with lowering springs, and that's it. With all these adjustable arms, he took 5 hours getting it as close to perfect as possible. I told him to get me close to OEM specs to maximize tire life, but dial in a tad bit of sportiness. And he delivered. Man this thing handles. And now, pictures:













As for the specs. In case anybody wants to know, here's what I got, straight off the alignment printout.

Front Angles: Caster: Left: 7.0
Right: 7.1
Camber: Left: -1.1
Right: -0.9
Toe: Left: .08
Right: .05
Total: .13

Rear Angles: Camber: Left: -1.3
Right: -1.1
Toe: Left: .06
Right: .07
Total: .13

Thrust Angle: 0.0

SAI: Left: 13.8
Right: 14.0

Included angle: Left: 12.7
Right: 13.1

Track Width Difference: .6"
Wheel base difference: .8"

[Raz007]

Also, as far as driving feel goes, car handles way better than it did before. Sits lower, but isn't too stiff for daily use. Soaks up bumps quite well and doesn't jar me around too much. Honestly, I can't tell it's any different until I take a corner. And then you can tell. I need new seats or I'll end up breaking my door panels with my leg........ seats don't hold me near as well as the car holds the road!

[SilviablhS14]

The car looks good Raz. Glad to see you got it finished.
Also dinging the Chevelle. I love the matching #s.

How is that exhaust? I'm thinking of getting one for my car. Is it real loud or anything.

[PantherRacer]

I hear ya, the way I see it, a turbo would be a waste for me. No matter how much money I add to this motor, I will never get the power and fun of my "weekend" cars. Suspension, on the other hand, is coming soon. Probably won't go too much lower, maybe an inch. I like having the clearance, as it makes dodging roadkill and crossing speedbumps easier.

More coming.........

Being a proponent for turbo, I gatta give it a shot lol. Even if it's just to get the benefits out there! lolol
I mean, as your dd, a properly designed kit/system will definitely give you better fuel efficiency (as long as you drive sensibly). It doesn't have to be more powerful than your weekend cars, that's why they're your weekend cars! But, you can have a more fuel efficient dd, with a bit more "get up and go" for that "passing power". The KA motor really responds well to boost, and having KA-T and Sr's, the turbo motors dd really well.
(and if you try, and wanna go hardcore, you can get 900+hp from a niiice injection of that green stuff, I'm sure that counts as 'power' )
In the end though it IS your choice, and I can't force you to go with forced induction...or can I? (and you could always turbo the LS same benefits apply)

[Raz007]

The car looks good Raz. Glad to see you got it finished.
Also dinging the Chevelle. I love the matching #s.

How is that exhaust? I'm thinking of getting one for my car. Is it real loud or anything.

I love it. Sounds great, but yes, it is kinda loud. My friends all know when I arrive haha. But I've been told by many people who don't even like import cars that it sounds great. I think the header makes all the difference. I am extremely happy, its been a year since I installed it, and I don't regret dropping the $$ for it in the slightest.

Btw, how is your suspension install going? Did you finish yours yet??

[Raz007]

I hear ya, the way I see it, a turbo would be a waste for me. No matter how much money I add to this motor, I will never get the power and fun of my "weekend" cars. Suspension, on the other hand, is coming soon. Probably won't go too much lower, maybe an inch. I like having the clearance, as it makes dodging roadkill and crossing speedbumps easier.

More coming.........

Being a proponent for turbo, I gatta give it a shot lol. Even if it's just to get the benefits out there! lolol
I mean, as your dd, a properly designed kit/system will definitely give you better fuel efficiency (as long as you drive sensibly). It doesn't have to be more powerful than your weekend cars, that's why they're your weekend cars! But, you can have a more fuel efficient dd, with a bit more "get up and go" for that "passing power". The KA motor really responds well to boost, and having KA-T and Sr's, the turbo motors dd really well.
(and if you try, and wanna go hardcore, you can get 900+hp from a niiice injection of that green stuff, I'm sure that counts as 'power' )
In the end though it IS your choice, and I can't force you to go with forced induction...or can I? (and you could always turbo the LS same benefits apply)

Haha I hear ya. But it ain't happening. If this KA ever gets boost, it will be a supercharger. And that probably won't happen. But maybe.........

[SilviablhS14]

The car looks good Raz. Glad to see you got it finished.
Also dinging the Chevelle. I love the matching #s.

How is that exhaust? I'm thinking of getting one for my car. Is it real loud or anything.

I love it. Sounds great, but yes, it is kinda loud. My friends all know when I arrive haha. But I've been told by many people who don't even like import cars that it sounds great. I think the header makes all the difference. I am extremely happy, its been a year since I installed it, and I don't regret dropping the $$ for it in the slightest.

Btw, how is your suspension install going? Did you finish yours yet??

Its going good. I'm having to replace the rear brake hard lines because of rust and corrosion but other than that if everything goes well I'll finish it up this weekend.