tuners s13 keeper build thread

[Idahos13]

I tottaly understand man.. I'm going to be a sophmore in highschool this coming year and my parents dont help me out either. But I will definately watch this thread. Do you have any pics of the car?

[tunerinms]

Ya but im too lazy to put em on right now haha. Ill try and put some up today.

[tunerinms]

[IMG][/IMG] Ill put more up later.

[Idahos13]

It looks prety clean man! How is the interior?

[tunerinms]

Clean to a certain degree. haha the driver seat is torn and kinda messed up but everything else is pretty clean. There are some stains in the driver floorboard but im gonna get some mats to cover it up.

[AZ89two4Tsx]

Your first mod should be to trash those garbage s13 seats.

[hbpignosePA]

just get a "whatever brand" clutch

definitely dont need something good.

you get pissy when someone criticizes you.

its the internetz its not that serious

[White Comet]

don't get a crappy clutch you'll regret it

[mrgreeneyes]

The statement about his friends was stupid. I am actually subscribed to mrgeens coupe build ha. So my apologies for callin out dudes friends.

no sweat dude.

there is a HUGE difference between spending smaller amounts of money and cheaping out.

my car is BUILT on crackhead deals. and the build tally is over 21k believe it or not...not including the whopping $150 i paid for the shell.

but the wheels/tires i got for half of retail, the dude needed money.

the authentic gpsports (yes, the AERO company) catback for $100 used.

5lug w/ silvia and s14 hubs AND z32 *real fairlady brakes, not usdm* ALUMINUM (rare) for $500 total

Parts shop max sells reasonably priced quality coils/arms/parts. i LOVE them. check them out for sure for any suspension/steering/cooling/intercooling needs. on zilvia, they have their own threads for their stuff. i <3 partsshopmax

heres my official advice:

catback: find a quality USED one (its not like they have expiration dates), clean it up *or not lol* and rock it. itll sound awesome and last longer than ebay poop

intake: useless. do NOT bother. it makes more noise from under the hood. thats all. save your money

struts/springs: nope. dont bother. PSM coils.

radiator fan: stay w/ the clutch fan. NO need for electric. wont help.

clutch: exedy oem replacement. doug was right on with this one. its what i rock/beat the crap out of, he's running the same. ask didderson about ebay clutch experience. he will tell you the ugly truth. his NEW "stage 3" held less than the USED exedy oem he got to replace it.

bushings: PAIN IN THE BUTT. worth it, but an excruciating process for a mild gain you wont totally feel on oem suspension. IMO, dont bother, especially if you plan to get aftermarket arms later.

5spd: excellent choice. hit myself or ilovemyrhs13 up for a nice complete list of things you need. we went way OVERKILL for his, but it sure was nice having everything new and fresh/shiny and not worrying about any old stripped/rusty stuff. ill help you if you need help getting the parts list together

test pipe: hollow your cat. ebay testpipes fit TERRIBLY. ask me how i know

i now have a "cat" on the car.

THINGS MRGREENEYES RECOMMENDS FOR A NICE DAILY

1) buddyclub spec bucket seat. totally awesome2) QUALITY steering wheel (nardi/personal)3) coils. and RUCAS (Rear Upper Control Arms). slam. enjoy4) sweet, quality catback. gives you that fun sound we all love. you ALL know what i mean....5) q45 front brakes. buy remanned ones from advance or pepboys. pads/rotors drilled to 4 lug by 88rotors on zilvia. dirt cheap and GOOD stuff.6) manual seatbelts from an s14/pulsar/subaru/toyota7) nismo motor/trans mounts with a 1 piece driveshaft (HUGE difference 8) cheap nice fitting wheels w/ tires. no 17x7 w/ 40 series sidewall... NOOOO

and for those of you who followed along so far, that describes the last stage of my build. i miss the simplicity, i honestly do. and less than 5g's of investment

there NICO, i was NICE AND HELPFUL.

best of luck to you tuner, i envy how clean your coupe is... would have been nice to start with one that clean... i had to RESTORE mine to its current condition..... uggggh


Modified by mrgreeneyes at 12:00 AM 8/4/2009

[tunerinms]

Thanks. I dont think im gonna get as lucky as you tho... Jackson MS is a s*** hole for tuners. No performance shops and the only decent tuners around here all have supras, subies, and evos. Its kinda like all or nothing around here. I already broke down and bought a intake and catback. Your prolly right but i have never had a problem with my ebay cat backs... had one for the eclipse and civic.I got a alpine deck and kenwood 6 1/2" speakers for the back and i already have some fosgate ovals i think will fit in the front. ALL of my speakers were stock and blown to hell. I have to have some music with me in the car. Oh i figured out what was wrong with my ignition wire coming into the radio. It was only puttin down 2.7 volts which was not enough to turn the radio on. Checked the fuse and there was not even one in there haha. My only other problems with the car are the climate control, HUD, and gauge back light coming on after driving the car for a bit. Sometimes they dont ever come on. Besides that and the seats im sittin pretty. Not to refuse your advice but i got the project car where they take a 92 coupe and turn it into a drift car. They did a 5 spd conversion with a complete right up. But seriously I am going to be picky about which parts i get off the cars in the junk yard and i might buy some new stuff, it just depends. But ya 1800 and its CLEAN haha 115k miles was just a steal. Ill keep yall updated and im trying to find a new job and get some money flowing.

[KeganDesolation]

I had a 1000 to spend and I was going to spend it on my 240 but now instead I'm going to Japan. Damn round trip ticket is expensive. But anyways good luck on your build bro. Maybe I can take some notes on cheaply doing a 5 speed swap without sacrificing too much quality lol.

[Fibre guy]

Your first mod should be to trash those garbage s13 seats.

But... I like my s13 seats. They're the only factory seats that fit me... perfectly... I'd dump them in a heartbeat for some comfy MOMO's though

[tunerinms]

Haha thats something else ill be lookin at when im at the junkyard.

[Idahos13]

I like my s13 seats!! But i would like some racing seats thow..

[AZ89two4Tsx]

You guys are weird. S13 seats are the most uncomfortable seats I've ever sat in. It's like sitting on a bed of nails.

If racing buckets are not in the budget, get s14 seats. They're cheap and like a 9000% improvement. And they look better.

[Idahos13]

HA, Idk man I like them for some reason but I do want some s14 seats cuz I dont have enough money for racing buckets.

[White Comet]

You guys are weird. S13 seats are the most uncomfortable seats I've ever sat in. It's like sitting on a bed of nails.

If racing buckets are not in the budget, get s14 seats. They're cheap and like a 9000% improvement. And they look better.

i dont hate the s13 seats. but i don't like the 2 piece seats. the zenki one piece ones are better imo. i plan on getting 180sx seats in the future

[tunerinms]

That might be one of the next things i do. What about the back seats? I do want it to look nice haha. Just got some speakers for the front. Sounds good. Now im gonna sell my pair of fosgate p1 12"s and get a alpine 10" and get a small ported box and mount it in the trunk in the upper right corner. I look boom boom but not the weight haha and this 10" will do the job i need it to. I have been thinking and reading about it and i have decided to wait a little while to do the 5 spd swap. Im gonna start collecting parts and stuff but im gonna do it just like it should have come from the factory. 5 spd ecu and lower harness and all that and make sure my cruise control works and have everything nice and neat. Its gonna be a bit of work but it will get me a better idea of my car and some experience.As a side note this thing handles like a champ even stock. Its almost as good as my s14 when it had the tokico blues and lowering springs... Its just awesome. I am happy with my buy.

[Fibre guy]

It's an s13 what did you expect, lighter and smaller than the s14.

I have the 1 pieces. Very clean too. Only problem is that the left shoulder foam is a little messed up. I've taken multiple 4-8 hour trips and not one complaint. But after an hour or two sitting in the wife's s14 my back aches and my but hurts.Also, don't like people with deep music that shakes everything on their car. 4 speakers are good. Period.

[tunerinms]

haha i have to have a little thump. Just adds to the sound of the music. I go for good sound not shakin the block down. I got my subs and amp for free. So i took advantage.

[Karateboy88]

It's an s13 what did you expect, lighter and smaller than the s14.

Not as big of a difference as you may think

S13 Chuki

Wheelbase 2474 mm (97.4 in)Length 4521 mm (178 in)Width 1689 mm (66.5 in)Height 1290 mm (50.8 in)Curb weight 1224 kg (2699 lb)

S14 Zenki

Wheelbase 2525 mm (99.4 in)Length 4498 mm (177.0 in)Width 1727 mm (68.0 in)Height 1288 mm (50.7 in)Curb weight 1253 kg (2762 lb)

[tunerinms]

Something about those weight numbers does not seem right but i could be wrong.

[Fibre guy]

I drive both a 91' 240sx (mine) and a 95' 240sx (wife's)There is a HUGE difference in taking corners and accelerating.(This is before I added coilovers and a rb25)The s13 handled 100% better than the s14. 500% after the coilovers.

[tunerinms]

Ya haha i agree. I cant wait until i can get coilovers for it. Thats a longgggg way off tho. Im hoping my intake and crappy exhaust comes in around friday. I really wish i could just tear this thing down and do a complete rebuild but my step mom doesnt want junk in the driveway haha. I love her to death but looking better than the Jone's is killin me ha. We had to get rid of the '67 F100 Ranger with a 400 cleveland because of the s*** we had everywhere. Imagine 3 '67s with half the body panels and one with just the frame and drivetrain. I cant really blame her.

[KeganDesolation]

Ya haha i agree. I cant wait until i can get coilovers for it. Thats a longgggg way off tho. Im hoping my intake and crappy exhaust comes in around friday. I really wish i could just tear this thing down and do a complete rebuild but my step mom doesnt want junk in the driveway haha. I love her to death but looking better than the Jone's is killin me ha. We had to get rid of the '67 F100 Ranger with a 400 cleveland because of the s*** we had everywhere. Imagine 3 '67s with half the body panels and one with just the frame and drivetrain. I cant really blame her.

Are you saying that my totaled celica and my dad's used to be an ambulance temporary housing for the powerstroke motor he bought makes the place look...bad? Hmmm..Maybe that's why I had to move all that stuff out into the field lol. Have you picked out any specific coilovers yet? I know you said that they are a long way off, but mine are too and I still look lol.

[tunerinms]

Ya PCM used the honda boys toys for theirs. Form and Function. They said something about have full travel even when lowered because the adjustment is on the bottom. Really 1k is more than i want to spend so if i find some used coilovers im gonna be all over em. There are some on ebay that are height adjustable and dampening adjustable for cheap.

[tunerinms]

So a little update. I put the AEM short ram on it... PITA. Something about it just ticked me off. Maybe because its 95 degrees with 80% humidity. Havent driven it yet but like someone said earlier its just sounds cooler under the hood. With an exhaust i think it will free up a couple ponies.

[tunerinms]

So i went to bed at 3 last night and my dad wakes me up at nine this morning wanting to go to the junk yard. He said whatever we found he would pay for soooo it woke up and got movin. We were looking for some seats cause mine are just nasty and torn in a spot or two. Unfortunately there were only 2 240s and neither had seats... but i needed an antenna and an ignition switch and nissan wanted 70 for a new one so hell no. Got those and a set of really really new rockford fosgate 4x6s and an antenna adapter for an aftermarket radio and a Honda emblem for 13$ Ya i got lucky.Next up a vlsd and a 5 spd.

[tunerinms]

finally got all my parts for the swap. somehow i blew all my money on stupid stuff so im extremely low on funds. i also got seats out of a hatch and the cluster. im fallin in love with this car again haha i thought about selling it and buying a mustang gt that i found but i decided to keep the 240. my girlfriends dad owns a local shop that has been around for forever and he said i can used the lifts everynow and then. my friends dad ( gfs dads brother) has been to automotive paint school and says he will teach me to paint... and we can use the booth at JD's ( the family shop). so its a long way off but im legitimately lining stuff up.

[tunerinms]

so i searched and really didnt find what i wanted to know.. i guess its hard to answer this question seeing as i dont know the year of the q45 but can i swap the internals from the q45 diff into the one in my 240? and i was reading about the gear ratios in a post from greg and it just confused the hell out of me. so can i swap the internals and not have to deal with the shafts and flanges and all that?and whats the gear ratio like on it... ill try to get the year model as soon as i can but if either of those questions can be asked i would appreciate it.got all my stuff as in the post above and will be taking pictures when i get back from chicago.and yes i will be getting the front brakes off of the q45. the guy who owns the junk yard is gonna let me trade my auto transmission for some parts

edit: its a 94-95 q45
Modified by tunerinms at 5:07 PM 2/11/2010