Some summer memories...

...as the cold sets in. First frost this morning, car is going to hibernate somewhere for a few months, soon enough...

Turbo project ahead

That's right... GA16DE+T on the way. I am missing a few parts and the most crucial is which tuning route to take. I am glad to wait a little longer though...I hear through the grapevine that Calum has something in the works for the underdog GA, and MegaSquirt is ongoing as usual, hopefully with some upcoming chip to maintain VTC (Variable Timing Controller) functionality...and there's always good ol' JWT with their ECU reflash. But that one is costly, and you need to pay full price for another reflash if you change your setup. Which I plan to do.

The last thing I'll do to the motor while N/A is to advance my timing again (finally!), and install an SR20DE throttle body mated to a spare upper intake plenum ported larger to fit the new TB.

Stage 1 is a budget naturally-aspirated to turbo car conversion. used Garrett T25 turbo, front-mount intercooled, log manifold, 240SX MAF, 370cc injectors to get started with. I still need the MAF, oil and water lines for the turbo, and to drill my oil pan for the return line. Add to that adapters for oil pressure gauge and oil temp sensor, and a boost gauge. Oh yeah, and a bigger exhaust will need to be fabbed up. I might re-route my (unused) washer nozzles to be able to spray the intercooler at will. Hope to gain around 40 HP to the wheels with little lag.

Stage 2 I would foresee possibly upgrading to a GT28RS "Disco Potato" turbo, if I can/want to fork over $1000 or so, but likely just a turbo rebuild on the one I have or maybe a newer ball-bearing T25 from Garrett. Add water/methanol injection and push the boost up higher with the help of a good boost controller, preferably something that can tune boost for each gear. I also have a spare head lying around, from the old motor, which I would love to port out and match to the manifolds, and maybe install some turbo cams in. But that's a long way off.

As for now, I'm sourcing a used NX1600 transmission with better gear ratios and final drive (sportier but a little less fuel efficient) to tear down and rebuild this winter, and install a Phantom Grip LSD at the same time. This will go on the car in spring, at which time I will install my aluminum flywheel and the shifter stuff - a short shifter and a more solid bracket for the shifter stabilizer.

Yes I am a car nerd. And I don't know if anyone has even ever read any of this blog, but that's unimportant. It is a log. Now go drive!!

Getting ready to hibernate

So I took off my mags and cleaned and waxed them, deflated tire pressures to 15psi for storage, and tire shined all rubber surfaces to protect against oxidation. Was able to inspect the tires, and treadwear was minimal this year, despite the hard driving and open diff. inside tire wear...I guess my alignment held up to the abuse as well. Dang, these will easily do another season of driving, making the Falken Ziex-512 I got good for 3 spring-summer-fall cycles.

I'd like to practice doing my own alignment, but as I lack a garage, especially a garage with a level floor, we'll have to see about parking at the mall next spring for a few hours and measuring stuff!

I put back on these indestructible no-name winter tires I got when I originally bought the car...tires that came from a recylcler and had already been used when I got them. We then proceeded to put 3 winters on them, and the car was parked inside on them most of last winter. They are still good. Pumped up and bolted on, and my highway drive to work this morning testified to the fact they're still balanced. With the new suspension setup driving on the steelies isn't nearly as bad. Put a grin on my face...

...now I need to find somewhere to strore my car this winter...

Drive it or else.

Went for a nice rip in the little noisy car Friday night with my bud Mike, we went down towards the border, Monteregie...saw a lot of cats drivin' fast headed to Napierville, to the drag strip. Took it slow on the highway, with the exception of some un-needed exits in order to really shred the s-curves. Stuff was wet so all 4 wheels got sliding, very fun if you know what the heck you're doing. We took off into farm country, down some minor highways, and even a little road that had raccoons at one point. Did my very first burnout, smoke and all, and it was enough to remind me I need to adjust my e-brake cable...a fun drive. Even ripping around like that for a couple hours we only went through a 1/4 tank...thats like 11 liters...hurray for the gas-sipper!!!

Anyways I like this car. And the car likes being driven really hard...I'll probably keep it until it is literally driven to pieces.

Lil' updates...

I got my Cusco front strut tower bar in. A strut bar helps stiffen the chassis, and an FSTB specifically improves steering response, like, a lot. Instructions were all in japanese...now that was funny! All except one sentence, something like "Attention this product is legal for use in Japan only"...anyways it is a nice blue bar, looks like this where it attaches to the strut tower:

Its a real nice unit, its designed for the N14 chassis (Nissan Pulsar GTi-R) and the way it angles back towards the firewall was to allow clearance for the top-mounted intercooler on that car. here is one:

It so happens the N14 and the B13 share suspensions...so here's the bar, in someone else's Sentra:

So thats that. Steering is tight as heck now. Now I need an LSD in my transmission and stickier tires...