180SX – Reflections Part 5

With the end of 09 season leaving my car in need of a serious clean up it was time to get to work and do all those things before the 2010 track days started again.

I had a few issues with the alloy adapter plate and keeping the gearbox bolts in it, they came loose once and the threads just wernt the same after that. I made a new plate and added studs, since then i havnt had an issue but i will be remaking these plates from steel so they are more durable. The OGURA twin plate was in the car when i bought it and it has been a great clutch, with hardly any ware over the 3 years of battle.

I pulled the head of the motor to inspect the bores, added a Cometic headgasket, ARP headstuds and a resurface of the head. Then it all went back together but the lowmount 2871R was ditched in favour of a TD06L2 to give the response and powerband that Banshee feeling only a TD06L2 can deliver.

Ive lost count how many front tub jobs i have done since my two tone PS13 in 2005, it just becomes another job to me now, with the right tools the job is simple. Its best to start with pressed radiused edge tubs with a diameter of atleast 700mm and a width of more than 350mm. The rest is just filling in the gaps using plastic to make the templates. Theres no need to fully weld them in either or to use any larger steel than 1.2mm sheet.

Once the front tubs were done i mounted my new 130mm thick intercooler nice and hi to shorten the inlet tract, expose the radiator to assist cooling and then section off the airflow with alloy sheet to direct the air through the coolers.

I then moved onto the interior, i stripped everything out and started fresh, i decided to make my own cage, massive thanks to Mozza from Moonah Auto Spares who sent me the tube to work with.

I decided on a half cage and door intrusions with decent harness mounts. Why only a half cage? Because i believed a forgiving chassis allowed the driver to be a little slower in reactions than a super tight caged car.

20 Pressure pack cans later and i was high as a kite!

More pressure pack adorns the engine bay, with other pressure pack painted features aswell like the cam cover and fan cover.

All the interior went back in with some new bride door t and glovebox trims aswell as some genuine supermade mats.

 

It was at this point i wished this was my street car, the interior was perfect!

I purchased some Origin Type 2 50mm guards and was happy with them at the time, note filled in fuel filler.

Every night after work my house looked like this!

The plain red and bronze is an amazing combination.

So after a month of hard work my tired thrashed 180SX was given a new lease on life and it was all relatively inexpensive, i am looking forward to the end of this year when i can do the same thing to it again, after all it does deserve it!

9 Comments
  1. where abouts do you buy your tubs from?

    Reply
    • A source that no longer exsists, still searching for some new ones 🙁

      Reply
    • Probably makes ’em

      Reply
  2. This is one of the best blogs….

    Ill be tracking you down at WTAC to say hi if i can find you.

    Reply
    • Thanks mate, will see you there

      Reply
  3. i wish i had the fundage to accomplish something like that

    Reply
  4. Fantastic wrap up and great future comment at the end.

    Reply
  5. how long have u been fabricating and welding?

    Reply
  6. What pressure packs do you use, and why dont you spray out of a gun? Pressure packs just easier?

    Reply

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