Mikester's Fun-mobile~

[atvrider647]

subbing. 10 chars

[Tomme]

Originally Posted by atvrider647

subbing. 10 chars

atvrider, you don't have to post to subscribe. you can do it using "thread tools" at the top of the page.

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Mike, this build is looking great! I was also thinking of coating my subframe with a dark gray hammertone. Probably going to do my LCA's, front arms, and front member in the same color, too. Keep up the great work!

[fliprayzin240sx]

Damn Mike, you planning on retiring first before being able to drive the damn thing?

[dsc4130]

nah i have an very hectic lifestyle that keeps mike from working on and ultimately finishing this. btw im andy

should make some good progress on this this weekend as long as my boss doesnt call me in over the weekend. (race season starts this week so it might happen lol)

[codyace]

That's a slick piece for the cable!

[Mikester]

Originally Posted by Tomme

Mike, this build is looking great! I was also thinking of coating my subframe with a dark gray hammertone. Probably going to do my LCA's, front arms, and front member in the same color, too. Keep up the great work!

Thanks! Powder coating definitely adds an element of cleanliness as well as durability. Also a little tricky trying not to scuff/crack the coating when pressing new bushings & ball joints in... If you do it, take your time, use lots of grease on the bushings, lots of padding on your vise; and only the minimum amounts of force needed to get the job(s) done.

Originally Posted by fliprayzin240sx

Damn Mike, you planning on retiring first before being able to drive the damn thing?

Oh hey Ray what's up lol... Yea man- Hoping to drive it over to collect my first social security check

Originally Posted by dsc4130

nah i have an very hectic lifestyle that keeps mike from working on and ultimately finishing this. btw im andy

should make some good progress on this this weekend as long as my boss doesnt call me in over the weekend. (race season starts this week so it might happen lol)

Ladies & gentlemen, ^^This be the BAMF helping with this [the biggest] part of the build... and by helping, I mean doing pretty much everything from fabrication to babysitting me to make sure I don't do anything too dumb. Can't thank him enough for all he's doing

Originally Posted by codyace

That's a slick piece for the cable!

Domo sir!

As stated above, hoping to make some progress over the next few days. Planning to go over tonight & do some stuff.

[Mikester]

Well, the throttle cable bracket didn't work with the S14 pulley.. May have to get an S13 pulley, or just make a bracket. Will prolly opt for a fabbed bracket since I already paid $40 for the new S14 pulley.

Got a few things done. Redid the AAC valve coolant lines, painted the brake booster & installed the new fan.





Also received something I've wanted ever since back in the day when I first got into modding my 180-



\BAM!





I loves me some carbon

Should have her rolling on all 4's this weekend... Feels good to be back at it.

[Mikester]

Upodato:

Freshly waxed engine bay...



Slapped in the crossmember...



Meanwhile, Andy did that BAMF shit he always does... grommets, wipers/cowls/seals etc... (Thank you broham!)



Back on all 4's!





Great evening's work- damn near ready for the motor... still need to connect the brake lines, hook up the line lock and a few other things... but great progress!!!



Heading out to clean up the body harnesses.

Starting to look like a car again- Ever so close

Special thanks to Kate- she was damn near everywhere tonight- manhandling the crossmember, putting in the coils, sanding/repainting the booster... and I'm sure a bunch of stuff I missed... Like Andy, she is AWESOME and her help & friendship are greatly appreciated!

[801nismo104]

looks so clean! good luck man

[Mikester]

Originally Posted by 801nismo104

looks so clean! good luck man

I appreciate it- Thank you very much for checking this out!

[rednissan180]

sooooo shiny!!

[Extreme Dimensions]

WOW this is nuts!!

[STL240SXDRIFT]

Sooooo...this wont be there Friday?

LOL just joking man! Looks great! Hopfully it will make it to a few MidniteMadness this year.

[voiddweller]

Very nice. Good to see progress

[JdmOdz]

Loving the prigress

[dsc4130]

Originally Posted by Extreme Dimensions

WOW this is nuts!!

You aren't kidding lol

[Mikester]

Originally Posted by STL240SXDRIFT

Sooooo...this wont be there Friday?

LOL just joking man! Looks great! Hopfully it will make it to a few MidniteMadness this year.

Haha thanks!!! Even tho the body work will probably not be done by the end of the season, I'd still LOVE to take it out & run the 1/4mi & hard park it at an MM or two

Originally Posted by rednissan180

sooooo shiny!!

Originally Posted by Extreme Dimensions

WOW this is nuts!!

Originally Posted by voiddweller

Very nice. Good to see progress

Originally Posted by JdmOdz

Loving the prigress

Thanks erryone!

Last night's progress,

Cleaned & ran body harness (I cleaned, Andy ran lol), slapped some stuff on...













Received the wrong damned A/C condenser Need to return it for the correct one. Also had to take some time to figure out where to cut the fuel feed/return lines & where to mount the regulator & monsta-truck filter... Pretty sure we have a plan. Need o-rings, A/C system solvent (going to back to PAG instead of Ester), new clutch MC & couplers to get here; also to install the line lock before the motor goes in... and possibly another couple fittings from Summit.

Going slow, but making progress. Hoping to hit it again Thursday evening.

[Mikester]

FINALLY some progress =)

Trimmed fuel lines & put compression to -AN fittings on:




Clutch....






Tranny, starter & lower harness:






VOILA!!!










I love that there is absolutely nothing between the block/head and the firewall now!




^^LOL of course I realized there will be that one A/C line back there... but no coolant hose to fuck with... still a win.

Only a few things left to do to her before she will be ready for the dyno... Excited as fuck!

[s14kate]

I am amazed at how fast everything is coming together. It looks so fantastic Mike!!

[Mikester]

Originally Posted by s14kate

I am amazed at how fast everything is coming together. It looks so fantastic Mike!!

Thank you- Definitely stoked at the progress!!!

Would not have come this far without your help, young lady- you are AMAZING & I'm so thankful for that!!!

[jr_ss]

Everything is looking great Mike!

[HiddenCharacter]

Very nice, I like where this is going.

[Mikester]

Originally Posted by jr_ss

Everything is looking great Mike!

Thank you very much man! Also, thank you for being so cool with keeping me pointed in the right direction. Believe it or not, I'm much more of a booksmart science nerd; not very mechanically inclined... common sense bus passed me by at birth lol- So having people like Andy who builds race cars for a living to help with the fabrication & other hard stuff, as well as actual gearheads like you, 4x4le, ForeginMuscle & a few other BAMFs on the forums to get advice from has been absolutely awesome... Happy Easter.

BTW not sure where you're at with the 14, but I'd love to see a vid & hear what she sounds like running & tuned.

Originally Posted by HiddenCharacter

Very nice, I like where this is going.

Thank you! Been dreaming of this since 2008 staring at bunch of parts boxes I brought home from Japan... Will be very happy to actually drive this thing with the SR built & nothing left but the exterior; which will be the easiest part (drop off at body shop, tell them what I want, pick it up when it's done lol).

[jr_ss]

Mike, no worries man, it's a labor of love. I am actually. I further along on the S14 as I was in Febuaury. I've been super busy at work, in and out of town, that I haven't had much of a chance to work on it. I'm hoping after this next trip things mellow out a bit and I can get a few hours a night to work on it.

Another thing that will be intervening will be the purchase of my first home. It needs quite a bit of work so the car will probably see the back burner more often than not. I will not be getting rid of her though, so when I do find the time, it will be worked on and brought back to life.

[blksylv]

nice build and love the wheels btw

[Mikester]

Originally Posted by jr_ss

Mike, no worries man, it's a labor of love. the car will probably see the back burner more often than not. I will not be getting rid of her though, so when I do find the time, it will be worked on and brought back to life.

Dude, I can totally relate- I had to stare at a pile of parts boxes for 4 yrs thanks to a very expensive divorce. Now it's going on 5, and once I get it up, running and tuned [between work & school] it will go right to the bottom of the list while the kids are out for summer. Nice to know there is another dude out there who sees the value of a patient build vs. throwing shit together in a hurry just to 'get it done.'

Originally Posted by blksylv

nice build and love the wheels btw

Thanks! Funny story behind the Volks- When I first saw them, a buddy of mine had them on his 180SX... and I fell in love w/the way they looked on it... Then the very same set ended up on another buddy of mine's Tourer V... My [ex]wife knew that I loved those rims & managed to sweet talk him out of the set for a ridiculous good deal before he left the island [military]... and she gave them to me as a Christmas gift in 07'. To this day, I love the look of them, and will likely keep them until they turn to dust.

Thanks for checking this out- really appreciating everyone's feedback~

[Mikester]

Minor progress tonight. Got the driveshaft in, serviced the tranny & installed the shifter.







^^It was kinda cool feeling my shifter out after so long of 'wishing'

Took this pic just because I thought the bay looked cool in the light:





Yea I know, not much progress, but progress nonetheless!

Slowly but surely inching toward the dyno

[codyace]

NICE!!!!

With those little fuel lines you made, did you go from a -5 to fitting, or did you flare it to a -6 and go from there?

[jr_ss]

Originally Posted by codyace

NICE!!!!

With those little fuel lines you made, did you go from a -5 to fitting, or did you flare it to a -6 and go from there?

Cody, I'm going to take a guess that you a referring to the AN adapters he used on the hardlines? If I'm not mistaken he bought the 5/16 fittings and they are a perfect fit. They must be the SS ones though, as the aluminum fittings don't compress the steel hardline, they just distort the compression fitting and ultimately end up leaking.

[Mikester]

^^Yup.

5/16" compression to 3/8" NPT, and 3/8" NPT to -6AN... all SS- Thanks again for saving my ass on that one~

Codyace, I'm not that smart (more of a weekend wrencher than actual mechanic) lol. I was only gonna do -6 AN straight from hardlines like I did on the 180 until I saw jr_ss' build. Lucky for me, he was nice enough to let me know that the aluminum fittings I had ordered wouldn't work. The SS compression to NPT fittings were only 5-6 bucks apiece... The NPT to -AN were expensive as hell lol.