how i saved a trashed east coast vert (with bonus KA24DE issues)

[WreckedS14]

Do what you want with the car. When we're all old and the cars are on Barrett-Jackson, we'll still want the well built gangster cars we idolized as young adults. It's your car, cut it up if you want. None of us joined this place to see factory/oem+ cars, though, it is enjoyable to see a well preserved example. At the end of the day, we all bought these cars because we love/loved them, and wanted them to be better than their factory versions. You can still build a super cool car while preserving the chassis. Any 240/Silvia that has been gone through and saved from rust is a win for all of us. I'm not exactly a fan of over-fenders at this point but I enjoy seeing over-fenders on cool cars. We're all one in the same. We want to keep the originality but we love to bastardize these cars to make them faster, turn better, look better, and be more fun in general.

I love this thread! It's refreshing to see you want to conserve the history of these cars and show us your internal debate on how you'd like to modify YOUR car. Keep it up, do what you want, and don't give two shits what we think. We've obviously seen you care about your car and you want to keep things cool. We don't matter because we trust you to build something pretty sweet

[AKADriver]

None of us joined this place to see factory/oem+ cars

When I joined 21 years ago that's what most of us had, haha.

I'll be honest, if you asked me back in 2013 if it was worth preserving the stock metal in a convertible I'd say no unless you were planning on cutting it up later to save a coupe. I've softened on verts since but the lesson is, do whatcha want, there's no right way to do it.

[projectsupra]

Glad to see another vert getting saved, great job!

[thermogod]

first of all - appreciate the words of advice from everyone. i'll put it this way, winter will be "decision time", at which point there will either be a big teardown for paint/coating on several different areas, to preserve the surfaces of this car long-term, or i will go a different direction. but really, i sincerely appreciate everyone's help with this. trying not to end up in the "ur doing it wrong" thread.

but after the origin story of this thing....i don't think i'll be ever selling it. first time ever towing a trailer, through 223 miles of pouring rain, sacrificing a bunch of time and money, 100% of which can be seen in the way this car is now? think i'll keep it.

and so, i swapped out the dome lights, map lights and trunk lights for LEDs...specifically, 6000K T10 wedge bulbs from Amazon. I would do the same to my footwell lights - but I like the cool and warm color contrast



i also have a PROPER shift boot now, with a shift knob on the way.



i do NOT have HVAC unit lights anymore though. i took the bulbs out to swap them for red LEDs i bought off ebay and they stopped working. the bulbs didn't work when i put em back in either. i think i scratched the metal contacts too much and now they don't work.



roommate bought a drift car too. 6cyl swapped 318ti. does he know how to drift? nope. so we both are "learning through project cars".



either way...this car is doing great right now. smaller tires and more low is up next. need less sidewall. get a sawzall and tuck the wires. install the clear tails coming next month. drive it around more, save up for winter, do a bunch of big suspension/paint work, and see if i want to do overfenders and a body kit? as far as mechanicals are concerned, i'd consider the build complete til something breaks. now i can focus on how it looks.

[thermogod]

btw my 3pc Amistad Vs are now for sale on here for $200 less than i bought them for. check em out.

[thermogod]

no news is good news. although i wish i had more of the "slapped a body kit and new hood and repainted the entire car" news.

clear tails are still on backorder. i'm working on getting a bumper and skirts and hood from several different people who all seem to not want to take my money. fuck facebook marketplace!



another 100 miles since the last post, got my shift knob and new boot which looks a lot cleaner and shifts nicer. dad got me a waving Neko cat 6 years ago and it's still going, so why not get a Neko shift knob?

[thermogod]

here we go. picked up a mint set of Erebuni skirts and front bumper for $100, and bought a hole-less hood for $65.





guy had the Erebuni parts sitting in his attic for ten years. he had no FB messenger and FB censored his phone # on the listing - so I had no way of contacting him...until my gf told me she knew the guy in the background of one of the listing pics from highschool. we went from there...

i did NOT want skirts that stick out from the stock body width. I don't have the wheels or overfenders to pull that off. test fit:



i think i made the right choice. I'll get these and the hood painted, mount everything, swap for smaller tires, lower it to the right height, and then actually have something to show you guys.

[AKADriver]

This kit dates from the "before overfenders" era and it was one of the more subtle ones at that time (compared to the Veilside style) so it's a good fit.

I hate how Facebook does that, or rather I hate how so many people are so insistent on ONLY CALLS NO MESSAGES and then too dumb to realize FB will hide their phone number. Especially when the #1 scam on Facebook Marketplace is "send me your phone number (so I can try to trick you into letting me steal your account by entering a 2FA code)"

[thermogod]

yup, i am glad i picked up something period correct.

so i have hood, skirts and bumper - gotta find a paint guy and get a quote.



wired up the speed sensor (pic is before i secured the wires). shrink wrapped where necessary. thanks guys for helping me literally find the sensor plug... i'm sure someone will say crimp connectors suck, but my speedometer works now, so....




car went back on jacks for the first time in 200 miles to check out how it looks. everything is intact and continues to not leak - minus my power steering hose. besides tightening this clamp and the banjo bolt - anything else i can do?



this strap to the alternator was very loose. i'm not sure where the wire goes yet - but i hope this is part of the "occasionally clicks instead of cranking" issue. haven't started it up since tightening.

so just to recap...i have what i need for "stage 3", minus smaller tires, and i need to find a paint guy, get a quote, and install the skirts and bumper. then we paint. how the hell do i mount skirts? i have no idea YET.

[DEGUZZI]

Originally Posted by thermogod

how the hell do i mount skirts? i have no idea YET.

My skirts and rear valance are mounted using doubled-sided tape and OEM grommets/screws:




Fit up the skirt exactly where it'll sit. Drill a tiny pilot hole where it'll mount.

Take the skirt off, and drill holes into the quarter/fender flanges that are just a bit smaller than the square insert of the grommet (01281-00801).

Then use a square metal file to open it up until the grommet fits snug. Open the pilot hole on the skirt to the size of a fender screw, screw the skirt on.

[AKADriver]

Originally Posted by thermogod

car went back on jacks for the first time in 200 miles to check out how it looks. everything is intact and continues to not leak - minus my power steering hose. besides tightening this clamp and the banjo bolt - anything else i can do?

For the supply hose to the pump - gotta bite the bullet and replace it. The low pressure hoses just start sweating fluid when they get old.

I know a lot of people use AN line replacement kits, I'm not a fan, they all delete the cooler loop and pressure switch, and IMO the fittings and hose they use on the high pressure side are under-spec.

I used the Pro Shop Noble replacement hose for the supply hose, every once in a while an OEM one pops up for sale, it is also possible to get bulk PS return hose and bend it with a heat gun to get close enough.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFDlGPLcK0o

For the high pressure hose I used an S14 OE-style replacement hose from rockauto, it replaces both the S13 high pressure hose and the short piece of hardline that goes over the crossmember with a single piece and that was basically the end of power steering leaks on my car. There is a tiny bit of seepage from the banjo bolt fitting on the pump on my car but I just kinda keep an eye on it and will tackle it if it gets worse because I'm afraid of making it worse.

Wait... is your banjo bolt missing its crush washer(s)? There should be a copper washer on both sides of the banjo. It looks like there's maybe one on the outside (between bolt and banjo) but not on the inside (between banjo and pump)??

[thermogod]

Originally Posted by AKADriver

For the supply hose to the pump - gotta bite the bullet and replace it. The low pressure hoses just start sweating fluid when they get old.

I know a lot of people use AN line replacement kits, I'm not a fan, they all delete the cooler loop and pressure switch, and IMO the fittings and hose they use on the high pressure side are under-spec.

I used the Pro Shop Noble replacement hose for the supply hose, every once in a while an OEM one pops up for sale, it is also possible to get bulk PS return hose and bend it with a heat gun to get close enough.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFDlGPLcK0o

For the high pressure hose I used an S14 OE-style replacement hose from rockauto, it replaces both the S13 high pressure hose and the short piece of hardline that goes over the crossmember with a single piece and that was basically the end of power steering leaks on my car. There is a tiny bit of seepage from the banjo bolt fitting on the pump on my car but I just kinda keep an eye on it and will tackle it if it gets worse because I'm afraid of making it worse.

Wait... is your banjo bolt missing its crush washer(s)? There should be a copper washer on both sides of the banjo. It looks like there's maybe one on the outside (between bolt and banjo) but not on the inside (between banjo and pump)??

Thanks yet again. Talked to a few guys at a car meet tonight that told me the hoses become porous over time just like that. Guess I do need another crush washer lol....there is certainly not one between the banjo and pump.

I did top it off and re-bleed it today.

[thermogod]

solved the "occasionally clicks but doesn't crank" issue. loose ground from alternator. now it starts every time...still will die on a cold start if i don't hold the gas for a few seconds. whatever



got a cup holder! made by Ridium Works in CT.



a bit of contrast between my friends and i...



i did a long round trip today with four working gauges and a working speedometer. that was the first mile it had rolled since it stopped when it was manual swapped, a million years ago. that's the kinda closure i like to see. alive again!

[kanyedian]

Clear Tail ALL THE THINGS! Haha your Genny looked sick af with that broken tail! (Sorry you had to go through that though.)

I've been thinking about ordering clear tails for my vert for the past year -- haven't pulled the trigger. One kit has a red circle installed to be "legal" and I'd rather it not have that. Plus my tails now are a unique LED style that I've not seen before and I sort of think I should preserve them since they still work.

[thermogod]

Originally Posted by kanyedian

Clear Tail ALL THE THINGS! Haha your Genny looked sick af with that broken tail! (Sorry you had to go through that though.)

I've been thinking about ordering clear tails for my vert for the past year -- haven't pulled the trigger. One kit has a red circle installed to be "legal" and I'd rather it not have that. Plus my tails now are a unique LED style that I've not seen before and I sort of think I should preserve them since they still work.

so i hated that red circle too - i talked to someone that has these and you can pop that circle out from the back and cover it with something else. the circle is just a red reflector glued onto the back of the lens.

i ended up cancelling my order (they kept pushing back the production time) and using the $200 on the Erebuni skirts, bumper, a new hood, and the speed sensor plug. much better use, IMO....

i looked at the Genesis tails when the lens was broken off. it would be extremely difficult for anyone to re-engineer these - unless you had a 3D scanner, an extra $400, and some kind of plastic mold maker. clear tails would be unreasonably cool though.

[thermogod]

"shut up and paint your body kit". i know.




i'm getting the kit and hood wrapped. i make car meet flyers for a wrap shop that wants to match Nissan KH3 black and cut me a very good deal.

the remaining paint on the car would not match a freshly painted kit and hood.
the interior of the car, and engine bay, are nowhere near immaculate enough to match a whole new coat of paint on the outside.
the price difference is significant. i'm not dropping $700 on painting a few body panels when the entire upper half of the car is super faded.

[thermogod]

measured the skirts, hood, bumper, ordered the material and the skirt mounting grommets (thank you deguzzi, i've been reading your thread for a long time).

did another 239 miles including two great 52 mile trips to and from gfs house. i did NOT fix the "click but no start" issue. it's getting embarassing.

my friend is making me S13 to 14 radiator brackets. traded my ashtray for a battery bracket (in progress).



time to get it on jacks
change the oil
mount the skirts
mock up the bumper
sand down the hood
buy smaller sidewall tires
pick up black S14 seats?

i'm afraid that timeline won't be exactly short.

[maplelaurel]

I haven't sat up at midnight reading through a thread like this for probably 10 years. This has been refreshing so far and I hope you continue piece by piece. I like the style of getting it running and enjoying the milestone, rather than trying to fix everything at once.

I made an account just to post this

[thermogod]

Originally Posted by maplelaurel

I haven't sat up at midnight reading through a thread like this for probably 10 years. This has been refreshing so far and I hope you continue piece by piece. I like the style of getting it running and enjoying the milestone, rather than trying to fix everything at once.

I made an account just to post this

thanks, i really appreciate that!! before i decided to make an account, i spent 2 weeks just writing this out the way i wanted to post it. didn't know if anyone would care, but it seems lots of people do. my parents read this thread too.

i know the "fix a wreck" part is mostly over, i'm just hoping i can keep things interesting as i start the "make it look cool" part.

[thermogod]

so this erebuni bumper needs some work. i think this kit was designed for someone with a tube front end/front bash bar - all three of these vents currently hit the stock bash bar.



i'm getting a dremel this weekend to (with a ventilator) cut these back by about an inch, or at least cut the portion that hits the bash bar. "nooo you're mocking it up wrong" no i'm not, i just spent a half hour verifying that the VENTS are what hits the bash bar and prevents it from going all the way back, up against the fenders and hood, into position.

could i sell it to someone for 100% profit? sure. would i then have to find another equally rare and unique bumper? yep.

also, the grommets to mount the skirts arrived. WOO

also, the top of the bumper is vertical, whereas the stock top bumper mount is horizontal. gonna need to figure that out.

[DEGUZZI]

Originally Posted by thermogod

so this erebuni bumper needs some work. i think this kit was designed for someone with a tube front end/front bash bar - all three of these vents currently hit the stock bash bar.

Before you cut the bumper, you have to consider that the stock reinforcement will be visible through the bumper openings.

But vice versa, you don't want to ruin the structural integrity of the reinforcement defeating its entire purpose.

Just some food for thought!

Originally Posted by thermogod

also, the top of the bumper is vertical, whereas the stock top bumper mount is horizontal. gonna need to figure that out.

Take a look at this and see if this solution works for your bumper:

https://proshopnoble.com/collections...mper-assistant

[AKADriver]

Originally Posted by thermogod

so this erebuni bumper needs some work. i think this kit was designed for someone with a tube front end/front bash bar - all three of these vents currently hit the stock bash bar.

Back in the day this was made it was common to have to trim the stock reinforcement for intercoolers etc. anyway. Bash bars and tube fronts didn't exist yet : )

Oldest zilvia thread that mentions a bash bar I could find is this one from '09 and the only comment was that it was weird and a bad idea haha. They didn't start becoming common until the "throwaway drift missile" S-chassis era like 2012-2015

https://zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=237614

[thermogod]

Originally Posted by DEGUZZI

Before you cut the bumper, you have to consider that the stock reinforcement will be visible through the bumper openings.

But vice versa, you don't want to ruin the structural integrity of the reinforcement defeating its entire purpose.

Take a look at this and see if this solution works for your bumper:

https://proshopnoble.com/collections...mper-assistant

awesome - thank you. those brackets are what i had in mind when thinking of what i'd need to mount this on the top. and yes, stock bash bar will definitely be visible, but option 2 is to have a bash bar welded and cut up my otherwise stock schassis. it's all gonna be black anyways, and I don't think this is something like a TBO wing where slicing it up would be sacrilege.



i'm back from Maryland, obtained the "erebuni bumper vent shortening device", and i'm gonna need 21 feet of wrap for the hood, skirts and bumper. working on it.

[projectsupra]

I don't run a front bumper reinforcement at the moment so that's probably why I didn't run into that issue, but for mounting I used all of the original pignose bumper metal brackets and seals. Took a little bit of sanding and grinding to get everything to fit nice but it holds the bumper perfectly.

[thermogod]

^ speaking of which, follow my next story here guys....(and if you have expertise fitting bumpers i would love your advice)....

i cut back the bumper vents by about an inch, with a dremel, fan, vacuum and proper breathing protection etc. it was a very straightforward job. this midsection looks crooked but it ain't. generally, i've never touched an Schassis or done ANY bodywork myself before this, so...

i'll probably smooth the edges out before i wrap it.

and now we have:

which fits on the car like this:

as predicted, the vents were the issue, and now I can adjust this like I want.

BUT, what do i cut here?

obviously i need to cut the flange off, and double-sided tape this to the fenders. but then the erebuni "vent" will be half blocked by the fender. do i cut the bottom of the fender? cut the vent shape out of the fender? please and thanks in advance

whatever i do, i plan to drill mounting holes through the usual locations to the right of the side marker.

i did drill out some brackets to mount the upper part of the bumper, thanks home depot



oh i also switched back to black wheels on the other car. i am a member of the ANTI fender gap and ANTI rubber band tire club (rules don't apply to the 240).


AND FINALLY, i need to get easy access to the fender liners at some point so I can test-mount the skirts. i have the clips, i have the files, i have the drill, and i bought the wrap material yesterday.

[kanyedian]

The Genny looks purposeful with those MEATs on there, brotha

[thermogod]

indeed, it's a nice contrast to the 240.

i cut the flange off, it's pretty clear you're just supposed to cut the fender here. so i guess i need to make the choice.



btw THE FLANGE WAS SUPER WARPED. even if i cut the fender and used the flange to mount the fender liner, it would have looked FUCKED. i'll need to find some similar material to fill this gap.

also, skirts look great so far - mounted them and will double-sided-tape the fuck out of the flanges, or leave them in the sun (whatever people use for this trick)




i need smaller tires, more low, and kinda thinking of chrome wheels at this point. is this "18 year old with Monster stickers and sawzall" level or "guy who's doing body work for the first time" level?

[AKADriver]

You're giving it way more thought than monster sticker sawzall guy by test fitting and measuring twice before cutting.

Body kits of this era were... a whole thing. Expectation was that you needed body work and hand fitting to install them. That's why you saw so many cars with kits that didn't fit or were left unpainted with bondo everywhere.

I wouldn't feel guilty about cutting popup S13 front fenders at all. It's what we would've done back then!

[DEGUZZI]

Originally Posted by thermogod

i cut the flange off, it's pretty clear you're just supposed to cut the fender here. so i guess i need to make the choice.

There were a couple options you could've taken, but in your situation I would've done the same thing.

From this point, you'll have to fabricate a new flange considering the old one was so warped. But expect a pretty drawn out process to get back to something decent.


You can either buy a sheet of fiberglass to use, or make your own; you'll then cut it to shape, similar to the old piece.

Sand both the inside and out of the bumper, and front and back of your new flange.



Have your bumper in the final position, then clamp your new flange to the fender where it lines up with the bumper.



Then fiberglass little strips of cloth to bridge the flange to the bumper and maintain the shape. Try to maintain a little bit of a gap from the flange to the fender arch, which I'll explain in a bit.



When the strips have set, remove the bumper and fiberglass the inside with whatever reinforcement/layers you feel necessary. This will build up the thickness where it wraps around the fender, hence my suggestion to allow a gap when clamping the piece.

With the inside fiberglass and reinforced, you can buzz the outside corner down and use fiberglass filler (kitty hair), or more fiberglass mat.

[thermogod]

thank you for the fiberglass advice!

welcome back to "removing another mostly clean set of popup fenders from existence".

horizontal cut below the pinstripe. bumper now fits as it should. my fender liner's chewed up, whose isn't though.

welcome back to "flattening out skirt flanges by heating it with a hairdrier and pushing it with a drift spare and wood". this worked very well. bought the double-sided tape today.


i need to:

• drill and mockup the other skirt
• fix the flanges like i did with these
  
• cut the other fender
• add bumper-end flanges to attach the fender liner
• drill bumper holes that line up with the fender holes used for bumper mounting
• readjust the top mounts i made, they're a little short
• find and JB weld some vent material behind all 5 bumper vents
  
• get everything WRAPPED BLACK!!!!!

oh yeah, and guy still hasn't shipped me my new bumper bracket yet, and my friend hasn't finished my radiator brackets yet.