New member 71 SR20det Black Top ground up restomod
Posted: 19 Apr 2008 12:23
First off, I’ll apologize up front for the fatly winded post, but I do have 2 ¾ years to catch you up on, so if you’d like, read on or just skip straight to the pictures.
Hello to all on the Realm. I’m new to the site, and first wanted to say thanks to everyone that shares all the helpful information many of us need and use. I’ve been enjoying this community and that info you all put forth for a few years now, so I finally got of my ARRSS and signed up. I thought I would join in the fun by posting my 71 2 door that’s reached it's third year of hard work and struggle, and is now in the final stages!! Through this voyage I’ve learned more about people and business than I have cars themselves. Like most of you, the 510 has been my favorite car since childhood, and now in my thirties (hence my site name), there still hanging around like an old girlfriend that never seems to go away. My very first car was a 73 white 2 door I bought from some crack head in Berkley (I think in 1989 or 90) for $900 with a sick cassette player (LOL). Every Dime that I’ve ever purchased has gotten a beating and then sold. Never once fixing them up the way I wanted, mostly due to the all mighty dollar (or the present, worthless dollar). Its always been a dream to restore one the way I wanted, so after taking a hiatus and playing adult (its not what its cracked up to be), I’ve made the money to tackle this dream.
The goal for the car is Street/Track, so I tried to plan the build to hit somewhere in the middle (give and take if you may). Driving as comfortably as “possible” to the track, and once on the track (say Laguna, which is my first stop) spank the little shiny silver bumper off a $100k Porsche Turbo! With my goal set, I decided the most sensible engine swap would be an SR, and considering that the 510 (even though my favorite, its made of tin) isn’t the safest car, it was going to need a full cage. Unfortunately when you get older, you start to think about these things, but the good news is, it only slows you down in the streets, NOT the track!! Oops back on subject. To tackle building a cage was going to take some out sourcing, so that I did.
This is the part of the story when I learned about the business side of 510’s. It’s also the side that I hope can teach or give a little info to someone that’s in need. I was never aware of this side, because my dealing’s to this date have always been between friends or people with the same interest and love for the 510. Never has there been large amounts of money thrown around at any 510 in my life. Who would have thought!!! I think if I would have gone into this project with a business state of mind, (like I do when playing adult), things wouldn’t have turned out like sh_t. Threw all my research, I ended up choosing DGR to do the cage. All though 3 months late, it turned out incredibly nice (waiting to put it to the test yet). After getting it home with the cage finished, it was time for the swap. I planned on doing everything, but the electrical and welding. Well the adult thing came into play again, and before the housing market could collapse like a bridge on top of me, I needed to remodel and sell my house. I either could wait a year or maybe more to start my project (depending on whether or not it would sell), or the alternative was to find someone to do the swap and have it done before I was oldballz and had to take Viagra for a morning pick me UP!! Because the cage turned out so nice, I again sided with DGR for the swap. I decided they would do a turn key swap with a rack & pinion set up, so I could run the stock turbo location. TO THIS DAY, IT’S THE WORST DECISION I’VE MADE IN MY LIFE! This is the learning section; if you want it done right with the satisfaction you deserve, DO IT YOURSELF. It was 8 months late, which put me in a miserable situation considering my house sale, and in my “opinion” was unprofessional and unsafe (It’s only an opinion, so don’t anyone get butt hurt).
I finally got the car home (while towing it home the R200 leaked out all its fluid and cooked itself, because DGR didn’t bother to seal it up)
and went straight into looking it over, and then tearing it down for paint. At this point, I’m waiting to get the car back from paint so I can start assembly. I have yet been able to drive the car so I’m itching to get it done!!!!
The list of goodies I chose for the car is as follows:
The engine is an S14 black top, New T25 Garrett Turbo, Greddy intake, Tomei Expreme exhaust manifold, Nissmo 555 injectors, Jim Wolf ECU, Z32 MAF and Apexi filter.
Suspension is, Troy Ermish front and rear coil overs with 225lb springs and Ermish caster and camber plates.
Datsport ARC V4 and R200 mustache bar
Brakes are TSR 12” Brembo front and rear brakes (rear are over kill and not to sensible but I had to do it) with parking brake.
R200 diff
Interior is Stock except for the full cage and EVO Recaro seats that are mounted to the cage.
Wheels are 16x7 Watanabe RS8’s
I still need to pick out and mount the gauges and get some CV axles.
Here are some pics of my journey.
Hello to all on the Realm. I’m new to the site, and first wanted to say thanks to everyone that shares all the helpful information many of us need and use. I’ve been enjoying this community and that info you all put forth for a few years now, so I finally got of my ARRSS and signed up. I thought I would join in the fun by posting my 71 2 door that’s reached it's third year of hard work and struggle, and is now in the final stages!! Through this voyage I’ve learned more about people and business than I have cars themselves. Like most of you, the 510 has been my favorite car since childhood, and now in my thirties (hence my site name), there still hanging around like an old girlfriend that never seems to go away. My very first car was a 73 white 2 door I bought from some crack head in Berkley (I think in 1989 or 90) for $900 with a sick cassette player (LOL). Every Dime that I’ve ever purchased has gotten a beating and then sold. Never once fixing them up the way I wanted, mostly due to the all mighty dollar (or the present, worthless dollar). Its always been a dream to restore one the way I wanted, so after taking a hiatus and playing adult (its not what its cracked up to be), I’ve made the money to tackle this dream.
The goal for the car is Street/Track, so I tried to plan the build to hit somewhere in the middle (give and take if you may). Driving as comfortably as “possible” to the track, and once on the track (say Laguna, which is my first stop) spank the little shiny silver bumper off a $100k Porsche Turbo! With my goal set, I decided the most sensible engine swap would be an SR, and considering that the 510 (even though my favorite, its made of tin) isn’t the safest car, it was going to need a full cage. Unfortunately when you get older, you start to think about these things, but the good news is, it only slows you down in the streets, NOT the track!! Oops back on subject. To tackle building a cage was going to take some out sourcing, so that I did.
This is the part of the story when I learned about the business side of 510’s. It’s also the side that I hope can teach or give a little info to someone that’s in need. I was never aware of this side, because my dealing’s to this date have always been between friends or people with the same interest and love for the 510. Never has there been large amounts of money thrown around at any 510 in my life. Who would have thought!!! I think if I would have gone into this project with a business state of mind, (like I do when playing adult), things wouldn’t have turned out like sh_t. Threw all my research, I ended up choosing DGR to do the cage. All though 3 months late, it turned out incredibly nice (waiting to put it to the test yet). After getting it home with the cage finished, it was time for the swap. I planned on doing everything, but the electrical and welding. Well the adult thing came into play again, and before the housing market could collapse like a bridge on top of me, I needed to remodel and sell my house. I either could wait a year or maybe more to start my project (depending on whether or not it would sell), or the alternative was to find someone to do the swap and have it done before I was oldballz and had to take Viagra for a morning pick me UP!! Because the cage turned out so nice, I again sided with DGR for the swap. I decided they would do a turn key swap with a rack & pinion set up, so I could run the stock turbo location. TO THIS DAY, IT’S THE WORST DECISION I’VE MADE IN MY LIFE! This is the learning section; if you want it done right with the satisfaction you deserve, DO IT YOURSELF. It was 8 months late, which put me in a miserable situation considering my house sale, and in my “opinion” was unprofessional and unsafe (It’s only an opinion, so don’t anyone get butt hurt).
I finally got the car home (while towing it home the R200 leaked out all its fluid and cooked itself, because DGR didn’t bother to seal it up)
and went straight into looking it over, and then tearing it down for paint. At this point, I’m waiting to get the car back from paint so I can start assembly. I have yet been able to drive the car so I’m itching to get it done!!!! The list of goodies I chose for the car is as follows:
The engine is an S14 black top, New T25 Garrett Turbo, Greddy intake, Tomei Expreme exhaust manifold, Nissmo 555 injectors, Jim Wolf ECU, Z32 MAF and Apexi filter.
Suspension is, Troy Ermish front and rear coil overs with 225lb springs and Ermish caster and camber plates.
Datsport ARC V4 and R200 mustache bar
Brakes are TSR 12” Brembo front and rear brakes (rear are over kill and not to sensible but I had to do it) with parking brake.
R200 diff
Interior is Stock except for the full cage and EVO Recaro seats that are mounted to the cage.
Wheels are 16x7 Watanabe RS8’s
I still need to pick out and mount the gauges and get some CV axles.
Here are some pics of my journey.
