JDM Nissan Bluebird Coupe (ex JCCA Race Car)

[KiKiIchiBan]

It doesn't feel like much has progressed since my last update. I've almost cut out all the rust from that side of the car, there's not much car left!

Wondering how much bracing was in the rear arches/inner arches as I never expected to remove them and didn't brace it before. Anyway. Few pictures of progress. I know it's all going to have to come back out again, but I wanted to make sure everything fit and any modifications done before it's painted. I did rattle can it black quickly as it was annoying me being bare metal, filler, white and black.

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Also hooked up a jump pac to test the electrics, surprised that everything worked:

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Everything except the wiper motor, it made a sound, the stopped working. I'll have to look into getting it fixed or replaced.

After putting it back together, number 1 when TDC isn't where number 1 used to be.

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

I double and triple checked everything, maybe it's just the way the Kameari distributor is, assuming it doesn't actually matter where number 1 is, as long as the rotor arm points at it and the firing order is correct?

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

I need a new bolt for the cam as I'm not using a stock pump, no point having the pump drive.

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Forgot I had this damper pulley.

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

I love this exhaust manifold.

More to come (more of the bad)

[KiKiIchiBan]

I pulled off the rear crossmember as it needs new bushes and it's pretty cruddy and could use a wire wheel and some paint.

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Poverty spec mod? Racing on the cheap? Dangerous? Bodge?

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

I think I'm going to need a new rear end, or some of those weld in tabs? What's the best solution? Assuming that the way it is, isn't safe or accurate.

Under some body filler was some aluminium tape to cover up this hole.

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

I knew this side was bad, but again under filler and foil

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Few holes around the window

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Now theres a lot less:

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Yeah... loads more to do.

[KiKiIchiBan]

Another part I forgot I had, a new water pump. Different from the one that was in there, but it's a lot less rusty.

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

And more Kameari parts

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

[bertvorgon]

Check the thickness of the housing, if it is thicker than what was in there it is the higher volume water pump, which would be a bonus!

[broke]

The slotted crossmember is a pretty common mod, it's not as dodgy as it seems. Serrated locking washers or something would improve it, otherwise I like the Datsport rear adjustment brackets. Byron's brackets that DPR etc sell are probably a lot easier to fit though.

[Byron510]

If just the inner rear LCA mounts have been modified, my camber/toe adjusting brackets would work perfect for you as my brackets replace the entire inner mount.

Shipped a number of these to Europe already. If interested - let me know.

Byron

[KiKiIchiBan]

If just the inner rear LCA mounts have been modified, my camber/toe adjusting brackets would work perfect for you as my brackets replace the entire inner mount.

Shipped a number of these to Europe already. If interested - let me know.

Byron

The slotted crossmember is a pretty common mod, it's not as dodgy as it seems. Serrated locking washers or something would improve it, otherwise I like the Datsport rear adjustment brackets. Byron's brackets that DPR etc sell are probably a lot easier to fit though.

Thanks both. Can they be used with poly bushes as I’ve already purchased those or would I need spherical bushes?

[Byron510]

Both my brackets and the slotting of the crossmember require some ability to move the pivot axis in different directions realities to each other. I have heard guys say they have used poly bushing me with my brackets successfully, but I would not suggest it. Actually the stock rubber bushing work fine, as they have the ability to flex and they work absolutely fine. But ultimately a spherical bush set is optimum for zero play and absolutely zero binding. Even without any adjustable brackets the spherical bush is still the optimum way to go. The one issue with poly is that the joints need lubrication from time to time or they tend to start to squeak and creak, and the bolts are a bit of a challenge to just pull out and lubricate. The spherical bushes also need lubricating once in a while, but they thankfully don’t need to be pulled apart to do so.

A couple thoughts, let me know if you have any other questions.

Byron

[KiKiIchiBan]

Both my brackets and the slotting of the crossmember require some ability to move the pivot axis in different directions realities to each other. I have heard guys say they have used poly bushing me with my brackets successfully, but I would not suggest it. Actually the stock rubber bushing work fine, as they have the ability to flex and they work absolutely fine. But ultimately a spherical bush set is optimum for zero play and absolutely zero binding. Even without any adjustable brackets the spherical bush is still the optimum way to go. The one issue with poly is that the joints need lubrication from time to time or they tend to start to squeak and creak, and the bolts are a bit of a challenge to just pull out and lubricate. The spherical bushes also need lubricating once in a while, but they thankfully don’t need to be pulled apart to do so.

A couple thoughts, let me know if you have any other questions.

Byron

Thanks, food for thought. Do you have a supplier for the spherical bushes? I'll add it all on the to do and to buy list and eventually (hopefully) get around to it. Hopefully there won't be many more surprises.

[KiKiIchiBan]

So these came out far too easy. I was expecting to have to burn them out, but a little bit of WD40, a large flat head and a few hits with a hammer and they were out in under a minute.

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Which makes me question, what's broken?

These were even easier to take out:

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

All look like the original bushes to me, not sure if they've ever been replaced.

My next dummy question which Ive searched for, my exhaust is a snug fit through the cross member, it has a little slip on that sits in there only just.

Is this 2.5inch hole standard? Looks like the welds are home made to me with a lot of splatter.

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

[broke]

Yeah that's the factory birdsh*t welding on the crossmember hole. QC wasn't too hot back in those days, I was able to pretty much knock a couple of the control arm mounting ears off with just a few big swings of the ol' BFH. You probably want to enlarge that hole while you're in there too.

[Byron510]

There’s two schools of though on the crossmember hope. Solid mount the exhaust to the X-memeber with the ability to flex at least on the engine side, or enlarge the hole to 3 1/4” ID or better and attach amount. The former is generally a race set up as skip fits are utilized and there’s no hardware to worry about. If your doing the adjustable camber/toe brackets, do it all at the same time (doing the exhaust hole first).
The pipe or tube you use should be min 1/8” or3mm wall thickness, as you don’t want to loose the integrity of the X-member itself. And before you paint the X-member, do have a mounting system sorted out for which you’ll affix the exhaust pipe to. Nothing worse that having your bits all nicely painted and then realizing you missed something!

I’m actually doing another exhaust upgrade X member for a local guy this week. Be right there with you.

Byron

[KiKiIchiBan]

There’s two schools of though on the crossmember hope. Solid mount the exhaust to the X-memeber with the ability to flex at least on the engine side, or enlarge the hole to 3 1/4” ID or better and attach amount. The former is generally a race set up as skip fits are utilized and there’s no hardware to worry about. If your doing the adjustable camber/toe brackets, do it all at the same time (doing the exhaust hole first).
The pipe or tube you use should be min 1/8” or3mm wall thickness, as you don’t want to loose the integrity of the X-member itself. And before you paint the X-member, do have a mounting system sorted out for which you’ll affix the exhaust pipe to. Nothing worse that having your bits all nicely painted and then realizing you missed something!

I’m actually doing another exhaust upgrade X member for a local guy this week. Be right there with you.

Byron

Yeah that's the factory birdsh*t welding on the crossmember hole. QC wasn't too hot back in those days, I was able to pretty much knock a couple of the control arm mounting ears off with just a few big swings of the ol' BFH. You probably want to enlarge that hole while you're in there too.

Thank you both once again. Much appreciated. Stock welds are poor, loads of scatter. I'm still learning to weld but wouldn't be happy with that.

This weekend I'll be going back to France for a bit (After football Friday night and brothers birthday Saturday) so this might have to wait a while, need to get those adjustable brackets off you first.

[KiKiIchiBan]

Plenty of opinions on this, but I was never going to run the car with air filters. I go to a lot of historical racing here in Europe and no one seems to fun filters and pictures I've seen of my car when it used to run and the original SCCN Bluebirds didn't run filters either.
That being said, I found these online:

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Ordered an extra set for a mate who's got a TA22.

Before:

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

During:

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

After:

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

It won't stop small particles, but it looks better than the chicken wire wrapped over the trumpets that some seem to do.

One night in the week, I found some 918 Orange from the Zed in a rattle can online. Looking at pictures, they seem to vary from a deep orange/red to a faded orange/yellow. Took a punt and grabbed 2 cans of it.

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

I had an off cut from a patch panel that was already in grey primer so I hit it a few times.

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

Untitled by Kieron Ash, on Flickr

So in about 5 years, when I've had enough time to sort the car, it'll be painted in 918.

[Byron510]

That’s amazing to find such a close match in a rattle can - damn lucky!

I like your intake screens, I wonder what the actual restriction is like. Better than sucking in a stone for sure.
The Bronze got a retro grade this fall. I bought a handful of fuel, air, pilot and pump jets from Futofab and decided to give jetting a shot. It’s not bad, it I’ll have to admit adjusting the EFI was a lot easier, and it will be going back on the ca when I refresh the EFI head.

James took these shots of my old Mikunis back in use, and a shot of Deans triples on is 260 using the external screens you mentioned. Thanks James for seemingly taking the ‘right’ photos.

Byron