Project 635 - 300HP RWD 620

[DADZSUN]

It's been over a month since the last update. I've been chipping away at my to-do list, the last week or two has picked up due to favorable garage temps. Despite the length of time since the last update, she's still not done - but very close! I'm at the point of no longer writing/updating my To-Do list on my white board.

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Part of the slow progress is the time to get the gauge cluster updated from this original setup to one that can handle the Speedhut gauges and double din head unit. Pretty much everything else was on hold until the cluster was complete.

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The process required 3D printing the gauge hoods and the radio bezel, epoxy in place, then sand (repeat the last 2 steps several times).

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Another challenge was finding a way to fasten the cluster and the headunit to the dash. If you recall I shortened the dash approx 1" so many of the stock mounts no longer work. Eventually I got it figured out and the cluster received a final paint. It's not perfect, but much of my truck isn't either.

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For those who know the stock cluster, I've moved things around a bit. There are new aftermarket LED turn signals. The gauge dimmer knob resides where the headlight switch was. The headlight switch now sits where the cigarette lighter was. The square plate is the mount for the Tilton brake bias adjuster. The missing ashtray perfectly houses the Vintage air heater controls.

With the cluster done, I can focus on the wiring.

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... and the ignition cluster was ready to be mounted. I hacked one of my 510 electric power steering kit mounts and it worked reasonably well.

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Next I mounted new Hella headlamps along with H1 & H4 LED bulbs. I also mounted brand new polished headlight bezels. So shiny!

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Finally, it's time to show off 635's new shoes. I had the FD wheels and while I really liked them, they weren't beefy enough in the rear, and didn't have enough 'pop' for match this build's outrageousness.

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Enkei PF01 17x9 rear (et63 - 255/40), 17x8 front (et45 - 225/45). Pretty much a Honda S2000 aftermarket setup. The white is possible a little too blingy, but I'll go with it for awhile, I can always powdercoat down the road.

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MTB fits perfect. This will be a familiar sight this summer.

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Rear looks good. Those wheels/offset are perfect.

As of now the wipers/pisser, radio/speakers, dome, EPAS, keyed ignition, heater, gauges are all wired. I'd got the headlight, fans, security stuff, and ECU to do before I start shakedown.

[iceman510]

Looking good. My favorite Enkei wheel for larger diameters.

[Edm620]

Yes Edmonton to Halifax was a long haul, took 4 very long days + 1/2 a day. Sun disappeared the moment I crossed into NS and was beset with fog & rain, so didn't get to really see anything

[Edm620]

I like how it's looking, the track width is excellent!

[DADZSUN]

I threw another dozen hrs into the truck this weekend and the wiring is now almost done. It was one of those weekends where I actually got more done than planned so I decided to take the truck out for another spin.

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Fans, ECU, and main headlights are now done. I'm still trying to identify the dimmer switch wire on the stalk to activate the inner high beams via a relay. Fuse panel was powered up and I confirmed everything worked except the front passenger park lights - not bad! Hella headlamps with LED bulbs are BRIGHT. Hella horns are loud and sound good too.

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So a few thoughts on the outing:

• It is NOT a quiet ride!! I can clearly hear the motor through the firewall despite ample sound deadening. When I hit the throttle the exhaust really barks despite cats, a long resonator, and reasonable muffler. The tone is not your typical VQ OEM gurgle (which I like), nor that high pitched aftermarket exhaust which everyone seems to hate, but more of a throaty V6. If it wasn't my truck I wouldn't have a clue there was a VQ under the hood.

• The seating position/ride is VERY far forward in the chassis. I feel like there's a mile of car behind me. Very different than the 510.

• Alignment is way off, the truck was tracking everywhere but straight.

• The sun really shows how poor the bodywork is. Wow! I don't normally really care about that stuff but even I have a standard. That will need some attention next winter.

• When I do get the steering straight enough and hit 3/4 throttle, this truck just barks, instantly spins the tires, and launches. I've never had a car this raw/fast before... man is it fun!!!

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The truck is back in the garage on stands with the wheels off. I've got another little list to hammer through before I try again in a week or two. So far, the 'shakedown' process has been quite reasonable which is nice.

[DADZSUN]

Looking good. My favorite Enkei wheel for larger diameters.

Thanks! They're pretty damn light too which is nice.

I was a little nervous getting 17". I feel 15/16" is the sweet spot on the 620, but they just don't have anything wider than 225 in those diameters with a reasonably short sidewall.

[DADZSUN]

I like how it's looking, the track width is excellent!

Thanks! Yeah, that was pretty much the exact size flares/track width I wanted for this sized vehicle. Those 2" rear flares barely clear the 255 (despite an et 63!) but thankfully the camber pulls them in as the compression increases.

[Edm620]

this truck just barks, instantly spins the tires, and launches. I've never had a car this raw/fast before... man is it fun!!!

Now THAT is a statement!

[DADZSUN]

It's been almost 3 weeks since my last update and she's still not safetied/insured. Doesn't mean I haven't been busy! A steady 15 hr/wk trouble shooting various 'shakedown' issues. It's been bit of a drag but I've been kicking myself in the ass to get out and wrap this up...

First, I managed to kill the 15km-old alternator's regulator. I had defaulted to using the OEM wiring harness/connector - powered off the ECU. I'm guessing the way I wired the ECU it managed to turn off the alternator incorrectly, resulting in a voltage spike. Once repaired, I removed it from the OEM setup and ran a 'stand alone' - essentially a voltage sensing wire off the main voltage line, and the exciter wire runs off the ignition 'start' signal. Seems good now.

Next, the damn brakes have been a PITA. I'm not getting the pedal travel I expected, and there's a lot of line pressure, resulting in the brake lights randomly turning on (via a brake pressure switch). It turns out the the Tilton hanging pedal assembly has a cantilever-type motion where the upper brake arm pivots the opposite direction to travel. It turned out that my clearance was too tight between the pedal box bracket and firewall forcing the pedal to begin compression. Once I figured out the issue I added some clearance (read: hammer) and it seems to be moving freely now. It still needs another bleed or two but the path is clear. Added bonus: I rerouted the brake bias cable to a much shorter and efficient route.

I also realised that I wired the rear tail lights a little incorrectly. The brake signal was activating both the brake bulb and the parking bulb, so at night with the lights on it's hard to see when the brakes are applied (ignoring the VERY bright 3rd LED brake light). I rewired these to stand-alone and they seem to be good now - I've ordered new LED bulbs to ensure they are nice and bright. Pretty much everything in the truck is LED except for anything flashing.

I've also since added bracing from the exhaust manifold to the tranny to prevent any stress/movement cracking. Those manifolds would be a HUGE PITA to remove...

Even though I'm not much of a sticker guy, I felt it was appropriate to add these two.

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That brings us to this afternoon. I managed to get things wrapped up and take her out for a longer 20km spin. Wow. I'm not sure the adjective I can use for this machine, angry? attitude? You're not sneaking up on anyone with this thing! That VQ just pulls - no running out of steam in the upper RPM here. The other surprising thing is just how well it drives. Suspension is pretty much what I was hoping for (thankfully, given the somewhat imprecise measuring/fastening methods I used), with a firm but compliant ride. The lack of front & rear sway bars doesn't hinder turn-in too much (that mega long wheelbase really offsets any nimble ambitions anyway). Also, traction is shocking good so the rear stays planted and straight when throttle is applied - even on gravel! The viscous LSD seems to be healthy as I'm getting a nice twin patch... All in all, this makes for a super stable ride which is what I was aiming for. She's definitely does not pivot like my 510. No Solo2 ambitions with this ride. I feel like I'm riding in the front of a school bus if that makes sense.

So the plan going forward is to get the brakes firm, then I've got to get a safety, classic car/insurance appraisal, get it weighed for MoT and finally registered. I'm hoping this will be fast but likely expensive and time consuming. Stay tuned!

[ostaylor]

I won't believe it is running until I see a video with sound!

[DADZSUN]

I won't believe it is running until I see a video with sound!

Soon enough - another week or two?

[DADZSUN]

I came across a locally available uhaul trailer for cheap and decided to act right away to begin the registration process.

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Insurance was surprisingly easy, they are willing to cover for original purchase price ($2K) and liability w/o an appraisal. That's a reasonable risk for me to take to ease the process until I have time to get it properly appraised.

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I first brought the truck to Boyd Moving & Storage where they offer precise weighing for $25 CAD, FAR cheaper and quicker that race scales. I came into the office hoping for no more than 2750lbs, and was 30lbs short. I was wishing for it to be 100-200lbs lighter to be honest. Note the truck has a large 19 gallon fuel tank that was completely full - that alone would add a chunk over OEM. Still, it's 400lbs lighter than a 350z so in the grand scheme of things I'm good with that. She's even lighter and more powerful than an S2000!

The truck is now at a buddy's shop to get the safety. Once done, there's still a few things to make it 'normal', the brakes are still a little soft, the electric fans need to be tuned for the right temp (currently they default to on 100% of the time), and the throttle calibration needs to be redone. That last step might be through Nissan, or Uprev/Osiris if possible.

[bertvorgon]

If you find the "throttle hang" is annoying, which I did on my G35, I bought a cool little device
called SPRINT BOOSTER

https://www.sprintboostercanada.com/?ht ... gJ2QfD_BwE

It sure cured my problem with the G35 throttle, which I hated when down shifting. It just plugs in between the pedal and the wiring harness, super easy. I still double clutch, so it really bothered me how bad the hang was in the throttle.

[Edm620]

Excellent! Did you also get F/R weights for bias?

[bertvorgon]

Not sure what you mean in this case!?