S14.5 Conversion

[TriniGT]

S14.5 Conversion and RB26 Swap

Hi all, I am currently doing a complete conversion on my S14. I bought the car in a pretty banged up state and got most all parts to do a complete S15 conversion on, that is, nose cut with radiator support, headlights, front fenders, fibreglass vented bonnet, S15 doors, S15 back cut and the roofing. Why, you ask would I take on such a task, well over here the age factor for the S15 has passed and I love the look, I have a Spec R as well but this one I wanna track it so I decided to go the extra mile on it. I originally got a rolled S14, merely for the engine and the rights and decided to restore it but after getting a hold of some S15 parts I decided to change my plans. So here is what I started with, yes looks to be a difficult project which was financed totally by me from start to where it is now and has taken some part of two years to reach a half decent state.

A lot of it was really cosmetic exterior damage, the chassis is straight as a needle and once the car was stripped of all the exterior only the roofing needed work but then I got an S15 roofing with the pillars and went that route. I have already got most of the car done now and we are currently working on the front of the car now mocking up the front windscreen fitment and aligning the nose cut and fenders and then finally the bodykit. Will post pics of the car when it is closing in on primer and paint. Right now I am need of a front windscreen along with some interior trim and door trim as well like rubbers and lining and the two quarter glasses and the trim for them as well that runs on the outside of the car. I have spoken to James and he is trying to hook me up with these items at the best price possible to help with the already expensive job as parts are getting a little more difficult to get now.

Lastly, I was wondering if anyone ever came across a matt chalk white paint finish on an S15 before, I wanted to go matt black like the RAUH-Welt S15 but I am rethinking the plan, what colour would you have done that isn't played out already? Please feel free to comment and yes I know I should have bought another S15 but I can't yada yada yada.

 

[ichi-go]

I cant believe you even went to get a roof lining from an s15 instead of fixing up the s14 roof lining, and doors too!

if it's gonna be a track car, chances are you're going to bang it, so nothing fancy I reckon. Heck even a backyard job is enough.

 

[Topper]

I wouldnt bother with a roof lining :no:, no carpets or anything. Quite a task your taking on, good luck though :thumbs:

 

[TriniGT]

I want it to look like an actual S15 so hence the reason for doing the roof work, as for the interior, I am going to be scrapping it and running some custom Bride interior for all the doors and seats and whatnot. Will keep you'll updated.

 

[TriniGT]

Well it has been quite some time but here is an update of this car after a long conversion. Money was not available so it was parked for a year or two until I got the parts and the right person to help with it. Turned out alright from a before and after, note, I will never attempt this again.
Engine Bay Shot,

Side Shot,

My Favourite, the Booty!!!

Front Suspension - Driftworks Tension Rod, SPL LCA and Driftworks Coilovers

Rear suspension - Driftworks RUCAS, LCAs, Traction Rods, Toe Arms, Aluminum Collars, Reinforced Subframe and Driftworks Coilovers

Cusco Rear Strut Bar,

Interior

Recaros and Front Bumper

Harness Nightmare

 

[C1TPT]

WOW!!! Awesome work mate! looks amazing, cant believe it!

 

[S15AK]

Yeah very well done mate, you have some serious dedication!

 

[superK]

Thats an unreal tranformation, no telling what it was originally,
well done, now time to enjoy it

 

[LuPix_S15]

Fairplay mate... looks sweet!!

 

[sniffy]

thats is one hell of a lot of hard work fair play to ya for attempting it.

 

[TriniGT]

Yeah well the car went to three different shops that attempted the conversion but in the end I found one person that did a nice job and to my standards of course. Now some updates. Cleaned the RB block last night, damn after the skimming of the block for straightness it sure left a lot of gunk everywhere throughout the block. I removed all the water and oil jackets aka welsch plugs and soaked the entire block with purple blaster and left it for half an hour to really get into the grease and old oil. Came back with the pressure washer and round one began. Lots of swarf that was stuck up all over came off. After washing I further inspected and found some more stuck on the inside of the block so I soaked again and washed again. The entire inner walls are now clean. I blasted the oil and water galleries but I want to go over everything again today just before engine assembly with some soapy warm water. That way it can penetrate and then once washed with warm water as well will disappear and not collect anywhere. After that I will need to spray the oil galleries with some WD40 and then blast them with the compressor to clean properly.

I will fit the Tomei oil restrictor and also begin cleaning the stock 'baffling plates' that attach to the girdle as they are oily and didn't want to clean them as they would have surely rusted. I am going to also clean up the water galleries on the block to allow a better flow around the cylinder walls. I have already widened the stock oil drain holes in the sump as specified by Tomei for the installation of the Tomei Baffling kit so Sump will be cleaned thoroughly with a wirebrush and some purple blaster and then blasted as well. I forgot to add the aluminum fitting for the oil drain back on the sump so I will get it attached today before final assembly starts. Bought the Redline Assembly Lube from tuner Imports for assembly so everything looks like a go.

First assembly will be the block, CP 86mm pistons, Stock GTR Rods with ARP connecting rod bolts, Cosworth Rod and Main Bearings and ARP Main Studs and also Tomei Oil Pump and all new seals and gaskets. Cranks has alreayd been checked and is A ok so assembly on the block should be fine. Was thinking as soon as the block has been washed in the warm water I will prime it and paint it same time in black lacquer paint and reattach the new water and oil jackets. The warmth of the block will help the paint hold much easier. I will get pics of the block today, I was quite please with the outcome this morning. Cylinders were oiled so that they would not get rust or oxidize while left unattended, so too were bearing grooves. On finall assembly the groove will need no oiling but a thorough cleaning and some thinners to dry the area for a proper seat with the bearing. also have all my torquing specs for all studd new and old waiting, some a five step torquing process and other three and other two. That's it for now

 

[TriniGT]

Well finally took some of the parts from of the shelves in my room,
CP 86mm Pistons

In pics below,
Cosworth Bronze Valve Guides, Greddy Cam Gears, Greddy Timing Belt, Tomei Oil Pump, Tomei Fuel Rail, Cosworth 1.5mm Headgasket, ARP Headstuds, ARP Main studs, ARP Connecting Rod Bolts, Cosworth Main and Rod Bearings and water and oil jackets. Things missing are Tomei Metal Gaskets, OEM Nissan Gasket Kit, OEM Nissan Tensioner and Idler Pulleys with new studs and nuts.

Some Bling,

Tomei Baffle Kit fitted to RB Sump,

Tomei Oil Restrictor,

Transfer Case removed and axle entrance welded shut,

The Victim, still needs a final soak with some soapy warm water before final paint and welsch plugs/fluid jackets are added,

Engine was soaked with purple blaster and left for half an hour and then blasted with a pressure washer

 

[TriniGT]

So I have bad news after some months of silence, RB is out the door after much deliberation. It will be built and swapped into my ER34 GTT. Now some updates, reason for the change of engine is that I want to run my clutch fan setup, A/C and that would require me trimming the upper radiator support and rerouting my harnesses which I don't wanna do at this point. So I stuck in an S15 SR20DET lump.

So gonna try and capture what was done over time.
Rear end shot, was still waiting on diff and engine and drivertrain setup,

Got my Auto R33 Viscous LSD, what you said 4.364 ratio (yikes)

My reinforced rear subframe and R33 diff with ABS sensor installed. Oh what is that, yes Driftworks suspension bits

Nismo Instrument Cluster (check), steering wheel has since been replaced with a factory S15 wheel but is being kept as backup

Finally the car has a heart, just need to give it some life,

Fitted some VS-XX 18X8.5/9.5 +31/+45mm, front needs spacers,

Front wheel rubbing on Brembo Caliper. these are R34 GTR Brembos and no they came in that condition, still to be painted. And they are going on the ER34 GTT and the GTT brakes on the Silvia.

 

[TriniGT]

Wheels fitted,

Engine has since been started after five years of not having nothing in the engine bay and all done by myself in my front yard. Was a proud day to hear her rumble on a first try after swapping an entire S15 wiring for engine/interior and trunk interior. Since then I have ripped out the front fibreglass fenders as they fit like crap and fitted OEM metal ones. I have a couple of fitment issues but it will all get sorted I am sure. Front Origin bumper has been fitted along with my Nismo Quad vented CF bonnet and DRFT tailights. The engine has a couple of addons added by myself namely, Greddy Intake, Greddy Sump, HKS Intake Pipe and Filter setup, Blitz FMIC and custom piping, Apexi Power FC L-Jetro, 3" Downpipe and 3" J-pipe. Things to go on still are 740CC injectors, Z32 MAF, Koyo Radiator, 3" Exhaust and then boost controller and a final tune. A couple of pics with the bumper fitted (Origin Kit BTW).
Intercooler fitted,

Clearance made for Washer Bottle, I may either have to run the pipe above the bracket or relocate the wahser bottle to the trunk if the fender shield does not fit.

Front bumper fitted, sorry poor pics, a little oil leak as seen below, should be fixed today ,

Let me know your thoughts on the progress thus far. Should have some more updates in time.

 

[EMAGDNIM]

I wish I could do half of the things you've done to your car. I need to sit down and really learn how to do certain car things. Keep it up...

 

[S15 SILVIA]

Christ, what size are your rear Tyres? They look huge!
Car looking good mate, keep it up.

 

[faxij]

*sigh* wish i had money, time, place and know-how for such work...sadly dedication and motivation alone is not enough :/
great, great work...please go on like that

 

[TriniGT]

Thanks for the encouragement guys, tyres in the rear are 265/35/18. Well not much to update. It so happened that today I decided to fit my exhaust I picked up yesterday. Only problem I encountered was that collector pipe to the back of the turbo I had was screwing the entire setup and also that one of my exhaust hanger bolts snapped. Problem with the collector pipe is that the length of it was off and was dropping the downpipe too low and not allowing it to bolt direct with the gearbox bracket. Well I bit the bullet and decided back in with the OEM collector for now until I decide to begin upgrades like a nice top mount turbo setup.

Well the dis-assembling of the collector was quite tough and some blood was drawn and some cussing followed. After about an hour and a half the collector came off and took a hlaf hour to fit the stocker as I had loctite on the aftermarket one and put loctite back on the original one as well. Then had to go find all my original turbo and collector pipe heat shields and refit them. Once that was done I fitted the aftermarket 3" downpipe and everything lines up no problem. Cleaned the exhaust a bit but it still needs polishing and the tip will need a bit of modding like everything else I have.

The exhaust I have has a detachable tip which is blue burnt in colour and also has a silencer that can bolt on. The problem with the stock location of the blue tip is that it allows the tip to stick too far out of the rear bumper so I will have to send the tip straight back and drill the tip and barrel and run a stainless steel nut and bolt through it and then have that lightly tacked for vandals. I got the entire setup fitted but when tightening the rear exhaust hanger the flicking bolt snapped and now I am one hanger short. I will need to drill the bolt out and run a nut and bolt through it. Right now I am running a 2.5" gutted catalytic converter but eventually will get a decat 3" pipe to replace it. I started her up and checked for some leaks and so far so good.

I also removed the Greddy Sump and cleaned it and cleaned the lower sump surface and got some thinners on there and then reapplied silcone to the sump and refitted it. I have started the car and left it running for about 15 minutes and so far no leaks, will keep monitoring it on the jackstands though for the next couple of days while I work on the brakes and front stabalizer bar and soem other things that still need fitting. Still have to fabricate a battery bracket setup for the trunk as it is just in there. Will get pics of the updates as soon as possible.

Picked up these two bad boys, go the decat lastnight and the split downpipe for low riders tonight, hopefully everything fits like yam.

Gonna have to hunt for a Tomei/Greddy/HKS Collector/J-pipe to complete the full 3" exhaust or otherwise will order one.

Well I could not wait so I removed the 3" collector pipe I had and 3.5" gutted catalytic converter and fitted the split downpipe and it fits pretty decent, only problem is that the bracket that it has sits in line but just earlier than the location. I will have to get a flate plate and make four bolt holes to line up the bracket and the downpipe, no biggy.

Tomorrow I am gonna pickup some star type lock washers and some high grade bolts and nuts form Lotec to button up the exhaust and put that to rest. The downpipe is hardly visible underneath the car now, really sweet. I mocked up the decat and it looks spot-on. I may just widen the metal 2.5" gaskets I have to 3" and use them if I cannot find metal 3" gaskets. Tomorrow this will be one less chapter.

I just need to lineup the stabalizer links with the FLCAs and then torque them in and then torque everything under the front. I am seeing a leak at the back where one of my axle boots has a slit so I need to unbolt the axle and take off the dredded big nut from the rear wheel hub and slip out the axles and change the boot. Still have to get my brembos repainted and and then swap them on the GTT and swap the GTT brakes to the Silvia. I will drive the Silvia around the yard this week hopefully using my handbrake as the brake just to see how it feels and try to do some camber adjustments and adjust my height to suit. Then once brakes are done it's off to paint.

 

[sliding-r]

this is one crazy build and will look forward to seeing further progress..

whats the R34 like? is is modified much?

 

[TriniGT]

The R34 is a GTT, it is pretty much stock with bolt-ons, HKS FMIC and piping, HKS SSQV, Trust Oil Cooler, Trust Intake Filter, Blitz Access ECU, Blitz TTimer, Blitz Boost Controller, Pivot ACS-M Fuel Controller, Walbro hard wired with a relay, Kakimoto 3.5" exhaust, Nismo Coilovers etc.