My Massive I30 Revival and Build Thread
The only hanger tip I would have is turning the voltage up and intentionally hitting the hanger rod with wire first. You want to bleed the heat into the thicker rod without blowing though the muffler case. Also poly exhaust hangers helped me dial in the my huge B-Pipe resonator movement.
Oh, and I'm trying to make all the new stuff backwards compatible with my current setup. In retrospect that probably wasn't the best idea, but it's too late to turn back now.
My welds are.....acceptable.
I think that's all for now. Let me know if you have any thoughts or suggestions on anything!
Yeah I was still running the same settings there as I was when joining two pieces of pipe together, and that much thicker flange wasn't really taken into account. I'm not really sure what to do when there's such a big disparity in thickness. I made the decision that I would rather have less penetration if it meant I would never blow through the piping, and welds like this are the result. I hope they don't crack/fail.
Yeah I was still running the same settings there as I was when joining two pieces of pipe together, and that much thicker flange wasn't really taken into account. I'm not really sure what to do when there's such a big disparity in thickness. I made the decision that I would rather have less penetration if it meant I would never blow through the piping, and welds like this are the result. I hope they don't crack/fail.
Alright, so I finished up the 3" exhaust project and I think it came out pretty well. I would compare the volume level to something like a 350z, just a tad louder. If I rev it, you can tell it's not stock and it makes a nice noise, but under load when driving it's very quiet. With my old exhaust I would say the noise was split 40/60 between intake and exhaust. With this setup it's more like 80/20 intake/exhaust. Videos will come later.
I got all new hardware for the exhaust and subframe connectors. I went with the EcoGuard coating (from Fastenal) as it's the most salt/rust resistant finish you can get. Now when I take things apart under the car, everything uses a 17mm socket, and everything is the same thread pitch. No more jumbled up head sizes and tread pitches, no more rusty fasteners. And every bolt is the minimum length possible too. This will really reduce the frustration level when working down there.
After making the b-pipe, it was time for the muffler. I knew going in this was going to be very difficult due to the size of the muffler, and I was right. It's so long that it comes very close to the rear axle, meaning the pipe connecting to the b-pipe was going to have to come up at a sharp angle. Lowering the muffler would have helped, but then I ran the risk of it hanging down too low and scraping when I come in and out of my driveway. Moving the muffler further to the rear would have also helped, but the rear crash beam was in the way. After a LOT of work and test fitting, this is what I came up with. I decided to copy the hanger design from the Cattman and make two attachment points for each hanger to spread out the load.
Let me tell you, trying to tack weld things on 304 SS pipes under the car is a difficult thing to do. My magnet ground was useless, and my ground clamp is pretty heavy. Not fun.
I got the muffler tucked up as far as it would go:
And as far back as it would go:
I had to notch the crash beam to allow the tip through as well. In the end, this is what it looked like:
With big pipes and big resonators/mufflers, clearance was tight everywhere. Most of these issues were later resolved, but it just goes to show what I was dealing with. This is a pic of the support beam for the panhard rod:
RSB bushing:
Lateral support brace in the center of the car (spaced down):
As much as a liked the look of the twin tip setup of the Cattman muffler, it just wasn't going to be possible with the new muffler, so I had to settle for a single tip. I found a nice SS double wall tip and welded it up. Once again, it was much harder than it should have been to get it to fit the way I wanted (flush with the bumper). I also had to open up the hole in the bumper to allow it to fit.
I wasted some time and tried my hand at polishing up part of the piping between the resonators. I think I started with the red scotch brite pads, then 000 steel wool, then a medium polish, and finally a finishing polish. It turned out pretty well, but wasn't worth the effort.
Finally, it was time to work on the Cattman y-pipe for the headers. The secondaries are 1.8" ID, but the pipe they merged into was only 2.3", so things were definitely getting choked pretty badly up there. Time to open it up to 3"! I first welded in a 2.5" -> 3" SS merge section. Getting the next section to line up was very difficult. I ordered a pipe with a 25* bend from TruBendz (the manufacturer of the rest of the piping in the system). Not only does this section of pipe need to come up to meet the center section of the exhaust, but it also needs to come to the side at the same time. Getting both of those angles right took a lot of test fitting, trimming, and more test fitting. I got it tacked in place, but there were some small gaps that eventually blew through when I tried to weld them, which required some little patches to make it all work. I then tacked the flex section on, and finally the back pipe going into the flange. Last was the bung for the wideband O2 sensor. The manufacturer says to mount to sensor as close to vertical as possible so condensation doesn't build up on it, and with the 5 speed shift arms removed I had plenty of space to work with. I also decided not to use the 3/8" mild steel hangers that came with the pipe kit and bought some beefy 1/2" SS ones.
I did a better job with this bung then my buddy did all those years back with the original one. But I will say using the Vibrant flush mount bung made things super easy.
I even made a new ground strap to replace the one that hasn't been on the car in 15+ years....I wish I understood why manufacturers like to ground the exhaust to the body, but I don't. Maybe something to do with the O2 sensors?
And that, ladies and gentleman, is how a complete novice builds a 3" SS exhaust. Aside from the hardware, there is not a single piece of mild steel in any of the parts I used. All the piping, flanges, muffler tip, and Vibrant resonator are 304, while the Magnaflow resonators are 409. Goodbye rust! I have no idea how many dozens of hours I invested into this, but in the end I wound up with exactly what I want, built to fit the tight confines of my car, and I have the satisfaction of knowing I did it myself. It sounds great, it's the right volume, it looks great, it flows great, and it should last almost forever. Mission accomplished! Once I break in my new custom 6 speed trans (write up coming soon) I'll be installing my 4" intake/Q45 MAF and hitting the dyno.
I got all new hardware for the exhaust and subframe connectors. I went with the EcoGuard coating (from Fastenal) as it's the most salt/rust resistant finish you can get. Now when I take things apart under the car, everything uses a 17mm socket, and everything is the same thread pitch. No more jumbled up head sizes and tread pitches, no more rusty fasteners. And every bolt is the minimum length possible too. This will really reduce the frustration level when working down there.
After making the b-pipe, it was time for the muffler. I knew going in this was going to be very difficult due to the size of the muffler, and I was right. It's so long that it comes very close to the rear axle, meaning the pipe connecting to the b-pipe was going to have to come up at a sharp angle. Lowering the muffler would have helped, but then I ran the risk of it hanging down too low and scraping when I come in and out of my driveway. Moving the muffler further to the rear would have also helped, but the rear crash beam was in the way. After a LOT of work and test fitting, this is what I came up with. I decided to copy the hanger design from the Cattman and make two attachment points for each hanger to spread out the load.
Let me tell you, trying to tack weld things on 304 SS pipes under the car is a difficult thing to do. My magnet ground was useless, and my ground clamp is pretty heavy. Not fun.
I got the muffler tucked up as far as it would go:
And as far back as it would go:
I had to notch the crash beam to allow the tip through as well. In the end, this is what it looked like:
With big pipes and big resonators/mufflers, clearance was tight everywhere. Most of these issues were later resolved, but it just goes to show what I was dealing with. This is a pic of the support beam for the panhard rod:
RSB bushing:
Lateral support brace in the center of the car (spaced down):
As much as a liked the look of the twin tip setup of the Cattman muffler, it just wasn't going to be possible with the new muffler, so I had to settle for a single tip. I found a nice SS double wall tip and welded it up. Once again, it was much harder than it should have been to get it to fit the way I wanted (flush with the bumper). I also had to open up the hole in the bumper to allow it to fit.
I wasted some time and tried my hand at polishing up part of the piping between the resonators. I think I started with the red scotch brite pads, then 000 steel wool, then a medium polish, and finally a finishing polish. It turned out pretty well, but wasn't worth the effort.
Finally, it was time to work on the Cattman y-pipe for the headers. The secondaries are 1.8" ID, but the pipe they merged into was only 2.3", so things were definitely getting choked pretty badly up there. Time to open it up to 3"! I first welded in a 2.5" -> 3" SS merge section. Getting the next section to line up was very difficult. I ordered a pipe with a 25* bend from TruBendz (the manufacturer of the rest of the piping in the system). Not only does this section of pipe need to come up to meet the center section of the exhaust, but it also needs to come to the side at the same time. Getting both of those angles right took a lot of test fitting, trimming, and more test fitting. I got it tacked in place, but there were some small gaps that eventually blew through when I tried to weld them, which required some little patches to make it all work. I then tacked the flex section on, and finally the back pipe going into the flange. Last was the bung for the wideband O2 sensor. The manufacturer says to mount to sensor as close to vertical as possible so condensation doesn't build up on it, and with the 5 speed shift arms removed I had plenty of space to work with. I also decided not to use the 3/8" mild steel hangers that came with the pipe kit and bought some beefy 1/2" SS ones.
I did a better job with this bung then my buddy did all those years back with the original one. But I will say using the Vibrant flush mount bung made things super easy.
I even made a new ground strap to replace the one that hasn't been on the car in 15+ years....I wish I understood why manufacturers like to ground the exhaust to the body, but I don't. Maybe something to do with the O2 sensors?
And that, ladies and gentleman, is how a complete novice builds a 3" SS exhaust. Aside from the hardware, there is not a single piece of mild steel in any of the parts I used. All the piping, flanges, muffler tip, and Vibrant resonator are 304, while the Magnaflow resonators are 409. Goodbye rust! I have no idea how many dozens of hours I invested into this, but in the end I wound up with exactly what I want, built to fit the tight confines of my car, and I have the satisfaction of knowing I did it myself. It sounds great, it's the right volume, it looks great, it flows great, and it should last almost forever. Mission accomplished! Once I break in my new custom 6 speed trans (write up coming soon) I'll be installing my 4" intake/Q45 MAF and hitting the dyno.
I need some ideas to troubleshoot an issue I've been having for the last year.
Ever since I converted to the 6 speed, I've had intermittent starting problems. Sometimes the car starts right up, sometimes I'll turn the key and hear a click from the starter, but nothing happens. This will happen even with a fully charged battery. Eventually, sometimes after 20+ attempts, it will start up like nothing happened. Then I discovered that it starts 100% of the time if I use my remote starter, even if it had just failed with the key. So then I started thinking, what parts of the system does the remote starter bypass? They key, and the ignition switch. Anything else? After learning how a worn down key can cause all sorts of issues in my M3 and Miata, I decided to use my spare key that never gets used. The teeth on it are much sharper than my normal key, so I figured it stood a chance of making things better. And it worked great! Until it didn't. I have a new OEM ignition switch waiting to be installed, but haven't had the time yet. Can anyone else think of what could be causing this? I swear it never happened before I did the swap, but I just can't see how that could be related. I mean, I did install a new 6 speed starter and had to do the wiring hack to make it work, but my remote start still has to go through that, so I can't see how it could be related.
Ever since I converted to the 6 speed, I've had intermittent starting problems. Sometimes the car starts right up, sometimes I'll turn the key and hear a click from the starter, but nothing happens. This will happen even with a fully charged battery. Eventually, sometimes after 20+ attempts, it will start up like nothing happened. Then I discovered that it starts 100% of the time if I use my remote starter, even if it had just failed with the key. So then I started thinking, what parts of the system does the remote starter bypass? They key, and the ignition switch. Anything else? After learning how a worn down key can cause all sorts of issues in my M3 and Miata, I decided to use my spare key that never gets used. The teeth on it are much sharper than my normal key, so I figured it stood a chance of making things better. And it worked great! Until it didn't. I have a new OEM ignition switch waiting to be installed, but haven't had the time yet. Can anyone else think of what could be causing this? I swear it never happened before I did the swap, but I just can't see how that could be related. I mean, I did install a new 6 speed starter and had to do the wiring hack to make it work, but my remote start still has to go through that, so I can't see how it could be related.
So it looks like a new ignition switch fixed my starting issue.
The car starts up real nice now every time, so I guess my old one was just worn out. Interestingly, I'm now seeing higher voltage at my headunit, which has a voltage display on it. In the week before I replaced the switch, I was seeing voltage in the 12.5-13v range when the car was running. Immediately after I installed the new switch it's now in the 13.5-14v range. I've never seen it that high before! Can anyone hazard a guess as to why system voltage changed from a new switch? Was the old one always on the verge of shutting the car off?
I uh, sort of bought another car.
It's a 99 NB with an automatic. I bought it because it has a red hardtop which I want for my NA, and it was a good price. I'm going to clean it up and sell it, but keep the hardtop.
I also replaced my battery a while back since mine was 4+ years old and had been drained too many times due to inactivity. While I was in there I modified (smashed with a big hammer) the battery tie down so I didn't have to use a bunch of spacers between it and the battery. Now it sits nice and flush like it's supposed to.
I also think I fixed two issues that popped up after I started driving the car with the new transmission and exhaust. I got a CEL almost immediately for P0155 B2S1 O2 sensor, and P1400 EGRC valve. All of my O2 sensors are fairly new, so I had a hard time believing one of them was already bad. So I took a look at the wiring and immediately spotted the problem.
Yup, that would do it. I had never worked with a connector like this before, so I fixed it in what is assuredly an incorrect manner. I now realize I could/should have bought new connectors and repinned them correctly, but I didn't know that at the time. After peeling back the factory electrical tape, I noticed the other two wires also had cracks in their insulation, so I cut them all back a few inches and I did my best to get these little guys back in correctly, but it was difficult work.
I ended up having to liberally apply contact cement to waterproof the top of the connector and to keep the wires from pushing back out when I plugged in the other side. I know, this is really ugly, but it does appear to have worked, since I've put like 800 miles on the car without a CEL.
For the EGRC valve I skipped right over the troubleshooting step and jumped right into throwing parts at the problem. Thankfully, it seems that I have good aim. A new valve was like $15, and it seems to have done the trick, no more CEL.
I still need to do a big post about the 6 speed stuff, but that will take some time.
The car starts up real nice now every time, so I guess my old one was just worn out. Interestingly, I'm now seeing higher voltage at my headunit, which has a voltage display on it. In the week before I replaced the switch, I was seeing voltage in the 12.5-13v range when the car was running. Immediately after I installed the new switch it's now in the 13.5-14v range. I've never seen it that high before! Can anyone hazard a guess as to why system voltage changed from a new switch? Was the old one always on the verge of shutting the car off?
I uh, sort of bought another car.
It's a 99 NB with an automatic. I bought it because it has a red hardtop which I want for my NA, and it was a good price. I'm going to clean it up and sell it, but keep the hardtop.
I also replaced my battery a while back since mine was 4+ years old and had been drained too many times due to inactivity. While I was in there I modified (smashed with a big hammer) the battery tie down so I didn't have to use a bunch of spacers between it and the battery. Now it sits nice and flush like it's supposed to.
I also think I fixed two issues that popped up after I started driving the car with the new transmission and exhaust. I got a CEL almost immediately for P0155 B2S1 O2 sensor, and P1400 EGRC valve. All of my O2 sensors are fairly new, so I had a hard time believing one of them was already bad. So I took a look at the wiring and immediately spotted the problem.
Yup, that would do it. I had never worked with a connector like this before, so I fixed it in what is assuredly an incorrect manner. I now realize I could/should have bought new connectors and repinned them correctly, but I didn't know that at the time. After peeling back the factory electrical tape, I noticed the other two wires also had cracks in their insulation, so I cut them all back a few inches and I did my best to get these little guys back in correctly, but it was difficult work.
I ended up having to liberally apply contact cement to waterproof the top of the connector and to keep the wires from pushing back out when I plugged in the other side. I know, this is really ugly, but it does appear to have worked, since I've put like 800 miles on the car without a CEL.
For the EGRC valve I skipped right over the troubleshooting step and jumped right into throwing parts at the problem. Thankfully, it seems that I have good aim. A new valve was like $15, and it seems to have done the trick, no more CEL.
I still need to do a big post about the 6 speed stuff, but that will take some time.
Last edited by 95maxrider; May 5, 2022 at 07:53 AM.
The exhaust looks great! That's a straight though muffler right? Can you do a vid sometime?
Every time you show the underside and your WSP SFC's, I'm reminded I have a set just collecting dust. Can you measure the plates that get welded to the chassis?
Do you want a replacement O2 plug? I'm sure I have one.
Every time you show the underside and your WSP SFC's, I'm reminded I have a set just collecting dust. Can you measure the plates that get welded to the chassis?
Do you want a replacement O2 plug? I'm sure I have one.
The exhaust looks great! That's a straight though muffler right? Can you do a vid sometime?
Every time you show the underside and your WSP SFC's, I'm reminded I have a set just collecting dust. Can you measure the plates that get welded to the chassis?
Do you want a replacement O2 plug? I'm sure I have one.
Every time you show the underside and your WSP SFC's, I'm reminded I have a set just collecting dust. Can you measure the plates that get welded to the chassis?
Do you want a replacement O2 plug? I'm sure I have one.
It sounds perfect to me, nice and deep, sounds good at WOT, no rasp, and is almost silent when cruising.I'll try to remember to measure the next time it's on the lift. Might be a few weeks though.
You've got a replacement plug? The repair was on the body harness side.
I really want to correct the nasty geometry inherent in our cars when we lower them, and a pretty simple solution is a roll center/bump steer correction kit. Nobody has ever made them before for Maximas, but I would like to change that. I spoke with Whiteline, who makes kits for WRXs/STIs, Evos, and BRZs and they said they would make a kit for Maximas if I could show there's enough interest in the product. I started a thread in the Advanced Handling section to see how much interest I could drum up. If you would be interested in such a product, please post in that thread and let me know!
TDM Imports made a bump steer kit that flips the position of the tie rod ends. They made my i30 handle way way worse in comparison to a stock setup. Very squirrely.
https://maxima.org/forums/4th-genera...-roll-kit.html
In retrospect the crappy handling could have been because I went from both the tie rod and LCA being past neutral and both pulling in under compression to the tie rod pushing out and LCA pulling in. So I went from toe out to toe in. If there was a kit that also made longer ball joint studs (not spacers because you need to lower the pivot point), it would probably work better.
https://maxima.org/forums/4th-genera...-roll-kit.html
In retrospect the crappy handling could have been because I went from both the tie rod and LCA being past neutral and both pulling in under compression to the tie rod pushing out and LCA pulling in. So I went from toe out to toe in. If there was a kit that also made longer ball joint studs (not spacers because you need to lower the pivot point), it would probably work better.
Alright guys, looks like I'm getting dynoed on Wednesday, who wants to guess what I'll put down? In 2015 I put down 237/247, and since then the mods include the 3" exhaust (replacing a 2.5") and a 4" intake with a Q45 MAF that will be installed when I arrive at the shop. Anyone think I can hit 250?
TDM Imports made a bump steer kit that flips the position of the tie rod ends. They made my i30 handle way way worse in comparison to a stock setup. Very squirrely.
https://maxima.org/forums/4th-genera...-roll-kit.html
In retrospect the crappy handling could have been because I went from both the tie rod and LCA being past neutral and both pulling in under compression to the tie rod pushing out and LCA pulling in. So I went from toe out to toe in. If there was a kit that also made longer ball joint studs (not spacers because you need to lower the pivot point), it would probably work better.
https://maxima.org/forums/4th-genera...-roll-kit.html
In retrospect the crappy handling could have been because I went from both the tie rod and LCA being past neutral and both pulling in under compression to the tie rod pushing out and LCA pulling in. So I went from toe out to toe in. If there was a kit that also made longer ball joint studs (not spacers because you need to lower the pivot point), it would probably work better.
2j racing made a kit for the b13/14 (maybe b15 also but i cant remember) that dropped the tie rods and had extended ball joints to do the voodoo required to make suspension curves happy.
https://www.2j-racing.com/b13-b14-ha...steer-kit.html
Theres also an old moto iq article about this too. There might be some other info buried in Moles articles about "the dog" but not as easy to search though offhand.
https://motoiq.com/how-to-make-crappy-cars-handle-well/
Not really relevant since youre not a drag racer nor do you have a 5 speed anymore, but FWIW, In the quarter mile I always ran a couple tenths quicker revving out to 7k with my 5 speed even if i was already past peak power. Verified with Broken 00vi(effectively usim), gutted 00vi (obviously), and a stock plenum gen1 3.5.
Yep, from my research youll need extended ball joints to match.
2j racing made a kit for the b13/14 (maybe b15 also but i cant remember) that dropped the tie rods and had extended ball joints to do the voodoo required to make suspension curves happy.
https://www.2j-racing.com/b13-b14-ha...steer-kit.html
Theres also an old moto iq article about this too. There might be some other info buried in Moles articles about "the dog" but not as easy to search though offhand.
https://motoiq.com/how-to-make-crappy-cars-handle-well/
Not really relevant since youre not a drag racer nor do you have a 5 speed anymore, but FWIW, In the quarter mile I always ran a couple tenths quicker revving out to 7k with my 5 speed even if i was already past peak power. Verified with Broken 00vi(effectively usim), gutted 00vi (obviously), and a stock plenum gen1 3.5.
2j racing made a kit for the b13/14 (maybe b15 also but i cant remember) that dropped the tie rods and had extended ball joints to do the voodoo required to make suspension curves happy.
https://www.2j-racing.com/b13-b14-ha...steer-kit.html
Theres also an old moto iq article about this too. There might be some other info buried in Moles articles about "the dog" but not as easy to search though offhand.
https://motoiq.com/how-to-make-crappy-cars-handle-well/
Not really relevant since youre not a drag racer nor do you have a 5 speed anymore, but FWIW, In the quarter mile I always ran a couple tenths quicker revving out to 7k with my 5 speed even if i was already past peak power. Verified with Broken 00vi(effectively usim), gutted 00vi (obviously), and a stock plenum gen1 3.5.
What are Moles articles?
No, but I may be able to find out. Kinda dropped off my radar.
Yeah, that MotoIQ article is what sparked my interest. I've also been looking at that 2JR kit. I put in a call to Joe about it a week ago, but as usual, I never get a call back. I had the original 2JR kit from 10 years ago, which I believe was just a flipped tie rod, but it made the car incredibly twitchy and unsafe to drive, so I removed it after driving around for like 20 miles. I'm guessing this one would be better since it also includes the extended ball joint.
What are Moles articles?
Yeah, that MotoIQ article is what sparked my interest. I've also been looking at that 2JR kit. I put in a call to Joe about it a week ago, but as usual, I never get a call back. I had the original 2JR kit from 10 years ago, which I believe was just a flipped tie rod, but it made the car incredibly twitchy and unsafe to drive, so I removed it after driving around for like 20 miles. I'm guessing this one would be better since it also includes the extended ball joint.
What are Moles articles?
Mobile typo, I meant more articles from mike.
I'm just going to leave this here for now, I'll post up details later. Suffice to say I'm very happy with everything!
Last edited by 95maxrider; May 20, 2022 at 07:57 AM.
Ok, so yeah, 264/265 at the wheels, that's pretty awesome! To be honest, that's quite a bit more than I was expecting. It was on the same dyno at about the same temperature, so that's not a factor. The long and short of it is that the changes from 2015 to now are:
2.5" to 3" exhaust
Short ram intake to 4" intake with Q45 MAF
5 speed with an OEM flywheel to 6 speed transmission with JWT lightweight flywheel
But here's the full list for anyone who's interested or has any suggestions:-2002/03 Maxima VQ35DE, running 3.0 timing
-Nistune Type 4 board on 1995 Maxima ECU, 7,000 RPM rev-limit, 93 octane
-Q45 MAF in 4" intake
-2001/02 Pathfinder 70mm TB
-Custom PFTB adapter and throttle cable bracket from sicivic89
-Custom PFTB IACV block off plate from sicivic89
-NWP Block Off Plate (no SSIM mod)
-NWP thermal intake manifold spacers
-1st gen (?) Cattman headers with y-pipe opened to 3" after merge
-3" exhaust built with TruBendz 3" 304SS kit
-Aeromotive adjustable fuel pressure regulator (at 3 bar)
-Custom 6 speed transmission: 4.4 FD from 2002 Sentra Spec-V, 1-2 gears from Sentra, 3-6 gears from 2002/2003 Maxima. HLSD. Gears detailed, shot peened. New OEM bearings and synchros.
-JWT flywheel, 350z clutch disc, 6th gen pressure plate, 2J Racing shifter bushings, Schmelly trans bracket and flywheel timing ring
And finally, a video of a run on the dyno so you can finally hear what my exhaust sounds like!
I think this will keep me satisfied for quite some time, but a part of me does want to get moving on the 2nd gen 3.5 swap. I think that could get me over to 300 whp mark, and then I could truly call it quits on my drivetrain mods. This 6 speed is pretty awesome, which reminds me I really need to post about that whole ordeal....
2.5" to 3" exhaust
Short ram intake to 4" intake with Q45 MAF
5 speed with an OEM flywheel to 6 speed transmission with JWT lightweight flywheel
But here's the full list for anyone who's interested or has any suggestions:-2002/03 Maxima VQ35DE, running 3.0 timing
-Nistune Type 4 board on 1995 Maxima ECU, 7,000 RPM rev-limit, 93 octane
-Q45 MAF in 4" intake
-2001/02 Pathfinder 70mm TB
-Custom PFTB adapter and throttle cable bracket from sicivic89
-Custom PFTB IACV block off plate from sicivic89
-NWP Block Off Plate (no SSIM mod)
-NWP thermal intake manifold spacers
-1st gen (?) Cattman headers with y-pipe opened to 3" after merge
-3" exhaust built with TruBendz 3" 304SS kit
-Aeromotive adjustable fuel pressure regulator (at 3 bar)
-Custom 6 speed transmission: 4.4 FD from 2002 Sentra Spec-V, 1-2 gears from Sentra, 3-6 gears from 2002/2003 Maxima. HLSD. Gears detailed, shot peened. New OEM bearings and synchros.
-JWT flywheel, 350z clutch disc, 6th gen pressure plate, 2J Racing shifter bushings, Schmelly trans bracket and flywheel timing ring
And finally, a video of a run on the dyno so you can finally hear what my exhaust sounds like!
I think this will keep me satisfied for quite some time, but a part of me does want to get moving on the 2nd gen 3.5 swap. I think that could get me over to 300 whp mark, and then I could truly call it quits on my drivetrain mods. This 6 speed is pretty awesome, which reminds me I really need to post about that whole ordeal....
It's been about 10 years since I had my BC Racing coilovers installed, and I think it's time for something new, and hopefully higher quality. Part of what's driving this decision is my desire to increase ride quality without substantially degrading handling. It would be really nice if my wife didn't refuse to ride in the I30 due to the ride quality! I don't mind driving the FX, but it would be nice to have another choice. I've addressed the other issues with the car that bother her, like clunks and squeals, and I've made the exhaust even quieter with my 3" setup. So the ride quality is the last sticking point.
Apparently 2J Racing is able to bend the rear beam to 0 toe, which should make the car more playful and willing to rotate. This would free me up to run a lower spring rate in the back, because right now that's how I'm compensating. My rates are 9k front and 8k rear. Stock BC rates are 8k/6k. Maybe with the rear beam bent I could go back to stock rates and still have a car that handles well enough? I think if I could get some front geometry issues worked out that would be possible (more on that later).
I started by checking out the BC website and discovered that they make a new line of coilovers, the DS Series, which use digressive valving instead of the linear valving of the rest of their choices. They don't so a great job of describing the difference between linear and digressive, and finding unbiased information about that online is surprising difficult. As I understand it, digressive valving ramps up rates much quicker that linear, which can make the car stiffer for quick movements like slaloms, while allowing it to soak up big bumps better. To me, it sounds like a win/win, but it's hard to say how much of that is marketing mumbo jumbo. A set of the DS Series coilovers with the Swift spring upgrade is $1,765. I've heard a lot of good things about Swift springs, including that they ride better than regular coilover springs, but it was this thread that made me sure about my decision.
I somehow stumbled upon another company that makes coilovers for our cars that I wasn't aware of, Fortune Auto, specifically their 500 series coilover. They are made a few hours south of me in VA, which is certainly an improvement over the BCs which are made in Taiwan from what I can tell. All of their coilovers feature digressive valving. A set with the Swift spring upgrade costs $2,225, or about $450 more than the BCs. A substantial difference, to be sure, but they seem to be pretty well reviewed by people with more popular platforms, like BMWs, STIs, and Evos. They're certainly not going to be like a set of Ohlins, but they may just be the best option available off the shelf for our cars. Interestingly enough, they recommend 10k/6k for 4th gens, and 10k/8k for 5th gens. I spoke with someone who works there and he said they determine those rates by actually having a test car in the shop and trying out different rates until they find a combination that they think rides and handles well. I wonder if BC goes through a process like that for each application they offer.
Speaking of Ohlins, I've been talking with an engineering firm up in Canada about some other things ( ) and apparently they work with Ohlins and said they may be able to make a custom set for my car. But they're very busy, and there's a pretty good chance they don't have the bandwidth to do this and/or even if they can, I won't be able to afford it.
Moving on to more mundane projects.
First up, after something like 15 years the surround on my JL W6 sub started to fail.
I started looking at new ones before realizing they cost over $900 now! Even used ones were in the $500-600 range. Umm, no. Not doing that. Then I found a replacement surround for like $25, and got busy installing it. I cut off the bulk and used my dremel to get off the glue remains so the surfaces would be nice and smooth and the new glue would adhere well.
It was a little tedious, and the end result isn't exactly pretty, but the problem has been solved and the sub sounds great once again.
The rod ends on my panhard rod have been making noise for a few months, so I took them out and installed some new ones. Problem solved.
I would like to play around with adjusting my RSB, but I'm not sure which direction to move the bushings to make it stiffer. I think to make it stiffer I would move the bushings to the rear of the car (to the left in the picture below). Can anyone confirm?
Lastly, I got around to installing some black aluminum mesh in my front bumper opening. It never looked great with it being so wide open before, and I wanted to cover up everything back there and make it look a little more "finished". Luckily I had a spare bumper lying around that I used to form the mesh, and was able to keep it firmly in place with no screws or glue by sandwiching the top between the bumper and the crash beam. It's very subtle and didn't even show up until I turned on the flash.
I played around with the fitment of the 4" intake since it was brushing up against a hard brake line and a line for the AC. I tweaked it and added some rubber hose as protection, but it's not a great solution.
It's still right up against the fuse box too. Ideally it would have a 20* bend about 3" from the TB so it would sit where the battery used to, which would allow me to make a box to seal it off from the rest of the engine bay. Maybe in the next iteration. Speaking of the next iteration, I'm wondering if I should install a honeycomb airflow straightener before the Q45 MAF since this intake doesn't have one. The guy who operated the dyno at JE Import said they're generally not necessary, but can be if there's a lot of turbulent airflow at the filter, like if you had a ram-air thing going on. I will say that after I installed the 4" intake I seem to have a more noticeable torque dip at 2,500 RPM in first gear (only?) than I did before (and it doesn't show up on the dyno chart), and my idle isn't as smooth either. If all cars come with a mesh screen or honeycomb before the MAF, I feel like there must be a good reason. Anyone have any thoughts on that?
Apparently 2J Racing is able to bend the rear beam to 0 toe, which should make the car more playful and willing to rotate. This would free me up to run a lower spring rate in the back, because right now that's how I'm compensating. My rates are 9k front and 8k rear. Stock BC rates are 8k/6k. Maybe with the rear beam bent I could go back to stock rates and still have a car that handles well enough? I think if I could get some front geometry issues worked out that would be possible (more on that later).
I started by checking out the BC website and discovered that they make a new line of coilovers, the DS Series, which use digressive valving instead of the linear valving of the rest of their choices. They don't so a great job of describing the difference between linear and digressive, and finding unbiased information about that online is surprising difficult. As I understand it, digressive valving ramps up rates much quicker that linear, which can make the car stiffer for quick movements like slaloms, while allowing it to soak up big bumps better. To me, it sounds like a win/win, but it's hard to say how much of that is marketing mumbo jumbo. A set of the DS Series coilovers with the Swift spring upgrade is $1,765. I've heard a lot of good things about Swift springs, including that they ride better than regular coilover springs, but it was this thread that made me sure about my decision.
I somehow stumbled upon another company that makes coilovers for our cars that I wasn't aware of, Fortune Auto, specifically their 500 series coilover. They are made a few hours south of me in VA, which is certainly an improvement over the BCs which are made in Taiwan from what I can tell. All of their coilovers feature digressive valving. A set with the Swift spring upgrade costs $2,225, or about $450 more than the BCs. A substantial difference, to be sure, but they seem to be pretty well reviewed by people with more popular platforms, like BMWs, STIs, and Evos. They're certainly not going to be like a set of Ohlins, but they may just be the best option available off the shelf for our cars. Interestingly enough, they recommend 10k/6k for 4th gens, and 10k/8k for 5th gens. I spoke with someone who works there and he said they determine those rates by actually having a test car in the shop and trying out different rates until they find a combination that they think rides and handles well. I wonder if BC goes through a process like that for each application they offer.
Speaking of Ohlins, I've been talking with an engineering firm up in Canada about some other things (
) and apparently they work with Ohlins and said they may be able to make a custom set for my car. But they're very busy, and there's a pretty good chance they don't have the bandwidth to do this and/or even if they can, I won't be able to afford it.Moving on to more mundane projects.
First up, after something like 15 years the surround on my JL W6 sub started to fail.
I started looking at new ones before realizing they cost over $900 now! Even used ones were in the $500-600 range. Umm, no. Not doing that. Then I found a replacement surround for like $25, and got busy installing it. I cut off the bulk and used my dremel to get off the glue remains so the surfaces would be nice and smooth and the new glue would adhere well.
It was a little tedious, and the end result isn't exactly pretty, but the problem has been solved and the sub sounds great once again.
The rod ends on my panhard rod have been making noise for a few months, so I took them out and installed some new ones. Problem solved.
I would like to play around with adjusting my RSB, but I'm not sure which direction to move the bushings to make it stiffer. I think to make it stiffer I would move the bushings to the rear of the car (to the left in the picture below). Can anyone confirm?
Lastly, I got around to installing some black aluminum mesh in my front bumper opening. It never looked great with it being so wide open before, and I wanted to cover up everything back there and make it look a little more "finished". Luckily I had a spare bumper lying around that I used to form the mesh, and was able to keep it firmly in place with no screws or glue by sandwiching the top between the bumper and the crash beam. It's very subtle and didn't even show up until I turned on the flash.
I played around with the fitment of the 4" intake since it was brushing up against a hard brake line and a line for the AC. I tweaked it and added some rubber hose as protection, but it's not a great solution.
It's still right up against the fuse box too. Ideally it would have a 20* bend about 3" from the TB so it would sit where the battery used to, which would allow me to make a box to seal it off from the rest of the engine bay. Maybe in the next iteration. Speaking of the next iteration, I'm wondering if I should install a honeycomb airflow straightener before the Q45 MAF since this intake doesn't have one. The guy who operated the dyno at JE Import said they're generally not necessary, but can be if there's a lot of turbulent airflow at the filter, like if you had a ram-air thing going on. I will say that after I installed the 4" intake I seem to have a more noticeable torque dip at 2,500 RPM in first gear (only?) than I did before (and it doesn't show up on the dyno chart), and my idle isn't as smooth either. If all cars come with a mesh screen or honeycomb before the MAF, I feel like there must be a good reason. Anyone have any thoughts on that?
Last edited by 95maxrider; Jun 21, 2022 at 02:12 PM.
I could use some feedback here, let me know if you have any comments or suggestions.
So apparently 2J Racing offers beam bending to get the beam to 0 toe. However, the method they use is not the one pioneered by Darren Nishimura of West End Alignment for Mike Kojima (see article for details). Darren's method uses a jig to simultaneously bend the inner torsion beam and the outer U beam at the same time. The jig also prevents the outer U beam walls from getting crushed. I spoke with a guy who works at the shop and he said the process takes about 90 minutes and they don't use any heat.
I reached out to 2JR about their process, and apparently they do NOT specifically bend the inner torsion beam, and they use heat. Due to needing many heat cycles, their process takes about 5 hours.
Can anyone hazard a guess as to whether these differences are important? If 2JR can get the beam to 0 toe on both sides, does it matter if they didn't bend the inner torsion beam? Should I be concerned about the heat cycles making the metal weaker or brittle? Or would doing this work without heat pose more of a risk?
So apparently 2J Racing offers beam bending to get the beam to 0 toe. However, the method they use is not the one pioneered by Darren Nishimura of West End Alignment for Mike Kojima (see article for details). Darren's method uses a jig to simultaneously bend the inner torsion beam and the outer U beam at the same time. The jig also prevents the outer U beam walls from getting crushed. I spoke with a guy who works at the shop and he said the process takes about 90 minutes and they don't use any heat.
I reached out to 2JR about their process, and apparently they do NOT specifically bend the inner torsion beam, and they use heat. Due to needing many heat cycles, their process takes about 5 hours.
Can anyone hazard a guess as to whether these differences are important? If 2JR can get the beam to 0 toe on both sides, does it matter if they didn't bend the inner torsion beam? Should I be concerned about the heat cycles making the metal weaker or brittle? Or would doing this work without heat pose more of a risk?
I could use some feedback here, let me know if you have any comments or suggestions.
So apparently 2J Racing offers beam bending to get the beam to 0 toe. However, the method they use is not the one pioneered by Darren Nishimura of West End Alignment for Mike Kojima (see article for details). Darren's method uses a jig to simultaneously bend the inner torsion beam and the outer U beam at the same time. The jig also prevents the outer U beam walls from getting crushed. I spoke with a guy who works at the shop and he said the process takes about 90 minutes and they don't use any heat.
I reached out to 2JR about their process, and apparently they do NOT specifically bend the inner torsion beam, and they use heat. Due to needing many heat cycles, their process takes about 5 hours.
Can anyone hazard a guess as to whether these differences are important? If 2JR can get the beam to 0 toe on both sides, does it matter if they didn't bend the inner torsion beam? Should I be concerned about the heat cycles making the metal weaker or brittle? Or would doing this work without heat pose more of a risk?
So apparently 2J Racing offers beam bending to get the beam to 0 toe. However, the method they use is not the one pioneered by Darren Nishimura of West End Alignment for Mike Kojima (see article for details). Darren's method uses a jig to simultaneously bend the inner torsion beam and the outer U beam at the same time. The jig also prevents the outer U beam walls from getting crushed. I spoke with a guy who works at the shop and he said the process takes about 90 minutes and they don't use any heat.
I reached out to 2JR about their process, and apparently they do NOT specifically bend the inner torsion beam, and they use heat. Due to needing many heat cycles, their process takes about 5 hours.
Can anyone hazard a guess as to whether these differences are important? If 2JR can get the beam to 0 toe on both sides, does it matter if they didn't bend the inner torsion beam? Should I be concerned about the heat cycles making the metal weaker or brittle? Or would doing this work without heat pose more of a risk?
This is just a guess but their heat cycling method sounds like they are heating either side at a time and bending it slightly. This might allow for more control for the left/right rear wheel alignment.
As far as if the heat cycling has any negative effect is hard to say with the limited information given, the type steel and heat/number of thermal cycles are a factor along with the stresses applied to the beam. The torsion beam is subject to twisting forces and the steel has to work within its elastic region over its lifetime to prevent wear/damage. The process might make the metal more brittle, but it might be within an acceptable range. Do they provide any more information on this process? Also how many cars have had this done?
All else fails the old school way is to get it done, take it to the track, and see if it breaks.
Last edited by 98SEBlackMax; Jun 30, 2022 at 09:23 AM.
Is Steve Foltz still around on the SR20 forums? He too made a jig similar to Mike Kojima, He was still doing bends in '07/09 last I heard. I grabbed a spare beam but never actually went forward with the bend at the time.
The beam bending has been around for a long time and proven. The only drawback I saw from the beam bending is that it can be difficult to get both sides of the rear alignment equal and/or achieve the exact desired alignment, as the jig bends each side at the same time.
This is just a guess but their heat cycling method sounds like they are heating either side at a time and bending it slightly. This might allow for more control for the left/right rear wheel alignment.
As far as if the heat cycling has any negative effect is hard to say with the limited information given, the type steel and heat/number of thermal cycles are a factor along with the stresses applied to the beam. The torsion beam is subject to twisting forces and the steel has to work within its elastic region over its lifetime to prevent wear/damage. The process might make the metal more brittle, but it might be within an acceptable range. Do they provide any more information on this process? Also how many cars have had this done?
All else fails the old school way is to get it done, take it to the track, and see if it breaks.
This is just a guess but their heat cycling method sounds like they are heating either side at a time and bending it slightly. This might allow for more control for the left/right rear wheel alignment.
As far as if the heat cycling has any negative effect is hard to say with the limited information given, the type steel and heat/number of thermal cycles are a factor along with the stresses applied to the beam. The torsion beam is subject to twisting forces and the steel has to work within its elastic region over its lifetime to prevent wear/damage. The process might make the metal more brittle, but it might be within an acceptable range. Do they provide any more information on this process? Also how many cars have had this done?
All else fails the old school way is to get it done, take it to the track, and see if it breaks.
No, Steve hasn't been on the forum in a long time. I tried to set up a group deal back around 2011 but it never materialized. Short of driving to California, it seems like 2JR is my only option.
Beam bending is something so simple, yet it is still a hassle to get done to this day.
Last edited by 98SEBlackMax; Jun 30, 2022 at 01:35 PM.
2JR is pretty terrible at communications, and I think I've gotten all the info out of them that I'm gonna get. I too was wondering if they actually get each side to 0 toe, or if they just get it to 0 toe total, with one side being out and the other in. The answer I got for that question was pretty vague. I have no idea how many cars they've done this to.
No, Steve hasn't been on the forum in a long time. I tried to set up a group deal back around 2011 but it never materialized. Short of driving to California, it seems like 2JR is my only option.
No, Steve hasn't been on the forum in a long time. I tried to set up a group deal back around 2011 but it never materialized. Short of driving to California, it seems like 2JR is my only option.
Last edited by 98SEBlackMax; Jun 30, 2022 at 01:38 PM.
Whoa that is a name I haven't heard in a long long time. Back in Nov 2006 Virginia Beach, he worked on my car and got it to about zero rear toe. Years later he was in NH and I was going to get a 2nd beam bent for a more aggressive toe out, but I never made it out there.
Beam bending is something so simple, yet it is still a hassle to get done to this day.
Beam bending is something so simple, yet it is still a hassle to get done to this day.
Funny you mentioned making it toed out, I was just wondering about that.
I posted up on a Sentra FB group about this and one guy was like "yeah 2JR bent my beam and it made some improvement, but the Sentra still doesn't rotate like my NX". With an even longer wheelbase and more weight, I'm sure the A32 will also not feel a super improvement from going to zero. But toe out....
Joe, I had no idea you had you beam bent! That's awesome, I wonder if you're the only one. Do you remember your impressions after it was done?
Funny you mentioned making it toed out, I was just wondering about that.
I posted up on a Sentra FB group about this and one guy was like "yeah 2JR bent my beam and it made some improvement, but the Sentra still doesn't rotate like my NX". With an even longer wheelbase and more weight, I'm sure the A32 will also not feel a super improvement from going to zero. But toe out....
Funny you mentioned making it toed out, I was just wondering about that.
I posted up on a Sentra FB group about this and one guy was like "yeah 2JR bent my beam and it made some improvement, but the Sentra still doesn't rotate like my NX". With an even longer wheelbase and more weight, I'm sure the A32 will also not feel a super improvement from going to zero. But toe out....
) was with the beam bent. It wasn't as noticeable as other mods like coilovers or panhard swap, but every little bit helps. For auto-x you might want to consider getting some toe out on the rear beam.
Long time, no post! Let's try to catch up a little bit here. Nothing much exciting has happened to the car, but I've finally taken it back out racing and had lots of fun with that, so let's start there.
You may remember the last race I took the car to was a Trackcross event, and that was about two years ago. Trackcross is basically running on about half of a track at a time, so you can run on street tires and brake pads without overheating anything. My car falls into the "Street FWD 2" class:STREET CLASSES shall be for street legal production cars that are stock or have limited/basic bolt-on modifications like intakes or exhausts or springs/shocks, DOT 140+ treadwear street tires, full interiors, and little to no weight reduction:
SF1 = Street FWD under 2.5L naturally aspirated
**SF2 = Street FWD over 2.5L NA + all forced induction, less than 400hp**
SF3 = Street FWD over 2.5L NA + all forced induction, 400hp or more
SR1 = Street RWD under 2.5L naturally aspirated
SR2 = Street RWD over 2.5L NA + all forced induction, less than 400hp
SR3 = Street RWD over 2.5L NA + all forced induction, 400hp or more
SA1 = Street AWD under 2.5L naturally aspirated
SA2 = Street AWD over 2.5L NA + all forced induction, less than 400hp
SA3 = Street AWD over 2.5L NA + all forced induction, 400hp or more
COMPETITION CLASSES shall be for street legal or non street legal competition or racing prepared cars with more extensive modifications like engine swaps, head swaps, or added forced induction, DOT R-compound tires or full slicks or any tire with less than 140 treadwear, gutted interiors, significant aerodynamic aids, and/or significant weight reduction.
Ok, so reading the letter of the law, due to the 3.5 engine swap it could be put into the competition class, but the organizer agreed that it's clearly a street car. And so far nobody from my class has lodged a complaint.
The main competitors in my class include:
A modded Mazdaspeed 3 on 200tw track tires with 300/330 at the wheels.
A modded 7th gen GTI on 200tw tires with 300/370(!) at the wheels.
A modded 2nd gen FWD Eclipse with 350+ at the wheels (and an open diff...)
So I'd wager we're all in the same ballpark for weight, but I'm the only one running regular summer tires (Michelin PS4S 300tw), and I'm way down on power (264/265 at the wheels).
All Trackcross events I'll be going to are at Summit Point, and so far I've only run on the Shenandoah Circuit, which includes a replica of the Karussell turn from the Nurburgring. Each race day is broken into two events; the morning is one and the afternoon is another. The course is generally reversed in the afternoon. I missed the first event of the summer, but I made the last two. How'd I do? Read on.
=========================================
Event #2 (really events 3 and 4) was in mid-July with temps in the 80s, maybe getting to 90.
With two years having passed since I last time I drove the car in anger, it took a few runs to get comfortable again probing the limits, but by the end of the AM runs, I was feeling pretty good, and finished first in class and 33/83 overall.
Temps crept up in the afternoon and I think the cars on track tires had an advantage over my street tires, which seemed to fall off a bit when they got hot. This time the MS3 ran away with the win and I finished in second, and 24/78 overall.
Overall the car felt great. The tight ratios of the 6 speed were amazing, and I was topping out 4th gear going about 105 on the straights. The balance of the car felt decent as well, with understeer only really bothersome on the tight corners. Improving my lines would certainly help with that. The slow steering rack is probably the worst part of the car, as it requires far too much turning in tight sections. I've considered putting a 1.5 steering quickener in, but to do that properly is a daunting project that I'm not capable of doing myself. I also can't help but fantasize about what a 3rd gen swap would feel like on the long straights, as this 1st gen 3.5 falls on its face above 6000 rpm.
=========================================
Event #3 (really 5 and 6) was in mid-September, with temps in the 70s and low 80s.
The only change I made to the car for this event was bumping up the stiffness of my RSB from 50% to 100%. I didn't feel a dramatic improvement, but it certainly wasn't any worse. I really need to get that rear beam to 0 toe (or some toe out). Tire pressures were 33f/35r, and I think the BC coilovers were set to 20/30 front and rear. I probably should have set the rears to full stiff. With temps a fair bit cooler than the last event, my tires really had an advantage over the guys on track tires in the morning, and I pretty thoroughly dominated the class and won. Hell, I did so well that I finished 18/69, and only half a second behind a new GT3! Granted, the driver clearly wasn't pushing it, but still!
Temps came up in the afternoon and the guys on track tires regained their advantage, with me finishing in third behind the GTI and MS3, but it was pretty damn close.
This was good enough to get me into 2nd place for the season, behind a guy in a Fiesta ST who came to all three events, and ahead of the MS3. Soon the winter version of the series will start, known as the Refrigerator Bowl, and I plan on attending all of those! The car got a lot of attention and compliments, with people wondering what it is and why it's so fast. The best part of driving such an oddball is that people have zero expectations for what it can do, so it's real fun surprising them.
I've been dealing with some strange issues on the car recently that I'll need some help with, but I'll save that for another post.
You may remember the last race I took the car to was a Trackcross event, and that was about two years ago. Trackcross is basically running on about half of a track at a time, so you can run on street tires and brake pads without overheating anything. My car falls into the "Street FWD 2" class:STREET CLASSES shall be for street legal production cars that are stock or have limited/basic bolt-on modifications like intakes or exhausts or springs/shocks, DOT 140+ treadwear street tires, full interiors, and little to no weight reduction:
SF1 = Street FWD under 2.5L naturally aspirated
**SF2 = Street FWD over 2.5L NA + all forced induction, less than 400hp**
SF3 = Street FWD over 2.5L NA + all forced induction, 400hp or more
SR1 = Street RWD under 2.5L naturally aspirated
SR2 = Street RWD over 2.5L NA + all forced induction, less than 400hp
SR3 = Street RWD over 2.5L NA + all forced induction, 400hp or more
SA1 = Street AWD under 2.5L naturally aspirated
SA2 = Street AWD over 2.5L NA + all forced induction, less than 400hp
SA3 = Street AWD over 2.5L NA + all forced induction, 400hp or more
COMPETITION CLASSES shall be for street legal or non street legal competition or racing prepared cars with more extensive modifications like engine swaps, head swaps, or added forced induction, DOT R-compound tires or full slicks or any tire with less than 140 treadwear, gutted interiors, significant aerodynamic aids, and/or significant weight reduction.
Ok, so reading the letter of the law, due to the 3.5 engine swap it could be put into the competition class, but the organizer agreed that it's clearly a street car. And so far nobody from my class has lodged a complaint.
The main competitors in my class include:
A modded Mazdaspeed 3 on 200tw track tires with 300/330 at the wheels.
A modded 7th gen GTI on 200tw tires with 300/370(!) at the wheels.
A modded 2nd gen FWD Eclipse with 350+ at the wheels (and an open diff...)
So I'd wager we're all in the same ballpark for weight, but I'm the only one running regular summer tires (Michelin PS4S 300tw), and I'm way down on power (264/265 at the wheels).
All Trackcross events I'll be going to are at Summit Point, and so far I've only run on the Shenandoah Circuit, which includes a replica of the Karussell turn from the Nurburgring. Each race day is broken into two events; the morning is one and the afternoon is another. The course is generally reversed in the afternoon. I missed the first event of the summer, but I made the last two. How'd I do? Read on.
=========================================
Event #2 (really events 3 and 4) was in mid-July with temps in the 80s, maybe getting to 90.
With two years having passed since I last time I drove the car in anger, it took a few runs to get comfortable again probing the limits, but by the end of the AM runs, I was feeling pretty good, and finished first in class and 33/83 overall.
Temps crept up in the afternoon and I think the cars on track tires had an advantage over my street tires, which seemed to fall off a bit when they got hot. This time the MS3 ran away with the win and I finished in second, and 24/78 overall.
Overall the car felt great. The tight ratios of the 6 speed were amazing, and I was topping out 4th gear going about 105 on the straights. The balance of the car felt decent as well, with understeer only really bothersome on the tight corners. Improving my lines would certainly help with that. The slow steering rack is probably the worst part of the car, as it requires far too much turning in tight sections. I've considered putting a 1.5 steering quickener in, but to do that properly is a daunting project that I'm not capable of doing myself. I also can't help but fantasize about what a 3rd gen swap would feel like on the long straights, as this 1st gen 3.5 falls on its face above 6000 rpm.
=========================================
Event #3 (really 5 and 6) was in mid-September, with temps in the 70s and low 80s.
The only change I made to the car for this event was bumping up the stiffness of my RSB from 50% to 100%. I didn't feel a dramatic improvement, but it certainly wasn't any worse. I really need to get that rear beam to 0 toe (or some toe out). Tire pressures were 33f/35r, and I think the BC coilovers were set to 20/30 front and rear. I probably should have set the rears to full stiff. With temps a fair bit cooler than the last event, my tires really had an advantage over the guys on track tires in the morning, and I pretty thoroughly dominated the class and won. Hell, I did so well that I finished 18/69, and only half a second behind a new GT3! Granted, the driver clearly wasn't pushing it, but still!
Temps came up in the afternoon and the guys on track tires regained their advantage, with me finishing in third behind the GTI and MS3, but it was pretty damn close.
This was good enough to get me into 2nd place for the season, behind a guy in a Fiesta ST who came to all three events, and ahead of the MS3. Soon the winter version of the series will start, known as the Refrigerator Bowl, and I plan on attending all of those! The car got a lot of attention and compliments, with people wondering what it is and why it's so fast. The best part of driving such an oddball is that people have zero expectations for what it can do, so it's real fun surprising them.
I've been dealing with some strange issues on the car recently that I'll need some help with, but I'll save that for another post.
Last edited by 95maxrider; Oct 1, 2022 at 08:06 AM.