CamryOnBronze

I just had a funny thought: I have updated the blog more times since technically not really owning an S13 than in the past couple years when I had two more or less functioning examples. Kind of weird how that works, right? I guess it has really freed me up mentally to start from a clean slate. The transition of parting ways with two 240SXs and moving to a singular 180SX has felt like a total reset that I desperately needed. I hope the feeling of freedom and the mental weight I have shed in this process continues as I focus on only one vehicle, because it’s been a huge breath of fresh air so far.

I have a few exciting updates to share this week (at least in my opinion, anyway.) Let’s start with the 180SX. Last week I finally received an official invoice for transporting the car and was able to pay the importer’s fee, shipping to the USA via sea, and land transport to take the car from its current location in Southwestern Japan to Osaka for shipping to the states. I was able to nail down a pickup date of March 14th with the importer and the seller, which took a fair amount of back and forth. It already feels like ages ago since I paid for the car, but that’s to be expected with this process. I said I wanted to experience it, so here I am! Hopefully everything goes smoothly with pickup and transport next week. From there, I believe the car will be waiting until the next available ship. I am telling myself I will not have it in time to enjoy the 2024 season at all here in Michigan with the hope that it arrives earlier – but we’ll see what happens!

Meanwhile, I have continued to stockpile items for the car’s highly anticipated arrival. The first item I secured this week was a NISMO sport shifter. I’ve tried a number of shifters over the years including C’s, Tomei, and B&M but was never super happy with any of them. I ended up switching over to a stock shifter and had been using that for the last several years. It’s just tough to beat it, especially for street driving.

I’m told the throw reduction on the NISMO shifter is pretty minimal, which makes sense as most NISMO items are a pretty small change over the factory components they replace. I talked to a few people that have them and I think it will be a nice in between. I actually ended up sourcing what must be a slightly older stock item since the box has the mid NISMO logo on it. I went with one that I found on Yahoo! Auctions Japan and used Streeter to import it as I found that these are apparently on backorder until the end of July. Though I am not in a rush since I don’t even have the car yet, I figured it was worth paying a little bit more (but still much less than any stateside vendor) to have one ready to go when the car gets here.

If you haven’t sensed a theme here yet, my hope is to source just about every modern NISMO component still available for the S13 chassis for my build. I think it’s so cool that items are still being produced for this chassis by Nissan, even if it doesn’t seem to get the same support that the R chassis does. NISMO parts just generally sort of fit the relatively conservative tuning mindset I have acquired as I have gotten older and I am really excited about adding all of this stuff to my mod list. I had the majority of these parts on my 240SXs that I parted out, but I thought it probably made sense to sell those items and start with fresh, new components wherever I could for the 180SX build. I think the satisfaction it brings will be worth it in the long run.

So, let’s see – I’ll start with the NISMO suspension components first. I’ll share more detailed photos and part numbers etc. later when I actually begin installing all of these items on the car. I started with bushings, including steering rack bushings, rear knuckle bushings, and rear subframe bushings. I almost kept my old rear knuckles and subframe to save myself the hassle of pressing them again, but thought it would be cool to keep the original parts on the 180SX that came with it. Plus, it’ll give me something to do down the road when I am in the mood for a project.

Next, I sourced what is more or less the same suspension setup I had on my 240s with NISMO front and rear lower control arms. I decided to stick with the S14 front lower control arms again for the additional track width and camber adjustment, in addition to being able to utilize S14 front knuckles and OEM five lug hubs. I liked this setup a lot on my hatch, so I decided to just copy/paste the setup. I also bought what is probably my favorite NISMO piece of all time – the power brace.

Finally, I decided to round out my NISMO order and grab a few drivetrain related items. This included engine mounts and a transmission mount. While I love the engine clearance and lack of vibrations with these, it does bum me out that I can’t run a strut tower brace with them. However, I think it’s worth it to avoid running more aggressive engine mounts. I also picked up a reinforced clutch pivot ball and a braided NISMO clutch hose to replace the flimsy, aging rubber one on the manual clutch line setup I sourced from Japan. Unfortunately I had to ditch the NISMO clutch slave cylinder I had been using on my previous cars due to the clutch setup I decided to run in the car, but I think it will be a worthy trade off. More on that later when it arrives – possibly next week?

I am really excited about the next set of parts that arrived this past week. Many years ago, I sourced a couple pairs of Cusco adjustable suspension arms for my 240SX hatch from a seller on Zilvia. They came in really cool boxes and I loved the blue color. Cusco has always been one of my favorite Japanese tuning companies. When I bought my chassis back after parting it out, I went with SPC arms as they were much more affordable and got the job done well enough. However, I always missed running Japanese components on the car. I often dreamed of replacing them with Cusco components, but never really had the extra cash to make it a reality.

Fast forward to this new clean slate I find myself in, and I was able to make it happen with the full fleet of Cusco adjustable arms: front tension rods, rear traction links, rear upper control arms and rear toe arms. I know it’s silly, but it feels so cool to be collecting all of these parts from Japan for an actual 180SX. Truthfully it doesn’t really feel real, and probably won’t until the car is sitting safely in my garage. But the excitement is building by the week. Again, I’ll share a better look at these in a future post when I begin getting everything put together.

I scooped up a set of Moonface Racing front sway bar links to try out. I noticed on my coupe that the stock end links were at a crazy angle, especially when I was super low on the 15″ Work Equips. This caused the sway bar to sit at a funky angle and the bushings to become distorted. I am hoping these shortened end links will help with that issue.

Finally, I got out my set of DMAX Super Street coilovers. I actually bought these months ago to replacing the aging Stance coilovers on my 240SX hatch (it still feels so weird to keep calling it that, but I feel I have to now to avoid confusion) as I had a set of DMAX coilovers back in 2012 or so that I really liked. They have a really cool camber adjustment feature up front and seemed to work well enough when I had them previously – not to mention they are MUCH cheaper than most coilover offerings out there these days as the prices have increased dramatically. I know they go plenty low, so hopefully they will serve me well.

As for my 240SX shell, it’s still hanging around. I finished installing the rear subframe last weekend and also bolted up the front subframe, arms, and knuckles. I still need to get a couple items together to make it roll and to nail down a pickup date with the buyer, but I hope I will make some progress on that soon. For the time being it is a bit of an eyesore, but a minor inconvenience to have in the garage. So much of my current situation is really testing my patience, but I know good things take time.

If anyone reading this is in need of an S13 Silvia slicktop headliner, a crack free S13 dash, or a crack free S13 dash with four 60mm gauge holes in it, let me know! I am still actively trying to sell these items from my previous cars. Unfortunately, these items are too large to ship – so they would need to be picked up in Michigan. I can also have them transported to NJ with the shell if that is closer to you. Let me know!

That’s about it for this week’s update! I hope to continue to go into a little more detail on my plans for the 180SX next week. I think I am beginning to form a pretty clear game plan, but it always helps to type it out and ensure everything seems to make sense. I know I frequently change my mind, so that is always something to look out for.

Thanks as always for stopping by and have a great weekend!

Damon

It’s funny how things work out sometimes. When I had both of my S13s at this time last year, I had no motivation to work on them (for many different reasons.) A year later, I have tons of motivation but no longer have a car to work on. It’s been an interesting shift to say the least.

Last week, I was taking a look at the used Silvia clutch pedal assembly I bought and comparing it to the reinforced NISMO bracket. It didn’t seem to make a lot of sense to me. The two bracket and spring designs just didn’t look the same. As it turns out, the set of pedals I bought on eBay was not from a Silvia/180SX, but from a USDM S13. I ended up returning them and purchasing a different set, which worked out well as they were quite a bit cheaper. I think they may have been so cheap because they’re a little rough and have an old set of Impul pedal covers installed on them, but I ordered new rubber pads for them a couple weeks back – so that won’t be an issue.

I also did some research and visual inspection on the clutch rebuild kit I purchased and found that the return springs are different between the US and JDM S13 clutch pedal assemblies. I ended up selling the rebuild kit I bought as it was clear that the return spring would only work on USDM pedals, and I found that the JDM return spring has been discontinued. So consider this a heads up if you plan to buy a rebuild kit for your RHD S13 – the return spring will not work, but all of the other components will. Also note that the NISMO reinforced clutch pedal bracket will not fit a USDM S13.

I plan to order the clutch refresh components from Japan as I found them to be quite a bit cheaper over there, even with shipping and exchange rates. I’m also going to look into snagging some refresh items for the brake pedal.

As for my old 240 shell, I was able to source some items to make it a rolling chassis before the buyer comes to grab it in the coming weeks. I picked up front and rear subframes, knuckles, control arms, etc. from my friend Allen last weekend. I tossed the rear subframe on the car quickly last night, but plan to spend some more time installing these items this weekend. I’m hoping to source the remaining parts next week and hopefully have a pick up date nailed down soon.

Things are moving at a snail’s pace with the 180SX. The importer has a truck lined up for taking the car from its current location to the port, but I haven’t heard yet when this will happen. Fingers crossed that I will get some good news on that front soon.

So that’s about it for this week! Thanks as always for reading my rambling. Have a great weekend!

Damon

This week’s post is a little light on updates, but I do have a few things to share. I’ve been communicating with the seller of the car and the importer a bit trying to coordinate getting the car transported via truck from its current location to the Osaka area. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a port available to ship from in the car’s original location, so we need to go through some ground transport before it hits the boat. It’s been a painfully slow process so far, but as long as we continue to make progress I will be happy.

I also wanted to call out that the car will not come with the AVS VS6 wheels shown in the listing. It will instead be transported with the factory late model 180SX snowflake wheels, which I am pretty excited about. I guess the tires are in pretty bad shape, so I am considering replacing those when it arrives so that I can enjoy the car a bit before tearing into it – but we’ll see what happens. I’m also planning to remove the faded OEM window visors ASAP. I’ve got a new set stored away, but I’ve grown to not really love the look like I did many years ago. I’ll probably end up running without them.

My hope in the end is that I can preserve the car’s factory paint job and get it to a state that I am happy with. It’s no secret that my 240’s paint drove me crazy, but a big part of that was the fact that I didn’t know how to take care of it. I am hoping with putting in a fair amount of work (and cash) on the front end, I can get this car to a state I am happy with without having to paint it and keep it that way for years to come. At least it already has the complete factory aero on it, so I don’t really need to make any exterior changes. I still have my front bumper with R33 GTR N1 ducts, but I am undecided on if I will use that right away or not.

As far as parts arriving this past week, the first was a rubber shift boot for the transmission tunnel. I can’t tell you how many of these I have sold over the years, so it felt silly to have to search for one and pay someone else for it – but I will need it for the manual swap. These are still available new from Nissan, but it’s over $200 for all three pieces. I decided the money could be spent in better places, so I scooped this used one and plan to clean it up as best I can before installing it.

Next up was an order from Jesse Streeter in Japan. Just a day or two after paying for the car, I stumbled upon a complete clutch line and damper assembly from a 180SX on Yahoo! Auctions Japan. I had almost forgotten that the USDM and JDM clutch lines are not the same, so this one nearly caught me off guard. I really wanted a factory hard line instead of an aftermaket braided one, so I was stoked to find this. Some of the components are still available new, but not all of them – so this was a good buy. If I understand the schematics right, I should have everything needed as far as hard lines go for converting the car to a manual transmission. I will of course be replacing the rubber clutch line and slave, which probably would have saved me some cash on shipping this half way across the world – but it is what it is.

Finally, I received what I am sure will be the first of many orders of OEM parts from my good friend Russell at NissanParts.cc. Russell has been a huge help to me since I started building my first S13 in 2009, and I have seen a ton of shops come and go in that time. It’s cool to see what he has built, and funny to be going through the same process again 15 years later.

The first group of parts I picked up are for the manual shifter assembly: bolts, washers, wave washer, snap ring and gasket. Combine these with the used base plate I bought, and I should have just about everything I need aside from the shifter assembly itself. More on that in a future update.

Next, I picked up a pair of OEM S14 ABS front five lug hubs. So now I’ve got both front and rear five lug hubs ready to go. I’ll probably treat myself to a new set of lug nuts to use with these when the time comes, but we’ll see what happens. I have been running Muteki black steel lug nuts for a while now, but sometimes I miss having something a little bit flashier.

This order also included NissanParts.cc clutch pedal refresh kit. It comes with everything to replace all of the small springs and bushings on your clutch pedal assembly and seemed like a good idea to snag. I’ll tackle this project soon when I have some free time – it’ll be a good thing to keep me busy while I wait for the car’s arrival.

I also picked up a few other things for the manual swap – a new dust boot for the shift fork, new retainer springs for the release bearing, and a manual pilot bushing. I have never had to deal with a pilot bushing swap before, so I am hoping that won’t be too big of a deal. I didn’t order a release bearing as that will come with the clutch kit I am purchasing. I hope to order that next week – stay tuned. I am still debating if I want to replace the gaskets and seals in the transmission. The last time I tried to do that as preventative maintenance, I created some leaks that weren’t previously there. I may adopt more of a “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality with this car depending on what kind of shape it’s in when it arrives. Time will tell!

Finally, I scooped up a new OEM clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder. I really wanted to run the NISMO slave again, but it’s not advised to run it with the clutch I want to use. It’s always sad to lose a NISMO item from the mod list, but hopefully it will be worth it.

Last night I had some free time to spend in the garage that I utilized to get my 240SX shell ready for pickup. I think I finally have a buyer nailed down which is a really great feeling, and I am happy about its new home. It’s going to be a few weeks before he can come get it, but it should be worth the wait. I reinstalled a number of items that didn’t end up selling, including the HVAC setup, dash bar, steering column, dash, S14 seats, and rear hatch. I filled it with most of my remaining spare parts that didn’t sell, which feels like a huge relief. I can’t wait until the shell is gone and out of my garage. I’m trying to track down items to make it a roller to make transport easier like I did with my coupe. Fingers crossed I can do that in a timely and not-so-expensive manner. We’ll see how it goes.

That’s where things stand for the last Friday of February. I’m hopeful that I can have just about everything I want to install on the car here in my garage and ready to go by the time it arrives, which shouldn’t be too hard to pull off as I plan to keep it pretty simple. Fingers crossed things keep moving with the import process. I am so anxious to hear that the car is finally on the boat and ready to make its way to the States. At least I have plenty to work on in the mean time.

Thanks as always for stopping by and joining this adventure with me. Have a great weekend!

Damon

I considered making the switch from a 240SX to a 180SX for many years. Jimmy and I would often discuss making the switch, feverishly pounding numbers into spreadsheets in our spare time to see if it would be possible. In most cases, the numbers rarely made sense, but as the years went on it became more and more realistic that I could conceivably part out my 240 and pick up its JDM counterpart.

I never had too much of a strong desire to own a RHD car. Based on talking to friends and acquaintances about their experience with it, it sounded like kind of a hassle to drive one on roads designed for LHD vehicles. I also really loved the idea of modifying a 240SX to emulate a 180SX as closely as possible. It was fun to try to turn my car into the “cool” version and explain to people why I made the modification choices I did. I grew up in the era where it was very admirable to take USDM car and convert it over in as many ways as I could. However, as I grew older and began to want a car that was as close to stock and original as possible, the idea of starting with an actual late model 180SX began to sound more and more appealing. Instead of trying to undo all of the mistakes I had made with my car, I could start with the version I was striving to have all along.

Around the time that I started parting out my hatch, I saw that a black 1997 180SX Type X was for sale in Japan on Zilvia of all places. It felt a bit like fate when I saw it as it ticked nearly every box I was looking for – late model 180SX, sunroof, complete aero from the factory, turbo – the only problem was the fact that it was an automatic. If I was truly going to do this and spend the money and time to bring a car over from Japan, I felt it needed to have a manual transmission from the factory. I was also kind of excited to find one that wasn’t black for a change.

I talked to the owner of a white 180SX Type R that also had a sunroof, but discovered that it had a bit more rust than I was interested in dealing with. It was very appealing given that it was already stateside, but the price was very high. The more I thought about it and looked around a bit, I decided it might be worth compromising on the automatic transmission in the first car I came across. It was proving very difficult to find a car with a sunroof, and most auction cars were going to end up being a huge crap shoot. I decided to take a second look and reached out to the owner.

A couple weeks later, I was sending my first ever wire transfer to pay for the car. I’ll save some of the details on the car until it is in my possession (which may be quite a while at this rate,) but here are a couple photos of the car I purchased. I am currently in the process of making all of the arrangements to transport the car, and with any luck it will be stateside by the end of June. However, I am trying my absolute best to tell myself to be patient and realize it may not be around for this year’s cruising season. By sharing it here now, maybe you guys can help share the anticipation with me.

With a car secured, I began to source some parts so that I can have things in order and ready to go before the car gets here. While I sold a lot of the parts I had not knowing what the future had in store, I did keep a lot of my more desirable parts in the hopes that I would be able to import a 180SX. For example, I ended up holding onto my Xcessive Manufacturing skid plate as I had just recently installed a fresh one on my 240 (despite it already looking fairly thrashed.) This is an essential piece in my opinion as it’s virtually bulletproof and keeps your oil pan safe on a low car.

I also ended up holding onto my PBM Cobra downpipe from my coupe as it only has about 100 miles on it. It’s kind of tempting to keep the stock exhaust on my 180SX, but I will probably end up upgrading it shortly after the car arrives. This is another essential piece for a lowered car as the flex section keeps you from blowing out turbo gaskets as frequently. I think I have used these downpipes on my S13s since 2010 or so with great success.

Another item I held onto was my S14 front knuckles and hubs. My plan was to continue utilizing S14 front knuckles, hubs and lower control arms on my 180SX like I did on my 240. As it turns out though, the 180 has ABS- something I would love to keep intact if possible. I ended up selling my S14 knuckle/hub setup in favor of an ABS set. I’ve got the knuckles now and have a new set of OEM ABS hubs on order. This will be my first time working on an S13 with ABS, but hopefully I am able to sort it out. Time will tell!

Speaking of ABS, this also meant that I needed to secure the correct driveshaft for manual swapping the 180. I ended up finding a manual/ABS driveshaft on eBay that was ironically located about an hour and a half from me. I feel like there are not typically a lot of manual/ABS driveshafts around stateside, so I was excited to find this as I wanted to avoid running an aftermarket one piece driveshaft. I’ll likely try to look into replacing the carrier bearing before this is put on the car. I’m still a little confused as they look remarkably similar, but hopefully this works and doesn’t come back to haunt me later.

I decided tackling the manual swap parts should probably be priority number one. In addition to the driveshaft, I also picked up a Silvia brake and clutch pedal. I have items on the way to refresh both pedals and will try to clean them up as best I can prior to installing them. It is going to kill me to hack into a totally stock 180SX, but I think we can all agree a manual swap is needed. Hopefully the process won’t be too bad (I converted my 240SX coupe from automatic to manual, so I am fairly confident I can pull it off without any issues.)

One piece I have always wanted is the NISMO reinforced clutch pedal bracket. Though I don’t drift and really have no use for it, my hope is to add as much of the current NISMO catalog to this car as possible. Pretty cool part that will likely serve no purpose, but I am excited about it.

Next, I picked up a used shifter base plate from eBay for the manual swap. I am in the process of ordering some refresh items for this, including a NISMO quick shifter that I have heard good things about and wanted to try. I’ve always preferred the OEM shifter over the various short shifters I have tried over the years, but I am confident the NISMO should fit the bill. Looking forward to scooping one up.

I sold both of my manual crossmembers from my 240s, so I had to pick one of these up as well. I was sad that I just barely lost out on a brand new one on YAJ, but I can clean this one up just fine.

Of course, the 180 will need to be converted to five lug. I picked up a set of generic Contano five lug hubs for the rear as I had some pretty bad luck with the OEM ones and they cost a fortune. Hopefully these will serve me well. The OEM ABS S14 hubs are on the way and should be here sometime next week.

Finally, a deal I could not pass up – a set of Ganador Super Aero Mirrors. I have probably owned about fifteen pairs of these over the years, but I couldn’t pass up the price these were listed for on Zilvia. I am contemplating trying to find a really clean pair of carbon/blue lens Ganadors instead for the car, but I am not 100% sold on that idea just yet. The idea of having functional power Ganadors that I can actually see out of sounds really cool after years of using them on a USDM chassis and not wiring them up. I have another pair of mirrors on hand for the 180SX as well that I held onto from my 240 that will likely complete the collection of mirrors I intend to own. At the end of the day, I really like the stock power/folding mirrors the best (stoked to finally have a set of those that works as well.)

Anyway, that’s about it for this week! I’ll continue to share parts I collect and plans for the car here as I work my way through the long process of trying to get the car stateside. I am hoping to be as organized and well-equipped as possible to make the car my own before it arrives. I will likely try to enjoy it for a while in its stock form before I tear into it, but I am definitely excited to work on it and install my own parts.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great weekend!

Damon

Let’s see here… where do I begin this time around? Well, when we last left off in late October of 2023, I had just finished parting out my S13 coupe project and decided to focus my efforts on one singular project- the S13 hatch that I first purchased in 2008 when I was in college.

While I immediately felt very relieved to shed the coupe project and motivated to finally paint and restore my 240SX hatch, the enthusiasm quickly began to fade a bit. I decided to remove the side skirts to check for rust as they had not been off of the car in about seven or eight years. Much to my dismay, I found what I would consider to be a fairly large amount of rust behind the side skirts. Despite people reassuring me that it was not bad in the scheme of things and could easily be repaired, it really took the wind out of my sails to make that discovery.

I get it: S13s are pretty old and Nissan metal isn’t known to be the most resistant to rust. But finding that my rockers were in rough shape was sort of the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. A lot of people online saw my decision to part out the car and move on as a knee-jerk reaction to finding a little bit of rust, but it was the culmination of many years of regret. Many years of decisions, modifications and mistakes that I had grown to regret. I shaved the bay and welded everything shut only to cut it back out and try to convert it back to factory specs again. Removed sound deadening just to add it again. Removed the HVAC system and reinstalled it. Pulled the quarters as a young twenty-something a lot more than I would have liked as a guy pushing forty. And though most of these things could be reversed by repainting the car, I ultimately decided it was time to make a change, take a risk and shake things up. If I was really going to pour all of this time and effort to try to build a beautiful S13 to my standards, I started to wonder if it made sense to start with the real deal: a late model 180SX.

Around the same time I discovered the rust, I took another leap of faith by applying for and accepting a new job. I was very happy at my role at the time, but the commute was brutal- typically an hour and a half or more one way due to construction. I ultimately decided to apply for a different role at a company twenty minutes from home and was thrilled to learn that they were making me an offer. My start date was pretty close to my birthday in December, and it just felt like a big shake up for the better. Taking a risk had worked out for the best. Birthdays are often a time of reflection, especially as I get older, and it got me thinking that maybe it was time to part ways with my hatch as well and take another risk. It was scary, but it felt like the perfect time to make the switch.

So I ended up doing just that – I parted out my S13 hatch again just like I had back in 2012. I was greeted again by that familiar feeling of relief with each set of parts I sold and shipped out. I went into the process with the mindset that I would be importing a kouki 180SX to replace my 240. The goal was to find one as stock and clean as possible – with the least amount of rust possible as well, of course. I knew this was a risk and that I may not find an example that ticked all of the right boxes for me, but I decided that with the way I had been feeling about the hobby over the last year or two it was worth the risk. If I didn’t find the right car, I would simply cash out and enjoy the simpler life many of us often dream of – a life without modifying a car.

Just as I was becoming more and more comfortable with the idea of not owning an S13 anymore, I stumbled upon a car that ticked just about all of the right boxes for me. I am very excited to say that I am in the process of purchasing that car and jumping through the hoops to bring it home to my little garage in the USA. I’m sure it is going to be a relatively long and tedious process that will require more patience than I have to give, but I am hopeful that it’s all going to pan out as it should. Fingers crossed!

As of this writing, I am essentially done with parting out my S13s. I am hoping a friend of mine can come get the bare shell out of my garage soon, but aside from that nearly everything is gone. I kept a number of parts from my hatch to use on the 180SX, and am still holding onto some of the harder to find Silvia parts for a while just in case I end up with one someday. Unlikely, but it shouldn’t hurt to keep these parts around.

With any luck, I’ll be able to share some details about the 180SX in my next post if things continue to progress as they should. I’m hoping to start posting more regularly to document the parts I am gathering for the car while waiting for it to make its way here on a slow boat. It’s been a while since I have tackled the build process from scratch, but I am looking forward to experiencing it again – especially with this platform. It’s nice to have some time to put a plan together and gather parts before the car arrives.

Thank you as always for stopping by and joining me in this journey. I am really excited about what’s to come in 2024!

Damon

It’s been a while my friends! Man, life sure can be crazy sometimes. I can’t believe this is only the second blog post I have made in 2023. After getting an email informing me that my hosting fees are going to be charged to my account soon, I realized it was probably time to get back to utilizing this space again and stop throwing my money away. Let’s get caught up a bit!

It’s no secret that I have not felt very motivated when it comes to my S13s in 2023. Kind of ironic for someone that coined the phrase “Unwavering passion for S13,” but I think it’s the reality for just about all of us. I think in many ways the trouble started when I decided to take on building a second car before I even managed to “finish” the first one. I told myself the typical things we all do when I got my coupe chassis back in 2018:

“I’ll just get the shell now and keep it until I have time to build it.”

“I know I should only focus on one project, but I’ll just get things for it as I have the time and funds.”

“If I don’t get one now, I may never get the chance to own one again.”

Of course, it’s hard for me to not hit the ground running when it comes to building a car. It’s a blessing and a curse, really. Things escalated quickly, and before I knew it I had two cars at about 90% completion. All of the desirable and hard to find parts were there for the most part, but I just couldn’t seem to come up with the time, money or motivation to get either car across the finish line. I had fallen into the same trap I had always warned other enthusiasts to be wary of. A lack of money and feeling discouraged about the visual state of both cars was definitely killing my enthusiasm.

I mean no offense by this, but I have never been a hoarder or a collector. I have seen lots of people like this in our scene over the years: the ones with a giant collection of the rarest items in their basement without a car to install them on. Conversely, there are lots of people that own 3 or 4 or 7 or 12 cars, but none of them are necessarily something they can feel proud of. None of them are finished. Sometimes none of them even run. There’s nothing wrong with this of course – we should all be free to enjoy the hobby however we see fit. But for me, neither of these situations has ever been ideal or something I was seeking out. By building the coupe, I sort of fell into both – I was hoarding parts in my basement like moldings and weather stripping for a rainy day. At the same time, I had two cars- neither of them really in a place to be considered roadworthy or polished.

I put a fair amount of miles on my hatch at the start of the season and was really enjoying it. My wife and I even took a summer road trip up North to the lake house in the car and had a great time. The coupe was sitting waiting until I had the funds to buy a set of 17″ wheels for it as I did not like the look of my 17/18 TEs. As fate would have it, I started having some issues with the hatch. I noticed one night that the car was smoking heavily at idle after a long drive. The rear tires were bald, which should not have happened nearly as fast as it did. After some inspection, I noticed that my rear toe was somehow way off. I got fairly overwhelmed and frustrated even at these small things because they both meant spending money I didn’t have. As a result, I now had two cars sitting and collecting dust.

Another big life event happened in May of 2023. I had some surprise medical/educational bills arise for a member of my family that I simply could not afford without parting ways with items from my cars. I did not want to take on any debt, so I decided to part out the suspension and brakes from my coupe to cover those expenses. It was not an easy decision and I was pretty upset and depressed about it at the time, but I knew I was making the right choice for my family. As a parent, sometimes you have to step up and make sacrifices. This was a big test and challenge for me, but I felt very fortunate to be able to provide in that way.

As summer continued and began to transition into fall, I knew I had to make a change. I had been stressing and thinking for months about how I was going to climb back out of this hole. After telling myself to just let both cars sit until I had the money and my passion had returned, I finally accepted that I needed to make a change. I bit the bullet and decided to part ways with my S13 coupe project. It was a really difficult realization to accept, but the fact that the car had been sitting on jack stands with no plan for being operational again made it a bit easier.

I tore into the car in early September and began listing items for sale. By mid October, just about everything was gone and I was ready to sell the rolling chassis. I ended up selling it to a really nice guy I connected with through Instagram (@infamous_twotone) and I feel really good about him getting the car. He came and picked it up last Sunday, and I immediately felt such a surge of relief. I swept out that side of the garage and immediately pulled Alicia’s van into the garage for the first time since the winter.

At last, the burden of trying to own and maintain two project cars at a high level was gone. Once I dove into parting out the car for good, I felt immediate relief. I know there are people out there saying “you’ll definitely regret it,” and in some ways I know they’re probably right. But at the same time, I know I did what was best for both my mental state and for my family at the time – and that feels really good. I had no idea how much owning two of these cars was wearing on me. It was adding a lot of stress that I didn’t even realize was there. If you are struggling with multiple projects and that strong feeling of trying to avoid letting go, I highly encourage you to take a break for a while. If that doesn’t seem to be helping, I would try downsizing your collection and focusing on one project. I know I am only a week into it at this point, but it’s so validating and freeing to lose some of the stress and feel productive and passionate again.

That being said, I didn’t fully shed my newly acquired hoarder tendencies just yet. I elected to keep a number of parts from the coupe that have become pretty hard to get a hold of these days including the dash and defrost vents, Silvia front end, aero kit, and moldings/weather stripping. I also kept my new-in-box Silvia lighting. There’s a chance I will part with these items eventually, but I wasn’t in a dire situation where I had to sell them right now and decided to store them away just in case I find another use for them one day. Time will tell how long this idea sticks.

All said and done, five years later, do I regret owning the coupe? Yes and no. I had an amazing experience putting together my second S13 build and feel so fortunate that I had the chance to do that. Even if I didn’t get to finish it like I wanted to, I do feel a sense of accomplishment to have put together what I did. I’m hoping I might have another chance to own a coupe or an S13 Silvia someday, but that thought is definitely going to be put on hold for quite some time – at least until my house is paid off. But my kids are going to be starting college shortly after that, so I highly doubt money is going to be growing on trees for me any time soon- not to mention that mental strain I was talking about earlier in the post. For the foreseeable future I am definitely a one project kind of guy. I learned a ton about myself from the experience though and I am really glad it happened, even if it distracted me for a few years.

So what about the SR20DET drivetrain from the coupe? Well, I am working on finalizing a deal with a friend of mine to take that drivetrain and turn it into a full paint job for my hatch. I won’t be taking the car in for paint until the spring, but I am beyond excited to finally accomplish a goal I have had since I bought the car in 2008. I am really eager to tear into the hatch and start getting everything ready to go while adding some new touches to the build along the way. It should be an awesome winter.

My motivation is in full swing right now and I couldn’t be more excited! I’ll dive into some of the plans I have in my next post. I may backtrack just a bit to try to really have a clear record of 2023, since in a lot of ways that is the reason I like to maintain this blog. But then I will be ready to move onward and upward! Things are beginning to start rolling and I am really excited.

Thanks as always to anyone that manages to still read this. The random messages I get from people that enjoy or have enjoyed this content over the years definitely fuels the fire I have for tinkering with these things in the first place – so thank you! Have a great weekend.

Damon

The older I get, the more difficult it becomes to devote any amount of time to car related activities between mid-November and mid-February. It’s such a busy season with lots of birthdays, holidays, and family gatherings. For myself and many others, it’s also a time when budgets tighten. I get hit with a lot of large bills during these months due to when my wife and I’s birthdays fall. Add to that Christmas and birthday gifts (and even several surprise medical bills this time around) and conditions just have not aligned for me to be doing much with my S13s. Limited time, limited budget, the day to day duties of parenting, and winter weather are all factors that combine and feed off of each other. It gets hard to find a balance and everything can pile on to kill my motivation quite easily.

However, I am pleased to say that it’s a new day. While it’s already mid March and I haven’t done much at all to the cars in the last three months, I can feel the motivation and excitement beginning to build. I’m slowly starting to poke my head out of hibernation, improve my mental state, and show interest in my cars once again. The simple fact that I am here updating my blog feels like a great accomplishment and a sign that things are trending in the right direction. With spring and warmer weather (soon hopefully) will come a renewed sense of enjoyment for the hobby.

So let’s backtrack a bit. Back in late November, I had just gotten a hold of another Koguchi Power bonnet. I did a quick “test fit” of sorts purely just to grab some photos and see what the hood looked like with OEM kouki 180SX aero. There are plenty of examples out there, but I had never seen my car with this combo installed at the same time before. I was disappointed to find that it almost feels like the quality of Koguchi Power hoods has gotten even worse since I last owned one in 2015 or so. It’s a really cool piece, it just takes so much work to make them actually look nice from a fit and finish standpoint. More on this later…

I tossed the car on jack stands for the winter to address a few general maintenance items. Aside from the new hood I didn’t really plan to make any big changes during the off season this year. I started by removing my turbo and exhaust manifold to refresh all of the gaskets. I had noticed a slight exhaust leak developing from somewhere near the manifold and decided to just bite the bullet and replace everything. While I tore it apart back in December, I didn’t get around to reassembling it until about two weeks ago.

I found that the hardware for both my O2 housing/downpipe and the turbo had been backing out. The gaskets were still largely intact despite this, but it was definitely the source of the leak. Considering the fact that I got about seven years and 20k miles out of the setup, I can’t be too mad about it. I installed all new OEM gaskets including an S15 metal exhaust manifold gasket. I debated using Nord Lock washers exclusively for the turbo to manifold nuts, but ended up just using the trusty OEM locking tabs. I managed to snap a stud on my exhaust manifold during removal, so I took the easy route and bought a replacement, spray painted it, and bolted everything up.

I finally scored a decent pair of 180SX power folding mirrors and a switch from Zilvia legend Johnny. I’m hoping to find the time to wire these up this spring before I get the car back on the road. The older I get, the more I prefer the looks and functionality of the factory mirrors on a tastefully modified S13. In fact, I ended up selling a couple pairs of East Bear mirrors over the winter. I wanted to hold onto a pair just to have in my collection, but I couldn’t pass up what people were willing to pay for them. They’re awesome looking mirrors, but the quality does leave a bit to be desired.

You may recall that I re-relocated (is that a term?) my battery from the hatch back into the engine bay last summer. When I shaved my engine bay, I removed the stock tray as it was pretty rusty. Well, when I removed the battery for winter, I found that it had destroyed the paint in my engine bay. Oops. I’ll have to come up with a temporary solution in the mean time, but I was able to source a replacement battery tray from Japan. Eventually I would like to have this welded back into the stock location like on my coupe.

In January, my good friend Brett from Florida reached out to me and offered me a smoking deal on a black Bride Maxis. I didn’t really intend on owning one of these again, but the deal was too good to pass up. Thank you Brett! My local S13 homie Nick came by one Saturday to hang out and eat some White Castle, so we decided to bolt the seat into my hatch to check it out. I’ll always love the look of these seats. I’ll be holding onto my kouki 180SX seats should I want to swap them back. I’ve always felt the Maxis and Zeros look best with a Brix next to them, but I think I can live with this for right now. I’ve been debating if I should put the Zieg II in the passenger side of the hatch, but I think it will find a home in my coupe so that both cars will have a proper period-correct Bride bucket in them and offer a similar driving experience.

I acquired a few different parts over the winter in addition to the Maxis. A RHD Japan order came in with two 25mm Works Bell steering wheel spacers, two Bride FG seat rails, and some Cusco hood pins like I used on my previous Koguchi Power bonnet. I purchased left and right Bride seat rails so that I can install my Zieg II as either a passenger seat in the hatch, or a driver’s seat in the coupe.

A few nights ago, I snuck into the garage and installed the steering wheel spacer on my hatch. Wow, what a difference! I was so tired of having my arms nearly fully extended to reach the steering wheel with a bucket seat. I wish I had discovered this a long time ago. I haven’t gotten to drive with it yet of course, but it should be a great improvement.

I also spent some time working on getting my Defi gauges functional once again. I was able to install the GReddy sandwich plate, NISMO oil filter, and all four sensors in the engine bay a week or so ago. I need to go back and finish running the wiring, as well as wire up and mount the controller. But the feeling of having the sensors installed if nothing else is a good one!

As for the coupe, the car is still in winter storage. I was able to source replacement clips from Japan for the Silvia trunk carpet that I installed a while back. This was a nice find since I thought they were discontinued. I also finally received my StopTech front brake pads for this car that I had been waiting on for about ten months, so I’ll swap those on this spring. I know I sound like a broken record, but I still want a full set of 17″ wheels for this car. Every time I get close to pulling the trigger, I need the funds for something else. I am looking forward to bringing that car home this spring and – with any luck -finally realizing that goal. I’ll also install the Bride Zieg II, Bride FG seat rail, and Works Bell 25mm steering wheel hub spacer when I bring the car home.

It looks like some decent weather is on the horizon, so I am excited to get back into the garage a bit. I decided this week not to keep my Koguchi Power hood, so a friend is coming to pick that up this weekend. I’m still a little hesitant since it is such a cool piece, but I think it makes the most sense right now to move on from it and focus my funds and energy on finally getting a set of wheels and tires I love for the coupe. Hopefully I can keep the progress flowing!

Good luck with your projects this weekend and finding that elusive motivation. Remember that spring is just around the corner! Thank you as always for stopping by- I appreciate it!

Damon

After spending the better part of the last 18 years with a passion for modifying cars and some sort of project goal that I am working towards, I have learned that this time in mid to late November tends to be one of high hopes and high motivation- at least for those of us building cars here in the Midwest. Most of us have just gotten our cars put away for the harsh winter months ahead and no doubt have some shortcomings we experienced with our vehicles during the season that we now finally have the time to address. I know with my own cars, it was often a mechanical failure or issue that forced an end to the season- sometimes a bit earlier than I would have liked.

While it’s not true for everyone, the winter off season provides us with plenty of time to work on the next round of improvements for our builds. If you didn’t managed to get your car out at all this year, it signals a clean slate- a fresh opportunity to spend the next five months or so getting it together to ensure that you don’t meet the same fate next seaspn. I’ve been in that boat as well in the past.

Whatever the case for your specific situation, there’s no denying that one event this time of year can make us all feel a bit more hopeful and motivated for our projects- Black Friday. It’s easy to think that throwing a few thousand dollars at that shell sitting in your garage during the last week of November is going to be the saving-grace that helps you get across the finish line and finally lands you with a car you can be proud of. And hey, you might even save a few dollars and score a free t-shirt in the process.

I’ll be the first to admit that I have fallen prey to this mentality many times in years past. Vendors can convince us that our lack of activity, motivation, and progress during the past year can be cured by capitalizing on special savings. To be honest, it almost makes you feel like you are missing out if you don’t buy something for your car on Black Friday. Only in the last few years have I managed to make it through without spending a dime and feel OK with it.

While there’s no doubt there may be some great deals to be found out there, don’t let yourself get sucked into spending a lot of money on that junky old car that’s been collecting dust for as long as you can remember without first coming up with a plan of attack. I’m not saying it is always a mistake to make purchases during the notorious holiday shopping season, but I’ve seen a lot of people spend tons of money on parts they got during Black Friday sales mistaking spending for motivation- only to abandon the project a few months down the road and sell everything at a steep loss.

My advice to anyone out there trying to build a car right now (specifically an S13) is this: come up with a plan. It’s always best to go into any long-term project with a detailed idea of what you want to accomplish and how you plan to go about it. I always find it helpful to split the build into categories and tackle them one by one: Drivetrain, Suspension & Brakes, Interior, and Exterior. Come up with a blue sky list of what components each category would include, then go back through for a second sweep to rule out things that aren’t must-haves or may break the bank from a budget standpoint. It’s important to prioritize- and even plan for multiple stages of the build if it’s helpful- to get you on the road as soon as possible. There’s no connection with a car you’ve never even driven, and that makes staying motivated pretty difficult.

With my cars for example, I have sacrificed things like having a cool Japanese-branded clutch or suspension arms in favor of having genuine JDM OEM aero components. While I have a specific mentality and set of standards I like to maintain with my vehicles, I’ve had to take a step back and prioritize which things mean the most to me in recent years- especially with owning two of them. I don’t have the funds to do everything I want to, especially not all at once- so I have to make compromises on certain areas to get other aspects of the build where I want them. Compromising on certain parts doesn’t have to mean cutting corners.

Once you have a plan, put in the work on the car itself. Don’t mistake spending for motivation. While it may work for some people to drop some serious coin and harness motivation from it, if you haven’t touched the car in six months and don’t feel like putting in the time and effort, spending a few thousands dollars on parts that are just going to collect dust isn’t likely to make you feel any more love for the project. It’s easy to dig yourself into a hole financially that will only lead you down a bad path- one that often ends in selling the car and quitting the game completely.

I get it – there are sometimes going to be key components that you need to buy in order to make progress on your build. I definitely understand this and have been there many times. You’ll find that there’s just no way to move forward without certain components, and you’ve got to save up and make those purchases when you’re able to to make progress. Those are the types of parts you should be trying to score on Black Friday. Spend the minimum needed to get you through those next several tasks on your to-do list, combine it with a healthy dose of time in the garage, and you’ll probably see massive strides in the project. Sure, you may spend $20 more on a part six months from now than you could have gotten it for this week, but are the savings worth derailing the entire project?

I don’t exactly know where I was trying to go with this post, but I guess I wanted to share my two cents as this has been on my mind a lot watching all of the Black Friday deals fly in on Instagram over the last week or so. I chat with a lot of younger folks on Instagram trying to put their cars together and thought they might like hearing an old timer’s take on the subject. I’ve been there before and it’s still something I struggle with getting sucked into at times.

In any case, do what you will with one guy’s opinion. Have a detailed idea of what you want to create. Make a spreadsheet to track what you need and a checklist with the tasks you need to complete. Once you get rolling and can celebrate some wins, the motivation piece will probably take care of itself.

Thanks for stopping by as always and good luck with your build. Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

Damon

It’s amazing how redundant the passing of time can feel sometimes when updating this blog. As I took the hatch to the gas station earlier this week through a sea of snowflakes to fill it up for winter storage, I reflected on this being the 13th time I have marched into the off season as an S13 owner. It’s honestly pretty hard to believe, and while it is repetitive in so many ways, I’ve definitely grown accustomed to it being a part of my life. While the blog posts have been a bit few and far between in 2022, it’s not from a lack of passion or enjoyment for the hobby.

My last post was in late September. As you may recall, it took me quite a while to get my S13s on the road this summer due to a number of reasons, the primary ones being road construction and the cost of gas. Gas prices skyrocketed in the spring right before I would have typically gotten the cars out and it felt irresponsible to spend the additional $1 per gallon on driving them around. Combine that with a hefty dose of road construction on my route to the office, and I simply didn’t feel extremely motivated to get the cars on the road. In the end, I ultimately decided to keep the coupe parked for the summer and enjoy the hatch as much as I could. This saved me some cash on insurance and generally made life a bit less stressful as I only had to worry about keeping one of my cars roadworthy.

Looking back, I guess the 2022 driving season was a pretty short one. Fortunately though, it doesn’t really feel like it when I think back on it. I officially got the car on the road August 26th, and once it was aligned I pretty much daily drove it until last Thursday, November 10th. In the 11 weeks I had the car out, I managed to put about 2,500 miles on it. I would of course have liked to drive it more, but I’m happy to report that I didn’t have a single issue during that time. We’ve gotten a solid 3″+ of snow last night and throughout the day today here in Michigan, so I definitely pushed driving it as long as I could.

To backtrack a bit, my replacement rear 5 lug hubs and bearings for the coupe arrived at the end of September. This allowed me to put the car back together and get it on the ground once again. I really can’t stand the look of the coupe on 17/18 wheels and tires. I love the look on coupes with bigger aftermarket aero, but the rake and stance just do not sit right with me at the moment. Most people seem to prefer the 15″ Equip 40s, and I completely understand this sentiment. They simply worked better with the current multicolored state of the car. However, I have faith in the final vision and I’m going to keep marching towards that end goal. If history has taught me anything, it will be worth it in the end.

Around this same time, I decided to try to source a piece I have wanted for the coupe for a while now. The S13 Silvia in Japan came with a carpet trim panel that mounts to the inside of the trunk lid, while its USDM 240SX counterpart did not. I’ve always thought this was a piece that would be cool to own, but it’s pretty hard to track them down. Fortunately, I found a smashed up trunk lid on Yahoo! Auctions Japan that still had the carpet panel installed. Jordan from Tweed Auto Garage was able to buy the trunk, remove the panel, and ship it to the states for me. A lot of importers would not have wanted to deal with this, so I am really grateful Jordan was up for it. I highly recommend him for importing parts from Japan, especially if your request may be slightly unconventional. The panel arrived safely and I was able to clip it into place. Sadly, one clip was missing from the trunk. I think these are long discontinued, but if I am able to find anything I will definitely share it here.

I did have a few packages arrive in the last couple months, the first being from trusty RHD Japan. This order included a GReddy oil filter sandwich plate to install the sensors for my Defi gauges, the bolts needed to install my Bride Zieg II in the hatch, and a pair of Cusco solid engine mounts (more on those a bit later in this post.

I don’t think I took any photos when I actually completed the installation (which is hard for me to believe,) but I ‘ve really been enjoying having a Bride Zieg II in the hatch again. It’s definitely the most comfortable seat I have ever owned, and I really missed the headroom and overall position of a bucket seat. Climbing in and out can be an annoyance sometimes, but it just feels right as far as driving an S13 goes. I think I may try to add one to the coupe someday as well to keep the driving experiences in line between the two cars. The steering wheel hub could definitely use an extension so that my arms aren’t as stretched out, so that’s probably another thing I’ll try to add to the mix this winter.

The next package was also from RHD Japan. This one included two pairs of OEM Nissan S13 fender braces that I used to replace my aftermarket Auto Collect Storm fender braces. While the Storm braces are beefier and a great product, I couldn’t resist passing up the OEM ones when I found out they were still available. I also picked up a NISMO oil filter for service on the hatch during the off season.

Finally, I received a small order from Courtesy Nissan that included some hardware for the fender braces and two components for the rear wiper assembly- the rubber seal that goes in the hatch itself, and the plastic cap that covers the nut on the wiper arm. I still need to go back and finish the rear wiper install, so it’ll be nice to have fresh components when I do that.

Back to the coupe for a minute- I elected to install my pair of Project Kics 11mm spacers on the front to keep the wheels from rubbing the front springs. I have the same suspension setup on my hatch, so I am not sure why I am having this issue… but I like the look with the spacers a lot. I’ll probably keep these in place for whatever setup I end up with on the car next season.

The month of October marked four years since I purchased my coupe as a rolling shell. If you told me I would put about 100 miles on an S13 over a 4 years span ten years ago, I would have been pretty disappointed in myself- but life is a lot different at 36 than it was at 26. I know I said it this year, but I really hope to spend time putting miles on the coupe and enjoying it in 2023 once the wheel and tire setup is sorted out. I am absolutely looking forward to it!

By late October, I took the coupe over to my mom’s house for winter storage. It’s so nice to have the option to keep the car safe with family and free up a spot in our garage for Alicia to park inside and out of the snow during the winter months. My list for the winter is much shorter for the coupe than the hatch, but I do have a few things I would like to address. They’ll likely have to wait until the spring since I won’t really be able to work on it much at the storage location, but I’ll get it sorted out eventually.

My friend Frankie from Faction Motorsports reached out to me about the new S13 SR20DET throttle cable bracket he designed and offered to send me two of them to try out. After taking entirely too long to finally install one of them, I finally got around to it and was really impressed with the results. I’ve had a modified OEM bracket on both cars for several years and it always kind of bothered me, so this was definitely a welcome change. Check out the link here to snag one- it’s definitely worth it!

During the first weekend in November, Alicia and I dropped the girls off with family for the weekend and drove the hatch a few hours North to the family lake house for our last trail riding trip of the season before the snow falls. Believe it or not, this was the first time I had ever taken the hatch to the lake house, and also the first road trip we have taken in it since Final Bout Gallery in 2019. Despite being a bit nervous, the car was perfect for the whole trip- even in heavy rains. That weekend marked the 14th anniversary of buying my hatch, which was a very cool milestone that also made me feel really old. I’m so thankful that I have been fortunate enough to enjoy this car for so long.

Fall was strangely warm this year, which almost felt like being rewarded for waiting so long to get my car out. However, last Thursday was the final day in the 60s and the temps began to drop off harshly by the weekend. My friends Nick, LA, Mel (and his family,) Matt, and Simba traveled to my house from Chicago to hang out and watch the Lions vs Bears game last weekend which was a blast. Since I haven’t been to US Air in a few years, it meant I hadn’t really seen these guys either- so it was awesome to be reunited again. I definitely want to take one of the cars to Chicago next summer (and maybe even Shawano if I can stand it) to see all the people I have missed over the last few years.

LA and Chob were kind enough to haul the Koguchi Power hood that I purchased from 180 Dave (the one that bought my friend Tim’s S13 hatch rolling chassis that I sold last fall) from Chicago to Michigan for me. After waiting a couple months, we finally got together for the game and I was able to take delivery of the hood. While I know there are a lot of things about it that bothered me the last time I owned one, it’s just one of those cool pieces that feels awesome to have in your collection. The quality definitely seems to have gotten worse since the last time I had one, but we’ll see what can be done to make it fit OK and look presentable. This is why I purchased the Cusco solid engine mounts though, since the engine needs to be lowered a bit for the hood to fit properly. I am looking forward to mocking it up on the car and seeing how it looks.

Anyway, that brings you up to speed on what’s been going on in my garage over the last two months. I am going to do my best to update this more frequently during the off season with my projects and small updates. I don’t have crazy plans for either of the cars this winter, but there are some things on my list I would like to take care of. If nothing else, it should be fun even if it’s not anything drastic. Winter can be a long and challenging time around here, but I am looking forward to making the most of it.

Thanks as always for stopping by to read the blog- I really appreciate it! Take care.

Damon

Wow, here we are in late September after another summer has flown by. Evening temps have been dipping into the high 40s here in Michigan, bringing with them one of the best times of year to enjoy driving an S13. All three of my daughters are now attending school and are already wrapping up their sixth week. It’s been a big change and adjustment for all of us, but it’s also a really exciting shift into this new season of life with a fifth and third grader at home in addition to a kindergartener.

I haven’t spent a ton of time working on my cars lately with everything we have had going on, but there have been some pretty exciting developments. As I mentioned in my last post, I wasn’t able to get the hatch to go into gear the night before my S Chassis BBQ and had to push it outside the morning of the event. After attempting to bleed the clutch again later that week, I ended up replacing the clutch master cylinder and adjusting the engagement point on the pedal. This worked like a charm and I was finally able to drive the car around the block for the first time in 2022. The month of July is pretty late to achieve that goal, but the excitement level always remains the same when it finally happens.

After getting the car on the road, I noticed that the blower motor only worked on the high speed setting. This was a bit odd since it worked before I tore it apart, but I did end up throwing my friend Tim’s AC setup in the car during the off-season. I realized his setup had a JDM blower motor resistor installed for the digital climate control (DCC) setup, so I swapped back to my old one (that I had kept luckily) and that solved the issue. This prompted me to get out the DCC setup I purchased from his part out and look things over a bit. As it turns out, I’m missing a couple of the needed components- but I should still be able to get it to work someday. I want to have the AC system charged and confirm it works properly before I attempt the install, so that will have to wait until next year. I’ve owned a couple different DDC setups over the years and have never actually installed one, so it would be really cool to finally make it happen.

My next move (no pun intended) was finally installing my NeXt Miracle Cross Bar that I purchased back in 2020. I think I’ve owned four of these now if memory serves and it’s always been one of my favorite pieces for the 180SX. I’ve been dragging my feet on installing it since it requires you to remove the rear seat belts. I always enjoy being able to take my daughters in the car with me, so I haven’t wanted to do that. But with the girls getting older and being right on the edge of sitting in the front seat (and having a second S13 available to drive) I decided to go for it. Installation can be a bit of a hassle, but I’ve done it so many times now that it really wasn’t so bad. It’s such a cool looking piece!

While working in the hatch area, I installed some factory plastic clips that attach the rear carpet to the upper portion of the back seat. I’ve been running without these for many years and saved some from a car I parted out a while back. It definitely helps to hold the carpet in place and keep it from looking wavy along the back seat.

After all of these projects were completed, it was time to take the car out on the main road outside my neighborhood. When I did, I found a nasty vibration from the rear of the car at speeds above 30 MPH. When I jacked the rear of the car up, I found there was some play in both rear wheels. I messed around for a while with tightening different things, but ultimately found the wheel bearings were causing the issue. This was disheartening as I had just shelled out for brand new OEM S14 rear hubs and bearings, but thanks to the help of some people on Instagram I found that I pressed the hubs into the bearings incorrectly and damaged them. An expensive lesson, but an important one. I did not support the bearings with an arbor plate when I pressed them and this caused the damage as it pressed the inner races of the bearing out the back side.

I ended up ordering some cheap bearings from Rock Auto and replacing them. I took the car for a drive again and found the same issue. Next, I swapped the hubs and bearings from my coupe onto the hatch- but the issue persisted. It was during this test drive that I realized I had not tightened the driveshaft bolts back at the differential. I tossed the car up, tightened the bolts, and was delighted to find that the issue was gone. Again, another stupid mistake, but I was so glad to have the issue behind me.

Next on the docket was installing the new sub harness for the rear hatch. Back when I got the car, I cut the harness (per the internet’s instruction) to replace my hatch with a rust-free wiperless unit. Fast forward to today and the rear wiper system had really started to grow on me again. I sourced a complete setup from a part out and took the first step towards reinstalling it by fishing the harness through the rear hatch. It was a bit tedious, but a stretched out metal coat hanger and some patience got the job done.

All of these small projects in the garage were a lot of fun. It felt great to get some wins and be back out there again, even if I was only working on quick tasks each night. I kept the privacy cover from a part out to modify for use with my Miracle Bar, so I took some quick measurements and started cutting. A dremel made quick work of cutting the cover, and I was able to make it fit quite nicely. I had done this once before years ago but rushed it and didn’t do a very good job. I prefer the look of the Miracle bar without the privacy cover, but it’s nice to have on road trips to conceal my cargo and keep a cleaner appearance.

Next on the docket was installing my front speakers. I used the same Pioneer units and Amazon templates my buddy Kev recommended and the install was pretty straightforward. I have been dragging my feet on purchasing an aftermarket head unit since choosing one is a bit overwhelming and I hate the look of them, but I’m hoping to do that soon so I can test the speakers and finally enjoy having some music in the car. I had a short stint of using a tape adapter with an iPod and the blown factory speakers many years ago, but it was short lived as the tape deck stopped working. Having a working radio is a pipe dream for me much like having AC, so if I can manage to get both working next summer I’ll be blown away.

Lately I’ve had the urge to add a few cool pieces back onto the car. It’s been through many stages over the years, and while it’s nice to have things feel really nice and factory, I miss the cool parts sometimes. I found an opportunity to snag a super clean set of white face Defi Link Meter II gauges on Yahoo! Auctions Japan via Jesse Streeter and bit the bullet. I must have owned 5 or 6 sets of these now and they’ll always be my favorite, so I was really excited about finding such a nice and complete set. I elected to swap my dashboard back to the car’s factory dash that I modified to house four 60mm gauges some years ago. I’ve done this so many times now that I was able to get it done during a lunch break while working from home, so that was a plus! I haven’t installed the sensors or wired them up yet, but at least the tedious process of swapping the dash is behind me.

While I was at it, I also reinstalled my Trust GREX shift knob to spice things up a bit inside the cockpit. The chrome compliments the Miracle Bar out back quite nicely. With the interior getting a bit more spicy again, I also tossed my black and gray checkered floor mats in. I scored these on eBay many years ago and really like them because the checkers are smaller like all of the old mats from Japan. I wish they were a cool brand and specific to the S13, but they get the job done.

Speaking of cool parts I miss owning, it’s been quiet a while since I had a bucket seat- maybe five years? And while there’s a lot of inconvenience with it, they can actually be quite comfortable. With my rear seat belts removed anyway, I don’t really need the easy access to the rear seat that the factory seats provide. A really clean original FRP Bride Zieg II popped up for sale in Thailand and I couldn’t pass on the chance to own one again. Of all the seats I’ve owned, my Zieg II was by far the most comfortable. I wish it was a kevlar back Pro Type, but I can appreciate the more subtle look with a kouki 180SX passenger seat.

I went with a tried and true Bride FG seat rail that I sourced from RHD Japan, as well as a set of Bride mounting hardware for the seat (that I of course forgot to order when I ordered the rail.) That should be here next week and then I’ll finally be able to install it. I also snagged a really clean original Bride head pad for the seat from a seller on eBay that removed it from their seat when they bought it new and had it sitting in a box in their garage for the last 10+ years. It was even a reasonable price which was a nice surprise these days.

As far as parts go, a couple other items showed up. I have had a few sets of 180SX window visors over the years and I have been worried they’ll be discontinued soon. I’m not sure I actually want to use them, but I found a vendor that hadn’t updated the price in many years and offered $10 shipping to boot. These visors cost a grip to ship properly, so I reached out to them and found that the info was correct and they had one set in stock. I snagged them and put them in storage for a rainy day. Who knows, maybe I’ll end up using them eventually.

The other item that arrived after a 3 month wait was a lower metal garnish for kouki 180SX tail lights. This is another item I didn’t really need, but bought one after hearing all of the fuss that the item had been discontinued. After doing my homework, it seems it is still being produced and I was able to get one for less than half of what other places were selling them for – I just had to be patient. I’m not sure what the miscommunication was, and I’m sure they’ll indeed be discontinued eventually, but from everything I’ve seen all of the kouki 180SX tail light components are alive and well – at least for now. It’s a good feeling to have spare lights and a spare lower garnish in case anything ever happens to mine.

So back to the car itself- the next order of business was getting an alignment. I haven’t had one in years on the hatch and it was needed after modifying both the front and rear suspension. To my disappointment, I found that the rear hubs still had some play in the new Rock Auto bearings. I am pretty confident I pressed them correctly this time, so I’m not sure what’s causing it. It wasn’t as severe this time, but I elected to take the ones off of the coupe (again) and put them on the hatch for the time being. The coupe is awaiting a replacement pair that should arrive today- then I’ll have it back together and ready to head to my mom’s for winter storage.

With insurance added to the car and the hubs replaced, I made the 45 mile drive out to Detroit Drifting Co. for an alignment. My friend Mike is the owner and a really great dude. He was able to get the car up on the rack and dial everything in for me. I’ve known for a few years that the rear fender pull isn’t even on either side, so we had to settle for about -3.2° of camber front and rear. I intend to pull the driver’s side quarter panel another 2-3mm to hopefully end up with about -2.5° of rear camber. Up front, I may run a 5mm spacer and add a small amount of camber- but nothing more than -4°. However, I’m happy with how the car looks and drives right now. Wheel fitment is always something I like to have perfect when I can, but I can live with this until my next alignment.

A lot of what motivated me to get the hatch out was my Vibe breaking down on me one day heading home from work. I lost power and suspected it was the alternator, but it ended up being a healthy dose of corrosion on the battery causing it not to charge. After towing it home, I ordered parts and let it sit for a few weeks, driving the hatch to and from work instead. I did eventually get around to installing a new alternator, battery, and ground cable- so hopefully that solves the issue and it’s ready to complete another tour of duty this winter.

My latest accomplishment is finishing the installation of the factory rear wiper. After testing the motor, I found that it was stuck on and would not turn off, even when pressing the button. As it turned out, the “uncut” harness I was sold had been cut and twisted back together without any solder. Many people told me their harness wiring broke at the point where it travels into the car due to opening and closing the hatch over the years. I was annoyed, but ultimately used my old chassis harness to add some wiring and extend my harness a bit to hopefully avoid it breaking someday. Once I did this, everything worked as it should. I made a template out of cardboard to determine the placement of the wiper hole in the hatch, got some really helpful dimensions from Noel on Instagram, and entered the moment of truth. It hurt a little to drill into a wiperless hatch, but the end result was worth it. I still need to wrap up some details with the install, but I am really happy to say it’s there now and working properly. I used it during a rainy commute this week and it worked like a charm.

To be honest, the hatch really isn’t looking it’s best right now. In fact, I would argue this is the worst it’s ever looked. But let me tell you, even with the car needing some TLC, even with crazy construction and tons of traffic, and even with annoying gas prices, I’m so thankful to be driving this car and enjoying it here at the end of the summer. I think a lot of times there’s two paths to take with your build- lower your standards a bit and get to enjoy driving the car in an unfinished state, or tear it apart before you have the means to finish it and wait for the pursuit of perfection. While it drives me nuts, I’m so happy to be on the former level right now. I can’t tell you what driving this car to and from work every day does for my mood and appreciation for it. When you don’t drive a car for a long period of time, you lose your connection with it and it just becomes another unused asset. Another burden. But getting out and logging some miles, even if it’s not complete or what you feel is your best work, is the best motivation there is.

I recently decided to throw a pair of TE37s on the rear to see how the car looks with LMGT4s up front. I’ve never been into the mismatched look, especially because I don’t drift, but this is a combo that is too good to pass up. It’s not a bad look!

As for the coupe, things have been pretty stagnant. I did install new headlight rubber seals and trim rings a while back as well as some bulbs in my temporary brick headlights. One of the housings is broken on the back and the inner shroud was loose. I ended up taking it apart after heating it up in the oven, repainting the black housing inside, and sealing it back up. The chrome was peeling on the shroud, so I painted it with some silver paint I had laying around. I’m not happy with the fix as it doesn’t feel like my desired level of quality, but I have to remind myself that these are temporary. Once the car is painted someday, I’ll install my brand new set and sell these.

I couldn’t resist grabbing some yellow bulbs for the fog lights. They work really well with the Key’d Performance fog light harnesses I picked up a while back. When you depress the button typically used for the pop-up headlights, it turns the fog lights on. I don’t expect them to last very long since they’re cheap ones from eBay, but we’ll see what happens.

I also started sanding my temporary OEM Silvia center grille. It had yellowed a lot over time, so I worked my way from 800 down to 2000 grit wet sanding to try to make it look clear again. I need to try polishing it with something to bring the gloss finish back, but I would say it’s an improvement overall. Again, not too big of a deal since I have a brand new one I can use once the car gets painted, but it will get the job done in the mean time.

As I mentioned, the coupe is sitting right now awaiting some replacement rear hubs. Once those arrive, I’ll move it over to my mom’s house for winter storage. I don’t have many plans for it this year aside from sourcing a set of 17” wheels and tires. Once I am able to accomplish that, I definitely want to finally spend some serious time driving it. The car feels a bit sluggish, like something isn’t right with it, so eventually I need to work that out and get it running better. It starts and idles nicely and doesn’t seem to be breaking up, but generally seems down on power. I would really like to add a bucket seat and some gauges as well, but we’ll see if that actually happens. Next season will probably be the deciding factor on if I keep the car or not. It feels like a waste having it just sit around for another year. Ideally I would like to keep it, but we’ll see what happens. I really think it could be a great car and very rewarding if I am able to stick it out and finally finish it.

Anyway, that just about brings you up to speed for my very busy August and early September. I’m looking forward to enjoying the hatch for as long as the weather allows. I’ve got a couple more exciting things in the works that you’ll hear about next time, but for the most part it should be pretty uneventful.

One final thing- a photo with the car we decided to recreate around Alexi’s recent fifth birthday:

Thank you as always for stopping by and taking the time to read the blog. I really appreciate it! Have a great weekend.

Damon