AKWIKZ

Hey guys. Just wanted to let you know that a guy is selling what he claims is a Nismo intake plenum on ebay. It is in fact a stock one with a Nismo emblem stuck on. It is definately not the Nismo one. If any of you have bid on it I would suggest retracting your bid. Here is the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7979792388&category=38634 Brian

Keith, Quite a job you've done there. I only wish I had that kind of overall space to work with. The RB actually looks small in there. Refresh my memory, are you running the stock turbos or something else? Looks very nice though. Brian

Sorry it took so long to respond. I don't have any other pics of the new wheels other than the one above. I hope to have the rear suspension back in this weekend and plan to put all four wheels on and set the car on the ground to check out clearances. I'll definately post some pics of this. Give me a couple of days though. Brian

Keith, The package was supposed to be there the day after I spoke with you. I sent it to the work adress you gave me. Do me a favor and check at your work tommorrow. I'll go down to the UPS store and check on it's status as well. Stony, You are right about the pricing. I have know a few guys that have actually come over from Japan and bought a car here in So. Cal. and then shipped it to Japan because they said it was cheaper than buying one there. Either car, the real GT-R or 432Z, will bring a minimum of $35k in fair shape. I have toyed with the idea of buying a rusted out, completely stripped K(P)GC10 GT-R solely for it's vin number stamp and plate in order to make mine a "rebodied" real GT-R. $2500 was the cheapest I have found. As tempting as it is, that is just too much for two little pieces of metal. At least right now. Saying they are worth their weight in gold is almost accurate. For most people in the automotive community it's hard to justify that kind of money for a Japanese car. Unfortunately it just goes to show the lack of respect and the bias against Japanese cars. Few people realize the history involved there, especially in Nissan cars. Everyone is willing to accept the Z car here, but none really know that the Z is actually the baby of the family. The 510 has a cult following, granted, but the Roadster is still largely overlooked. And while the Z goes back to '70, the Silvia dates back to '64 and the Skyline all the way back to '57. I have friend that recently bought a '68 Camaro for $25k. It was an RS/SS clone with a stockish 350 and auto. It was in good shape and from what I have seen a pretty good deal. My point is that people have no problem with that kind of pricing, but absolutely scoff at me when I tell them how much I paid for a GT-R clone. I guess I'll get off my soapbox now. Brian

Exactly. But I am happy I was able to try it out. I really thought it would work but by the time we finished measuring it I would have easily cut out half the capacity. Thanks again though for getting it to me though. Did you want it back? I only measured with it and did not actually alter it at all. Also, I'll ship off the brake brackets this week. I assume you got the other package okay? Brian

Osaka, Japan. I bought it in late last year and have been working on it since. Unfortunately, they still bring pretty good money, even when they are beat down. A complete one, that is either running very poorly or not at all and has serious rust issues will still bring about $6k-$7k. Granted, there are plenty of guys on this forum that have started with Z cars in similiar shape and done well. I opted to spend as much as I could afford to start with a very clean car. Even still, I have a couple of spots I need to adress on the body. The drivetrain and suspension were unimportant as the plan had always been to yank it all out. Keith, After we checked all the angles, we found that I am still going to need to use the rear sump pan afterall. The RB25 pan would need to be cut too far back for comfort. It would seriously cut down on the sump capacity and that made me uncomfortable. We have the motor just off of the firewall and at full steering lock we have only a slight interference with the pan. It seems it's nothing a little hammering won't fix. Both spots are on the side of the pan, not the bottom, so oil return won't be affected. The only thing I don't care for is the angle at which the motor sits. It has a bit of a tilt, front to rear, that we don't seem to have too many answers for. The oil pan sits about 3/4 inch off the front crossmember and the tranny has no more than 1/2 inch from the pan. I may end up nothching the oil pan some in order to drop the front another 1/2 inch. Otherwise, I'm pretty pleased with the fit. Brian

Here are the latest shots of my car. As you can see, the engine is in and the mounts are nearly finished. The HKS downpipes and Trust collector fit like they were made for the car, much to my surprise to be honest. I will have to mod the pan a bit for steering clearance as I am having a bit of contact at full lock. The motor is sitting barely an inch off the firewall and as low as I could get it. The shifter comes out in the stock location as well. The rear suspension is all set to go back in as my friend finally got the Kaaz LSD installed for me. Anyhow, here are the links. Brian http://members.cox.net/bdooley/Skyline/engine%20bay.JPG http://members.cox.net/bdooley/Skyline/engine%20bay%202.JPG http://members.cox.net/bdooley/Skyline/oil%20pan.JPG http://members.cox.net/bdooley/Skyline/downpipes.JPG http://members.cox.net/bdooley/Skyline/collector.JPG

As for the gauges, you might be able to get away with the stock oil pressure and water temp gauges. You will most likely need to swap out the RB oil pres. sensor with one from an L series to keep the right calibration. The temp gauge I'm not positive about, but you can hook it up and see what happens. The fuel level and amp gauges will be fine as is. You are out of luck on the speedo and tach though. If you are using the RB25 tranny you will need to convert to magnetic pick up to make it work. Autometer makes a nice electronic speedo and adapter. For the tach, first off we'll need to know what E.F.I. you are running. If you are using the stock one, you will need an Autometer tach with the correct adapter from them as well. If you are using a stand alone, you won't need the adapter. But, if you don't mind a suggestion, you should really tink about just replacing them all at the same time. It will be ultimately more reliable, infinitely more accurate, and far more pleasing to the eye. Summit Racing has some very good prices on Autometer gauges. I would suggest the mechanical style. So, there you go. Brian

Here is the thing, if I missed the actual car he was talking about, fine say so. Here is what you said though: The 432R models were very stout engines indeed. I would not be so quick to disparage a factory sponsored racer with well over 240+ hp in conservative tune (on carburettors) against an L24 with only 150... I never said a word about the "R" model. Your statement is that I did. All of my comments were about the standard 432, which you even point out. So, all of my comments about you comparing apples to oranges still apply. And on a side note, I would be interested in knowing where you got your info regarding the 432R. If all you have are the comments of an old acquantance then I don't really consider them too valid. Everything I have found about the 432R as it was sold from the dealership never stated that the F.I. system was sold on street cars. Yes the motor could put out serious power, but these were all factory race engines from what I have seen. Granted, it sounds as though you lived in Japan so maybe you have literature to the contrary. I would be very interested to know about it though.

Again, you are still ignoring what I said. We were never talking about the 432R model. I was talking about the standard fare 432. And from what I have read, the 432R model did not have a significant amount of power over the regular 432. It was more stripped down for weight and came equipped with only cheap steel wheels in order for the customer to be able to buy what they wanted. The "R" model only had about 15hp more than the base one, from the factory. You mention the F.I. version as well. I can pretty much guarantee that only the factory race teams had those engines and that none left the dealership in private hands as you say. Comparing the 432R model would require moving on to the factory LY28 cross flow head. These were just as rare and are not really indicative of what most people got. To be honest, it almost looks as though you are looking to pick a fight here. We can keep pulling out random "one off" and ultra special items until we are blue in the face. I posted the data I found to back up what I said, but you insist on bringing up something unrelated in order to discount my earlier staements. The discussion is degrading into the same thing as the "turbo VS V8" conversations. It has lost sight of the original question and is really not going anywhere.

First off, I think you misinterpreted my statements. I am by no means discounting the engines ability. It was as cutting edge as any Italian engine of the day. When I said it was not the best road going engine I was simply referring to the lack of torque in comparison to an L series. Not to mention it was basically a slightly detuned race engine for the street. A bit more noisy and peaky than the L series. "The 432R models were very stout engines indeed. I would not be so quick to disparage a factory sponsored racer with well over 240+ hp in conservative tune (on carburettors) against an L24 with only 150..." Here you have completely ignored what I said. I was comparing the engines stock to stock. If you want to talk about race cars lets bring out the BRE car of John Morton which was putting down 290hp from the L24. Now, as to the first question of where I got the comparison info. Several years ago I picked up a book on classic Japanese cars. Obviously I can only make out a few things in the desriptions, but the charts are fairly easy. They took all of the factory ratings and listed them. Here is what it showed. The Fairlady Z had a peak of 150ps at 5600 and a torque rating of 21.0 at 4800. The car was also equipped with a 3.9 rear end. It ran the 400m (1/4 mile) at 15.8. The 432 had a peak of 160ps at 7000 with torque at 18.0 at 5600. This car was equipped with a 4.44 rear end. It ran the 1/4 in 16.0. Both cars had the same tranny ratios. 2/10 of a second may not seem like much, but it is. Not to mention that the 432 had a 4.44 rear end. Imagine if the Fairlady had that rear end too. I would imagine the gap would be a bit larger. When I mentioned the price of $15k I was going off my personal experience. When I bought my '71 Skyline last year I was offered an S20 as well. The motor was used but complete with tranny and carbs w/factory air cleaner. $15k was the sticker. Tempting for sure, but not really practical so I passed. Brian

The motor you are speaking of is the S20. Only available in the 432Z and Skyline GT-R from '69-74. These motors are extremely expensive to buy and parts are just as pricey. An average cost is around $15k for a complete motor and tranny. The motors are very trick, especially for the time, and have the sweetest sound to them. Not a really good road going engine though. In a flat out drag race the L24 from a U.S. 240Z would leave it behind. This is stock to stock comparison of course. As far as availability, I have only heard of one partially complete engine being here in the U.S. Supposedly in No. Cal. The exhaust you are speaking of is a factory twice pipe system. Datsun Competition, as they were called in the '70's and '80's, sold one for the Z car here. I think Motorsport Auto and Victoria British both have something comperable now. Get yourself a set of triple carbs and a nice header on your L series and you will have an engine just as authentic as the S20 as most Z cars in Japan are equipped this way. Brian

Actually, if it is the one he has had for the last couple years, it is an R31 red rocker RB20de. This is a non turbo version and to my memory did not have a tranny at the time. Still, not a bad thing to have around as a spare. Brian

Sorry for the delay. My friend does still have the engine. E-mail me privately at b.dooley1@cox.net and I'll give you his contact info. I get a lot of mail, so please put "RB25" in the subject field so I don't delete it. Brian

A friend of mine had a complete RB25det for sale in L.A. last time I spoke with him. He was asking only $2000 or so. I'll call him today to see if he still has it and I'll get back to you. Brian

Those were the best shots we got on the drive up to the show. It was very dark and drizzling on that day so my friend got the best he could. Not to mention I was driving like a senior citizen. The stock suspension was just that, all original and completely blown. The shocks were useless and the car was sitting way too low at the time. Add to this the Nismo LSD and it made for a rather twitchy ride. I had expected the front struts to be Z car parts, but unfortunately they are different. They are more 510 like than Z car. I ended up sectioning the strut housings and using the Z car/MR2 strut combo with Techno Toy bump steer spacers and camber plates for a 510. The front bushings were where I ran into problems. They are completely different than any other Nissan/Datsun and I had to order them from Japan. The coil overs are Ground Control units for a Z car. The brakes are the 5 lug Wilwood set up from JSK, again for a Z. Unfortunately, again I ran into differences. The Skyline uses smaller rotors than the Z, 10" compared to 10.5". I will have to fab up a new caliper adapter bracket. The wheels are 5 Zigen 17x8 in front and 17x9 in the rear. The RB26 is sitting on the stand waiting to go in next. I'm taking pictures the while way along and when I get any good ones I'll post them. Most are rather boring as they just show the progress step by step. Brian

Guys, I thought I would update you on the car, so here goes. The first couple of pics are of the drive up to a show right after I got the Skyline. The rest are of the tear down that I am in the middle of since then. I have found that not quite as many parts are interchangeable with U.S. cars as I had originally hoped. I have had to order parts from Japan a few times and this has slowed me down a bit. But, I am qute pleased with how she is turning out. Hope you enjoy. Brian http://members.cox.net/bdooley/Skyline/On%20the%20road%201 http://members.cox.net/bdooley/Skyline/On%20the%20road%202 http://members.cox.net/bdooley/Skyline/Front%20shot http://members.cox.net/bdooley/Skyline/Orig.%20engine%20bay http://members.cox.net/bdooley/Skyline/Engine%20bay http://members.cox.net/bdooley/Skyline/Original%20strut http://members.cox.net/bdooley/Skyline/Strut%201'>http://members.cox.net/bdooley/Skyline/Strut%201 http://members.cox.net/bdooley/Skyline/Strut http://members.cox.net/bdooley/Skyline/Wheel%20shot

Keith, I am not in a huge hurry, so if it is easier for you to bring it with you then that will be fine. Let me know what your trip plans are so I can make arrangements to meet up with you. Also, let me know what you are looking to get for the pan please. Thanks again. Brian

It is not a critical thing at the moment. I have a few other things I can work on in the interim. If you do have one, and don't mind shipping, just let me know how much. I don't want to take too much of your time, but you are more than welcome to come down if you wanted to see the project. Let me know what works for you. Thanks Brian

Guys, I find myself in need of an RB20 or RB25 stock front sump oil pan. My '71 Skyline swap has hit a snag where neither the stock RB26 pan or the rear sump 200ZR pan will fit correctly. If anyone has one left over from their swap I would appreciate it. Thanks Brian

You're mostly right. The 432Z had the S20 engine, not the RB. Even though it was twin cam, they did not give it a "D" designation. This is also the case with the FJ20 found in 80's Skylines. They were twin cam, electronic injection, and available turbo. They were designated as FJ20e and FJ20et. The "D" designation seems to have shown up with the RB series. The RB20 would be labeled RB20de, for a non turbo fuel injected version. Pretty much any Nissan engine will have an "E" designation for electronic fuel injection, other than the diesel engines of course. Brian

Here is what you have. The Skyline GT and GT-X had the L20 in them. Only the GT-R had the S20. Now, the L20 in your car is almost, but not quite, the same as the Z car engine. The Skyline has a front sump design oil pan where the Z uses the rear sump. I am in the process of swapping in an RB26 into my '71 Skyline GT-X and can tell you it is not cheap nor easy. You can swap in the L28et from the 280ZX turbo much more easily. You will need to use the stock oil pan from your L20 though. If you go with an RB, some of the parts that Z car guys are using will work such as the engine mounts. The tranny cross member is completely different. From what I can tell, if you are putting in an RB20, the tranny will bolt straight onto the stock cross member. An RB25 tranny is about two inches longer and will require an offset mount. The driveshaft will need to be completely fabbed up. Your stock one is an odd two piece telescopic one that can not be used with either RB tranny. When building your car, keep in mind your hp goal. The front of the Skyline is much less spacious than the Z and you will need to buy a very high quality core to get the efficiency needed for big power. This translates into money. Just somethng to think about. Hope this helps some. Brian

I will probably take you up on this. I'm hoping to hear a final word on my clutch this weekend. If it is bad news, I guess I know my next move. I'll have to wait a little as I only set aside $700 or so to rebuild this one. I'll have to scratch up the rest. I'll get back to you as soon as I have some real facts. Thanks Brian

How much would shipping to San Diego be? Are the parts still available to rebuild the ones you mentioned? Do either of these include the proper throw out bearing or collar? Thanks Brian

The flywheel is incorporated into the Nismo clutch I am having looked at right now. I do have a stock flywheel as well, somewhere in the shop. As for the power issue, most people I have spoken with say that even a very good single disk clutch is not going to be able to handle much more than 400-430hp for very long. My goal is to put down 500hp at the wheels. I'm pretty sure that I will need a twin disk. I have done some checking and there are a couple of places here in the U.S. that stock twin disk clutches for the Skyline. Both Blitz and HKS have nice ones along with the Exedy model we have been talking about. The best price I have found is $1500 for a new Blitz clutch. Unless someone has a good used one they are looking to sell, I'll probably go with this one. Brian