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Thread: 1997 Chargespeed Silvia RB project aka "Charlie"

  1. #1
    Guest Benkid's Avatar
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    1997 Chargespeed Silvia RB project aka "Charlie"

    I’ve been a member of the forum now for 3 years, about as long as I’ve owned my 1st and only S-body. It was never meant to escalate into the project its becoming. I’d been and done the whole engine conversion thing with my previous car but as always, one thing lead to another and I’ve decided to record my progress and hopefully it will be of use to someone if not entertaining to read.
    After spending 5 years of my life tearing around in my beloved and sadly missed C20XE Corsa GSI (RIP) I decided it was time for my next adventure which came in the form of a Jap Import 1997 Silvia s14 Kouki (s14a) I’d always wanted one since the days of Gran Turismo and so in December 2009, after a trip to Ireland and back I had “Charlie” sat on my driveway and I was overjoyed.


    A few Pictures from the original For Sale advert:









    The original Spec list and rolling road print out figures

    EXTERIOR:
    Chargespeed bodykit
    Stout Carbon fibre bonnet
    Kouki Spoiler

    WHEELS/TYRES:
    Rota torques 4 x 18" x9.5
    Goodyear Eagle F1's

    ENGINE:
    Greddy profec B boost controler
    Greddy front mount intercooler
    4branch stainless manifold
    Greddy stainless steel exhaust
    Fujitsubo rear box
    HKS air induction kit
    GT28R turbo
    ARC Baffled sump
    Trust oil cooler
    Greddy oil filter relocation kit

    TRANSMISSION:
    ATS Twin plate carbon clutch
    Nismo 2way LSD

    CHASSIS:
    Cusco engine damper
    Cusco strut brace
    Cusco adjustable anti-roll bar
    Apexi adjustable lower arms
    Tein lowering springs
    Nissan Skyline R33 GTR Brembo brakes

    INTERIOR:
    Cusco 6 point bolt in roll cage
    Recaro seats (Honda Integra DC2)
    Greddy boost guage
    Greddy oil temperature guage
    Greddy water temperature guage
    Nardi steering wheel
    Nismo shifter

    POWER FIGURES:
    357.9BHP @ 6445RPM
    326.2LBF/FT @ 5236RPM





    After owning the car for quite sometime, speaking to fellow owners and learning more and more about the SR20, I have grown to realise that the spec list and the rolling road figures don’t quite add up. 350BHP, standard turbo, injectors etc and a lack of Z32 MAF seem unrealistic but not to worry. This is in the pipeline.

    My enjoyment was short lived as the gearbox shit itself within the first 24 hours of ownership.
    Fortunately it didn’t take me long to source a new gearbox from the great guys at SXOC and have it bolted back up and within a week I was back on the road. Whilst replacing the box I found a few goodies not on the speclist,
    GReddy Oil filter relocation Kit, GReddy Oil cooler and an ATS Carbon ceramic twin plate clutch.










    The car was in great condition underneath but the Chargespeed bodykit was showing some signs of abuse and so this was my first port of call.

    My car was left with a good friend of mine, Chris at Imagination Creations in Hurst and was booked in for bodywork repairs and a full respray in the original Nissan pearl.



























  2. #2
    Guest Benkid's Avatar
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    After the bodywork was done I took some time out to just enjoy the car over the summer, took it to a few shows etc and wait for the winter until I would get back to the acting.

    Here’s a few of my favourite photos I’ve sourced over the past 2 years






















    I noticed that the rear subframe bushes were knackered so got hold of a refurbished subframe with driftworks polybushes and solid diff mounts.









    After the 2010 Miss Banzai tunnel run my SR20 decided to blow a spark plug out through the top end, through the spark plug cover and almost through my Carbon bonnet. Needless to say I wasn’t impressed. I recently managed to find out who make the bonnet. Turns out to be made by a Japanese Company called Stout who I have never heard of. Price of the bonnet is in excess of £1K before it even gets on the boat so I’m currently on the hunt for something else 









    The next thing to pack up was the actuator. After a run in with a Focus RS I noticed I was way overboosting. I managed to source a new HKS adjustable actuator and ran it down to Jay20 who had it fitted in minutes. Another problem solved.





    Next on the agenda were the front discs which had warped. On the list was a full rebuild of the GTR Brembo’s which consists of new pistons, and seal kit as well as a fresh coat of paint, Brembo stickers and Hel Braided lines to finish the job. Really Impressed with colour. In the sunlight they really pop behind the bronze Rotas.
    For the disks I opted for 356mm DBA 4000’s


    ]







    Jay20 done me a deal I couldn’t refuse on a set of Z32 rear callipers so


    they were also rebuilt, again with new pistons and seals. Many people ask why I didn’t do them the same colour as the fronts. Truth be told I didn’t think they were worth showing off. If they were Brembos I probably would of but the Nissan Logo didn’t seem as appealing so went with good old fashioned black





    Engine time!
    I have decided I’m going go RB25 with the Silvia. Not because it’s different as it’s becoming quite popular, but mainly for a reliable 400 – 450BHP but more importantly for the noise. I’ve always said if I got rid of the s14a it would be for some sort of GTR but I can’t imagine myself ever selling Charlie so the only logical solution in my eyes is to bring put the Skyline into the s14a.
    Jay20 has kindly offered to help me out with the project, His RB S14a was the first I had ever seen or heard and I immediately knew it would be something I would consider doing in the future If the funds ever became available.

    I know Jay has done the conversion many times before and after having him work on a few little bits and bobs on the car and his willingness to help myself and others out at all costs I had to accept.
    I am speccing the engine with the hope to achieve 400-450BHP but at the same time leaving a clean, tidy and uncluttered engine bay.

    This is what I have currently





    This probably best describes what I hope to achieve





    I know it won’t happen overnight but I want to do it properly so bear with me. This may take a while.

  3. #3
    Ex Mod & Crabbit C**t Rubix_Cube's Avatar
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    Cracking looking Silvia. Looks slightly like piman2k's car. His rocks a similar kit and some WORK Kai CR's



  4. #4
    Guest Sean-B's Avatar
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    Awesome mate.

    Should be nearly as fast as the old XE!

  5. #5
    Guest Daz's Avatar
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    Awesome car .

    As for the bonnet. What about getting a mould made and a new bonnet made from the mould?

  6. #6
    Guest raggo's Avatar
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    That engine should be mine soon I still think you should have sold me the whole car when I came to look at the engine

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    Flamespitter driftworks's Avatar
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    that car is lovely looking good choice

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    Guest Benkid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rubix_Cube View Post
    Cracking looking Silvia. Looks slightly like piman2k's car. His rocks a similar kit and some WORK Kai CR's
    Cheers pal. When I first signed up we both agreed lol


    Quote Originally Posted by Sean-B View Post
    Awesome mate.

    Should be nearly as fast as the old XE!
    I still miss it


    Quote Originally Posted by Daz View Post
    Awesome car .

    As for the bonnet. What about getting a mould made and a new bonnet made from the mould?
    I got a quote from Nur-Motorsports. He said if I can get 10 people in on a group buy I could probably eat a free one out of it but not sure how successful that would be in all honesty.



    Quote Originally Posted by raggo View Post
    That engine should be mine soon I still think you should have sold me the whole car when I came to look at the engine
    I haven't got it in me to sell her yet. I've got a queue of people who every now and then ask if its for sale.



    Quote Originally Posted by steve@driftworks View Post
    that car is lovely looking good choice

    Thanks very much

  9. #9
    Guest Benkid's Avatar
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    Managed to source a few bits towards my RB25 setup,

    Holset HX35 Turbo



    Denso 555's



    Z32



    Manifold (to be wrapped)



    GReddy wastegate



    Cosworth Headgasket



    Also carried on stripping out the engine bay and removed the wings in preperation for paint, scary pulling all these buts out not knowing where they go. We'll get there I'm sure :/





    Hopefully by the next update I should be well underway with the primer

  10. #10
    Guest Benkid's Avatar
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    Well, Still no primer but progress never the less.

    In the process of tubbing the wheel arches. This is what was cut out and removed, look at the rust on the battery tray



    Left Side



    and the Right Side



    That's all for now, Just need to source some 1mm sheet metal and then we can get on with building the tubs

  11. #11
    Guest Benkid's Avatar
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    Well, its been well over a year so decided I would update this lol.

    I hit some highs and lows with the car during this project and came so close to jacking it all in and breaking the car for bits but it gave me a second wind and have finally got my arse in gear, head down and started cracking on.

    engine still isn't in but that's not to say I haven't been busy.

    My buddy Matt got round to finishing the tubs and I was really happy with the results.









    My Carbon fibre cooling panel arrived



    And that's as far as I got before losing all motivation.

    After a kick up the backside months later i got back into the swing of things.

    Test fitted everything for to get an idea of where everything would go and that it would all fit.







    Turbo clearance was short so some alterations would have to be made





    Then the car was off to have the engine bay painted in good old timeless white.

    Jay20 came and took the engine apart so I could clean it all up, paint the block and then fit the cosworth head gasket...







    Which is when we found it had a nasty hole in the head where someone must of accidently drilled through to the oil chanell behind



    So Jay sourced a new head whilst I painted the block









    Engine mounts were bead blasted and painted


  12. #12
    Guest cleverley's Avatar
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    Glad you stuck with this, best name for a car ever

  13. #13
    Guest Benkid's Avatar
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    Car came back from paint with them sexy ass tubs. Credit to a new friend Ross who stone chipped, painted and fully undersealed them for me. I toyed with the idea of going bronze or teal in the engine bay but figured white is the classy, tasteful option that won't look out of date in years to come.











    Now we had a nice clean canvas which unfortunately meant having to clean or polish everything that went back in without scratching anything.



    Fitting the engine will be fun

    I cleaned up and repainted the master cylinder, clutch cylinder, and windscreen wiper motor so it didnt look out of place in the engine bay







    All mounted up









    This before and after picture really shows how much better she looks



    I also had the engine parts painted by Chris at Imagination Creations in Hurst

    I heard people often run without the coil pack cover as it prevents the coil packs from overheating and failing but I think it looks incomplete without so Chris cut some tasteful vents into it for my prior to paint.









    I went with the same 3 stage teal pearl as my brakes because I love the colour, its really hard to capture the true colour as it varies so much in different light so you'll have to trust me when I say it looks epic.





    Cleaned up the CAS






    Then Jay got round to putting the engine back together for me



    Offered up all my parts as I couldn't resist seeing what it all looked like together..



    Goes wild in the sunlight








    Got these breather take offs from a guy in Australia. They press in as opposed to having to weld them.



    Ready for the catch tank setup



    Then its on to re routing new brakelines...

  14. #14
    Guest Benkid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cleverley View Post
    Glad you stuck with this, best name for a car ever
    Haha cheers,

  15. #15
    Guest Benkid's Avatar
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    Started to lay the copper lines down. Trying to keep the engine bay as smooth and tidy as possible, and as I had binned the ABS I chose to route the brake lines out of site.





    I wasn't overly happy with the bare copper finish as I know they won't be nice and shiny forever so I took them all off and wrapped them in black heatshrink.

    (Those with a keen eye will have noticed I also had the front port of the master cylinder going to the rear lines)

    I think they look much neater in black personally







    Before I fit the engine I want to be sure that the system is all bled up and leak free otherwise I didn't want to have to take the engine out again just to fix my leaky plumbing.

    Whilst the system was bled I finally got round to fitting my Z32 rear brake setup.

    I ordered brand new R33 handbrake cables, brake shoes, and also bought a set of conversion lines from a member on the forum.

    rears are all on all be it with rusty discs , i'm now just waiting on some brake fluid to get the system all bled. Then I can finally sit the engine in.

  16. #16
    Guest Benkid's Avatar
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    Since i started this thread I have also chopped around a few parts.

    I sold the GReddy wastegate in favour of a Tial 44mm (Thanks Mitch) as I was told the GReddy might not be able to support the 400 - 450bhp mark



    and I sold the HX35 for the more desireable and harder to find HY35. It has a 10cm exhaust housing as opposed to the HX 14cm as I was concerned about monster lag






    Thats me for another year, be sure to come back soon to find nothing much else has happened




  17. #17
    Guest Benkid's Avatar
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    Forgot to mention my buddy Rich who has also been a massive help throughout the later stages of the build, so here's just for you Rich


  18. #18
    Guest Benkid's Avatar
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    Picked up an s13 Koyo rad and a battery relocation kit.

    Fits like a glove.


  19. #19
    Guest Benkid's Avatar
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    Had a productive day today. After almost two years the car is now finally on all four wheels with the new brake lines and Z32 rear calipers all bled up and handbrake mechanism working.

    Next stage of the build is to source a new clutch and get the engine and gearbox fitted so I can get a gearbox bracket fabbed up.

  20. #20
    Guest Benkid's Avatar
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    Update time.

    Sourced and fitted a new clutch capable of 500lbft

    Also borrowed a GReddy exhaust manifold off Ryan's S15, just need to check it clears the tubs before I decide on it but It looks good so far



    The day came to fit the engine and right at the last minute I decided I wasn't happy with the paint finish in the engine bay so the whole bay was stripped back down to a bare shell again and sent it off for paint. This time the car will come back with the exact same pearl used on the outside of the body which should look alot better looking factory finish.



    Whilst that was being done I refurbished the bonnet release mechanism. Stripped it all down, cleaned it up? Painted it and re greased.

    Before



    After



    Car came back with a coat of fresh paint







    Brake lines all refitted and bled up today, and the gearbox has just been bolted on ready for the engine to go in tomorrow morning.

    Buzzing. Wish me luck.


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