Custom front for drift Starion started at last! Many photos

[MitsuMadness]

I finally got some time over these holidays to start work on my JB machine! Bit by bit it's coming along. Still the standard engine, but that all comes later. First started by fitting a basic alloy roll cage and rearranging the front so when I put the cooler in I have better room for piping. Have also put the battery behind the passenger seat.

Will post more pics as it happens, but here's the start! :)

Basic roll cage that I got from an old galant, and modified to fit this.


More roll cage, alloy, except for the tube accross the rear towers


First test fit of custom front


Test fit, big gap in front bar where bits were broken out


Fits quite snug up to the front, shortens the starions nose


This is my modified front bar frame. Had to cut back the sides to allow the new bar to fit up tightly. Welded in
some sheet panels that I cut off one of the paddock datsuns to make it the right shape!


Comparing sizes etc between JB and JD


The front bar frame now inserted into the bar, and fibreglassed on. The aim is that this whole bar, with reinforcement,
will be removable easily for loading on to trailers, etc


Adjusting the location of the front oil cooler to allow more room for intercooler. The pipes seemed to flex quite
easily without kinking or cracking (if done very carefully!)


Test fit of the intercooler.


Even though it's a large size, there is still plenty of space in there!


Doesn't fit between chassis rails, quite, but since i'm mounting it forward of the rails, that doesn't matter.


New front panel with vents cut for better air flow through radiator


Same again


And finally the last thing I did this break was fitting an exedy heavy duty button clutch! Can't want to bolt the
drive shaft back up tonight and see how it drives!


I'll post more when I've finished the fibreglassing of the front bar too. Eventually the whole car will all probly change colour
to orange is the plan at the moment.
And I also have a special plan for the throttle body (just until I get the money to do a proper L300 manifold).
I believe I may have worked out a way to turn the standard JB inlet on the manifold around, with some modifications, so that the plumbing for
the cooler doesn't have to run right accross the engine, and behind the radiator. If it works i'll post that up too.
So far in my test fit, I reckon I can modify it to work (even though the bolt holes don't match up for those who've tried) but have to actually give it a shot now.

[thrash]

what's that front bar from? R33 by the looks of it?

when i do mine i plan to delete the front plastic grill as well, but the problem with that is that the side lines on the front bar don't match up with the side line on the rest of the car..

and modifying the front bar so that the side lines match seems to be a very expensive adventure

[enthuzed]

Dude, you've been busy! The way you're going, you'll be finished way before your deadline. Good work! Interested to hear about the clutch feel too. Talk to you soon.

[JD_Stazza_Brendan]

The TB rotation has been done in US. have a look on some of the US forums, Nearly all of their cars run the same injection system.

[MitsuMadness]

Yeh the bar is a skyline bar, and which exact one is written in texta on the inside along with some Japanese writing. But I forget which one it was. I'm pretty sure it was R33 though yeh. It came from a guy that crunched it, broke it off, and left it, so I figured i'd give it a go!

I did spend a bit of time looking for some way to do the side lines too. The closest I found was the following by some guy who did a whole kit:


But I didn't quite like the finish on that, and though ah well i'll probly rip mine off racing anyway, so just stuck it on like that. Once it's all lined up i'll take some side shots and see how it looks!

Enthuzed, yeh! I really got stuck into it, even though the gearbox didn't like me the first day I tried to put it back on (splines wouldn't line up!) but the next morning it went straight on.
But the Sandown event is on 17th Jan though, so that's why it's all happening at once :D
Still gotta finish a fair bit by then tho, and help my mate get that yellow V8 VK ready for the same event. But yeh I think we'll make it :)

[MitsuMadness]

Oooh cool thanks, i'll check out some of the US forums

[redzone]

jeez i wish i got as much done on my break :)


please tell me you didnt cut up a JB reo though

[MitsuMadness]

Nah I saved the whole JB one and just used an old JA one that was broken. Yeh would have been murder to chop the JB one! :)
Besides, might need it on my JD some time I guess, cos they look pretty similar if not the same.

Yeh that's the first big chunk of time I've got spent on a car for a while actually. Just got my wife a nice turbo CC lancer, so was allowed to spend time on mine since hers now beats mine haha!

:)

[redzone]

haha yeah the GSR-V one will be the same as the JB one. glad common sense prevailed

[MitsuMadness]

Yeh! :)

I also just checked, and the texta writing inside that front bar actually says R32, so there you go, it's an R32 bar, a bit easier to get hold of those cheaper. I didn't have to modify it's width or length really, just had to flex the sides in to meet up with the side panels. They do come in a bit short of the wheel arches (maybe 20mm) so I might extend that, but will post more photos of the exact fit up once i've done more fibreglassing.

[enthuzed]

Gluck for tomorrow Mr Drift! Prolly wont have time to have a sticky thru the fence. :roll:

Another time...

[MitsuMadness]

Went great at the Drift, the car really does handle great.

Luke Fink (one of the current top 3 in Drift Australia currently) had a drive of it, and reckoned it was great, just needed new rear suspension, and more power for stronger dry drifting. So i'm pretty happy!! :D :D

Will post some pics of the day when I get them!

[MitsuMadness]

So here's some pics of my car actually at Sandown doing the drifting.

Note that I really haven't finished the front bar, and it's very much just tacked on, and got some temporary blue grille just for this event. :?

Here's a photo of Luke Fink (Drift Australia) driving it:


And here's a photo of me driving it:


Man it was great fun! I'm happy as, go Starions! Hopefully this will be making more of a name for Starions in the future haha!
:D

[thrash]

yeah.. lokout nissans! The staz is on its way to rightfully take back the crown!!

did you get sponsored by toyo or is that sticker just there to look like you were sponsored?

[enthuzed]

Who was taking the pics? I remember hearing something about no spectators...