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DIYAutoTune's Land
Speed Nissan 240SX Project
Bonneville or Bust
Each year I've (Jerry) gone out to Speed Week
on the Bonneville Salt Flats I've come back with just a little bit worse
case of 'salt fever'. It's a unique style of racing and an even more
unique place to do it, there's just really nothing else quite like it.
Crewing for Gary Hart and the Collison brothers, as well as helping out
where needed on other efforts when we ran into customers or others that
needed a hand was fun and a great learning experience, but I knew it
wouldn't be enough in the long run. After coming back from Bonneville
in 2010, we went looking for a starting point for
a land speed project of our own. The first step was to sit down and calculate
what would make a good car for top speed racing looking only at the numbers.
We built out a spreadsheet with all of the top candidates, noting their Drag
Coefficient and Frontal Area. After running the numbers, the first generation (S13)
240SX fastback is where we landed. It has a great combination of small frontal area, low drag
coefficient, rear wheel drive, and a roomy enough engine compartment for a wide
variety of engine options. Not to mention they're readily available and
affordable. This page will document the project as
it comes together. Currently our goal is to make it to some ECTA
events in Spring/Summer 2012, and then take it to Speed Week in August of
2012. If the time and money is there, we'll be there.
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Thanks to our sponsors!
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9 - More steel in the cage, seat and brake/clutch pedals
installed. (2-15-2012)
<back to top>
The funny car 'cage within a cage' plans for the car had to be
slightly modified, it turns out with a 'full containment' seat and
6'1" and 230lbs of 'me' installed in the car there's only so much
room to work with ;). We're still overbuilding the crap out of
the cage, and there will still be a funny car style structure around
the drivers seat, but just not to quite the extent I originally
envisioned. You can see the modified plan coming together in
these latest pics. There's only a bar or two missing now in
the drivers area of the car. After that there's structure to
be built into the trunk/hatch area to protect the fuel cell and to
mount the parachute and push bar. We'll also be building a
large hump into the rear of the car in between the strut towers to
accommodate the solid axle rear end that will soon make it's home
there.
The Kirkey 45 Series Full Containment seat is mounted
now, and the Tilton brake/clutch pedals are mounted to the dash bar
as well, and designed to be adjustable forward/aft to accomodate
different height drivers (though I'm not sure I'm going to let
anyone talk me into driving it) ;).
We've got a ATL
15gal Fuel Cell (with bladder) and Lokar Gas Pedal going in.
We took measurements for where I want the steering wheel located so
that will happen soon. The engine mounts are being fabricated
and are super beefy. I've got 25" tall by 4.5" wide GoodYear
FrontRunner tires sitting here now, and wheels on the way. I
need to mount up a pair of these and mock their location up under
the rear end of the car so I can measure for my differential width.
That should happen, and finally be ordered next week.
Additionally I'm ordering in all my safety gear this week, so that
we can get the 7 point SFI 16.5 harness installed and finalize the
seat installation and cage structure underneath the seat.
Currently there are 2 bars under the seat, we may add a third as a
part of this, not sure yet.
Sorry these pictures aren't quite
as good as normal, they were taken with an iPhone instead of the
DSLR I usually use.Click any image for a large view
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8 - Engine/Trans Test Fitment (1-30-2012)
<back to top>
Weekly update here: The engine and trans have been test fit
(pics below show it slightly out of place as it was pulled forward
and up to make room to cut on the floor). The floor/tunnel
have been cut out to make room for the shifter linkage, and soon the
engine/trans will be seated back in place for a second fitment test
to see if any more cutting is needed closer to the firewall to fit
the bellhousing (and or to aid removal/installation of the trans
with the engine in the car).
The cage got another bar
or two as well. Also note the slick Tilton 600 series floor
mount pedals sitting in the floorboard. Currently I'm really
just building the car to fit me, but I figured I'd have the pedals
in so that they can be easily moved closer to the drivers seat, just
in case.
We're going to try and get the rear diff setup
ordered this week, Chad's about to start TIG welding all of the cage
in place (currently just tacked together), and then we'll get the
seat mounted and start working on the ladder bars/solid axle
conversion. Click any image for a large view
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7 - Cage Update (1-24-2012)
<back to top>
Just dropped by again to drop the engine and trans off at Fat Cat
for a test fit and to determine if they need to modifying the trans
tunnel any for fitment. Cage is coming along nicely.
Here are a few pics. Chad promised a lot more progress next week...Click any image for a large view
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6 -
Beginning the Cage (1-19-2012)
<back to top>
The cage is finally starting to come together. I've dropped by
the chassis shop a couple times over the past couple of weeks and
grabbed pictures of the process. Started out slow but just
recently started picking up some steam. I just ran the seat up
to them yesterday so they can build mounts into the cage and plan
the funny car-style 'cage within a cage' around the seat which is
not required by the rules but greatly enhances the safety of the
cage. All tubing used up to this point is 1.75" .120 wall mild
steel which is a step above the minimum required 1 5/8" .120 tubing.
I've got an awesome wife and kids to come home to and I fully intend
to do so. Safety first!
I should be running the
motor/trans/mounts up to the shop today or tomorrow to test fit so
we can make any needed changes to the tunnel to fit everything.
Click any image for a large view
First a few pics after cooking out some of
the factory seam sealer in prep for seam welding and welding in
plates for the cage.
1/4" plates welded in at all tie-in points to
the chassis, and the main hoop goes in...
Then just yesterday this was the latest...
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5 - Parts are starting to come together (12-29-2011)
<back to top>
Fat Cat got bogged down on some government work so work on our
project slowed a little in December, but they've promised to jump it
into high gear now that that project is behind them. In the
meantime, we got the G-Force GF4A transmission in and just bolted it
up to the bellhousing and 2JZ-GE engine this week. Below is a
sneak peak of that. Note we haven't stripped all of the OEM
'bonus parts' off of the motor yet ;).
Pretty soon here we'll be dropping this into the chassis to
determine if we need to cut and tweak the trans tunnel or anything
else before the cage goes in.
We've also gotten some of the smaller bits in. New Nismo
mounts and engine mount adapters to install this 2JZ into the S13
chassis. Also the aluminum steering wheel and quick release
mount that the guys at Fat Cat need to build the steering out with.
Click any image for a large view
 
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4 - The strip down is complete (12-6-2011)
<back to top>
Just dropped by
Fat Cat again to see what the latest is and to
grab a few pictures. They've got it inside now, and have
pretty much completely stripped it down to painted metal including
removal of all of that pesky sound deadening material. They've
got it marked up for where to burn out all of the factory seam
sealer so they can come behind that and seamweld it all up, then
will be getting to work on the roll cage. Pretty sure you'll
be able to start seeing some real progress ;).
Click any image for a large view
Next up - Burning out the factory seam sealer, followed by seam
welding and the beginning of the roll cage.
I've got to determine if I can get S13 5-lug conversion hubs for the
front wheels (which I know are available) in 5 x 4.5" (Ford)
pattern, with 1/2" thick studs. After that, I can order the
15"x4" wheels. Once I have those, I can take measurements and
order the rear end, etc. First things first... 1/2" studs in
the front 5lug conversion... that's on my to do list for today.
Also-- as of the PRI 2011 we're now announcing a partnership with
Cool Shirt to help us 'Stay Cool' out on the salt.
Check them out!
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3 - Fat Cat digs in
it's claws
<back to top>
We should get pretty regular updates on this car over the next
several weeks. It's sitting up at
Fat Cat Fabrication in
Buford, GA and when I visited it this past Thursday was in the
process of being further stripped down. Most of the windows
were removed in order to send them to the lexan window manufacturer
so they could match the profile since it wasn't in their system.
I should have a few more pics later this week with the new progress
report. Until then, here's the latest:
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2 - Stripping It Down
<back to top>
With the clutch gone, the usefulness of the car as a test vehicle
fell off pretty quickly. About the same time, SpeekWeek 2011
rolled around and got me thinking about the stalled build again, and
I decided it was time to make some progress. We pulled the car
out of storage, yanked the transmission (which was transplanted into
our production manager Elaine's S14 in place of the stock auto),
yanked the motor and put it up for sale (SOLD!), and then went kamikaze on
the interior, gutting the chassis to the bone.
Forklifts make for pretty awesome engine hoists....
Interior is pretty much fully gutted at this point, with the
exception of the sound deadener which I decided to just let Fat Cat
Fabrication pull out when prepping to do the cage and chassis work.
Dropping the car off at
Fat Cat
Fabrication... Chad and the guys at
Fat Cat
will be doing a ton of work to the car over the next two months
including:
- Full roll cage (TIG welded) with floor bracing, extra
structure (funny car style) around the driver, mounting seat
brackets to the roll cage, mounts for window net and right side
harness, gusseted as shown in rule book and tying in front strut
towers.
- 3 link rear suspension tied into the roll cage, mounting and
installation of a soid rear axle with panhard bar. This would
include all tubing, rod ends, and mounting hardware.
- Full cage around fuel cell. This will include cutting out
trunk area, fitting fuel cell and fabricating the cage around
the fuel cell. Also includes firewall to separate the fuel cell
from the passenger compartment.
- Aluminum dash panel. This would include fabrication of the
dash, mounting to cage and quarter turn fasteners to remove it
from the car.
- Lexan windows. Front window, rear window, side window,corner
glass.
- Factory hood mounted on an ample number of quarter-turns.
(as in, ample number considering the 250mph this car might one
day see).
- Fabrication of the undertray assembly and the parachute
mounting structure (including push bar)
Car is due back to use by the end of the year, 12/31/2011.
<back to top>
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1 - Getting Started--
Finding a tub
<back to top>
We found this S13 for cheap on Craigslist with a rust free and relatively
undamaged body, which was the most important thing when planning to build a race
car like this. Not only was it cheap, the original single cam KA24E motor fires
right up and runs better than it looks. The clutch was weak but would drive, it needs some
suspension repairs from hitting a curb, and the interior is a bit rough, but
keeping the stock parts there was never part of the plan anyway.
It sat out behind our shop just where you see it above for about a year
as other projects took precidence. We just dug it out recently.
Since it's got a reasonably healthy motor, our first order of business was
to throw it on the dyno and use the car for
DIYPNP R&D and documentation for end
users to follow when building out their
DIYPNP ECUs for similar cars.
We did that, and the car worked great for that, though the clutch started to
give up the ghost when we were beating on it on the dyno.
<back to top> |
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