Engine Mock Up

When looking for the right setup, balance can be a key factor for determining what engine to run. For this reason, the engine of choice was a very important one to me. I knew I needed something that would properly suit the car; something small, but not too small.  As admirable as the old L series engines are, I decided to go with something slightly newer. In a previous post, I had mentioned that I wanted a familiar engine and one that I knew would be very capable of doing the job. So naturally, the SR20DET was the perfect candidate for the heart of the car.

Now since this isn't an S-Chassis, the swap requires a tiny bit more work. Knowing this, I began researching other builds to learn what all it would take to do. It appeared that it was indeed a simple swap. Assured, I began to compile a parts list and checked them off as I ordered them.

The first wave of parts began to arrive quickly. Since I didn't have the money for everything right away, I wanted to be as systematic as possible when deciding what to order and when. I focused on what I could use and need right away. First on my list was a pair of motor mounts. The car was undergoing some fab work at this time, it made sense to order the intercooler and radiator since the chassis needed some trimming in order for these to fit.

The intercooler and radiator setup took a bit of time researching to finally decide on something. I decided on the CX Racing combo.  The fit of this kit is absolutely fantastic. The intercooler is fairly large and sits right behind the grill and valance. It also features an inlet and outlet on the backside versus on the sides, so no additional trimming for piping would be needed. On top of that, it's a very clean-looking install. As for the motor mounts, I went with the Mckinney poly mounts.

Another thing I did was make a trip out to the local junk yard where I came across a sweet deal. I was able to pick up an S13 240sx DOHC gauge cluster for next to nothing, which will be used to replace the 510 gauges as they aren't compatible with the SR20.

The L series engines that come in the 510 have a rear sump setup, but on the SR it's a front sump. This of course leads to oil pan fitment issues. So first thing first, the cross member had to be cut, flipped, and welded up. This, along with all the other fab work for the swap, was done by Shiomi Garage.

With that done, it was time for the test fit. Luckily Travis had an extra engine on hand he was more than happy to use for this.

It was a perfect fit! The Mckinney mounts bolted right up with ease and on top of that, they had a fantastic look to them. I was beyond pleased with how well they worked out. A turn of a few bolts and the engine was sitting pretty.

With the motor in and fitment confirmed, it was time to add the transmission into the mix. This too also required some cutting and welding in order to fit due to the transmission being bigger than the tunnel. In the end, the area around the shifter required the most amount of work along with a couple love taps from a hammer in a few places.

Now with the transmission in, the engine's angle was set and came out at almost the exact same angle as it does in an S13.

Cutting up the tunnel meant some additions needed to be made.

With everything looking good, it was time to make a transmission crossmember/mount. It was made to have as much clearance as possible. The factory bushing mount was removed and the new transmission crossmember bolted directly to the transmission casing instead. This put it up as high as it could go. With a "notched" area featured, there should be plenty of room for being able to tuck the exhaust nicely while providing a nice amount of ground clearance.

Next, it was time to install the CX Racing intercooler and radiator combo. The front valance was removed for easier access to everything. Facing potential impacts while drifting, I feel that removing it and making it bolt-on instead of welded-on is going to be a nice thing to have down the road for replacements.

Before long, it was all cut up and was time to test fit the intercooler.

I was very happy with the fitment overall. It was time to check how the valance would fit.  A little trimming had to be done, but aside from that it fit great!

The intercooler was placed on the backside of the core support, not on the front like it was initially installed. This moved it farther away from the valance, which might not have needed trimmed. It was quickly switched to the inside and following that, the radiator was put in place.

And just like that, the engine mock up was officially complete.

“In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.”

– Bill Cosby

First Move

Not long after purchasing the car, I made plans with a good friend Travis of Shiomi Garage to do a cage and some fabrication. I had some prep work to do before bringing the car up, which included removing all of the interior, wiring, windows, and other miscellaneous parts that needed to be out for him. 

I tackled under the hood while my partner Nick got to work on the inside. We had a lot of fun taking pictures along the way!

The interior panels were already out, so all that was left was the wiring. We decided it would be a good idea to take pictures of each plug as they were taken off and label them. This was our first time working with the car's wiring and thought it would be a good idea for future reference. It would be a good amount of time before putting it back in.

It was a little extra work, but it was out in no time.

I had all the wiring removed from under the hood soon after.

Before

After

Wiring was successfully removed and was in pretty good shape. 

Next was to take out what remained: motor mounts, fluid reservoirs, and miscellaneous brackets. 

I wonder how much horsepower I would be? Hmm.. ^. ^

With all of our tasks completed, the car was rolled outside for some fresh air. Actually it was so I could snap some pictures while we waited for a friend to arrive to remove the windows.

Kenny arrived and began to remove the windows. The front windshield had been installed incorrectly with clear silicone and was also cracked, so I wasn't able to salvage it. The good news is that I was able to save the rear windshield and quarter windows, which were in great shape.

They were out in no time!

This would be the last time seeing it this way, so I took a few pictures of her before she would be sent off to have a roll cage installed. I appreciate the vintage and original touches the car had. It was going to look very different before long!

I packed up some parts I had been collecting over the past few months to take with us.

After all of the work was done, the only thing left to do was load the car on the trailer. The next morning we would be making the trip to Shiomi Garage.

We arrived at our destination and had everything unloaded shortly thereafter. It was a pretty rainy day, but to our luck, the rain had stopped just long enough for us to unload the car and not get too wet.

This is where Sheena would sit for the next 8 weeks hanging out with her new friends, Travis's S13 coupe and the sil80.

It felt good to finally start working on it after having spent months planning what I wanted to do with the car. My dream was starting to become a reality. I couldn't wait until the next visit!

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."

-Lao Tzu