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I will probably try a set of AMP ballasts since they are supposed to take less space behind the light, and we dont have much space to spare back there: AMP: Morimoto XB35 - HID Ballasts - Components
The igniter is built in to the leads, and you only buy a bulb and lead that plugs to the igniter.
Got my latest shippment from amayama yesterday. With the Spirit-R shift **** and a 99-spec intake panel for the 99 bumper.
To my surprise, and dismay, i found that there is an airbag sensor right where one of the intake funnels are supposed to go. Does anyone have any experience with maybe relocating this? It does not need to go far to make room for the new intake, just a bit.
To my surprise, and dismay, i found that there is an airbag sensor right where one of the intake funnels are supposed to go. Does anyone have any experience with maybe relocating this? It does not need to go far to make room for the new intake, just a bit.
The senor wiring is what is keeping intake panel from sitting flat on the support bar. I kept the sensor where it was and just relocated the wiring to underneath the support bar. To do that I disconnected the battery, unplugged the sensor wire at the firewall, carefully pried the wire out of it's clips. I unbolted the sensor and pushed the wire down through the hole. I suppose that you could move the sensor a cm or two with a simple extension bracket or spacer.
So i got my hands on a Blitz Nür Spec catback. It was used, and when handling it i could hear stuff rattling around inside. After contemplating if it would be difficult to open and repack it for a while, I decided to give it a try. Found a nice seam at the back where i could get a clean cut. Was filled with "scrubble" and giberglass. Fiberglass was as you can see partially burned out, and the metal stuff was not much to brag about.
Next up is to order some ceramic fiber and new scrubble packing.
Muffler repacking:
Due to some issues sourcing the ceramic fibers i was going to use (either to expensive shipping, or i had to buy a whole roll) i ended up with the 850C Accoustafil version.
Both Accoustafil and scrubble arrive last week so i will try to get that packed up and welded soon.
Impulses on Ebay:
I have to blame this on my friend who stood me up one sunday when we had agreed to play some rounds of PUBG. When that did not happend i had a few hours to kill, and ended up on ebay. I did my regular searches for stuff im looking for, and found to my surprise a more or less pristine load of european Factory Service Manuals. As i like to drop anywhere i can, the EU FD is very rare, it was only made 1152 cars for EU, and that makes everything EU FD super rare. That includes the service manuals. Also, this included BOTH wire harness booklets, the one for 92+ and for the 94+ with airbags, and even a bodywork guide.
Aluminium Pedals:
I was part of the awesome alu pedal group buy and got the entire set. Since i have some time at home unable to go to the garage (just got a baby) i have to take small projects with me home.
So i decided to try a few different surface treatments and see how that turned out. Luckily i decided to try and clean the OEM pedals two weeks ago, with limited success. This lead me to the conclusion that the pedals need some form of surface treatment to keep the dirt easy to remove.
First i did a second round of sand blasting. Producing 200+ of these i understand that the sandblasting was not at my OCD level, so i spent another hour in the booth getting them all nice and even, removing all tool marks.
Also, after having a look at the stock peadals i know that the raised surface will get worn down and polished by my shoe, so instead of trying to keep the sandblasted finish, i sanded if smooth again. Here is after the first 400 grit pass.
After some rounds with 800 and 1200 i found them smooth enough, and to try and keep the sandblasted and polished surfaces clean i gave it a few shots of clear coat. The gloss bothers me a bit, but i dont think it will be visible from under the dash. I will also give the stock brake and clutch pedals the exact same treatment.
Completed the Aluminium brake install:
My initial plan was to remove the brake and clutch pedal from the car, and have them sandblasted to a similar finish as the ones from the groupbuy.
But, after two hours on my back in the footwell of an FD i gave up. In those two hours all i managed to get done was to remove the dead pedal and one(!) but on the brake pedal. So its safe to say that unless your bones are made of jelly, getting the pedals out with the dash in the car is gona be a pain.
But if the pedals wont come out, ill just fix them where they are!
First i masked of the entire car with painters plastic:
Then i got myself one of them sandblasters that recirculate the sand into a bag, and does not make a huge mess.
Since the pedals are cast, not machined like the ones i bought, it was hard to get an identical finish. So in the end i settled for a matted down look and then polished the high areas. Ypu really have to get up close to see that they are not the same as the others.
The result in the end was pretty good if you ask me.
And outside with a potato-phone that cant take pictures in sunlight:
Polish and coating
Since i have summer vacation i finally got some time to give the old turd a polish. I spent a day at my friends shop (he runs a detailing business) borrowing his lift and got some good advice for laying the final coating..
While the car was previously in a pretty good condition from a single stage polish i did using Scholl S3 Gold, this time i paired up Scholl S20 Black with a medium pad and got an amazing result. I finished it of with a top polish using a final stage compund i cant remember the name of, and a fine cut Kamikaze pad. Then i sealed it with two layers of "22PLE VX Pro2 Glass Coating". I am super happy with the result, and hopefully this will last for a while and stop it from scratching easily.
So the entirety of 2019 went by without a post. Reason for that is that i got myself a project. A Miata that is getting a V6. So for the FD all im doing is Not using her enough and hoarding parts for when i get time for her again.
This week i scored something thats been on the list a while:
They are pretty mint. No broken tabs, no scratches or anything. The only issue was a chip on the tip of the rounded part. But with some sanding and polish its 99.99% gone.
Yeah I was about done when i decided i could not complete the swap in a crash damaged car, so i had to get me a new car.
Got the new car last summer, and spent the winter putting the first one back together for and ready for sale.
Nice! I miss the KL. Is this a ZE or DE? Gonna get rid of that Mitsubishi disty? It's the worst part of this motor and doesn't look like it'll be fun to work on in this engine bay.
Nice! I miss the KL. Is this a ZE or DE? Gonna get rid of that Mitsubishi disty? It's the worst part of this motor and doesn't look like it'll be fun to work on in this engine bay.
It is currently a DE, but i got ZE pistons and cams on a shelf somewhere. Need the disty for approval, but then its going to be replaced with COP and ITBs. Final plan is a 11.5:1 with race cams and a 200 shot of NOS.
I have a plan for how to fit it without cutting the firewall, but its going to be a tight fit
Well then those will stay on the shelf lol. Looks like you'll be doing a full build from the ground up, going to S rods or H-beam? Who did the cams? I had Colts cams in my KL before, the HLAs didn't like them very much as the motor got noisier, I would recommend going with 98+ heads with SLA if they make cams for those.
I will probably put them in one of the spare engines i got stashed in the garage.
Originally Posted by ZE Power MX6
Looks like you'll be doing a full build from the ground up, going to S rods or H-beam? Who did the cams? I had Colts cams in my KL before, the HLAs didn't like them very much as the motor got noisier, I would recommend going with 98+ heads with SLA if they make cams for those.
So far i got only the block ready. Its bored up to 85mm (1st oversize i think). Not sure about the rods, but with my modest goals i think ill try the KAi rods from china.
For cams i have not decided yet, but SLA is the option i want to go with when doing this kind of build, just need to figure out if i can do it on the older heads or if they changed stuff.
98+ heads has SLA, I think the lifter are different size so they aren't interchangeable with the earlier year. I could be wrong since I stopped modding a KL since 2011, when I sold all the parts to buy an FD.
Either way, it'll be a fun car to drive when it's done, definitely different characteristic than the FD.
So i went and spent quite a lot of money on old worn Miata seats...
The prices on yahoo are bonkers, and the cost of getting them to Norway equally so. This set came up for sale in the UK for £2000, and is for a Roadster RS Ltd.
Since GarageAlpha are working on tilt rails i went for it. Luckily my summer bonus was just enough to get them home.
The plan is to get them reupholstered. Also, I have been looking for an excuse to try some mold making and playing with carbon fiber.
Since i have both an RX-7 and a Miata, copying this would both be a fun project, and make sense in the long run. The reupholstery guy told me there was not much difference in making one set of covers vs making two or three.
So as you see i have no problems justifying them for myself, even tho i had some serious buyers remorse the first few days after paying
If i am successful at the mold making, i even might end up trying to break even on the seats
Now, the only item left on my "must have oem parts" are the 17" RS brakes.
So, now having both a "garage" project (car) and an "at home" project (seats) i started tearing in to the restoration and replication work. FIrst step was to strip down the worst of the seats to see how it is made.
From the small sticker i found on the shell, it is produced in Germany in march 4th,1993. Luckily for me the perosn who put together the shell was cheap on the glue, and the glue was pretty done for after 27 years of service time, so it all came off pretty easy.
Nest step here is to clean off all the glue and foam residue, and start to figure out how much material i need to make a mold, and how to make one. I am guessing based on some of the shapes that i will need at least a 2 part split mold, maybe even 4. It is the first reall look i have at a mass production seat like this and it is a surprisingly simple construction. Good news for me since it is simpler to replicate than i first imagined.
09-05-17, 12:35 PM
