www.86garage.com

I was planning on starting this down the road, but it needed to get road worthy sooner than expected.

My goals are to get it to a GTS level of performance, but I have a S13 with a twisted unibody, so a Transplant is now in order.

So here is my build, with a some before pics and what not.

Got some new kicks the other day, so it looks much better.
I also added a front lip. for that "I have power!" look, but we know better, haha!










I'm not a fan of the huge lights, they may come off, but with the light output being next to nothing, they are going to have to stay for the time being. Headlight harness is going to be needed to fix it one of these days.

I saw a build log of a guy in Croatia building his 86 and he put an S13/S14 suspension on his. He used front and rear. I'm talking about front crossmember, rear subframe. Basically making it into a 240sx in a 86 shell.
here are some pics:




But the wheels stick way out there:





So I thought to myself, "I can do that." so I started to work on my SR5, and turn it into an SR86.


I got the drivetrain out, the front cross-member swapped and fitted, and got one of the front struts on. I soon realize that I had a big issue. This Tanabe short stroke suspension is way too low. It's great for an S13 with high wheel arches, but the 'rolla has thick fenders and little wheel wells, lol. Looks like I'm going to have to do some swapping with the other cars sooner than I had anticipated, D'oh! So far it's a straight forward deal, the rear is going to be cumbersome as hell, 'cuz the floor is going to need cutting and splicing to fit that subframe of the S13.

Here it is with the stock 'rolla suspension,



Tanabe struts made it impossible to put wheels on. The struts are too short for the AE86, fine for a Nissan, but might fit if I cut the fenders.



Now with the BC sports adjustables. It fits, well kinda. I had to adjust them out 2 full inches to clear the fender. CBY here I come, lol.







Major widebody needed, lol.


Got the rear subframe mounted, with a combo of S13 studs, and 3/4" bolts. I had to cut a lot of the floor out, and some of the frame. but it's in there. I replaced the frame that I cut out with 3"x1.5" 1/16" rectangle tubing. I also used some 1/4" plate for the front bolts, but I need to weld that to the floor side frame. Whew, I'm tired. Gotta get the rear strut towers cut and welded in, thats tomorrows task, or at least started.

On to the pics of some of the fitted subframe, and wheel poke-age, lol.








I pulled the rear suspension, axle and brake stuff. Cut off the Panhard bar bracket to get the S13 subframe to fit up there.





Test fitted the subframe, and put a tire on to see how bad it was off.




Found out it is way too low, so I had to do some modifications to the floor and frame. Not enough apparently, still need to remove more. D'oh!



I have to cut some of the floor off tomorow to tuck the subframe up higher in the body. then try to find some square tubing to redo the frame rails.

I got the rear towers situated, and I have to mount them now. It looks real close to the same distance as the S13. I might be able to use a S13 rear strut bar. The rear struts are on, need to align it up more, but thats for later.









I think I have the floor all situated and now start welding it all up.




I got the towers Tacked in real tight, and decided to try the stance. I think it will look wicked what do you think?

It's sitting on it's own weight now.






I got the rear strut towers mostly skinned up, just have a few spots to do, and do some gussets in others. Then it's time to grind the welds up and fix some holes that I missed. I also put a bar between the towers to help with rigidity, since a S13 rear strut bar is too narrow.





I also removed the stock AE86 master cylinder and proportioning valve that won't work with the S13 brakes. I replaced the lines 'cuz the AE86 line won't match up to the S13 master. So, I put the S13 lines in, and mounted them so they are out of the way.







I also raised the front up a half an inch, but for got to take pics of it, D'OH.

Anyways, I wanted to see if the exhaust that I have for this project would fit, and to my surprise, I think it will do nicely, but a few inches will probably need to be cut out of it to clear everything once the engine and trans is in.







The only thing I got done yesterday was to figure out the fuel tank issue. Since the car was carbureted, it had a fuel pump on the head, and it sucked the fuel from the tank. Not good for fuel injection.

( Back in 2009) I pulled out the tank I got with the car, it was held in with ratchet straps and a leather belt. That changed immediately after I got the car home. When I bought the replacement motor from a '83 TE70 with a good 4AC in it from Auto-Salvage, I took the straps 'cuz they said I could have them anyways. After I found out the tank was a replacement unit and had issues with pouring gas from the cap when the temps got high, I went and got the tank from the TE70 and went right in with it. No more fuel spillage.

(currently) since the sender hole is too small on the TE70 tank,



I was going to get an in-tank fuel pump sender for the replacement tank, (hard to find) I then was going to make one out of what I had. J B Weld? lol.




Anyways, I then had the bright idea to see if the S13 tank I had laying around would fit. Why not, it looked the same size. Found out it was 6"s wider than the AE86's. I removed the bad gas and put in the Walbro 255 Lph. I put it up and used some spacers to mount the straps. Let's say its a tight fit, but the exhaust will clear just nicely.



Look at all that clearance for the exhaust!!





A couple of drawbacks though, there is no access hole for the tank through the trunk in an AE86, but who cares, I just increased my fuel capacity from 11 gallons to 16 gallons, WOOHOO!!!! The other drawback (for now) is the fuel neck sticks out.





As soon as a parts store that carries 1 3/4" fuel neck hose, it's going to be tucked back in there.



I replaced the AE86's fuel and rear brake lines with the lines of the S13. It's a bit longer, but it will still work.



I also got the clutch master cylinder from an S13 and lines mated into the AE86, as the AE86 and S13 bolts are opposite from each other, I had to use the pedal assembly from an S13. So I made a few holes and mated them in.

Before:



After:





It's a tight fit. I have to take it back out and make an adjustment to get the top bolt to line up, but it fits. Yay! Also, I have to make the pedal even with the other two so it doesn't so weird.






I also took some pics of it just sitting on the ground to get a basic idea of what it will look like overall.

Some updates.

Progress is slow, I have to work between rainstorms. I have been debating on building a new motor for the Silvia, so I took out the stock one and did a freshening up on it so that it will do good for the 'rolla. I bought the stock turbo from Dave so that I can save the GT2871R for the Silvia. I have an aftermarket ECU to run 555 cc injectors and a Z32 MAF, so that I'll run more than than stock power.



Anyways, on to the pics.








IT'S IN!!!!!!!!!







And it sits only half an inch lower with the motor set in.





So I have to build a trans crossmember and get the drive shaft up in there to see if it will fit or not. I thinking not, but IDK.

Just found the look I'm going for. Well, on the fender flare potion, not the little gay mirrors. An the Levin front is a dream too, maybe one day, but not now.

Oh, and I forgot to put in there, that I got the complete S13 wire harness installed. But, I need to change the connectors to the lights, blower motor, and the wipers.

Looks good man... Great job..

Good work on everything. That makes 2 for 86G: slamdbusa & slideshow.

nice. wish I would have mounted my subframe way in the car like that.

outstanding build.

lovin the build man!

nice stuff man

Thanks guys, This is the biggest build as of yet, well, to my cars. There is not enough detailed info IMO on how to do this route, but it seems to work well.

any updates?

ATM, no. I have a full time job as a mechanic and it is eating up all my time right now. I go to work in the dark and come home in the dark, so no time for the SR86, :'(

I have been looking into using the wire harness of the s13 to control the 'rolla's headlight motors, and not sure if the circuits are compatible. I have to study the wire diagrams that I found online of both. The positioner cam inside may be the same type of operation, but uses different quadrants to stop and reset the lights for the relay controls.

I am also considering the to option of going a Levin conversion, but finding a full METAL front end is becoming a dream and looking into a fiberglass (eeek) surrogate with new headlights.

I have found that MODIRIDE has the only good looking fenders, hood and bumpers for a Levin conversion, but pics can be doctored. I also have been looking in running a 15 x 10 wheel, but with the suspension protruding out farther, the wheels wont look so deep, I may have to run a +40 offset to fill up the wheel wells more on the inside of the car.

I'll post some up dates as soon as I come up with some answers on what I will do.

[quote="slamdbusa"]ATM, no. I have a full time job as a mechanic and it is eating up all my time right now. I go to work in the dark and come home in the dark, so no time for the SR86, :'(

i know the feeling. 13 hour days and saturday i had to quit.no job is worth your life. unless you where on the f1 circuit or the such.probably kill all the fun though.

I got my 86 moved up to work so that I can work on it after hours, (as long as there is room to work and if the service adviser is willing to stay after too.) But anyways I ordered my CBY fender flare knock-offs, and picked up some more steel to make brackets and what not. I hope to have Phase 1 completed before Fall Semester starts!

And I have finally dub'd it a Nissota, for its a Nissan in a Toyota shell. lol. Either a SR86 or a SR13.

Phase 2 will be a cage, and body mods and a built up motor I think.