'X' Plate Classic - Rise of the Silver Surfer

[Scott.T]

And today was a Grey day.....

[scotty]

Looks like your testing different spring options when the season changes Scott have you got some info on the different spring type .

[Scott.T]

Originally Posted by scotty

Looks like your testing different spring options when the season changes Scott have you got some info on the different spring type .

Gradually gathering the data.
The spring rates will change once I get data back from independent testing.

[scotty]

Some good info there Scott come in good use for us classic owners .

[Mortster]

So from the data, the P1 setup is the stiffest, but also the tallest?

Which ones to you rate the most so far?

[Scott.T]

A few pics to show the coil spacing when fitted/on-ground and settled.
22B UK (We assume these are a P1 Spec Spring, as standard JDM 22B ones are Grey)
nice linear spacing

STi 'Lowered' Pinks

WR Blue Front


22B UK Rear

STi 'Lowered' Pink Rear

WR Blue Rear (nice linear spacing)

C35 Rear

[Scott.T]

Newage (2004) on Left Vs Classic Fronts Right

Now that Newage Blue (above) looks very much like the Prodrive P1 Red Front (below) to me.....

[scotty]

So Scott what spring have you found to be best suited to your classic .

[Scott.T]

Originally Posted by scotty

So Scott what spring have you found to be best suited to your classic .

The set I am having made .....with linear coils similar to the blue rear and red front above.
But at P1 Spring rates (and lowered compared to P1), which we now know, and have had it confirmed using 2 independent test houses.

[scotty]

Originally Posted by SilverSurfer

The set I am having made .....with linear coils similar to the blue rear and red front above.
But at P1 Spring rates (and lowered compared to P1), which we now know, and have had it confirmed using 2 independent test houses.

Sounds good Scott be the only classic with a set of custom made springs like it .

[Scott.T]

Originally Posted by scotty

Sounds good Scott be the only classic with a set of custom made springs like it .

If they work, they'll be put into production.

[Scott.T]

New colour arrived yesterday.
Unfortunately, in his haste to produce these, the supplier has messed up with the 1st prototypes, as the coil diameter top/bottom for the front match the rear, which they shouldn't and also we wanted to try and avoid the coil'on'coil approach on the rear.
So these may get turned into table lamps.........

[thepieman]

soon be the 20th





first day of spring


great car this

[Hongkongfooi]

Originally Posted by thepieman

soon be the 20th





first day of spring


great car this

[Scott.T]

Spring has arrived.........well prototype No.2 has, from the 2nd supplier.....quality is a lot better and spring pairs have close measurements so good tolerances.
Heavier wire gauge on the front compared to the rear (similar to the P1), fronts are rated at 215lb/in, Rears 206 lb/in. That's 19lb up at the front and 31lb up on the rear compared to the STi Pinks (P1's measured 206lb/in Front, 189lb/in Rear).

Fingers crossed the ride height ends up where I want it.

[Scott.T]

P1 Red's Vs Fast Road Orange's

[SpecB]

Looking like a good development!

[scotty]

Looking forward to Scott's verdict on them once fitted and a test drive .

[Scott.T]

Epic fail........ride height too high. Actually now higher then a P1 and Eibach Pro's
Back to drawing board........if I can be bothered.

[Hongkongfooi]

They look nice though

[Steve_PPP]

Doh! I know new springs are meant to take a while to settle and reach their full drop, but they won't drop that much

[Scott.T]

Originally Posted by Steve_PPP

Doh! I know new springs are meant to take a while to settle and reach their full drop, but they won't drop that much

Cheap springs maybe but good quality should have hardly any.
These are supposed to only have 2-3mm max settle as part of the build process squashes them to full compression to prevent any future variations.

[Scott.T]

Getting quite quick at changing the suspension now.......

[Scooby_Greg]

Can you get them rewound shorter?

[Scott.T]

Originally Posted by Scooby_Greg

Can you get them rewound shorter?

We could but other dimensions and minor coil end over grinding giving non-perfect location issues meant it was easier to start another set.

[Scott.T]

Today's colour is Red.
P1 Red's (14 years old, re-powder coated)
I thought I would throw these on to check ride/ride height.
After 14 years there is only 3mm difference between these and the new set I fitted when this whole spring saga kicked off getting on for 1 year ago.



STi Pinks at the front still corner/turn-in better then anything else I have tried.

[Scott.T]

Time to freshen up the pulleys and Induction Kit heatshield.
The original plan was to get them powder coated in 'High Chrome' silver with a 'Translucent Blue' top coat. This makes it a Anodised Blue type finish.

However, the powder coater put too much Translucent Blue on, so it ended up just a 'Dark Blue'.
Also the packaging when they returned was poor, so they were chipped.



Due to the wrong colour and chipping I decided to do it the old fashioned way with paint/lacquer.

Everything was stripped of powder coat and 'Nissan Intense Blue' was the colour of choice.




Very please with the result and the colour goes well with the Samco and is very close to the Anodised Blue of the Fuelab Regulator.

[Bytes]

Sooo clean .... /gets me dinner, don't need a plate

[Ginola]

Cracking stuff

[scotty]

Originally Posted by Ginola

Cracking stuff

what type of paint you used on header tank lid Scott .

[Red Baron]

Originally Posted by scotty

what type of paint you used on header tank lid Scott .

Powder coated if I remember rightly

[Scott.T]

Originally Posted by scotty

what type of paint you used on header tank lid Scott .

Plasti-kote gloss red aerosol, then sand back the lip to alloy.

[Red Baron]

I stand corrected

[scotty]

Cheers Scott think I will do that as that heat proof hammerite is rubbish stuff on lid .

[Scott.T]

A little bit of inner arch rolling.......
The combination of the Prodrive WR Bilsteins, which have short bumpstops, and the 8x18 ET51 225/35x18 mean't that occasionally the tyre would buzz on the inner arch.

This can be seen below.
The problem is the the inner arch has a 'step/lip' that the wider wheel/tyre combination clip's before contact with bumpstop is made.
It is probably perfectly OK if running the 7.5" Prodrive P-WRC wheel.

With a little help from an arch roller this has been smoothed out.

These images probably best shows the 'step/lip', and where tyre contact has occurred :




Step removed (the bumpiness is where the underseal moved and in some cases come off. A bit more underseal and smoothrite now required):



Images from the other side, which better shows the rolling out of the 'Step/Lip', which 'was' just above the wheel arch lip. Also showing the Arch Roller in action :

[Scott.T]

History Update : The guy I purchased this back from stumbled across some information relating to the guy I sold it too in 2011 (for those that don't know, it had 2 short term owners whilst out of my hands for 18 months).

No big surprises and it stacks up with what I knew and also clears up why it returned to me with a new rear bumper/panel : http://www.corsasport.co.uk/board/vi...=599826&page=1

[2-jaffacake-tone]

How much higher were the springs you had made? would they of not settled?

[Scott.T]

Originally Posted by 2-jaffacake-tone

How much higher were the springs you had made? would they of not settled?

Too high.
Quality design and manufacturing processes ensure that any 'settle' is designed out as much as possible. Only about 2 - 3mm maximum is expected.

The final design P11-L springs for the P1 are expected from Eibach next week to satisfy current orders plus some stock.

[Scott.T]

Spotted this reflection whilst on my knee's this evening :

[Ginola]

That is very shiny sir!

[Bytes]

[Rdlangy1]

nice shine and nice Audi

[Scott.T]

Well after the dreaded tin worm made an appearance on my rear arch I though it was time to start taking off the side skirt's and inspecting the sills and also the underside.

So gingerly, not knowing what to expect I commenced on the drivers side.

Side Skirt removed and 13 years of grime. The last time these were off was 2002/2003 when they were painted :







Out with the baby wipes for a wipe down and I was very surprised, and happy, with the condition :





The floorpan then had a quick stiff brushing, and again very please with how it was looking. Tony had often commented during MOT how tidy it was and I was surprised how easy it brushed off considering this is one area I have never touched before :




Then a re-application of underseal to make sure it remains water tight and that all damages area's from 'jacking' up/down in the last 13 years are repaired :




I'll now wait for that to go off prior to the top coat of Silver going on, otherwise it can leach through and contaminate the paint.

The sills have slight paint chippage/rust where there are 2 rectangular sections cut out of the sills. As as result of this I think I will apply some stone guard on the lower section of the sill/flange as the final stage.

[BIG"E"]

Looks really good, fancy doing mine???

[Scott.T]

For reference, this is what I used. A combination of what I already had in the cupboard :




I will be continuing the job with the Hammerite version, as this is much easier to apply. More like a thick black paint then sticky Bitumen based gloop.

[Steve_PPP]

That looks nice and clean considering 13 years without the skirts off, must be pleased with that

[Bytes]

Originally Posted by BIG"E"

Looks really good, fancy doing mine???

... and mine

[Lucky]

Its a credit to you Scott. You must have been well pleased to see it still that solid.

[scotty]

That's amazing how clean the sills still after that length of period oh by the way Scott importcarparts stock all the clips you require as a kit .

[Rdlangy1]

Looking a job well done