April 17, 2011

So I decided to let me sleep schedule get out of whack and headed over to work on the car again today. I took that new $5 drill attachment with me to decide if it will make a big enough difference in both the amount of time to get work done, and the ease of the work. Thank goodness the drill had a locking function on the trigger, because the amount of force to get that thing held down would have made the job that much more irritating. I decided to work on the highly rusted battery tray area and frame rail under it for two reasons. I wanted to see if the section there had any ability to be salvaged, and I wanted to clear off the rust and paint from the areas that would need to be clean for welding if it could not be salvaged. I was more than pleased with the results, and very pleased with the ease and speed that it got done. Here's some pictures of the work.













And for good measure, I wanted to include a pic of the shell with my truck and my brothers coupe in the background..lol!


As you can see in the pictures, the pitting from the rust was very extensive, but I believe that now that it is all cleaned up and primed, it still has quite a bit of stability and strength to be good to go. You can also see I did some work on the core support/radiator housing. It cleaned up real nice and looks good as well. I don't know if any of these pictures or previous pictures show it well enough or not, but I ended up using a sledge hammer on the forward facing portion of the headlight area of the core support. It came out looking good, but the rust is still so extensive coming off the battery tray area into the forward facing spot, that I believe I will have to cut it out and use my spare part. You can also see the amount of wear that the wheel took while doing just this small area. Looks like I will be in need of more of them in the future as I will be using this technique to do all the prepping for paint both inside and out. I hope to get over there again in the morning after work, and if so, more pictures will follow.

April 16, 2011

Today I went by Wal-Mart and picked up a paint a rust removal wheel to attach to my power drill. I hope the next time I get to work on the car it will prove it to be helpful. I've been doing a lot of searching online about popular rust removal procedures online. I've learned quite a bit about electrolysis rust removal, and rust removing products. After watching a few videos on the electrolysis processes and what it requires, I've decided I don't want a large electric bill in the process and I don't even want to consider the amount of time and money I would spend building a bath for a large scale process like a car. It seems like the problem isn't big enough to trade off that amount of money and energy just to be done once.

Then I went onto forums that focus and discuss restoration projects. Now, for me it's hard to accept, but is hard to deny, that my little project here will qualify as a restoration since my goal is not to put it back on public streets, but rather the track. On the other hand, to make sure that this project will at least be able to pass tech at any event, it needs to not only appear to be safe, but actually fit that same ticket. As I was saying though, browsing these forums I came across a number of threads that swore by a product called "Safest Rust Removal." It was easy to find with links all taking you to where? None other than http://www.safestrustremover.com/. Which has a link to a restoration I never even knew was going on, the 1957 Plymouth Belvedere that was buried, brand new, in Tulsa Oklahoma in 1957 and unearthed in 2007. It's a very interesting story. I got caught up reading it, and the restorers thoughts of the product for it's restoration. Looking through the pictures the website has, it seems to use a better approach to rust removal by "showering" the item you need treated. This would give me a much more likely success with a smaller bath for the car while using a $50-$60 sump pump to recirculate the product after it falss to the bath floor.

Well, enough of the science lesson that I got myself into. That's only if the rust damage seems to be more prevalent than what it seems at this time. I will be using the rust remover wheel first and if I feel the success is hard to come by after that, I will consider this route as a very likely back up plan.

April 15, 2011

This week I was able to get more time to focus some energy toward the car. I started by getting a good idea of how much surface rust was in the engine bay, then moved right on to figuring out just how much was EVERYWHERE! I climbed into the engine bay and got a couple sweeps with the sandpaper in. After realizing I wanted to show the difference I grabbed my camera to capture that. Here is what that picture looked like:



So I went hard to work, using either the 220 or 200 grit sandpaper I had with me and it started to come around:





I was able to get a large section started with the time I had available to do it. I also started to hit it with the 400 grit:




To be honest, I became quite irritated at getting a portion done, then spending a good 10 minutes washing my hands just to take a couple pictures and get right back at it again. So, I just decided there was plenty of pictures and the viewers would have a really good idea of the change. That being said, I went ahead and finished sanding, then primed the area with the black primer I bought the other day.




Now, in that last picture posted, you will see a nice brown color toward the bottom of the frame. I had went and sanded a decent portion of that but wanted to see what I was working on when I went to prime it as well. And this is what I found on the frame when I lifted it to do this:




Much more surface rust. After putting my hands into sanding for a good three hours, I decided to call it a day. I'm going to head the advice from a NICO user to slap a soft wire brush onto a drill, and get down to the bare metal. If nothing else it'll save my shoulders from that sore feeling I had this time.

April 8, 2011

Really and truly, I should have posted this yesterday. I've had the car parked over in my brothers garage and, as you can tell from the pictures, it was a bit messy. I ended up spending the majority of the day cleaning out the garage of old stuff and went ahead and trashed a lot of it that was really not needed anymore. It all ended up being close to 400lbs of crap, but it's mostly all cleaned up and ready to get started. After I got that all cleaned up, I went on over to Lowe's and spent a good deal of money on some PVC pipe and a large portion of plastic on a roll. I also had some 220 and 400 grit sand paper with a spray can of primer. Hopefully I can get some of that rust cleaned up and prevent any further from accumulating. When I get a chance to get back over there and get started, I'll post up some pictures.

Almost forgot to mention the status of the polls. Not many votes for this first one, but I am sure that once the project starts getting some more progress, it will get more attention. T winner for the suspension parts was the Ebay posting for ENERGY HYPER-FLEX MASTER BUSHING KIT NISSAN 240SX 89-94. The winner for the first engine build platform was the KA24DE. I'll start searching and keeping an eye out on ebay for the KA that I will end up going with and will ensure to keep all of you all posted on that. Once it is purchased and the tear down starts, we'll start the voting on internal parts.

I'm looking further into getting a Dual Action sander, After countless videos on youtube and DIY sites, I've come to realize that it would be my best option to go ahead and knock down the old paint and prime the whole car. While I was at Lowe's getting the PVC pipe for my make shift paint booth, I took notice of a big, 220V air compressor with a five foot tall tank. I was surprised at the price, it was just under $500 and I'm really eying it as a next tool investment unless ebay has something more along those lines. The project is making slow progress but even still the head of the household is making sure I don't go overboard and start a spending spree. Thanks honey!

While I'm at it, I feel the need to send some love to the guys at 240sxtechdvds.com. I've recently received my first three dvds from them and they are great. Well narrated, the camera gets great shots of what the worker is working on and even goes as far to tell what steps are different on the two "S" chassis vehicles that they bring up. If you get a moment to watch some of their teaser videos on youtube, you can catch a glimpse of what the videos entail. If you happen to get all the way to their site and purchase the products, although a little on the steep side for amateur video, I still think it's quite a good investment. I have yet to view the tear down and build dvds I got, but if they are anything like the suspension bushing install dvd, they will be spot on and put together well for the beginner in the DIY automotive work area. Check them out when you can, and be on the lookout for more pictures.

April 5, 2011

So, while I await the next purchase and just to give the viewing audience more insight, I wanted to address something that was brought to my attention from an active duty service member. He touched on a subject that matters most to the consumer; customer service. In his words "If I order off ebay, and I read [the] fine print and I abide by the terms and conditions, I expect stellar customer service." Point made man. As I am sure every reader would agree, customer service is a MUST for business survival. Customer service can make a huge impact on how the consumer will address his product with his friends and other potential buyers. I want to make this clear to everyone who wishes to follow my reviews, just as I told the guy who wrote me the email, I am writing what I believe will be the equivalent to a magazine article. The biggest difference is that I have no obligation to make some company look better because they provided a part, or paid for an advertisement. What you read will be every part of the build. From sourcing the part that will be purchased, from payment, shipping cost and shipping time frame. All the way through the install and the characteristics and behavior the car exhibits from that part. This is a review from the what YOU will experience, every step of the way. So please, if you want to know what it will be like to interact through ebay, the ease or lack thereof of the search and what not, please follow me through this build. I will give you my word that you will not be disappointed.

Test Dummy

So I guess now would be a good time to go ahead and add the pictures of our test dummy. I can't, for the life of me, remember what the year is off the top of my head but I'm going to say I think it's a 1990 model. She's in rough shape with some rust in the passenger side front fender area where the battery tray would be, but that's okay, I got a piece that will be welded in to replace that. Without further adieu, ladies and gent's may I present Project S13bay.

Right when I got it back to Athens:




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And here are further that I took earlier when I went back to the garage where it rests:


















And the replacement piece for the inner fender:

April 1, 2011

Today was a good day to make an investment that paid off. I picked up a shell and scored some extras like the brake booster and master cylinder, an S13 power sunroof with PERFECT glass, and I was able to get the front passenger side cut from one to replace the one that is rusted out in our test dummy. Due to time constraints and lack of having a camera better than my phone's camera, I was unable to get more pictures. Next time I go to work on it again, I'll be taking numerous pictures so as to give a great start, or "before," photo.

While I am at this, I want to make it known that whenever a part is to be considered for the project, I will be casting my vote as well. I've noticed on the past two polls there were no participants but that is understood because of the slow maturity of this blog. So that being said, if I am the only one to vote on a poll, which will be posted for one week in length, then the item that I vote for will be the item that will be used. If my vote should tie with any other items listed for the test, then the first one to receive a vote in the tie will be used, not my vote. As always, I am open to comments and suggestions and welcome anyone to follow updates as often as possible.

Just so that you all following know, if I have no sponsor for donations or financial backing, I will be depending on my own budget for this project. My budget is a hundred or so every month to either purchase an item or save for the next purchase. I will include all my results, bad or good, on any conversations with possible sponsors. Any and ALL comments and suggestions are invited and welcomed, abide by my simple requests to keep it clean though please. More to follow later.

Proposal to the ebay community of sellers

In an economy in which markets get lower and Americans are more prone to hold tight of the cash that they have, businesses and consumers alike must find the best way to make their dollar stretch as far as it can. Industries all over the world are taking hit because of the current economy. Banks, businesses and even the ad agencies supporting them are going under and closing their doors. Businesses are lowering the budget on advertisements and because of that they are seeing slow declines in sales. Consumers are faced with hard decisions on spending larger amounts for something they know about, or spending less on something they feel they are taking a chance on.
My name is Michael Campbell. I am an active member of numerous automotive enthusiasts forums on the internet and have witnessed and felt the effects of the economy on that target consumer. I also have a solution for both the small businesses and this target consumer. With a recent purchase of a vehicle that is planned to spend the rest of its life on tracks of varying types, it dawned on me a way to mend the gap between these small businesses and the consumers they are targeting. I have created what I believe is the first blog dedicated to being a user controlled testing and evaluating site. The vehicle I have purchased is a very bare 1990 model of a Nissan 240sx. Every part of the interior and exterior has been removed from this vehicle and it sits ready for the users to start adding parts for a systematic review.
At http://s13bay.blogspot.com/, the consumer will be able to interact with me; the owner of the car and the person responsible for writing the reviews. Why would the readers listen to what I have to say? Because I am just like the reader. I have felt the pinch that this economy has driven upon us and I have found myself looking for the product reviews that on those things that we have been told by the news media to steer clear from. I wanted to know if the cheaper product was cheaper because it wasn’t made well. I wanted to know if the cheaper products are that price because the big name companies charge a large “name brand” fee. I’m not just the seeing it from the consumer side looking for the review, I’m looking at it from the side from the avid motor head.
What will my tests include? My tests will include everything that claims a performance factor. My tests will include the full review of every one of the human five senses that becomes aroused by the new part. My reviews will include installation of the products, any necessary cleaning for proper fitment and function and time spans and ease of use for all these. My tests will include measurements of necessary items for consumer comfort of interchangeability between like models. All of my observations will be recorded and photographed for consumer comfort.
In this world knowledge is power, and in the world of automotive performance, power is the key to success in any avenue whether it be competitive sports, leisure, or recreational driving. I am willing and able to answer any and all questions you may have after you have read through this letter. I encourage you to see the blog at http://s13bay.blogspot.com/. The blog targets the automotive sport consumer and will curtail to their very request. I leave myself open both there and here for any criticism or suggestion. Please review my requests on the next page and a list of benefits that may be open to you as a producer of fine automotive performance parts.

Interactive "Requests"

I hate rules, I can't stand them really. But in order for this to work I need to set some up. In order to refrain from using such a harsh word, I will call them "requests."

1. Suggestions are to be left in the comments boxes. Once I learn how to use this a bit better, I'll see if I can create a "suggestion box" or just rename the comment area.
2. I will ALWAYS leave this site open to the public. I respect everyone and anyone who posts here should too. Any rude, cruel, or belittling remarks and bad language will be DELETED, no matter what useful information is left in them.
3. Bear in mind, I am ONLY testing a 1990 Nissan 240sx. If you are wanting a product tested, your suggestion should include the product that you want tested from the ebay store that will fit that criteria. IF your suggestion or question is about a part for any other model, find a part that works in the same general area and manner on the 240sx and it will be considered like any other suggestion.
4. This build is funded by MY money only. I am the furthest thing from rich you can get. Items will NOT be tested every day. Always check back to see if your suggestion is being tested.

Disclaimer:
I am adding this into this section so as to steer clear of any moron who seeks to make money from a family guy. All tests and evaluations are conducted by the owner of this vehicle. Results posted as findings are the results found by the individual who owns and operates this vehicle and blog spot. Results are not guaranteed to be the same results other consumers may have with identical or like products.

These Requests will be amended from time to time without notice, so please check back as often as possible. Thanks!

Introduction

Hi, my name is Mike and I am an addict. Now that I have accepted it, I am able to share this with everyone else without being scared. Now, my addiction isn't what most people would consider a need to attend a support group of any kind, but I typically find my way into one, either on 240atlanta.com or Zilvia.com, or the biggest and best, Nicoclub.com. If you haven't quite caught onto it, I am addicted to cars, most especially cars badged with the Nissan emblem. My first Nissan was an Altima. A four door get me here and there and everywhere car. It just so happens to be my very first car that I paid for with my hard earned money. I've explained most of how and when I found my first 240sx so I won't waste your time with that here, but if you haven't got word about it, you can read it on my cardomain journal linked to the side. After that first one, I was hooked. I now have acquired my seventh 240sx. Including my Titan, that makes the total of nine Nissans.

The focus of this blog and my current venture will be the effects and performance of ebay purchased items. I can not even begin to explain how many times I have read "you get what you pay for," and "don't buy the cheap ebay ones" when reading posts on numerous enthusiasts sites. I soon came across one where the original poster of the thread replied to those comments with a "why, did you have a bad experience?" I became very intrigued with the response that followed, "No, but it's ebay stuff." Being the curious one for most of my life, and maybe a little bit stubborn some may end up pointing out, I have given myself a mission. It is my mission to ask the community of automotive forums what they want to know, and after I find out, it is then my mission to report my findings.

Of course this will not be easy. First of all, I can not afford every kind of car that ebay stores provide cheap parts for. It's just not in the cards for me to become that rich to not only buy the cars that I will end up taking questions about. Also, I am on a lower middle class family budget, I have five kids, I work full time and I go to school a few days out of the week. However, because I am what our modern culture would call a "Car Nut," I have plenty of experience in driving for sport. I understand, and have taken classes on, much of the mechanics on a vehicle. I have been behind the wheels of a car or truck as much as I was able to for the past 13 years. I also served in law enforcement for a long part of my career and have been able to participate in a couple Emergency Vehicle Operators Course's. I know how a car drives, I know how to make a car behave in a manner to put stress on specified parts. I know my 240sx. It is my sincere hope and number one goal, to provide accurate reports of performance from the point of view of a typical driver involved automotive sports, and leisure/recreational driving