S14 Trackslag, Rust Repairs, Cage, Brembo's, ABS and Aircon Delete

Finally started prepping my car for trackdays. Ive had the car for a couple of years, but not used it much. Instead its has been festering outside and going rusty. The rust got worse than i realised and i was actaully going to scrap the shell and buy another car, but ive decided to repair it.

Plans are as follows:

• Repair rusty rear arches
• Fit origin overfenders
• Strip interior
• Fit Apex bolt in cage
• Remove ABS
• Fit Skyline Brembos
• Remove Aircon
• Go to stage 2


This thread is going to be picture heavy!

I started by stripping the interior including dash, and removing the sound deadening. I then mock fitted the cage in order to work out where and how to weld in the floor plates. This is an Apex cage, and has been a bit of a fecker to get assembled inside the car. I used a bottle jack to pump the main hoop legs out to get them sitting right on the floor. Ill get pics of this later when i do final fit of the cage.

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/698/dscn3974j.jpg

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/8581/dscn3977.jpg

http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/4643/dscn3978.jpg

http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/14/dscn4121y.jpg

Ill remove all the crappy residue before i paint the inside.

Next i started on the rusty rear arches. Im not tubbing them completely, as i don’t intend fitting huge wheels. Ive cut around 1 1/2 “ off, then ill cut and weld the inners back to the outers. When this is done, ill fit the overfenders. Im not bodywork expert and have been putting this job off for ages.

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/269/dscn4130f.jpg

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/2473/dscn4131a.jpg

Quite therapeutic ripping rusty crap and filler out!

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/5334/dscn4134f.jpg

Comedy amounts of sealer type stuff holding loads of filler in!

http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/2226/dscn4136.jpg

http://img860.imageshack.us/img860/7066/dscn4142.jpg

Nice shiny clean metal.

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/5493/dscn4143d.jpg

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/4407/dscn4145r.jpg

There are also a couple of other rusty patches on this car including a nasty bit on the sill at the leading edge of the rear wheel arch. Looks like someone has jacked it up and the sill has split then been bodge repaired.

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/3134/dscn4148g.jpg

Started investigating that bodged repair on the sill. Not only has the outer skin gone, but also the inner sill, the other inner sill part, and if you poke deeper, also the box section type part right at the back, under the rear seats. Whats even worse, is its done it on the other sill too!

http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/3632/dscn4183s.jpg

http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/2115/dscn4182.jpg

This is why i was going to scrap the car!

For F**ks Sake!

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/2261/dscn4188a.jpg

The other side is just as bad

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/4159/dscn4191s.jpg

Started by replacing the lower floor which had been pushed up by some careless jacking.

http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/9341/dscn4279.jpg

It isnt the best welding ive done, as its been hard to get all the rust cut out, and its hard welding upside down.

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/943/dscn4281q.jpg

Nice to a navan S14 being put back on the road :clap: - well the start of doing so anyway :nod:

Subscribing to the thread :thumbs:

Did some more welding today. I made a plate to go inside the sill. Pre drilled hole so i could MIG spot weld through to an original panel where access was poor.

http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/4010/dscn4289d.jpg

http://img860.imageshack.us/img860/9172/dscn4294q.jpg

I then made a panel for the first inner skin. Originally this would have gone to the lower seam and been spot welded in along with the outer skin. I decided to bring it down and sit it onto the top edge of the lower seam. That way it'll be guaranteed to be strong, and make it easier to spot weld the outer skin onto the lower seam.

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/4285/dscn4302.jpg

When i started this i really didnt want to go to town, but the more i cut away, the more rot i found. Eventually i cut the remainder of the lower rear corner off, to get all the rust out.

Had an interesting patch to make. Im no panel beater, so i experimented with a blow torch and a large hammer. Lots of smashing later and i had a vaguely domed piece of steel. I then cut and welded the last parts together. Quite happy with it.

http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/3803/dscn4305.jpg

Then i began welding the previously 'peeled up' panels.

http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/2605/dscn4307.jpg

The outer skin welded back down.

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/1732/dscn4308.jpg

Ive been having another marathon weldathon.

First i made a panel to replace the lower part of the outer skin. For this i used my trusty metal working station (vice, blow torch, hammer).

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/6720/dscn4323q.jpg

I was going to MIG spot weld this along the lower edge to the sill lip, but instead i Spot welded it to the inner panel just above. This i thought might tie these two skins together better. I was then able to stitch weld from the back side along the lower lip.

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/8558/dscn4325k.jpg

I then seam welded it to the skin. I left the rear end long , so i have more freedom when making the closing panel.

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/8558/dscn4325k.jpg

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/323/dscn4376i.jpg


Then finally i got to play at tubbing the arches. I wasnt really sure how to go about doing this. I started by cutting slots in the inner arch with a hacksaw and bending the tabs out to the outer arch. I used a hacksaw, as it leaves thin gaps which are much easier to weld up than if i used a grinder.

http://img848.imageshack.us/img848/6120/dscn4342.jpg

I then began tacking them together.

http://img863.imageshack.us/img863/2480/dscn4358d.jpg

After they were tacked up, i cut off the excess and made proper seam welds. I probably didnt need to do this, but i guess this way its much stronger, and it was good practise!

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/8344/dscn4363s.jpg

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/6883/dscn4366q.jpg

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/7192/dscn4369u.jpg

http://img860.imageshack.us/img860/1525/dscn4373.jpg

Its actually turned out quite neat, and im well happy
Just got to do the lower edges and front and rear arch closing panels. Then the whole operation on the other side of the car

Here are some shots of the overfender taped in place.

http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/8993/dscn4350e.jpg

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/4509/dscn4349dn.jpg

awesome work, love the car. black is the best colour BY FAR.

subscribed mate, good luck with the rest of it :)

Cheers. Yeah i love Black s14's. Its parts of the reason im fixing this one, as if i bought another shell, id have to get it sprayed black anyway!

Is that a 50mm rear Origin fender or 30mm?

Its a 50mm. The car has +25 rear spacers.

Nice work.:thumbs: Its good to see more amd more s bodies getting this kind of treatment.:nod:

This is the photo i am now using to keep motivation levels up!

http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/1...e495b0118b.jpg

that my mates car lol - ash wesstmoremand.. use ot live her in the uk then moved out to nz.. that car is minty mc minterson.

Great work, keep it up

:notworthy Nice work on this so far mate! :clap:

I was in the Lakes on the weekend, so progress has slowed. Managed to do a couple of hours worth this afternoon.

Started investigating some more rust at the rear edge of the arch. Cut it out, then had to put it all back together.

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/5013/dscn4424k.jpg

http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/3761/dscn4425j.jpg

This gave me the opportunity to get a hammer in and remove a dent in the lower rear wing. Id never noticed it before as the Navan kit covered it.

http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/4512/dscn4426q.jpg

Then i made a couple of closing plates. I was mid way through doing this when my grinder shat its-self, hence why its not cleaned up. Its a cheapy B&Q grinder, may have to buy a better one! :facepalm:

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/5756/dscn4428qa.jpg

I love this thread man, iv just recently jacked up my 180sx which has been off the road for a year only to find a few spots of rust. this thread has inspired to to get my finger out and get some cutting and welding done so iv purchased myself a little dc tig welder and a grinder.

Keep up the good work!

Fixed my old Black and Decker grinder, so i got busy again. Started by cutting out this crap.

http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/8312/dscn4146.jpg

http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/3293/dscn4436b.jpg

That flange (my favourite word) makes up the seam behind the rear seats, so i cleaned it up and got all the rot out to ensure a strong repair. I made a patch and drilled holes for more MIG spot welding to pick up on the flange.

http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/9374/dscn4437e.jpg

http://img862.imageshack.us/img862/709/dscn4438.jpg

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/4926/dscn4439o.jpg

http://img864.imageshack.us/img864/6194/dscn4440.jpg

http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/8462/dscn4447n.jpg

I then finished the lower closing panels

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/3207/dscn4445g.jpg

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/1869/dscn4446.jpg


Ta Da! One side of the car finished. One side to go! :)


Ive been reading some other threads and seen people taking lots more metal out than i have for the arch. So i decided to fit the wheel and the spacer, then remove the rear damper to see what clearance i get. This is with the wheel still able to go up another couple of mill. Im running 17 x 9 et 22 and a 25mm spacer with standard ish camber. So i think even with 18s they will be fine, as im using fairly stiff Apex coilovers with a reasonable ride height. The suspension cant go up much more as the wishbone contacts the bottom of the rear floor. Even if it does touch, there is plenty of scope for hammer action!

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/2678/dscn4442v.jpg

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/3012/dscn4443g.jpg

http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/859/dscn4444b.jpg

I spoke too soon, thinking id finished 1 side of the car. Just as i was putting the wheel on, i noticed a tiny bit of rust. Gave it a poke, and found another hole. Doh!

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/2574/dscn4461vr.jpg

So made a patch in the same way as above.

http://img806.imageshack.us/img806/3431/dscn4462.jpg

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/9616/dscn4463.jpg


Then i moved on to filling the numerous holes left by the Navan 3 piece boot spoiler. I tacked plates on, then carefully welded onto them, being careful not to distort anything!

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/4153/dscn4464y.jpg

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/6182/dscn4465f.jpg

http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/9063/dscn4466x.jpg


Finally done this side! (apart from front turrets, front inner arch blah blah blah)

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/267/dscn4468.jpg