New to the forum from the USA

Hi my name is Mattie and I have lived in the UK for almost 9 year, that includes a three hiatus in Germany. I have a Pulsar powered Nissan B14 Chassis which is a coupe version if the N15 Almera GTi. I hope you enjoy the post and I look forward to meeting you all.

1998 Nissan 200SX SE 1.6 (Now SR20DET 54C)

Maria's Build Thread (Carried from my sr20-forum.com page)

Mod List:

Exterior-

N15 Fenders
N15 Phase 2 Front Bumper
N15 Phase 2 Side Skirts
N15 Phase 2 Headlights/turn signal/side repeaters
N15 VZ-R Grille
N15 Phase 2 Fog Lights
Enkie RS7 Anthracite Rims w/ 205/40ZR17 BFG g-Force Super Sports
N15 Hood w/GTiR Hood Vents
Sunroof Wind Deflector (Nissan)
LED Bulbs
AM/FM Antenna Delete (provision not on the N15 fenders. Haven't listened to FM since 2001)

Future-

JDM VZR Sedan Spoiler
SE-R Mudflaps (Still need some)
Rear diffuser
Power Folding Mirrors
R33 Trunk Emblem and lock
Twin Lamp HID Conversion
Oh, and paint! Tri Coat Pearl White
Smoked Side repeaters
Smoked Tail lamps
Painted RS7 Enkei Rims
New Moldings and trim work
00-03 Maxima Exterior Door Handles
N15/B14 Front Fenders (Front half N15, rear B14 since the styling lines are off)


Interior-

Reupholstered GTiR front seats
Carpeted rear deck
Carpeted amp/battery rack
Redline Goods Shift Boot
B&M Short Shifter
Nismo Shift knob
Glove Box gauge panel w/ AFR, Fuel Pressure and Apexi SAFC-II
Apexi AVC-R mounted in center console
Autometer Cobalt Boost/Oil Temp/Oil Pressure Gauges
Chrome rings around HVAC controls
Chrome rings around gauge cluster
Red LED gauge needle kit
LED Gauge Bulbs
SE-R Gauge Panel
Window Tint
NOS SE-R Carpet
Dyna Mat
Rear Seat Delete/Rear seat belts deleted
N16 Chrome Door Handles
Momo Air Metal Pedals
Momo VZR SRS Steering Wheel
Momo Heel Plates
Fog Light/Headlamp Stalk
Variable Wiper Stalk
N15 VZ-R Centre Console w/armrest

Future-

Recaro Sport Topline recovered with 2969 Orange Alcantara Suede
2969 Suede door panel inserts
Full Autometer Nexus Gauges
Fiberglass/Aluminum Frame Amp Rack
Fiberglass Subwoofer enclosure
Variable Wiper Amplifier
iPad Mini mounted near rearview mirror
Black Suede wrapped A Pillar Covers
Black Suede wrapped front and rear tweeter mounts
HVAC LED Backlight Bulbs
HVAC Red LED Knob Indicator (Make the light on the knobs red to match gauge needles)


Stereo-

Pioneer DEH-P800PRS Head Unit
Pioneer CD-IB100II iPod Adapter
Pioneer TS-C720PRS Front Speakers in Custom Mounts
Pioneer TS-C720PRS Rear Speakers in Custom Mounts
Pioneer TS-1500SPL 10" Subwoofer
Pioneer PRS-A900 4 Channel Amp
Pioneer PRS-D1200SPL Mono Amp
Streetwires Battery Terminals
Streetwires Blue 1/0 Main Battery Cable
Streetiwires Distribution Blocks
2x Rockford Fosgate Circuit Breakers
Monster Cables 6 Channel RCA Cables

Future-

Custom Fiberglass Subwoofer Enclosure
Permanent Mounting of iPad Mini 128GB For Music Storage
May Upgrade to next generation pioneer w/ lightning digital input


Suspension-

KYB AGX w/Eibach Springs
ST Front sway bar
Cusco Front Strut Tower Brace

Future-

Progress Front Sway Bar
Progress Rear Sway Bar
Progress Front Control Arm Brace
KSport Coilovers
Bolt In Bars RSTB


Brakes-

Goodridge Braided lines
EBC Dimpled and Slotted Front Rotors
EBC RedStuff Pads
GTiR Calipers
Rear Disk conversion (rear axle conversion)
Altima Master Cylinder

Future-

Brembo Spec V calipers (Ordered 13 Feb 14)
Spec-V EBC Slotted and Dimpled Rotors


Engine/Trans-

SR20DET GTiR Motor w/Forged JE Pistons
Polished Plenum
GTiR Intercooler piping kit w/ JGY Hotpipe
Fidanza Flywheel
Excedy Clutch
200 Amp Alternator
Gates Belts
Aluminum Pulleys
Gates Radiator hoses
Nismo Thermostat
Mishimoto Radiator
Mishimoto Radiator Fan and Shroud
Battery relocated to cabin
Optima 34-78 Yellow Top Battery w/Chrome mount
Z32 MAF
Apexi Cone Filter
Painted Valve Cover with Nismo Oil Cap
Polished Spark Plug Wire Cover
NGK Plug Wires
Painted exhaust manifold and turbine housing
Braided Turbo Lines
JGY Front "Dogbone" mount
N15 Transmission (non-LSD)
ES Shifter Bushings
Full SS VRS 3" Exhaust
Turbonetics Raptor BOV - Recirculated
Silicone Vacuum Lines
Front Mount Intercooler (unknown brand)
Braided and heat shrink wiring loom/clean up
Painted engine bay
Removed A/C

Future-

Greddy FMIC Type 28
VET Head
Doc Race Twin Scroll Manifold
GTX2867
Z32 MAF Blow Through
NismotronicSA ECU
Spec-V Trans Swap (all parts ordered thanks to  [MENTION=8812]TRACKFORGED[/MENTION] and [MENTION=79]marksr20[/MENTION])
MSD Ignition



2004

So I am finally starting the build thread for Maria even though I am about to abandon her for the next six months.

Maria and I "met" in the fall of 2004. I was on the up swing of a streak of bad luck and bad decisions. I had been in the Air Force for about three years at this point and just recently earned my driving privileges back after almost a year. I will elaborate more on that in a later post.

I needed a car, more importantly a reliable car. My current vehicle, an RX7 was giving me issues and I was having to mess with it about once a week. A friend/co-worker let me borrow his 1995 Sentra XE. I used it for about a week and for some reason, fell in love with it. No power anything and an engine "smaller than my Mountain Dew". Just as I had to return the vehicle to him, another friend said he saw something like it at one of the dealerships by the base.  

We went and looked and it was a 1998 Nissan 200SX SE with a "Custom" paint job, silver and blue. It also had the side skirts and fenders from some lame body kit (later found to be the Extreme Dimensions Wide Body Kit) and 18" Enkeis. The exhaust had two giant-ass mufflers angled in a "V" formation and it looked pretty lame. The interior (if I had taken pictures like a smart person would, I wouldn't be typing as much right now) had the radio, window switch and gauge bezels painted silver. It only had 80k miles on it which wasn't too bad. Apart from the SE-R, ABS and rear disk options, it had everything. They wanted $3995 which according to my bank and credit rating, I didn't even qualify for the free coffee I had while I was waiting there.  My friend being the badass he is (he later left the military and, yeah he has done well) put it on his credit card and let me make payments to him.

So I am now happy with a new-to-me car, thats runs and, quite frankly, is the nicest thing I have owned (or sort of owned).  

Now it was time to start the "Rescue Mission".

I was friends with a guy who had and RX7 like mine and he wanted the mufflers from the 200SX, so I bartered them for a new single muffler and all the work.

I was then side tracked for further work by both my cars and my trailer being broken into and had almost everything stolen. They even let my dog (Siberian Husky/Coyote) out of the house and loose. Luckily the only thing broken in the 200SX was the radio bezel, which really, did me a favor. The radio was stolen, but it was a crap JVC so I wasn't too heartbroken, and it gave me an excuse to get a Pioneer. Luckily a friend just happened to be selling one. The same weekend the rear main seal decided to give out when my roommate was driving it. So I now had to replace that and the clutch.

When my friend and I finished installing the clutch (I was still a novice back then) we got on the road to go home. I heard this weird fluttering noise and I looked to my left and see four shiny things fly from my car...I then turned to my right and before I finished the sentence "Hold on", the car drops on its face. The car fell to the inside of the rim and shoved it into the fender. Luckily the rim was fine (I use Enkeis mainly because of this) but the fender and side skirt were screwed, which I hated the body kit anyway so once again, no big deal.

It was November 2004 and I was about to deploy when I am told that I cannot deploy because I am going to England. At this point I only had the car about a month and I didn't know what to do with the car. After initially wanting to sell it, the friend who let me borrow the Sentra educated me on the basics of Nissan and the SR20, particularly the SR20DET from the Pulsar GTiR...which they apparently have in England, I decided to keep it and bring it with me.

2005

In April of 2005 I picked her up from the port near London. I now had four weeks to get her to pass some inspection called an "MOT". Now, I am from New Mexico. If it possesses an internal combustion engine, has a license plate, something to affix the plate and insurance, you are good to go. Not over here. It failed with almost two pages of faults. The lighting "faults" were a page by themselves to be fair.

Here's what I remember it failing on besides the lights;

Suspension Front - less than allowable travel (Spring were cut)
Suspension Rear - blown shocks/to short of travel (Springs cut, nice AGXs blown because of this)
Camber to extreme
Tires worn uneven
And it went on but I cant remember.

I continued to drive it and try to save money to fix it, a loan was out of the question as my credit was in the 300s. I was kinda screwed, there was no way of fixing it for me as labour here is extortionate and the parts were just too much money at the time. (I had only used the internet for porn and ebay up to this point and didn't possess the knowledge I do know)

(I don't have any good "Before" pictures for some reason, and I have even tried to find the previous owner, but no luck)


Maria Before by Mattick22, on Flickr

After I used it (somewhat illegally) to go to the Download Festival that year (got to see Ozzy with Black Sabbath in England!!) I found an S12 Silvia on base going for 400GBP or at that time about $650. I checked my lease and found that I had a two week buffer before they would call about missing rent, so I talked the guy down to $500 and bought it. It had road tax for a year and MOT for nine months (worth $250 and $100 respectively). So really it was basic math, the car needed way more than $150 worth of parts and labour just make it eligible for MOT and Tax. So I bought it, a six pack of Corona, borrowed some tools from work and all but completely stripped the 200SX.

I wanted to do this or something like this for a very long time. I had two very specific goals as well.

1. I wanted to learn. This is my proving ground. This is where I make my mistakes and learn. This is why some of the pictures look different as it goes on because I change things once I know I can do better.

2. Number one makes this a bit difficult at times. I wanted to prove to myself and everyone else that I can start and finish something...

2006

Fast forward to 2006 and my new place. I now have a roommate and a long term girlfriend who goes to Cambridge University. I always seem to punch above my weight! I have now, through the combined resources of shared living, a three car garage in a tiny village in Oxfordshire. It is around this time that I also bought my donor car. A rear collision 1997 Nissan Almera GTi. The front end was in mint condition and the motor, wow, now I see what this whole "SR20" thing is all about. Man that this thing was fun and if it's any indication to what I'll be finished with than Ill be more than happy!


P8250099 by Mattick22, on Flickr


P8250098 by Mattick22, on Flickr

I have now pulled the motor, ripped out the interior, laid new Streetwires 6 Channel RCA cables and new carpet. The blue carpet I gambled on but decided since most of it will be covered my seats and floor mats, it shouldn't be too "loud" (as you know, I was wrong).

I have also spent time learning more about the car and the engine and I think around this time I started perusing the "other" forum. I found out what body kit it was, hated it and ripped it, the 40lbs of body filler and wood screws off the car.


P8250090 by Mattick22, on Flickr


P8250093 by Mattick22, on Flickr


P8250094 by Mattick22, on Flickr

For the rest of 2006 and the beginning of 2007 I spent a lot of time with my girlfriend and friends out drinking and seeing England. I also went on my first deployment, moved in with my now (then, married a different girl now) fiancé, who affectionately named her "Maria". After the deployment my fiancé and I broke up (one of many "break ups") and I moved out into my own house around the fall of 2007 and here is where we will pick up.

2007

Between break ups, deployments and houses, I lost a few parts. Some of them important. I spent about two or three months tracking down new 1998 taillights along with some other random pieces. I also managed to lose the damn lug nut key but managed to get the front ones off. Since I was doing the rear disk conversion, I broke off the dust cap, removed the axle nut and was able to take the wheel and drum in one piece to a shop that then torched them off.

This car is full of little "WTF Stories" like this.

My friend Rob and I spend our free time traveling the country side for any Nissan parts that I needed. Here he is grinding off the two bolts that hold the fender to the bottom rail.


P2090073 by Mattick22, on Flickr

I landed a set of front GTiR seats that I recovered with Katskinz black and blue leather/suede.


P2200076 by Mattick22, on Flickr


P2200077 by Mattick22, on Flickr

2008

Ok so I have now learned how to upholster a car seat and install carpet. I really wanted a custom look for the dash so I did a lot of research and bought an aweomse real wood pacific blue (last one made) dash kit... I really tried to love it... I really did...


P6170086 by Mattick22, on Flickr


P6170085 by Mattick22, on Flickr

I also installed the B&M Short Shifter, Energy Suspension Shifter Bushings, Steering Rack Bushings, MOMO Airmetal pedals with dead pedal and Nismo Shift Knob.


P6170084 by Mattick22, on Flickr

I wired the pillars and doors with heavy gauge wire as well.


P6170087 by Mattick22, on Flickr

I also made an attempt to make my own shift boot since I could not find an SE-R one on eBay. This means I still wasn't on the forum yet.


P6170089 by Mattick22, on Flickr


P6170091 by Mattick22, on Flickr

Man that blue carpet...yikes!

Have any of you seen the movie Greenzone with Matt Damon? All the indoor scenes of the palace were shot at the Masonic Lodge in London and the Airport scenes at an old race track north of London. I was able to be an extra in it. Look for a funny looking bald guy. When I mean "funny looking", I mean that in a general kind of way.

Ah, the reason for that was that you get paid to be an extra. So I bought some 17" Enkei RS7s with both center caps. I didn't like the 18"s that were on there before and I hate the exposed lug nut look.


P7040122 by Mattick22, on Flickr


P7040120 by Mattick22, on Flickr


Ok, so now on to 2009...

2009

In 2009 I finally got my chance to get stationed in Germany! Autobahns and the "'Ring" awaited the arrival of my awesome B14. I wanted it to be the first (that I knew of) B14 around the 'Ring, only one problem...

It was still in pieces. Not only that but in order to get it to Germany, I needed to get it registered here first. Complicating this even further, my fiancé and I got back together after 9 months... Stupid idea, it lasted 6 weeks. Now, she was not a car person at all. She had a VW Polo (smaller than a Golf). However, after we broke up for the last time (this time for real) she bought a Celica GT-Four. Now, this may have been immature, but I couldn't have her driving a faster car than me. So, I bought a crap load of ramen noodles and canned chili, checked my lease for late rent fees and bought a GTiR motor from eBay complete with a Field Active Rom ECU with selectable maps.

I only had a few months to get this done and ready for inspection. Here is the install


S3010177 by Mattick22, on Flickr

Now the wiring of this stupid thing was quite the adventure of patients and attention to detail. I was too broke to buy an SE-R harness. I have wiring and troubleshooting skills because of my job. I owned a nice multimeter. One of the new girls I was messing around with was learning Japanese and could help me translate the ECU pinout (she is now my wife. And no, not just because the car isn't done yet). I had the N14 harness and my B14 harness. So I thought it would be an awesome idea to make my own harness by splicing the two together...

14 hours later it was done...


S3010182 by Mattick22, on Flickr

I found a front mount intercooler kit in Wales so I went to Wales and ate at the Hard Rock Cafe there. I had Bangers and Mash. My friend Rob had a burger and a beer. Now, one thing I learned about the GTiR kit is that the intercooler piping needed holes cut in the body, just one more obstacle. Not a big deal but I was under the gun for time.


S3010181 by Mattick22, on Flickr

I was also doing all this work in a garage that could hardly fit a motorcycle, not fun.

So the engine is in and the damn thing actually runs! Now its time for some paint, or rust prevention really.


S3010188 by Mattick22, on Flickr


S3010185 by Mattick22, on Flickr

I installed EBC Brake Rotors (GTiR Rotors and Calipers), Rebuilt Calipers, EBC Red Stuff Pads, Braided lines, KYB AGXs with Eibach Springs.

I also scored the Phase 2 GTi Headlights, bumper and paid an extortionate amount for a VZ-R grille straight from Japan


S3010180 by Mattick22, on Flickr


S3010176 by Mattick22, on Flickr


S3010193 by Mattick22, on Flickr


S3010205 by Mattick22, on Flickr

My mom helped me out by gently folding up and shipping me one of the last Stillen rear bumper pieces. The install went horribly wrong.


S3010208 by Mattick22, on Flickr

May 2009

It was time for me to leave the UK for Germany. I got her to pass inspection with the help by my friend, Jack Daniels. I drove my 1995 Tacoma 2.7l packed full of my crap 500 miles to Germany. The idea was to fly back and drive Maria with my friend Rob across Europe into Germany.

On my trip back to get the car, I took my friend Laura out for a ride. I came up to a Give Way (like a Yield) in second gear, looked both ways and took off. I shifted into third, dropped the clutch...and the transmission... I am known to be a bit high strung at times so Laura's immediate reaction was to wait and weather the impending fallout after I go critical. However, this is just par for the course in my life and all I could do was laugh.

So it was trailer time. The opportunity to use the truck as a tow rig...fail. It took me 15 hours. For half of the hills I had to be in second gear with my hazards on.

2010

For the rest of 2009 and all of 2010, the car sat in the garage as I concentrated on paying off bills and (gulp) growing up...

2011

Back from a deployment, I spent some money on tools rather than parts. I was tired of working on things with little more than a Leatherman. I did get a few items here and there, but mostly started to install parts I already had that just need things like hardware to finish it off.

I installed the rear speakers, Pioneer PRS TS720PRS Components. I used MDF rings to bring the woofer up as the torsion springs for the trunk would not allow them to sit flush at all. Since I decided (again, for like, the 100th time) to delete the rear seat, I also removed the seat belts. This allowed me to use the shoulder belt bezel to mount the tweeters.

I used a piece of MDF and carpeted it with speaker carpet from parts express. I flipped the two side hinges from the rear seats and mounted to board to them turning it into a tray.


DSCN0072 by Mattick22, on Flickr


DSCN0071 by Mattick22, on Flickr

I also finished converting the door handles to the single pull style chrome ones from various other Nissan/Infinitis. These came off an N16 Almera.


DSCN0077 by Mattick22, on Flickr


DSCN0076 by Mattick22, on Flickr

Here I installed chrome rings in the HVAC and Gauge Cluster, installed Autometer Cobalt gauges, Pioneer PRS DEH-P800PRS deck and the Apexi AVC-R.


DSCN0078 by Mattick22, on Flickr

Oh! Almost forgot! I finally ripped out the hideous dash kit!


DSCN0075 by Mattick22, on Flickr

Around late 2011 I had a friend from work come over and help me with a few things. I definitely hated the way the engine compartment looked. It was very ghetto with rogue wiring and a washer bottle zip-tied to a cauldron of wires and vacuum lines.

So we pulled the motor and stripped the bay to prepare for paint.


DSCN0053.JPG by Mattick22, on Flickr


DSCN0052.JPG by Mattick22, on Flickr


DSCN0051.JPG by Mattick22, on Flickr


DSCN0045.JPG by Mattick22, on Flickr

And now for paint...


DSCN0056.JPG by Mattick22, on Flickr


DSCN0060.JPG by Mattick22, on Flickr

During this time we also tapped the oil filter housing for the new gauge sending units. When he went to put the assembly back on, he forgot he ate his Wheatees and snapped a bolt...


DSCN0047.JPG by Mattick22, on Flickr

Knowing she would be down for a bit, I took advantage of this time to clean up the engine a little.

I also added braided lines for the turbo


DSCN0043.JPG by Mattick22, on Flickr

I changed out the valve cover, plug wire cover, intake manifold and oil cap.


DSCN0041.JPG by Mattick22, on Flickr

Me looking confused for some reason.


DSCN0039.JPG by Mattick22, on Flickr

Shortly after this, I went on leave to get married. About 12 hours after the wedding I was called back to deploy. I spent the last few months of 2011 playing in the sand...

2012

Fresh off deployment and a Christmas food binge, I had (once again) only a few months to get Maria ready to at least trailer her back to the UK for my next assignment.

I installed the engine with a Fidanza wheel with new plate and clutch, Cusco brace, Turbonetics Raptor valve, Gates Hoses, Nismo Thermostat, Z32 MAF, Apexi Filter, Custom intake pipe, JGY Hot pipe (they were awesome and sold me just this one piece) and OEM resister box. I had made my own resister box that worked but when I cleaned up the harness I found the stock pieces on ebay and fitted them instead.


DSCN0133 by Mattick22, on Flickr

I moved back to England in late spring 2012. I made arrangements with a friend of mine to keep the car at his place in Germany until I could come get it.

In the summer of 2012 my wife and I had our proper wedding with ceremony and I had family come from the states.

In the fall I went back to Germany, now equipped with a 2006 Nissan Frontier V6 to tow her. It was so much easier this time!

2013

In the spring of 2013 I started to with trying to remember where I left off. I went through the car and tightened things up, and put the rest of the bolts in the holes of things I just slapped together.

In the summer of 2013 I was forced to move house because my landlord passed away and the estate was to be sold.  I had to work quickly, yet again to get things installed so I could move. Luckily I was only moving right up the block.

I installed the stereo for the last time and installed the door speakers and tweeters. I refined the rear amp rack and also decided that three 10" subwoofers were not going to fit, so I just installed the one. I will be redoing the sub box as the new RSTB will interfere with it. I also cut out and added hood vents along with hood struts.


1 by Mattick22, on Flickr


2 by Mattick22, on Flickr


3 by Mattick22, on Flickr


4 by Mattick22, on Flickr


6 by Mattick22, on Flickr


8 by Mattick22, on Flickr

2013 Cont.

I finished up the gauges, shift boot and also installed the coveted VZ-R optioned MOMO SRS steering wheel


photo by Mattick22, on Flickr


Untitled by Mattick22, on Flickr


Untitled by Mattick22, on Flickr


Untitled by Mattick22, on Flickr

Hi and welcome.

Great build thread! Car looks sweet!

Welcome to the forum mate

Welcome fella, will fully read your build at some point

Nice to see something different .... welcome to the site ...

Welcome aboard mate, great build tread, I have just had a flick through it but I will have to read it properly when I get the chance

that's a monster first write up lol

got a funny feeling I know you from a few years back
did I buy a car from you which had purple pearl type wheels? think bottom end had gone in the engine.
you and your mrs were packing up boxes ready to go back to the states

welcome to the forum aswell : )

Welcome mate really good write up its good to see other motors on here

Thanks everyone! I hope to get more familiar with the forum over the next little bit. I am currently trying to get everything together for the six speed swap. Unfortunately my head needs a re-shim and I am blowing oil... May need a new motor...

Bob, I am the guy that asked about the re-shim, lol.

welcome here, and nice car you have there!!

Welcome matey

welcome to the forum where did you get the gtir plug cover ? someone used to sell them on e bay but don't now I want one

I was fortunate enough to get one of the last ones that the seller had made. If my plans go through and I am able to aquire a VET head, then I may sell it. Ill keep you posted!