Author |
Message |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1265 Reg: 07-2005
| Posted this on a couple of other forums, might as well put it up here Bought this stock 1991 UZZ31 earlier this year for $5000 as a low-budget weekend track/motorkhana project Interior and body were a bit scruffy but mechanically it was good, 220,000km on the clock but you wouldnt know it, recently had the major service done and it drives almost as good as my 40,000km black UZZ31 - air sus all good, brakes good (for a V8), auto fine Immediate goal was to do basic mods to get ready for some skidpan driving and strip out and get weight down to somewhere between 1300-1400kg (starting weight with spare wheel, toolkit, etc and 20L fuel - 1630kg) |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1266 Reg: 07-2005
| Why pick an underpowered V8 for this, you may ask? 1 - It was cheap (although there are even cheaper ones around now!) 2 - Could transfer some parts over from my other V8 and in the process resist the urge to modify it - that one is too nice a car to thrash 3 - Down the track it will become the test-bed for a twin turbo install that will eventually see its way onto my good Soarer 4 - Something a little different, the V8 may even turn out to be a lighter and better balanced car than a TT? Anyway, first steps were to do the usual basic mechanical service (change fluids, check over, etc) Started removing all the easy stuff (boot, rear seat, etc) |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1267 Reg: 07-2005
| Fitted a complete set of Urethane bushes to the front suspension, and installed a set of TT brakes i had spare Adjusted the air sus so the car sat a little lower, pulled the remaining interior and door trims out, the car had already dropped 160kg at this stage, and that was with the front seats and dash still in place |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1268 Reg: 07-2005
| Fitted Walbro fuel pump, SAFC and Supra steering wheel to replace the stock bus-spec one Removed aircon and got a shorter accessories belt, also swapped the extractors and exhaust system from my other car This is what 15yo cats look like! |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1269 Reg: 07-2005
| Also bolted on the slightly larger TT rear ARB (sway) bar and did the 'trackday' mod to the air sus. This is how it went on its first outing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2F_0Om5ipE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8TBQbMVdhs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKVA7yMyFmM |
Ben Lipman
DieHard NSW Soarer TT manual
Posts: 952 Reg: 04-2006
| Phil- you can get that cream plastic monstrosity of an Air con system out of the car if you try really hard. Apparently you can do it without completely disassembling the car. It got the better of me and I ended up using a shovel and sledgy to finish the job. Pretty easy to get out once it is in 50 or so manageable pieces. Cant be sold to fund other mods though It weighs heaps, and really neatens up that area once it is gone. I wonder what the weight difference is between your alloy V8 and my cast iron 6? I'd also be interested in knowing how much more weight I have forward of the strut towers, given the motor is two cylinders longer. |
Ben Lipman
DieHard NSW Soarer TT manual
Posts: 953 Reg: 04-2006
| They are a sweet sounding V8. I've never paid the 8 much attention as the TT has all the bits I'm interested in. One day, when a cheap/damaged v8 with manual conversion comes up, I might seriously consider it as another track project. You don't like that right rear tyre much do you? |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1270 Reg: 07-2005
| Haha so you noticed it doesnt have an LSD? Got one on the way though. Ive looked at the heater/ac unit and wondered how the hell it comes out, ive got the Toyota EPC and service manual so i'll have a crack at it at some point. Youre right, a manual would be nice but the auto can be made useable for this for the time being, still got plenty of other things to do. |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1271 Reg: 07-2005
| Anyway next update was wheels - The Supra 16s it came with were fine, but i have a set of Celsior 4-pots brakes on the way, so i needed some cheap, wide 17s Got some Volk Evo 4s with tyres for $600 - 9 inch wide on the front and 10 inch wide on the back Not only that but theyre significantly lighter than the smaller Supra wheels Also around this time i did the simple job of fitting a transmission cooler, which i reckon is a must-do on *any* Soarer driven by anyone who isnt a granny |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1272 Reg: 07-2005
| I was planning to leave the air sus in until i got a decent set of coilovers (handling isnt that bad with the trackday mod) but then these Supra KYB shockies came up for $100 Installation was pretty straightforward (they bolt straight in) and it allowed me to removed the suspension pump, pipes, solenoids and various other bits and pieces for a nice weight saving. Unfortunately the springs arent correct as it sits a bit too low at the front and a bit too high at the rear, but they'll do for now. In guessing that between this and the new wheels weight is around 1450kg (with 20L fuel) |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1273 Reg: 07-2005
| Another skidpan day came up... Tyres that came with the 17s were a bit crap, so there wasnt a huge performance increase. I was looking at getting some decent rubber from the States (works out cheaper even with freight costs) but then the dollar nosedived so i put that on hold. Still had fun though http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S3rIYsGFw8 |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1274 Reg: 07-2005
| At the moment the car is parked up as i discovered the ECU had a few leaky caps. While waiting on those arriving ive done the relatively simple job of bypassing the heated throttle body (just need one piece of heater hose) and also plan to make some covers for the inside of the doors as Shaun has done on his TT track car. Other immediate plans- * 4.08 ratio LSD and Celsior brakes should arrive soon * Looking at getting a Velo racing seat and a lighter passengers seat (possible Velo as well if funds allow). This should knock another 50+kg off the weight * Remove heater/ac unit and sound deadening from interior * New tyres. Probably not R-comps at this stage but close to it. Once i have these things sorted it will be time to get out on a real track and see how she goes |
Ben Lipman
DieHard NSW Soarer TT manual
Posts: 955 Reg: 04-2006
| If I was to try removing the heater/AC unit again, I'd remove the entire dash before I started. You end up 80% there anyway, and you would probably be able to work a lot easier. You may even get it out without resorting to violence. My 6yo did find it amusing though... |
Lew Radbourn
Trader Queensland / Gold coast jzs147 93 TT / uzz30 93'/ 2 X uzz31 92' s
Posts: 2876 Reg: 07-2005
| Phil; Easier to remove the complete dash to remove the Aircon I did it to mine a couple of months ago. Mate if you have the electric seats still in it removing both of them will take 80kgs out of the car Also there is a sound panel behind the air con that weighs 8kgs Then get some dry ice from AirLiquide and start removing the sound deadening from the floor each side has around 8kgs on the floor |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1276 Reg: 07-2005
| Cheers Lew, yeah originally i wasnt going to bother with the sound deadening but everyone has commented how much weight is in it so it will come out when i pull the seats So easily another 100kg to come out then? excellent, mid 1300kg-mark is looking good Then i might start on making some more power..... |
Ben Lipman
DieHard NSW Soarer TT manual
Posts: 957 Reg: 04-2006
| Hey Lew, you ever bothered with the deadening under the floor? I had a look and theres lots of it, but it seems to be more rubbery than the stuff inside(read: lots more work to get off) |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1282 Reg: 07-2005
| Few more things sorted over the weekend ECU repaired with new caps Cam's shift box installed and tested - can now hold the car in any gear, which will be useful Got some thin ally sheet and made up a few plates to cover the speaker and access holes in the doors Installed new Superpro rear subframe bushes in a couple of spare mountings i had, ready for fitting to the car when i do the diff. You can see why these are useful in this pic of the original bush/mount...
As these are horizontally mounted the weight of the subframe compresses one side and stretches the other, the result is the rubber has torn and is not supporting the subframe properly The Superpro bushes correct this while providing a more solid mount
I will also make up some new bushes for the front of the diff itself, as as far as i know these are not available off the shelf |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1285 Reg: 07-2005
| My overnight parts from Japan arrived today (after 2 months) UCF2x 4-pot front calipers and JZZ30 rear calipers I have the rotors ready to go so these should be fitted this weekend. Also scored these for cheap - Crown Majesta VVTi manifolds Although only cast and not welded stainless like the Soarer ones they are a bigger diameter and appear to be a better-flowing design. If they fit my other V8 i will then have two sets of Soarer ones to make up turbo manifolds |
Ben Lipman
DieHard NSW Soarer TT manual
Posts: 983 Reg: 04-2006
|
Phil Gibson wrote on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 - 12:13 am:My overnight parts from Japan arrived today (after 2 months)
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Mike Beck
Goo Roo New Zealand Soarer Limited UZZ31 V8
Posts: 2664 Reg: 11-2005
| This is fantastic Phil. A big to you! |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1288 Reg: 07-2005
| Brakes on! Getting there, slowly... |
Andrew McKellar
TryHard NSW JZZ30 - Transforming into a UZZ30! '84 MA61 Supra, '05 2ZZ Corolla Sportivo.
Posts: 130 Reg: 06-2008
| Keep up the great work Phil! It'll be worth it in the end... |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1290 Reg: 07-2005
| cheers mate, its already considerably quicker than my other soarer, and thats with a stock engine and diff |
Cameron Laufer
TryHard Queensland T
Posts: 465 Reg: 12-2007
| Any updates Phil, how do you like the shift box? |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1307 Reg: 07-2005
| Shift box is great! ive wired up a TC lockup switch too. Only issue is i get random ECT error messages, i assume from the ECU having a sad about not being able to control what gear its in But it doesnt affect the car at all so unless you have any thoughts on curing that i'll just have to live with it |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1308 Reg: 07-2005
| Since the last update ive done a few little jobs - tidied up the doors ready to have ally skins fitted, removed a couple of kilos of wiring and made up a centre console out of ally sheet As you can see it has all the vital switches - Torque Convertor lockup and power windows I had an unexpected win when i finally got around to removing the fuses for the stuff thats no longer in the car - heater, aircon, stereo, etc. After checking that all the vital stuff still worked i noticed that the klingon message that has flashed on at startup ever since ive had the car has gone! yay..... Also got some super grippy Potenza RE01-Rs for the fronts, and raised the front suspension a bit as it was too low - on the back i fitted the Superpro subframe bushes then got a wheel alignment with as much camber all round as i could get (not much...) The result is a much better ride and heaps more front end grip - too much in fact, as unfortunately without LSD (still!) or good tyres for the back (yet) shes very taily and will light up the rears so easily Skidpan day this weekend should be interesting.... |
Lew Radbourn
Trader Queensland / Gold coast jzs147 93 TT / uzz30 93'/
Posts: 2980 Reg: 07-2005
| Phil mate do a cheap LSD and weld the centre up then get a LSD and sit it in the garage until your welded diff gives out which could be 12months down the track I did a mates drift car (welded centre) and it has lasted over 12 months so far |
Andrew McKellar
TryHard NSW JZZ30 - Transforming into a UZZ30! '84 MA61 Supra, '05 2ZZ Corolla Sportivo.
Posts: 144 Reg: 06-2008
| Hey Phil, love the info so far. I like what Lew sways about the welded diff - probably because I now have one, but there you go. I love the centre console and the minimalist style of it - keep it up! Now that I read your thread I see that you were using Superpro subframe bushes. Are mine the same as them? Maybe I didn't get it wrong... Here's hoping. C'mon, what happened on the skidpan???? |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1314 Reg: 07-2005
| The diff thing is annoying because ive got one on the way from japan and i was hoping it would be here by now To make matters worse the guy i was using to get it has shut up shop (not taking any more orders) so im a little concerned he may not follow through My other option is to swap diffs with my other Soarer as it has a 4.08 T2 in it but of course thats extra work... hmmm.... The centre console was more about tidying up the interior and hiding some of the remaining wiring as when i take it down the drags the scrutineers sometimes frown on stripped interiors that are messy, this is also why i'll need to get teh door skins done before then too. As far as the bushes go Andrew i saw the pics of yours and mine look exactly the same as you can see (sort of) from the pic above so i assume they are made by or sold as Superpro Aaanyway, finally going to order a seat today... Velo GP90 + 4-pt harness. Will also at some stage get one for the passengers side as well. That just leaves a set of tyres for teh back as the only remaining major expense for now, thank god... then theres just the other jobs to do such as finishing stripping out the interior, fitting a surge tank... Skidpan day is this weekend! |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1317 Reg: 07-2005
| Skidpan was great fun as usual, really chucked the car around! Highlights were the front tyres which had heaps of grip, and the brakes which finally feel strong and really pull the car up well, should be even better with a decent amount of weight still to come out Without LSD it was never going to power out of corners well so i just had a bit of fun getting it sideways, grabbing heaps of lock and somehow getting it straight again hahaha Only issues on the day was a slight loss of power that developed late in the day (maybe it was the auto getting a bit hot?) and the return of fuel surge despite still having 30 litres in the tank! So ive got a couple more little jobs to sort out before the next outing... |
Adam Peterson
Goo Roo Western Australia Supercharged & Intercooled V8 coming
Posts: 1850 Reg: 04-2006
| I miss the pan days at AHG I took my old Civic R out there on several occasions. 215HP Civic at 1070kg, you get the idea I havent been back since flying off the big track at over 100km/h and nearly missing the big gum trees. |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1324 Reg: 07-2005
| So the fun part about getting a racing seat is you gotta work out how the fk youre gonna mount it So naturally you attack the existing seats to extract the rails, this is when i discovered why Soarer electric seats are so godamn heavy, theyre made of lumps of lead and old railway sleepers Also my LSD has finally landed, hopefully will get it before the xmas break |
Ben Lipman
Goo Roo NSW Soarer TT manual
Posts: 1094 Reg: 04-2006
| Bugger the factory seat rails, I'd buy either a sliding or fixed mount to suit your seat. Mine is a fixed mount for a JZA80. I have seen the sliders for around $100 on some sites. They don't weigh bugger all, and you know they pass FIA/CAMS requirements because of the sticker saying so. |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1325 Reg: 07-2005
| Velo only do a generic mount for their seats and if i just mount it directly without a rail its way too low. ive seen the rails from Bride, etc, but havnt found anywhere that stocks supra/soarer ones locally and cbf ordering from Japan right now But yes if it isnt going to work well then i might have to buy a rail |
Ben Lipman
Goo Roo NSW Soarer TT manual
Posts: 1096 Reg: 04-2006
| I just found bride rails at $250 each. Flying performance (ebay) have their version at $199. For that price I'd definitely see if the factory ones work. Monza (supercheap or Autobarn?) reportedly do a JZA80 seat mount kit for $70- based on posts on this forum. Corbeau do an adjustable mount for US$99. I'm not trying to be pushy. I'm stuck at home looking after a sick 2yo and I'm bored... |
Ben Socratous
Goo Roo SA I am the fibreglass/kevlar/carbonfibre king!
Posts: 1972 Reg: 07-2005
| I think that you'll find that FIA will take a dim view of any form of sliding seat, as will most CAMS affiliated competetions. If you are making a track car, then it is very simple! Fabricate a metal frame that bolts to the factory seat holes in the chassis. Also keep in mind that with a helmet on you are automatically a few inches taller in the seat. I'm only 5'11" but sitting in the factory soarer seat with my helmet on there is such bugger all headroom that going over a decent sized bump will cause you to hit your head on the ceiling! |
Andrew McKellar
TryHard NSW JZZ30 - Transforming into a UZZ30! '84 MA61 Supra, '05 2ZZ Corolla Sportivo.
Posts: 158 Reg: 06-2008
| Depends on what sort of events you will be doing, but generally if the car is going to remain road registered (or it can be registered) then you might be OK, but I agree with Ben that a good way to go is to make up a solid frame and mount it directly to the original mounts. That's the way my seat is going to be mounted. If you want to make it adjustable backwards and forwards, some seat mounts come with a few holes or slots, allowing you to bolt through in different positions. They look like this underneath:
They can also be height adjustable, like this:
Bolting directly into the original mounts can be a bit of a trick, as they are not parallel (one of the front mounts is offset towards the transmission tunnel from memory), but it can be done. When mine eventually gets finished I'll put up some photos, but you might not want to wait that long! |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1326 Reg: 07-2005
|
Ben Lipman wrote on Monday, December 15, 2008 - 04:30 pm:I'm not trying to be pushy. I'm stuck at home looking after a sick 2yo and I'm bored...
Heh no problem mate, i appreciate the ideas. You got me looking at a few other places i could get Bride soarer rails from, but as you said, with the exchange rate at teh moment your looking at $250-$300... Ben S, Andrew - Good point about sliding seats. I dont necessarily need a set of rails to be sliding, as you can see below the seat mounts themselves have holes for adjustment, i would really be buying them just to position the seat higher and avoid having to make something up that will bolt to the weird angles of the existing bolt holes in the floor These are the mounts i have As i said they need to sit on top of something as to mount them directly to the floor would be way too low, even allowing for additional cage and helmet room. (im not overly tall and have never had an issue with helmet room with the standard seats) I have an idea of how to do it using the rails i removed from the electric seat so will have another crack at it this weekend, it should be quite rigid and strong and as long as it doesnt look dodgy it will be fine |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1334 Reg: 07-2005
| Seat sorted. Got some RHS and had it cut in half lengthways, fitted neatly over the factory rail then that and the seat mount bolted to it. Cost me a grand total of $10 - worked out pretty well i think |
Andrew McKellar
TryHard NSW Soarer Sports Sedan (well, nearly); '84 MA61 Supra.
Posts: 164 Reg: 06-2008
| Nice work Phil, it looks like a professional installation. It should pass the scrutineer's "shake test" easily. |
Justin Camilleri
DieHard QLD Had a 85 MZ10, 92 TT, Now 91 TT
Posts: 906 Reg: 07-2005
| Phil, quick question, what is the offset on your evo 4's? |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1348 Reg: 07-2005
| +45 all round |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1353 Reg: 07-2005
| Just when i was wondering if i was ever going to see it... 4.08 Torsen II Courier took 4 weeks to get it from Melbourne to Perth Like the others i've bought it seems to be in good nick so it'll get bolted in this weekend, and thats another job crossed off the list! |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1356 Reg: 07-2005
| Took a bit longer as i didnt have any help this time and around with a 45kg diff on a jack is a bit... tricky... Nevertheless it was fairly straight forward- Old diff comes out As the other diff is a late model T2 the stub axles need to be swapped because the driveshaft bolts are different. I just screwed the bolts all the way in so they hit the casing and pulled the axle out. On the other diff as i didnt have any suitable bolts i had to get teh slide hammer out. The factory rubber bushes on the front of the diff suck, they wear out and generally do a pretty crap job at holding the diff. As far as i know you cant buy non-stock replacements, but apparently polyurethane suspension bushes for the front lower control arms just happen to be the exact size to fit. I had a spare set of Superpro ones- Cut the ends off with a hacksaw and grind them down abit til theyre the right thickness Need one complete bush per side (two halves) Then chop the factory rubber bits off and the polyurethane ones fit like so And in the car they look go like this Anyway, as i expected the car is so much better now, it still lights them up off the line but at least it goes somewhere! Cornering its way quicker, puts the power down with a nice controllable slide* Only one thing to say... eeexcellent... * as tested on my private race track |
Phil Gibson
Goo Roo WA '91 UZZ31 track bunky, '94 blk/blk UZZ31
Posts: 1361 Reg: 07-2005
| Bought these off a forum member (cheers Matt!) HSD HR, 16kg/mm fronts, 12kg/mm rears |