Sleepers official build thread

A few more mods .............well havnt touched the car for 3 weeks :sad2:

Its now got a different front - finally got hold of the nismo grille to go with the body kit .

and a larger bore rear box I could only get a 5 inch :bigsmile:

Rewired the F con - The 4wd now working properly .

Changed the air/fuel map a bit as the high boost is down slightly now at 1.5 bar . Power is just over 500bhp with 440 ft lbs of torque .

That is at the hubs

Max Tourque now come in at around 4500 rpm and does not really tail off till over 6000 rpm
Inerior is slightly different now but will post some pics once I ve taken them.

 

[SLEEPER]

Re: Sleepers Stagea project feature now up

Abbey sorted the 4WD out and dynod the car .

The new forged engine build , install and mapping were done by tweenierob at TR Racing

I have done the rest Suspension , brakes etc

 

[SLEEPER]

Re: Sleepers Stagea project feature now up

Well a year on and a few things to write about.
Ive hardly touched the car !!!! driven it a lot though.
I have finished the interior off its now all black and added a few cosmetic bits but thats all.

I took the car to the pod but had a real problem with the gearchange - the 32 box doesnt like quick gear changes at just under 9000rpm if fact it doesnt like them at all now .
Next week it gets a very late GTR box which is much stronger and has better syncros and finally a factory LSD.
This will mean I can finally get the F con mapped with a full launch control - should be interesting

Nearly forgot the car had a 6 page feature in jap performance magazine November 2010 so I now have a proffessional CD of pics..................

and my favourite

 

[SLEEPER]

Re: Sleepers Stagea project feature now up

A christmas update
Finally found a low mileag late GTR gearbox - the last few came with double syncros

Fitted but not tested :sad2: as the OS Gilken twin plate clutch doesnt do gentle starts so taking it out in the snow is a tad dodgy.

 

[SLEEPER]

Re: Sleepers Stagea project feature now up

500bhp atw in snow is a bit silly but I do have a lightly modded auto stagea which Im driving in the snow.

Standard equipment on the top model is snow mode plus an extra button that electronically controlls the diffs for maximum traction , thats on top of AWD .

Its so good that you find yourself going to fast to stop quickly even with full ABS.

Wayne the boxes are not so much hard to find as hard to get at a reasonable cost.

 

[SLEEPER]

Re: Sleepers Stagea project feature now up

Another update

Finally got to test the gearbox. I can now change gear at over 8000rpm without missing gear.
Seems no sooner one thing is fixed something else happens
Recwently I had the ignition ampflifier start missing at around 5000rpm during a dyno day organised by Jap performance magazine. This is a known problem on RBs and may be because of the heat .
Normally the amp is bolted to the rocker cover so can get very hot on high boost.
So I ended up with a new amp and it seemed worth solving the problem,
There are quite a few brackets to raise it off the engine but their are silly money for what they are (top secret never made anything cheap. ) so I though I could do better - well maybe not better but at least as good only much cheaper
Anyway I have raised it by changing the bolts for studs and just bolted it higher up approx the studs roughly 60mm off the cover ,
Cost a whole £ 7 which is probably a tenth of the cost of the top secret part.
Only mod needed was tyat I needed to lenghthen the coilpack loom so bought a new one and just lenghtned the wires.
Hopefully should now be 100% and will be doing some timed 30-130 runs at Marham airfield base in March .

Might even get to find the top speed ( if I dont botttle out)

 

[SLEEPER]

Re: Sleepers Stagea project feature now up

Another update ( well I cant be expected to leave it alone for more than 3 or 4 months)

Have finally got round to taking a pic of the raised ignition amp

I made up a proper cold box for the induction

The nismo front has low level ducts for this very purpose so I made some ducting out of grp from the vent directly to the cold box so all the ait goes to it. I have never like the look of boxes closed in at the top so I made the box out of carbon with shaped the sides and Stagea door seals on the top so they seal onto the bonnett carpet when it shuts. Took a while to get it right but I like it.
I used gold reflective tape to reflect the heat of the engine which gets very hot when running full boost.

Also have fitted a tyriple plate exedt carbon clutch which should end al lprobelmes of slipping etc . Hope it works as good as it looks cos its one pretty clutch

Having driven the car with this clutch I am seriously impressed . It has a very light pedal yet has no trouble with full power launches and is even almost easy to drive through town as a standard clutch .

Finally fitted a set of toyo 888s . I wasnt sure what difference they would make but the grip is definately now at a different level even in damp conditions.

Ive also bought some Nismo adjustable s tune suspension which will go on . This is probably the best suspension available except the likes of nitron coilovers ( circa £2700) It is only available for the autech version so next job is to change the rear hubs for GTR ones as the suspension will then fit. ( the mounting is different )

 

[SLEEPER]

Re: Sleepers Stagea project feature now up

The cool box which has a gold heat relective outside already sheilds the exhaust completely so I dont need to sheild it from the induction.
Besides the engine runs pretty cool for an RB26 and although when you lift the bonnett it is really hot off track the electronic guages never go above 90 degrees - oil or water
The triple carbon clutch was less than 1000 miles old and came out of a 800hp skyline having a sequential gilken box fitted . This meant it had to have a gilken clutch so I was lucky as the tuner knew I wanted one . Including fitting circa £1250 a lot of cash but an awful lot of clutch.


oh and its actually about 580bhp 500 is at the hubs

 

[pgarner]

Re: Sleepers Stagea project feature now up

whats the pointof raising the ignition amp ? just for better cooling ?

 

[SLEEPER]

Re: Sleepers Stagea project feature now up

Yes my RB26 doesnt run hot (as in oil temp) but the casings get very hot and ignition amps breaking down can be a problem as they earth to the head

The mod cost under £1 and took me 30 minutes to do including recutting the hole for the wiring loom.

 

[SLEEPER]

Re: Sleepers Stagea project feature now up

apologies for the very late answer as only saw the question when I logged in today to give an update.
Nearly forgot - cancelled due to weather

Anyway we went for our annual MOT yesterday . Passed apart from a split inner front driveshat boot . All now done .

Going to do some performance events this year so it is going for a remap at a higher boost and to properly set up the launch control . Im also getting the ecu properly for flat out top speed run .

Also Ive got a spare rear stagea subframe so will be making up a complete new back end. It looks like GTR hubs will fit so I should be able to use the nismo S tune suspension. I will then probably get the arches rolled so I can widen the front track to match the rear

Already booked the hotel for friday and saturday for the marham 30-130 and the top speed run ,

 

[SLEEPER]

Re: Sleepers Stagea project feature now up

Things just dont go according to plan

Mods done for the top speed run happening at Marham air base this weekend.

As the runway is 60 yards wide and over a mile and a half long the car will end up going pretty quickly so I took the car in to RK tuning to have an electronic accusump fitted and have the top end map checked.
While taking the the rad off it was found to have a split that was just starting to leak . Basically cause by not enough clearance between the rad and the front front cross member so the rad was chaffing against the chassis . Only a bit but over time it had caused a small split each side although only one side was weeping. its not aproblem because the rad had to come out to fit the accusump .
The rad only needs welding up the splits and grinding away the offending metal on the chassis . The mounts themselves are fine.

Trouble is sending the rad away will mean the stagea wont be ready for Marham. Still it could have been worse.
Ive also fitted some areocatches to the bonnett. it took an age to line everything up but its done now . I went for balck catches as carbon looks too chav ( for me ).
When it was done I ended up painting the bonnett and catches so they blend in better.
Pics to follow.

 

[SLEEPER]

Re: Sleepers Stagea project feature now up

Just realised that I had not uprated this thread for nearly a year , clearly I am slipping

Started the rear end changes this week - ( well the 32GTR is finished and I have to do something )

The complete subframe is being taken off and I am changing all the arms and bushes in one go.

This includes new whiteline subframe bushes ( not just the collars) and diff bushes .

I am fitting 32GTR lower arms ( wishbones ) and replacing the caston iron stagea hubs with 33GTR one . These are alloy and weigh a fraction of the stagea ones.

All the arms are now adjustable and have been polybushed .

Fitting the alloy hubs allows me to fit Nismo S tune adjustable suspension to match the front.

Pics to follow as soon as I get them off my I pad

Also fiting a genuine solid nismo quickshift kit

 

[SLEEPER]

Re: Sleepers Stagea project feature now up

some pics of the rear end work

at the start

rear end on the floor

the arms with new polybushes

lighter alloy hubs and new whiteline subframe bushes ( not just locking collars)

comparing the bushes that came out with the whiteline ones

putting them in

the arms and hubs are fitted

then it was all back together with the Nismo S tune suspension.

So far we have had hardly any dry days to try the car out but the back end felt so much better on the way home even at normal speeds.

Looks like testing will have to wait as the car is going to be a guinea pig for some new electronic gizmos

Basically we are fitting a new G sensor system which is being developed by a boffin on the GTR oc site ( who happens to be a good mate )

The plan is that the Stagea will be fitted with a much better g sensor which will react much quicker than the nissan unit. This has already been proved worthwhile on GTRs.
The difference is that it has improved lateral g sensors as well which stageas dont have at all.

So I should be able to adjust the awd split and also be able to electronically control oversteer/understeer .
The systems has the software to control this - all we need to do is to fit a 33GTR awd ecu and wire in the lateral sensor . Simplezzz

Im told this shouldnt be too hard !!!

Luckily I wont be working out the wiring....... I only have to connect it up

 

[SLEEPER]

Re: Sleepers Stagea project feature now up

The electonics package arrived so the work begins.

The plan is to fit a GTR awd ECU and an improved aftermarket G sensor with lateral sensors. ( skylab fusion)

This should make the GTR ecu think it is still in a GTR and react accordingly.

The ecu will plug direct into the stagea loom but has a slightly different pin outs so a few wires need to be added.

Although I will be doing this wiring it has been worked out by the designer of the fusion awd system (the new version of the proven skylab TSC)

When wired up the fusion has adjustment to bias both the awd front / rear split and the point at which the car reacts to any sideways movement.

This should improve the handling quite a bit as the stagea will now recognise under and oversteer and the system can be adjusted to respond to these changes to suit the surface , driver or if on track. It should also mean a better launch for standing quarters .

 

[T9 man]

Re: Sleepers Stagea project feature now up

Sounds fascinating sleeper, I assume that this is the first time that this modification has been done to a car other than a GTR. I for one hope that you are successful with your mission.

 

[SLEEPER]

Re: Sleepers Stagea project feature now up

Sounds fascinating sleeper, I assume that this is the first time that this modification has been done to a car other than a GTR. I for one hope that you are successful with your mission.

yes this is unchartered territory or it was.......................

The work is now completed - There were always going to be a few problems" but they turned out to be in areas I had not even thought of .

The GTR ecu mounting brackets are different ( to be expected ) but I didnt think they would be part of the actual ecu housing. and even worse the light for the fault codes is in a different place .
The only way was to make some new brackets and mount the ecu on the inner wing inside the rear cabin. At least the fault codes can be read in situ now.

Took the car out today for a proper test drive and it all works.
In fact it may be the best handling mod Ive done to the car.

I decided to try it out with the "winter tyres" (Dunlop F1s) rather that the 888s
With the adjustment set on max towards RWD the back end will come out but when turned the other way it doesnt breakaway at all .
It grips so well that I will need to go on track to test it any further.

Also the car used to understeer when pushed but this goes when the lateral sensor adjustment is wound up. Again need to get on track to see how much better it is

The front rear bias works and the sensors are definately quicker . I only get a little wheelspin when I use the launch control . Hopefully with the 888s on it will launch without wheelspin which should be highly entertaining

So all in all one happy bunny

Pics on installl to follow

 

[SLEEPER]

Re: Sleepers Stagea project feature now up

8.9 I wish
I think you may have got two topics mixed up og This time has genuinely been done by road legal stagea but it was in new Zealand
Although it looked standard(ish) it was fitted with a trick auto box ( trick means I think it was a two speed and set up for the strip but I don't know the make or details)
The car had a stroked rb26 engine and ran these times cosistantly last seaon.
The spec was kept secret but the name megawot may give the power away
The power plant is now being put in a 34 gtr because cool as it was to have a sub 9 big estate to go further it had to shed some pounds.

As to going to the pod this year ,absolutely but my target time is a tad higher . Certainly a 12 should be possible but to do any better I will need to shed a few pounds and learn to drive on the strip.

 

[SLEEPER]

Re: Sleepers Stagea project feature now up

As promised some pics

The new box of tricks fitted to the original mounting bracket. This means it can be bolted up and will be the right angle (quite important for g sensors :bigsmile



with appropriate connectors (hadnt heated the shrink connectors when I took the pic )




All installed and levelled



Then fitted the controller where the ashtray used to be - Just covered the colsole with dry carbon and resin

 

[SLEEPER]

Re: Sleepers Stagea project feature now up

Seemed best to continue the new engine iinstall of this thread so.................

Picked the new motor up today







The new power plant is a step two 2.8 HKS Engine.

basic spec is

HKS steel crank
HKS forged rods and pistons
step two HKS cams
gas flowed head
HKS springs , lifters etc.
jun oil pump
modified waterways
Trust extended sump
Quaife torque bias diff
ATI harmonic damper
It also has a crank and cam trigger kit which replaces the CAS unit . The signals are much clearer and more reliable especially at high rpm.
The improved signals also allow sequential fueling

This will require an upgrade for the ECU which will probably be a Link G4 .
Another bonus is that it can run a closed loop control.
This means that with a wideband sensor system the ECU can self correct settings in real time ( within a 5-10% margin )

Put simply it can be revved higher safely.