Project Manual Lexus GS300 skidder

Sounds like a plan! Would love to get skidding with some proper cars.

 

Well, I didn't get it finished on time. Was hoping to bring it back to Edinburgh, but I am back here revising for exams without it. Really not mad about it though, things have went well and I'm really happy with how its turning out.

So anyway, catchup update. Didn't get a lot of photos as I was trying to get as much done as I could before I left.

Got custom HEL braided lines for the interior brake lines and clutch lines. Guestimated a lot of things for this build when I was ordering parts in Edinburgh, and pretty much all of them were sweet apart from the length of the brake line between the rear master cylinder on the pedal box to the back of the hydro. Re-ordered that 240mm longer. When the box was in I fitted the slave and ran the clutch line. Obviously got them in purple.




Got more welding wire to finish my Kyle patented gearbox mount. 5mm steel with half of a square tube for support. Bolts to the standard crossmember.






Sits in place nicely.





I hate electronic throttles, they are usually slow and overcomplicated and just a bit shit. Decided I was getting one of those high flow ebay ones and make it fit. I wanted a 2JZ specific one to avoid having to dick about with TPS mounting issues but the only ones they do four inch ones aimed at big turbo 2JZ's. Went for it anyway, its not going to hurt having a massive throttle body. It was pretty huge when it arrived, but I'm not going to have flow issues haha. Got a local engineering firm to cut my inlet manifold and TIG a 4" pipe to it. Flange was then welded to the pipe and I had a few vacuum ports added. Still need to sand it all down and give it a polish but I wanted to try start the car, so I test fitted it.




In the left of this photo you can see where I blocked off the hole left in the firewall from the standard brake system and mounted the front T piece. The line going from the front master cylinder to that t piece is the only line I didn't get a custom HEL line made for, it isn't seen inside the car and didn't want to pay £25 when that one made ten minutes to make.


Back to the throttle body, the TPS sensor ended up not being a bolt-up to the throttle body. The screw holes were in the right place, and the shaft was facing the right way, but the shaft didn't allow the sensor to come near the mount. Spaced the mount out from the throttle body and took a grinder to the shaft and all was good.

Parcel taped the air flow meter to the silicone hose for a test start. Here is where problems started...




When I was fitting the flex plate and flywheel I messaged PMC motorsport to see if I needed to use either of the factory spacers. PMC got back to me saying there were no spacers required and told me the measurement from the adapter plate to the face of the flywheel was 48.66mm.

Assembled it with no spacers, fitted the box and got underneath to try inhibitor wiring. Have seen a couple of forums saying different things, but this is what I have found to work. There is a 9 wire plug on the gearbox loom. Its called 'P1 plug grey', the two wires protruding from the two larger circles on the back of the plug, (you'll know what I mean) must be spliced together. Thats literally it.

Refitted vacuum hoses and looped the water pipe that goes through the standard throttle body. Don't want hot water heating my throttle body and therefore the charge air.

Tried to start it, could hear the starter hitting something and the engine wouldn't hand crank. Box off and found my measurement from the face of the adapter plate to the face of the flywheel, which I should have checked the first time, was 2mm short. One of the adapters is exactly 2mm wide, so I reassembled with the spacer on. Checked the starter engagement before I put the box back on and found it was meshing with the flex plate when not engaged.

Bit of head scratching, decided to space the starter back 3mm to put it the standard distance from the flex plate. Didn't want to use washers as it seemed a bit ropey. Took some 4mm steel, made up two plates that match the full surface where the starter mates with the engine.



My dad came into the garage and helped with lifting the box back in and we called it a night. The next day I put the middle section of the exhaust back on so I could test start it and not annoy everyone in a two mile radius.

Started straight away and it makes mad induction noises, but there also is a nasty intermittent noise. Comes for 30 seconds and goes away for 10. It sounds like something is pinging off the flex plate or that its knocking something around in the bellhousing. I'm 99 percent sure there is nothing lying loose in there, but it looks like the box is coming off again. Yay...

After that I refitted the front bumper on quick release rally fasteners, then had a big tidy of the garage for me leaving. Got all the parts i still need/haven't got to fitting yet boxed up and labelled. I couldnt help throw the XXR's on and see how it sat.

The ride height is off in the photos, the front is still high from getting the car towed in, but it still looks cracker. Still hasn't had a wash...









Flew back to Edinburgh that night. I have the vast majority of the parts fitted and I am 95% done all the niggly jobs that make projects like this take so long.

So in four weeks plan is:
-Get home
-Get propshaft
-Get trigger wheel cut for speedo
-More wiring
-Make exhaust
-Secure shifter
-Sand, polish inlet manifold
-Mount air filter and make heat shield
-Mount header tank
-Run catch cans
-Fit slimline front arches to avoid trouble with law, will look mad too
-Attempt to go easy on new clutch and flywheel for a while
-Big skids.

 

I was aiming to be ready for the 11th, but I've had a few setbacks, not looking likely at the minute.

Thanks, it does get frustrating as fuck sometimes. I think bodywork is far harder than this haha.

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That was an old post, there is a fair bit of info about going the BMW route in the rest of this thread.

 

Exams done and I got back home just over a week ago. Working a lot of hours at the minute to get out of my overdraft again after partying a little too hard after exams...again. But every day off or spare couple of hours have been spent at the car.

Pushed the car back in the garage and everything unpacked and got started.





Started off by making aluminium brackets to support the HEL break lines. Riveted the brackets in underneath the carpet and cut slits to poke them through. Little brake line brackets then bolt up to them.








Made up the accelerator cable. Had to make a bracket then tap and drill my inlet manifold, used ptfe tabe to avoid leeks. I made the bracket out of two layers of aluminium, but it bends slightly, so I'm going to remake it in thicker steel.









With the accelerator cable in, thats the pedalbox fully hooked up.







This is how the reservoirs turned out. Kept them tidy with P clips. Again, may not be for some people, but I love it, and the glovebox opens without coming near them. Racecar.






I got round to making up an induction kit. The plan is to fit a heat shield, boxing the filter in and the have a NACA duct in the bonnet feeding it for added ramair points.









Made a little aluminium bracket pop rivet to the filter to support it. Bolts to a rinut.





Had my girlfriend round helping me a day, she helped stick on the Kode steering wheel she bought me.









The stitching and top marker are both yellow, photo came out a bit dodgey.

While Rebecca was at that I extended the hole in the tunnel a little to allow the gear stick through so I could refit the centre console. Trimmed it where the reservoir lines go through and where the hydro is. Used that as an excuse to refit the rest of the interior.









Still need to sort out the area where the gearstick comes through. Have to get a longer gearknob and a gator, and mount the isolator switch in there.


I'm really loving how the interior is turning out. I have a good bit more to update, including a few problems I have hit, but I am wrecked and going to bed.

Night All.

 

Cheers man. Was initially planning to get the wheels powder coated, but I think I'm going to leave them now.

 

I live very close to the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, and about forty minutes away from my house is a little town called Donegal. There is a rally there annually, which is a lot of fun in itself, but what makes it proper mental is the hundreds of modified cars that gather at night. It is literally like the purge, hundreds of cars blocking either side of main roads and lines of cars donutting and general havoc in the middle. As well as donutting and carpark drifting legally during the days after the stages in the morning.

The aim was always to have the car ready for then, but there have been delays and some head frying legality issues. Lost the plastic part of my licence like a year ago on a night out in Edinburgh, and when I phoned to get an insurance quote they said they will need a copy of my licence. I sent away for a new licence and royal mail lost the fucking letter, meaning I now have no licence or counterpart. I don't remember if I used a copy or my real birth certificate too. Should probably look for that.

So for a sit rep, the car will probably be ready for the Donegal Rally next weekend, but I won't be able to insure it yet. GUTTED!

But, on with whats been going on, so the main issue I have been dealing with is the noise I mentioned before I left last time when running. Pulled the box again and found it was the ring gear hitting the back of the block.
I seen that it was only hitting the protrusions around the rear main seal, and although I didn't feel good about doing it, I took a flap disk and a grinder and took about 1mm off where the ring gear was leaving marks.







Found that the ring gear was still hitting. I spent a couple of nights researching and trying to find a different ring gear to fit, when I decided to message PMC to see if spacing the ring gear and therefore the whole clutch/flywheel assembly out would affect the operation of the clutch. They replied saying it was fine, so I swapped in the thicker spacer that came off the car moving the assembly out an extra 2.5mm.


The car now runs fine with no nasty noise, I went to bleed the clutch and try it out, but the fucking reservoir is leaking. Might use it as an excuse to buy three nice aluminium ones. Probably will.

Proof it lives again, I have clearly gone for the 'car day' look.

With the box in for what is hopefully the last time I got round to making something to support the selector arm. Bought a rubber bushing, drilled it out for the arm and made up yet another little bracket. 4mm steel, there were already threaded holes in the top of the tunnel for mounting a now redundant bracket in the car. I stuck four bolts through them and got four nuts to suit.

I think it turned out well.











Been sorting out A LOT of small jobs on the side too, stuff like reverse light wiring, wiring in fans, removing the ABS rings from the driveshafts, refitting braces etc...





Here is a picture of the fully assembled rear end, still haven't welded the diff, so its still shit looking. Need to wait till after MOT for that, and maybe after I bed in the clutch and the flywheel, for their own safety.





I realised the other day that I never put up a picture of the serpentine belt I got. After I removed the A/C I measured the size I needed with the old string method, think the belt is off a V6 Audi..





So thats where I'm at now, I ordered a better brake line flaring tool, because the cheap one was shit, also waiting on a prop donut so I can get the two props cut and welded.

I am so close!

 

Update time again.

So whats been happening since the last post.

I got my new flaring tool, and finished up plumbing the metal brake lines to my HEL ones. Here are the rear ones, bent the factory steel ones round to a t piece and fitted the HEL line. Rivnut to mount the t piece.







At the front I managed to get one of the steel lines direct to the t piece, and bent some copper line for the drivers side. Routed it behind the fuse box for a clean look.




Next up was the catch cans. One of the factory breathers returns jest behind the airbox, and one to the inlet manifold. Because of the difference in pressure I wanted a dual can setup.

Fitted them where the battery used to live.









There is a lot of tubes and vacuum lines in the bay now, but I spent a good while routing them all the neatest I could get them. I like it alot.






One thing that was really annoying me was the snap off boss I got. I only realised after I installed it there was a bit of play in the steering wheel. I could wiggle it back and fourth, immediately decided I couldn't live with it and ordered a new one.

I initially wanted one of the spline style ones, but bought that shit one because it it allowed me to wire in the horn. Bough a spline one and got around the horn issue by wiring it into a little switch. (Little red square button to the right of the wheel).






I did decide to get some nicer reservoirs afterall haha, purple of course. Wasn't risking these ones leaking too, so I PTFE taped them before bolting them in.






More to update, but I'll do it tomorrow.

 

Continuing from last night...

I got my custom propshaft made up. The rear section is stock and the front section is a combination of three shafts. It was done by a reputable engineering firm and looks like a good job.

Its been wire wheeled and painted since the test fit.








The most time consuming thing I have been at recently is my exhaust. Made from straight 3" and 2.25" mild steel pipe. I would have liked to do it in stainless, but I dont have a TIG welder yet. I'm planning on priming it and painting it in high temp paint to stop rust, but I have to finish off a few of the welds and I'm out of welding wire. It was a bit of a bastard making all the cuts with just an angle grinder, a cut off saw would have halved the time it took.

Its a manifold back at the minute, but as soon as the car is through MOT im going to pull the cats out of the manifold too. Haven't had a chance to clean up the welds yet, so excuse that, but it turned out pretty sweet looking.





Going to go in and do a bit more work, but to anyone who knows a bit about the wiring for these cars, please keep an eye on the thread, will post more about my massive fuck up later haha.

 

Thats a nightmare. Done them extra tight after reading this. Cheers.

You dont happen to know much about the wiring in these cars? I fucked up a little.

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Thanks for the offer, but this car is eventually destined for a big gay wing!

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Thanks man, it turned out even better than I imagined it, miss that car!

 

Hey all, so this is my official cry for help. The car is now finished apart from fitting the front arches and NACA duct in the bonnet. Hopefully I'll get them on tomorrow.

So after tomorrow, my wiring fuck up is all thats stopping me getting some insurance and booking an MOT.

So on to this wiring issue, but before we start, I will genuinely Paypal gift £25 for a few cases of beer or a bag of grass to anyone who can help me get it going.




This is the relay box that sits at the back of the driver side engine bay, it has the horn relay, a few ABS/TRC relays and some white black wiring to a little blue box.

Next to it in the loom is where the four plugs that go to the ABS unit are. I had the car started fine with the four ABS plugs out and no relays bar horn in that relay box. I the tried to tidy up the wiring in that area by cutting back all the wires for the ABS plugs and wires that went to the unused relays. After I done that the car wouldn't start and the red security light flashes even when the key is in, meaning I have an immobiliser issue.

I didnt cut them back too far before trying to start it, so I can still see all the wires leading elsewhere in the loom that are cut.

If anyone is able to help I can provide a list of the colours that I have cut and colours that are still intact.






All help is really appreciated!

Will update recent progress soon.

 

There has been a serious lack of updates on here, but I left my memory card in the flat in Edinburgh. We have since been reunited, so its all good. Look forward to many updates in the next few days.

Teasers <3