ARC240's RB20DET 240SX Build

[hotrodstu77]

i probably will once i start body mods

[jdms13rhd]

Wat strut tower bar is that and where can I get one

CA18 S13 strut bar by the looks of it.

[jdms13rhd]

car looks bad ass!
I like the wing!

[89Baysideblue]

this is by far the baddest ass 240 ive seen!! +1 build!

[ARC240]

Thanks for the positive comments everyone, glad you guys like it. I figure I'll start off with a few pics of how the 240 sits presently, don't think i've posted any pictures of it all cleaned up and looking the way it should, here's a few pics from the Performance World show:

I know, I know, needz moar lowar.


Neal was parked right behind me at the show, brought the car out last minute.

Engine all clean, that's what I was talking about, cam covers are actually green, my camera usually picks them up as blue lol.

Anyhow, I will update it soon with current projects underway. Thanks again for the comments!

[cschepp]

I was at this show and talked to mark about this car, what a beauty. Lets just say the pics do not do this car justice. It shows alot better and man is this car ever clean. I hope to see you at many meets this year buddy. you coming to cscs?

[ARC240]

thanks a lot Chris! finish up your beast and we'll do it up! It was nice talking to some people I knew at the show, helped to pass the time lol. I'm going to try my best to show up at a few meets this year, as for CSCS...it's a maybe, haven't gone to one yet, still on the fence about it.

Wat strut tower bar is that and where can I get one

It's a Cusco strut bar for 180SX

[canadianjoker]

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that has got to be the cleanest rb20 in the world, very nice job man, the swap looks perfect. ive never seen an rb20 look so nice.

[ARC240]

Thanks for the great comments guys! Glad you all like it!

...still trying to sort out some pesky little issues that just won't go away. You know? The ones that are just there to mess up your day? LOL, I'll get some pics of other things that I'm doing soon.

[Nissan_Sean]

Wow that does look good. I like the piping route, never seen that before. Is there a code for the purple on that 32 at the car show?

Sean

[supersayianjim]

looks very nice. and you have abs...++++

[SatoTatsuya]

Hey Mark! I absolutely love your build! I have spend all night yesterday and all day today reading through your build, and I'm completely in love with your RB20DET engine! I love how you spend so much time on the engine, making sure everything was done properly. I like that you did not rush through it.

I was wondering, though, how is the cooling system on the engine? Recently I have been contemplating a way to deal with the awkward (yet really unique design) exhaust manifold that hugs around the top of the engine. The most common tubing I've seen hooks around, almost 90*, to the other side and down to the intercooler. However, isn't that inefficiently, because the more bend there is in the tubing, the less efficient it'll be for the air to travel (as opposed to a straight-er tube)? In anycase, I have been hypothesizing a possible v-mount setup might help reduce the length of the tubing, as well as help 'straighten' out the tubes so it'll be more efficient for the air to travel.

Having said that, I have noticed your tubing for the exhaust manifold is already pretty straight, it's just the intake manifold that's quite bendy, and was thinking that that still doesn't solve the issue, does it?

Anyways, I just wanted to raise that up, because I'm no expert, but I just wanted to hear it from someone who is much more experienced than I am, especially in the RB field.

Again, just wanted to say how awesome your S13 is, and your build has really inspired me to put in the time and PATIENCE into my builds.

Cheers!

Chris (Sato Tatsuya)

[ARC240]

Thanks a lot for the comments everyone!

supersayianjim - Thanks man! ABS is there, but technically, it's "dormant" lol.

Sato Tatsuya - Thanks for the kind comments, glad you like it! To answer your question about the bends in the piping, yes, it does make a SLIGHT difference, but to be honest, it's not as bad as one might think. If you look at the setup on the Gibson Racing R31 with the RB20 in it, that's some bendy piping, especially near the intake and the team never complained about the way it ran with that setup. A v-mount setup on an R chassis (or especially RB'd S-chassis) might be extremely difficult to do given the fact that you have such little room to work with already when you set the radiator properly in the bay. If anything, you could be taking a big gamble on that v-mount setup (imo), but it'd be interesting to see for sure. If you have any more questions, don't be scared to ask, always willing to help or give a constructive opinion.

Thanks again

[Skym]

It looks very nice.

Question: What do you use to clean engine bay and do you wax it???

Also Question: How does the wax hold up to heat in engine bay, if you do use wax, or you don't drive car much, due to being a show car????

[ARC240]

SHOOT, sorry dude, completely missed that question LOL!

Cleaning:
1. Dilute 5tbsp. Dawn dish soap (or any other kind, I prefer dawn) in 1L of water.
2. Scrub the bay down with the soap mix and use of a cotton towel or very soft bristled brush. I'd mainly use the brush for metal ie. intake manifolds and stock coated valve covers. (Just a note: don't be affraid to use a power washer, just put a plastic bag around the alternator and watch when spraying near the coil pack cover). If you have a really grimy spot, you can use a spray degreaser (spray nine, castrol super clean, simple green).
3. Once the bay and engine have been stripped of all dirt/grease, follow with a good liquid car soap cut 5 tbsp soap for every 2L of water. The purpose of the car soap is to utilize it's color enhancers and optical brighteners to make everything look brilliant.
4. I dry my bay with compressed air, takes a long time, easier on the paint, but generally unnecessary, you can use a microfiber cloth or chamois.
5. After the bay is dry, use a good carnauba or polymer wax (ie. Meguiars NXT) and coat the strut towers and other painted areas on the engine & let sit for 15-20mins.
6. Take wax off with a soft microfiber towel (do another coat if necessary).
-After you've done all of these steps, use a good quality metal polish to polish up the shiny parts and if you REALLY want to be baller, go over the black parts of the engine with quick detail to get any and all water spots out.

The car is driven, not just for show, I have my share of paint chips to boot LOL.