V6 into a RHD Chrysler Neon mk1

[mitsuru]

Update on the 350z muffler enquires
A standard second-hand back box/muffler from the following places with prices.

North East Motor Salvage Peterlee (5 miles away) £100.00

Jap Parts, Stockton (15-20 miles away) £200.00

I'm going to another local scrapyard this week to see what they have in, but I
might need to be looking at a similar exhaust off something else.

[Rob Bell]

MGF or TF one might work for you?

http://mgf.ultimatemg.com/group2/exhaus ... rences.htm

The later versions (post 2001) have a straight back flange, and might be ideal for mating up to your Neon's existing system.

[mitsuru]

One Radiator fan done so it jut needs a bit of angle iron to bolt
the fan to the slam panel.

The 4 on the right have been trimmed to fit each position & take
a bolt. facing out over.





I made the bumper filler like treacle rather than a paste, this is so
it could be poured into the nooks and crannys sp it filled and acted
like a glue too.

The bolt heads were immersed in the stuff so that the bolts don't
need a spanner to hold them while fitting.













Apart from the pits of metal to bolt between the frame and the
slam panel, that fan just needs the filler filing and smoothing.

One down one to go!

On the exhaust front, I have been in touch with a ebay seller of
a second hand 350z exhaust. Who's item listing states collection
only.

But after a polite pm/email about the possibility of him sending it
either by post or courier, has agreed to do so. For which I have
said thanks. So now it is a matter of waiting on the item auction
to end, which is just within the next 48 hours.

I'm still going to a scrapyard tomorrow before my appointment at
the hospital.

[mitsuru]

Okay as I was out food shopping I popped into a hardware
store in Hartlepool for some angle/bracket metal made out
of alloy (so no need to paint it) this is for the rad fan fixing.

After food shopping and a hospital appointment, we had to
drop some food and prepared lunch off for my 85 year old
Great Aunt Polly. Mother was driving me around in dad's old
Land Rover Discovery. And the bloody thing didn't want to
start.

10 minutes later it did start so, we went upto the scrapyard
I normally go to in Wingate called Charles Newton's Scrap &
Spares. While I hobbled around the yard and looking where I
could to see what was avalible, mother sat in the Discovery
with the engine running!

No 350z's, 1 MGF(back box had seen better days) and a
Mitsubishi GTO (which had already had the exhaust system off)

Then I get home only for the fridge door to brake at the top in
hinge. Lucky for me the bits I got at the hardware store fixed
that.

The weather forecast for Thursday Friday and Saturday, is
supposed to be rain rain and more rain! Then on Sunday they will
be closing off the main route through Blackhall for the Olympic
Torch Relay.



So as it comes into this area the local media are going all out nuts
about it! I wish the torch and all the backup flames go out at the
same time!!! yes I hate sports.

[mitsuru]

As my bonnet/hood has been scratched and very shallowly dented
and I was surfing the parts suppliers, I went onto RockAuto's site.

Heres something to have a laugh at, look at the shipping charge!



Oh well I'll just have to get this one seen to by a specialist here
if possible, and it would be a fraction of that price.

Onto the subject of the 350z back box/muffler, I now have won two
on ebay!!! So at least if I screw up with one I have a spare.

A reminder from my mother
"Wasn't that thing a cheap one fitted to the blue one a few years ago?"
That thing she was referring to, is the currently fitted back box.

Which had sat out side in the British weather for a year before it was
fitted to Christine, which was about 4 years ago. And indeed had been
a cheap one fitted to a previous mk1 Neon about a year before it was
involved in an accident, and then scrapped.

How time flys.

[mitsuru]

Please Note
A situation within my family has arisen which means this project is
now on the back burner. An elderly relative who has lived alone for
some time, has had a fall and a stroke, and it's not looking good at
the moment.

[Renrut]

Sorry to hear about the poorly relative. Having gone through a similar experience about a year ago with my Nan (DVT then stroke) just spend as much time with them as you can as these things can go downhill rapidly. I'm not saying they will though just prepare for the worst.

[mitsuru]

As I couldn't get the battery into the tray because the side lip
was too high and the metal backing/frame for the passenger
side headlight was getting in the way. So out with battery tray
and out with the grinder.

Before



After



And after 3rd coat of gray primer



2+ coats of primer to go then the colour.

Both Nissan 350z mufflers have been posted, so pictures when
they arrive. My friendly mechanic has agreed to customise, and
fit one, once the car has been moved onto the inspection pit.

[mitsuru]

After over doing it on monday the most of tuesday resting.
But when I went to give the battery tray a coat of colour paint,
I found 3 spray cans were full but couldn't spray, 2 empties, and
I got 3/4 of a coat of red before it too ran out!



I have to go food shopping so I'll grab some spray cans while I'm
out. I wouldn't have minded too much but with it being nice and
warm it was dry within 30 minutes, I could have done all the coats
of paint & had it refitted today!

A rare chance to sit in the garden and take in the sun.



The weather forecast from thursday onwards? RAIN
The battery tray red is going to be a lighter shade once done so it
matches the intake manifold and the rocker covers, so it contrasts
against the black and gray that is the battery, the fuse boxes, the
TCU and the wiring loom wrapped in black tape.
What do you think on the colour scheme?

[Renrut]

WRT to the full but not spraying cans its probably down to not shaking them enough. I found this while redoing my rostyles.

Give the can a bloody good long shake (the 2 mins on the can is actually telling the truth!) and you'll get every drop out of it. Make sure if its a long spray job to give the can a shake every 30s or so to keep it mixed. Also make sure you don't spray with the can at a funny angle too often. Since keeping to those rules every single paint can I've used hasn't given up until it was completely empty and felt empty.

Oh and Black + Red, always a good combo

[mitsuru]

A rather large parcel arrived while I was out, and as I was opening
it someone wanted to put their nose in!



The exhaust system was bought off Richard in Ely(Cambridgeshire)
Who I am most grateful for him sending this to me(at my expense)
even though his listing stated collection only. If you do ask you may
be surprised at what the answer may be!



Danny wasn't impressed, he was more interested in my sandwich!





After danny had thhe last of my sandwich I moved the pipes into the
shed I moved the back box to the bench, and removed a rear heat
shield.



Before the cutting begins!!!!!!!





Using the grinder on one side then a dremmil on the other side
due to the limited access, I removed the bracket.



I removed one of the 3 fixing brackets



Now to remove the oversized exhaust tips.





Over 2 inches of the inlet pipe was left after I cut the pipe just before it
bends. This means a tighter bend can be used if necessary.
But it has been cut this way so the back box can be twisted/tilted to suit
the underside of the floor pan.



The bits that were cut off, dad said he wants the exhaust tips, lord knows
What for!



Oh and a new front License plate bracket for a neon is being organised for
me by das2123 who is off neons.org forum.

[mitsuru]

I ordered a show plate a while ago as it was only a couple of quid.
It was bought to be used as an emergency spare incase someone
tried to nick my number plates like they tried with dad's discovery.
(they damaged dad's but didn't nick them)

After dad had damaged the neon's number plate bracket and plate.
I started the thread "USA SIZE BUT UK LEGAL LICENCE PLATE" to
see if I would be able to use it with the replacement license plate
bracket, this thread was ran simultaneously on the UK forums I
have this engine and transmission swap on.

http://www.practicallyclassics.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3470

http://www.ppcmag.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10062

http://yorksyanks.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2289&sid=099467af8836b7b5e4a50ce24625b490

Well the USA size plate had arrived this morning, so I put it above
the rear license plate off a previous mk1 neon(scrapped years ago)



After a few hours spent at a relatives sorting stuff out, I came back
to another delivery card, luckily one of neighbour signed for it for me.

Yes it was the other Nissan 350z mufflers!

Errrrrrr!!!!!!

I can't get in the tool shed now! there isn't even standing room!



I don't now why there is a sheet of stainless steel riveted directly to the
muffler body, in the description it says

It has a stainless shield so that from behind it is not a dull backbox. This adds to the look.

I get the feeling this one might have been modified internally.
Rain again for the next few days, and I had over done it at the relatives, so
I will be spending that time recuperating, ready for a break in the weather.

So expect more side questions in their own threads.

[owelly]

The guys over on PC seem to be mainly pedalling pub talk. I've answered your question on your other thread. I have the regs laminated in my Bongo glove box to show the plod when I get pulled pver as my plates are non-UK ones.

[mitsuru]

owelly I am not having a go at you or anyone.
By posting the links to those threads now rather than when they had just been
started. It shows how everybody has interoperated or had different views on
this particular subject.

[owelly]

My reply did sound a bit sharp, but it wasn't supposed to!
I stick to the facts I know when replying to threads and if my fuzzy head can recall where those facts came from, I'll always be happy to post up links. A bit like a recent discussion about the new MOT rules and ajustable seats. Folks are going to great lengths to make fixed seats movable and tilting seats fixed. The first paragraph in section 6.2 of the MOT testers guide and manuals states:

"Original Design characteristics and specialised modifications" "are to be accepted."

See here...: http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/htdocs/m4s06000201.htm


Have a looksy to what it says about number plates...:
http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/htdocs/m4s06000301.htm