2013 Procrastination, a B13 SE-R story...

After much procrastination and a vehicle change I finally got around to starting my 2013 challenge build. So with 70 days to go till the challenge I began to work on my entry.

I originally planed to enter a 1991 325i in this years event but after autocrossing it once I realized that its autotragic transmission was to much of a handicap. The BMW would have been an interesting build mainly because it was previously owned by a stripper and had a vinyl sticker on the back windsheild that advertised a "Pole Fitness" enterprise. That was about all it had going for it...

About the same time that I realized the folly of my initial decision I found my current Challenger on ebay. I actually bought it not with the intention of entering it in the challenge but to jerk out its engine and put it in my track car. You see I have a 1994 SE-R that is equipped with a cage etc, etc... that I use for track days, and the ocasional autocross. It's original SR20DE is getting up there in miles (286k) and it doesn't pull like it used to. For the past year I have been contemplating a SR20VE and I have almost pulled the trigger several times on ebay. One day I was doing my weekly search for "SR20VE" when I discovered my current challenge offering. For the princely sum of $1650.00 I got a 1993 SE-R with a SR20VE, the ECU to run it, a header, suspension, and a nice exhaust. Basically I got everything I would have needed to purchase for my track car plus a free car :) Score!

Nice! Should be a fun challenger! Pics?!

The original 2013 Challenger...

Stripper evidence...

It was horrible autocrossing this thing. It was probably mostly the tires but the automatic sucked the life out of it. On a positive note I sold it to my neighbor and made almost a $400.00 profit.

Track car in all of its glory. I think it rolled 286K miles about the time this picture was taken...

Now onto the new ride....

Here it is when I got it to my house. I was pleasently suprised. The previous owner didn't really know alot about the car or for that matter cars in general. It was in better shape then I was expecting.

Now for those of you familiar with B13 SE-R's you will notice that it has the Tusuru heaflights. These will also make the journey to my track car along with the engine. They are off of a late model Mexican sentra and are a popular upgrade for this generation of sentra. I will work those into my parts swap that I will explain later as it is somewhat complicated.

My assistants...

My son is enamored with "race car"...

The reason I bought the car in the first place...

For those of you unfamiliar with an SR20VE, a little back ground. This engine is equipped with VVL which is Nissan's answer to Honda's VTEC. It comes out of a japanese Primera which is esentially our G20.

For comparison sake a stock SR20DE makes about 115 wheel horsepower, which is exactly what my 1994 made when I bought it. This particular car dynoed at 177 at the wheels as it sits. I had a 1994 a few years back with a better tune, a CAI and an exhaust that was a little more optimized for a NA car and mine made 194 at the wheels. That is a pretty decent step up from the original DE.

Now you may be asking yourself why would he pull that motor out. Well the main reason that I am defying my lazy tendacies is that the red cars tranny is a little wonky and is in need of a throw out bearing. If I am pulling the tranny I might as well use the opertunity to make the car faster. The second reason is that the VE is going in my track car and I don't want to blow it up by adding nitrous or boost for the challenge.

Besides I have this laying around and it will solve the above problems nicely...

Here is a slightly complicated story of how I acquired the SR20DET that you see in the above picture.

Last year I bought a 1994 Cherokee 4x4 for $800.00 which was pretty nice and ran well. I later decided that I really did not need another Cherokee and decided to sell it. My buddy convieniently was looking for a 4x4 and had a G20 that he was sick of messing with. I traded him even for the g20 mainly because I wanted some parts off of it for my track car. It ran but was having some issues with the tune, despite this the motor had good compression and oil pressure. Imeadiatly after acquiring the car I sold the turbo setup off of it for $500.00 and a stock t25 and manifold. Fast forward a few months and I now have a complete SR20DET for $300.00 real money, not to mention an entire G20, a programable ECU, suspension etc... Sweet!

Convieniently most of the G20 stuff will fit nicely in my challenge car.

Some goodies that came with the challenge car...

Mishimoto Radiator

Mexican headlights and poorly painted core support

AGX shocks and craptastic strut tower bar...

Exhaust, it is a little large for a NA car but should work well with the turbo engine that will soon reside under the hood.

Some goodies that came with the challenge car...

Mishimoto Radiator

Mexican headlights and poorly painted core support

AGX shocks and craptastic strut tower bar...

Exhaust, it is a little large for a NA car but should work well with the turbo engine that will soon reside under the hood.

Poorly mounted spal cooling fan...

MSD RPM window switch for the VVL activation...

This seems to be a running theme in my challenge cars. Why do the previous owners of my vehicles insist on not wiring things correctly. It doesn't take that much extra effort to do things the right way

Here is an extra valve cover that was in the trunk. Soon it will be barrelling down a ramp with some wheels of its own.

Sweet! This is gonna be good! You've got some work to do by November!

I got 11th last year I am shooting for a top 10 this time around...

this looks like an awesome start for the money. makes me want to get going on my wife's B14 2.0 conversion

Best of luck to you!

(From a fellow Nissan Turbo dude)

NEOVVL's make B-series VTEC engines run home and cry to Momma. Those suckers are freakin' POTENT. Love that they can engage the intake and exhaust cams separately at different RPM's.

Got to love the B13 SE-R! Best of luck with this awesome project, I'll be following your progress!

oh good god I will be watching this, it is just too cool! I love the SE-R and finding a VVL is a bonus!

what tuning/ECU setup are you running? VE is a step Id love to tackle in my G20! Will be watching this thread in interest!

4cylndrfury wrote: what tuning/ECU setup are you running? VE is a step Id love to tackle in my G20! Will be watching this thread in interest!

The car came with a Nistune ECU, I will probably run that. The G20 has a Calum Realtime but it is a OBD2 unit and won't work with the OBD1 SE-R.

Here is the motor after labeling and unhooking stuff...

AGX's and Road Magnet springs...

Believe it or not I got this tie rod off with out breaking the boot.

Taking Axel nuts off with ot an assistant to hold the brake sucks...

...So I had to improvise

Yes that is an old shower rod. Fortunatly my wife purchased one of those half oval ones leaving this one available to assist me in the garage...

Success...

shower pole didn't work on the passenger side so I had to break out the big guns..... A piece of pipe conduit and a crow bar.

Lower cross member removed...

My new hoist... You have got to love the Harbour Freight Mailer, I bought it with a $90.00 off coupon. I am pretty happy for $129.00... Notice my sweet load leveler

Hooked up and ready to go...

Almost out...

Gotta love it

Now the cleaning begins. I am repainting the engine bay red again. Why you may ask, mainly because it was poorly painted black and I think red will look better.

Mess...

Needs some work...

This entire harness is going in my track car...

Old school ABS Ughh... Not only is it filthy but it doesn't work well.

Wiper motor removed for cleaning...