Jump to content

Hiro's Ae102


Recommended Posts

Members dont see this ad
  • 6 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

So, after months, nay years of mucking around, dilly-dallying, time-wasting, putting it off, finding time, making excuses and general cocking about, my FXGT front bar is finally in the paintshop turning white

New wheels should be meeting new tyres in the next 2 weeks or so too, so finally some progress.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, after months, nay years of mucking around, dilly-dallying, time-wasting, putting it off, finding time, making excuses and general cocking about, my FXGT front bar is finally in the paintshop turning white

New wheels should be meeting new tyres in the next 2 weeks or so too, so finally some progress.....

 

Yay, progress! :)

 

Sweet rims, any particular preference as to brand of tyre for them?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yay, progress! :)

 

Sweet rims, any particular preference as to brand of tyre for them?

 

After spending $250 a corner for the last two sets, I'm looking for something a little cheaper :P Still want something good though, so eyeing up Kumho KU31s at the moment (about $155 a corner), might depend on how much RE001s have come down in price too now that the RE002 is out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After spending $250 a corner for the last two sets, I'm looking for something a little cheaper :P Still want something good though, so eyeing up Kumho KU31s at the moment (about $155 a corner), might depend on how much RE001s have come down in price too now that the RE002 is out.

 

It sucks how when you want really good/large diameter rubber it gets pricey :( I can give a recommendation to the KU31's :y: I used them on my AE82 TC (before the rebuild started) as well as a mate who had a set on his JZA80 (with a 1JZGTE VVTi) & both of us found them to be quite good bang for buck. They were a bit 'greasy-ish' for the first few hundred kilometres (tyre preservative stuff) but were quite grippy afterwards & not being the type to break traction all the time ensured their relatively long life. Personally I found them to be good close to the limit of traction, they'd let you know that they werent happy in advance, rather than just suddenly let go

 

I havent used the Bridgestones so I couldnt even start to compare them. :( Thats a good price for the Kumhos by the way, I paid about that for my 15" tyres :wink:

 

Edit: I'm not trying to push a particular brand, I was just curious :) Nor am I a tyre expert, just like to see what other people use & results :yes:

Edited by carbonboy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah 205/40/17 is a shitty size to run (same with 205/45/16), most of the good tyres come in it but they're always heaps more expensive, makes me sad when we were shopping around for tyres on the JZZ30 and were able to get 235/40/18 KU36s for $280 each, courtesy of the fact that it is a standard Falcon XR6/8 size...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Before

P1140691.jpg

P1140731.jpg

 

 

After :D

P1150129.jpg

 

Fitment to hopefully happen this weekend, missing a few bolts/screws here and there so going to have to track them down somehow, and I'll leave the foglights not hooked up for now, probably won't have time for that before the long weekend. Still, progress is progress :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Well, eventually got the shits with the halos and decided it was time for some fresh eyes - there are only so many times you can re-wire burnt-out low beams before you run out of patience, ring terminals, and wire. Decided to go back to combined low/hi beams, really liked the look of the BZ Touring-style headlights but didn't want the hassle of re-wiring to suit the JDM layout (parkers in the main unit, side indicators where the ADM parkers sit, no guard repeaters).

 

Eventually just bit the bullet and bought some off eBay (copies, but decent quality by the looks of them), under the impression that I'd just run the clear side parkers from the halos until I could re-wire them as indicators....only to find out that the halo parkers wouldn't line up with the BZ main units. Bugger.....hang on, looks like my original OEM parkers do line up though :D Sure, I can slum it for a while, but it is better than nothing. This feeling was then made better by the fact that what I thought were amber lenses in the side indicators/parkers turned out to be crystal lenses with amber bulbs :D So I ripped out the amber bulbs and put in some clear ones, only to find out that the plug was different/bigger compared to the OEM parker plug....bugger.....hang on, they look similar to the OEM bumper indicator plugs....no, change that IDENTICAL to the OEM bumper plugs. So I put the OEM parkers back in for a few days until I could make it to the wreckers (this afternoon) to grab the front indicator loom and gut it for the plugs.

 

Which I did.

 

Unfortunately it got dark before I could take photos, but for the first time in probably 4 years I've got headlights that I can use with confidence at night and actually see things without resorting to the high beams (which were capable of killing low flying birds and possums at the top of power poles at the other end of the street). Parkers are now substantially stronger and better spread too (the benefit of going from a 5W T10 to 21W T20 bulb).

 

Managed to get some photos with just the main units in earlier in the week, I'll get some decent shots of the whole front end at Bathurst on Sunday. After that, all I need to do is paint my open-mouth OEM grille black (had to use the black slat OEM grille in the meantime, and I don't particularly care for the import grille that came with the lights), wire up the foglights, and my FX front end will be complete :D

 

2011-06-29082625.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Alright, shopping around for tyres for the new rims, seemed like my only options were to go cheap and nasty ($100-150 no-name brands), less cheap and less nasty ($150-200 Kumhos and Falkens), or heaps expensive and decent ($250-300 S-drives, Adrenalins etc)....until the guy at Bridgestone said he's got 6 RE050As left from when he bought out remaining stock before they stopped making them.....retail ~$450+, wants $220 each :D

 

There are times when I really hate shopping for tyres, because 205/45/16 and 205/40/17 are such pricks of sizes to find good cheap tyres in. Not this time :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...