Ape's IPL build (How Nissan should have done it)
12-30-2016, 12:21 AM
#1
Ape's IPL build (How Nissan should have done it)
Guys, I'm replacing the Photobucket (****oles!) links over time. I'll have all the new image links in shortly.
UPDATE: If you use Chrome or Firefox, you can install an extension which solves the problem and makes the photos viewable. Here's a link to the Firefox software:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir...ix/?src=search
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir...fixer/?src=api
I've moved some of the photos over to the new hosting site but not all. Too many! See above.
This'll be a build thread for my Graphite Shadow 2013 G Coupe IPL. I come from a long background of modifying and tuning cars and I like to call myself a recovering modaholic.
Since the IPL is my daily driver, I'm keeping it pretty mild with a focus on increasing the car's performance envelope by a noticeable margin in all areas of performance yet not loosing any of the daily drivability or comfort of the stock vehicle.
No crazy turbo builds here (famous last words), it'll all be relatively sane, sensible mods that'll make it more of an enthusiast's car.
I've already done a number of mods so I'll start to detail things here and then reference other threads with additional information.
Let's start out with day one, after getting the car home and tucked away safely in the garage for the night!
The mod bug bit fairly quickly and after debating specs, and with the advice of a few forum members, I added B2 spacers in 20mm front and 25mm rear widths. These were bolt-on spacers, no need for extended studs. They're an aluminum/magnesium alloy and quite light. Most importantly, they're hub centric and the hub centric base does not flare out. This is important if you run aftermarket wheels with hub centric ring adapters. They'll sit flush against the base of the spacer.
They really changed the stance of the car and made it look much more muscular/filled out. It took me a while to get used to the rears but in the end, I wouldn't have wanted the wheels pushed in any further.
Man there's a lot of front wheel gap with the stock suspension!
UPDATE: If you use Chrome or Firefox, you can install an extension which solves the problem and makes the photos viewable. Here's a link to the Firefox software:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir...ix/?src=search
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir...fixer/?src=api
I've moved some of the photos over to the new hosting site but not all. Too many! See above.
This'll be a build thread for my Graphite Shadow 2013 G Coupe IPL. I come from a long background of modifying and tuning cars and I like to call myself a recovering modaholic.
Since the IPL is my daily driver, I'm keeping it pretty mild with a focus on increasing the car's performance envelope by a noticeable margin in all areas of performance yet not loosing any of the daily drivability or comfort of the stock vehicle.
No crazy turbo builds here (famous last words), it'll all be relatively sane, sensible mods that'll make it more of an enthusiast's car.
I've already done a number of mods so I'll start to detail things here and then reference other threads with additional information.
Let's start out with day one, after getting the car home and tucked away safely in the garage for the night!
The mod bug bit fairly quickly and after debating specs, and with the advice of a few forum members, I added B2 spacers in 20mm front and 25mm rear widths. These were bolt-on spacers, no need for extended studs. They're an aluminum/magnesium alloy and quite light. Most importantly, they're hub centric and the hub centric base does not flare out. This is important if you run aftermarket wheels with hub centric ring adapters. They'll sit flush against the base of the spacer.
They really changed the stance of the car and made it look much more muscular/filled out. It took me a while to get used to the rears but in the end, I wouldn't have wanted the wheels pushed in any further.
Man there's a lot of front wheel gap with the stock suspension!
Last edited by Ape Factory; 01-13-2018 at 06:55 PM.
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gill1606 (01-09-2017)
12-30-2016, 12:30 AM
#2
I've lived in Southern states for almost two decades now and I avoid black cars like the plague. I recognized a few areas on the G I thought would be a problem long-term due to sun exposure, namely the satin black trim around the windows and side view mirror pods.
While not a mod per se, I did feel it was necessary to start protecting the trim now before it started to become damaged. I'm semi-frugal and have a lot of disdain for small bottles of expensive liquid that are essentially suspended silicates or silicone oil. They're highly common, cheap compounds that do a good job protecting whatever they're sealing. But they cost very little to make. So...I ended up with 303 Aerospace Protectant which I've found I need to apply about every third or fourth wash. And it's kept everything looking great. I don't use it on the interior due to it's shiny finish. I'm a interior matte finish kind of guy when it comes to plastic and leather.
While not a mod per se, I did feel it was necessary to start protecting the trim now before it started to become damaged. I'm semi-frugal and have a lot of disdain for small bottles of expensive liquid that are essentially suspended silicates or silicone oil. They're highly common, cheap compounds that do a good job protecting whatever they're sealing. But they cost very little to make. So...I ended up with 303 Aerospace Protectant which I've found I need to apply about every third or fourth wash. And it's kept everything looking great. I don't use it on the interior due to it's shiny finish. I'm a interior matte finish kind of guy when it comes to plastic and leather.
Last edited by Ape Factory; 07-10-2017 at 11:06 AM.
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Presto (12-30-2016)
12-30-2016, 12:47 AM
#3
I was initially quite happy with how the car performed overall but there was something I couldn't quite put my finger on in the handling department. I actually noticed it prior to installing the spacers.
There was just a somewhat unnatural feeling through fast sweepers and it almost felt like the car was eager to roll over on it's sidewalls. It also felt like there was a bit of rear wheel steering going on even though there isn't.
A few other areas I thought needed improvement:
-Low speed compression damping. Needs more.
-Rebound, needs a tad more.
-Body control. There's a lot of movement at the corners through bumpy corners. See more compression damping.
-Front wheel scrub in low-speed corners, aka understeer. You can throw the stock car into a slower corner and the front just pushes.
Other than that, the OEM springs/dampers/sways gave what I thought was a great, well-controlled ride that at 60% pace was pretty spot-on. Push it harder though and it starts to move around and come unglued fairly quickly.
I knew my alignment was in spec as it had a maintenance program. The tires were brand new and it had an alignment at Infiniti right before I took delivery of the car. I mention this as my other major issue was rear traction. I had none. It was fun but the car just wasn't launching off of corners with any throttle. Nor from a dead stop. I could easily spin the rears in three gears. It wasn't that I had a ringer in the HP department, it was just a case of not putting the power down.
After dealing with the traction and small handling issues, I knew enough was enough and the car wasn't going to remain OEM for long.
I decided a set of quality dampers would be my first modification. I literally did months of research and went back and forth on the available options to the point of obsession. Google is definitely my friend and I stumbled on a link that would lead to me making a decision on the damper setup. I pulled the trigger and ordered the dampers. A month later, this box showed up at my office:
There was just a somewhat unnatural feeling through fast sweepers and it almost felt like the car was eager to roll over on it's sidewalls. It also felt like there was a bit of rear wheel steering going on even though there isn't.
A few other areas I thought needed improvement:
-Low speed compression damping. Needs more.
-Rebound, needs a tad more.
-Body control. There's a lot of movement at the corners through bumpy corners. See more compression damping.
-Front wheel scrub in low-speed corners, aka understeer. You can throw the stock car into a slower corner and the front just pushes.
Other than that, the OEM springs/dampers/sways gave what I thought was a great, well-controlled ride that at 60% pace was pretty spot-on. Push it harder though and it starts to move around and come unglued fairly quickly.
I knew my alignment was in spec as it had a maintenance program. The tires were brand new and it had an alignment at Infiniti right before I took delivery of the car. I mention this as my other major issue was rear traction. I had none. It was fun but the car just wasn't launching off of corners with any throttle. Nor from a dead stop. I could easily spin the rears in three gears. It wasn't that I had a ringer in the HP department, it was just a case of not putting the power down.
After dealing with the traction and small handling issues, I knew enough was enough and the car wasn't going to remain OEM for long.
I decided a set of quality dampers would be my first modification. I literally did months of research and went back and forth on the available options to the point of obsession. Google is definitely my friend and I stumbled on a link that would lead to me making a decision on the damper setup. I pulled the trigger and ordered the dampers. A month later, this box showed up at my office:
Last edited by Ape Factory; 07-10-2017 at 11:08 AM.
12-30-2016, 10:17 AM
#7
So the long thread on how I came to acquire the Aragostas and the thought process that got me there can be seen here:
https://www.myg37.com/forums/brakes-...coilovers.html
Here are some photos of the kit prior to installation. I'll go into some details below.
Screw golf bags, the trunk is juuuust large enough to hold the entire box.
Rubber upper mounts. This is important for NVH control and there's no loss in steering feel or turn-in.
Rear damper adjustment ****. No need to pull the shock from the car to adjust it.
https://www.myg37.com/forums/brakes-...coilovers.html
Here are some photos of the kit prior to installation. I'll go into some details below.
Screw golf bags, the trunk is juuuust large enough to hold the entire box.
Rubber upper mounts. This is important for NVH control and there's no loss in steering feel or turn-in.
Rear damper adjustment ****. No need to pull the shock from the car to adjust it.
Last edited by Ape Factory; 07-13-2017 at 10:15 PM.
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Presto (12-31-2016)
Trending Topics
12-30-2016, 10:34 AM
#8
So did you really pay over $3K for these through a certain U.S. vendor? Hell no! I did a bit of research and with the help of Google, I found a source in Japan to purchase them from. I did a bit more research on importation and associated fees, potential shipping problems, etc...I took a small leap of faith as I'd never used this vendor before and obviously purchased the Aragostas through them. I'd purchased stuff from Japan for my RX-7 way back when so I'd been through the process before.
I purchased the Aragostas from KTS in Japan.
KTS
You can go here to send them a VERY SHORT message in English with the EXACT part number you're looking for.
Contact | KTS
Our chassis code is CKV36 (and it's a Nissan Skyline Coupe). The Aragosta part number is NI.A1.R00 for the Type S.
That "R" designates rubber upper mount. If you want a solid pillow upper, it'd be NI.A1.000.
Be aware they also make a Type E which features slightly lower spring rates and steel shock bodies. If you have really rough roads, these would be a better option.
The Type S features aluminum shock bodies and a 12K front, 10K rear spring rate.
Aragosta dampers are one of the few dampers that'll let you adjust the car to stock ride height. Yes, you can do a pretty severe drop but as set up from the factory, it's less than an inch front and rear so as not to change your roll center.
Even with the mild drop, I suggest purchasing alignment products for the front and rear. At the very minimum, upper camber arms in the front and rear camber links in the rear. I learned the hard way.
Also, our cars do not hold front toe very well over rough roads. I have rough roads and it went out of spec. But more on that later!
Once I ordered from KTS in Japan, it took about a month. Part of that was due to me ordering over their "Golden Holiday" where the nation shuts down for a week. When they came back from vacation, they sent the tracking number and alas, the shocks were already on the way and due to be delivered in two days.
Duty fees! These'll change depending on the state you live in. I ended up paying about $67 if I remember correctly. That's it. Shipping was included in the price which was a full $1000 less than the U.S. vendor.
Here's the Aragosta spec sheet for the Type S and Nissan products.
I purchased the Aragostas from KTS in Japan.
KTS
You can go here to send them a VERY SHORT message in English with the EXACT part number you're looking for.
Contact | KTS
Our chassis code is CKV36 (and it's a Nissan Skyline Coupe). The Aragosta part number is NI.A1.R00 for the Type S.
That "R" designates rubber upper mount. If you want a solid pillow upper, it'd be NI.A1.000.
Be aware they also make a Type E which features slightly lower spring rates and steel shock bodies. If you have really rough roads, these would be a better option.
The Type S features aluminum shock bodies and a 12K front, 10K rear spring rate.
Aragosta dampers are one of the few dampers that'll let you adjust the car to stock ride height. Yes, you can do a pretty severe drop but as set up from the factory, it's less than an inch front and rear so as not to change your roll center.
Even with the mild drop, I suggest purchasing alignment products for the front and rear. At the very minimum, upper camber arms in the front and rear camber links in the rear. I learned the hard way.
Also, our cars do not hold front toe very well over rough roads. I have rough roads and it went out of spec. But more on that later!
Once I ordered from KTS in Japan, it took about a month. Part of that was due to me ordering over their "Golden Holiday" where the nation shuts down for a week. When they came back from vacation, they sent the tracking number and alas, the shocks were already on the way and due to be delivered in two days.
Duty fees! These'll change depending on the state you live in. I ended up paying about $67 if I remember correctly. That's it. Shipping was included in the price which was a full $1000 less than the U.S. vendor.
Here's the Aragosta spec sheet for the Type S and Nissan products.
Last edited by Ape Factory; 07-13-2017 at 10:16 PM.
The following users liked this post:
Presto (12-30-2016)
12-30-2016, 01:20 PM
#9
Very informative thread just like all your other posts. Thanks for sharing and saving potential buyers some money going thru kts. I'm just saving up for the aragostas.
They have a type ss as well. Is that the double adjustable with external oil resovoirs?
Nengun also has the type s coils with the pillowball upper mount for $2350 (plus shipping I'm assuming)
https://www.nengun.com/aragosta/coil...pension-type-s
They have a type ss as well. Is that the double adjustable with external oil resovoirs?
Nengun also has the type s coils with the pillowball upper mount for $2350 (plus shipping I'm assuming)
https://www.nengun.com/aragosta/coil...pension-type-s
12-30-2016, 08:44 PM
#10
Yep the Type SS is double adjustable, rebound and I think high speed compression (as opposed to low). Big $$$ though and you may be better off going with some other options. They also do not recommend them for the street.
I just looked and they're available with spring rates from 12-16kg front and 8-12 rear. By today's exchange rate, they're about $4100 USD but the street price is probably around $3500 (guessing). They're Z34 specific but will work on the G. It's also a true-type in the rear so you'll have to keep watch and make sure your upper shock towers in the rear don't deform. They most likely won't but it's a good bet to keep an eye on them periodically.
The Nengun price is a bit more than I paid shipped but I didn't have the solid pillow upper. It's slightly more expensive than the rubber upper. They're obviously very reputable and you may be able to get custom orders through them.
I just looked and they're available with spring rates from 12-16kg front and 8-12 rear. By today's exchange rate, they're about $4100 USD but the street price is probably around $3500 (guessing). They're Z34 specific but will work on the G. It's also a true-type in the rear so you'll have to keep watch and make sure your upper shock towers in the rear don't deform. They most likely won't but it's a good bet to keep an eye on them periodically.
The Nengun price is a bit more than I paid shipped but I didn't have the solid pillow upper. It's slightly more expensive than the rubber upper. They're obviously very reputable and you may be able to get custom orders through them.
12-31-2016, 01:51 PM
#12
I did actually debate that but with the 7AT the cash outlay is just too great. I'd live to come check out your ride though. I can live vicariously through you, LOL. I'll bring my big cameras for photos if you'd like. Just shoot me a PM!
01-02-2017, 01:49 PM
#13
Administrator
iTrader: (8)
/subbed. Definately subbed.
Those CO's are impressive. But you know what? They're also beautiful. I was just commenting in another thread how manufacturers stick with a color theme on suspension components. Eibach red, Hotchkis gray, Cusco blue, Tein green, etc. Seems this company you found uses a high gloss orange for the springs, with a metallic amber on the hardware. Very attractive.
Be sweet to get matching swaybars.
My sways don't match my springs. Makes me sad, LOL.
Those CO's are impressive. But you know what? They're also beautiful. I was just commenting in another thread how manufacturers stick with a color theme on suspension components. Eibach red, Hotchkis gray, Cusco blue, Tein green, etc. Seems this company you found uses a high gloss orange for the springs, with a metallic amber on the hardware. Very attractive.
Be sweet to get matching swaybars.
My sways don't match my springs. Makes me sad, LOL.
01-02-2017, 06:16 PM
#14
Yeah the hard metal parts are all hard anodized in that color and everything is machines beautifully on them. I've seen/held some of the less expensive stuff and there is a difference in workmanship and weight. Little things like the spring sears for the rear springs being billet aluminum machines vs cast steel on others make them stand out. Nothing cheap about them.
01-02-2017, 06:41 PM
#15
Administrator
iTrader: (8)
I don't understand the ring design... it looks two-piece, with that allen bolt adustment. What's that all about?
How accessible do you think the rear damping adjustment will be? Think you'll just have to raise the rear to lower the wheel, or remove the rims entirely?
Had to read back to figure out you bought an IPL without a stick. Bummer. Still think this is going to be a great read over time, though. Sure is starting out that way.
Do you have a plan for total ownership?
How accessible do you think the rear damping adjustment will be? Think you'll just have to raise the rear to lower the wheel, or remove the rims entirely?
Had to read back to figure out you bought an IPL without a stick. Bummer. Still think this is going to be a great read over time, though. Sure is starting out that way.
Do you have a plan for total ownership?
Last edited by Rochester; 01-02-2017 at 06:49 PM.
