I would like to see someone else in the same circumstances as myself do my project quicker or as well. I am a firm believer in doing a job like this right the first time, and not being all "dodgey" with it and jerry rigging this or that. I do not have the luxury of time or resources to get my project together quickly or easily. I have to take my car to a auto hobby shop here on base to work on it, which means I can only work on it during certain hours, certain days. They are ill equipped with tools which means I've had to buy a lot of my own stuff shipped in from the US since Japan is RIDICULOUS with prices on EVERYTHING. This supposed "auto shop" that my car is at has welding equipment, but NOBODY is allowed to use it! We are not even allowed to bring our own welding equipment in and use it in that place! I had to buy an air powered cutoff wheel just to be able to cut metal, as they don't have anything to cut metal with! Japanese Auto and Hardware stores don't even hold a candle to stores in the US. Little odds and ends pieces you can find in ANY auto store in the US, don't even exist here in Japan! They won't even let you buy specific parts for cars other than the one you have a title for, which by the way has to come from the dealer 99% of the time. Also with my job, I can only get to work on my Datsun on SOME weekends as I regularly have to work through weekends and holidays and no less than 12 hour days. Any time I have off I have been doing so much with this SR20DET conversion that I really have no social life left. Every weekend is spent getting to bed early so I can get started working on the car early in the morning. Thank God I've been doing a long distance relationship cause if my girlfriend lived closeby she wouldn't like how all of my free time goes to my beloved Datto! So really, I don't take lightly to that statement about somebody FINALLY not taking their time doing an engine conversion because it's been tough as hell and I have sacrificed a lot to make mine happen. You should have more respect for people who not only undertake such a challenge, but actually muster through and KEEP working on it. Most others GIVE UP, especially if it's taking a lot longer than expected!

I have a running ute at the moment so I won't whine. But I may when I get my 1600 RB25 conversion underway...

Having no social life and being broke sure does hurt. I know what you mean.

It's interesting to hear what the "car enthusiasts life" is like over there.

It doesn't sound like fun at all.

Keep up the good work. The fun is just as much in the waiting and building, but nothing beats driving the result out the driveway for the first time.

Sounds like you need to change jobs so you can work on the car some more, but you still need an excuse to spend less time with your girlfriend, otherwise she'll "Absorb" the rest of your free time.

As Nike says ..."Just do it!"

I'll take my own advice too

Quote:

I've been a bit slack with my sedan as a decided to finish off my ute first. I've just put a worked a15 in it. I'll be starting the conversion in the holidays which is in about 3 weeks so I

my 1UZ conversion has taken me a year on christmas, and with good reason.

i probably could have had it done in a month if i was on holidays, and that month wouldn't include research like finding hook joint suppliers, setting up computer sponsorship, rack and pinion research, engineering research and trial and error fittings. and that month would also be if i had done it before - i'm talking pure labour here.

my engine has been in and out of my car a grand total of 16 times. i work all week and i have a preganant wife who demands time on weekends. after all that, how much time do you think that leaves me to work on the car in an open carport subject to good weather...?

bugger all, that's what.

so to those of you who think you can just slap down some bling and have a drive in-drive out conversion with most of these projects, maybe you should remember that not everything is as easy as swapping an A12 for an A14 and not everyone can just concentrate on their car all day, every day.

i laugh to think how easy an upcoming project will be, helping a mate swap a 180B crossmember and an L18 with 5speed into his 120Y coupe. to me, that's a morning of golf compared to what i (and datgirl and what sounds like soon to be YAJOKN) have been through.

swapping engines is easy. convertng a car to take another manufacturer's engine generally isn't.

Congratulations ddgonzal. You seem to have opened a few raw nerves here. Sure every one can only work on their cars as much as is possible, but I think the point here is that with sufficient time, resources, knowledge and assistance, these jobs can be done in relatively short order. I have friends who love their (old) Jags and spend heaps of time sourcing and restoring parts, having others manufactured etc etc etc and they seem to be no further advanced than they were four or five years ago. However, they are having a ball, their inventory has grown, their project is largely self supporting, so good luck to them.

I am also like most other people who cannot spend as much time or money on the Datto (or other toys) as I would like, so the projects all take much longer than they probably should.

You can only do what you can do, so enjoy it as best you can.

Oh I forgot to add - well done Datgrl, keep up the good work.

Sorry Andy, didn't mean to sound discouraging. I was thinking before you wrote that you are making good progress despite being on overseas assignment with no garage, parts supply issues, etc. And your projects large and small over the years -- whether an A15 swap or the current SR20 project -- have been an inspiration to many of us here.

That being said I think it is still good to hear of other successes. I'm generally very slow on working on my projects, but feel good on the rare occasion when I can get something done quickly and still do a good job. It doesn't happen often with me, my "1 hour" estimate usually turns out to be "2-4 hours" in real time ... I value quality over speed and never got the hang of achieving both. That's why I gave up working as a professional mechanic.

Hrmmm... sounds like everyone is having a big bitch and moan ... so i will leave you guys to feel sorry for yourselfs... i dont have many tools, and i only have the garage 2 days a week... but i still have fun and make do with what i have...this project will get done... and its only going to get done with sheer determination.

So everyone should stop being so negative and SMILE



shizzle ma nizzle.....