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Hello everyone,
I've lurked around the site for the past couple of years drooling over all the different builds and enjoying the general feeling of the site. This is my snail paced playing around with one of the most unloved cars of all time, the B16 Sentra SER Spec V. I bought this car right when the platform first launched in 2007. At the time I really liked the Civic Si but had some dumb reasoning on why I should get a Sentra instead.
Early November 2007:
Being an extreme novice in the import world and wrenching it looked pretty much like that for a year or so. I got lucky and picked up a set of Nismo 57F wheels pretty cheap but being a really poor college freshman I couldn't afford tires, so they went into storage.
18x8.5 +45
Things are very boring up until about three years ago. I had always been under the impression that I would make this car OEM+ styled. Then I began to be effected by the JDM movement, since it took so long for it to get to Ohio, and started heading in that direction on a very limited budget. I was finally able to afford a set of nice tires for my Nismo's and then found out they were identical to Gram Light 57F's, I was just happy to luck into a set of Ray's really. So I purchased a set of Falken RT615's 235/40/18. Still 4x4 at the time because I didn't want to get springs. I wanted to go straight for coilovers and I couldn't afford them yet.
Then I fell in love with the EVO X and what some of their owners were doing. I wanted one so bad and decided I would trade the Spec for one when I graduated college. I had my Injen CAI, M2 Header, Megan Exhaust and had made it a relatively fun car to drive; it had taught me a lot so I figured it was time to move on. But, I had it paid off...I could continue on with the Spec and make it a lot of fun for me to drive for a few more grand instead of trading it and starting over and having a car payment at the same time. So I began to create a plan for this past spring and summer. Things were going to change, mainly the suspension and interior to start.
The last time I took pics before I really started to get down to business, sans a few embarrassing and misguided decisions in between.
With my friend's 350Z project
Finally got my BC Racing Coilovers with 10k springs in front and 8k spring in the rear. I had also burnt up my first set of Azenis by this time so I picked up a new set of Azenis RT615K's in the same size I had. Since I was at the 8X,XXX mile mark I decided it was time for new brakes too so Powerslots, Hawk HPS, Goodridge lines, and Motul RBF600 were sourced.
My buddy helped me with all the wrenching on one mega Saturday.
I'm pretty pumped about it, I'm not low enough for here probably but it is much improved from where I was. Then it was time to get rid of the Megan exhaust and put something a little more fancy on so I picked up a Greddy TiC. Also some odds and ends to start pulling the car together, so my Password JDM tow hook was ditched for a Top Secret Ti piece.
After getting lower I noticed how much my wheels were sunk. I had a H&R 5mm spacer on the front just to get the center caps to fit but it was far from enough. At that point I ordered a set of H&R 15mm spacers for the front with plans to move my 5mm's to the rear.
With my buddies just starting off 350Z project
Then it was time to get down to business with the interior.
Bride Digo Type R and Digo
So that's pretty much where I'm at right now. I'm somewhat happy I've decided to stick with it and make it my own, trying to use as many high end parts on such a lowly supported platform. My friends' and I are the only ones to have turned wrenches on this car from 120 miles to 95,000 miles and I plan on continuing that trend for a few years to come. It has taught me a lot from my first oil change, header swap, exhaust change outs, suspension swaps and geometry, brakes, seats, harnesses, light fabrication, etc. I knew nothing about cars before I bought this vehicle past what a Need for Speed game could tell me. Being on a limited platform has forced me to appreciate what everyone else in the import community is doing and not become to tunnel visioned on my personal 'build'.
Coming up is some work to clean up the engine bay, install of the very first suspension bracing our platform has seen, some more interior work to get it perfect, and a nitrous setup because my other long term project is going to be the turbo one. I also have to do some work on the fiancee's Accord, have a set of CR Kai's sitting around for it.
I want to get a little lower next year and am bored of the Nismo's. Really want a set of gold TE37's and can't decide if I want to drop down to 17's or stick with 18's but I also want a set of TE37SL's for my 3000GT so I'm not sure which will get them first.
Sorry for being so wordy and thanks for checking out my attempt at making a build thread on your great side.
(Cribs: Sentra ownership is a love/**** relationship)
I've lurked around the site for the past couple of years drooling over all the different builds and enjoying the general feeling of the site. This is my snail paced playing around with one of the most unloved cars of all time, the B16 Sentra SER Spec V. I bought this car right when the platform first launched in 2007. At the time I really liked the Civic Si but had some dumb reasoning on why I should get a Sentra instead.
Early November 2007:
Being an extreme novice in the import world and wrenching it looked pretty much like that for a year or so. I got lucky and picked up a set of Nismo 57F wheels pretty cheap but being a really poor college freshman I couldn't afford tires, so they went into storage.
18x8.5 +45
Things are very boring up until about three years ago. I had always been under the impression that I would make this car OEM+ styled. Then I began to be effected by the JDM movement, since it took so long for it to get to Ohio, and started heading in that direction on a very limited budget. I was finally able to afford a set of nice tires for my Nismo's and then found out they were identical to Gram Light 57F's, I was just happy to luck into a set of Ray's really. So I purchased a set of Falken RT615's 235/40/18. Still 4x4 at the time because I didn't want to get springs. I wanted to go straight for coilovers and I couldn't afford them yet.
Then I fell in love with the EVO X and what some of their owners were doing. I wanted one so bad and decided I would trade the Spec for one when I graduated college. I had my Injen CAI, M2 Header, Megan Exhaust and had made it a relatively fun car to drive; it had taught me a lot so I figured it was time to move on. But, I had it paid off...I could continue on with the Spec and make it a lot of fun for me to drive for a few more grand instead of trading it and starting over and having a car payment at the same time. So I began to create a plan for this past spring and summer. Things were going to change, mainly the suspension and interior to start.
The last time I took pics before I really started to get down to business, sans a few embarrassing and misguided decisions in between.
With my friend's 350Z project
Finally got my BC Racing Coilovers with 10k springs in front and 8k spring in the rear. I had also burnt up my first set of Azenis by this time so I picked up a new set of Azenis RT615K's in the same size I had. Since I was at the 8X,XXX mile mark I decided it was time for new brakes too so Powerslots, Hawk HPS, Goodridge lines, and Motul RBF600 were sourced.
My buddy helped me with all the wrenching on one mega Saturday.
I'm pretty pumped about it, I'm not low enough for here probably but it is much improved from where I was. Then it was time to get rid of the Megan exhaust and put something a little more fancy on so I picked up a Greddy TiC. Also some odds and ends to start pulling the car together, so my Password JDM tow hook was ditched for a Top Secret Ti piece.
After getting lower I noticed how much my wheels were sunk. I had a H&R 5mm spacer on the front just to get the center caps to fit but it was far from enough. At that point I ordered a set of H&R 15mm spacers for the front with plans to move my 5mm's to the rear.
With my buddies just starting off 350Z project
Then it was time to get down to business with the interior.
Bride Digo Type R and Digo
So that's pretty much where I'm at right now. I'm somewhat happy I've decided to stick with it and make it my own, trying to use as many high end parts on such a lowly supported platform. My friends' and I are the only ones to have turned wrenches on this car from 120 miles to 95,000 miles and I plan on continuing that trend for a few years to come. It has taught me a lot from my first oil change, header swap, exhaust change outs, suspension swaps and geometry, brakes, seats, harnesses, light fabrication, etc. I knew nothing about cars before I bought this vehicle past what a Need for Speed game could tell me. Being on a limited platform has forced me to appreciate what everyone else in the import community is doing and not become to tunnel visioned on my personal 'build'.
Coming up is some work to clean up the engine bay, install of the very first suspension bracing our platform has seen, some more interior work to get it perfect, and a nitrous setup because my other long term project is going to be the turbo one. I also have to do some work on the fiancee's Accord, have a set of CR Kai's sitting around for it.
I want to get a little lower next year and am bored of the Nismo's. Really want a set of gold TE37's and can't decide if I want to drop down to 17's or stick with 18's but I also want a set of TE37SL's for my 3000GT so I'm not sure which will get them first.
Sorry for being so wordy and thanks for checking out my attempt at making a build thread on your great side.
(Cribs: Sentra ownership is a love/**** relationship)
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