Clear vinyl for a rear window is an inspired choice.
For extra points, add a defroster.
Clear vinyl for a rear window is an inspired choice.
For extra points, add a defroster.
Not much to update today. The more I deal with r200 differentials the more I hate them.
Plan was hopefully the r200 from the 95 Q45 would swap into the 2003 with just a input flange and diff cover change. Nope. One the input shafts are different so the flange wouldn't swap over and two the housings are different so the covers won't swap.
No big deal as we can just swap the limited slip over keeping the 2002s gearset. I was a nat's hair away from doing so but I just didn't want to compromise keeping 2.76 gears. It just isn't right. I'm better than that. I wanna berkeleying have to retrieve my nads from the back seat after the 1/4 mile and 2.76s won't do that.
So we went and looked at a 2006 F35 diff this evening. Supposedly they came with 3.69 gears. Only problem is it's an open diff so still having to swap the LSD in but case looks to be same as the 2002 Q45 so hopefully everything will bolt up. Going tomorrow to pull it.
Wednesday I got sick. Not fun. So feeling better today we went to pull the FX35 diff. Jaguars game started at 7:30 and we started pulling the diff at 6:24. 7:08 we were done. New world record for us. Going to try and make the perfect R200 diff tomorrow. 
I'm learning more and more of what won't work for these differentials. The only highlight of today was my friend accidently getting brake cleaner on his jeans in the crouch region. A few minutes later I notice him shuffling back and forth and a little shortly followed by a "I gotta go inside." That's when I realized what had happened. Lucky nothing permanently damaged but a story that we'll tell for a long time.
Finally we're done. Short story is 2004 G35 LSD out of a 6 speed manual trans car with the input flange from the 2002 Q45. Ended up with 3.57 gears and once I turned off the traction control the ability to spin both tires pretty easy. 
Long story is I did a lot of reading on these differentials but almost all the info is from the 240sx crowd. I did find one shiny happy person who said he was the only one to ever put LSD into my generation Q45 but of course no details. I'm tell you what didn't work. The early LSD from the 95 Q45 was about 1/2 inch to narrow for the housing from a later Q45. We shimmed it up and changed the ring gears to something I could have been happy with but when you look at the diff and the first thing you decide is to bring the stock one as a back up you know you're in trouble. In order not to be an shiny happy person myself I'll tell anyone using the Google what I found. My 2002 Q45 diff had a 30mm nut holding the input flange on. I made the assumption that I could use another one that had the same size nut and just change the input flange. Worked for me. I also made sure the manufacturing markings were the same. Later cases look the same but I don't know cause they also look to be a different manufacturer. I assume I could have swapped the 2.73 gears onto the LSD but I wanted the better gears so we didn't even open the case. So here's where I found out I have some kick ass friends. Around 7pm Friday we know what we have isn't going to work. At this point my Q45 has been parked in my friend's wife's carport spot for 5 days on what was supposed to be an afternoon job. We pour a drink and I get on eBay. I found this G35 diff 4.5 hours away and the seller agrees to $200 if I do local pick up the next day. First friend says he's in. Call our other friend and she's not only in but agrees that we can take her Prius for the awesome gas mileage. We drove 4.5 hours, spent 5 mins getting the diff and drove 4.5 hours back. I did this most of the time. 
I have great berkeleying friends. I fed them steak last night and took them for Sonic milk shakes tonight after we got the diff in. I still owe them big time and my friends wife for not killing me for taking her spot for a week.
Good friends like that ROCK!
Awesome, good work. Can't wait to see this thing in action.
Can't wait to see my new Infiniti get beat by my old Infiniti, the gear change and LSD should really wake that thing up. My newest one came with 8 extra wheels and tires. When is the burnout competition?
I'm Intrigued. You have me looking at late 90s Qs now.
How many fasts can you make a Q?
In reply to DrBoost:
Not sure yet but we are going to find out at the end of September
In reply to DrBoost:
I'm gonna make mine just a little faster than the rest of the Qs.
Custom bent exhaust and one clamp. 
To get a good price I dropped the budget race car thing and they knew about the Challenge. Guy said $5 for the exhaust but I had $7 in my pocket so that's what I gave him cause I was expecting more. Time to clean up the budget. We're dropping the 95 r200 out of it and putting the G35 r200 in. Challenge Budget Before $259.83 95 r200 -$59.99 G35 r200 $200.00 Exhaust $7.00 Exhaust clamp $3.59 Total $410.43 Real world before $1043.07 G35 r200 $200.00 Exhaust $7.00 Exhaust clamp $3.59 Total $1253.66
Tonight we replaced a front wheel hub. A PO thoughtfully left the new one sitting in the trunk. We also found a bushing in the trunk. After researching the part number we suspect we'll find a rear control arm bushing bad. Tomorrow we start on the exhaust.
I left the Infiniti at my friend's last night but once I got home I couldn't find my tablet. He found this between the drivers seat and transmission tunnel looking for it. 
What do you do when you find a $20 bill in your $50 Infiniti? We're red blooded fat boys so we splurged on breakfast this morning. 
Now that we're on a sugar high its time to work on the exhaust.
I can't wait to hear the results of the gear change. It should be substantial.
Sound clips of new exhaust or ban. Twice.
In reply to Stampie:
Q45 rev battle at the challenge?
It's on like Donkey Kong.
In reply to Stampie:
What delightful sounds!
I am so eager to see this in person.
Here's my pre Challenge sound clip from last year with the '90 Q45.
Now I have a quandary. Should I bring the uncompleted and unprepared minivan to keep my honor in the Minivan Class or should I return with the Q45 for what could possibly be the nation's largest gathering of Q45s in one place in the past 10 years?
Yeah, I think 3 constitutes the largest national gathering of Q45s even though Andy has owned 3 on his own in the past year but only two on hand at any given time.
Ooh nasty sounds 
Find a co-conspiarator and bring both. On a side note the r1's will fit both...
I second the nomination to bring both. Bonus points if one tows the other.
Team Stampie gets amazing amounts of fan mail and honestly we're just not able to reply to them so I've decided to do a Q&A post.
Ed from DC writes:
Every car has a name. What does she go by?
You're right Ed. She actually prefers to just go by her first name Infiniti.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/CTzqkIzX5kw
Alice from Phoenix writes:
Rumors are that a she's not able to be on the road legally and a certain JSO officer patrols the area looking for her. Is he going to impound her to remove his competition?
To protect the innocent and maybe not too innocent I'm going to have to decline to answer.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/0ZG11UBoj-o
Joe from Philly writes:
So what are you clowns going to do after you show everyone how it's done?
Good question. We're pretty laid back. Maybe we'll just hit a bar for a drink or two.
In reply to JohnRW1621:
Your dream of the complete Q45 challenge race car will come true at this years event. If Stampie or I can't crack the top 10 this year I'll be disappointed in our efforts.
Bring the van because the spirit of the Q45 lives on through you.
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