Ghost's SW20 MR2

[Michel4AGE]

I had the yellow Koni's on my SW20 together with Intrax springs (40mm lowering). Those dampers are great for daily driving and spirited driving. They are not harsh at all and as long as you don't go crazy with springrates they'll be fine. Changing the rebound was easy too on the SW20, just takes a few seconds that's all.

 

[GreenGhost74]

Yeah not a bad price. I paid $85 USD but didn't get the swaybar bushes as I had Whiteline coming already.

Yeah you need to strengthen the swaybar mounting points on the chassis or they could crack. I know your car has a revised construction but not sure if that helped. I designed and got a set of 30 plate kits made by my brother for the NZ guys and we found that the guys with the 92+ JDM cars needed to mod the plates a bit to get them to fit. You have a stud where the early cars have bolts.

The latest issue I had was manufacturing defect but out of warranty so I can't get a new one free. Toyota did offer me a new one for cheap which was really good of them but I didn't take the offer due to having another set. I'll just fix it and make it better.

If I were to install whitelines on mine, I would just assume put plates in there for peace of mind. Though the current 19mm bars are already reasonably thick. Nice to hear Toyota made an offer like that, but I'm glad you've got it handled.

 

[GreenGhost74]

I had the yellow Koni's on my SW20 together with Intrax springs (40mm lowering). Those dampers are great for daily driving and spirited driving. They are not harsh at all and as long as you don't go crazy with springrates they'll be fine. Changing the rebound was easy too on the SW20, just takes a few seconds that's all.

Sweet, that lines up with what I tend to hear. I might have considered cheaper shocks regardless of comfort if I knew they'd equal the Konis performance-wise, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I want to put quality shocks in there. Surprisingly good comfort is a nice bonus.

 

[GDII]

If I were to install whitelines on mine, I would just assume put plates in there for peace of mind. Though the current 19mm bars are already reasonably thick. Nice to hear Toyota made an offer like that, but I'm glad you've got it handled.

I have heard from one person but never seen or read anything about this happening. The early dampers do have thinner steel for the rear swaybar link mounting tab but I am running 1998 GT Bilsteins so they are thicker. The steel thickness wasn't the issue here though.

Maybe check around online for 93+ chassis damage for the mounting points and strut damage. I've not looked specifically for these 2 exact issues on the later cars but keen to know if this is a thing or not.

 

[GreenGhost74]

I have heard from one person but never seen or read anything about this happening. The early dampers do have thinner steel for the rear swaybar link mounting tab but I am running 1998 GT Bilsteins so they are thicker. The steel thickness wasn't the issue here though.

Maybe check around online for 93+ chassis damage for the mounting points and strut damage. I've not looked specifically for these 2 exact issues on the later cars but keen to know if this is a thing or not.

I probably will look into that, since it's going to be relevant to things I'm doing with the car later.

 

[GreenGhost74]

Got the rear fenders rolled all the way down to the side trim today! Just one tiny paint crack in a spot where I'd recently gotten a chip, so I'll be touching that up now that the fenders aren't going to be messed with.

Drove the car through some bumpy spots intentionally and all seems well. It won't even be dealing with any harsh roads most of the time. The car also drives like it's on rails compared to before (predictably) with the old/cheap/skinny tires. The tail does not kick out easily like it used to, so I'm very happy. Slight decrease in acceleration as mentioned before, but I'm actually impressed with just how minimal it is. I was prepared for a sluggish feeling, but the car is still relatively lively at the pedal and the grip is such a welcome change. Motegi makes some seriously nice wheels for the price range 👍

 

[Punknoodle]

Hmm, I do like those 255s on the back. Looks very decent, and the spoke design makes them look fat when looking from a front quarter angle. Do approve. 👍

 

[GreenGhost74]

Hmm, I do like those 255s on the back. Looks very decent, and the spoke design makes them look fat when looking from a front quarter angle. Do approve. 👍

Thank you! The tire size/width, rim design and offset were all very carefully considered, and I'm just glad it actually looks the way I'd hoped. The 255s certainly feel good back there in terms of grip. It's on all-seasons right now, but it feels great with the car being so underpowered anyway. If I get around to an engine swap, I can also fit some real performance rubber on the rims now.

If Motegi were offering a 17x9 Traklite I would have considered a regular stagger with a really fat rear tire, but my only options for a 17/17 combo were 17x7 and 17x8 -- not as wide as I wanted. I like the double staggered look though, I just think it begs for the car to be a tiny bit lower in the future

 

[GDII]

If Motegi were offering a 17x9 Traklite I would have considered a regular stagger with a really fat rear tire, but my only options for a 17/17 combo were 17x7 and 17x8 -- not as wide as I wanted. I like the double staggered look though, I just think it begs for the car to be a tiny bit lower in the future

17x7 and 17x8 would work fine too as you would still use the exact same tyre as the 8/9 setup.

 

[GreenGhost74]

17x7 and 17x8 would work fine too as you would still use the exact same tyre as the 8/9 setup.

True, but I wanted 255s in the rear and I prefer the look of them on the recommended 9" rim size. Plus, the wider 8/9 setup came with offsets that were considerably more flush than the 7/8 setup, which I also wanted. Didn't really want to push slimmer wheels out towards flush with big 20mm spacers, either. Just preference. That said, I like the fact that an SW20 owner can get a regular staggered 17" 7/8 setup with the traklites and not have to worry about fender rolling.

 

[GDII]

True, but I wanted 255s in the rear and I prefer the look of them on the recommended 9" rim size. Plus, the wider 8/9 setup came with offsets that were considerably more flush than the 7/8 setup, which I also wanted. Didn't really want to push slimmer wheels out towards flush with big 20mm spacers, either. Just preference. That said, I like the fact that an SW20 owner can get a regular staggered 17" 7/8 setup with the traklites and not have to worry about fender rolling.

I get where you are coming from on both points. My 9s should really have 255 but they wouldn't fit the car with the offset at +29. The 7/8 setup had less desirable offsets and lip sizes for the RGDs so I went up a size.

 

[GreenGhost74]

I get where you are coming from on both points. My 9s should really have 255 but they wouldn't fit the car with the offset at +29. The 7/8 setup had less desirable offsets and lip sizes for the RGDs so I went up a size.

245 looks really good on your setup imo, with the +29 offset and camber settings you run. Plus you've got that 30mm tire size stagger going like the 93+ factory wheels. I would have considered running 225/40R17 tires up front on my car if they existed.

 

[GDII]

They exist but you'd struggle to fit them under stock spring perch.

 

[GreenGhost74]

They exist but you'd struggle to fit them under stock spring perch.

Well, at the very least I couldn't find a range of tires to suit my needs in that size. Wouldn't want to hammer the spring perch either..

 

[GDII]

Hammering the inside part of the perch at the strut doesn't affect the spring however I have a set of Bilsteins that had a tyre that was too high of a profile and the paint and metal has been rubbed on the outer part where the spring sits. I think I showed it in my project thread when I bought my TRD springs.

 

[GreenGhost74]

Been taking too many photos lately. Here are three of my (very different) favorite shots from the last week.

(Last two photos are just iPhone snaps. The digital zoom in the former is pretty atrocious, but I liked the angle )

 

[GDII]

Looking good. You can never take too many photos. Keep them coming.

 

[JrDarknes]

The duece is looking nice but I am very curious about that grey 240 next to it.

 

[GreenGhost74]

The duece is looking nice but I am very curious about that grey 240 next to it.

That would be my father's 1990 240sx SE.

(Photo taken just now) He had another gray one just like this back in '89, and drove it for a good twelve years. I convinced him to pick up this one about five years ago when I found it on Autotrader. It's pretty much stock, and a lot of his repairs over the years have kept it in great condition. He also intends to keep it that way, as far as I'm aware. I learned how to drive stick in this s13 👍

 

[GreenGhost74]

A couple more recent shots from my phone after a rainy day. Getting tired of washing my car the old fashioned way to keep it shiny, so I just ordered a new foam cannon today. A lot of dirt in the wind lately thanks to some construction near the house

 

[GDII]

A couple more recent shots from my phone after a rainy day. Getting tired of washing my car the old fashioned way to keep it shiny, so I just ordered a new foam cannon today. A lot of dirt in the wind lately thanks to some construction near the house

Looking good man.

I haven't washed my car for 3 months. I've found my protective coatings work great when it rains. Cleans the car 90% but my wheels need something different as they are now the same colour as yours.

 

[GreenGhost74]

Looking good man.

I haven't washed my car for 3 months. I've found my protective coatings work great when it rains. Cleans the car 90% but my wheels need something different as they are now the same colour as yours.

That sounds impressive, what kind of protective coating do you use? The gold wheels really suit your car though man, hopefully you can get them back to their true shine soon. lol

 

[GDII]

That sounds impressive, what kind of protective coating do you use? The gold wheels really suit your car though man, hopefully you can get them back to their true shine soon. lol

I have been using a combination of CarPro Hydro2 and Meguiars Deep Crystal Carnauba Wax on the paint and glass. On some parts I also have applied some CarPro DLUX for black trim.

Wheels I have used a few products but nothing seems to make them stay clean or allow a pressure washer to remove the dirt. I just need to clean them to bring back the gold but there is some tar starting to stick to them. Not sure on what way forward is the best apart from using CarPro DLUX on them too.

 

[GreenGhost74]

I have been using a combination of CarPro Hydro2 and Meguiars Deep Crystal Carnauba Wax on the paint and glass. On some parts I also have applied some CarPro DLUX for black trim.

Wheels I have used a few products but nothing seems to make them stay clean or allow a pressure washer to remove the dirt. I just need to clean them to bring back the gold but there is some tar starting to stick to them. Not sure on what way forward is the best apart from using CarPro DLUX on them too.

I could really stand to start using more products like that. Wheels really like to dirty up, too. Without being cleaned frequently, mine go from "matte bronze metallic" to what I can only describe as "brown" I wipe them clean pretty often.

 

[GDII]

Walked outside tonight and the top 80% of the car is still shiny AF. The wheels still have a gloss shining through from under the dirt and brake dust. Such a weird look, normally it would all be matte if it was dirty like that.

 

[GreenGhost74]

Walked outside tonight and the top 80% of the car is still shiny AF. The wheels still have a gloss shining through from under the dirt and brake dust. Such a weird look, normally it would all be matte if it was dirty like that.

That's really impressive, but I can see how it would look weird. Still sounds like something worth doing, though.

 

[GreenGhost74]

Lots of maintenance done all at once this past week! The car has had an oil leak for a little while (and it had been getting to be a little much), so I finally got to address it when my alternator went out and stopped charging the battery last week. New Toyota alternator, new water pump (just a good idea), all new belts and a thoroughly cleaned oil pump. New seals for said pump, the valve cover, and spark plugs. No more leak! The car also idles better, as it seemed to start occasionally dipping too low from time to time. Running much more like new again 👍

 

[GDII]

Plenty of work gone into the car. Nice work.

That rear wheel is MASSIVE!

 

[GreenGhost74]

Plenty of work gone into the car. Nice work.

That rear wheel is MASSIVE!

Ha! Yeah it always looks wide (especially from low angles), but the pincushion lens distortion from my phone is exaggerating it a bit here. It's subtly stretching out things in the sides of the frame, like my rear wheel/bumper and the front bumper of that car behind mine. Usually I dislike low angles with wide lenses from the front of the car, but this one ended up looking really flattering

 

[JrDarknes]

Looking nice man.