Ibo's Garage - TTRS3GTR

[Ibonibo]

I had those in, and it resulted in huge electrical problems because resistance are not the same. And it always looks a bit chav'd.

I'm try to keep my cars exterior wise OEM. That's why the original front bumper is back on.

I got a pic from early 2000 from a friend. I lost most, well all of them in a HDD crash so quality of cell phone back then was ridiculous

the quality

 

[Kitten]

The S3 is done, just waiting for the steering wheel now to return and the spacers to arrive.
Then I need to rebuilt the rest of the interior, nav system, audio, and give it a good polish

After 7 years of misery, it finally is again in a worthy state. Love it

I would like to give a big thank you to @CAMAROBOY69 for helping me out in the paint departement 👍 and everybody for liking and commenting and so keeping me highly motivated. 👍👍

Sheees so pretty doe.

 

[Ibonibo]

Went in today to fetch the car, still not ready

Decided on the hue of the Center position. Wheel is ready tomorrow and will also ship tomorrow.

On the Spacers, well no avail. for 35mm anymore from good Manufactures. So I wait till they produce some more, which is calander week 16 (next week)

 

[Ibonibo]

Damn.

Now that 99% of the headliner & co is black, I ordered way back some b-pillars in black over ebay. Took me over a month to find good ones.

I even asked the seller "do they fit the face lift model." " Yeah sure".

No it doesn't... The clips are half a cm to high on the prefacelift. Now I know why they were not installed by garage...

Then I taught about putting soft paint on it. Audi even sold those in 2k Cans. But not anymore

Ordered some matt black and some satin clear coat. Gonna paint them and it should be good...

And today something awesome arrived:

Steering wheel rewarped by Neidfaktor

So clean, so much perfection on the seams. Incredible work

 

[Ibonibo]

And installed.

Man was I nervous with connecting the airbag in the hand

Does the pic show for you? In edit i see it?

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

Does the pic show for you? In edit i see it?

Yes the pic shows up. Great job with the install. What a beautiful wheel. I bet that feels extremely comfortable.
The car pics above are also stunning side by side like that.

 

[Blackbird.]

Is Neidfaktor the one that does those crazy interior transformations? I'd love to have my dashboard in alcantara with stitching

Wring side of the pond though

 

[Spacegoat]

Bit late on this but congrats on the S3. Looks incredible. Excellent job with it. 👍

 

[Ibonibo]

Yes the pic shows up. Great job with the install. What a beautiful wheel. I bet that feels extremely comfortable.
The car pics above are also stunning side by side like that.

Yes it's awesome. Though for it to stay that way, I need to wear gloves from now on. Thanks 👍

Is Neidfaktor the one that does those crazy interior transformations? I'd love to have my dashboard in alcantara with stitching

Wring side of the pond though

Yes it's the crazy ones. If I remember correctly there is a shop in the US that does at least good carbon work, it was featured on Fourtitude. But with the strong Dollar and this I found:

http://www.neidfaktor.com/Audi/S4/RS4-ab-2007/Audi-RS4-Armaturenbrett-Leder-silberne-Naht::1050.html

Bit late on this but congrats on the S3. Looks incredible. Excellent job with it. 👍

Thanks 👍

 

[Blackbird.]

Yes it's the crazy ones. If I remember correctly there is a shop in the US that does at least good carbon work, it was featured on Fourtitude. But with the strong Dollar and this I found:

http://www.neidfaktor.com/Audi/S4/RS4-ab-2007/Audi-RS4-Armaturenbrett-Leder-silberne-Naht::1050.html

About $1,900. It almost sounds worth it. If that were leather its like the difference between getting a Porsche with standard interior and a Porsche with leather interior. A whole lot better!

 

[Ibonibo]

So I wanted to clean the engine bay a little bit

Bought a new battery as the old one seem to cause some electrical problems, it seemed weak, loosing too much energy too fast...

He slept on my gearbox

My second air intake (ram air system) I made in 2008 never was a beauty but it worked really well

2008:

Now:
The filter really is dirty

I looked in a few shops to find a new one, as this had a little hole in it. "Part" shop don't even know what this is.. what a joke... ordered some over Oreca (yes the Viper/Lemans team, they have a shop with lots of awesome parts)

Now I gonna make it a beauty part too, so I riped everything out

Gonna put some rivets in it

rewarp it with fiber glass, paint it black.
It will be nice and functional

Normally next week all the last parts should arrive. Paint cans (3 bucks on the internet, 18 in the shop ), termal resistant tubing, Spacers

About $1,900. It almost sounds worth it. If that were leather its like the difference between getting a Porsche with standard interior and a Porsche with leather interior. A whole lot better!

Taught it might tickle you in the fingers
Seriously I was surprised by the price too.

 

[Blackbird.]

So I wanted to clean the engine bay a little bit



Bought a new battery as the old one seem to cause some electrical problems, it seemed weak, loosing too much energy too fast...

He slept on my gearbox


My second air intake (ram air system) I made in 2008 never was a beauty but it worked really well

2008:



Now:
The filter really is dirty



I looked in a few shops to find a new one, as this had a little hole in it. "Part" shop don't even know what this is.. what a joke... ordered some over Oreca (yes the Viper/Lemans team, they have a shop with lots of awesome parts)



Now I gonna make it a beauty part too, so I riped everything out



Gonna put some rivets in it



rewarp it with fiber glass, paint it black.
It will be nice and functional

Normally next week all the last parts should arrive. Paint cans (3 bucks on the internet, 18 in the shop ), termal resistant tubing, Spacers

No offense to your '08 modification but I think it does the S3 justice to make something a little more professional looking Considering everything else is immaculate.

I once had a run-in with a rat before. But it was with a Ford Focus I was driving it had only sat out front for a few hours, I went to turn it on and heard a shrill squeak then nothing as the engine turned over. Later found it's head on the ground and it's body on the belly pan. :\ My guess is got it's head on the belt just before I started it.

Taught it might tickle you in the fingers
Seriously I was surprised by the price too.

You have no idea i'm already semi-seriously toying with the idea of doing that down the road. I'd imagine i'd have to supply the core. After shipping and installation costs it might approach $2500-3000. But I don't think anyone's done it in an S4 here yet.

Plus I don't know how it works shipping from there to here. If it's as simple as a shipping charge or other fees apply.

 

[Ibonibo]

No offense to your '08 modification but I think it does the S3 justice to make something a little more professional looking Considering everything else is immaculate...

Not taken . That's why I do it now. As the butchered paintjob was 2007, I never bothered. Now I do

You have no idea i'm already semi-seriously toying with the idea of doing that down the road. I'd imagine i'd have to supply the core. After shipping and installation costs it might approach $2500-3000. But I don't think anyone's done it in an S4 here yet.

Plus I don't know how it works shipping from there to here. If it's as simple as a shipping charge or other fees apply.

I think shipping for them is quite simple. And probably no problem for you to send yours in. It would definitly be an eyecatcher and Neidfaktor is quite known in the US since it is regulary featured on Fourtitude.
On the page it says, you send yours in, and they send you this one. So waiting time a down. Probably if you have custom inquiries, it could take longer, as I don't think they have a few nude dashboards in stock.

I'm tempted too. But it's for down the road.

 

[Blackbird.]

Not taken . That's why I do it now. As the butchered paintjob was 2007, I never bothered. Now I do




I think shipping for them is quite simple. And probably no problem for you to send yours in. It would definitly be an eyecatcher and Neidfaktor is quite known in the US since it is regulary featured on Fourtitude.
On the page it says, you send yours in, and they send you this one. So waiting time a down. Probably if you have custom inquiries, it could take longer, as I don't think they have a few nude dashboards in stock.

I'm tempted too. But it's for down the road.

Yeah I'd need a second car so it can stay in the shop.

 

[Ibonibo]

Progress in work

Put some foam in it, cut into shape, sealed it off:

Fiberglass'd

Starting grinding some Fg off, then bondo, sand, bondo ,sand....

The under part

Had some tiny tiny rust pickles under the battery cache... (gonna make it black when I paint the rest)

Scraped the softpaint off

with

sanding didn't got through fast enough

 

[Ibonibo]

Shaping up

 

[Ibonibo]

After I scraped the paint of the b-pillars, I sanded them 260-320-400-600-800. Then painted black... and every tiniest scratch was so visible...

I took some primer-filler resanded and recovered them in 2K epoxy

Then some black and covered in multiple layers of matt clear and sanding inbetween...

Had some pins broken on one pcb, took a spare one from the ebay parts and replaced it in the original holder

Painted black even though it isn't visible at all, it's better than brownred

"New Parts"

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

You sure you aren't of German origin? This kind of OCD about details is very Prussian(sp)..

 

[Ibonibo]

You sure you aren't of German origin? This kind of OCD about details is very Prussian(sp)..

Germany being only a few km away, it certainly has an influence

The S3 is pretty much on idle for the moment, as it goes back into the shop as I am not entirely satisfied with the work delivered on some parts. We talking about milimeter fitement issues Good the shop is german They will understand

I now waited so long for the spacers, which arrived yesterday, but only to find out the front axles spacers are missing

In the meantime I reassembled the b-pillars

Polished the TTRS and fitted the summer rims on it, freshly painted in a darker grey shade, one not fifty

To compare, they had the same colour as the winter rims

 

[eiriksmil]

Dope.. I gotta see these things in person.. Me and the gf are driving down to Italy this summer, may drop by Luxembourg on the way down from the Ring

 

[Ibonibo]

Dope.. I gotta see these things in person.. Me and the gf are driving down to Italy this summer, may drop by Luxembourg on the way down from the Ring

No problem at all. The Ring is less than 2 hours away. It only takes a little detour from your way to Italy. You're welcome to pass by

--------------

So finally I got all the parts together for the S3 to hit the shop a second time to get things "realigned". In the next days it will....

The GTR will be ready to pickup in the next days too. Now I need the "special" plates to get it over. Lots of people use normal plates and insurence and just do it like that. But I don't want to risk anything. So playing the waiting game now for the plates


GTR got dyno'd/ fesh mapped today:

Ohh I can't wait to drive this bad boy

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

Congrats, looks like a healthy Godzilla

 

[Ibonibo]

Congrats, looks like a healthy Godzilla

The Tuner says it's probably one of the best taken care R33 he's ever seen. And he does this for over 15 years now

My plates are reserved, though I still need to get the confirmation to really get them. Then make an insurance for a day. Then "normally" take a 5 hours train ride , but public transportation

So renting a car and driving up there, leaving the rented car in Belgium Makes a 2.5 hours ride. Then lots of drooling will ensure, then more drooling while driving it home . Can't wait

 

[Ibonibo]

So.

Today was the big day. after a lot of hassle.
The special plates to drive in full legality through different countries without registration. (it's basiclly state plates ). Got them yesterday
Then as I didn't want to spent 5 hours in a train that only leaves at 11am, I rented a car from Avis on thuesday morning. As it was end of the month my limit on my card was full. Quickly to the bank, up the limit. Still didn't pass. WTH!! I had a nice miss on the phone, so she just said to come. So taday I just went there, fearing I would have to take the train, and it was getting late. Worst case I had to take the train. But my card pass without problem.

So took the rental, passed at home, took all I needed and aroud 11.30 I left.

I went full incognito, with belgian plates through Belgium

How is the cactus = My hands hurted from the badly shaped steering wheel and after a nearly 2.5 hours ride, my behind hurt. Doesn't even happen in the TT's bucket seats...

At 2 o'clock I refulled the rental and disposed of it .

It was in the village next to my tuners shop. He came to get me a lift in an love needing R32

Then walking around the car for 20 minutes, talking car porn. Entered the shop, showed my some R34 with a full Tomei engine, a 1000hp r35, and so much more. Again . Then I got some free advertising decals And bought some year of Dsport magasin from the US..

Test Ride .

More car talk. And around 16.45 we said goodbye till the next time and I parted on my 250km+ ride home.
Went straight on the motorway, not caring I had only a quater of fuel left .
After 60km, no fuel station. after 70, none and my needle was going fast down to empty. Exited the motorway, found a station not far

MOAR



By now I just passed Liège and traffic jams started to clear up. The clutch slipped twice on the test drive a few months back. This time. easy, took a few minutes, today only stalled it once .

As the motorway cleaned up thought i could give it a bit a go. Now heavy rain, hard winds, ditches in the road, in the Belgian Ardennes. Didn't feel like summer at all. All together that wasn't too funny as the wide tyres do follow the ditches quiet a bit, and in the wet . But slowed a bit down, no problem.

It's probably more a fear of knowing, no ESP, no ****-up recovery here, in the back of my brain.

As I can see the clouds behind the car, when I got out of the storm, I had to do a pause and take a smoke and a stroll.

Restopped at a pump to resupply. No not gas . A good cold coke

And the first guy that came already to compliment the car

I probably induced a lot of stiff necks today. I saw so many people staring at me/GTR.

Quickly took a few more pics as it will minimum take a week to get the car registered

And then home

Love it. The engines sounds. The perfect idle run, The spooling of the twins, and the release of the waste

I will post a complete spec list sometime, here a few :

Exedy Dual clutch (like new)
New gaskets and engine seals all around. Most HKS parts
New belts
New O2 sensors genuine Nissan
new n1 waterpump
HKS oilcooler + duct
Nismo Intercooler
Genuine Nismo rear spats, Carbon Wing blade, Ornaments, Bonnet lip.
genuine Nissan Xenons
Genuine Nismo Rims
Some ugly sidemirrors
Apexi Air filters
AFM sensors new
HKS Suspension Brand new
Torque splitter
Turbo Timer
Boost Controller
Apexi Power FC
new HKS complete line (downpipe, 100cpi cat, cat back)
Nismo bracing and sway bars front and rear
.....

and more, so much more

The awesome thing is my car is from 11/1997 and thus falls under a special law that all cars pre 1998 here have. No tuning parts need registration 👍
Hope registration is painless and quick. Should be

Thats it for today. Such a good day. Such an awesome day.👍

Thanks for reading

Side note : S3 is back from refittement. Much better now, they really worked the small problems out quite well.
And the spacers are in

 

[Ronald6]

So much like!

 

[NissanSkylineN1]

Wait a minute... you're telling me that a company is willing to name, mass produce, and sell a car called the Cactus?!?

Well to be honest, from your experience in the car, the name is quite fitting

 

[Ibonibo]

Talked to the homolagation service making dramaqueen that the big plates would not fit

I got the approval for first homologation historical correct plates. So plates from the 90's. Small ones.
Small ones.

AWESOME !!!

I probably have an email from a really nice guy at the homologation service that I got that accorded. It's not the norm. At all. Happy Ibo

Now I need to get those plates quickly. Preferrably something RB 26x . Before they change their mind

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

Congrats on the R33. I know you have been wanting it for a LONG time. Must feel great to have the S3 just about finished AND have your R33.

 

[Ibonibo]

^Thanks. Yeah feels good having the cars together.

So a week off, what happened in the meantime.
Waited for a confirmation on the older plates, only to get a mail that "no" they don't give them out anymore . I tried an other email account. But probably not gonna happen Waiting on an answer...

Thoroughly inspected the GTR in the meantime.

The struts were as expected. The seller actually proposed to get them done, for more money, quite a bit more and the delay ...

I will patch them up till I get them done. Probably have the possibility of a very good welder doing it for me for a fraction of the "normal" costs

Metal plate is still strong, I got a "bit" of time till those need close attention

Have some 2K epoxy that arrived, 2k paint to treat it for now. Plus tons of wax for sealing up all the metals, underbody,....

Took the Do-Luck cross strut out, as in case of an accident it either rips of the lips of rear passangers, impales the front row and doesn't pass homologation here either way because of those reasons..

The underbody is totally fine for an 18 year old driven car

Trunk looks good (on the right, that can be wiped off)

This is why, if you let a screw fall somewhere, you pick it up

Rear arches are not a glove box

Bit of rust, nothing massive
Otherside same

Have brought the sandblaster down, will quick fix it and it should be good for a good while

Disassembling all cars *insert meme*

Took the not needed stereo components out, all the wires not needed evacuated

Took the 3rd party side mirrors off. Probably gonna be sold to an Australian guy and with that money, bought some original ones in silver + a bit of € left over

Took the tint out as it was fitted in Japan, has no Euro-norm, and is very probably 10% too dark to pass here

I am now to the point where I can tidy up the interior

Gonna relocate the boost controller (elbow rest) , torque splitter (?ashtray) and Turbo timer (ashtray). The controller for the Defi gauges in the glove box, maybe the gauges too.

Gonna sell the Defi gauges too at some point and get a display covering all metering in one unit. No cluttered dash 👍

Keeping order is important

All the crap I pulled out

All in all after a week of very close inspection, I am happy with the purchase. Not too much rust, no covered up rust. Honest car. Did the math on the parts.

All the parts combined together are worth what I paid for the car, postage and fitting not included. If I would sell everything in pieces = huge profit

But Dutch and Belgian standards for "good" and "rust free" do not compute with mines.

having the car such disassembled I must restrain myself from not putting it completely into pieces and painting it new

But that will happen sooner than I planned (5years). It will get the same treatement as the S3. In a year or so

 

[Hayden]

*Buys cleanest R33 I've ever seen*
*Tears it into a million pieces*
You sir are insane.

I've got to give you a lot of credit @Ibonibo, the thoroughness, dedication and passion you show to your cars is truly amazing. Perfect isn't perfect enough and that's the kind of attitude that separates regular car guys, from those who win awards. You're nothing less than a role model mate and I'm really looking forward to seeing the steps you take with the GTR as time ticks by. The thought of another bandwidth busting paint job has me genuinely excited, especially if you can match the quality of the S3!

Keep it up you crazy son of a gun! 👍