Spyder Build Thread

[Jeff V.]

http://www.centuryspring.com/

I have my notes with the part numbers, but it might take me a while to find them. If you can measure one of yours, you should be able to get the right part. I think you need wire diameter, coil diameter, free length and compressed length.

[mjannusch]

I may have to strip down one of my three 5-speed transmissions to patch this together while I source some new springs. I'll probably search around the garage a bit more, but there are many places for them to hide. Thought I had a bag of various Getrag spares in a box somewhere, that maybe I can dig up.

Got the driver's side SMIC bolted up, but ran out of bolts for the passenger side. Put some of the front end back together, but I think I need a front-mount oil cooler instead of a side-mount oil cooler. I think the kit I have is Terry's sidemount, maybe I can make a bracket to switch it to front mount.

Trying to get things ready to drop the motor back in to free up some garage space.

[mjannusch]

[quote=""DCIV""]Wait. What? A camero ss?[/quote]
Yeah, she's been wanting a convertible again ever since we traded in her 2007 Eclipse GT convertible. She wanted the Stingray to be a convertible, but I wanted to be able to track it if I ever got the itch - so we got the coupe, thinking that the removable roof would be close enough - but she doesn't like driving it.

She likes the look, and really doesn't like Mustangs, so... Tricked out Camaro.

2SS, white with carbon flash rally stripes, black wheels, carbon gas door, 8-speed auto, mag ride suspension, navigation, etc.

[DCIV]

Nice!


Coop

[mjannusch]

Input shaft done now with new carbon synchros. No issues with assembly, thankfully.

I think I found enough springs and balls in my spare parts to put the intermediate shaft back together. Well, it is mostly together - just need to put Reverse back on and it is done. Then the anticipated pain of shimming this all up with a new billet end case and different bellhousing. That should be interesting... Hopefully I have enough shims among the various transmissions I have laying around.

New front-mount oil cooler and a trans seal kit coming from Hans. I do have spare seals, but they've been sitting around for a while and I figure I don't want to do this again for a long time.

[DCIV]

Which oil cooler?


Coop

[mjannusch]

Whichever one Hans uses, I guess... Guessing since it is $100 cheaper than Maximal’s sidemount kit that it probably isn’t a Setrab. It doesn’t have to be that crazy on my car since I don’t do any roadcourse stuff with the Spyder. The front-mount version will work better than being behind a hot intercooler regardless.

[DCIV]

First, I can’t wait to hear about these carbon syncros.

Second, after all the money and time you spend on this thing your gonna put on a cheap oil cooler? What are you saving 150 bucks?


Coop

[mjannusch]

I’m lazy and don’t want to fabricate more brackets. Maybe Hans uses Setrab coolers - I don’t know.

I live in Wisconsin, not Las Vegas. It doesn’t get hot here. It’ll be fine.

[Hans_GZP]

It's a Setrab clone. We've never had oil temp issues with them no matter what power level they have been through.

[DCIV]

[quote=""Hans_GZP""]It's a Setrab clone. We've never had oil temp issues with them no matter what power level they have been through.[/quote]

Wasn’t it the guy with the single red vr4, that his motor let go on the dyno and ray told him he needed a bigger one than what he had. I’m not saying you’ve had any issues but Hans...you think coil overs ride nice as well. They just don’t. So the few people who actually put down the power needed for a setrab will never know.


Coop

[stealthee]

Just because you don't like coilovers doesn't mean they don't ride well. That's like me saying, you think country music is great, but it's not. It sucks.

[Jeff V.]

Country music does suck.

And generally speaking, coilovers do ride like shit. Because most people buy cheap ones and then slam them to the ground.

Properly set up coilovers that don't ruin the suspension and steering geometry are probably fine. I had Ground Controls and Bilsteins on my Stealth and it rode great on most surfaces.

[DCIV]

[quote=""stealthee""]Just because you don't like coilovers doesn't mean they don't ride well. That's like me saying, you think country music is great, but it's not. It sucks.[/quote]

I’ve rode in at least 10 vehicles with coilovers. Some the same some different. They all handled great, rode like shit.

Country music does suck.

[quote=""Jeff V.""]Country music does suck.

And generally speaking, coilovers do ride like shit. Because most people buy cheap ones and then slam them to the ground.

Properly set up coilovers that don't ruin the suspension and steering geometry are probably fine. I had Ground Controls and Bilsteins on my Stealth and it rode great on most surfaces.[/quote]

And that’s ground controls, not even coil overs. Coil overs hurt to ride in. People can lie to themselves if they want but they know the truth deep down.


Coop

[Hans_GZP]

[quote=""DCIV""]Wasn’t it the guy with the single red vr4, that his motor let go on the dyno and ray told him he needed a bigger one than what he had. I’m not saying you’ve had any issues but Hans...you think coil overs ride nice as well. They just don’t. So the few people who actually put down the power needed for a setrab will never know.


Coop[/quote]

LOL. I ain't going to argue with you.

[DCIV]

My point was knock off oil coolers are good to a point, if we don’t know what point that is...then they might as well be the real thing and setrab has a chart for HP and btu removal. It would amaze you how big of oil cooler some need.


Coop

[stealthee]

I can't stand country music, but my point was its an opinion that coilovers ride like shit. I'm not lying to myself. I took several people for a ride in my car and they all were amazed at how it rode. No, it doesn't ride like a Cadillac, but its not supposed to.

[Jeff V.]

As long as we can all agree country music sucks, then I think we can build on this foundation of mutual understanding

[vr4]

[quote=""DCIV""]Wasn’t it the guy with the single red vr4, that his motor let go on the dyno and ray told him he needed a bigger one than what he had. I’m not saying you’ve had any issues but Hans...you think coil overs ride nice as well. They just don’t. So the few people who actually put down the power needed for a setrab will never know.


Coop[/quote]

The tein HAs on my 97 ride great. Firm but controlled. No floating. No bouncing.
The tein SS-p on my G37... Much the same. Slightly softer (it does have somewhat lower spring rates on a similar weight car) but again no floating. No bones jarring hits.

[Chris GTO TT]

In my experience, country music sucks (my wife likes it), good coilovers ride shockingly well with high spring rates, and bad coilovers ride badly at any spring rates.