e21 320iRB

[niall]

Thanks for the replies the paint job was done quite a few years ago now and it has held up well. Still happy with it

I also would like to do something with te intercooler. It is not ideal they way it is

Modified bbs bumper maybe

[E21Cal]

Looking good Niall! Are you running 16x9s in the front by any chance? I've got a set of Type A's in that size that need a refurb but thought they were too wide for E21s in the front so kind of gave up on them...

[niall]

sorry for the year overdue reply e21CAL, yes the 16x9 are kinda too wide for the front of an e21, i had issues with tie rod end clearance so i had to space them out a further 10mm which means they are a 5 offset i think. my car is pretty stiff so i dont really have rubbing and it looks sick so i am happy with it

[ButteDorFrank]

this is a sweet car , and a cool swap ... just wondering, why not have chosen the rb25 or rb26 or bigger ? cost ?

I've looked for a long time about engine swap and STILL sometimes I think I should of went with something else but, the one I almost went for was the 1jz or 2jz, but I decided to go with Naturally aspirated V8.
sometimes I think about it and a nice 300hp turbo would be nice !

[niall]

hi, there was 2 reasons for choosing the RB20, firstly i wanted a low torque engine since it was built mainly for the streets, after having the 2.7 before and owning other v8 and torquey cars i was concerned about traction and street driveability.

The RB20 builds its power quite progressively and high in the range so the performance on the street is excellent with no major traction issues.

the second reason was the cost. RB20's are one of the unloved nissan engines here in Aus, they share the same architecture with the RB25 and 26, the 25 is very similar with just a larger turbo and 500 extra cc's The 26 has alot more cool stuff but the fundamentals are the same.

The Rb20 is a solid performer with one of the best exhaust notes. cheap and plentifull here so it makes alot of sense

[ButteDorFrank]

fair enough, that is also the reason why I picked up a lq4 truck engine (6.0L v8, Iron block) instead of a LS1 or LS2 or LS3 etc. (aluminium block = a lot more money) and there's about 95# difference between the two. the truck engine is everywhere and the car engine (aluminium block) is very sought after and hard to find.

you must of been driving your car for a while now ? any new videos ?

[niall]

Not much of an update for you guys other than in October 2014 we went 1000m racing in this thing. Got Reposted by Borbet official facebook which was sick







But we screwed a tonne of boost into it since most of the stuff there was 600hp plus, ..........and we lunched the motor

We did 2 passes with a soft launch and backed off at 800m, it went well, accelerated hard and stopped easily. on the 3rd pass we screwed some boost in, launched hard and went like a bat out of hell for 4 gears, i grabbed 5th at about 800m, but had no power, slowed down, drove back the pits, gave it a couple hits in 2nd, seemed fine but i think it was hurt. maybe headgasket. My co driver jumped in it soon after and did a pass, went well to half track then no power and smoke.when we checked it at the pits it was hurt bad, blown head gasket and now cracked pistons

I wasnt too bothered as it was still a good weekend. 800mile road trip to get there, car on a trailer behind our trusty windsor powered Range rover.



But.......... we lost drive 400 miles from home due to a cooked transfer case. So we had 4 guys and 2 broken cars. Cost a tonne of money to get us all home, hire car, tow truck etc.



It was a pretty rough couple of days, sleeping in cars etc. 45degC daytime temps. so when i got home i parked the e21 in my garage, put a cover on it and i have not looked at it until now, over a year later, rolled it out, gave it a clean and im motivated now to get it down to my new shop, pull the motor and rebuild it

[Tom D]

sometimes we're lucky enough to have our everyday lives turn into adventures that we'll never forget.

[bflan2001]

Awesome work!

[niall]

sometimes we're lucky enough to have our everyday lives turn into adventures that we'll never forget.

Thanks Tom, i think you're right. At the time with 2 broken cars and a big towing bill it was hard to stay positive. But if we hadnt have gone that would have just been another forgettable weekend in October. Now we can remember the time we went racing on an airfield and broke down in a small Aussie town

[niall]

More adventure pics, the place we stayed, had a big kangaroo jump into the side of the rangerover at high speed. burnt spark plug tips, the non drivers disguising beer as soft drink. cutting a whole in the bonnet to solve a fuel boil issue. All those things you expect on a motorsport road trip. lol

[MortyCrock]

Dang... that's awesome! I miss Australia so bad! I had such a blast there. trip looks like it was a lot of fun! I definitely miss those trips...

[niall]

[niall]

the r35 pictured was making 1100 at the wheels so he had the e21 outgunned a little bit lol

[niall]

New engine and still looking sexy as ever, Damn !!!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BpRM_LNj...on_share_sheet

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Attachment 639296

[bflan2001]

Glad to see you're still up to your shenanigans! Love the pictures man, you should post some gopro videos!

[hotdish]

Glad to see you're still up to your shenanigans! Love the pictures man, you should post some gopro videos!

Agreed, nice to see crazy engine swaps still going years later.

[niall]

thanks for the comments guys, i should get a go pro, thats a good idea, ill try to get some phone footage in the meantime though

[pofo]

Looks fun but the front mount is driving my OCD crazy

[niall]

Looks fun but the front mount is driving my OCD crazy

you get used to it

[pofo]

you get used to it

I would have installed it behind the grill like some MK1 and MK2 VW for a sleeper look.

But RB's have an awesome sound

[Dgerry]

As a follow up on your custom axles, how are they/did they holding up? If I missed it, sorry, but I feel it could be good info for future reference. Really like the build, thanks for posting.

[hotdish]

you get used to it

Looks about the right shape for an e36 m3 bumper cover, US e30 325is valance, or the zender e21 bumper cover.

I guess it doesn't matter that much if you can't see it from the driver's seat.

[niall]

I would have installed it behind the grill like some MK1 and MK2 VW for a sleeper look.

But RB's have an awesome sound

thats not an option for me, because the Rb is so long, i gotta have a cooling fan on the gille side of radiator so there is just no space

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As a follow up on your custom axles, how are they/did they holding up? If I missed it, sorry, but I feel it could be good info for future reference. Really like the build, thanks for posting.

the custom axels have held up extremely well and the R200 diff is awesome, very predictable and controlable. I have been pushing them more and more with launches, only got a 225 tyre so it spins them, havent tried with a semi or full slick but i now think that the outer CV joints would be the weak point anyway. Its not really a drag strip car but im thinking of doing a few passes anyway so will report back.

For reliability in general im really happy, lately i just jump in and hit the key, been daily driving.

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Looks about the right shape for an e36 m3 bumper cover, US e30 325is valance, or the zender e21 bumper cover.

I guess it doesn't matter that much if you can't see it from the driver's seat.

possibly, to be honest, everything with this build has been function over form and on a budget. i am no longer on a tight budget but having owned this car for 11 years and its stayed the same for a long time its kinda like a time capsule for me, reminds me of a different time in my life, so im happy for it to stay a lil ugly and a lil crazy

[pofo]

thats not an option for me, because the Rb is so long, i gotta have a cooling fan on the gille side of radiator so there is just no space

I have the same issue with my S52 swap with a fan pushing air threw.

But it just looks so clean like this. (yes I know last photo is datsun)