HKS Intercooler Hard Pipes

Well after that fiasco at Fuji Speedway on the 5th, I decided I needed to install intercooler hard pipes.

So here it is, installation of HKS hard pipes. I tried to shop around, and found that essentially, there were only three companies that made intercooler hard pipes - Nismo, HKS, and Greddy. Of these, the Nismo kit contained only 3 pipes, but cost more than the others (because the fourth piece from the turbines into the intercooler is a separately purchased one piece pipe). The Greddy and the HKS were comparable price-wise, but it looked to me that the HKS were slightly better made, AND I figured the purple silicon connectors would match with the Mine's engine cover.

So here is how it happened:

The box with the magic 3 letters:


close up:


wow, a bunch of shiny bits:


after removing the pipe on the left side:


Right side of engine bay:


Here is the inside left fender - mesh is for the oil cooler. This entire lining had to be removed to access the area to install the left front hard pipe (see next photo):


Here is the new hard pipe in place of the one that blew off:


Will post up pics of how it all looks in the engine bay very soon!

May 5 Track Day at Fuji Speedway with SSCT

Well, it rained... hard. So did not get to try out the BFG R1s. Oh well, next time.

My friends Thomas and Alex joined me. Both were in the car during the warm up laps, and Alex took photos (see below) and video:


He then got video of me on my first lap, immediately before my engine suddenly lost power and stalled on the main straight, forcing me to sit out the entire rest of the track session on the grass aligning the main straight.


Luckily for me, after getting towed back (backwards) to the pits (I forgot my tow hook...again!), and with the help of everyone around - thanks SSCT guys - got the car into the covered pit area. The verdict was NOT a blown engine, but only a dislodged Intercooler hose... which the Nissan (ex-race) mechanics fixed for me in about 30 minutes. They took off the left wheel, the undercover, the inner lining, and got in there!
(and yes, it looks like there might be some rust issues in there...yikes!)


Here I am being silly, while the Nissan mechanics do their stuff!


I drove back home in convoy with Thomas and Alex - thanks again guys! - gingerly, I guess... and thinking about which hard piping kit to install at the earliest opportunity...

PS Here is a photo of the engine with its new "cold air intake" system. Note the rivets, it's a new and improved version of the one I had in before...has walls and the lip is longer, reaching to the bottom of the grill. Didn't seem to cause any problems on the track, although I wonder if somehow the increased air intake contributed to the hose coming off.



Next time, I hope Thomas and Alex can join me on the track!

S-Tires (Semi-slicks) and brake cooling

Check out these new BF Goodrich g-force R1s!
Will be mounting on my repainted rims, and then running with N2 at Fuji on the 5th.


Also, got this brake duct cooling, ordered from the US.
Trying to figure out, at the moment, the best way to mount this

yeah that's dirt on the under diffuser!

So it somewhat aims at the caliper...