Photos and words by Juan Camargo
IG: @wolfpackjuan
We are gathered here today to play with some differentials! The pull into the shop is always the same. I think I’m late and end up being the first one there. These amigos seem to run on Pacific Standard Time - who knows who configured their clocks. Once we’re all in, we talk and bullshit for an hour before we get working. It’s a nice lax time before we have to get down and start the nightly grind! While we were all inside, we hear an unfamiliar roar of the almighty dual overhead cam 2400cc KA24. It was Hugo and his ISR blast pipes! This man had a killer smile on his face, and go figure he had a tight new set of Volks in the back of his hatch. We quickly got Hugo’s car in for a test fit - just look at his reaction after seeing his lady with a new pair of shoes!
The first match-up in the ring is Flako and myself vs R200 differentials. The valiant foe thought it could be slick and keep the pinion stuck inside, but armed with a handy puller, it was no match for the ol’ impact and leverage.
R200- 0 Wolfpack- 1.
Flako and Dario had been working on dumping Dario’s hatch a few days earlier, but one coilover was being especially stubborn. This brings us to the match-up of the night; the grand spectacle. This one was a team effort that required an army. Wolfpack vs. BC Coilover. Nick and Dario had gotten it loose with the floor vice earlier in the night:
Then, some mischief occurred and it got stuck again?? At this point we brought out the big guns and resorted to an aggressive assortment of weapons: pipe wrench, pipes, saws, kittens, etc. We were totally unsuccessful and under more frustration than a classic case of blue balls.
Papi lookin’ real good as he holds that floor vice for dear life:
We accepted our fate against this monstrous foe. By this point we totally obliterated the collar, the threads, and the body. This man needed a new damper, so we went hunting for a solution. We found a toasted S14 PBM coilover for sale at the Wolfpack Parts Depot. The gentleman behind the counter was more than eager to relinquish this artifact for Dario. We swapped the mounting body with an S13 one and Dario was all set.
BC Coilover- 1 Wolfpack- 0. Next, we needed to do Dario’s arms and tie rods. He got the Wolfpack treatment with an extension! Between all of us, we got those swapped quickly and he was all set.
That face you make when you forget to buy tie rod boots:
It was getting to that point in the night when you’re getting totally roasted with fatigue, so instead of unscrewing the old tie rods I just cut them like a Neanderthal.
Look ma, one hand:
Flako and I kept mashing along on the diffs. Every single bolt was torqued to spec with the magical wand. Those guys over at Nissan would be hurtin’ bad at the precision with which these bolts were torqued. Room for error was minimal and the threads were feeling like a Sunday night at the spa.
It’s tough to put the emotions that circulated the shop when the pizza arrived into words. The whole scene was a litter of ravenous puppies that hadn’t been fed in weeks. We took a moment to crank up the music, talk some shit and enjoy one of the greatest gifts given to mankind! Nothing brings people together like pizza.
It’s funny looking back at yourself after a long night’s work, only to see that absolute scum that you have become.
Someone please find this kind gentleman a new barber and maybe a cup of coffee!
You can’t help but feel a glimmer of anxiety as you close the hood, or put those wheels back on and see how the work you did to your car will affect it. Cars are temperamental, and sometimes don’t like when you alter things that are native to them. The coilover spring we had just put on Dario’s car was rubbing against the wheel! It wasn’t a huge issue, just needed a small spacer to clear. Flako’s car was also making some funky noises. It turned out to be a noisy exhaust hanger that had broken off - nothing serious.
It was a solid night where we got a ton accomplished. Dario and Flako both enjoyed the changes we made to their cars, and were proven to be quite helpful on track! Stay tuned for the next post, we’ll cover the Action Matsuri event!
武士道 - B U S H I D O!
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