*Ask Broadfield*

[sickstatus]

I'm on my iPhone, too lazy to quote n delete other posts,

I'll be using front n rear speakers with tweeters. my front pillars has stereo cover for them.

[biggie]

Originally Posted by Broadfield

It has nothing to do with the transmission. I don't know what a 5-speed swap involves, but something got messed up, a wire pinched etc.

Do the doors lock correctly when you hit the lock button on the Python?

Sorry for being slow on reply, but yes they lock fine with the button. Just when you push the unlock button they unlock and then lock back.

Was just thinking there was some kind of check on a P/N switch and that would cause the issue. Though in the 5spd swap the main P/N switch under the hood is jumped.

[Nicelyphe]

My car seems to not run as efficient when I'm playing music, the set-up includes the CarPC and Subs as we have previously spoke about. I'm running the stock SR alternator at the moment. [My second one..I think I fried the first one cause I heard a weird noise then my dash light went on and the car died once the battery died.]

Would upgrading to the 125AMP Quest alternator really help the situation in power draw and such? Would the 75AMP alt fuse have to be upgraded to properly run a higher amp alternator?

How much role does a battery play in this situation? I'm currently running the stock s13 battery branded by Exide. Would running anything like an Optima help in power performance? I don't have interest in running a capacitor.

[lewisfk]

[QUOTE=Broadfield;4525609]I'm not sure what calipers you are talking about?

I have this stuff brand new:

http://zilvia.net/f/sale-items/42634...em-nissan.html

I have two S15 6-speed transmissions

I have a brand new Chargespeed S13 coupe kit minus the front 20mm fenders that I acquired from a friend:

• Front bumper
• Rear bumper
• Sideskirts
• 50 rear overs

how much are u asking?

[Seraphim38]

First: Broadfield: massive props for supporting the community. I have 2 questions:

Is there not an aftermarket fiberglass subwoofer enclosure made for a standard spare tire well (that would fit in an S13 hatch)? I can't believe that someone other than JL doesn't make a decent fiberglass enclosure. I can pay someone to custom build one but it seems like a waste, since this is such a common thing to do.

Second: This is a dual purpose daily/track car that I have tried to shave weight as much as possible. I do want to have a stereo though. What is the best performing light weight subwoofer on the market, in, say a 12" size? It's probably going to be a neodymium driver. I am already using Class D amps to cut down on weight, and plan on using the Morel Maximo components up front.

Thanks!

[merks]

What would be a good single din head unit that is capable of blue tooth stream of music from my phone?

[Broadfield]

Originally Posted by dkim1985

hey broadfield.
i love your work and how all your interior parts are so clean~
is there a thread or do you have any kind of process to restore the plastic interior pieces?

for example, i have a s13 and the black plastic pieces are looking old and worn out and have been thinking about repainting them and what not but not sure where to start. any suggestions or recommendations for process and/or products?

If there are any scratches, cracks, gouges etc then you will want to repair those first. There are a couple different methods you can use. First, clean the entire piece by washing it with warm soapy water. Let dry and then wipe down with some form of 3M adhesive remover or Maxx Solv etc. For small nicks/gouges I like to fill them with superglue and use a spray accelerator to instantly activate it. This will fill the hole and is sandable instantly. You will want to sand it all the way smooth and finish with wet 400 or 600. You can then spray the piece with whatever color of SEM Color Coat paint you want. I prefer Satin Black and Landau Black.

If the piece you want to finish just has swirl marks on it then you can clean as above, then then scuff it with a grey scuff pad. Then simply paint it with the SEM paint.

Originally Posted by sickstatus

I'm on my iPhone, too lazy to quote n delete other posts,

I'll be using front n rear speakers with tweeters. my front pillars has stereo cover for them.

Do you want to amplify the front and rear speakers also? If so, ARC Audio makes a killer 5-channel amplifier. It would run you another $100.... so right under $600 for everything

Originally Posted by biggie

Sorry for being slow on reply, but yes they lock fine with the button. Just when you push the unlock button they unlock and then lock back.

Was just thinking there was some kind of check on a P/N switch and that would cause the issue. Though in the 5spd swap the main P/N switch under the hood is jumped.

I'm not really sure what could of gotten messed up by simply doing a trans swap. The alarm only taps into parking lights, door trigger, door lock wire, ignition, constant, starter wire interrupt and the siren under the hood... maybe trunk if that was hooked up. It just doesn't make sense assuming everything is wired just as it was before the swap. To me it sounds like something is wired incorrectly.... but that's hard for me to determine from across the country on a computer. If you have a test light or DMM I would be more than happy to walk you through it over the phone and help you test the wires to confirm proper operation of every wire.

Originally Posted by Nicelyphe

My car seems to not run as efficient when I'm playing music, the set-up includes the CarPC and Subs as we have previously spoke about. I'm running the stock SR alternator at the moment. [My second one..I think I fried the first one cause I heard a weird noise then my dash light went on and the car died once the battery died.]

Would upgrading to the 125AMP Quest alternator really help the situation in power draw and such? Would the 75AMP alt fuse have to be upgraded to properly run a higher amp alternator?

How much role does a battery play in this situation? I'm currently running the stock s13 battery branded by Exide. Would running anything like an Optima help in power performance? I don't have interest in running a capacitor.

Upgrading the alternator is the best thing you can do for higher current demands. The battery is for starting the car, so if it does that then it's doing its job. The only other thing a battery does is allow the use of accessories when the engine is off. Bigger batteries = more reserve time. Yes, you would want to upgrade the ALT fuse if you go to higher output alternator. Make sure your grounds are good on everything... the ground is the most important part of any circuit in the car.

Originally Posted by lewisfk

how much are u asking?

How much am I asking for what? You quoted everything?! And which calipers are you talking about?

Originally Posted by Seraphim38

First: Broadfield: massive props for supporting the community. I have 2 questions:

Is there not an aftermarket fiberglass subwoofer enclosure made for a standard spare tire well (that would fit in an S13 hatch)? I can't believe that someone other than JL doesn't make a decent fiberglass enclosure. I can pay someone to custom build one but it seems like a waste, since this is such a common thing to do.

Second: This is a dual purpose daily/track car that I have tried to shave weight as much as possible. I do want to have a stereo though. What is the best performing light weight subwoofer on the market, in, say a 12" size? It's probably going to be a neodymium driver. I am already using Class D amps to cut down on weight, and plan on using the Morel Maximo components up front.

Thanks!

Well that's the problem, there is no such thing as a standard well. Every car is different. Some are really shallow, some are deep, some have a large center area where the spare mounts etc. It would be like asking why someone doesn't make one hood that fits every car... it's just not possible.

I'm not aware of any quality subs that are light weight. But there are so many brands out there these days that there is no way I can keep track of all of them. If you buy like a JL Audio WX, W0 or W1, they are pretty light just for the fact that they are entry level subwoofers... or any brand of entry level sub. The enclosure itself will be FAR heavier than the sub... the weight of the sub is the least of your concerns. Just remove the enclosure on track days!?!

[Broadfield]

Originally Posted by merks

What would be a good single din head unit that is capable of blue tooth stream of music from my phone?

Easy! The new Alpine CDE-133BT... I just got them in yesterday: $149 shipped.

[HIGHFIVEBETA]

What GPS tracking system would you best recommend for my S14? I'm not looking to spend much (Over $200) but would like to purchase one some time in the future. Florida S chassis are thieve's new hotcakes.

[SochBAT]

I hate having a "stereo" system in my car. I just want a minimal unit to play back via AUX cable. Half din would be cool, or something I could route elsewhere and be out of sight. Suggestions?

[lewisfk]

LOL the body kit

[yellowxhoodie]

I spilled some Pepsi on my radio and now one of the buttons sticks. (07 350Z OEM radio)
Is there anything you'd recommend to "fix" it without have to rip the whole thing apart?

I read rubbing alcohol online because it dissolves quick but ill take your advice first over something I read online.

[Broadfield]

Originally Posted by HIGHFIVEBETA

What GPS tracking system would you best recommend for my S14? I'm not looking to spend much (Over $200) but would like to purchase one some time in the future. Florida S chassis are thieve's new hotcakes.

Viper VSM250, you can find it my my Viper thread. Please let me know if you have any questions or want to purchase it.

Originally Posted by SochBAT

I hate having a "stereo" system in my car. I just want a minimal unit to play back via AUX cable. Half din would be cool, or something I could route elsewhere and be out of sight. Suggestions?

You would need an amplifier to drive all of the speakers. Then you could simply run an aux cable directly into the amp.

Originally Posted by lewisfk

LOL the body kit

Yeah, I'm using the 20mm fenders from the kit.

Originally Posted by yellowxhoodie

I spilled some Pepsi on my radio and now one of the buttons sticks. (07 350Z OEM radio)
Is there anything you'd recommend to "fix" it without have to rip the whole thing apart?

I read rubbing alcohol online because it dissolves quick but ill take your advice first over something I read online.

Just use some electronics cleaner like Jiffy Bath. Make sure you read the instructions as it may not be safe on all plastics... but I have never had any issues. You may need to do several cleanings.

[Broadfield]

Originally Posted by Zilvia

Hey Tony Bradfield, where do you buy the Bride fabric... and do you have any scraps you could give me if I pay for the shipping?

Sorry, I keep all of my scraps... maybe check with Damon. But regardless you can buy your own from DriveLine Motoring.

[KiLLeR2001]

Can you go over the step by step process of preparing the exterior body for paint? I would like to take my time and do all the body prep work myself. And when I'm content with my work, I will take it somewhere that can professionally paint it for me. A list of all the supplies and products that are needed would be most helpful. Thanks in advance!

[dkim1985]

do you have any recommendations on how to restore torn vinyl?
on my s13 door, the lining of the vinyl where the main cloth piece is has torn a bit.
i want to take off the cloth and just leave it black but in doing that, the torn part will definitely be visible..

[biggie]

Originally Posted by Broadfield

I'm not really sure what could of gotten messed up by simply doing a trans swap. The alarm only taps into parking lights, door trigger, door lock wire, ignition, constant, starter wire interrupt and the siren under the hood... maybe trunk if that was hooked up. It just doesn't make sense assuming everything is wired just as it was before the swap. To me it sounds like something is wired incorrectly.... but that's hard for me to determine from across the country on a computer. If you have a test light or DMM I would be more than happy to walk you through it over the phone and help you test the wires to confirm proper operation of every wire.

It would have to be under the hood where the P/N was jumped or reverse lights were wired to work with the MT I guess, if there is nothing to the AT shifter.

Thanks for the offer, but I'm going to try a few avenues first. Hope to find someone local that installs them to do a little side work.

[Nicelyphe]

Is the Stock fuel sender able to be calibrated or anything? Ever since I installed a fuel tank into my hatch the first half of the tank goes like water, then the 2nd half takes awhile to get to "E" [On my gauge] Could this be fuel sender related?

[hpipro4]

this questions goes with painting plastic interior pieces.

are you using anykind of adhesion promoter on plastic interior pieces like the s13 cluster bezel? or just scuff and bomb with sem color coat?

whats that black glue your using on the s13 bezel?

thanks a bunch!

[Promise Land]

Taken from CamryOnBronze's thread...

Are you Doing anything different on an S14 door panel than what you have done on the S13 doors? I am not sure if I should try to peel the cloth off or go over it with new material since the S14 isn't concave.

Since you have 3 degrees, have you ever thought about pursuing anything full-time with any of them? I'm always looking for talent at our factory in MS. You'd be an interesting talent to have around.

[Broadfield]

Originally Posted by KiLLeR2001

Can you go over the step by step process of preparing the exterior body for paint? I would like to take my time and do all the body prep work myself. And when I'm content with my work, I will take it somewhere that can professionally paint it for me. A list of all the supplies and products that are needed would be most helpful. Thanks in advance!

Well... body work, paint work, interior upholstery work, engine work etc. are not my profession. So there will be more qualified people to ask I'm sure. However, everything I do I try to do at a professional level. So take what I say as a really good guide, but not the be-all-end-all of advice. I posted a nice little list on Damon's thread since so many people were asking. This was for the engine bay, but prep will be the same no matter what metal it is on the car. Quoted myself below:

"Seam sealer is basically the last thing you do before base coat.

Since a lot of people seem to be asking, in simplistic terms, it breaks down like this:

• Make sure bay is completely de-greased.
• Do all of your welding, grinding etc.
• If you are not removing all of the paint in the bay, scuff the entire bay or area to be painted with a red scuff pad. This will insure that you don't miss any spots to be scuffed later.
• Bare metal(if applying filler on bare metal, sand the metal with 80 grit or lower first) NOTE, a good rule of thumb: filler should never have a finished thickness of more than the thickness of a dime. If so, you need to do some more metal work before the filler. Obviously if you did grinding on the area, then it is ready for filler, as you most likely hit it with 36 grit or lower.
• Apply filler on bare metal if needed. Filler should never go over paint, primer etc.... only bare metal.
• Blend filler into surrounding metal by starting with 80 grit.
• Once the filler is rough sanded, then you will start feathering in the surrounding metal/original paint if present by stepping through the various grits until you finish the entire bay with 220 grit. Use a red scuff pad for any areas that are ultra contoured or hard to get to.
• So to say it again, the entire bay needs to be finished with 220grit/red scuff pad at this point.
• Use etch primer on all bare metal.... use a couple coats or whatever the particular instructions recommend.
• Sand the entire bay with 320 grit and red scuff pad. If you accidentally sand through the etch primer down to bare metal, then simply spot it in with etch primer and 320 it again. There should be NO bare metal at this point.
• Now it's ready for primer... real primer out of a gun. It will be the same basic color as what your base coat color is going to be. You can also easily do this in your garage as primer can be sprayed at a very low pressure minimizing overspray.
• Use a guide coat and sand the entire bay with 500 grit and grey scuff pad in the difficult areas. I wet sanded with 500 grit to prevent clogging of the paper.
• On the areas that are not going to be seen, like on top of the cowl where the black plastic panel goes, just scuff it with the grey scuff pad.
• NOTE: make sure everywhere that is going to get paint is scuffed with the grey pad. Otherwise paint may not stick properly.
• Seam seal the areas that need it.
• Use a grey scuff pad and scuff the seam sealer.
• Now it's ready for the body shop if you are having them do the final sealer/base/clear.
• If not you will use a paint sealer on the bay, then base and finally clear.

NOTE: I did not list ultra specifics like wiping down the bay with a cleaner before the main primer etc. Or proper sanding techniques and so on. Complete books are written on this type of thing, so I'm obviously not getting too detailed in this post. If you have any questions please let me know. My bay turned out phenomenal so I know these techniques are up to my standards. The bay will obviously need to be wiped down and tack ragged before the final paint also. So there are a lot of little things besides what I listed. But if you are having a body shop do the final paint work then they will take care of this."

Originally Posted by dkim1985

do you have any recommendations on how to restore torn vinyl?
on my s13 door, the lining of the vinyl where the main cloth piece is has torn a bit.
i want to take off the cloth and just leave it black but in doing that, the torn part will definitely be visible..

Post a pic of it please.

Originally Posted by biggie

It would have to be under the hood where the P/N was jumped or reverse lights were wired to work with the MT I guess, if there is nothing to the AT shifter.

Thanks for the offer, but I'm going to try a few avenues first. Hope to find someone local that installs them to do a little side work.

Good luck with it man!

Originally Posted by Nicelyphe

Is the Stock fuel sender able to be calibrated or anything? Ever since I installed a fuel tank into my hatch the first half of the tank goes like water, then the 2nd half takes awhile to get to "E" [On my gauge] Could this be fuel sender related?

You will want to check the operation of the float in the tank.

Originally Posted by hpipro4

this questions goes with painting plastic interior pieces.

are you using anykind of adhesion promoter on plastic interior pieces like the s13 cluster bezel? or just scuff and bomb with sem color coat?

SEM makes a plastic adhesion promoter, but I do not use it. I have had zero issues on the hundreds of plastic items I have painted. Keep in mind though, the SEM Color Coat line basically has a promoter built into it. Color Coat is engineered to be used on plastics etc. I do recommend using Maxx Solv or similar to wipe the plastic down. Then scuff with a gray scuff pad. After scuffing, blow it off really well with an air hose blow gun... then toss your color of choice on it.

Originally Posted by hpipro4

whats that black glue your using on the s13 bezel?

thanks a bunch!

Yes, this is what I'm talking about... this thread is already becoming useful: Check post #21 in this thread!

Originally Posted by Promise Land

Taken from CamryOnBronze's thread...

Are you Doing anything different on an S14 door panel than what you have done on the S13 doors? I am not sure if I should try to peel the cloth off or go over it with new material since the S14 isn't concave.

Since you have 3 degrees, have you ever thought about pursuing anything full-time with any of them? I'm always looking for talent at our factory in MS. You'd be an interesting talent to have around.

If the piece you are wrapping is not concave then it will be cake. You may even be able to get by with good spray adhesive out of a can. I have never wrapped the insert from an S14, but I'm pretty sure it's removable if I remember correctly. I think it may just be plastic welded to the door card. If that's the case, you grind the top of the weld off and remove the insert. You then wrap it, which will be really easy at this point. Then simply re-melt the insert back on. Feel free to post a picture of the back of the door card and I can let you know.

As for my degrees, I went to school to become an engineer. However, I realized that any sort of desk job might not challenge me in the way I like to be challenged. So I stuck with what I love... car audio. Low and behold I'm making clusters and whatnot now, in addition to the audio stuff I have always done. Why, do you have a janitor job open for me or something? But in all seriousness, I appreciate the offer. I actually saved your PM from Nico about it just in case I need/want a career change in the future. Out of curiosity, what type of position would you want me to fill?

[waxball88]

What kind of spray adhesive/psi/reduction do you use for upholstery?

[Broadfield]

Originally Posted by waxball88

What kind of spray adhesive/psi/reduction do you use for upholstery?

For stuff that is not concave or hanging upside down(like the headliner), I will use a really nice spray adhesive. This type of adhesive works great on the arm rest, glove box and so on. This stuff below works far better than the 3M stuff:

Stinger SAS Car Audio Vinyl / Carpet Install Spray Adhesive

For concave, high heat, ultra strong bond I use a contact adhesive out of a spray gun. I use DAP Welwood Landau Top Adhesive:

1 Gal. DAP Weldwood HHR Contact Cement

I use an automotive grade spray gun with a 2.0 tip. This glue is the only thing that will hold year after year on the door card.

[Promise Land]

Originally Posted by Broadfield

As for my degrees, I went to school to become an engineer. Out of curiosity, what type of position would you want me to fill?

Process Engineer supporting manufacturing of the vehicles we make here (Altima, Titan, Armada, NV, soon to be Frontier and Xterra, and another not named yet). I'm always looking for engineers that can put a car together well and have an eye for detail. If you change your mind, let me know. Job details are on Nissan USA - Jobs

[turbo_dreams]

My apology if this has been covered,
Have you ever dealt with having a car shipped to you for work? If you don't mind p.m'ing me a price to do your cluster setup (same as the one on your car) along with setting up a fully functional jdm climate control unit from scratch. If you can add what parts I'd need to complete that conversion it'd really help in the quest of piecing that together on my end.

[Bubbles]

My car vibrates in the rear when I take off. Roughest when taking off and turning. Not too bad when taking off not turning. Does better if you drop the clutch a bit rather than easing out. Just changed the diff fluid and it's better but not great.

Driveshaft? Bushings/mounts? New differential?

[bejota180sx]

i know we talked about this earlier on the other thread but could you recommend me somethign for the near future... i dont really use any headunit like cd or radio on my build car, you said to just run a amplifier and speakers... what amp and speakers do you recommend for all around quality and a good price. doesnt have to be high class sounding since im not building a sound system, ill leave that for my daily vert...

and ps. im still frying my brain thinking about what to do with the gauges, i can't seem to make up my mind to what i want to ask for an exact price...

[whitepony22]

Ok I have two questions for you.

Speaker question:

I plan on putting an Alpine iDA-X305S in my S13 and maybe even into my STi as well. I have a 04 Chevy Avalanche with the factory Bose system in it and honestly have never heard a clearer, more well balanced setup. Whether low, or as loud as possible the sound is completely clear across all levels no matter what style of music you're listening to. With the Alpine, what speaker combination would you recommend to achieve a sound similar to this in either of my cars? I would prefer to do it without subs/amps as both cars are more on the track/performance side and would prefer not to add them. Would it be possible to have the sound without them simply with speakers/tweeters? Ideas/advice?

Second question is an interior question:

I plan on making a hidden setup for my S13's double din pocket to cover up my headunit/gauges so that the lights don't bother me at night. Do you have any idea where to get a generic flip up hinge such as that in a 350z's pop up compartment, the STi coin tray, anything like that where it's a simple push and it opens, and push down and it's closed.

Thanks.

[Big Zee]

I read through this Thread and did not see the answer to my question. So I will ask it.

What de-pinning tools do you use/recommend ? I would like to try my hand at cleaning up my wiring harness and want to do a proper job that looks neat and tidy with proper plugs.
Thanks in Advance!!

Dustin Z

[KiLLeR2001]

Toby, does Viper make a sensor or switch for the gas door? So that if an intruder opens the gas flap (while alarm is armed), it will trigger. I know I could get creative and try to customize one, but was wondering if Viper offers any such device.

And if they do make it, is it compatible with the Viper 5901?