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While we were at it we also ordered up the SK carbon fiber rear trunk. We figured it would match nicely with our carbon fiber hood and also shave off valuable pounds. Because the SK parts are made to order there is a brief wait, they say allow 4 to 6 weeks. We were fully prepared to wait that long however we were pleasantly surprised when the trunk showed up in just 3 weeks. Lets face it, quality parts are worth the wait and when they get you the parts more quickly than expected, well that is just plain awesome! I was impressed by the quality as soon as I opened the package. The trunk had perfect weave, flawless clear coat, and all the provisions for the stock lights, finisher, and latch. We have bought and installed other aftermarket body parts, and well we expected major tweaking here and there. Honestly though, it required little work to make it fit like the factory piece. We found it easier to match drill bits to the factory tail light and finisher holes and then hit the holes on the SK lid to clean them up a bit, this minor tweak and everything fit perfectly. We chose to drill out our inserts and use stainless hex head bolts to secure the trunk. This worked out BETTER than using the threaded inserts because it gave us the ability to adjust and tweak the lid until the gaps were perfect! While we had the trunks off the car we took the time to weigh the two so that we could report the weight savings.
The SK trunk weighs 14 lbs. less than the stock piece! |
With this mod alone we saved 14 lbs. and gained the sweet look of the CF trunk on a black car. OK so Project 200SX is all about performance, but there is a parking lot stunna hidden somewhere deep inside. Regardless, it is hard to call a CF trunk that saves weight a stunna mod. But yes, it does also fall into the cosmetics category. Add the savings from the battery change and we shaved 56 lbs. of weight with these two modifications. This is much more than we expected and the best part is we have more weight to remove.
MMMM Sparco supplied goodness! |
While we were stuck inside we got busy with products from our friends at Sparco. We turned to Sparco to make our driving experience in Project 200SX more race oriented. With the focus of our project we needed to ditch the stock school bus steering wheel and get the pedals in a better driving position. We contacted Sparco to help us make the right choices and after some advice from their team we had our new steering wheel, wheel adapter, and pedal set within a few days. From start to finish we had a great experience, from helping with product selection to shipping the parts!
For the steering wheel we chose the Sparco model 383 competition steering wheel and adapter.
The 383 is a competition use 330mm suede wrapped wheel. It features a no slip suede grip and bolstering at the 10 and 2 o’clock positions, it also has nice contours to match your thumbs in these positions. I find myself using Sparco’s words to describe the effect a good steering wheel has on the driving experience. “The steering wheel transmits the emotion, the excitement, and the thrill of sports racing. The steering wheel is the first command in any driving maneuver.” For reference the stock steering wheel is 380mm’s compared to the 330 of the Sparco. In short you go from feeling like you are operating public transportation to a race car! We should also mention that we chose suede because we use racing gloves most of the time. If you are choosing a wheel for an all out street car you may want to consider one of Sparco’s leather wrapped wheels as the oils from our skin can wear out the suede over time. If you’re unsure what wheel is right for you just give Sparco a call! We coupled the wheel with the Sparco adapter to provide for a hassle free install.
We chose the Carbon Fiber pedal set based solely on the recommendation of the people at Sparco. We were looking for a lightweight, durable, wide pedal setup. Sparco informed us that the Carbon Fiber pedals are the widest set that they offer and are made from 100% real carbon fiber. ?The pedal set comes with the mounting hardware and allen wrench, making the install pretty straight forward. Rather than using universal clips, Sparco uses the tried and true drill through the factory pedals method. We like this as it provides a durable permanent install, not some silly clip that will become dislodged on the track or autocross course.
We can now practice Mr. Coleman’s techniques without a visit to the hip doctor! |
With the old pedal set and steering wheel you pretty much had to be a contortionist to heel toe shift. Now the pedals are perfectly placed for blipping the throttle but far enough away from each other that you don’t accidentally hit both at the same time, couple this with the smaller diameter wheel not hitting your leg when you heel/toe and you have a brand new car. While these are relatively simple modifications what surprises us is how much of a difference these items make.
Our new office! |
In our next installment we will bring you up to speed on our current brake and suspension setup!
Thanks to our project sponsors: