N16 dCI from Spain.

[Kenizuka]

Hi to all. My name is Kevin, and I'm from North Spain. Like you can read in my presentation post (http://www.almeraownersclub.com/threads/kenizuka-from-spain.47392/) I have a 2.2 dci 136hp N16 from 2006.

My mom bought it when I was 16, mainly because it was the car I liked to be my first car when I was 18. Now I'm 23, and the car have 66.000kms on the clock. The car has made some problems, like broken turbo with 20k kms, and later again with near 60000kms.

Years ago I had a slight accident on a night tour because of the ice, my rear end broked traction and I can't handle it (I was fully countersteering but it was impossible to recover) and finish hitting a wood thing (sorry for my lack of vocabulary, my english it's not perfect) so I get a hit on the front of the hood, breaking the left fog light (the cristal was cracked for a hit a SUV made to us while going backwards) and also bent the light support.

We don't use the car so much (none of us need taking the car for work, just for little things, seeing my gf most of the times) so in this 8 years the car only have 66.000km

Now I'm trying to fix all the little things and I want to tune it a bit, but in the spanish forums there's a big lack of info, and here it's near impossible to find anything better than stock, and I'm without job right now (the crisis is really bad here) so it ill be little step by step.

First, lets make a list of all the things I wanted to do to the car:

Exterior:
Depo lights
Yellow fog lights
Tow strap
Cupra r front lip
Smoked side repeaters
small aerial (my car looks like a rc one with the stock)
Carbon door handles
Black rear lights (painting the red with the colour of the car)
Led plate lights
Nismo back plate mount
Plastic plates

Interior:
Nismo gear knob
Led lights
Turbo Gauge with Samco piping

Engine:
Air filter on stock cage
CAI from the bumper
Bigger FMIC
Metallic FMIC pipes
Emtpy catalizator
Annulate EGR valve
Bigger muffler

Thats the basic things I want to do, but I have some other rounding my mind:

S14 Front calipers
Wheel Spacers
HIDs on stock headlights
Front strut bar


Now like I said, on the spanish forums theres a big lack of info, and there's so much things I'm not sure, like the compatibility of some stuff.

My idea is not to spend big cash on the car but make it nicer to me. My dreams right now is find a job so I can purchase some day an S13 for the weekends, and fit some things from the n16 in there.
Also if I purchase it, I'm sure I'll pick a nice 16" for the n16 and use their wheels for replacing the 15" from the s13.

In my country we have something like MOT called ITV (Vehicle Technical Inspection) and they're so strict with the things that can be done without having to homologate all the car... for example, I cant switch to a 205 tyre, or putting film on the headlights, braided brake lines, and the last one was banning the shocks from the suspension, so I can only put dampers... Its frustrating...

Moving on to the next thing, I have some questions:

- I can't find an sponge for the OEM air filter, I want an aftermarket one, anyone knows about what car model I can use one?

-I'm searching for an OEM IC from other car that were bigger than mine, one guy on spanish almera owners club had used one from a ford focus but it's so similar so I think it will be money wasted...

-I have some doubts about the Gear knob because I dont think Nismo (I like it so much) have done one for the almera, so maybe i can use it from other model?

-Anyone knows if I can use the S14 brakes with the stock discs? Mines are ok and dont know what other cars use the same bolt pattern with bigger discs.


Yep, I know i'm a newbie on all those things but I can't (mainly because my english and lack of vocabulary) find answers to my questions.


I'll post pics of the car ASAP.

2007/2008


My first day of driver license



2 weeks ago:


Bonus pic, how to park on snow (see the marks of the back tyres xD)


Thank you for reading all this brick of newbie things and low cash project

 

[edk]

- I can't find an sponge for the OEM air filter, I want an aftermarket one, anyone knows about what car model I can use one?

-I'm searching for an OEM IC from other car that were bigger than mine, one guy on spanish almera owners club had used one from a ford focus but it's so similar so I think it will be money wasted...

-I have some doubts about the Gear knob because I dont think Nismo (I like it so much) have done one for the almera, so maybe i can use it from other model?

-Anyone knows if I can use the S14 brakes with the stock discs? Mines are ok and dont know what other cars use the same bolt pattern with bigger discs.

HKS panel filter. Same part number as WRX/Skyline

When you change the stock IC you have to change the pipe work too. The OEM run is weird and you'll not find another that will hook up to it. So best bet is going aftermarket straight away. If you can part £16 for paid membership there is a detailed shopping list and How To on fitting different intercooler options.

Nismo one's won't fit due to the lift-reverse function on our 6 speeds. A nice upgrade is the alloy and leather Maxima knob. Check out the link in my signature to find the thread on that.

S14 brakes kind of stock discs but you'd only be able to use half the brake pad material before you needed to change them, as stock discs are 22mm thick and the calipers are designed for 30mm. If you must go for Nissan 4 pots, get the R33 GTS-T calipers, not the S14 or Z32 ones. Otherwise you'll have to turn down the 280mm discs to like 272mm. R33 GTS-T calipers fit 280mm discs on an N16 because the knuckle's caliper mounting point is closer to the axle.

 

[V-SpecII]

I have z32 brakes you might be interested and Empty catalizator (decat/gutted).

There is a GB for Alutec Front strut bars if you put your name down others may follower, if we can get 2 more on board, We should be able to get them to manufacture some more.

 

[Kenizuka]

HKS panel filter. Same part number as WRX/Skyline

When you change the stock IC you have to change the pipe work too. The OEM run is weird and you'll not find another that will hook up to it. So best bet is going aftermarket straight away. If you can part £16 for paid membership there is a detailed shopping list and How To on fitting different intercooler options.

Nismo one's won't fit due to the lift-reverse function on our 6 speeds. A nice upgrade is the alloy and leather Maxima knob. Check out the link in my signature to find the thread on that.

S14 brakes kind of stock discs but you'd only be able to use half the brake pad material before you needed to change them, as stock discs are 22mm thick and the calipers are designed for 30mm. If you must go for Nissan 4 pots, get the R33 GTS-T calipers, not the S14 or Z32 ones. Otherwise you'll have to turn down the 280mm discs to like 272mm. R33 GTS-T calipers fit 280mm discs on an N16 because the knuckle's caliper mounting point is closer to the axle.

I have readed somewhere that we shared air filter with an Imprezza but I wasn't sure.
The membership is possibly the next thing I'll do before get any other high price mod and yeah, the ic stock pipes are so strange.
For the knob, it's possible to cut some part of the plastics or trim it to lift inside the knob?
Here on Spain will be hard to find R33 brakes for a nice price, but I think I'll find.

@V-SpecII Right now I can't afford the strut bar, maybe next year...

I forgot to mention thay I already have empty cat (stock one) and egr disabled!

Thank you guys for the fast responses

 

[Kenizuka]

I was thinking about the gear knob thing and without taking measurements I think it could be done, just by cutting the top of the plastic that is up from the handle... What do you think guys?

 

[V-SpecII]

Just get 2jr Mega Shift knobs.

 

[Kenizuka]

Yeah but I wanted the Nismo one for years right now, this specifically:

Its a little whim (its that word ok? I have to use translator xD) so even if I had to addapt it I wanted it so bad, dont know why xD

 

[edk]

You'd need to machine a recess for the lift reverse to go up into, so it might be possible, yeah.

 

[Kenizuka]

I have been searching anf finally I have the measures of the knob: A33mm B70mm C53mm


Without making maths I really think it will be easy, just cut the up of the lift thing and maybe a pair of washers and fitted... but I have to measure the width of the shifter thread to be sure it's 10mm.

On spain today is holiday, but I hope for tomorrow to have the film for the fog lights and the carbon sticker for the door handles, and I'll get to the seat dealer to ask for the lip, anyone knows what code number it has?

 

[Kenizuka]

Okay guys, today turned out as a very good day for me! I went to the scrapyard and finally find the supports for the front bumper bar after a more than a year of searching!!!!!!!!!

IDK in England, but here in Spain the ph2 comes without the bar, so if you hit something the bumper goes back and may crush anything (my IC is damaged on the low part because of that) and only the ph1 comes with it. A year ago I found the bar on a scrapyard and buyed it, at the time I don't know that the supports that fixed it to the chassis were different, and when I try to mount the bar... surprise! I couldn't. Then I returned to the scrapyard and they have selled the supports, to the bar was rusting out on my grandparent's house.

Today I was going to the seat dealer to ask for the lip but decided last moment to stop on the scrapyard, mainly seeking the back lip from an gti n15 (these days I was reading the N16ve proyect and thougt it will looke nice with a little mod), but the only n15 on there was a qg so i haven't nothing to look at. And after looking at 2 p11-144 for things I could use, I found a n16 ph1 saloon, without the front bumper and bar, and I thought it was a very bad luck because the other were all in, but when I look closer i see the mounts there!!!! Only 10€ for them so I'm so happy at least I can have the bar!!! I thought monts ago I have to buy a full bar with brackets on Almera spain owners club, so this is great news!

Tomorrow I hope the vynil for the yellow fogs and the carbon sticker for the door handles arrives, so probably I will do all together. I know it's not a big deal but for me, as none-cash unnemployed person, this is big effort... I hope I find job soon... I cant wait to do things on her! The next thing would be white lighs for the back plate and interior, but I dont know how to remove the interior lamp to change them, and the last time I tried to remove the back plate light I couldn't.

After some reading on the club, I've been more serious about a brake upgrade, but I have so manny questions!

-What size are our front brakes? Mine is a Ph2 dci Sport+, so I've I dont remember bad, it has 280x22mm discs? Like Edk says, only the R33 suits nicely on stock discs? What about the thickness? If it's a problem on s14 caliper designed for 30mm thick, the r33 will do full pad job?

-What dimensions are the back brakes? I read about upgrading them to primera p11 ones, is that right? what dimensions are the p11 ones? What caliper I need?

Thanks to all for the responses, I know I'm so noob when it becomes to a n16, because like I said, until a month or so I dont know that so much mods can be done, and I haven't readed all the proyects so far, only the most of Edk's and Happyharrysco.

Tomorrow I hope I receive all the things to start doing something serious lol. I'll post pics!

 

[edk]

Yeah we get the bumper bar here in the UK.

Ok brakes, basically any caliper that was originally designed to be for 296mm discs will fit 280mm on the N16 (R33 GTS-T, R32 GTR, but not Z32 and not R32 GTS-T). Ideally you should use 280x30mm discs and get them drilled to 4x114.

For the rear you can use Tino rear carriers with the stock N16 calipers and use 276mm discs.

 

[Kenizuka]

Yeah we get the bumper bar here in the UK.

Ok brakes, basically any caliper that was originally designed to be for 296mm discs will fit 280mm on the N16 (R33 GTS-T, R32 GTR, but not Z32 and not R32 GTS-T). Ideally you should use 280x30mm discs and get them drilled to 4x114.

For the rear you can use Tino rear carriers with the stock N16 calipers and use 276mm discs.

Thank you Edk, now I understand better all the caliper thing. But I don't understand the "Tino rear carriers", what this mean? I don't know how the back brake systems works tho.

Is there any stock car that haves the 276mm 4x114,3 discs? Like I've said before all my discs are in good condition last time I checked, like 10k kms ago, so It will be a slow task of finding all the things I need to do the front and read conversion at the same time, mainly because I have new brembo brake pads on front wich only have 2-3 months on the car.

I'm still seeking for the Cupra R lip, as I hope today I can go to the seat dealer for at least ask the price, and if it's still the same as some years ago (24€) buying them. And I know 0 about seat, or vags, never liked them. So I don't know how I could get the dealer a reference for that without the number xD

 

[edk]

There are some, but they are in the US. The B15 sentra guys use them for their Z32 caliper conversion up front. For the rears the Almera Tino (V10) and some Primera P11s have 276mm rears. The Tino being 5x114 and Primera 4x114. The advantage of use the Tino carriers is that you know for sure you are buying ones for 276mm discs, because the P11 ones can be hit and miss, some being 256mm.

 

[Kenizuka]

Uhm so finding one p11 with 276 will take time... no problem, that's all I have! The p11 and the p11-144 use the same brakes? In the scrapyard where I found the bracket for the bumper bar there was 2 p11-144s, might one have the discs I need.
But to use the stock calipers rear with bigger disc I have to made a support or something? Or just plug them in?

Today I started to fit the bumper bar, but started to rain heavily (dont have any interior site to do it) and when all but the bar was on there, I realized the holes on the left side dont match the support studs, so I need to make a new hole and don't have my driller there... But for today it will be done for sure.

 

[edk]

The carriers is what you need as I said/ You use the standard calipers.

Tino/P11 carriers (on the left) compared to N16 (on the right).

 

[Kenizuka]

Thank you so much Edk for all your explanations! So the idea is to find a 276mm p11 and buy discs and carriers and then it will be ready for the upgrade, nice. Finding the tino for the carriers will be ok, but like I've said I don't want to buy a discs that need redrilled, and in this case having ones that suits perfectly!

So today I managed to fit the bumper bar. It needed some work done, on the left side one hole was missing, and the bar was hitting with the one above that supports the headlights. Then I rised up the light bar, but then I can't fix the lights to the bar... I'll spend some time on it when I get the lip and the film for the fogs, because I want to mount it and forgot about. Here are before and after pics:





If you look at the FMIC you can see it's black on the left of the pic. I realized that I have damaged it when I had the crash, so I'll have to change it when I can.

Also I'm thinking about making a cold air intake, but I don't know where I can take the air from... I thought about taking of the grille between the lights or the one on the bumper but maybe the fmic will be getting in the way. Any ideas?

 

[edk]

You can always buy new 276mm rear discs in 4x114 to go with the Tino carriers.

That's a phase 1 bumper bar you have there.

Here's a phase 2, which is designed to clear the stock intercooler (and clears aftermarket ones nicely too). Note the cold air feed too. I'm doing something different now though, but that's for brake cooling. I'm sure you can use a duct like this (ebay) and bring it right up to the lower mesh on the bumper, cutting a few holes.

Re the intercooler and changing it. If you sign up for paid membership, there's a shopping list and How To for different intercooler upgrades.

 

[Kenizuka]

Like I said here on Spain the PH2 bar doesn't exist because none of the Ph2 meras got it. Also, the supports were from a saloon almera and they are not exactly the same. PH2 n16 with the ph1 bar, the bar is too low so it hides like the 20% of the IC, but like I have the ph1 bar with the almera saloon supports it doesn't hide anything. But there's a issue with the clearance with the bumper because it takes the bumper out below the lights a little. Now I'm thinking how I can solve it.

Today at least I got the film for the yellow fogs and I can't ressisted. Pics:





I love it! At the end all those years of waiting for doing it satisfied me a lot

Today I found the Color Trim of my black, it's Z11 G. So tomorrow I will have price for the paint, so I'll bought some for all the scratches of the car, like you can see on the last pic. Also I want to paint the inner of the rear lights with it, I hate have all the car black and then all that red.

Two days ago, I was cleaning all the car when I saw a spider web below the rear seats (I live on the countryside) So I ended up stripping all the interiors to clean it well... No more spiders inside I hope. Now I have to clean all the engine bay and inside the mirrors. Pics:





Also I remove the connectors below the front seats and plug the cables directly, I don't know why Nissan put that bronw connectors there when the cables have a faston-like. Then reset the airbag light and done. No more nightmares with the light flashing

 

[Kenizuka]

Cleaned up:

 

[Kenizuka]

I have some more questions round my mind, hope you can answer me.

It's possible to change the CD player without losing the wheel commands and the screen of the dashboard? Now i'm thinking of quit the aerial because I never ever listen to the radio, and would be nice to have all that off instead of buying a little one. I may have any problem on the radio itself for not having an aerial? I know obviously I can't hear the radio but I don't care. I'm thinking about make a cap for the holes also.