My NZ VN V6

[immortality]

My ride,

1989 s1 VN executive
V6, 5spd

Mods:
LSD with 3.45:1 gears
SV3800 tune modified by me
Coby headers and 2.5" exhaust (without cat)
V8 65mm TB, modified butterfly and shaft
shielded K&N POD with CAI and thermal wrapped intake
MSD dis4 ignition(2 step rev limiter and timing retard for NOS)
Billet Products shifter
Exhaust heat shield
polished aluminium rocker covers
thermo Fan override switch (how to: How to fit thermo fan bypass switch - Just Commodores)
82 degree thermostat
strut brace (borrowed from the V8 as it's off the road)
Various nolathane bushes etc
O2 sensor
VT SS rims with 235/45/17's
Superlows all round with KYB shocks
oil filter relocation kit with oil temp and oil pressure
speedo corrector kit (my howto: Install a speedo corrector kit VN/VP)
Momo steering wheel

Future mods:
Raptor blower in final stage of fitting
Nitrous coming soon




i've added the o2 sensor to the list of mods cause the NZ commies were tuned for leaded fuel. now that i've got the o2 sensor working i'm going to be running a slightly mod'd SV3800 tune. up till now most of my efforts have been on reducing intake temps to increase economy

it's run a best time of 15.8 on the G-tech (competition with firmware 4.03 update) with only a K&N panel filter at the time and standard zorst with rattly baffles (muffler) and some wheel spin.

when i bought her, there was only 65,000km on the clock, single owner. it's been in the family for about 4 years now and it's currently got 119,970 on it now.

power and torque are up about 8hp and 10 ft-lbs with the mod's to the intake, actual 1/4 mile times are consistently better by .1 although i haven't bettered my PB this has been on the 14" wheels with less traction and i've just noticed that i've been changing gear at the 1/4 mile mark so holding 3rd gear should see a small gain there. the original power runs were done at midnight in winter conditions so it woulda been good air also where today it was just before lunch and much warmer etc. doing the xhaust and tune should make a good improvement also

update:

since fitting the new 2.5" exhaust and finally getting rid of that rattly muffler the Gtech shows an improvement of 10rwkw and 19.5nm of torque. with the LSD and gears i've now run a BP of 15.2 sec @92mph and 6.918 0-60mph that should drop with revised shift points and better traction as i'm currently running on my old 14" wheels. here comes the 14's hopefully

[alexp36]

Nice VN mate, pretty low ks too.
Must go pretty well with the manual behind it. I saw some manual conversion kits on Trademe for the VR a while back, but they were a bit pricey for me, so I'll be sticking with the auto for now.
What part of Auckland are you in?

[immortality]

manurewa, most wreckers are charging about 2k for everything you need to do a conversion. your better of watching tradme and trade&exchange for a someone selling a damaged vechile etc. you'll get a good deal that way. last month i missed a s2 VN manual, redg on hold cause it needed some work for $500. mines lookinga bit sad at the mo, got the standard 14" factory wheels on at the mo and the paint looks crappy cause i parked it under the native tree at home and the little red flowery thingsies left red stains on the paint. bugger

[alexp36]

yeah, you're probably right - these ones I saw were a complete kit, all secondhand bits, but it was a company that puts together everything you need, right down to the centre console, pedal box, even the starter motor. Might have been about $2700 thereabouts.
Pity about the paint - hopefully it'll come out with a cut and polish.

[immortality]

yeah, you're probably right - these ones I saw were a complete kit, all secondhand bits, but it was a company that puts together everything you need, right down to the centre console, pedal box, even the starter motor. Might have been about $2700 thereabouts.
Pity about the paint - hopefully it'll come out with a cut and polish.

yeah, i'm going to try meguiars clay bar first. if that doesn't work then it's be a polish with a cutting compound

[nathans1987]

looks in pritty good condand only 65,000k when bought it!! i like them wheels. you live near the ocean? you dont have to run a cat in NZ?? can you still get leaded fuel, it probably made more power than the aussie ones on leaded.

[immortality]

looks in pritty good condand only 65,000k when bought it!! i like them wheels. you live near the ocean? you dont have to run a cat in NZ?? can you still get leaded fuel, it probably made more power than the aussie ones on leaded.

yeah, i can drive from the east coast to the west coat in under an hour here in auckland. thats right no cats here until the VS and then people use to take em off. thats not legal anymore now but. ithink it was still 125kw unfortunatly, but they got rid of leaded fuel a few years ago now(except for AVGAS, which i use in the V8, but there is a big fine for that) hoping to get more go out of it with the SV3800 tune, especialy since i don't have a cat to restrict things

[immortality]

looks like i just found an LSD diff for my VN and maybe some fe2 suspension and V8 brakes also. probably free or maybe a couple box's beer etc

[calais_cruzin]

I like ur heat sheild you made for the pod, is there a top peice that goes ova the pod to seal it and make it so it draws air thru the pipe to the sheilded area?
Or is it just left how its shown?

Its a very good job, i would have it like that if i didnt have my cai already on.

Would have been cheaper too.

And damm low km's i aint seen a VN with that low kms, unless it is a show car.

You got ur self one that will last for ages.

[immortality]

I like ur heat sheild you made for the pod, is there a top peice that goes ova the pod to seal it and make it so it draws air thru the pipe to the sheilded area?
Or is it just left how its shown?

Its a very good job, i would have it like that if i didnt have my cai already on.

Would have been cheaper too.

And damm low km's i aint seen a VN with that low kms, unless it is a show car.

You got ur self one that will last for ages.

cheers,

the heat shield goes right up to the bonnet, in some places it actually leaves a line in the hood lining. i'm looking for some rubber edging at the mo so that i can cut it back a little and use the rubber strip to seal it fully etc, also around the bottom where it sits against the gaurd as well. the idea of using the VN-VR intake duct for a CAI goes to surfwagon, there are lots of poeple who have used PVC piping but the duct is the perfect length and i've just addapted it to the heat shield etc. i'm considering a second CAI at the mo by cutting a hole through the base and ducting pipe from the front bar so you sorta get a ram air effect. she's starting to need a bit of work now, suspension bushes etc but i'll slowly work my way through it all, should be good for many more years i hope.

[calais_cruzin]

Yeah once u get sum rubber sleeve to go over the edge to seal it up it will be very good.

Atleast you took the time to make a proper shield for the pod not just take off the box n wack it on.

Yeah suspention on vn's are crap, especailly when they are lowered, i replaced my rear bush'es 2 times in 3yrs, and there not cheap or a easy job.

Good luck with it all

[immortality]

looks like i'll have an LSD soon then it's going to be time to get a burner and do myself a decent tune for the old girl

[immortality]

added another pic of the shielded POD setup with VN CAI setup. it's now fully sealed and working great. i'll also be doing a "how to" for the exhaust heat shield when i complete the one for the missus VS. it'll include dimensions for all the spacings for the holes etc and the slight variations for the VN-VR and ecotec versions. haven't had a chance to strip the LSD diff outa the inlaws crashed BT1 one yet but hopefully i'll get it soon

[immortality]

big thanks to 14secvp for burning the SV3800 tune on a spare memcal for me. have had a quick play with it and bottom end power seems much better although top end doesn't seem better at all (as tested with Gtech) which leads me to believe even more so now that the rattly muffler is chocking the exhaust. So to solve that problem i have a 2.5" zorst on order, should be here next week.

due to the lack of traction problems with the new tune i finally decided to pull finger and sort out the diff, so i've got the LSD fitted by the local diff outfit. he supplied 3.45 gears ($150), reco'd the LSD and fitted the lot for $300 total he's also suggested i fit an alloy diff cover to help cool it better and the biggest front sway bar i can find to help keep the drivers side rear tyre from single spinning as this is what will wear the LSD quickly. he suggested doing left handed O's for this reason as well.

So the new LSD is bloody tight, any hint of dirt etc when going around tight bends/round-a-bouts etc you can hear the inside wheel chirp as you go around etc. which leads me to my next problem, i'm suffering from axle tramp now, when cornering with little or no throttle all is fine but if you try to power out of a corner it feels like the diff is bouncing.

[immortality]

So i went to the wreckers and picked up the alloy diff cover from a XD/XF falcon. cleaned it up at work on my last night shift and have started to polish it. still need to drill and tap a 1/8" npt thread so that i can mount the sender for the autometer diff temp gauge i've got coming from summit racing, should be here next week i hope. the theory is that the alloy will conduct the heat out of the oil better then the standard pressed steel cover to help the diff survive longer.

i've also got a Autometer trans temp and oil temp gauge coming along with a remote oil filter mount. one thing i've never liked about the V6 engines is there tiny oil filters, with the remote filter mount i will be able to double the size of the oil filter and there is also room on the remote mount to fit an oil temp probe so that way i won't need to weld a fitting into the sump which is a lot more hassle. with the way the new filter will be mounted, changing the oil filter will be a no mess job also as it will screw vertically up into the mount instead of on the side of the block as it is now.

[immortality]

so the new 2.5" zorst is here. pushed it under the car too see that everything was where it needed to be and what do you know, it's a foot short. so back on the blower to the supplier. he tells me it's a CAT back system. great, the mighty VN never had a CAT. another easy job thats quickly going the wrong way. the supplier gave a bit of 2.5" pipe, went and got some flanges yesterday morning and ready to put it all together. welded the flange on at work this morning and grabbed the portable welder to finish it off at home, bolted it all up, cut extension to legth with second flange etc, plugged the arc welder in, strike an arc on some scrap to warm it up but it won't strike an arc things are going wrong this morning. bugger, drive it to work as is, turns out i had grabbed some special rods that are bitch to arc. finished it off and bolted all together.

fired it up this morning with only the headers and Y pipe, sounded bloody awsome, my boys though i'd got the V8 outa the garage (i wish, gotta fix that too) with the 2.5" system on i don't think it sounds that great, maybe get rid of the rear resonator and either put a straight pipe in there or maybe a hotdog. for another day however. just gotta sort the suspension now and maybe some tints and get my 17's back on there

[14secvp]

good too see you got it on least now you can change mufflers and stuff too get it too sound good what brand of exhaust was it in the end

[immortality]

rage, gonna have to live with it for awhile, might get the missus t odrive it so i can hear it from the outside and decide if like it or not

[immortality]

went out this morning for a quick play, since fitting the LSD with 3.45 gears and 2.5" exhaust i hadn't had a chance to go out and have a play although it definitly felt faster driving it around. this morning i did a 15.2 @ 92mph 1/4 mile, thats still with the 14" wheels. power wise ive gained 10rwkw and 19.5nm of torque. looks like the stock zorst with rattly muffler was holding it back as i was consistenly only get 16.0 with the 14" wheels and with SV3800 tune

unfortunatly i do have a leaking wheel bearing seal, also just picked up a speedo corrector kit from jaycar this morning

[immortality]

my new autometer gauges and remote oil filter mount are here. i'll be able to double the size of my oil filter now looks like i've got a few things to fit up this week. i've still got my line locker sitting in the garage also

been thinking last night, when i put my 14" wheels back on i lost .2 consistently over the 1/4mile. so with a new set of 17" tyres and revised shift points i should in theory be able to get into the 14's as is. my new goal is to get into the 14's as soon as and put a few V8's to shame. at the Fathers day drags on the weekend there were plenty that couldn't do 14's

[VN Commy]

How much did your exhaust end up costing? It'll be good getting it into the 14's and sub 7 seconds to 60!

[immortality]

How much did your exhaust end up costing? It'll be good getting it into the 14's and sub 7 seconds to 60!

it ended up being $520 for a rage system. considered getting a berklee system from australia but was going to have to wait for it to come over on the boat and was going to be the same cost. i also had to pay $12ea for 2 flanges and the distributor gave me a lenght of 2.5" pipe so that i could make an extension to fit where the CAT should be which i welded up myself at work.

i think 14s runs are a real possibility now. been looking in tunerpro and comparing the SV3800 tune to the original tune and atfy. it looks like i can get more timing into it, especially at WOT. maybe i can get 14's on my small wheels. just gotta get my launches consistent for the narrower 14" wheels

[immortality]

fitted the oil filter relocation kit this arvo, did a full oil change and engine flush whilst i was at it. some pics below. you can see the huge increase in filter size. i've also moved the oil pressure sender for the autometer guage to the remote filter mount anf just have the factory oil presure switch in it's original position. in the center of the remote mount you can also see the sender for the oil temp gauge as well. haven't had a chance to mount the new gagues yet and wire them up

[14secvp]

nice little unit

[Morton]

Hey man, that looks awesome Great to have stuff like temps and pressures on demand. You should run some 0-60mph times on the g-tech so I can get a good idea of how far behind you I am ^^

Did you install the filter relocation mainly for the ease of sender installation? Or was there other motivation?