Kizashi Club

KuroNekko wrote:No problem. I have some older photos of when I was working on it in the past few summers. I'll upload them later. With this car, like any project car I imagine, things are done in phases. In the past, I've:
- Replaced all shocks with KYB Excel-Gs. (The old ones were complete goners.)
- Replaced the steering dampener. (Smoothed out the steering. No more wobbles.)
- Replaced the drag link. (Got rid of the clunking in the steering.)
- Replaced front brake pads and rebuilt front calipers. (Got rid of the screech and the bus stops decently now.)
- Replaced front brake lines and hoses. (For the sake of a front brake overhaul.)
- Replaced alternator with a 70 Amp version. (Old one's bearing seized and ate the belt. Turned out the old alternator installed by previous owner was a 55 Amp; made for non-camper buses.)
- Replaced spark plugs and wires.
- Replaced rotor, distributor cap, points, and condenser. (Thinking about going with an electronic ignition in the future to replace the points and condenser for lower maintenance and better MPGs.)
- Replaced valve cover gaskets.
- Adjusted valves.
- Changed oil and filter. (Valvoline MaxLife 10W-40 in winter and 20W-50 in summer.)
- Replaced alternator belt. (Old one seized on the alternator.)
- Adjusted timing (and learned to use a timing light).
- Sealed leak in water tank (For the sink.)
- Installed windshield flower vase (because... VW bus).
- Installed solar trickle charger for the battery.
- Replaced #3 cylinder thermal sensor.
- Replaced transmission fluid with Red Line MT-90.
- Installed LED 3rd brake light.
- Installed LED tail/brake light bulbs.
- Installed high output sealed beam headlights with hi-temp harnesses.
- Installed cargo net for cabin roof carrier.
- Installed rear seat table.
- Installed rear door bike carrier.
- Installed engine bay's fire extinguisher.
- Replaced cigarette lighter wiring.
- Installed high output bulbs for dash gauges (Now actually visible at night!)
- Replaced fuel pump and fuel filter.
- Replaced accelerator cable (Literally a cable running from front of bus to the rear.)
- Probably forgetting a few other things but you get the idea. It never ends but the car is older than I am so it's expected.

Speed_Racer wrote:

SamirD wrote:

Speed_Racer wrote:I ordered a new set of tires for the SV650. When I install them, I'm also swapping out the fork springs for a firmer pair.

Neat, I never knew you could do that. What type of advantages does that bring? I would imagine more stablity in turns under braking.

It's not hard at all, just a few more steps beyond changing fork oil which should be done every so often anyways.

Stock SVs were undersprung from the factory, so as a 180 lb dude I get a ton of fork dive when braking and wallowing in the corners. A firmer set will solve most of these issues and increase confidence in the twisties. The only downside is a stiffer ride around town, a tradeoff I'm ok with.

Another fix that a lot of SV riders do is swap out the entire front end with the inverted forks and brakes from the GSX-R, but that's out of my price range. (Sample pic below)

Fritz2 wrote:I had a friend in high school who had one of these. I don' know if the motor was stock, but when he would accelerate hard(!) from a standing start, the front end would lift even with the two of us up there, and it felt like you were really going fast. I could have just been scared, he was a madman.