Duder's Beige Brick - ARUNDL - 1981 242 DL +B230FT

[doucheNozzle]

Just poking you. Saw the truck build. Looked good!

[Duder]

It's all good - I need a reminder to get back to this project every once in a while.

Thanks for the compliments on the truck. It runs way better than any carbureted 22R has the right to. Like magically going back in time to 1986. Pulls really well considering it's not broken in yet and even though it's now running 31s.

Grand unveiling:

[Duder]

I've had a set of light, forged 5zigen GN+ wheels for sale for a while, but no takers yet. So I finally decided to do a test on the 242. The wheels are 17x7.5, 5x100, et+48 with 235s on them currently. Thinking of getting some adapters made up if they don't sell soon.

Thoughts? Opinions? Unending ridicule? Feel free to let me know...this is just a quick photoshop to lower the car since I had it jacked up to prop the wheels under it.


242_with_5zigen_GN+ by Chris Floren, on Flickr

I kinda like 'em. The matte bronze color works ok with the beige, and the spoke style is just square and chunky enough to compliment the 242.

[doucheNozzle]

Those look so good

[The Full Banana]

i think they fit perfectly.

[Duder]

They are starting to grow on me - I like the look more every time I look at the pic. I have a set of '83-'85 skinny bumpers that would help out the car aesthetically, too.

My only concern with these wheels is that they need adapters, and I've always been wary of adapters. Not being able to readily check torque on half of the nuts that hold the wheels to the car doesn't sit well with me. Especially since this car will see road course track days, not just street driving and autocrossing - and I like keeping my wheels attached on track days.

Bonus with these wheels I guess is that there are lightening holes between the lug holes. So I should be able to at least do a visual check on the adapter-to-hub nuts.

The other obvious bonus is that I already have them...

[doucheNozzle]

These guys for adapters: http://www.motorsport-tech.com

[122power]

Hell yeah those wheels look good.

[Duder]

Originally Posted by scottyd

These guys for adapters: http://www.motorsport-tech.com

I checked out their website a while back, I think because you had posted the link in another thread here. Any particular reason to use them over anyone else?

Originally Posted by 122power

Hell yeah those wheels look good.

Thanks man! I'm pretty set on them now considering no buyers have stepped up. I don't think I was asking a ridiculous amount; $800 for the set with tires, and they are light/rare forged JDM hotness, legitimately. Maybe I didn't write "JDM" enough times in my NASIOC ad. Or perhaps they aren't ********** enough.

[Duder]

by **********, I meant h-e-l-l-a-f-l-u-s-h

[doucheNozzle]

Originally Posted by Duder

Any particular reason to use them over anyone else?

• Very reasonably priced.
• Great to work worth.
• Hub centric AND wheel centric.

[Duder]

Sweet, thanks for the bullet points!

[gsellstr]

I'll second Scotty on MT's adapters. Had a set of spacers on mine for ages that I finally found were MT's, went thru them for the adapters on my car now. No hassles doing a 56.1 CB for the wheels so I could run the Scoobie wheels, metric studs were no issue, nice fit on the car and wheels, for $260-ish delivered for all 4. Plus they're made in Reno, not china.

[doucheNozzle]

Yea Gary was the one who turned me onto them. Forgot you can tell them what stud size too.

[Duder]

Awesome. This option is looking better and better. Lots of suspension goodies have recently shown up at my house also, so significant changes are in store for the beige beasty.

[Duder]

Installed these minty clean vintage CA personalized plates back in December and I forgot to ever post pics. For shame.


ARUNDL1 by Chris Floren, on Flickr


ARUNDL2 by Chris Floren, on Flickr


They are the real deal btw. And registered to the car. Rockin' 80s period correct plates with Swedish colors...what more could I ask for?


ARUNDL3 by Chris Floren, on Flickr

[240keith]

mmmmm beige!

[Duder]

Artesia Beige at that!

[Stiggy Pop]

Originally Posted by duder

artesia beige at that!

137 > 122

[badvlvo]

Still need to ditch those commandos.

[Duder]

Very true. I grabbed a set of decent plastic bumpers (non-Commandos? Uncommandos?) from an '84 a while back to do the swap. But the donor car was a 245 and I read afterwards that the sedan & wagon rear bumpers are not interchangeable. Haven't verified this yet but if so I need to find another '83-'85 with an intact rear in the yards.

[towerymt]

Originally Posted by Duder

Very true. I grabbed a set of decent plastic bumpers (non-Commandos? Uncommandos?) from an '84 a while back to do the swap. But the donor car was a 245 and I read afterwards that the sedan & wagon rear bumpers are not interchangeable. Haven't verified this yet but if so I need to find another '83-'85 with an intact rear in the yards.

We put the rear bumper from my '87 244 on out '91 245 lemons car, so it at least went on. I thought maybe the wagon bumper stuck out more? The trim is different over the bumper. But I'm not certain of the differences to the shocks or core/bar between sedan and wagon.

[Stiggy Pop]

Originally Posted by Duder

Very true. I grabbed a set of decent plastic bumpers (non-Commandos? Uncommandos?) from an '84 a while back to do the swap. But the donor car was a 245 and I read afterwards that the sedan & wagon rear bumpers are not interchangeable. Haven't verified this yet but if so I need to find another '83-'85 with an intact rear in the yards.

what's the difference in the older plastic bumpers to the newer (86+)?

[Duder]

The trim is much wider on the '86+ bumpers, but I'm not sure if the black plastic cover or the aluminum bumper itself is different between '83-'85 and '86+. I've never had them side by side or inspected the later ones close enough to know if they have any major discrepancies that would prevent cross-swapping.

[Duder]

I decided to weigh this beast before I get much further into build plans. Not a truck scale weigh-in; I borrowed some corner scales from a friend and set it up today as a low-stress Sunday afternoon activity. I'm not done with the process yet but I got some good information today that should help me model the car dynamically.


Scales_1 by Chris Floren, on Flickr

I set up the scales in my driveway and used cheap 12"x12" linoleum tiles to level it out side to side, and front to back. I didn't have enough blocks of wood in the proper sizes to use as ramps for all four wheels so I drove up on the front scales, then jacked up the rear diff and slid the rear scales under. This way both front and rear suspension remained loaded since I last drove the car, and I didn't have to worry about getting it settled down again like I would if I'd jacked it onto all four scales.


Scales_4 by Chris Floren, on Flickr

First up was just taking everything out of the trunk and weighing it as-is, which is pretty much stock except for fuel pumps and Hydras.

Just for future reference: Configuration A below is a mostly stock 1981 242 DL. With B21F, M46, AC, PS, sunroof, stock seats, Commando bumpers, coffin hood, Hydras, Hankook Ventus V4ES 205/55R16, 044 main pump, Walbro 255hp in-tank pump. No spare tire, no jack, nothing in trunk. 5/8 tank fuel. ARBs connected. Edit: rear muffler is also gone and exhaust ends just forward of its former location.

Config. A
LF 821 RF 784
LR 635 RR 620
Total 2860
Cross 1419 49.6%
Left 1456 50.9%
Rear 1255 43.9%

This was significantly lighter than I expected for a Commando'd sunroof Malaisemobile such as my 242. From reading through other threads I was expecting a total weight of around 3000lbs with no driver. Suffice it to say I was pleasantly surprised with 2860, at 5/8 fuel load.

Next was the same as A except I sat in the driver's seat. Yes, I need to lose a few pounds.

Config. B
LF 915 RF 792
LR 705 RR 651
Total 3062
Cross 1497 48.9%
Left 1620 52.9%
Rear 1356 44.3%


Scales_2 by Chris Floren, on Flickr


Scales_3 by Chris Floren, on Flickr

After that I pulled the huge heavy Bosch lead acid battery out and put it on the upper deck in the trunk, just aft of the rear seat divider and all the way over to the passenger side.


Scales_5 by Chris Floren, on Flickr

Config. C (battery moved, no driver)
LF 779 RF 775
LR 651 RR 655
Total 2860
Cross 1426 49.9%
Left 1430 50.0%
Rear 1306 45.7%

Config. D (battery moved, with driver)
LF 867 RF 787
LR 722 RR 686
Total 3063
Cross 1509 49.3%
Left 1589 51.9%
Rear 1408 46.0%

With the battery in the trunk, but no driver (academic, I know) it gets to be almost perfectly balanced left to right, and in crossweight. Who knew?