welcome chris.
very nice looking car mate. would luv to see it finished and on the road with us.

the Bellett Nats were in Adelaide in 2009, and will be again next year (2013).
set for the weekend of the Bay to Birdwood run on the last weekend in September.
cheers.

Just went out and took a few pictures, you'll have to excuse the cobwebs... it needs a big clean, I havn't pulled it out of the garage for a few months.

Cheers
Chris

Glenn, Great seeing that picture of the engine, I remember taking it at our old place. seams like so long ago.

Chris, welcome to the site!

I was thinking that PR91 Brett would be exceptionally stoked to hear about this car.... he's asked me a few times if I'd ever heard of the 1600 DOHC late-model conversion that was alleged to be around Adelaide. He had that pic that Glenn put up (as do I), but until now I had no info.

Stoked to hear that it's out there and a genuine thing that is actually happening!

Don't run out of steam! Get it on the road and we'll cruise!

Cheers,

Dave

or photoshop Chris and his car into a cruise if it isn't finished yet....
but it can't ever be finished coz it doesn't exist after all!

GREAT LITTLE CAR NICE TO SEE IT APPEAR ON HERE ITS ALIVE AND GOING STRONG YOU HAVE DONE SOME GREAT WORK AND INSPIRE EVERYBODY WHEN A NEW FACE APPEARS WE ALL WANT TO SEE IT IN THE FLESH(steel) KEP AT IT OR GET THE LOCAL LADS TO HELP YOU (SORRY GUYS) THANKS FOR JOINING CHEERS DAVO

Whats the gadget on the inside on the clutch pedal ?

One thing for sure with turning a FWD engine around, the cam belt replacement should be much easier !

I hope the group here can get you even more motivated to have the car on the road. We would all love to see it.

glenn

Hi Glenn,

The clutch on the Nissan box is hydraulic and there isn't any room inside the engine bay for the master cylinder so i turned it around and mounted it inside the car with the fluid container in the engine bay, its the small round one next to the brake master cylinder.
its a Toyota Celica clutch master cylinder.

I was thinking about the car today while driving to one of the mobile sites today and realised that most of the mods to the car happened over 10 years ago, probably why some of the things are looking a bit tired on the car now, its interesting the way you remember things, polishing, sanding, painting, cleaning... and even though its been under cover for the last 15 years the age is starting to show.

A few years ago i spoke to a a bloke who was in the "Bellett car club of SA".. is this still around? it would have been about 15 years ago when i was living in the Adelaide Hills he had a couple Bellett's and when i told him what i was doing it he wasn't that impressed.



Cheers

Chris

OK, on the master cyl. I thought it was but was tricked by the reservoir on the other side !

Don't worry, I think most if not all of us, are very impressed with your work and the car.

glenn

hay Chris it's your car and where would it be if you did not paint it and shed it for the last 20 years I think you have done a nice job. There are a couple of purists here but in all only 1 or 2 would make the the grade close to pure. All in all it's alive and well,Liz and i have two track cars 1 was to be wrecked and cut up for scrap the other 1 was left under a tree for over 20 years both alive and well people may frown at them being raced but where would they be otherwise I have a gt that got a cut n shut that i stored for 20 years not too many would have saved it so it is what it is alive again soon. It's easy to have an opinion it's bloody hard work to bring them back from the dead.

Chris, it was probably some silly old fart who could only see the value in doing up as original repairs and thought it was sacrilege to modify a car.
i think its great to have a whole range of cars with all sorts of mods. and also stock standard originals as well.
the work that is/has been done by a number of Bellett.net users is amazing and all the rest of us still sit back in amazement and awe at the work and effort that is done.
your sedan is one of the best modified ones i have seen in a long time. there is obviously a lot of work and thought gone into it.
there are a lot lot more of us who are more than impressed with that level of effort.
just ignore the minority of bagging you get. there are always a few of them in every group.

think about bringing your car to next All Japanese Day here in SA. bring it on a trailer as there are quite a few cars which are not driven to the show. i KNOW it would be a hit and there would be many of the crowd impressed with the build work and finish.
and there is no shortage of hands prepared to help do whatever is needed to get the build on the road
cheers

OZ

as far as"the Bellett club of SA", there has been a few of us try and get something going but its just so much time and work.
i did some stuff in the early 80's and then Mike did some more in the 90's.
now Dave, with support from Ross, has taken up the mantle is doing a superb job in getting us Belletters keen and together and having a great time driving our cars and talking shop for at least a few days every year.
it has become a really good group of support, social activity and Bellett days out.
So good to see such a good turn out of cars at shows such as All Jap Day

so , there is kind of a Club. everyone is welcome even if not driving a Bellett, and we also welcome all kinds of Belletts in whatever state they happen to be. we just want to see them being driven and enjoyed and share that with other like minded people.

OZ

don't worry about anybody else's views. in the end it's your car and u'll do with it as u please, as they will do their's as they like.
that's the beauty of being individual and how a group of people can all appreciate each others efforts even if the style of what one does is different to another, but u'll always get one that has a whinge no matter what the subject.
i've had just the same with all my cars.... the Wasp is too modified, the race car isn't enuf of a Bellett coz there's nothing original on it including the body, even the GT got that it isn't an original colour! but it comes from those that don't understand the true meaning of the Bellett movement and are probably a bit jealous that they can't do the same or don't even have the vision to dream it but get someone with the skills to make it reality... to me the most important things is to keep as many of them alive as possible and create a community feeling amongst us for all to enjoy.
honestly i admire your car and especially the work that's gone into it as i know all to well just what's involved in these things and how hard they can be to set up rite.
keep up the great work Chris!

Im happy to see a bellett thats being looked after, doesnt matter if its a concourse restoration, modified street or race car or full blown ratter there are all sorts here, i like them all.
I do like the fact that yours is different with an engine i would never have thought of and it looks really well pieced together, looks like youve really put some thought into what goes where to get it all in.
The guys on here are usually more than happy to answer any questions or even lend a hand (i have seen and heard of some of the guys going from one side of town to the other to help out a bellett!) this is a unique group of people and a great forum to be part of!
I would love to see your bellett in the flesh and the all jap day here in Adelaide is a great place to see the cars, even if it needs to be trailered there!

Hopefully we see alot more of you on here and more of your cars!

Thanks guys,

It's great to know there is a bunch of Bellett'ers out there that love this breed of metal.

The car has been a bit of a love hate affair, you start something and then you have to figure out how and what.. where to place it then how to place it.
I'll plan to bring it to the All Japan Day. Is there a date yet?

I have most of the exhaust system just needs the pipe work done.

2.5" dump into a muffler with 2 x 2" outlets and some 2" resonators at the back, all stainless.

I have most of it all planned in my head its just doing it or maybe the $$$ for doing it.

but regardless ill have it at the all Japan Day.

Chris

You've got plenty of time, Chris coz next all Japan day won't be until February 2013!!

There are pics of previous events under the SA events section.

The engine cooling concerns me. I can't tell if it is the original Bellett GT radiator or something else. If the height and width are the same as the Bellett radiator, it is going to be about 2 1/2 inches thick to match the size of the JT191S or JTU07 turbo. Even that is a little undersized. No problem for street, but the Isuzu Circuit Meet guys complain that they overheat in a 20 minute track session. And the Elan Turbo, with a smaller radiator, is bad for overheating in stop-and-go traffic.

The lack of an intercooler is also a problem. You will have to turn down the boost or it will have detonation problems. You'll end up close to the non-turbo power numbers.

I want to hear how it does on the road. But before taking off on a long trip, you might put in some good temp gauges, a good knock sensor, and run some miles close to home.

Chris, what a truely amazing project!
It's great to turn on the computer & find a car like yours, previously unknown to me, gracing the pages. You have certainly stirred some interest!
My opinion is also whatever works to save them, different leanings mean VARIETY, and that is the enhancement of life.
As long as they're spared the crushy machine.

I know all about the many facets of life and restricted time available for hobbies, but we don't have our kids for long so it's good to live that life to the max. Perhaps then when they leave home they may visit sometimes 'cause they think you're O.K.
Maybe even lend a hand with your hobby!

Get to it when you are able, and thanks for showing us. Beaudifuuuuuuuul!
Cheers, Matt.

Hi,

I made the pictures a bit smaller this time... sorry i don't know if i can change them.

JT191 was keen to see the modifications to the intake manifold so i have taken a few pictures, i wish i have taken some pictures when i was building it all... digital life where were you 15yrs ago...

The intake manifold was cut and shut the original engine had the throttle body and inter-cooler at the back of the engine over the cam angle sensor, but this really wouldnt fit this way so i stripped it all down and started to put it back together in the car...

The Radiator is a standard one... but re-cored copper is a very good conductor of heat... and a 16" thermo fan... so i am not to worried about the cooling aspect.

ahh that right i was worried about the extra boost of the TO3 and got a copper head gasket made up for it..
The things you start remembering.

I did want to put an inter-cooler in but after the oil cooler the thermo fan and the engine there really isn't much room left.. i had to cut a hole in the bonnet for the engine. but i have made up a TR3 style shroud... like a teardrop... used one of those plastic footballs and some expanding foam to make the mold for it.. then putty and sanding.. but over the years lost it.. i still have the mold so i can make up another one.

Cheers

P.S. this is fun sharing the adventures of a mad man and the Bellett the could.

KEEP UP THE PICS ...GREAT JOB ...CHEERS DAVO

Its Disaster time with cars in our house, my wife's Peugeot Cabriolet starter motor went, so she's using the Hilux Ute... and i got a call in a meeting that the battery had died... so while i was getting 1.. I thought id get one for the Bellett.

Peugeot wanted $1100??? so i got one from Germany for $120... new.

You have to ask why is it so expensive here when as a consumer i can buy one from the EU and get it shipped for a 10th of the price.


Cheers



Chris

P.S. can you load a video on here?