# guys, i need some re-encouragment, my b12sentra project, is it worth it???



## WMengineering (Mar 11, 2003)

well....this is the latest devolopements with my sentra.....
i got my motor..it looks beautiful....the car is filthy looking but under the dirt it looks beautiful....
heres my problem, i can see this is going to be a project, quiet a bit of time invested. 
i dunno if i love the car enuf!!!!!i like get excited about it, then i drive my civic...and it makes me forget aobut the ca18de i jsut spent 8hun bucks for........
i feel liek im gonna have to commit....and for what?
i have no idea what the car will be like when i drive it.
i have free riegn right now on ym grammas credit card(how i got the motor) to dump any amount of money it takes to get the car back on the road and in great condition...
i think im having cold feet.

i realize this is a nissan forum, and you al love your cars, i love mine too dotn get me wrong.
but i cant help but keep running the thought through my head aobut how i could afford that H23a1(153 lb.ft of torque) for my civic that i have been dreamin of for years, for what this sentra project is costin me........is it worth it to go ahead on this sentra?
god am i trippin? hehe
any comments welcome guys...help me here.


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## MyClunkyAss12er (May 16, 2003)

nissan rarer, nissan faster, nissan better(if taken care of). nuf said.


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## Red_Coupe (Mar 20, 2003)

do you mean h22? and the ca18de swap will cost less then most..
not like my Sr20 swap I'm looking at 2500 just to get the car running again...


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## Myetball (Dec 15, 2002)

Well, you'll never know if it is worth it unless you finish. It sounds like you are running through all the stuff you need to do in your head and it's making you freak out.

I would suggest getting everything down on paper, or a word document. List all the things you want to do, all the parts materials you need to do it, then prioritizing, planning, and making a schedule.

One thing I have noticed is that you seem to be spending a good bit of mental effort on thinking about unusual mods to the engine. I'd suggest getting the thing built with the fewest mods and then working on it from there.

My kid was over today to pull the motor out of his Talon. He was spending most of his time searching the web looking for replacement parts that he can't even afford right now. I asked him how much work he was getting done surfing the web. A couple weak excuses later and he was back in the garage tearing things apart. Point is it takes too much time dreaming about what may be. Better to grab a wrench and start making things happen.


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## Red_Coupe (Mar 20, 2003)

Myetball said:


> *Well, you'll never know if it is worth it unless you finish. It sounds like you are running through all the stuff you need to do in your head and it's making you freak out.
> 
> I would suggest getting everything down on paper, or a word document. List all the things you want to do, all the parts materials you need to do it, then prioritizing, planning, and making a schedule.
> 
> ...





> Well said my friend....


that is ,I bet 99% of anybody on here has ,or will do the same thing ... I have for sure..


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## Myetball (Dec 15, 2002)

Something I forgot to mention. Most of us, myself included, get into the swap game because we are dissatisfied with the amount of power in our B11 or B12. However, the amount of money and work involved makes this much more than a cure for low horsepower. This is a passion. A desire to do something we love to do and in the end have something worthwhile to show for it.

Will we ever finish? Of course not because once we get our initial project out of the way, the next mod or project is waiting in the wings. Will me CA18DE powered B11 be fast enough? For a good while it will be but I still have DET burning in the back of my brain.

These cars are big boy's hobbies. I used to build model cars when I was a kid. Basically I'm doing the same thing on a larger scale. It's what I love to do and I'm not going to give up no matter how long it takes.

Do you have to love your Sentra? Hell no! Do you have to love the project? Of course not. As long as making something out of virtually nothing is what keeps you from taking a Glock to work then go for it.

So, in closing Mr. WMEngineering, less talk and more action. Less thinking and more doing. 

Oh, and don't ever go to work for the post office  Just messin' wit ya. I hope you keep the project going.

I think you touched a nerve...when I consider the amount of time and money I've already spent, the idea of abandoning the project is unthinkable.


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## boost_boy (May 25, 2002)

> Point is it takes too much time dreaming about what may be. Better to grab a wrench and start making things happen.


 Man, this ought to be a sticky for anyone wishing to venture on making their present car better than it is. "WM" I don't really know what you're really looking for in your sentra, but I'll share this with you: I have a friend with a JDM H22A with stainless steel valves, racing valve springs and blah, blah, blah as well as a 75 shot of drugs. He's the brother of the guy that used to own the S2000 who now owns a dead 3rd gen RX-7 that he can't afford to fix anymore and that his parents won't fund his projects anymore. With the amount of money poured into my friend's accord to have that H22 and with the problems he's had, I could've built another duplicate B12 resembling my girlfriend's. The point I'm trying to make is, doing projects is a love/hate thing whereas you love to see what the outcome is going to be, but you hate the amount of time and effort it takes to complete or wondering if it's ever going to be completed. I know this because I've been there and done that. I worked on that white car yesterday from 0830-2030hours non-stop and lord knows it hurt, but the results was one hell of a test ride and the satisfaction of knowing that I built it. So in closing and like "Myet" said,


> This is a passion. A desire to do something we love to do and in the end have something worthwhile to show for it.





> So, in closing Mr. WMEngineering, less talk and more action. Less thinking and more doing.





> I think you touched a nerve...when I consider the amount of time and money I've already spent, the idea of abandoning the project is unthinkable.


 And if you really think your civic will out perform a B12 sentra with a CA18DE, you are thinking wrong. I used to put the smack down on the 99-00 civc si with their glorified B16a engines, B13's & B14's with their glorified SR20DE engines as well as countless other ricers. No the CA18DE is not the baddest N/A engine in the world, but damn near close and you will never know it until you've actually applied yourself. Or like "Myet" said once before "Do it right or pay someone else to do it" and this goes for all of you.


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## nastynissan (Jan 26, 2003)

Myet and Boost...... VERY WELL SAID!!! Ive not done this paticular swap but have done several others as bad and Probably Worse..... Dont you just LOVE it when you wake up on a Sat morning SORE from working on the project the night before until 12, 1,, 2 in the morn. You wake up Cussing the car, yourself, and the people who talked you into this project(mainly yourself)... Yet an hour later your back at it. Under, over, and inside the car... Rolling around in the Grease, Busting knuckles, Misplacing Tools and parts..........................................

But there is NOTHING like the feeling you get when it FINALLY fires. And for a FEW brief moments you are THE MAN, you are THE SHIT, NOBODY can knock you off you HIGH HORSE...

And then its time for ANOTHER project.....


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## boost_boy (May 25, 2002)

Once again, another awesome quote from a fellow wrencher "nastynissan"! I'm off to the junkyard again as the P/S that I put on the white car does nothing. I'm tired as hell from a non-stop bout yesterday, but it's my love for it that keeps me coming back. Like I said 400+whp out of the white sentra or bust! I did a few 20psi bursts last night and I can just say this, the CA18DET is a beast after 10psi.


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## Nismo87R (Mar 25, 2003)

i think nobody has worst luck then me i been trough hell and back with my sentra after almost a yr of my sentra beeing in the back i finally fixed it and drove it last night my u dont how good it felt to dirve the car(even tough its a e-16s) i been broken down the freeway aleast every 3 months theres always some thing wrong with it but u know what i love this car no matter that i gone trough all the bullshit with it. but i dont give up man its just how much u love ur car. but i do hate with a passion my carburetor that son off a b**** is always brakeing down so make next thing was to get rid of it just finally go all out and make it a project seeing that i love my car so much i stick out with it and now im in the process of doind CA18DET SWAP i almost got eveything minus some parts that i need from boost boy its a little hard right now with a baby on the way (2 months) and not haveing a job but i promise that by the end of this yr BOOST BOY wont be the only CA18DET SENTRA out there. time to take out these hondas out here the bug more than my broke down carb


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## Webfoot (Apr 24, 2003)

nastynissan said:


> *Myet and Boost...... VERY WELL SAID!!! Ive not done this paticular swap but have done several others as bad and Probably Worse..... Dont you just LOVE it when you wake up on a Sat morning SORE from working on the project the night before until 12, 1,, 2 in the morn. You wake up Cussing the car, yourself, and the people who talked you into this project(mainly yourself)... Yet an hour later your back at it. Under, over, and inside the car... Rolling around in the Grease, Busting knuckles, Misplacing Tools and parts..........................................
> 
> But there is NOTHING like the feeling you get when it FINALLY fires. And for a FEW brief moments you are THE MAN, you are THE SHIT, NOBODY can knock you off you HIGH HORSE...
> 
> And then its time for ANOTHER project..... *


Shees, I don't know who to quote. This is so inspiring, I think I'm gonna start another Sentra project. This time a B12 HB.


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## nastynissan (Jan 26, 2003)

boost_boy said:


> *Once again, another awesome quote from a fellow wrencher "nastynissan"! *


Thanks man it tis preciated......:thumbup: Hell .....A man could almost get teary eyed reading this thread... LOL


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## MyClunkyAss12er (May 16, 2003)

:cries:.........:cries some more:.......:bawls:....nissan heart and soul, right here right now.....amazing....


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## boost_boy (May 25, 2002)

It's just time for the underdog gang to come up and claim some of the spot light! I'm not even looking for the fame, but it urks me that so many wanna be go fasters missed a very important part of nissan's history and they are the E15T and the CA18DE/DET motors respectfully. They deserve accolades and should not be looked down on because of their size or age or power output. I don't mind waging and all out speed contest with the average 4cylinder turbo or non-turbo car to include any SR20 powered car state side, any honda powered car stateside and any other that think they can offer as much quality, performance and reliability all in one package. I'm not hating on the others, by all means you are free to use whichever weapon you want, but when a fellow B12 nissan sentra owner asks for help and compares his car to his honda, he needs "Jesus" because I don't see many honda civics or some integras giving the CA18DE that much hell. And the CA18DET with a few dollars spent is a legal weapon. Like I stated in another post, I took the white car out last night for it's maiden voyage and for some reason the car went straight to 25psi and I was time warped down a quarter mile stretch of public street so quick, that I decide to take the damn car home and park it (too dangerous). I say guys, we don't have to be minority in this game of import performance. And If I have to, I will lead the way to our clame to fame that b11-b12 sentras are all the others fore-fathers and we will make them back that ass up when they get out of line. I tell all others "Who's your Daddy"! B12er for life............

Dee


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## SuperSentra4203 (Dec 17, 2002)

WMengineering, man, I feel the pain. I don't know how many countless times I wanted to get rid of my old B12 to pick up a Mazda 626 and prepare it for a FE3T swap, but the fact is, we are Nissan Junkies who want to be recognized, get credit, and feel good that we take something so different, so difficult to build up, and it turns out to get credit from someone who dogged on it before. Just think of the big grin that will last for who knows how long after you fire it up the first time. Knowing you are original, only one of very few who prove the Nissan Underdogs can be better than anything. There are so many people who mod Hondas and the parts are so easy to get, it's almost like not doing much work at all. The amount of pride will come when you relize all the blood, sweat, and tears you have shed come to an end and your beast is ready for the world. Imprint this in the back of your mind forever- The Few, The Proud, The B12 Junkies. I shall quote boost_boy if I may, which will be put on my rear window
"B12er FOR LIFE" So I say to you, put the H23 Project on hold, as there will be other times to do this, help us put the B11/B12 Sentra on the map!! 

CA18DET- $800
Wiring harness- $400
Trips to ER- $500
Mics. Parts- $500
Owning a wicked B12- Priceless


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## Crazy-Mart (Jul 14, 2002)

hey i went that way too ... and now im so proud of my work ... each time i get a look under the hood, i smile endlessly knowing i wrenched each and every bolt under there !!.. time consumming but hell its so nice .. on my part i cannot drive enough since i so love the pshhhhhh  lol 

as supersentra4203 said
building an engine : 3000$ and a lots of weekends and nights
installing it in the car : 3 days
getting a sport coupe to lose traction in first gear when it its 5000rpm.. priceless !!


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## boost_boy (May 25, 2002)

I love it...............


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## MyClunkyAss12er (May 16, 2003)

B12er FOR LIFE!! B12er FOR LIFE!! go on and say it and say it proudly! and u B11ers chant ur chant too!


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## SuperSentra4203 (Dec 17, 2002)

I'm feeling much love guys. Don't see this kind of comradery in any other forums, do ya?:cheers:


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## SuperSentra4203 (Dec 17, 2002)

dammit, I clicked twice!!!


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## boost_boy (May 25, 2002)

Today is the day that I will retire the icon of the old car, but I think all B11 and b12 owners alike should place their cars as their avatars.


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## SuperSentra4203 (Dec 17, 2002)

Sounds like a idea. Hope the small pic hides all my car's rust 

Hey mods, how about letting newbies or anyone choose an avatar that is a pic of their model of car?


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## fastpakr (Sep 18, 2002)

Where do you go in user config to set up an avatar image? I must be overlooking it somewhere.


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## SuperSentra4203 (Dec 17, 2002)

It's in the "edit options" in your User CP. Clear down at the bottom. You'll have to download the pic to your computer and upload it. It must be under 60x60 pixels.


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## fastpakr (Sep 18, 2002)

Thanks, I had just looked past it.


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## boost_boy (May 25, 2002)

Old School Rules .


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## WMengineering (Mar 11, 2003)

well.....i want to go back and reply to every single one of your responses. but damn i didnt expect to get so many.

a few ppl pissed me off, a few made me think about things, a few said dumb things, and alot said smart things.

ill just let you all judge that for yourself....

anyways, i went the other day and i bought a 1986 crx. it cost me 250 bucks and it runs better than my sentra has the last two years i owned it. its a fun little car.
driving it home i was so stuck on it, and i was like man its a POS but its a honda and truthfully i always like the older ugly first gen crx's. i was thinking of all the things i could do to it for the money im laying out for this nissan. and it was makin me sick.
figuring out that doing a complete d16a6 motor+tranny swap, and adding a d16z6 vtec head, would come out to be one hell of alot cheaper than this ca18de sentra project. and it would net me results that would be mroe ight of the box than this sentra ever could, ca18de or not. (this car wieghs 1800 lbs.)

so, i was all happy and stuck on it. ill post pics. im drving it around. its horribly ugly, the stock paint is fading. i washed it and white milky substance was running down with the water off the car. It has HORRIBLE susp, needs shocks, brakes, wheel bearings n the rear, and who knows what else. has 240k on it. about 40k less than my 1989 sentra.

however......and this is the biggie.
last nite i was fallin asleep thinking how much i hate this damn nissan, and all the money i put into it and its up on stands in ym garage. thinking about how much work its going to take. how much $$$, and just how weather or not it ran 12's it'd still be just a nissan in my book. 
i mean, 20 years from now would it even be remembered? 
all this time, money, effort, and i just was happy to have gotten another honda.......

then i woke up this morning, realized how much that crx sucks because it looks liek hell. the sentras higher milage paint is BEAUTIFUL comapred to this car. the interior is FLAWLESS!!!!!!
the car is in GREAT working condition, minus having no engine/tranny in it. this is the ONLY reason i saw it was worth it to invest in the first place

i woke up and saw that what i had in the garage was like your first marraige, you live in a shitty apartment, your poor, theres fights, you are under stress, but damn you love her, cuz she was there through thick and thin, when your honda left you. i mean other girlfriend....er ummm too many metaphors anyways

so to summerize, im ok with everything now..just now i got soem shti box CRX to drive aroudn til it falls apart. hopefully i can fix the nissan in this time now. and the wieght of not having two cars will allow me to worry less about he b12, (i have the 94 civic pictured below, but the gf uses that all the time for work and school) and i should be able to get the project done without to many more grey hairs appearing, since i got my first one the other day. yea its been a stressful week.

i guess i just needed some time away to appricaite what i had. anyways thanks for all your responses. btw alot of you are nutcases....lmfao, it made me smile.
i hate to admit that im a B12 guy, but you all have been great. and yea you wont find comradery and lack of politics like there are here anywere else! and i even own my own honda Dseries board. trust me, this place runs way SMOOTHER. 

later guys,
WM (mike)


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## Myetball (Dec 15, 2002)

Glad to see you're back on the path of the righteous.  The B11/B12 road to more power and speed truly is the road less traveled.


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## MyClunkyAss12er (May 16, 2003)

bad ass! i know im one of the ones that said stupid shit.....oh well! its great that u have new found hope in ur sentra! they are simple but amazing cars.....love it and love it well and it will treat u the same.


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## boost_boy (May 25, 2002)

Breathe "WM" and enjoy the fruits of your labor!


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## MyClunkyAss12er (May 16, 2003)

is it jsut me or does this thread sound a lot like a sermon? ahha! sentra sermon!


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## Red_Coupe (Mar 20, 2003)

It's a Brotherhood thread...


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## MyClunkyAss12er (May 16, 2003)

ye B12 & B11 brothers and sisters(if any sisters are present...ehem..) join together in a group of comradery and help one another threw hard times with their nissans...amen....


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## WMengineering (Mar 11, 2003)

*wm*

<-----not getting naked and singing kumbya near a camp fire with you guys.


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## nastynissan (Jan 26, 2003)

*Re: wm*



WMengineering said:


> *<-----not getting naked and singing kumbya near a camp fire with you guys. *


LMFAO!!!!!


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## Myetball (Dec 15, 2002)

*Re: wm*



WMengineering said:


> *<-----not getting naked and singing kumbya near a camp fire with you guys. *


Okay, we'll let you wear a speedo :banana:


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