La Cochina garage

La Cochina garage Behold the undertakings of a baller on a budget. The creation of something entertaining as it is scary....La Cochina!

Got rid of the vspec brembos and installed r35 brembos usimg the PRP adapter kit, Goodyear braided lines, EBC yellowstuf...
04/26/2026

Got rid of the vspec brembos and installed r35 brembos usimg the PRP adapter kit, Goodyear braided lines, EBC yellowstuff pads, and tossed on a set of LMGT4's. Just need to do the bleed on them and then we're off on the test drive!

Been a long day, but I got the engine stand adapter built and the LLY is mounted on the stand. I learned that welding is...
04/25/2026

Been a long day, but I got the engine stand adapter built and the LLY is mounted on the stand. I learned that welding is a skill that you need to keep up on. Its been quite awhile since I picked up the torch and it tells. First I tried to tig it, and failed miserably. Then I switch to gas fed mig, and it didnt yield any positive results. I finally just brought in the hammer and hit it with the flux core welder. It doesn't look super pretty, but its holding the engine and thats all I care about right now. Im leaving it sitting on the hoist without tension overnight. If its not swinging in the morning, Ill roll it over to its temporary residence and finally install some parts on the skyline that have been sitting in the garage for a bit.

Started to dig into the LLY a bit more. So far, things are coming apart nicely. I cease to be amazed at how hard the don...
04/13/2026

Started to dig into the LLY a bit more. So far, things are coming apart nicely. I cease to be amazed at how hard the donor truck got hit. Seeing the damage to bellhousing and engine back plate, you can tell how hard it was hit. Next step is to finish removing the top end and do preventative headgaskets amd ARP studs since LLY's like to blow gaskets.

6.6 Duramax is out! Fabbing up a stand adapter tomorrow and Ill start pulling off the nonsense to complete the inspectio...
04/12/2026

6.6 Duramax is out! Fabbing up a stand adapter tomorrow and Ill start pulling off the nonsense to complete the inspection. The oil pan had a hole it it where it looked like something punctured through it instead of something ejecting. Had maybe 1/2 gallon of oil drain out. I hope the engine shut off immediately before it took any internal damage. The Allison's bellhousing was completely broken off and the engine just came right out. Now time to source a replacement bellhousing so I can at least use it as a core.

A simple head unit swap got so much more involved with the skyline. Come to find out, every single aftermarket accessory...
03/31/2026

A simple head unit swap got so much more involved with the skyline. Come to find out, every single aftermarket accessory was tied into the stereo harness. Instead of looking for alternate 12V, 12V switched, and even grounds...they tied them all into the stereo harness. Absolutely insane what some people will do. About half of the interior had to be pulled in order to clear up the mess. We'll get the rest of the install sorted tomorrow and see how much more I can get it cleaned up.

After 10 year of ownership, I finally put glass on the s13. It looks too weird being able to see through the windshield....
03/28/2026

After 10 year of ownership, I finally put glass on the s13. It looks too weird being able to see through the windshield. I got a quote just for planning purposes and it was so cheap I just pulled the trigger.

The 18/10.5 +15 LM-GT4s came in along with the R35 BBK. Just waiting on the backordered tires to arrive for the install ...
03/26/2026

The 18/10.5 +15 LM-GT4s came in along with the R35 BBK. Just waiting on the backordered tires to arrive for the install onto the R33!

Wheels look great and compliment the body well! Unfortunately the rear calipers are hitting the inner barrel and the fro...
03/07/2026

Wheels look great and compliment the body well! Unfortunately the rear calipers are hitting the inner barrel and the fronts have no hope of clearing without some pretty big spacers. Its looking like Im going to have to change brake setups or get different wheels. Given how well these wheels fit, its looking like Ill be sourcing an alternate brake setup 😞

Mounted and balanced the tires for the S13. 265/35/r18 front and 285/35/r18 rear. Still have a bit of space to go a litt...
03/07/2026

Mounted and balanced the tires for the S13. 265/35/r18 front and 285/35/r18 rear. Still have a bit of space to go a little wider I believe. I know 295's will fit in the back, but I can't help but wonder if I can stuff 305's. I also went ahead and installed all new door and window seals. Tomorrow Ill try to get out there to get ride height adjusted and get the new wheels on. I know the rears will clear the BBK, Im pretty sure the front will (but not certain). We'll get it figured out one way or another though!

Last of the rear pieces to get painted. Only fenders and hood are left. Fenders Im waiting on because of the amount of w...
03/02/2026

Last of the rear pieces to get painted. Only fenders and hood are left. Fenders Im waiting on because of the amount of work thats going to be involved to get them to fit decently. Tomorrow after cure time, the booth will be brought down and the cars put back in there. Tuesday the 4 post is arriving, so I need to start prepping for that ordeal.

Coming along nicely! I have tires coming in today and will hopefully get mounted and balanced this upcoming week. Doing ...
03/01/2026

Coming along nicely! I have tires coming in today and will hopefully get mounted and balanced this upcoming week. Doing paint on the final rear pieces today. After that, we'll roll it back in and start fitting the front fenders. I did a test fit with them today, and there's quite a bit of work that needs to happen right around the headlights. I havent welded in the front core support yet, so I may be able to find some real estate after messing with that. Before I go tweaking that area though, I need to test a hood and make sure I still have all my clearances there for the front latch and around the headlights.

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Homestead, FL
85374

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Monday 10am - 10pm
Wednesday 10am - 10pm
Friday 10am - 10pm
Saturday 10am - 10pm
Sunday 10am - 10pm

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