I’d like to propose that our regional VQ community take things to the next level and become more of a community than just a group of posts. There are many of us here on the NW forum that have unique resources (skills, knowledge, connections, tools and/or equipment) that could help out others. There are many of us here that are in need of help in the many different things that we are doing to our cars. In many cases the help that we need requires hands-on work of someone w/ prior experience. If we had a listing of people w/ the resources that we need, we could all accomplish our automotive projects better, faster and cheaper. I’m suggesting that with this thread we start that list. There are already a lot of us that belong to a group of friends that share resources between each other, here’s the opportunity to extend that resource pool to everyone on the NW forum. If you have resources that you are willing to extend to the community, please list them below in the following way:

Name:

Location: City, State (Province) this is necessary so we can contact w/ people near our area

Resources: (list special skills, connections, tools and knowledge here)
- Resource #1
- Resource #2
- …

Automotive Experience:
(Should be true experience, should be more advanced experience that goes well beyond basic maintenance)
- Experience #1
- Experience #2
- …

Method(s) of Contact:

Start a post w/ your information and update it as your resources change

Only list information that you are willing to share to help out others in our community and that could be relevant to automotive interests. It should be understood by all posting to this thread that there should be no expectations of $ for your help or anything other than knowing that you’ve helped out another person in our community. This thread is not for shops and/or tuning companies unless they are willing to extend there services w/o the expectation of payment.

It should also be understood that if you are receiving help, you are expected to return the favor in some way; whether it’s helping through your resources, helping through your own effort (ie: cleaning someone’s garage) or to pay the favor forward to someone else that needs help. Do not ‘take advantage’ of the generosity of others w/o being equally as generous. Again, $ should not be an option as payment for help, however bartering is more than acceptable if you have ‘stuff’ that you’re willing to part with.

 

Name: Noel

Location: Renton, WA

Resources:
- Automotive tools
- Pneumatic tools
- Two bay garage (one bay usable bay for autowork)
- Small scale metal fabrication garage work shop
- Heli-arc welding (TIG)
- Precision tube bending equipment
- Involvement w/ western Washington autoX community

Automotive Experience:
- Suspension: installation & tuning - 350Z & 240SX (S13/S14)
- Transmission: Clutch, Flywheel, Differential, shafts replacements – 240SX (S13/S14)
- Brakes: caliper & rotor installation, RBF flush – 350Z & 240SX (S13/S14)
- Exhaust installation – 350Z & 240SX (S14)
- Header installing (assisted) – 350Z
- Custom trailer hitch fabrication: 350Z
- Custom equipment trailer fabrication for racing gear & tires
- Custom chassis reinforcement fabrication: 240SX (S14) & Subaru STi
- Custom harness bar fabrication: 350Z & Mitsubishi Evo
- Formula SAE & Mini Baja design & fabrication
- Advanced knowlegde of wheel & tire equipment for racing applications
- AutoX-ing since 2003: 350Z (Stock & Prepared Classes) & 240SX (Stock Class)

Method(s) of Contact:
- PM on my350Z.com

 

Name: Hai

Location: Seattle, WA

Resources:
-Fender Rolling(pipe and heat gun)
-Paint correction(Porter Cable)
-Headlight modding(painting, color modding etc.)

Methods of contact:
PM me. I'm pretty busy but occasionally have a weekend free to help out others

 

Name: David

Location: Seattle, WA

Resources:
- Photoshop expert (web and graphic design)
- 3D CAD modeling
- freehand sketching
- machine polishing 8"dia w/ cutting compound
- spray gun w/ compressor (prime, base, and clearcoat)
- manufactring knowledge (injection molding, thermoforming, FRP, sheet metal forming-stamping, sand/invest casting, and resin casting)

Methods of contact:
PM me.

 

Resources:
- Beer
- Basic tools, manual spring compressor
- Duct Tape

Automotive Experience:
- Stillen Supercharger (blower, intercooler, fuel pump, plugs, pulleys, etc...) - G35
- Suspension (springs, shocks, coilovers, EDFC, sways, ltbs, stbs) - G35/350Z/Maxima
- Brakes (BBK, calipers, rotors, pads, ss lines): G35/350Z/Max
- Intake/Exhaust (incl. CAI, short ram, plenums, single & TD exhaust, etc...): G35/350Z/Max
- Short Shifter: G35/Max
- UDP: Maxima
- Custom leather interior installation: Max
- Custom Headlights (painting, clearing, angel eyes): Max
- Custom CF eyelids/engine cover/fusebox covers (mostly design & tiny bit of fabrication): Max
- Dynamat: Max
- AutoX'ing since 2005

Method(s) of Contact:
- PM on my350z or G35driver

 

Mark

Oak Harbor

Resources:

Custom airbrush
Mobile audio/video, electronics
General wrenching

Experience:

Intake, exhaust, suspension, transmission, Power FC, turbo timer, clutch, short shift, FMIC, mobile theater (R33 GTR)

Contact via PM

 

Name: Alvin

Location: Eastside / Woodinville, Washington
Resources: (list special skills, connections, tools and knowledge here)
- Extensive body work knowledge from body kits to fenders, hood, etc
- Connection with a low cost / high quality personal painter
- Basic tools for modifications
- Normal maintenance knowledge

Automotive Experience:
(Should be true experience, should be more advanced experience that goes well beyond basic maintenance)
Nissan 350z (I can do the following for Acura Integras 94-01 as well + I/H/E , CF Hatch installation, Audio)
- Experience #1 Installed OEM Brembo Brake System + Brembo Cross-drilled/Slotted Rotors
- Experience #2 Installed Nismo Kit
- Experience #3 Installed Hitech Catback Exhaust System
- Experience #4 Installed Hotchkis Sway Bars
- Experience #5 Installed Tokico D-Spec Full Suspension
- Experience #6 Installed Eibach SPC Rear Camber Kit
- Experience #7 Installed Harmon Kardon Drive+Play System For in-car IPod Control
- Experience #7 Removal & Installed Headlights + Tailights

Method(s) of Contact:

Cell phone (PM me for info)

 

Name: first350 (peter)

Location: Newcastle, Wa (near Bellevue)

Resources:
-general tools
-power tools (tabel saw, router, drill, chisel, battery impact wrench...)
-2 bay sized garage
-engine hoist
-engine stand
-small tire trailer for the Z

Automotive Experience:
-trailer for Z (drivesolo helped [aka did all the work])
-suspension mods (sway bars, coilovers, A-Arms, toe arms) for the Z and miata
-remove/replace engine (RX-7)
-headers, pullies, intake, TP's, exhaust on the Z
-how to gut cats (not 'meow' cats )
-AutoX/track day/drag racing stuff (how to fit 4 wheels in the Z!)
-how to get car sponsors
-Nitrous install (wet system w/ electronic control) on the Z
-car stereo install (installed Sub, HU, speakers, amp...)

Method(s) of Contact:
-PM me



**thanks drivesolo for starting this...you've got tons of skills and equipment - hopefully once you help someone out, they can help others with the same thing...otherwise you'll be busy 24-7!

 

Name: Glenn L. Austin

Location: (currently) Snoqualmie, WA

Resources:
- General tools
- Air tools
- Some electronic tools and diagnostic equipment

Automotive Experience:
- Car setup
- Suspension setup and tuning
- Driver training and coaching
- National-level autocross competition
- Trained road race driver (Russell Racing School graduate, club school graduate)

Method(s) of Contact: PM, e-mail

 

Name: Vasiliy Strizheus

Location: Auburn, WA

Resources:
All Interior Home Finishes available from my store(Hardwood, Laminate, Carpet, Granite Slab, Cabinets, Vinyl Windows, Ceramic & Porcelain Tile, Natural Stone Tile)
New Home Construction (General Contracting Company - Co-Own)
New house Framing experience
Hardwood Floor Installation experience (did my bro's house, mom's house, my condo)
Laminate Floor Installation experience
Basically anything Construction/Remodel related I got hook-ups & great deals :-)

Automotive Experience:
Rotors/Pad replacement
General Maintenance

Don't do too much else on my cars, no time.

Method's of contact: PM, email

 

Name: Paul Bradford

Location: Kent, WA

Resources:
- Automotive tools
- Air tools
- General tools
- Motive brake bleeder

Automotive Experience:
- Car Electronis. (install my own stereo equipment / Radar detector)
- Oil changes Brake bleeding, Basic maintenace
- Autocross one year in my dodge stratus
- Willing to help on projects

Misc Resources
- Computers - General geeky stuff and gadgets


Method(s) of Contact: PM, e-mail

 

Name: Tuan
Location: Bellevue, WA
Resources:
- Basic tools
- Vacuum bagging materials
- Prepregnated carbon fiber
- Big garage
- Paint gun/air compressor

Automotive Experience:
- Painted parts
- Wrapped stuff in cf
-Center console
-Gauge cluster
-fuel lid
-mid blade of wing
-front lip
-other stuff
- Custom one off CF pieces
-Engine cooling plate
-rear view mirror rear cover
- spark plug cover
-etc
- Some audio electronics install
-double din dvd in-dash
- amp, subs, component, speakers
- Dye'd my interior (from grey to black)
-Fiberglass
-Sub box
-gauge pod


Contact: PM me

 

Name: Ryan

Location: Salem, Oregon

Resources: (list special skills, connections, tools and knowledge here)
- MMA/Full contact fighting Trainer/Fighter
- Bags, Gloves, Shin guards, -etc- =)
- Photoshop
- Flash
- Lots of Webspace
- Huge discounts off everything at Circuit City (2 best friends are managers)
- A S2000 to do comparative test against =)

Automotive Experience:
- Not much =) Did install my own intercom into my old stang though!
- The basics =/

Method(s) of Contact: PM, E-mail, Phone/txt (pm for #)

 

John "lotus boy"

Location: Bellingham

Resources:
LARGE 3PH horizontal/ vertical milling machine
Large lathe
50T press
6T arbor press
Millermatic 225 wire-feed welder w/aluminum gun
pattern following scanning head plasma cutter w/80A ESAB
50A hand held plasma cutter
3 drill presses
Every hand tool or power tool you can dream of and a lot you have never seen before.
unbelievable amount of tooling for the mill and lathe
A retired young master machinist "Uncle" with no kids. I get the shop when he dies, I already have the keys, till then he do great work for a can of Coke or just to BS.
A brother that does hi end home theater install/prewires and alarm fire systems, other brother is an avionic electronic repair tech.

I believe I know the best machine shop for custom engine design with flow bench, chassis brake dyno and the most impressive engine designers I have ever met in almost 30 years of car stuff. Local and affordable too!!

Automotive Experience:
EVERYTHING with a fanatical obsession with all facets of automobiles.
Two of my best friend graduated from the Vehicle Research Institute, one I work with and is my neighbor. If I don't have Thai automotive answer or a current leading design theory then I know the place to find the person that does.

Current Project:
SR20DET from a GTiR swap in to a 1987 Lotus Turbo Esprit, motors been in and out several times, end of summer is a "real" running date.

I work 4 days on and 4 days off. NO kids, I can waste a day here and there on other peoples project.

PM me if you have need of advice or a hand.

 

Noel,

Do I have to confess any thing else I'm holding back from you guys.

 

lol... that stuff's more than good enough, this is all on a volunteer basis. Glad to hear you're offering up your help. Looks like we have a couple of people here that have significant skills which should motivate all of us to do bigger and better things w/ our cars. With a stronger NW community for VQ cars we'll be able to create better, cooler and faster cars all around. Let's see where this goes, I'm already planning to contact a couple of guys on this list to inquire about a couple of things.

 

Noel who?

 

PM sent.

 

I'm looking for someone w/ experience in swapping an SR20DET into an S14. More specifically, a blacktop w/ an S15's 6 speed tranny. I'm not sure if I should attempt it, I'm looking for some one to consult with first.

 

I'm swapping an SR20det into a Lotus. We can go down and talk to Doug @ Upgarage in Tacoma. It isn't that hard.