subyspecialist

the car, a 1986 subaru rx, the grandmother of the wrx

it all started when i got the car for free from my old boss, it had no engine or anything for that matter, from the fire wall forward. i started last october and am almost done with the first stage of the project, getting it road worthy. the car sat for nearly 6 years after the engine went up in flames. i rewired the engine compartment, new headlights, bumper, engine, ect.... at the moment all that is left now that ive fixed the rust, is to get a muffler and inspection on the car.


thats just the begining though. as soon as i get the car tagged, im pulling out the tiny vf7 turbo and the small constrictive exhaust manifold and intake manifold. im putting in a TD04 from a 2003 wrx, wrx tmic, down pipe, gettinga custom header/upipe made, installing the "ghettoback" exhaust, and then im going to lower the car about an inch or so.ill also be using whats know as the "spider" intake manifold from a subaru xt. when done, i will have an amazingly quick 1.8l boxer powered monster.

subyspecialist

ill try to post some pics of the car and work ive done so far, ill post more when i get there.

subyspecialist

here a re few more shots

namakemono

iTrader: (3)

were you going to take this badboy to the track?

subyspecialist

i originally got the car to drive over winter, then i wanted to rally it. for now i am trying to drive it to and from school to save milage on my impreza, i just broke 103000 yesterday. its only a 2000 2.5rs, i need a beater to take to school, but i figured, why settle for just a beater, ill have a sleeper. nobody would expect to get smoked by a car thats 18 years old. that and old subaru sedans arent very popular among car theives. i am going to try and get it repainted , mainly to cover up the rust patching i did, but also to get rid of all the turbo badging on the car.

i think that when i get it registered, ill take it to the track to get a base line 1/4 mile run, then ill go backonce i get it finished.im really close to finishing it, i just need to get it registered and inspected, then i will start on everything that i can get done in a weekend, i think that i should be able to finish it in a weekend.

gdogg

iTrader: (38)

rally that bad boy!

its my dream to find a cheap legacy and rally it...
your car is a masterpiece to me!
keep us posted!



aloha from the summit of Mauna Kea

subyspecialist

of course i will keep you posted. i just painted the thermostat housing and aux air valve forthe spider intake, not sure if ill stay with the color i went with, it kinda stands out, but it might work when i get it put together. i just got new used tires the other day and need to find a cheap way to to get my fenders rolled out to fit em under. i tried the baseball bat method to complete failure. the hard part will be getting all the components from the stock manifold swapped over to the spider.

i think that the hardesst part will be getting the new header/uppipe made for the TD04. ill have to find a way to mock up the turbo and exhaust to the car before i go in to have the manifold fabricated, but i dont have a way to transport the car to the shop to get the work done.and i cant have it made with the stock turbo on it.
anyone have any suggestions for this situation?

awns729

iTrader: (1)

well that wording was a bit confusing or im really tired, but i think i finally understand after rereading it. well i dont know if this'll help but a lot of turbos are just bolt on replacements for the TD04 so maybe you could just go with one of those after you get everything fabricated?

subyspecialist

well the td04 is a huge improvemnt for this car, the original turbo was a vf7. inything bigger than the td04 would make the engine dead. well, without a lot of money dumped into it anyway.

the problem is that i need to have a custom header/uppipe made to use the td04 with the ea82 engine. besides, the stock manifold is really restrictive and is prone to cracking under pressure. the closest exhaust shop to me is like a bit over a mile and i cant drive the car with the turbo just mocked up on the engine. im thinking that i could use the spare manifold that i have as a template for thenew one, just to get the sizing and shape, but i would have to be careful doing that.

maybe i should first concentrate on getting the car registered. then ill worry about getting the fabrication done.

subyspecialist

well, i am hopefully getting close to getting the car registered, but i found out that the low/ high beam switch for the head lights might be in need of replacement, an i dont have the tool to remove the stering wheel.

i found out what the 3" exhaust might sound like on he car be placing it over the end of the exhaust pipe under the car, its going to sound mean when i am done. i am goingto check out a welding shop so see if i cant get larger exhaust flanges to mount up to the heads, the ones on the stock manifold are rather restrictive. and rusty.

i will also hopefully be starting on the turbo upgrade by next weekend, which shouldnt take too long. the hardest part of it will be getting the header made for the car.
all in all, i should be at least driving the car this week, i hope, i hope, i hope.

Kevin M

iTrader: (12)

4wd

subyspecialist

thanks BAN SUVS,


right now though, i cant get the car to start, i am not sure what i did to the the car, i just know that when i got under the dash to attach the hood release handle, i moved some wire bundles out of the way so that i could get into place, it hasnt started since.


on that note, is there anyone in the centeral maryland area that could possibly help to get it started?i would offer to pay for services but i am poor, but i can break out a grill and have a cookout

thanks
tim c.


ps, i still havent fixed the headlight dimmer switch.

subyspecialist

well, its been about 2 months and about $200 trying to figure out why the car wouldnt run. in the end, it turned out to be nothing more than a loose connection at the ignition fuse.

i still havent repaired the dimmer switch yet. as soon as i manage to scrape up the $200 that i spent on part, ill get the car registered and then start the upgrades.

i think that i only need a few more parts. i know i will need better injectors and fuel management. i also need the plumbing for the intercooler. then there is the exhaust manifold that ill need fabricated for the car. im not sure where ill get the money to finish the car though, its really hard to find a part time job when i go to school in the eavinings. im sure that i will find a way to get the work done on it and a few of the parts for cheap.

AWD 20T

iTrader: (11)

Awesome project car! Curious - why not go with a WRX motor swap or even JDM STi?