DaveFab
08-18-2014, 01:34 AM
Hey gang, I'm Dave from Utah. I decided on faking the JDM funk and picked myself up a crusty '96 Postal Legacy on a whim for a minor amount of scratch. I'm no newcomer to Japanese steel, mechanics or even the oddball cars - My first car was a '79 SA Rx7, I've owned 12 FC Rx7s, had a handful of Hondas and have owned 5 Mitsubishi Starions, 3 of which I currently have in the stable alongside my '88 Volvo 240DL daily and my American unicorn 1987 Shelby Lancer #707/800. This will, however, be my first Subaru and I'm excited!
The ultimate goal I think is to build a Legacy that would be considered a mid-level import - not full-optioned, but not base-model, and I want it to look like it came from Fuji Heavy that way, albeit with a few tasteful additions. At that note, I do plan on keeping the Phase II single-port EJ22 that's been swapped into it, but with forged pistons and STi rods in anticipation of boost. I don't plan on making much north of 330whp though.
Here are the two snaps I saw online from the seller. They showed very little, but I wasn't concerned, I had already talked myself into buying it without even seeing it in person yet.
[The Outback hood in the pic came with it, as well as a welded WRX rear diff, another stock WRX diff, RHD 5-speed pedals and clutch master, and a second transmission]
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/IMG_456701574838jpeg-1.jpg https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/IMG_449810378877jpeg-1.jpg
Two hours after first seeing the for-sale ad, I was at his house with a $100 deposit and a promise to drag it away once I could source a trailer. A couple days later, with a borrowed truck, trailer and helping hand, it was on its' way home, but not without putting up a fight - it had been rolled around by 3 or 4 previous owners without front CVs and unsurprisingly both front bearings gave up as we were pushing it onto the trailer. After a gruesome 20 minutes using a come-a-long and ratchet straps she was finally on the trailer and secured for her voyage to the lab. I could tell this would be a love-hate relationship right out of the gate, haha.
Once in the shop, I was able to get close and study the body imperfections. They initially didn't look terrible, but the deeper I looked the more concerned I became.
The passenger's [left-hand] side seemed to be quite savable:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/20140806_202241-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/20140806_202204-1.jpg
... Though the driver's [right-hand] side was a bit more scary, I felt it could be repaired:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/20140806_202132-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/20140806_202126-1.jpg
The panels below the fuel door are completely separated from each other, with large amounts of surface and structural rust between them. The cancer actually comes almost to the quarter taillight. No biggie, I figured, there are plenty of Legacy/Outback donors with straight metal in the junkyards around here. Then I pulled back the carpet and trim to check out the strut towers ...
The driver's side didn't seem bad, definitely still solid, but it would still need attention:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/20140806_201854-1.jpg
But the passenger side is what puts the nail in the coffin, so to speak:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/20140806_201834-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/20140806_201843-1.jpg
Yes, that's the spring and dust boot on the strut you can see through that hole. For a good 6 inches directly below that hole, is cancerous deterioration completely through the metal. This is when I started to worry if the car was fit for a rebuild. I'm no stranger to replacing body metal, but structural stuff is heavy business, something I'm not sure I want to tackle.
What I don't have pictures of, and have only just discovered this afternoon, are the pinch welds beneath the car that are jacked up from ... well, jacks ... and are crusting and separating from each other. This is what is currently swaying me to use this car as a donor and find a suitable roller to convert.
This puts me in a favorable position, though - if I can find a 1995 or older model, which would save me from the dreaded OBD2 scan tests and require a simple tailpipe emissions test - I can run whatever management I want without limits! Not to mention the Postal is essentially the perfect donor - unmolested wiring, appropriate dash and HVAC hardware, steering bits, and obviously a proper firewall for the swapping shenanigans are all right there. Even better considering it's a non-ABS, non-sunroof car, and it came with a Phase II EJ22 already bolted in the engine bay.
I found this, as well as all the original paperwork and owner's booklet in the glovebox, in near-mint shape. Score!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/20140806_194749-1.jpg
And here's how she currently rests in the lab, waiting for some cleanup and a new body to live in:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/FB_IMG_1407379619235-1.jpg
So it looks like I've got a project worthy of posting on your forums, gents. Sorry for the introductory novel. Just the past couple weeks I've been lurking as a member here I have learned an insane amount about these cars, and I can't wait to return the favor. Bonus points and a high five if you've read this far. :grin:
- Dave-O
The ultimate goal I think is to build a Legacy that would be considered a mid-level import - not full-optioned, but not base-model, and I want it to look like it came from Fuji Heavy that way, albeit with a few tasteful additions. At that note, I do plan on keeping the Phase II single-port EJ22 that's been swapped into it, but with forged pistons and STi rods in anticipation of boost. I don't plan on making much north of 330whp though.
Here are the two snaps I saw online from the seller. They showed very little, but I wasn't concerned, I had already talked myself into buying it without even seeing it in person yet.
[The Outback hood in the pic came with it, as well as a welded WRX rear diff, another stock WRX diff, RHD 5-speed pedals and clutch master, and a second transmission]
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/IMG_456701574838jpeg-1.jpg https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/IMG_449810378877jpeg-1.jpg
Two hours after first seeing the for-sale ad, I was at his house with a $100 deposit and a promise to drag it away once I could source a trailer. A couple days later, with a borrowed truck, trailer and helping hand, it was on its' way home, but not without putting up a fight - it had been rolled around by 3 or 4 previous owners without front CVs and unsurprisingly both front bearings gave up as we were pushing it onto the trailer. After a gruesome 20 minutes using a come-a-long and ratchet straps she was finally on the trailer and secured for her voyage to the lab. I could tell this would be a love-hate relationship right out of the gate, haha.
Once in the shop, I was able to get close and study the body imperfections. They initially didn't look terrible, but the deeper I looked the more concerned I became.
The passenger's [left-hand] side seemed to be quite savable:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/20140806_202241-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/20140806_202204-1.jpg
... Though the driver's [right-hand] side was a bit more scary, I felt it could be repaired:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/20140806_202132-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/20140806_202126-1.jpg
The panels below the fuel door are completely separated from each other, with large amounts of surface and structural rust between them. The cancer actually comes almost to the quarter taillight. No biggie, I figured, there are plenty of Legacy/Outback donors with straight metal in the junkyards around here. Then I pulled back the carpet and trim to check out the strut towers ...
The driver's side didn't seem bad, definitely still solid, but it would still need attention:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/20140806_201854-1.jpg
But the passenger side is what puts the nail in the coffin, so to speak:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/20140806_201834-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/20140806_201843-1.jpg
Yes, that's the spring and dust boot on the strut you can see through that hole. For a good 6 inches directly below that hole, is cancerous deterioration completely through the metal. This is when I started to worry if the car was fit for a rebuild. I'm no stranger to replacing body metal, but structural stuff is heavy business, something I'm not sure I want to tackle.
What I don't have pictures of, and have only just discovered this afternoon, are the pinch welds beneath the car that are jacked up from ... well, jacks ... and are crusting and separating from each other. This is what is currently swaying me to use this car as a donor and find a suitable roller to convert.
This puts me in a favorable position, though - if I can find a 1995 or older model, which would save me from the dreaded OBD2 scan tests and require a simple tailpipe emissions test - I can run whatever management I want without limits! Not to mention the Postal is essentially the perfect donor - unmolested wiring, appropriate dash and HVAC hardware, steering bits, and obviously a proper firewall for the swapping shenanigans are all right there. Even better considering it's a non-ABS, non-sunroof car, and it came with a Phase II EJ22 already bolted in the engine bay.
I found this, as well as all the original paperwork and owner's booklet in the glovebox, in near-mint shape. Score!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/20140806_194749-1.jpg
And here's how she currently rests in the lab, waiting for some cleanup and a new body to live in:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2014/08/FB_IMG_1407379619235-1.jpg
So it looks like I've got a project worthy of posting on your forums, gents. Sorry for the introductory novel. Just the past couple weeks I've been lurking as a member here I have learned an insane amount about these cars, and I can't wait to return the favor. Bonus points and a high five if you've read this far. :grin:
- Dave-O