Shale's 1990 Legacy GT-Ltd Frankenwagon. New engine + pics!

[Shale]

Specs:
2.0L turbo intercooled AWD wagon
GT-Limited - special interior and features
Auto, unfortunately
Currently grandma grey/black/blue/STUFF

Mods:
- WRX wheels
- GTB 294mm brakes
- rangi exhaust
- WRX motor
- TD04 taabo
- RS-RA ECU

***

She's shame to the Legacy name, yes yes! She's dented, multiple colours, in multiple pieces...big, ugly, rude-lookin' monster of a BF5 wagon :grin:

She started off Frank 1.0, a $200 impulse buy. Cherry Black & Grey duotone, she was a rare grey leather and woodgrain wagon with every conceivable extra. Sold as having a 'seized engine', she was more than a challenge for Wiretap's BC5 monster to scrape, kicking and screaming, from the seller's driveway. Four years she'd sat there, neglected. We were her saviours. She came complete with sad story - she'd blown, and her owner passed away soon after. The family couldn't fix her...and finally onsold her.

We towed her 10km across town with no power, two space savers and a stuffed, warbling auto gearbox. It was dark when we got back...she stank...so we decided to hitch her up to my Impreza's battery, hit the lights and start polishing. For sheets and giggles Wiretap tried to demonstrate to me that it was a stuffed starter motor, rather than the engine.

Cough, click, choke choke choke grr-rr-rr-BWOBbob-bob-bob-bob...

Funny-lookin' seized engine. She started, and idled perfectly happily! There was water in the intercooler, petrol in the tank and oil in the sump. She was fine! The idle sounded terrible though...there was a graunching, scraping whirr coming from the engine bay, and the radiator was dry. Turns out the bearings had carked it in the waterpump, and the fins had all snapped off. No wonder the poor darling seized.

So in the process of investigating during the next week, we found that she was rusty. At first we thought it was just surface rust, as we chipped bog off the surface of the ENTIRE car...but then we found cancer in the chassis rails.

Then we found the worst - old, unrepaired frontal damage.

Sorry Frank 1.0, you were a lovely car while you lived but this...terminal car cancer :smt022 She's now joined her original owner in Subie heaven.

But it wasn't the end of Frankenleggy, oh no! We located a rolling body at a wreckers. A GT wagon, 1990 like the black beast...but the lowest spec. The fabric seats (whole interior, in fact) were stained brown from tobacco, and sprayed with builder's paint. There was no engine, so the darn thing snapped around like a barracuda on the tow home (poor BC5 revving his guts out to get both of them home...his name, appropriately, is Sparta). I already hated the dang thing.

Also - I'm allergic to cigarette smoke. So the moment I got out of the car...I nearly barfed. Yum.

Stripped bare over a weekend (my girly arms felt like mincemeat!) and soaked in disinfectant, the new granny-grey chassis inherited all of Frank 1.0's awesome bits. Though barely running - only enough water to get from Wiretap's place to mine - Frank 2.0 was born, ready to boost her guts out given the chance.

A few months later Frankie and I took the final journey back to my place - loaded with bits of Legacy guts and all. From there I've been slowly pulling her to bits, buying brand spanking new parts, and preparing to resurrect my beast, my frankenstein :grin: I did at one point see if the VF10 still works. Uh...took off from 30km/h to 80km/h in the blink of an eye, but something went BANG...I am now without centre diff :lol:

So. As of this post Frank 2.0 sits on the front lawn disappearing in a veritable jungle of grass, waiting for love. Here's some pic spam...

Frank 1.0, the original GT-Limited. Mmm closed-deck block.
http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v357/30/69/1411506244/n1411506244_30108344_2158.jpg

Swap process...
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v357/30/69/1411506244/n1411506244_30108347_3005.jpg

Frank 2.0, wearing Shale's shoes.
http://photos-c.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v1463/30/69/1411506244/n1411506244_30164042_308.jpg

[keltik]

Jesus christ - you stalker!
Doesnt look too shabby

[Shale]

...

BLAME REUBEN!

:razz:

But srsly. Information here seems to come without 3 pages of flame wars :grin:

[oskar_subaru]

i like !

i like allot !!!!!!!! :shock:

[Shale]

Thanks :grin: She's going Cherry Black someday soon, and getting all the blasted dings pulled out. :lol: Will look good for a dirty ol' BF5...

[impreza_GC8]

Nice car however the name Frankenwagon already belongs to my ride, a multicolored Outback wagon with a hybrid EJ22T/EJ25/EJ20G setup! This place isn't big enough for the both of us! LOL

[Shale]

Frankenwagon...meet Frankenleggy, your brother (sister?) from another mother :lol:

[gibbons98legacygt]

Those rims look sick on ur car

[gibbons98legacygt]

Nice

[Shale]

Thanks guys, again :) Yeah I love those wheels on Frank, eh... when Shale's using the new Spec C's (when they arrive), Frankie gets the gold shoes.

But yeah...they make the Leggy look awesome, but the Impreza even better...

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/2958/25991109096133559141150.jpg

[Shale]

WOOHOOOOOOOO an update for Frank finally!

Not much of one mind, but progress at any rate.

I have a resonator and horn button sitting on the Impreza's passenger seat, waiting for the Legacy. Tomorrow, a new bumper arrives. After that, a coffee can is coming as a spare (replacing the resonator), a new crossmember has been found, and a GT-limited driver's door has been sourced. From there I need to get new hoses and a new thermostat...then...gaspshockhorror...everything goes back in!

The diry ol' BF5 is about to become a new member of the Wagon Mafia :cool: About as rugged as it gets... 280,000km...the dead remains of TWO BF5 GT Legacys...and now THREE paint colours. Dun mess with this b*tch, she's an angry one! :lol:

[fwa2500]

i see how it is, i join clubsub (reuben's fault :grin: ) and then you end up here for the same reason, haha

looking good, one of these days i will be in kiwiland... :grin:

[Shale]

LOL. Yes, Reuben is trouble :grin:

Guess you'll get to see the Frankenmonster in person at a ClubSUB meet eh :P Whereabouts are you headed, Auckland?

[fwa2500]

LOL. Yes, Reuben is trouble :grin:

Guess you'll get to see the Frankenmonster in person at a ClubSUB meet eh :P Whereabouts are you headed, Auckland?

possibly, but its still unfortunately years down the road :( have to finish up with school first and save up some money before i leave this place

[Shale]

Lol yeah money is a b!tch...

SPEAKING OF WHICH, I've found some :grin: and I've bought a tonne of stuff for Frank!!

All that remains now... gearbox oil, gearbox crossmember, and waterpipes. Oh, and someone that knows how to use tools without breaking stuff. :grin: SOOOOOOOON I tells ya... Frank will roar! <3

[Zac]

What are you doing on here! As if I never saw this thread before!

[Shale]

Lol it's you...

The Impreza has his own thread too :P

[Shale]

UPDATE.

New parts bought:

- Black horn button
- 1990 GT front bumper (blue, of course...because I don't have any blue yet)
- Airbox by AFM. Rare without snapped return nipple

New parts as of tomorrow:

- 1990 RS motor (2.0L turbo...mmmmm EJ20G)
- Fnerking crossmember for the goshdarn fnerking gearbox

Need to order:
- Two new tyres to replace the forks-dipped-in-rubber on the rear
- Driver's door, preferably red or green (two colours I don't have on the damn car yet)

:grin:

[Navi271]

2.0L turbo.... lucky....
YAY for multicolored subaru's!!

[Shale]

2.0L turbo...yeah, gonna have two of them by the weekend if all goes to plan :lol: It's just a 20G, nothing too flash...can't afford an EJ20K :-?

[Navi271]

...can't afford an EJ20K :-?
yeah, you and me both......

[Shale]

Reality sucks don't it :-( Oh well... the GT motor will slowly become a poor attempt at an EJ20K, and get dropped back into the Legacy!

[Reuben]

Oooh, did i hear my name? :wink:

Cant wait for this weekend, sounds like the motor and box will finally be going back in, rain or shine >:3

[Shale]

HE LIIIVES! :grin:

It's gunna be epic, but full-on. Come Monday I'm gonna be too tired to drive the darn thing!

[Shale]

UPDATE.

Reuben here and Fused from various other Subaru forums kindly helped me out on Saturday with reassembling my Legacy's EJ20G. It actually looks like an ENGINE now! Even if the blasted turbo is full of water. BUH.

They even refilled the torque converter (shush, I know it's a failmatic), ready to put in.

Maybe next weekend will yield results... if not, it'll be after I come back from Japan :smt012

[Shale]

MOAR UPDATE.


AAAAAAARGH SO CLOSE!!

It's been a battle so far. The gearbox didn't like my old crossmember at all, so I had to buy a new one. Didn't like my pressure plate either...it ended up inheriting a new one from an EZ30R. Then it didn't like the propshaft...which earned itself a good wirebrushing til it obeyed.

Most of the waterpipes were either broken or not from a Subaru...that had to be rectified. I'm missing a belt - for the A/C. Just had to get new tyres. Headers didn't wanna...just didn't wanna...took two guys to bold the damn things back on.

*DEEP SIGH*

But we're down to a very small list now. Piping for the trans cooler, a few bolts to tighten, a few litres (juuuuust a few) of various fluids to pour back into the car (including petrol), put the intercooler back on...start the lil cow. With nothing but headers and a downpipe. Because I dislike my neighbours singing drunken chinese karaoke at 4am on a weekday. :smt019

She's collected a new colour, too; dark blue. She's living up to her name - Frankenleggy, or just plain ol' Frankie at this point.

Tomorrow is the day we attempt to start her again. You will all be updated! :grin:

[Shale]

MOAR UPDATE.

FRANKIE LIIIIIIVES!!!

OMFG.

Yup. Over the last few weeks we've installed everything, started her up, put her through a WOF test, test driven her... she is very much resurrected. The culmination of the dead souls of two Legacys, Frankenleggy prowls the street once more.

Just one problem - warped block :mad: Thank god it's a closed deck EJ20G, so it's reusable at a price...but for now we will just drop a new, functioning one in and get her running properly...

There will be photos of the ugliest baby in the world (I still think she's beautiful!) once she learns to behave herself and stop overheating. :)

[Shale]

Heheh, epic reply string from one person is epic.

ANYWAY.

Frankenleggy the 1990 Legacy GT-Limited wagon LIIIIIIIIIVES!! OMFG. Not only does she live, she is WOFed, registered and LEGAL!

In fact, I've clocked up nearly 100km on her since getting her back on the road since Saturday.

She's like driving a Lazyboy sofa, thanks to the leather seats and compliant ride. My god, I can't get enough of this car. Despite the fact that it clearly has a blown headgasket (cry not, it is a closed-deck EJ20G) it's almost impossible to stop driving her; if only she wasn't such a guzzleguts! Consumes almost as much water as she does petrol too, the little cow.

In a few weeks, a new WRX EJ20G is replacing the blown GT engine in there currently. By the looks of it I might score a TD04 out of it for free - either that or a new VF10. Either way, a free turbo is a free turbo :smt016

The excitement is in the old engine, however. Being a closed-deck, it's perfectly reusable after a little bit of love (and planing, potentially honing). It'll be getting itself some STi forged internals, possibly some crank TLC. A pair of 20K or 20R heads later, followed by a visit to the good guys down in Pukekohe, we'll have ourselves a relatively robust, STi-esque frankenmotor. And while it will be run in and guarded by another vehicle for a while, this motor will eventually end up in the BF5.

With a Type R box.

And STi brakes.

:smt023

Monster Gen1 is monster Gen1.

There are pictures of the ugly cow coming soon. Now that I can limp her to a decent location without her completely dying or being thoroughly illegal, she can shake her multicoloured, abused, ugly ol' arse for the camera in front of nice scenery!

[Shale]

UPDATE.

The new engine is in. And my GOD, is it in. It's a WRX EJ20G that seems to have been re-blocked with something straight out of 1998. It came with a free, seemingly healthy TD04 to match, and its own up-pipe.

Getting it in was hardly challenging - resident expert had an easy-ish time putting the old loom back on under the new intake manifold, and the motor itself dropped straight in with no fuss.

Seems it's got farked coils, however; the misfire on startup was so bad that the car refused to run on more than 2 cylinders for more than a few seconds. It took a few rounds of abuse up and down the street to get it purring after we figured it was healthy save the epic misfires.

So, long story short, the car now runs. It requires a slight warmup on EVERY start...then I need to give it a good solid rev or boost to get it to behave. Runs fine after it's had a minor bash each time, but before then it prefers to stall.

Wasted spark is on the way...because I sodding HATE IT when it tries to stall on me!

But yes - it's an interesting combo. GTB auto gearbox, WRX engine with TD04, controlled by a 1990 RS-RA ECU. They don't like each other...full throttle results in everything hanging on the redline at 7600rpm at full boost going nowhere, so footcarpeting is now out of the question. It's about the second or third-fastest turbo I've driven, simply because the ECU is as aggressive as 300 angry Spartans and the TD04 is the Little Turbo That Could...mated to a very staunch gearbox :grin:

ANYWAY. I've promised pics of the ugly cow for ages. HERE THEY ARE!

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/3866/frank04.jpg
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/820/frank08.jpg
http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/2166/frank09.jpg

(artsy angle FAIL)
http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/1995/frank10.jpg

Interior is rough, but has immense potential.
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/5421/frank03.jpg
http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/6647/frank06.jpg
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/8445/frank01.jpg
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/5035/frank05.jpg

Mmmmm GT.
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/7338/frank07.jpg

Oh. And unrelated Leggy/Preza pr0n. My first-born with his mates Black Beast and White Beast :grin:

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/7506/58547794.jpg
http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/5516/14577169.jpg

[Navi271]

wow, SO many different parts all in one car!! it's awesome that it finally runs, even if it takes a warmup and a rev. keep up the good work

[Zac]

Great to see it running shale!

and omg do I love those BG5 :smt007

I can only dream of mine looking like that one day :(

[Shale]

Hurrhurr I love those BG5s as well :grin: I'll play the bitch card and say I have indeed driven both of them too (Matt's car is teh slow, he needs to hurry up and save for his build dernit) :twisted: The Black Beast is running better than ever these days! HNNNNGH.

As is Frankie. We took her for a cruise last night after going through Washworld (carpet, engine bay, exterior cleeeean!). Two boys and myself doing the Northwestern loop was amazingly quiet and relaxing in my pathetically stock BF5, but holy snotcakes...it's almost frightening watching a little WRX engine suck your insides into the leather right around PAST the 7500rpm mark, leaping into second gear with a violent grab and keeping it on full boost without a heartbeat through the revs again. Stupid long gears though... just starting second after redlining first takes you to the rev limiter. Apparently these gearboxes (no, I haven't done this!) will take you around to the speed cut in third. Or, at least as soon as they barf you out into fourth they will. Aiee...

But yes. She's a manic little booster and isn't exactly left behind by Beastie when it's driver-only in both cars :twisted:

[Reuben]

Yep, it's incredibly impressive for a $500 engine, shale couldn't have gotten a better deal. The late model EJ20G heads, TD04 and RS-RA ECU are also surprisingly quick, and earnt frankie another nick-name, The Flying Sofa. If it wasn't for that damn auto's psychological problems and long gears, it'd give a GTB a run for it's money!

Now we start the fun game of tracking down noises and shutting them up!

[Shale]

LOL YES, the gearbox's psychological problems. Excellently put :grin:

Here's how I put it on ClubSUB:

ECU: I has a TD04!
Gearbox: Yeah and?
ECU: I also has 7600rpm redline!
Gearbox: What do you want ME to do about it?
ECU: BOOST IT, brother!
Gearbox: I only have four gears, sod off.
ECU: Screw you. Here, have max power.
Gearbox: Srsly, what do I do with it?
ECU: Iunno, get it down to the ground. I don't care.
Gearbox: FINE. *FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRST GEAR!*
ECU: Here's 7600rpm :grin:
Gearbox: Wtf...okay fine, here's more first gear.
ECU: ...................uh...
Gearbox: ...
ECU: ...
Gearbox: ...
ECU: Is that entirely necessary? We started at 60km/h and we've been going 80km/h for the last five years...
Gearbox: ..........fine, here's second gear.
ECU: WOOHOO FULL BOOST AGAIN!
Legacy: ....aaaaand finally we accelerate!
Me: *bashes head against steering wheel*



As for the noises, I've been sneaky-cruising her for purposes of noise-slaying. So far...

Metallic rattle from the front right: think something on the brakes. Maybe the little metal shield behind the pads...
Deep rattle from the rear: known to be the towbar disagreeing with the stock exhaust (gosh, will just have to upgrade!)
Absurdly loud screaming from engine bay: I'm gonna tighten all the clamps and check the manifold bolts. It only happens on moderate to full boost, right round the clock.
Whooshing on the motorway: Wedge in door, and door in general being a prat.

Also needs a door, and an antenna.

Freakin' expensive project! But so much fun.

[Shale]

Quick update.

So I had a boost leak... 1/3 throttle was fine, torquey... 1/2 throttle made a lovely whooshing/squealing sound and was no more effective than 1/3 throttle. Full throttle was just louder, no faster. Sounds like boost leak all over eh :P

Thought it was the BOV...nope.

Thought hose clamps somewhere... couldn't find any boned ones.

Tested the manifold bolts... BINGO. :smt012

An entire bank was undone. FRIGGEN D'OH.

On the plus side... it now boosts relentlessly :grin:

[Huffer]

Bring the pain! Woo!

[Shale]

Pain is right! LOL.

Gots me a new driver's door to replace the nailed one. I mean sheet, the window mount pooed itself and took out the wiring for the whole door, which means that NONE of the windows want to work (and it's now spring and GASPING HOT). If the door wasn't scratched to buggery, covered in house paint overspray and sporting a large fail mark from the previous mupptard of an owner, I'd fix all of this.

But screw it, new door in the right colour from Sub-Ar-Us. :grin:

Also...one of the very good mechanics here offered me a hit with the awesome stick for a bargain. If I can scrape up the cash, Frankie might earn herself a clutch and a third pedal sooner than expected...



Edit:

Got bored at work and threw Adobe Creative Suite II at my poor Legacy. This is a rough, general idea of what I wanted to do with her...and yes, the bumper barfed all over me and failed royally...but you get the idea.

GT-Limited with an added serving of rice...

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/5269/frankiemods.jpg

[Shale]

Random update. Now that Frank has a little brother, Leonidas, she might be getting her manual conversion in the near future - so Leonidas can have a gearbox that works! Lmao.

Shale's waiting for a cambelt change too, just to mention...so he's parked up and it's all about the Legacys now.

[Shale]

Frank's a-crankin' right now, guys - showing some real 1st gen love! There's a stack of parts waiting for the ol' b!tch...

- GTB 294mm brakes - INSTALLED!
- STi version 6 inverted struts
- VF8 turbo
- 2x new exhausts, one still enroute - one quiet Fujitsubo, one potato cannon
- Siamese downpipe
- Orange AFM, yellow injectors, STi 6S ECU

She recently clocked 135kW at the wheels on the dyno... not bad for an old boat! She did try to set herself on fire and was at the most risk of jumping the dyno on the day, so it wasn't without STYLE that she did her thang... :D

Loving this car right now. Seriously, seriously loving this car.

[Reuben]

Miiint

[Shale]

Bamp for adding a bit of fuelling control to the 6S ECU, and... drumroll... manual conversion. About to seriously love this car EVEN MOAR.

[Reuben]

Mega bump. Yeah ol shale isn’t too good at keeping his threads up to date. Not a lot has happened over the last 8 years since this was last updated. Frankie became shales general runabout once moved down to Dunedin, then a couple years later up to rejoin me in Queenstown. All mods stopped really occurring during this period, then a couple years ago the headgaskets went. Last year we gat that all fixed, new rad, and a reconnect heater core which I still need to put in. Franks back in action and shares driving duties part time with shales Impreza. The trans is now on its way out, but i’ve Bought a new TY752VBCAA for it (v3+4 STi/BG GTB manual box). Manual conversion ahoy!

[fwa2500]

Drove pretty well out to Arrowtown and back! Definitely generates that signature first gen. grin :P