-
This poor little BC is still hibernating, but plans are afoot once more. Over the last 6 months I've sorta come to terms with the EJ25D... it's not a bad engine, it's just unlucky. I got two dead headgasket examples just sitting in my storage unit (BG9A hydraulic)(same generation as my current 20D), so I figure why not just have a crack at that. You guys might swoon for the EJ20's, but fact is they make less power, and that power is only delivered above 5000rpm (non turbo. Different story for turbo 20's, they rock). 25D's are actually more fun. I've been dailying my 20D converted 250t for almost a year now, and the 20D just is so gutless in the low revs, I just want the sensation of torque back!
So yeah, all the rebuild kit I bought for the 20D works on my 25, since the are the same generation, and I just bought some EJ25 gaskets, so all is go! Just learned how to do headgaskets myself too, so this is a DIY engine rebuild. Nice.
If you're wondering what happened to the 2.2 DOHC plans... that's still a future project, for now I just want my daily BC back! Nothing like BC swag!
-
Dat blighter goodness! Such a lovely wee car, will be good to se it back on the road for more than short little jaunts! Well...as long as it isn't a hill start in the dark with a vintage Aston Martin of all things suddenly appearing behind you...
-
A wild Aston appears! It uses creep-up. It's super effective!
-
So I’m terrible at updating this thread...
August 2017: having decided once and for all that I was going to take this thing on the racetrack in October, I had set about looking for an EJ25 to slap in. My attempts to get a facelift 175ps solid lifter EJ25D
failed, so I settled for a running prefacelit 160ps hydraulic EJ25D.
September 2017: Got the EJ25 out of the donor outback, a farm hack with 300,000km on it. Figured we ought to do the headgaskets on it as a matter of course, which proved a wise idea, because it had chewed out a set of MLS gaskets. So this engines third set went in, and away we went. Did a base tune and got on the road.
Early October 2017: track day looming, got the road tune a bit more polished, slapped some mags with RE002 potenzas on it, and we were ready for the track!
Late October 2017: track day a success, car didn’t skip a beat on the 500k road trip there, or on the track. I utterly cooked the 260mm front rotors though. Also got the ECU tune tweaked up by a tuner on the dyno, and managed to get 110hp at the wheels.
November/December 2017: tracked down some 277mm calipers, chucked new rotors and pads in front and rear, and wow what a difference, the old 260’s were stuffed!! Did the final tweaks on the tune to smooth out the power curve, she runs sweet now! Also found it uses a litre of oil/1000km (1 quart per 600mi!) oh well. Will just have to get on with building a new motor for it! Bring on a facelift 25D!
2018: daily driving, this thing rocks. EJ25 Lyfe yo, gimme dat torque!
-
That engine is so well suited for the BC chassis, very impressed with it given how it was previously!
-
Yeah, the 2.5 reallly comes alive in such a light car, the sensation of torque gets a few surprises! Almost has me considering getting another old link ECU for the turd to liven up its lump with a bit more ignition advance.
-
Small update.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...1df036_o-1.jpg
IMG_2909 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
This thing has been great, frickin love the launches a tuned EJ25 can do, jumps off the line! Sure revving it out feels a bit pointless, but it drives so nicely, and is just fast enough that you’re not bothered. Everyone that takes it for a drive comes back chuffed about it, not disappointed like they do after taking the turd out (WOW context much - I of course mean the green Turd, my ‘200T’).
The other day I had a mechanic from another shop call me up and say
“hey, I got some 4-pots here, you want em?”
I say “sure, how much?”
“Hundred bucks”
“Deal”
So I got some old school Subie 4-pots then! They’re pretty rough, but Blighter is a first gen, very few don’t have rough edges, so that’s ok. It’s a story to be told, not a museum piece! Sadly they had been painted black, but you could see they were originally red ones, so, I won’t be cheating if I sand blast em and re-paint em red. So in the blaster they went, and much to my surprise, the blaster stripped the black paint off the red, and bam, I had red 4-Pots! Hah, excellent! Sure it’s a matte finish now, not gloss... I did try polish the paint back to gloss, but no joy, so it’s kinda funny looking matte red, but hey, original unrestored paint, hahahaha.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...0393ac_b-1.jpg
Untitled by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...a191b6_b-1.jpg
Untitled by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
I forgot to get my old 294mm rotors out of storage that I took off the Beast when I did his slotted rotor upgrade, so I threw caution (money) to the wind and picked up some nice TRW slotted 294’s for blighter too. They’re extra heat treated and all that guff, I really enjoy those rotors, they don’t warp under heat like the standard TRW’s can, and the slotted thing is nice when you get a bit excited with the ol brakes and get into fade territory. No race brakes, but I’ve yet to get fade or warpage with em, so what more can you ask for!
Clamping force is signifigant, I'm glad I've got a large BH5 GT brake booster in this car, it’s meant pedal feel is good - not stellar, but good... they can quite readily lock up the shitty newton tyres I have without too much pedal travel and pressure. It would be nice to have a bit stiffer feel though, I really liked the solid reaction I got with the large booster, on the wee brake calipers... might have to see if I can fit up a turbo 1 1/16th master, instead of the 1” master I have currently, to get some firmness back.
Anyway, here it is:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...725aa0_b-1.jpg
Untitled by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...c147c2_b-1.jpg
Untitled by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
Meanwhile ol Beast has been relegated to the older BBS's... It's classy, sure, but I think the gold BBS's are better on the Beast, and the old BBS's better on the Blighter!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...5e4ac5_b-1.jpg
Untitled by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
-
Updated last post. And today I did some snooping around my mates farm where there are some old busted BF GT's. Two had ABS, two did not. I was looking for a 1-1/16" non ABS master, but turns out, there isn't one! 1-1/16" was for ABS. 1" was for non ABS, and non turbo...
So gotta do a bit of research and see if a GC RA 4-pot non ABS car had a 1-1/16" non ABS master. If I have no luck, I might get my 1" bored out and a 1-1/16" seal kit put in, to give me the larger style, but for non ABS.
And bonus footage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NRJZ2Wx2f0
-
-
Thanks bro. Yeah, I love what this wee low spec we has become. It may be more common in the US to work on non turbos, due to the lack of any real performance models from this era, but here in NZ... Nobody would touch something like this, unless they had a crashed RS to transplant in... makes it all the more special to me, and a fun thumbing of my nose to the performance car elitists that are so pervasive here...
What’s next on the list for this car... I have a track day in November that I’m taking this car to, I’d like to get some bigger sway bars by then. Doubt I’ll be able to get anything else done... I would consider doing a turbo 2.5 if the opportunity arises in the mean time... (I mention this because the opportunity very nearly did come my way this week...)
I’d still like to explore a high power port and polished N/A though...
-
Got a hybrid for you if you are interested. It is an evolution based off the EJ22D I ran in my silver BD LSi.
EJ20D heads (late/clover chamber style).
EJ251 block.
EJ257 head gasket (first version/0.5mm thick).
With bolt-ons, it should make for a lovely riot, especially in a lighter car like the BC chassis. I know my EJ22D BD pulled on two 2.0L WRX's here.
-
My starter has been sticking for a few seconds before kicking into life, so I took it off last saturday morning and rebuilt it. Brushes still looked new, replaced the plunger, contacts, and bearings... Bench tested fine. Chucked it in the car, tested fine with 20 out of 20 starts. Mint... Next morning, same issue... So next up is use the trigger wire to trigger a relay, and give the starter a direct feed for the trigger from the battery, that should sort it out proper.
Then I polished it. Just a one step, better than a no step though!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...5a25a8_b-1.jpg
IMG_3840 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...3161d9_b-1.jpg
IMG_3850 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...113005_b-1.jpg
IMG_3857 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...098307_b-1.jpg
IMG_3869 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...fc7664_b-1.jpg
IMG_3871 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...0e679a_b-1.jpg
IMG_3894 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...00268e_b-1.jpg
IMG_3907 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
Then I promtly got it dirty again, underground carparks are not a BC's natural habitat... Can't keep a dirty ol BC clean for too long!!!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...b9a2a3_b-1.jpg
IMG_4026 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
-
-
Great thread, just went through it and now I want a first gen subie!:)
jm
-
-
-
-
Congratulations on making it to Regular Cars. Kind of a big deal here in the States.
-
So I've got the mod bug going HARD right now, swigning back into it...
First up, earlier this week I finally fitted up my V3/4 STi seats. I had already done the seatbelt conversion for the driver as I had a BG bucket seat in there since last year, but I had to convert the passenger side still. The conversion is as simple as fitting the seatbelt out of a BG, and put the matching BG buckles onto the WRX seats. I had aftermarket belts installed so the belt buckles weren't clicking into the BG buckles on the seat. Thankfully the BG seat buckle is close enough to the impreza belt buckle (they are different from each other), that the BG ones bolted to the impreza seats just fine.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...ce989f_o-1.jpg
IMG_4998 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
BG seat buckle attached, old impreza buckle next to it for reference. Reason for swapping is the actual shape of the belt buckle that goes into is different between legacy and impreza belts, and I had a set of BG belts from a car I was wrecking.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...20bc98_o-1.jpg
IMG_5000 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
BG web-clamp style belt ready to go into the passenger side
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...23b38d_o-1.jpg
IMG_5001 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
All done and installed!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...48dfee_o-1.jpg
IMG_5002 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...6d4d94_o-1.jpg
IMG_5004 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...36be2e_o-1.jpg
IMG_5005 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
-
Then I got onto the next job today... Front lip time. I posted up on the DOBC facebook page looking for inspiration for lips to fit onto S1 BC's.... There are actually a lot of different ones out there! More than I had even known before, these old girls were not spared the JDM body kit trends in the 90's for sure!!! But yeah, good luck finding any. I found inspiration from a BC bro in Australia, whom had fitted a V6 STi lip to his, with plenty of modification of course, but it looked sick. So I went to the yard and pulled a lip off a pre facelift BG, and a facelift BG. The facelift lip is just part of the bumper moulding, so the only way it was coming off was with the angle grinder, and that will make mounting it up a bit more challenging, but I'm keen, challenge accepted. Got it home and tidied up the mating surface, trimmed the excess, re-shaped the god damn thing, putting in a sharper curve nearer the vents, and straightening out the centre section. Had to chop it in half, shaved a good inch out of the middle, and well, yeah, she's looking pretty sick if I do say so myself! Re-forming it with a heatgun proved exceptionally easy too.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...73cddc_o-1.jpg
IMG_5006 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...203a83_o-1.jpg
IMG_5007 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...b00c74_o-1.jpg
IMG_5008 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...7df254_o-1.jpg
IMG_5009 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...e70a7b_o-1.jpg
IMG_5010 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
Comes up a bit short on the sides, bugger. I shall ignore this for now
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...47534b_o-1.jpg
IMG_5011 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...fb6b51_o-1.jpg
IMG_5012 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...1c5156_o-1.jpg
IMG_5013 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...ab952e_o-1.jpg
IMG_5014 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...519476_o-1.jpg
IMG_5016 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...cfc0f1_o-1.jpg
IMG_5018 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...40566e_o-1.jpg
IMG_5023 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
Result!!!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...e2a6f9_o-1.jpg
IMG_5025 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...368707_o-1.jpg
IMG_5026 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
-
*waits for comments about hacking up a perfectly good JDM facelift GT bumper*
-
Gave the Blighter a wash, chamois, then hit it with mothers instant detailer. I need to do a full cut again, it's been 7 years since my last full 3-step on this thing! My my how time passes. But she still shine sup with the simple stuff.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...bd4e12_o-1.jpg
IMG_5070 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...4d25f0_o-1.jpg
IMG_5071 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...8b4d34_o-1.jpg
IMG_5072 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
-
When are going to upgrade that shift boot?
-
Yeeeaaaah. Eventually. Plan is for black leather, to match the door card trims I have to go on. I can’t get the boot to come up to the knob, as the attach pins on the trim are all snapped off, so it sorta just sits in place. If I lift it up to the knob, it just pulls out of the trim and floats in mid air.
-
I'm - at some point, getting one from redline goods -in carbon fiber-I never removed the boot from my '91 so I not sure how it was secured-though, my '96 impreza (the closest replacement for my 1st gen. leggey) the trim piece slips between the top and bottom of the boot. It's going to be a DIY project for sure.
-
Work continued today on the front lip project. Earlier in the week I went and got some JB Weld plastic bonder. This shit is superb! I hacked up my pre-facelift BG lip and used it as a re-inforcing mount and to join the two halves.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...8c8f0f_b-1.jpg
IMG_5073 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...0c0085_b-1.jpg
IMG_5074 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...87f259_b-1.jpg
IMG_5076 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...724747_b-1.jpg
IMG_5077 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...8e185a_b-1.jpg
IMG_5079 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...423401_b-1.jpg
IMG_5081 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
Once that was done, I marked out where I wanted to mount it. I used the bolts from the factory pre-facelift BG mounting, they have a handy 8mm dowel that worked out perfectly for bolting it up, you can tighten them down snug, but they won't squash the plastic out the way. I used zip ties around the side. I also bonded on some little tabs to secure the sides in, but it didn't work out too well, the sides sit out maybe 5mm off the bumper, so I'll have to go back and find a better way to do that.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...b2ec3d_b-1.jpg
IMG_5085 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...19a6dc_b-1.jpg
IMG_5084 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
And mounted up! superb! Now I just have to finish it. Sanding gives odd results, if you use too couarse a grit, it gouges the plastic bad, but you knock it back a few steps, and it barely touches it. 240 grit isn't strong enough to level the scratches on it, but is still high enough that it gives the finish quite a texture... So it might just be a case of sitting there for fucking ever with the 240 grit, and being patient enough to level the big scratches. Once done, I found a fucking cool trick! When you pass the heatgun over this plastic, it quickly turns a deep black, and gets a bit of shine back in it. It's super easy to do, and essentially restores the satin black finish they had from factory! I'm going to make a vid on it, it's pretty neat!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...447b0f_b-1.jpg
IMG_5090 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
So, it's in a stable state, I can drive around with it on there like this sweet as, but there's still some finishing to do. Gotta sort out proper mounting on the side that keeps it tucked up on the bumper nice and flush, and gotta level the more visible scratches out then hit it with the heatgun to-regloss the finish and get a deep satin black finish. Yum! I think this whole project came out pretty good, and was damn easy, probably about 6 hours total to get it done, and the only expense was the JB weld, the rest I got off cars being wrecked for nothing.
-
-
YASSSSSS. That is looking seriously good. I need to make the hop down to ZQN soon, I'm overdue...
-
Yes. Do it. And drive the Blighter.
-
Phase-II of the make Blighter staunch project underway! Picked these skirts off a GT wagon last week. I love whoe subie sedans and wagons of a generation having the same wheel base thing!!!
First I gotta remove my poverty spec mudflaps desigened to fit skirtless cars...
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...6ef5a0_b-1.jpg
IMG_5130 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
Wash the dirt off and hit it with some degreaser
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...cff95a_b-1.jpg
IMG_5131 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
Then hit it with the Meguiars Ultimate Compound, fucking excellent stuff. Sadly they have rubbed into the paint over the last 28 years. What can one do. Will dab over the exposed metal with a paint pen when I can.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...a3d94c_b-1.jpg
IMG_5133 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
Next up, start the drilling! Thankfully there's a paint line where the underbody seal stops right around the same place the holes should be, so I could use that for the vertical placement of the holes. Longitudinal placement was easy, just mock the skirt up on the sill and mark it out. Managed to get it pretty accurate.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...dacc9a_b-1.jpg
IMG_5126 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...7b862a_b-1.jpg
IMG_5127 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
Like a bawss!!
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...1fbdd2_b-1.jpg
IMG_5128 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...a671ff_b-1.jpg
IMG_5129 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/import...b09ebd_b-1.jpg
IMG_5134 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
So, all that's left to do is wash them (I will re-paint them in the summer), drill the holes for the nut certs on the underside of the sill, and bolt em up!!