The mountains around Queenstown do no favours to 250T owners... An engine that already has a reputation for being 'a bit' unreliable, given to backpackers with no concept of vehicle maintenance, then flogged up and down the ski field access roads leads to some killer deals to be had, and an even worse reputation for unreliability. So that lead to me picking up a pretty mint car, for, well, $50. And the name came thanks to my mate Mitch and his coworkers who used to have a work car that was a BG9 250T, they surmised the T must stand for turd.
I bought this car with the intention of using it as a wee money spinner, a good ol fix'n'flick. I had Ace ventura (A BF3 Auto) as the hack wagon anyway... But after dropping in a new motor, I sorta though 'why should I sell this when I can sell Ace?' The turd is surprisingly full of features, this thing is bloody specced out! Full leather interior, with heated front seats, dual sunroofs, dual airbags, heated power folding mirrors, heated windscreen wipers, and cruise control to boot... Once we got this thing running, it proved to be quite a nice car! Gutless as all hell through. Still not bad for $50 of car, $100 of engine, and $160 for the rad.
Specs for the JDM curious, and nerdy
Build date: 21-02-1995
Chassis: BG9-008516
Applied model: BG9A5AE
Engine: EJ25-287134
It's running a BF5 VZ EJ20D (DOHC roller rocker HLA) now which I picked up for a hundy, with the BG9A manifold. The 250T ECU had no low down balls on this motors, so I found and installed a BG5A TS-R ECU (Added bonus of 7500 redline!), which only barely helped things out. It's quite peppy over 4000rpm though. I suspect there are some sensor or grounding issues, as it doesn't like cold running, and can even stall at idle when it idle hunts sometimes. We installed a new radiator though, and she runs cool as a cucumber, hits operating temp and glues itself there, no matter if ascending the crown to going up Fernhill foot flat in first. And the auto trans doesn't even bind!!! I have a full manual conversion for this in my storage out in Cromwell now too, but the box needs rebuilding, has play on the input shaft, and leaks out every orifice (400,000k old Hi-Lo NZ new box from a BG5). I also plan on rebuilding the dead 250T engines I have, and plonkling one back in this thing, just because they run so much better with them. The 20D is just a fucking slug when hauling a big arse BG. Fine in a light little Impreza or BC, but in the turd, it's inadequate.
Other poorly things of note with this car is the paint job is fucked, the roof is peeled to fuck. The leather is rock hard and cracking, and I'm in the process of pricing up a re-upholster with nice new vinyl (vinyl these days is amazing, and the only way I can match the grey). there's also a big dent in the passenger sill, which is pulling the skirt out.
Still not bad for a $250 car.
IMG_9467 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
IMG_9466 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
IMG_9471 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
At the moment, given the nature of our accomodation, I have no option but to haul the majority of my tools around with me. It handles it eeeaaaasssyyyy.... (if not a little scrapey scrape over bumps and whatnot)
IMG_9472 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
IMG_9475 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
Still room for a passenger in the back!
IMG_9476 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
IMG_9477 by Reuben Horsley, on Flickr
Current mods:
Facelift solid lifter EJ20D from a BG5B TS-R - running on a Pre-facelift EJ20D ECU. Sliiiiiight missmatch but it goes alright, nothing outside of what long term fuel and ignition trims can handle.
Added outback woodgrain air vents to complement the exsisting woodgrain (oh yeah, we're going full tacky with this baby!)(currently hunting for a center air vent cover too)
Pioneer AVH-285BT Head unit, with CS-V628 250w 6.5" speakers all round, and Fusion CPAS-1080 8" underseat amp and sub. I tried rocking it old school with the factory JDM radios, but all the CD's skipped.
BH5D GT-B muffler with the dual entry, welded open in full fart noise mode
BF5 GT turbo headers to give it that boxer burble we all love
BG5A GT spec-B (That's BBS spec, not Bilstein spec) BBS 16" wheels, wrapped in Potenza RE003's (Known as Firehawk indi 500's outside of the civilised world)
Brand new KYB Excel-G's
BG GTB 20mm front, 19mm rear sway bars
BG GTB Large brake booster
Towbar
Planned: Rebuilding the dead EJ25 and plopping it back in... Oooooor, EZ30 swap. Who knows. I have a blown 25 and a blown 30 in storage.
Conversion to N/A style crossmember, and running VZ-R style twin runner exhausts (that joins aft of the transmission, rather than under the front diff)(parts for this conversion now acquired)
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