Well quick uppdate.
Lots happening, car still a shell tho but hopefully things will progress quicker now that a major hurdle has been overcome. The cage that was in the car was pretty good, but I wanted to stiffen the chassis. initially I had thought about adding to the existing cage but both time and cost made that a non starter so decided to go for this.

http://www.safetydevices.com/motorsp...2001-2007/460/

Big big thanks to Graeme Jerame at Whiteline for helping with this and thanks to Kev at Scoobyclinic for getting it out so quick and also thanks to Steven for his help.

There will be a weight penalty when compared to a full weld in T45 cage but that is just something I will have to live with. My hope is it will stiffen the chassis to something approaching that of a full weld in but obviously not to the same degree.

Decided that it was time for the obligatory where's my boot floor gone picture.



Next step cut and shape some 3mm Alluminium Composite. I then used aircraft skin pins to hold it in place while i drilled the holes for the rivets.



I extended it beyond the boot so that it would mate nicely with the back side of the bumper. It needed a slight bend but produced a neat solution.



Then it was just a case riveting it in and making some brackets up to support the rear section.





With the bumper cut and back on the sheet mates really well with the bumper asnd now just needs the sides filled in. will do that at some point later tho.



Not the best picture but it shows the sheet bending up slightly and meeting snuggly with the bumper.



The next stage is to get the car back on the ground so that the cage can be installed which is the critical bit time wise.

Managed to get a set of these from Graeme through at whiteline, thanks graeme.



Really good idea the way these have been designed. Last year I turned the top mounts to achieve caster but that was at the expense of camber adjustment at the top. These use an offset mounting point which allows both. I have measured the position when compared to last years top mounts and they are almost identical and I achieved 5 1/4 deg of static Caster with no other mods so this should be similar.





Hopefully I will get the car down on the ground and the cage test fitted by the end of the weekend so kenny if you have plans for next week best turn your phone off

I have managed to source a newage quick rack so that should be here soon. I also have a newage steering column which i would like to use to eliminate the need to cut and shut a UJ. On an initial fit the column mounts are different spacings from the classic but thats not a major issue but the bung in the bulkhead where the column goes through is much larger diameter on the classic as the classic column has a metal sleeve with an end stop, the newage one doesnt. so i need to source the correct bung to locate the smaller dia newage column.



Newage column at the top.

The bung on the road blobeye looks like this so assume this is what i need.



I had intended to go to a pedal box this year but time and budget has seen that removed from the list. I have never been fully happy with the brakes on the car so decided to fit a newage servo and master cylinder. But as with all things subaru related nothing is easy. The RA master cylinder has 2 front and 2 rear ports as it does not have ABS. The newage one has one front and one rear since the split is done at the ABS module. So no point replumbing everything for one season so new plan is to fit the bigger and newer newage servo and have the RA master cylinder overhauled. So the master cylinder will be on its way down to Durham for Alyn to give it some TLC just incase there is any slight fluid bypass issues which is possible given the master cylinder is 19 years old
Thanks Alyn appreciate the help

 

Nice updates there Archie.

Loads of hard work has been put into your project. Hope it turns out to what you want from the build.

 

Thanks peter, Its coming on but its way behind where I wanted to be at this point.

 

Presumably you are mod prod now?

Had the same issue re the brake master cylinder, but sorted with new hard pipes and t pieces- pedal feel is much improved and haven't lost pedal since.

I'm also reverting to a top mount ic this year, although front mount will still be used for most things, so hopefully a reduction in lag! An unusual step but will see .

Importantly, shocks serviced, new blue stuff pads fitted, and kumho v70 tyres in super soft ordered.

Good luck with the work- cage looks a beauty! Kevin sorted me out with the simpler safety devices cage- very nice but wouldn't want to fit another and I didn't have to weld it!

 

I have never had a problem with the pedal just never happy with how the car stopped.

Are the Khumo's the K21's or the softer ones? You may well find the softer ones go off very quickly on a sprint. I had the K21's go off after being flagged at Boyndie and then coming in and staright back out they went off nearing the end of the run. K21 is about as soft as you want to go for sprints in my opinion.

Yes into Modifieds wasnt prepared to de-mod the car to stay in roadcar class so decided it was better to move it on and see how far behind it si when compared to other more advanced modified cars.

 

It is the softer ones - k11 I think- I have a standard 5 speed so don't warm tyres up, and hill is 1000 yards- its close I know.

You will also find pedal feel improved with he other master cylinder.

I have fitted the white line roll centre kit, and even without geometry re calibrated feels very good.

 

If its just for hills the K11's will be fine sprints are harder on the tyres.

 

Importantly, my main competitor in an m3 changed tyres to soft 888's ns went from being 2 seconds slower to 2 seconds faster in prod, so tyres plus gonads should be the answer

 

Meant to ask how you found the kumhos

 

I used the K21's and they worked really well but the tread rolls badly when used on sprints. the only downside of them is the soft sidewall which isnt ideal and does create a compromise.

 

Well it seems longer than 3 weeks since i have updated this although I feel as if its one step forward and 3 steps back at the minute.

The cage is now in. Huge thanks to Kenny for a 14 hour stint welding the various brackets, of which there are many. I must admit to being very pleased with the way it has turned out. It is by no means a bolt in cage and there is a fair amount of work needed to mock up and weld the various brackets. The main floor brackets are pretty simple but the other ones for the roof bar and front leg section need to be spot on so it takes ages to measure, mark, bolt everything up, check again then remove and weld etc etc. The section that goes through to the strut top is very awkward as it involves bolting two brackets together one between the strut top and the bulkhead and one in the wheel well, matching the holes up was a nightmare as was fitting the link bars through but in the end well worth while. The rear section is one piece and was NOT easy to get in the car so once in it didnt come out so we welded around it.







At the same time the cage was going in it seemed logical to rub down and paint the inside to freshen it up. Nothing Gucci but functionally clean. Also plated over the holes left from the old cage.

















The one problem i didnt think about was the horizontal hole for the section mounted to the tunnel, it goes into a box section so I couldnt get to the back of it. If I had thought about it I would have just got kenny to weld the section on instead of leaving it as a bolt on. To get to the box section it meant taking the diff back out and removing the t-cradle and then cutting an acess hole to get a bolt through, ah well lesson learned but all done now and hole patched over.



Well thats pretty much the progress. I had a look at the diff flange today before removing it and noticed the holes didnt line up with the prop, no problem thinks me its obviously the usual PCD problem, although I was a bit confused as this diff was used with a six speed box, anyway i think to myself I will just redrill it like I have done twice before with previous diffs. But after marking it up its now obvious that the diff flange is to small to allow the prop to fit so quick call to my advisor and yep there seems to be two sizes of diff flange and I need the bigger one no shocks there - deep joy so diff now needs to stay out until I can get a flange.

I had also planned to fit a newage STI servo but after trying to fit that, it became obvious that square pegs do not fit in round holes so back on with the old servo. Anyone need a newage Blobeye STI servo and master cylinder lol.

Well newage quick rack is fitted, column now mates with the rack and the steering wheel boss I have fits perfectly so just need a little welding to extend the mounting plate and its good to fit.

Started mocking up the fuel set up in the boot which is proving to be a challenge as I want to be able to fit the pumps and flilters but have it all plumbed in such a way that i can swap the small tank and the large tank by only undoing the two feed unions and the return and vent. Think I have sussed it but it wont be as neat as I wanted and wont be symetrical but hey function over asthetics. Just need to get the post pump filters and I can make up the pipework and get this part finished.



Few more whiteline goodies arrived, needed a new roll centre kit as the other set was tired and also needed new drop links because the arms I now have use a standard drop link, so not much suspension wise on the car now that isnt whiteline - thanks for the help with this Graeme.





Few other bits arrived which will need sorting at some point including some weld in seat rails.



Now that its out I am now looking at finding the best route, within time limits, to do away with the T-cradle for the rear diff. The main reason for this is to make some space to take a side exit exhaust out just where the t-cradle bolts to the chassis. I cant see any other easy route to getting an exhaust out the side.

I had a look on the underside today at the possibilty of triangulating some roll cage tube across the chassis legs bit not convinced this is the best route. The other plan was to attach a couple of weld on saddle clamps to the roll cage. Need to find some use for the 18 metres of 38 x 2.5 MSA spec roll cage tube i have lol.



Then drop two bars down to a form a new mount for the diff. I know this is how several others have done it so prob go with this route. Would be interested to see any pics of how others have done it tho.

Had these arrive the other day but not sure when they will be used at this rate.



And thats pretty much it, so way behind where i need to be but hey plodding on.

 

nice, very nice

 

Tyres look meaty !

 

I had the adjustable top mounts fitted to the Litchfield in Feburary and they took about 3 weeks for the bolts and top of the mount to start rusting...... I was expecting better quality than that.
The car handles well though!

 

What tyres are they? Took the car out with the k11 compunds on the other night- sidewalls are a little rolly as you said, but sticky as.

Geometry done now as well, so just two (rather optional) heat shields to fit and ready- just as well as track day next week, and first hill the week after!

 

thanks Graham

 

Davey what top mounts did you use?

Tyres are Dunlop moulded rally tyres.

Car is coming on nicely then Grant, what hill are you doing in 2 weeks?

 

Arch, Whiteline adjustable top mounts..... had a load of whiteline kit fitted at the same time.

 

nipped out to get a pic or 2.

 

Davey- you been beach racing? Thats horrible.

Arch- just our local one- Bouley Bay, but we have a wonderful trackday at Loheac next week to get used to driving the cars properly again. Loheac is a great track, just below Rennes, with the most amazing car museum- prob 3 times the size of Beaulieu with a full complement of Group B and F1 cars.

I have also bought a 2wd 1.6 Impreza and am going sand racing! Proper budget fun

Mine is progressed, but not as evolved as yours- good luck for the season ahead!

 

Nope no beach racing, not even been alot of salt on the roads up here. They went on in early feb i went to Oz for a holiday and they were like that when i came back. The car didn't move for the 3 weeks i was away. I thought they'd be better quality than that it has to be said!

 

Davey You havnt got the top mounts orientated correctly to get the maximum caster from them.

 

i didn't fit them the Whiteline supplier/dealer got them in and did the work!
I'd like to think they know what they're doing..... at least you'd like to think so

 

Davey I suppose it depends what you want from the car, that set up wont give you max caster but will give you camber and castor adjustment together.

 

I asked them to set it up for road use and possibly the occasional track day!
I'm guessing thats why they set it up like that.... They should know what they're doing there a whiteline main dealer and Motorsport specialist's who hireout their own rally car for events...
Hope your kit doesn't rust as quickly as mine!

 

Awesome rollcage, thats the one ive been thinking of getting for my Impreza Turbo, i have a few qestions:

How much space is it between the main cage and the roof? My car has a electric sunroof, will that be a problem you think?

Do you need to weld plates to the A and B pillars to fix the cage or are there already threads on those places? The front roof bar, is that fixed to original threads or are those weld ons? Can you still fit the original seatbelts or are the brace to the B pillar in the way?

The front bar to the strut tops, does the lower bar bolt straigt into the wheelwell, is it possbile to use just the lower bar and skip the upper witch seems to be a pain in the *** to fit?

 

If you have a sunroof that's your first decision- only allowed one in production class for most events, and they aren't keen on modifying cages at all.

 

Its for a street car thats gonna be used on track days and twisty roads so thats not a problem at all, but im not sure if the main cage clears to sunroof brackets etc, and thats why i wanted to know how much space there is between the main cage and roof.

 

Pretty tight is the answer!

 

Its all coming along very nice there Arch, when do hope to give it a run in anger.