Millenniums aren't going to be an option. I'll need wider than 8" when it is eventually made a widebody. Looking at rich's thread on 22b on his widebody 9.5" will fill the arches.

 

I got a bit bored a couple of weeks ago...

 

Well it's been a long time. This project is now approaching the 5yr mark lol. I've owned the Type R for 4 years now, and I'd say more than 3 years of that has been it sat there doing nothing.

The aim now is to put it back on the road to take to Goodwood FOS 2017 and a few meets that I've put off over the years with some FB groups. So between now and June I need to get off my ****.

The only update in recent months has been the purchase of some comp brakes (previous owner put AP stickers on).

 

Liking the chrome inlet.

 

That's just been polished hasn't it?

 

Yes just ally polished. Takes about a million man hours .

 

So where do you actually stand with this now, Alex?

 

Purgatory.

The wife's uncle owns the RS500 engined Sapphire Cosworth. He's owned it 25 years now and has just turned 60. Still now he changes this, changes that and keeps it immaculate. The intention was always to restore a car and own it indefinitely, not to build it, get bored with it and sell it. The temptation to call it a day and sell up is always there and a mortgage application in the new year will only make it worse. If it's going to be here for another 20+ years then what's the hurry?. If I restored it now, chances are in 5 years it'd be tatty again .

As for the car itself it runs, boosts, drives absolutely fine. The DCCD isn't happy unless rolled fully back but I'm advised once its on the road again a good run will free it up. A horn and the Air Bag light sorted it could be MOT'd tomorrow. The only question about using it next summer is in what "state" will it be used in. It needs a turbo, injectors and a remap for the engine side of things to be sorted. But I'd like to tidy the bay up by moving the battery into the boot, fuse box into either the glove box or inside the L/H wing. And the boost solenoid and pipework I'd also like to move into the R/H wing. Engine out, tidy the bay up and re-spray would also be good.

There's no point putting the polished inlet manifold on it without running a parallel fuel mod which means new manifold gaskets, braided fuel lines, FPR, fuel rails to suit and injectors. No point doing all that until I've got the turbo (I'm thinking along the lines of VF43). I can then rewire in the Prosport gauges as my original wiring was rushed and all runs around the manifold.

Handling/Braking wise the rear 2 pots could probably do with a refurb. I'd do those at the same time as spraying up the comp brakes to colour match. They seem to stop really well but I haven't had a long enough run to see if they fade or if they stop as well at higher speeds. I've never been happy with the alloys they will go at some point, may as well do that at the same time as the brake refurb.

As for the condition of the chassis I'd love to strip it down to the bare shell and start from scratch. I've toyed with the idea of buying either a blown up v3 onwards 4dr, or a clean RA or WRX shell and stripping the R and putting it all into the other shell. This would avoid me forgetting what went where lol.

Boring I know but financial restraints as always are holding me back. Money, experience and knowledge I lack. Desire, determination and imagination I don't .

 

I'm really happy I read this thread, because I sometimes wonder if I'm the only one who can't get my project back on the road. Mine's been off the road since early 2012 as well, and I've had the engine / gearbox out about about 5 times for various problems, and now I've finally bit the bullet and started stripping the engine down...

My problem is really that I have no time at all for playing in the garage - always busy doing family stuff or at work. I go months without even opening the garage door, but I'll hopefully get there some day... Not that I haven't contemplated calling the scrappy on a number of occasions, though.

 

Thanks Henrik. There's no rush, I'd rather do it at a steady pace. I have much more respect for people that live their life and do what they can when they can. Cheque-book tuners come and go, get their praise from their hangers on then a few months later are selling up yet again .
Today I've finished work, picked the kids up, dropped the youngest at her dance class, then dropped the eldest at his. When that's finished its off trick or treating then back for a beer in front of the TV. In years to come the kids won't need us quite as much. Its the same reason I've turned down promotion a few times, there's years ahead when time will be on my side.

As John Lennon said "Life is what happens whilst you're making other plans".
Keep it up chap, don't sell up.

 

First paragraph sums it up perfectly hahaha, get the praise and then sell it or break it, classic,
I'd like to do mine as quick as possible as once on a roll I get too excited to get it done, but I've learned that stuff/life gets in the way.
I spent my money to get it all done and now I'm broke lol, so have to wait till new year now before I can get a built motor in.
Funny thing is, when my car was running etc, it be sat on drive and only drive it maybe once in a week or two, but now it's off road I want to drive it lol.
When you have no plan to sell or move on, then there's no rush, only the rush for the buzz

 

I know what you mean Busta. Once I got a daily it would just sit there so I thought why bother taxing and insuring it. Even the mrs wants it back on the road so she can drive it again.

 

It's time to get this out and on the road for the summer in its current state. The house purchase is taking all funds so a few months use should get some inspiration back. I've moved the boost solenoid into the r/h wing, resprayed a few interior items and used a bit of flock (not a fan). I also rewired the gauges, both oil gauges are good but water temp sensor may need replacing.
I toyed with the idea of spoilerless for about 24hrs then big gay wing (now for sale), then back to mid level.





And de-fake carbon'd the gauge pod.

 

Rear brakes refurbished. MOT'd, tax'd and now back on the road. I've been enjoying it for the last couple of weeks and forgot that everyone has to race a Scooby

 

It's been a long long time since I was following your thread, but it looks great, and your right about the rear spoiler, that looks much better that that monsterous thing.

I had a slither on the only classic I owned which I though looked really good and subtle.

 

That looks pretty good. I think the prodrive spoiler could be the one for me but prices for them are a little silly lol.

 

Good job and looks great!

 

Thank you very much. Driving it again is definitely putting me back to planning ahead and getting the engine side of things how I want it.
Then it's the bodywork stage and another 5 or 6 years of planning lol.

 

It's never ending, and perhaps suggests there are more Subaru 2nd cars than daily drivers. Mine certainly is.

 

A few of the old girl out and about lately.

 

the Black Impreza has one of my old plates on, good to see its clocking up the miles............

 

It belongs to a local lad from an FB group I’m on. He very much cherishes it.