I have a l/w/b vivaro feel free to borrow if u need stuff moving I know what a ball ache it is

 

Cheers for the offer mate... but got a mate with a van,

 

About time for an update I think… not a huge amount of progress as I moved house first week of December, but got some time on the car over the break and this weekend…

Firstly still having issues with the engine wiring I found a few plugs on the engine loom to sensors that had been swapped around, I got the engine and dashboard loom from two cars and think I may have some issues from a previous owner that have transferred across,

It should be 99 loom but didn’t have OBD plug which every diagram shows it to have so I wired one in so wondering if its a very early 3 plug ECU loom and my inlet is a version 6, so rather than waste more time I’m thinking of getting the two looms from a running car as I’m chasing my tail too much on this.

So I gave up trying to get it running and have gone back to the paint work and a few other jobs, I wired in an Anderson plug in just inside the passenger door and made up a charger and jump leads for it forgot the pics of that... I have nearly prepped the wheels ready for paint and this weekend got the rear bumper and tailgate painted.

So just a few pics of the rear end built up, still some work to do on the spoiler so that will be painted soon.







Diffuser will be done black, and wheels are going white, hopefully will have a good start to the year on it….

 

Looking good mate.

 

Cheers...

 

Excellent project, really impressed following this with envy

 

great thread, just been through the whole lot

 

Thanks...


I have got a new loom on its way so just did a bit of tatting as only had Saturday afternoon this week...


Made some supports for the rear mud flaps as there was nothing with any strength to fix to. so used a piece of stainless flat bar.






As I didn't have a wheel and tyre to put on I had to position a tyre so I can get an idea of the height, ideally they could have been a bit lower but the anti roll bar fits just under the chassis rail so couldn't fix lower down, but could always add some pieces of bar to lower them but will see when back on its wheels,







have ordered some bigger washers to use so less chance of ripping them




Should be back on the wiring next week

 

did this about 7 years ago 2 a mk3 astra gsi and used the calibre 4x4 running gear. brings back memories, just took 3.5 hours to read your thread. makes a good change to see something different on here. brill love it.

 

Cheers...any pics of the Astra??


I did think for a while if I should have gone the vx engine route using a calibra floor, but as you say its good to be a little different,


Although its surprising how many other similar Subaru projects are about I know of about 10 now.

 

4x4 astra on youtube buddy. username (youronlyjealous) had to put in on twice as there was a copyright on the tracks i used lol, so had to use some dodgy old music track, appoligies for that now. i got halfway thro the 2nd part of making video finishing it and give up, got into scoobs and lost intrest, was smart when it was finised tho. sold it for 4.5k in the end.
as soon as someone has done a conversion other ppl have something to go off and leads from there. i kinda copied shangers thread on migweb for the 4x4 astra conversion, i am a member too altho its been years since ive been on there.
as for the vxr/ cally floor route, you did wise using the impreza r/gear, calibre t/x boxs are crap and are made out of choclate.
i had a 57 astra vxr and it wasent brill, engines are strong enough just dont sound any diff from any other motor and wanna put you in a field every time you come to a corner lol, had it mapped few mods, still not great. soon went and got another scoob lol. once you have had a half deccent scoob you will never look back, nothing compares really.
cant wait for a vid of your fastra running and going, keep up the good work mymate.

 

Hope you used stainless steel wire to weld stanless to mild steel if not you might lose your mud flaps mate.
Stainless wire in the welder will penatrate mild steel
Mild steel wire in the welder will not penatrate the stainless steal bar and just sit on the stainless.
I'm a welder mate I just don't want to see you lose the expensive mud flaps.
I would knock up a angled bracket and rivet the bar to the car.
Great thread tho I've followed it from the start.
Keep up the good work.

 

Well happy days

After changing the Subaru loom last weekend only to find it exactly the same, I started really scratching my head, I've always thought it turned over slow but didn't think that would be the cause... But it was!!! Swapped the starter motor and it fired straight up... A bit annoying really should have tried it earlier but anyway running now,

Didn't run two smooth as there are a few vacuum pipes off, the MAF isnt piped up to the inlet and the lambda was plugged in but on the floor as the loom was just on the floor...

Sounded ok though, quick vid of it


Next job it too get the loom back in the car and get some coolant so I can leave running longer.

 

Cheers, Yeh well used 308 wire which should be ok... I hope !!!

 

Sounding nice. Well done!

Can't wait to hear mine start up, it must help focus the mind to get it finished.

 

Well done! Great to see it finally running.

 

yeh really motivated now... has been doing my head in lately with what I though was a wiring issue, cant believe I didn't change the starter earlier as thinking back when I was struggling to get oil pressure and said then to a few people it was slow spinning over even with the plugs out!!


spent the last couple of days making a comprehensive to-do list trying to note down everything that's left.

 

Awesome stuff dude. Lot of work gone into that.

 

Cheers mate, yes it's took a bit of effort doing it mostly myself... Just seen yours looks impressive!!

 

Thanks dude,


Sounds like your a bit like me. Have to do everything yourself so you know its just so. Having done engine conversions and such in the past I totally get what goes in. All coming together very nicely indeed.

 

So after getting it running last weekend I was curious to see if my original loom I had ran the car, as this was ready stripped down, so I hooked that up and it ran fine!!!

It was still on the Jap ECU with no immobiliser so decided to give an immobiliser a go and…
This is bizarre,

I was balancing the key in the position against the antenna ring where it would be if the barrel was there, didn’t work… I spoke to Richard Jones of rjes.com and he suggested it might need the barrel in place, which I haven’t got so I got a 28mm socket which fitted ok and thought that would be similar to a barrel in case it needed some metal to somehow boost the signal... didn’t work!!!

I then found the old Astra barrel I had lying around only the key part not the casing ect and placed that inside the ring and rested the Subaru key next to it and amazing it picks the key up and runs!!!

Then to double check I put the socket back and nope didn’t pick the key up… the Astra barrel is at least 15-20mm smaller in diameter but there is obviously something in the barrel that enhances the signal, maybe the chrome on a socket doesn’t work…

So I now have options to use a UK Ecu with immobiliser if needed…

I then started to work out radiator and intercooler pipework which is a bit of a nightmare but I now have a plan… which requires getting a tig welder which I’ve wanted for a while now… going shares with a couple of mates which helps out… and one mate does a lot of welding as his job so he’s in charge of the pipework lol!!!

Then I got my wheels painted so I can get the tyres on this week… look pretty good.

 

The barrel probably has an induction loop on the end (plastic bit?) that will "activate" the chip in the key.

 

Yeh I got the plastic loop bit but on its own it doesn't work rest any old barrel in it and it works... I'm guessing the barrel changes the resistance in the loop, but I don't understand why a socket didn't do the same.

 

Done a bit more research on the immobiliser antenna ring as it was puzzling me,

the barrel is used as a ground plane for the antenna a bit like a CB radio aerial, and not all metals work so I'm guessing a chrome socket being one of them,

The error I was getting was 53 - Antenna so might help others out in the future...

 

I don't understand why white wheels are the thing for race/rally cars as they are a PITA to keep clean - it's bad enough on my road car, still they look cool though

Must be nearly there now Ian, MOT next week

 

Getting there Jon, but my list is huge still, mainly small things now thou... And now running I can crack on...

Oh yeh white wheels, could be a mistake but just looked so much better in Photoshop.

 

Only had Saturday this weekend to work on the car, had the tyres fitted on Friday so go them on the car, then got the car the moved out the way so I could have a bit of a tidy up inside and outside the car,

took the opportunity to push the car outside as I haven't seen it in real light since it is been painted...

scheduled in to get the rest of the panels painted Friday and Saturday next week so that should see the paining done...

while it was outside I took some pics only on phone but came out ok... you may also notice the new screen!! and I have a sheet of Lexan for the rear screen.

 

That's come a long way since you started it, looking great and on it's own wheels

 

nice job sir! like the paint job.

 

Looks really good Ian, the colours look great! Can't wait to see it with the bonnet on and stuff!!