ImprezaResto's GC8 restoration
 

Subaru Impreza Turbo 2000/GT GC8 MY00 Restoration

Hi everyone, this is my restoration thread for my Impreza. Its a UK turbo first registered in January 2000. It used to belong to my oldest mate who bought the car after his first tour of Iraq. I bought the car from him in 2009 and have run it until last year. I've repaired cars for years, despite not being a mechanic, and I've always wanted to restore a car. Might as well make it a good one.

First I needed a garage...


Then once it had had a good clean...

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sco...516afe2fc3.jpg

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sco...08852b68cd.jpg

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sco...0c8ecc3630.jpg

It ended up in the new garage and the restoration began.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sco...f9602612cc.jpg


Lots of rust to treat and welding to do. Its got rust in the usual places, rear arches, rear chassis rails etc.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sco...9a70a48c95.jpg


Everything is being removed from the body, cleaned up and painted then replaced. I'm also planning to repaint the car once the bodywork is sorted. There is also a big long list of parts to replace from the last 19 years of spirited driving. I'm also completing much of this myself, whilst working full time and studying for a degree part time. Don't expect rapid progress :)

I've done quite a few posts on my own website www.imprezaresto.com, detailing the work completed so far. Please feel free to check this out.

I've also been busy making a few videos of my journey so far on You Tube. Please check out my channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8K...g0XNY_V9Dq5m4g

I will keep pushing a few updates to this forum for those interested. Thanks for checking out this thread.

Pete

Great stuff keep it up.

Good luck !

Great project, I want to do something similar myself one day :)

Are you going to have it media blasted ? I cant wait to see what you do with those rusty panels .

Thanks for your kind comments. Henrik - I've waited and saved up for about 15 years for the garage :cry: because of apparently more important things like weddings and holidays :cuckoo:
If you want to do it bad enough, you'll make it happen.

Lockheed - Media blasting of the shell is not an option at the moment. Its bare shell on the rear end at moment, but I dont have enough space to strip the entire car down. So far there isnt anything too scary that I've identified. The rear strut towers are like lace curtains, however :mad:. The grand plan is to cut back the rotten bits and weld in fresh steel. This requires me to be a fabricator and welder, which at the moment I am not. I also need to rebush the rear suspension with a combination of STI Grp N and poly bushes depending on the application and availability. I also need to do the rear diff seals, and whilst I'm there I may as well put new bearings in as well.

So lots to do and not a massive amount of time. I think this one will be a slow burner, sorry fellas.

Thank you everyone at Scoobynet for being a source of inspiration as well as useful information. I'll try and get some more pics up later of the current state of the car.

Pete

Great project buddy, i'm doing exactly the same currently to my 1999 Turbo 2000.

Do you have an Instagram for the restoration? I'm documenting all of mine on there.

What's your Instagram name so I can have a nose at your project to

it’s uk_gc8

Good luck! Looks like it's going to be a very interesting project!

Following :thumb:

Hi Sunny1989. Thanks for the comment. I've not joined the insta generation yet but I've got a Wordpress blog at www.imprezaresto.com.

Due to my other commitments I am struggling to get regular updates in, but I will try and step this up over the next few weeks. At least you can see how far I have got.

Pete

Thanks Itamar, I'll try to do Scoobynet proud :luxhello:

Pete

Just had a look at the blog, its excellent and a great source for others!

I've found there to be lots of interest on Instagram (mostly from U.S) although you can't document stuff as thoroughly as you have done.

Thanks Sunny, I've tried to be as detailed as I can so when I come to put it all back together, I dont get it wrong. I'm glad that the Scooby community get some use from it. :luxhello:

Here is my latest video detailing the removal of underseal from the rear end. You'll see from the video its a long and arduous task :mad:

I've also got another video up on undoing (or snapping) brake unions on the back end of my GC8.


Hoping to get another video or two up by the end of next week.

Keep up the good work. :thumb:

Cheers Sam, I will get there eventually.

Pete

i feel your pain. had the exact same issue on my blob and did the exact same approach. thought the mole grips had done it till it all fell apart :lol1:

Nice thread, well done. :thumb:

Love the youtube channel mate! Great videos!

Thanks everyone. I went into the garage yesterday and found rust on all the vaguely bare steel bits where the underseal has been removed. Grrr.

So I'm recovering the clean, rust free steel with red oxide primer and I'm gonna tackle the rust spots with one of jenolite, some hammerite rust remover gel stuff (it works and I've got it in stock) and possibly some phosphoric acid gel stuff (thanks for the tip, Lockheed :thumb: ) when I get hold of it. I will put some photos up tomorrow hopefully.

Pete