WRX rebuild project by a computer programmer
 

Where do I start ????

Well my name is pete, im a little new to the site, but lets hope there are some gurus out there that can offer a little advise. Due to a few suggestions I have started this thread to document my little project I have started ( I do like to jump in at the deep end with things)

A few months ago I crashed my Scooby, was a rather bad smash, lucky to walk out of it. The pictures look bad, but I think I did more damage getting out and upright than I did putting it in there.

http://i3.tinypic.com/vorb4j.jpg

It’s a 2.0L turbo AWD estate 1997. Rather than let it go and maybe get a few hundred ££ as scrap I thought I’d buy another cheaper model and attempt a rebuild (as if I don’t have enough to do already) . The car I purchased was a 1993 model 1.8 AWD saloon. Here it begins “gulp”

You will have to forgive the lack of pictures for the first part of the project as I didn’t own a camera.

I decided to start by striping the new car and get an empty shell ready to start taking the parts from the donor. After a some kind help and advice from the group members I removed the radiator, exhaust and disconnected the prop shaft then the front sub frame complete with engine and gearbox. About 30 nuts and bolts and the whole thing dropped out like a dream. Amazing, must be beginners luck (and the use if a telescopic loader). I think at this time I should take the time and tell you I’m a systems programmer for an automations company, you know the type, fat git that sits behind a desk all day and what’s more absolutely no common sense. I have a basic understanding what I have to do, but I’m taking on a lot of advice.

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Next was the rear sub frame, removed all the break cables and pipes and again, dropped out with relative ease. This is too good to be true.

http://i3.tinypic.com/vore3q.jpg

(my dog Cassie guarding the old parts)

At this point I thought I’d work from the back forward. So I removed the rear sub frame from the donor car and dragged it over to the new car, with a little help and a lot of swearing I managed to bolt the parts back together.

http://i3.tinypic.com/vorgj6.jpg

Were up to date, I managed to finish attaching the break lines and cables a few hours ago.

(all this was done weekends over the last month)

Next I guess is to remove all the breaking system and pipes from the new car and get it ready for the donor parts. Getting the engine out of the new one was relatively painless. Getting the donor one out I think is a VERY different story.

http://i3.tinypic.com/vori1i.jpg

http://i3.tinypic.com/vorkas.jpg

I guess other much more experienced people have done this before, is there anything I should know before starting this, is there a good place to start ?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Another thing I know will be tricky will be transferring the ABS sensors, ECU and relative wires. Would this early 93 model have cable in the loom for this option or will I have to totally re wire it?

Ill keep you all up to date on progress.

Again, thanks in advance for any help you can offer (unless its to say chuck it all away and buy a diesel ha ha ha)



Edited to increase the text size :)

where do you start... fix the bloody font so I can read it would be a good start. :D

Bet that old car gave you a headache :eek:

:thumb:
Andy

It is early so my eyes are working well...more than Andy's are!

Big project and hard work too.

Keep it coming along and lots of pics too!

If you want the usual 'confusion' of advice off here you need to say what your intensions are:
Road car for the wife
Trackday Starlet
Balls-out racer etc etc.

Then we can all tell you what is best and help you spend too much...

I am sure though you will get pleaty of good advice also.


Graham

readable on the laptop with the res fixed at 1024x768 :thumb:

Not so good on the desktop last night at 1600x1200 :lol1:

Looks fun... you keeping it the same colour??? Wiring wise... it would be easier to just chuck the whole loom in wouldn't it???
Good luck anyway...

wiring, put the whole loom in.. there are some strengthening brackets under the front wings which want transferring..

looked at the pics, cant be arsed to change screen res to read the words :rolleyes:

update
 

Well,

Its been a while as I have been run ragged with work but here is a little update for you.

I have managed to get the engine out of the donor car, along with all the ABS and Air con. Cleaned up the engine bay of the new one and transferred all the parts.

I don’t like the colour, but due to time restraints (I only have 1 month left in the barn) I will have to leave it for now.

A quick compression test and the engine is looking good.

Onto the loom. Aaaagh what a bodge, the previous owner must have added a few bits, im finding loads of wires twisted together and wrapped in tape. After joining these properly I just about managed to get the loom into the new car. Just a little tidying required before the dash goes back in.

Sorry it’s a short one, gotta go for a meeting, but here are some pics in the mean time

http://i3.tinypic.com/ztskti.jpg

http://i1.tinypic.com/ztsl0y.jpg

http://i3.tinypic.com/ztsl7k.jpg

http://i2.tinypic.com/ztsldi.jpg

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http://i1.tinypic.com/ztslzn.jpg

http://i3.tinypic.com/ztsm5d.jpg

http://i3.tinypic.com/ztsoj7.jpg

Looking Good! :thumb:...er herbal remedys too? ;)

Great engine hoist, but pleanty of room in your 'garage' (we are all turning green...)
Graham

no herbal, just plain old tabaco, although it may have been easier to install the loom if it were :lol1:

yea, the hoist is great, im a great beliver in many machines make light work ....


i managed to get the bent wish bone replaced last night after work, should be ready to put the engine back in at the weekend.

im going to have a load of spare parts over, ill post a list up here once i have finished. im sure someone will give me a beer for them :D

Keep it coming, hope the headache after that bump has gone, having access to all the farm equipment must make life easy.

John

Believe it or not, I was down the pub about 1 hour it happened. Was a very lucky man.

Put the engine in last night, again making fine use of the telescopic loader ….. its so easy, took ½ hour to get the main sub frame attached.

So far I haven’t encountered any problems. Something is due to go badly wrong very soon ha ha ha.

Haven’t had a chance to get any updated pics, but will try and get some up before the weekend.

For now I just want to get the engine in and the car running and on the road. Once I have achieved that, I will start tinkering with “go faster bits”

Is there any way to strengthen the shell, as im a little worried about twist. Its only a 1.8 shell.

Nice thread coming on here Pete, I'm about to attempt the same with a version 2 STI.
http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthread.php?t=515148
Hopefully will pick up a few pointers along the way.
As was stated earlier there are some side strengtheners, located under the front wings you will need to remove from your donor to the new shell. I'm not sure if thats all though.

Anybody care to add anything??? Would pave the way forward for me too :D
Aston

Nice mate looks a top project:thumb:

more goings on !!!
 

hello peeps,

almost got some more photos for you.

Aston, i have been amazed at how easy this has been (so far) if you need any help just let me know. my limited knowledge is at your disposal.

question for the Gurus

i have got the loom connected, but no go! BAH !

when i switch the ignition on i get the engine warning light come on. but it seems to have a sequence to its annoying flashing. Is this some sort of service code? Can it direct me o the problem ?

it flashes five long three short

- - - - - . . .

Now im a radio ham, but it makes no sense to me :o)

As far as I can see all the plugs are in the correct place apart from the dash plugs ( radio, fan, A/C switch) surley I don’t need to connect these to start the car >?

My big worry is, when I flipped it I got water where it shouldn’t be.

Any advice would be great.

Well that’s it for now, its 11PM and I have to be at work in 5 hours !

Take care

Sure it's 5-3 ?

not a common one, list is here :-
http://www.troublecodes.net/Subaru/

what a day !
 

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Well, here is another update, thanks ken for the link, I had a look and right, there is no reference to the code !?!?!.

After looking at the alarm ecu, I noticed a lot of water damage to the pcb.

With soldering iron and tape in hand I attacked the loom and totally removed the alarm and immobiliser.

As you can see in the photos it was a total bodge, a cant believe a professional company installed this. Seems like I Friday job to me!

Anyway after all the repairs were made, turned the key and bugger me the engine turned over.

Quick quick !!!! get in the spark plugs, and what a bloody day ! it started first time :o)

Im sooooo happy. Admittedly I only let it tick over for 5 seconds but its way more than I expected.

And I just had to include another pic of the boys that have been keeping me company during the project.

keep watching this space !

Pete

Pete, something as bent as that is never destined to be roadworthy. I hate to be the negative one here but seriously for your own personal safety please just scap it and start again. There must be a car that is mechanically a wreck but structurally sound for you to tinker with - bear in mind that whatever frankenstein creation you come up with you'll be driving at high speeds expecting it to hold it all together, it may have a different perspective on its role. Body work is one thing, unless you've got a jig that can check the chassis properly move on, and don't look back :(

quick question
 

what is the best way to fill the system with water to avoid air in the system ? is there bleed valves in the system anywhere?

i noticed one at the bottom of the rad. should the enging be running when i do it ?

TIA

Pete

hi Surgical Spirit,

what do you suggest, as its a new shell all i have swapped is the sub frames which look OK to me. Admittedly im just a novice, but all the holes lines up and it fitted like a glove.

What would a jig correct ? as there is no chassis per say on the car ?

Sorry if im being a noob !

I'm no expert on cars, just deal with the occupants when they go wrong. Any decent garage should be able to tell you whether the basic structure of the car is repairable or not, did your insurance people ever cast an eye on it? If they did should have had a group assigned to it depending on the extent of the damage. Like i say you've goto have confidence in it the next time you chuck it into a bend at 90 without the fear of something giving way because it was damaged beyond repair. My friend is an engineer but I still wouldn't trust a car he'd 'fixed' to do a top speed run on some challenging roads

no i fully agree with you

my intention is to take it to a scooby garage to have it checked over once i have finished, 1 for peace of mind and 2 for the insurance, as this was only a 1.8 when I brought it I need to have the log book changed,


I managed to have a lucky escape once, I don’t intend to put myself in the same situation.

I appreciate the honest opinion. If the car is deemed un worthy for the road im sure I have a field or two I can ragg it round ;)

long story but at the time of the crash the car was only 3rd party so no insurance company was invomy theroy is during most of the crash i was on my roof, so im hoping the rest of the car is OK ha ha ha ha :D

Are you going to take the "Suspension Tower to A pillar struts" off the old one and fit them to the new shell. Its just that I beleive these are the "strengthened" parts of the bodywork on a turbo.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ect/ztsldi.jpg

Yea, i got them off, just need to get down a scrappy anf find a drivers side replacement as it was bent in the smash.

surley there must be more than that ? maybe not

Ive been advised thats it mate.

cool .. thanks for that, ill get the new one and have them bolted on.

also need to get myself a turbo bumber as mine is a little batteted.

think it may be a trip to the local scrappy :)

eh? are you not looking at the pictures correctly?? he is reshelling it.. ie. the damage chassis is not being used!!

Kinda along the lines of what I was thinking.
I figured maybe he meant suspension damage? I have to admit it had me confused.
:D
Aston