ChrisCrash

Hello all! So after owning a 2006 Hawkeye 2.0R sportwagon (and blowing it up) I have decided to plunge in the deep end with a classic wrx project. I think most people would have sent it to the scrap yard for the state it was (and I suppose still is) in.

Short story is I broke up 2 v2 impreza's, a wrx and an sti, and got stuck with a LOAD of parts and things I couldn't clear off. To get rid of the parts I decided to buy a classic to build back up with the spares I have around.. problem is the further I got into it the more I wanted to keep it for myself and it was decided that I shall be keeping it!

The car I bought is a 1994 WRX, and I bought it as a rolling shell. Aside from the missing running gear the obvious work needed was the rear arches (which now don't actually exist..) and sorting out the wiring from an alarm being butchered out of the loom.

pictures say it all, I didn't intend to write up a project diary on the car so my pictures at current are pretty lousy but as the project goes on I will start taking proper pictures of the work.

ChrisCrash

so these are the pictures of the car when I went to see it, absolute shed. Tacky lights and decals on the top of the list to get rid of!

ChrisCrash

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On the trailer ready for the journey home. Collected the car from kent, between a 4 and 5 hour journey back home to Wolverhampton.

once the car was back home it was in the garage and ready to work on! As I hadn't planned on writing up a diary of the work I didn't take many photos here, just got the engine and gearbox in with a new clutch, rear diff ready to see if it fired up on the key.

ChrisCrash

Engine in and ready to run, a bit of faffing with the butchered wiring under the dash got the car running nicely, and the biggest part of the job done.

having a good look around the rest of the car then revealed a lot more work and turned this almost into a restoration.

The car at this point had Coilovers (scrap, leaking and missing adjusters), 4 piston front brakes (seized), 2c ecu with what I believe to be an esl board fitted, front mount intercooler, and HKS induction kit.

I'm hoping someone may be able to tell me a bit about the ecu and the board fitted?



Brakes are now removed and standard fitted for the time being to allow me to rebuild the calipers, and standard suspension fitted to keep it rolling.

ChrisCrash

So basically this is where I am currently at and have decided on the way I want to go with the project.

I have a spare front subframe complete with hubs and roll bar etc, spare engine, just purchased sti suspension with adjustable damping, along with the 4 pot calipers ready for rebuild.

I plan to refurbish all of the spares I have to swap straight onto the car. Colour scheme to be something like Bronze/Red. so the subframe and hubs are going to be glass bead blasted and powdercoated or painted, ready to take new wheel bearings and the brakes which are being refurbished. Also will be looking into refurbishing the sti suspension to put on the car at the same time. All the brackets and bits about the engine bay will receive the same treatment too.

The spare engine will also be stripped and checked over properly, soda blasted and reassembled with new cambelt, head gaskets etc.

Here are the brakes as I am starting to refurb them.

before glass bead blast




After:



New seal kit arrived from bigredd, and new stainless pistons being made by a friend along with replacement bolts and pins. The calipers have been painted today and will pick them up tomorrow. I had them painted red and the raised parts (saying Subaru) are being flatted back to bare metal and lacquered over. More pictures tomorrow!

gc8-r

iTrader: (21)

What did you do with coilovers...???

ChrisCrash

Stickers removed and standard rear lights fitted.

ChrisCrash

Coilovers are still here. I'm not sure of the brand but they look real old. they are ready to go to the tip unless theres something of any use to anyone? they have camber adjustments on the top mounts and springs aren't broke but need blasting and re coating if they where to be re used.

ChrisCrash

Contemplating removing the rear spoiler altogether?

gc8-r

iTrader: (21)

Car looks loads better now stickers are off....
Keep the spoiler.. wish I'd never got rid of mine.

ChrisCrash

So opinions and advice welcome! I'm starting to refurbish the subframe and all of the components to build it up complete first, followed by the engine to be stripped, soda blasted and fitted after.

ChrisCrash

Looks like I'm the only one I know who likes the spoiler removed! trouble is to refit it I would end up needing a new boot lid as the holes need filling before it goes in for paint.

dj219957

that ecu daughter board is a not a esl, its a scoobyecu. assuming its the generic map version (non-custom) its very good map. keep it.

birchy2010

iTrader: (12)

Looks like a good project. Good process and good to see another one in wolverhampton.

ChrisCrash

Thank you. Im still very much in the learning process with subaru, i currently have a z4 ecu in, would you use the 2c and daughterboard over the z4?

ChrisCrash

Cheers! It should turn out nice with time. Im in no rush to get it done so attention to detail is important to me.

gc8-r

iTrader: (21)

Will be keeping a close eye on this build could be a good one

mickywrx

iTrader: (29)

Little detail. They aren't the correct rear lights. They are UK turbo lights.

gc8-r

iTrader: (21)

Anythings better than them afterburner lights... lol

dj219957

there both good maps, both ok for uk super unleaded.
the z4 runs less boost but more ignition advance and will give 260ish bhp.
the scoobyecu boards are reported to give 280ish bhp.

z4 is 12.7 psi
scooby ecu is approx 16psi

BLU

iTrader: (27)

They look like jap lights to me. UK lights have the reflector in the middle of the red part (with the fog light next to the boot) jap lights have the reflectors next to the boot lid and no fog light

ChrisCrash

Thanks for the comments, i thought they where jap lights too? I will look into it though!

Is that chip compatible with the z4 ecu then? The board has the bridge in place as it had a chip when i got hold of it. Just thinking it may be easier than switching ecus over to compare?

BLU

iTrader: (27)

They are

UK lights have the reflector in the middle like this....



BTW nice to see an early WRX being restored

ChrisCrash

Cheers, how did you go about those lights?? Or did you switch to sti?

Theres looooaaads to be done. Main problems being the arches and crushed sills. I have basically everything else to build it up so no massive outlay on parts. Im lucky enough to have a mate in bodywork and plenty of mechanic mates to chip in when i get stuck.

Once the cars built up and freshened up, i can look into proper tuning. Not interested in pub figures though, just driveability and a bit more shove.

BLU

iTrader: (27)

Not mine, they're a pic I grabbed off eGay Its just a sticker that goes over the orange bit iirc.

STi lights are identical to yours except the orange bit is clear.

ChrisCrash

Oh right never mind then lol. STi lights are something i was considering.

gc8-r

iTrader: (21)

Pmed but inbox full mate

ChrisCrash

sorted!

so I had an hour spare today and decided to get something done, I don't think I will be keeping the standard manifold on but its now ready and waiting in case I don't get one in time for engine fitting.


Ready to get started




disassembled


strip and clean wheel to clean faces for new gaskets




new gaskets


copper grease on all the bolts!


stainless up pipe fitted with a good, used, lambda sensor.

I will heat wrap the stainless up pipe and the bare cast sections when I get hold of some!

ChrisCrash

So today i have been having a fiddle, and it looks like the head gaskets gone on my current engine. Overflow is constantly dripping and the pressure in the coolant system is massive. Tried bleeding the system and replaced all the coolant but no matter how much air i get out it re-pressurises badly. So, since i was already doing a bit of a refresh on another engine i have here i was wandering if anyone can tell me how to tell apart the different versions of the engine. They where both removed from a v2 car, one a wrx the other an sti.. but neither is closed deck so i assume the sti had a replacement engine already. Other than the coil over plugs what are the differences internally? I would like to identify the engines properly before doing any work on them as if one is going to be better than the other obviously i want the better engine.

gc8-r

iTrader: (21)

ChrisCrash my number is 07808515235
Your inbox full mate