Ryan's Rally Build
- Thread starter RyanR
- Start date
RyanR
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haha! They are most likely coming out, we'll see. The car was minimally stripped before it left for a cage. Should have it back in the next few weeks.
RyanR
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Lets just say the shop is really really setup now for the car to come back
I'm not antsy about it. I'd rather that a good/meticulous job is done than to just have it back. The guy doing the job (Bill Doyle from Cage This) is great with cages but it is a side business for him, so I don't expect a super fast turn around, especially since he took the car through the holidays etc..
I'm not antsy about it. I'd rather that a good/meticulous job is done than to just have it back. The guy doing the job (Bill Doyle from Cage This) is great with cages but it is a side business for him, so I don't expect a super fast turn around, especially since he took the car through the holidays etc..
RyanR
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Time for an update!
So the car came back several weeks ago with its cage from MA. It's finally out of the trailer and in the shop ready for work to begin. I was kind of busy having my first born daughter
.
My goal is to have the car done by May. Excited about that deadline because then I can't take the time to spend days debating what color lug nuts to get. However, this won't be a rush or hack job. Going about this properly.
Lets get this party started!
Need to paint the cage and interior after making and welding in several brackets and stitch welding much of the chassis.
Ready, GO!
So the car came back several weeks ago with its cage from MA. It's finally out of the trailer and in the shop ready for work to begin. I was kind of busy having my first born daughter
My goal is to have the car done by May. Excited about that deadline because then I can't take the time to spend days debating what color lug nuts to get. However, this won't be a rush or hack job. Going about this properly.
Lets get this party started!
Need to paint the cage and interior after making and welding in several brackets and stitch welding much of the chassis.
Ready, GO!
Last edited by a moderator:
RyanR
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Spent the day in the shop yesterday. Started to get the place organized for the build, and then dug in. Future build posts will have more photo entries as things progress- wish I had stopped to take more.
Dan showed up first thing :
I started off going after stitch welding the chassis, so that once seats and harness brackets are in we can paint this beast. Right off the bat, my new TIG torch decided to spring a leak (sadtrombone.wav). Which was fine anyway, because there was so much seam sealer in the seams, blasting it with a MIG was the only way to go. Should take out 3M stock based on how many Roloc pads I'm going to use...
So here it sits on jack stands:
Dan got to work swapping over the tinted glass from the old doors into the new ones, and hanging the doors:
Then we got to work tearing this beast apart to see why it was misfiring on cyl 3, had terrible compression, and terrible leakdown:
Pistons/bores don't look that bad for 180k. Possible this was replaced at some point:
WELL THERE'S YOUR PROBLEM! I guess I don't have to port the heads, since someone did a custom port job already:
As you can see, the chipped valves have been replaced at some point. I'm guessing they were slammed in without proper clearances and no lapping, which explains why they're in this condition today. Car was also running a VF48 with stock 05 STI tune, so that's a factor as well. Cam journals and cams are probably original, as they're pretty scored, but expected wear for 180k. I won't be using these heads.:
Things accomplished:
- Passenger front door swapped over w/ non-wrecked unit
- Drivers seat installed w/ angle iron, shims, and OMP brackets. I underestimated how much time this would take to get just right (total pain).
- Harness angles checked, all OK
- LR strut tower top and front side stitch welded
- Motor torn down
- Pizza and wings consumed
- Airbag harnesses clipped and control unit removed
- Other wiring nonsense removed
Things needed for next shop day:
- Plate for reinforcing the strut towers
- 0.30 MIG wire
- All the parts showing up this week
Agenda for next shop day:
- Install Passenger front seat
- Install passenger front harnesses
- Install Driver's anti-sub harness supports in floor
^At this point the car can get a logbook
- More seam welding
Get done in the next week:
- Finish seam welding (~20hrs split over a few days)
- Reinforce strut towers w/ 3/16" plate
- Install winch & battery in trailer
- Order more needed parts from list
Dan showed up first thing :
I started off going after stitch welding the chassis, so that once seats and harness brackets are in we can paint this beast. Right off the bat, my new TIG torch decided to spring a leak (sadtrombone.wav). Which was fine anyway, because there was so much seam sealer in the seams, blasting it with a MIG was the only way to go. Should take out 3M stock based on how many Roloc pads I'm going to use...
So here it sits on jack stands:
Dan got to work swapping over the tinted glass from the old doors into the new ones, and hanging the doors:
Then we got to work tearing this beast apart to see why it was misfiring on cyl 3, had terrible compression, and terrible leakdown:
Pistons/bores don't look that bad for 180k. Possible this was replaced at some point:
WELL THERE'S YOUR PROBLEM! I guess I don't have to port the heads, since someone did a custom port job already:
As you can see, the chipped valves have been replaced at some point. I'm guessing they were slammed in without proper clearances and no lapping, which explains why they're in this condition today. Car was also running a VF48 with stock 05 STI tune, so that's a factor as well. Cam journals and cams are probably original, as they're pretty scored, but expected wear for 180k. I won't be using these heads.:
Things accomplished:
- Passenger front door swapped over w/ non-wrecked unit
- Drivers seat installed w/ angle iron, shims, and OMP brackets. I underestimated how much time this would take to get just right (total pain).
- Harness angles checked, all OK
- LR strut tower top and front side stitch welded
- Motor torn down
- Pizza and wings consumed
- Airbag harnesses clipped and control unit removed
- Other wiring nonsense removed
Things needed for next shop day:
- Plate for reinforcing the strut towers
- 0.30 MIG wire
- All the parts showing up this week
Agenda for next shop day:
- Install Passenger front seat
- Install passenger front harnesses
- Install Driver's anti-sub harness supports in floor
^At this point the car can get a logbook
- More seam welding
Get done in the next week:
- Finish seam welding (~20hrs split over a few days)
- Reinforce strut towers w/ 3/16" plate
- Install winch & battery in trailer
- Order more needed parts from list
Last edited by a moderator:
Nigel Prodrive
Dirt surfer
Ryan, you rock. Proud to see project tackled head-on.
RyanR
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Thanks Dave! Trying to get this thing together for the Team O' Rallysprint. It's a tough goal, but a good motivator.
Last edited by a moderator:
RyanR
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Jake, Dan and I worked a 12 hour day on the car Saturday. Got a ton accomplished. The car is now ready for a logbook! 8)
Dan stripping down the block:
Jake removing a fender playing peekaboo:
The shortblock ready to ship out:
An STI barfed all over the floor:
I was cutting some seat bracket shims for the driver and codriver seats, and was tired of constantly unclamping and repositioning the plate. Improvised a plasma cutter lazy susan 8) :
The driver seat is all fitted and in place, along with the harnesses properly installed:
We got the codriver seat all fitted up and all belt eye bolts in their proper place:
I went home to grab the trailer since I'm moving my shop back up to our place in the Bangor area, and also to pick up some pizza and more beer. Came back to a couple of masterpieces. I've been thinking of calling the team Plaid Performance/Rally Sport/Motorsports as a homage to Maine and the fact that I'm almost always wearing it, but Nick Roberts is doing the preppy plaid thing.... so I'm not sure.:
Jake got a picture of me about to strike an arc on the driver's side tower:
Front strut towers are now plated with 3/16" plate steel ;D. There's nothing like welding on a piece of plate 3-4x thicker than the body metal. I welded on the driver's side, and Jake did the codriver's side. We also stitch welded underneath these plates.
Cleaned them up and threw some primer on, then threw some enamel over it for now to protect the hard work:
Overall it was a very productive (and exhausting) day. Jake and I didn't get back up to Bangor until ~1AM. I'm feeling very positive about the car being complete enough for some shakedown runs by the 3rd/4th week of April.
Things accomplished:
-Driver and Codriver seats installed
-Driver and Codriver (almost, need 4 bolts) harnesses installed
-Front strut towers plated
-Plate cut out to weld to rear strut towers
-More pizza and beer consumed
-Dan moved a ton of wiring around in the car to make it cleaner/out of the way. Also moved the harness inside of the driver's fender well.
-Various surface rust ground off and primed
-Short block stripped and ready to ship out
-Deleted A/C
-Custom cluster and fender completed
Things to accomplish next time:
-Install new wheel bearings/hubs in/on all knuckles
-Install ARP wheel studs on hubs
-Install 4pot/2pot brakes
-Remove and drain/clean fuel tank
-Finish chassis stitch welding
Things to accomplish in the next week or two:
-Get the car logbooked
-Finish ordering known needed parts, especially roof vent (critical path for paint)
-Ship out shortblock
-Finish seam welding
-Paint chassis interior and engine bay
-Install new brake lines
-Install new fuel lines
Things to finish in the next month:
-All the things
Dan stripping down the block:
Jake removing a fender playing peekaboo:
The shortblock ready to ship out:
An STI barfed all over the floor:
I was cutting some seat bracket shims for the driver and codriver seats, and was tired of constantly unclamping and repositioning the plate. Improvised a plasma cutter lazy susan 8) :
The driver seat is all fitted and in place, along with the harnesses properly installed:
We got the codriver seat all fitted up and all belt eye bolts in their proper place:
I went home to grab the trailer since I'm moving my shop back up to our place in the Bangor area, and also to pick up some pizza and more beer. Came back to a couple of masterpieces. I've been thinking of calling the team Plaid Performance/Rally Sport/Motorsports as a homage to Maine and the fact that I'm almost always wearing it, but Nick Roberts is doing the preppy plaid thing.... so I'm not sure.:
Jake got a picture of me about to strike an arc on the driver's side tower:
Front strut towers are now plated with 3/16" plate steel ;D. There's nothing like welding on a piece of plate 3-4x thicker than the body metal. I welded on the driver's side, and Jake did the codriver's side. We also stitch welded underneath these plates.
Cleaned them up and threw some primer on, then threw some enamel over it for now to protect the hard work:
Overall it was a very productive (and exhausting) day. Jake and I didn't get back up to Bangor until ~1AM. I'm feeling very positive about the car being complete enough for some shakedown runs by the 3rd/4th week of April.
Things accomplished:
-Driver and Codriver seats installed
-Driver and Codriver (almost, need 4 bolts) harnesses installed
-Front strut towers plated
-Plate cut out to weld to rear strut towers
-More pizza and beer consumed
-Dan moved a ton of wiring around in the car to make it cleaner/out of the way. Also moved the harness inside of the driver's fender well.
-Various surface rust ground off and primed
-Short block stripped and ready to ship out
-Deleted A/C
-Custom cluster and fender completed
Things to accomplish next time:
-Install new wheel bearings/hubs in/on all knuckles
-Install ARP wheel studs on hubs
-Install 4pot/2pot brakes
-Remove and drain/clean fuel tank
-Finish chassis stitch welding
Things to accomplish in the next week or two:
-Get the car logbooked
-Finish ordering known needed parts, especially roof vent (critical path for paint)
-Ship out shortblock
-Finish seam welding
-Paint chassis interior and engine bay
-Install new brake lines
-Install new fuel lines
Things to finish in the next month:
-All the things
Nigel Prodrive
Dirt surfer
Paint ze cage!!!! Rust gets into welds and bare cro-moly so fast its scary.
RyanR
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^ that's the next thing on the agenda 
. I have some internal frame sealer to get inside the tacos as well. There is a surprisingly small amount of surface rust on the cage, but that's probably because it was put together with very little humidity, and has been stored in a heated/dry garage.
With spring and humidity approaching, definitely need to get that done ASAP
. I have some internal frame sealer to get inside the tacos as well. There is a surprisingly small amount of surface rust on the cage, but that's probably because it was put together with very little humidity, and has been stored in a heated/dry garage.With spring and humidity approaching, definitely need to get that done ASAP
MasterVisionary
Master Visionary
This is sweet good luck