Honolulu 818S Hana (work/build) Thread

[Aloha818]

Thanks to all of you that have been posting, asking questions, and documenting your builds for all of us to learn from!

It's been fun and educational to keep up with your progress especially from those with skill and experience.

My kit should be here in a week so I thought I would document my build, from a little less experience perspective. It might prove out that my thread should be titled "everything wrong thread", we will see.

Donor options here in Hawaii are almost non-existent, so I ended up buying a wrecked 2000 Imprezza Outback with a EJ22 located on the Big Island. Paid $200, then paid a buddy of mine to strip it and ship over just what I needed. Then I have been buying/shipping over what is not compatible with the kit. I will also be using an automatic, so I have taken on another challenge!

Due to the the extra expense of the FFR crate and then $4300 to ship, I will have to be a little more cautious to keep the final cost in line.

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My completion date was 8/31, then a week for FFR to crate it, picked up from my shipper 9/9. It should be in Long Beach now, then a week to cross the Pacific.

BTW, the crate dimensions furnished by FFR are 16' long, 52" high, 6'6" wide and to weight 1500-1600 lbs.

[wallace18]

With Girls like that how will you be able to work on the 818? LOL. Best of luck on your build.

[VD2021]

Nice.

I was stationed in K-Bay from 2002 until 2007 (HMH-463). Good luck wit the build.

[randy808]

Ho Hawaiian! Charge 'em!! +1 on the rookie build!!

[flynntuna]

Good luck on on the build, I'm sure you'll do better than this Potagee when I get my kit Lol. :confused:

[riptide motorsport]

Congrats..............too cool. that cars going to be the Mac Daddy there!

[DodgyTim]

Congrats in advance!
Can you please post some photos of the crate before you knock it down, I've got to ship mine o/s and have to decide between less than container load (cheap):confused: or full container load :) (safe)
Cheers

[Aloha818]

With Girls like that how will you be able to work on the 818? LOL. Best of luck on your build.

You have to have priorities! 818 first!! We live across the street from the main beach park

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So you have beach days and 818 days!

[Aloha818]

Nice.

I was stationed in K-Bay from 2002 until 2007 (HMH-463). Good luck wit the build.

I hope you enjoyed your time here! We have been here for almost 3 years, can't see leaving.

Thanks for the good luck wish, after spending the last month or so cleaning and painting parts I sometimes ask myself what I got myself into.

[Aloha818]

Ho Hawaiian! Charge 'em!! +1 on the rookie build!!

Thanks for the comments!


Good luck on on the build, I'm sure you'll do better than this Potagee when I get my kit Lol. :confused:

Thanks for the vote of confidence! When do you get your kit?


Congrats..............too cool. that cars going to be the Mac Daddy there!

In our building and surrounding condo's we have every exotic, Lambo's, Ferrari's, R8's, Bentley's, Porsche's, and a SLS. Hopefully I am successful and my 818 will stand out!

Here is a pic of my engine cleaned up;

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[Aloha818]

Congrats in advance!
Can you please post some photos of the crate before you knock it down, I've got to ship mine o/s and have to decide between less than container load (cheap):confused: or full container load :) (safe)
Cheers

I sure will! I had also asked FFR about a different sized crate to be built to better match the inside dimensions of a container. But the crate in the pic is their standard crate made for all kits, and Jay said they couldn't. But I believe the crate could be made shorter, since the front of the frame is not attached, and fit sideways in a container. Otherwise the crate takes up so much room nothing else fits in the container. If enough people ship overseas I think it would be worth looking into farther. I'm only speculating at this point as I have not yet received mine to get actual measurements.

Shipping is a lot more money than the extra cost of a special crate.

I will take several pics of unloading and post for those that are interested, as in this case, I guess I'm the first.

[Bob_n_Cincy]

For some approximate shipping sizes I had 2 kits on a 20' x 6' flat bed trailer. It had about 2' of over hang on each end and a 6" gap between the 2 kits.
My full size van I estimate at 5'x5'x10" was packed to the ceiling with both parts kits.

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I suspect FFR could get about 3 kits in a 40 footer and 4 kits per 53' container by making 2 story 6'W x 12'L x 6'H crates with car in bottom and parts upstairs.
Bob

[Xusia]

I'll bet FFR designs a new crate for the 818 when they are ready to start shipping them overseas. Since the 818 is designed to be a world car, it stands to reason they will be shipping a lot more of them overseas than they have other kits. Making a crate that takes up 1/2 (or less) of a crate just makes good sense.

[Mechie3]

I've always wondered what jobs people living in Hawaii had or if they made their fortune elsewhere and then relocated. I think its pretty coll you're building one in Hawaii.

[VD2021]

I hope you enjoyed your time here! We have been here for almost 3 years, can't see leaving.

Thanks for the good luck wish, after spending the last month or so cleaning and painting parts I sometimes ask myself what I got myself into.



Here is a pic of my engine cleaned up;

Yeah,
My Wife and Daughter mention going back every few months. Though I admit to a little island fever.

Outstanding job on the driveline. That's the best clean-up and detail I've seen thus far.

[longislandwrx]

Very nice, engine looks mean and clean.

[Wayne Presley]

I'm sure you'll need some expert help, will work for room/airfare :cool:

[Oppenheimer]

Where are you building it? I was just out there (work sent me for a week to work on our system at The Queens hospital, and the system wasn't working so trip got extended, and extended, out to 3 weeks total - yeah, I'm a committed worker like that). I see you are in a high rise, across from the commercial Marina area, right? So no build space there I'm guessing.

Don't give us the address or anything that would be a security risk, but what kind of space are you using?

[Aloha818]

For some approximate shipping sizes I had 2 kits on a 20' x 6' flat bed trailer. It had about 2' of over hang on each end and a 6" gap between the 2 kits.
My full size van I estimate at 5'x5'x10" was packed to the ceiling with both parts kits.

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I suspect FFR could get about 3 kits in a 40 footer and 4 kits per 53' container by making 2 story 6'W x 12'L x 6'H crates with car in bottom and parts upstairs.
Bob

Thanks for contributing your experience and feedback, this will be helpful for those after us!


I'll bet FFR designs a new crate for the 818 when they are ready to start shipping them overseas. Since the 818 is designed to be a world car, it stands to reason they will be shipping a lot more of them overseas than they have other kits. Making a crate that takes up 1/2 (or less) of a crate just makes good sense.

If you see in my pic of the kit in the crate you can see how much smaller the body is than the crate. It would have made a lot of difference in my shipping/crating cost if just the body was in a small crate and the rest of the boxes could have been plastic wrapped on a pallet. Or as already mentioned, a "second story" above the body.

[Aloha818]

I've always wondered what jobs people living in Hawaii had or if they made their fortune elsewhere and then relocated. I think its pretty coll you're building one in Hawaii.

Most peoples perspective of Hawaii in general is usually wrong. People see TV shows and movies or come here on vacation and only see the tourist areas. But day to day life here is the same as the mainland, people go to work, take their kids to school, go shopping, etc. Due to the extra cost of living here though you see a generation or two living in the same property. Entertainment costs are less as a large percentage surf, hang at the beach, or fish. Then utilities are generally less due to the moderate weather. Most people don't realize that the highest grossing chain retail/restaurant locations are here in Honolulu. Victorias Secret, Bath & Body, Home Depot, Costco, Walmart, Cheesecake Factory are some of the many #1 locations for their chain.

Military employment is high here, myself, I'm in Commercial Construction.

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Last nights sunset!

[Aloha818]

Yeah,
My Wife and Daughter mention going back every few months. Though I admit to a little island fever.

Outstanding job on the driveline. That's the best clean-up and detail I've seen thus far.

Thanks, trying to get everything cleaned and painted before next weeks delivery!


Very nice, engine looks mean and clean.

Thanks for the compliment, I know the EJ22 is Subaru's least performing engine, but its what I'm stuck with now, might as well make it look good though. I have a TD04 with 10k miles I'm going to add on. Based on info from a Subaru forum you can get about 70 HP with a reasonably safe 5-6 psi of boost, more if you add meth. with its 10/1 compression should be minimal lag? With no real world driving experience with the 818 who knows what HP you need. Usually more is better, but at what cost?

[Aloha818]

I'm sure you'll need some expert help, will work for room/airfare :cool:

What dates do you want me to book? Pack a set of wheels, EMS, and your tuning gear. Give me a few days with the kit and I might add a couple more items!

[Aloha818]

Where are you building it? I was just out there (work sent me for a week to work on our system at The Queens hospital, and the system wasn't working so trip got extended, and extended, out to 3 weeks total - yeah, I'm a committed worker like that). I see you are in a high rise, across from the commercial Marina area, right? So no build space there I'm guessing.

Don't give us the address or anything that would be a security risk, but what kind of space are you using?

You must be the golden boy of your company, usually only the best of the best get the work trips out here!

We live across the street from Ala Moana Park. The marina you see in the pic is behind the Ilikai, down the street a few blocks. This is the hotel/marina that you see in the original Hawaii 50 TV series. In the background you can see Diamond Head Crater, kind of a famous landmark here.

I rented a 400 sq ft space a couple blocks away. not much, will be tight, but should get the job done. Best part is I can walk to work and to my "shop"!

Thanks for the comments.

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Day 1 pic the day the engine was dropped off

[flynntuna]

Thanks for the comments!



Thanks for the vote of confidence! When do you get your kit?



In our building and surrounding condo's we have every exotic, Lambo's, Ferrari's, R8's, Bentley's, Porsche's, and a SLS. Hopefully I am successful and my 818 will stand out!

Here is a pic of my engine cleaned up;

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Looking good, I like the detail. I'll be placing my order in Jan or Feb , hope their production is ramped up by then and the time to fill orders is shortened. Again welcome to the FFR ohana .

[Xusia]

I seriously can't believe that's the same engine. VERY good job, dude! :)

[D2W]

I love Oahu. The best mix of tourist and non-tourist excursions if you're willing to explore. The real question is not where are you building the car, but where are you going to enjoy it on an island that you can drive entirely around in less than three hours. That's the one thing that I would miss if living there is the ability to go out and find a new curvy road to drive.

[WIS89]

Aloha818-

That engine is a work of art! Congratulations on the outstanding job cleaning her up and getting her all set to drop in.

I have always wanted to visit Hawaii, and spend some time just getting to know the area. I find it truly fascinating. Although I must say that if there are too many young ladies that look like your avatar, I am not sure I would ever leave!!

Best of luck with your build, and please keep us updated. I am very curious how you find your space, and whether or not you find it sufficient to get the work done.

Thanks for the posts.

Regards,

Steve

[Aloha818]

I seriously can't believe that's the same engine. VERY good job, dude! :)

Thanks so much for the compliment! When its all done and buried under the body no one will be able to appreciate the effort. I will be getting custom fuel rails, braided fuel lines and upgraded fuel pressure regulator to keep it clean and interesting looking. My "getto" boost setup uses a fuel management unit to increase fuel pressure in relationship to boost. This and other "tricks" to keep the stock computer operating the engine without throwing codes.

I am trying to eliminate every ounce of uneeded material/wires/parts. I even took the time to cut off all unneeded bungs on the intake before I coated it with bedliner (to maintain textured look), silver metalic paint, and red topcoat.

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[Wayne Presley]

What dates do you want me to book? Pack a set of wheels, EMS, and your tuning gear. Give me a few days with the kit and I might add a couple more items!

I think you'll need the kit to show up first :D

[Aloha818]

I love Oahu. The best mix of tourist and non-tourist excursions if you're willing to explore. The real question is not where are you building the car, but where are you going to enjoy it on an island that you can drive entirely around in less than three hours. That's the one thing that I would miss if living there is the ability to go out and find a new curvy road to drive.

Thanks for commenting!

We have been in Hawaii (between Oahu and Maui) for about 3 years. Although this island is only 112 miles around you would not be able to drive the circumference in 3 hours, my wife and I take day trips to various points of the island and spend more than 6 hours at time without even getting to other sections. If you know where to go there are roads you can drive fast (for short bursts), and many scenic, curvy roads, look up Tantalus. One of my co-workers lives at the top and bought a new 911 just to have fun back and forth to work! This island no longer has a race track, but they open up Aloha Stadium (where they play the Pro Bowl) for track days. And if you get bored, then for about $400 you can ship your car, round trip, to another island to explore. In my corner of the parking garage of my condo building there are 2 911's, a SLR AMG and a Ferrari, so even if we all can't go crazy driving for hours, we can stretch our legs now and then!

[Aloha818]

Aloha818-

That engine is a work of art! Congratulations on the outstanding job cleaning her up and getting her all set to drop in.

I have always wanted to visit Hawaii, and spend some time just getting to know the area. I find it truly fascinating. Although I must say that if there are too many young ladies that look like your avatar, I am not sure I would ever leave!!

Best of luck with your build, and please keep us updated. I am very curious how you find your space, and whether or not you find it sufficient to get the work done.

Thanks for the posts.

Regards,

Steve

I really appreciate your comments and the compliment on the engine detail!

I love Hawaii, this is the second time work has brought me out here. Although I have worked on projects in all but 3 or 4 states, our residence has remained in Tennessee. I'm here this time till the middle of next year, maybe longer if I can stretch it out!

Yes, I'm concerned that I will have enough space to build/store through completion. I will update this info as well. I didn't read about anyone else's experience with space other than spreading everything out for receipt inventory. At least I have finished separating the donor parts and just have what I need taking up space.

[Aloha818]

I think you'll need the kit to show up first :D

Thanks for commenting, I have been following your build and enjoying learning from your experience. Keep up the good work!

I was updated on the shipping progress today, arrived yesterday into Longbeach, then will sail on the Manukai V. 140, the boats docks here 9/29. About a week longer than I had hoped for. I'm supposed to be able to track the ship, should be fun to see it in the middle of the Ocean!

[RM1SepEx]

You should have no problems with 400 sq ft... The biggest space eater is where to put the body stuff while working on the rest...

The pieces are all light weight, you may want to build something to get them up overhead to keep them out of the way. I've been dioing work on a table under my 4 post lift... the body parts are on plywood across the lift.

Go Vertical! LOL

When you do an oil change do you worry about a sexual harassment suit? ;-)

[VD2021]

We live across the street from Ala Moana Park. The marina you see in the pic is behind the Ilikai, down the street a few blocks. This is the hotel/marina that you see in the original Hawaii 50 TV series. In the background you can see Diamond Head Crater, kind of a famous landmark here.

I rented a 400 sq ft space a couple blocks away. not much, will be tight, but should get the job done. Best part is I can walk to work and to my "shop"!

Thanks for the comments.

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Day 1 pic the day the engine was dropped off

My two car garage is just over 420 sf and I'm building a GTM in it. So you should be fine. Your body is a set of panels that should not consume much of your footage.

[Oppenheimer]

We live across the street from Ala Moana Park. The marina you see in the pic is behind the Ilikai, down the street a few blocks. This is the hotel/marina that you see in the original Hawaii 50 TV series. In the background you can see Diamond Head Crater, kind of a famous landmark here.


That Marina is also in the opening of Gilligans Island, when the SS Minnow is leaving Honolulu, right? But off to the right from that pic, off to unseen area, there is another, commercial marina, right? We did some SCUBA while there, and the boat went out a different marina than the one in your pic.

When I stayed I was at the Marriott at Waikiki. My expense report for the trip, lets just say it was more than the cost of 818 kit, less than the estimated cost to complete an 818. The SCUBA and other weekend excursions came out of my own pocket, so not even part of that total.

[Aloha818]

Honolulu Freight called my today to tell me my 818 would be ready for pick up tomorrow. A week earlier than they had estimated.

Not bad shipping time, MA to HI in 2 weeks and 2 days!

I'll post pics and measure tomorrow as I unpack.

Here are some more parts bought, cleaned and painted while I was waiting;

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I'm really excited about getting started! Thanks to all that have been posting their build updates, I think I have learned plenty to feel comfortable jumping right in!

[longislandwrx]

That hula girl sure gets around.

Are you renting a forklift truck to move the crate into the garage or are you going to disassemble it on your trailer and unload piece by piece?

[Aloha818]

That hula girl sure gets around.

Are you renting a forklift truck to move the crate into the garage or are you going to disassemble it on your trailer and unload piece by piece?

Besides keeping a Hawaiian spirit to the build, my hula girl will help me keep up with which pics I took and the others I've saved for reference.

The company I'm working for here has a couple stake bed trucks/drivers, so one of them will pick-up the crate from the port and deliver to my rented garage, and there is a forklift close by that I can use to get it off the truck. Then I will break down the crate and roll/carry the 818 components into the garage.

I scheduled the truck/driver yesterday for today, so a few hours from now it will be build time!

[longislandwrx]

Right on! Best of Luck. Do you have a good powder coater out there? When I was living in Portland I actually found one of the best coaters was down at the shipyards.. they loved doing automotive side work.

[Aloha818]

Right on! Best of Luck. Do you have a good powder coater out there? When I was living in Portland I actually found one of the best coaters was down at the shipyards.. they loved doing automotive side work.

I ordered my kit with the powder coat chassis. I have a local powder coater doing some work with me on the project I'm here supervising, and have talked to him about coating all the brackets. I'll have to ask him if he does work at the port.

[Aloha818]

Here is the crate at the loading dock at Hawaiian Freight;

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Pic of the space allowed at the rear;

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About 2"-3" space on sides

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Top of crate bracing and space;

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View from front, the boxes of parts are in front of the windshield/frame to front of crate;

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All four corners are chained and bolted to the floor;

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Starting to remove taped on body panels to lighten the chassis;

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Cockpit view;

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A side view, there are a few 1/4" headed wood screws holding some panels together and/or to floor;

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I conned 3 of my men with lunch to help me break down the crate and get the parts in the garage. With all the body parts removed I can just lift one end of the frame, to give a rough idea of weight (I'm just average build/strength). One of my guys is a good sized Samoan, so he picked up one end and the other three of us picked up the other end and carried the chassis into the garage. Then since I had the help the three of them held up the frame while I put the jack stands under it. Breaking down the crate and moving the kit into the garage took less than 45 mins, FYI;

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FFR's crate size and weight was good, no extra charges from the shipping company. There was not any damaged parts, no great movement of the various parts during shipping. As a matter of fact, if you didn't know it, you couldn't tell from the outside of the crate or the inside that crate had ever been moved, little lone partway across the world. The only thing I noticed was a couple places that the body panels had rubbed the powder coating off. Very minor.

Let me know if anyone has any other questions I can answer.

[Mechie3]

Now the fun begins!

[fastthings]

I like playing find the Hula girl in the pics, and please slip in a pic of the sunset once in awhile.

I'll be watching,
Gene

[WIS89]

Thanks for the pics, and the hula girl is awesome!!

I also take back my original concern about having enough space-- I think you will be fine!

Frankly, I think the take-away for me is that I need to clean some of the crap out of MY garage!!

Please keep us updated, and congratulations on getting started.

Regards,

Steve

[DodgyTim]

Thanks for the crate photos, much appreciated

[THE ITALIAN]

Very nice , good call on showing others how a long distance shipment is handled. FF5 does a great job
As for your location, best mountain biking in my life-really. As for the views, your pissing me off. As for the hula girls, married one and she just gets better.

[Aloha818]

Now the fun begins!

I sure hope so! Today is the start! First with unpacking the boxes and inventory. Then I guess I start building in order of the manual. The parts going to the powder coater will hold me up some and I have reviewed the parts list, and like the rest of you before me, lots of parts on back order, like hardware. FedEx delivered something yesterday from them but I haved gone downstairs to pick it up yet.

Thanks for commenting!

[Aloha818]

Thanks for the pics, and the hula girl is awesome!!

I also take back my original concern about having enough space-- I think you will be fine!

Frankly, I think the take-away for me is that I need to clean some of the crap out of MY garage!!

Please keep us updated, and congratulations on getting started.


I.

Regards,

Steve

Thanks for reading my updates and commenting! I will say, after getting all the parts in the space, it is full. Today I will be organizing and throwing out all the paper wrapping and cardboard, and trying to hang body parts from walls and ceilings to make room to actually work.



Very nice , good call on showing others how a long distance shipment is handled. FF5 does a great job
As for your location, best mountain biking in my life-really. As for the views, your pissing me off. As for the hula girls, married one and she just gets better.

Since 33 people are ahead of me, and some very talented are sharing their build experience, documenting the crate/shipping is the very least I could do. I love the people and culture here, not to mention the views and weather. Lucky you on your Hula Girl find!

[Aloha818]

Thanks for the crate photos, much appreciated


Your welcome! Let me know if there is any other pics or info I can give you.

[AZPete]

Congrats on the new adventure! I also work with limited space and have hung body panels on walls and the ceiling. As you inventory you'll see that FFR has boxed stuff that is used together, which is good, but makes for some big boxes. For instance, the cooling system parts are in a box big enough for the coolant tubes and pipes. I hung those plus other big stuff and then consolidated into smaller boxes carefully labeled the same number. Now I've got FRR box #1 in a smaller box #1, etc. Just be sure to retain the box numbers so you can find stuff later. And, the page of last-minute additions (Box 10?) can be sorted into the correct boxes. Unless you get your backorders soon, you can jump ahead in the manual to other sections to keep moving. For missing fasteners I've been buying what I need at an Ace Hardware to keep progressing. Ace is in HI, isn't it?

Keep the posts coming. We all like seeing other builds.
Pete

[Aloha818]

Congrats on the new adventure! I also work with limited space and have hung body panels on walls and the ceiling. As you inventory you'll see that FFR has boxed stuff that is used together, which is good, but makes for some big boxes. For instance, the cooling system parts are in a box big enough for the coolant tubes and pipes. I hung those plus other big stuff and then consolidated into smaller boxes carefully labeled the same number. Now I've got FRR box #1 in a smaller box #1, etc. Just be sure to retain the box numbers so you can find stuff later. And, the page of last-minute additions (Box 10?) can be sorted into the correct boxes. Unless you get your backorders soon, you can jump ahead in the manual to other sections to keep moving. For missing fasteners I've been buying what I need at an Ace Hardware to keep progressing. Ace is in HI, isn't it?

Keep the posts coming. We all like seeing other builds.
Pete

Thanks for commenting!

It took about 4 hours to inventory the parts, I didn't find any discrepancies. I have several back order parts, like the rest of you. Mainly the hardware, the lights, and inside door panels. As I went through the boxes to inventory I pulled out all the paper and tossed with most of the cardboard. Like you mentioned, I kept several boxes of parts as they were shipped for easier search later. I have the body panels standing up around the garage, need to clean up and organize a little more, but needed to start building!!!!

[Aloha818]

I started from the beginning of the manual with the aluminum panels on the firewall. It's all riveted and silicone'd. The pneumatic rivet gun made it pretty painless. I have about 50 cleco's, but only used a few at a time, maybe I'm not as anal as some others, but everything lines up and went pretty fast.

I purchased aluminum control arms from a 2006, but still waiting for ball joint and boss (cone). My donor is a 2000, so some of the suspension I didn't clean up until I could verify what parts will actually work. Looks like the steering rack, front wheel assembly, and brakes are all going to work. I'll work on that tomorrow, but with no hardware and then the brackets going to the powder coater, it will be a little while before I get back to it.

Tomorrow I'll check out the rear suspension and see what I have that works and what doesn't. For the rear I picked up hubs, disc brakes, etc from a 1997 forester, the 2000 outback had drum brakes. My lateral rear links are aftermarket for a 2002-2005 WRX. I was shipped axels, will check out what I have and see if they will work.

I have been reading other posts about seat and steering wheel fitment so I played around with my donor stuff. Looks like you can lower the column with shims if you wanted, but seems about right almost tight. Not sure how my factory seat would work, very tight in width it looks like. And with the brace located at the front of the seat you don't have any real room to adjust front to rear.

A quick measure of the automatic trans reveals I will need to cut off about 4-5 inches. After I get it mounted I'll pull off the tailpiece and see how to modify and shorten.

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[longislandwrx]

Great pictures! I LOL every time I see these donor seats, they all look like violent crimes were committed on them.

[WIS89]

I love playing "where's Waldo" with the hula girl in your pictures!! Some of them are pretty easy, others not so much...

Looks like you are off to a great start! Pretty exciting stuff, huh?

Thanks for keeping us updated. I can't wait for my kit; it is so hard waiting, but I am living vicariously through others!

Best of luck going forward and I hope you take the time to update as you build. It is very selfless. Great fun!

Regards,

Steve

[Aloha818]

I love playing "where's Waldo" with the hula girl in your pictures!! Some of them are pretty easy, others not so much...

Looks like you are off to a great start! Pretty exciting stuff, huh?

Thanks for keeping us updated. I can't wait for my kit; it is so hard waiting, but I am living vicariously through others!

Best of luck going forward and I hope you take the time to update as you build. It is very selfless. Great fun!

Regards,

Steve

Thanks for reading and I will try and keep updated and interesting! When do you get yours? R or S?

Here is a pic of my last project, done about 1 1/2 years ago. It's a 1995 Wrangler. I striped it down, cut-in Poison Spyder fenders and rocker knockers, painted it a true candy apple red (12 coats total), bed liner inside, custom wheels with 33" tires, no lift. Main attraction, I stuffed a 2006 Chevy 4.8 Vortec w/auto. Almost all work, including paint, was done by yours truly. Only outside work was modifying the axles and custom exhaust.

What I love about Hawaii? Year round driving with this as the only top!

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[flynntuna]

What's this! Only two cases of beer? LOL

[metalmaker12]

You have the best location to own the 818

[metalmaker12]

You have the best location to own the 818, sweet jeep too, I helped with a 79 land cruiser restoration a couple years back, which was sold for a solid payoff

[wleehendrick]

You have the best location to own the 818

No knock on Hawaii, I love it there, but this road is in my 'backyard':

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and San Diego has a pretty nice climate, too!

:cool:

P.S. Love the Jeep... we usually rent a Wrangler when we visit the Islands.

[Aloha818]

What's this! Only two cases of beer? LOL

I make my own beer occasionally. So I keep about 60 empties around for the next batch! Hard to to do in the condo, the stove takes too long to boil 5 gallons of water. Now that I rented this space I plan on setting up a little "brewing corner". That is, after the 818 is finished!

[Aloha818]

You have the best location to own the 818, sweet jeep too, I helped with a 79 land cruiser restoration a couple years back, which was sold for a solid payoff

My thoughts exactly! I can't wait to cruise the island. Need a bikini top though, I hope that is the style FFR is designing. If not I will have to "engineer" my own.

My first major auto project was a 79 Jeep Cherokee Sport (2 door). It kind of fun "rescuing" a classic. I love Land Cruisers. Such classic style.

[Aloha818]

No knock on Hawaii, I love it there, but this road is in my 'backyard':

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and San Diego has a pretty nice climate, too!

:cool:

P.S. Love the Jeep... we usually rent a Wrangler when we visit the Islands.

I love San Diego! Over the years I have worked on several projects there. Great weather and a lot to do there. A little wider temperature spread though, over Hawaii that is. Beautiful backyard BTW!

I get stopped/asked almost every time I drive it what color it is and who painted it. Just like the 818 pictures don't do it justice. I've been stopped by tourist bus drivers, even got flagged down on the HWY once. I used FFR sponsor Sherwin Williams Planet Color.

Thanks for commenting!

[Aloha818]

I spent some more time cleaning and organizing the garage this morning before I got started. Needed some more elbow room. I moved my workbench and work table and hung most of the body parts on the walls. Now I have a good amount of space around the car and free floor area so I'm not tripping over everything. I think I will be fine now with the size of the space. Spent the afternoon cleaning up rotors, brakes, hubs, etc. Now I won't have to get so dirty on my afternoon work time the rest of the week.

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[longislandwrx]

Tons of room now. Time to order an R as well.

[THE ITALIAN]

What I love about Hawaii? Year round driving with this as the only top!

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My fav Island, My Fav vehicle on that island, My Fav vehicle ON THE BEACH on that island - you are really starting to piss me off !! ........Say it !! Say It !! Say one more thing !.... Oh ! show me a luau with your Jeep parked in the distance & YOU dancing with some hot Hula girls and a drink in your hand-GO AHEAD !!

[WIS89]

Thanks for reading and I will try and keep updated and interesting! When do you get yours? R or S?

Here is a pic of my last project, done about 1 1/2 years ago. It's a 1995 Wrangler. I striped it down, cut-in Poison Spyder fenders and rocker knockers, painted it a true candy apple red (12 coats total), bed liner inside, custom wheels with 33" tires, no lift. Main attraction, I stuffed a 2006 Chevy 4.8 Vortec w/auto. Almost all work, including paint, was done by yours truly. Only outside work was modifying the axles and custom exhaust.

What I love about Hawaii? Year round driving with this as the only top!

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What a terrific job!! The CJ is one of my family's favorite vehicles, although we don't have one. My son and I recently finished restoring an '88 XJ, and he is putting on some finishing touches when he is home from school. Front bumper with winch last holiday, and he is planning on fabbing up the rear bumper next time. I will say it is nowhere near as nice as yours though! What a beautiful job!

My project is bringing my wife's '88 VW Cabriolet back to life. It's been a slow build, but the finish line is getting closer... It is a true labor of love, because I have essentially replaced nearly the entire car. The engine only has 45K original miles, so it should be worth it-- I hope!!

I am actually not building an 818, although I think they rock! I am getting a Roadster in December when I pick-up my boys from school after exams. It is MY Christmas present, but they get to help me load it up and bring it home! ;-o)

Even though I am building a Roadster, I really love seeing the various build threads despite not necessarily building that platform. They are all truly beautiful machines, and there isn't a bad choice to be made! I think there is a lot to learn from the countless people here who are far more talented than I. It also helps me come up with different upgrade ideas, shortcuts, or just some good techniques! It helps me stay fired up without losing my mind waiting for my Roadster--HA!!

Thanks again for the updates! Hawaii is on my bucket list; enjoy paradise and enjoy your build. I will keep reading...

Regards,

Steve

[metalmaker12]

I am jealous

[AZPete]

You are making it tough to find the hula girl!

[Wayne Presley]

Looks like I should plan on mid November visit....

[Aloha818]

Looks like I should plan on mid November visit....

That sounds about right. :) The hardware package shipped today from FFR, delivery next week. I should have the rest of the donor parts cleaned and painted this weekend. Maybe get the engine bolted up.

I am new to Subaru, I see various comments about motor mounts. Seems like the choices are either solid mounts that transfer engine vibrations, or stock mounts that let the engine slop back and forth. Anyone used factory mounts to keep vibration down and then fabricate a brace with poly bushings somewhere on the topside to stabilize the movement? I want to have dual exhaust through the mid-section of the bumper in the area of the screened section so I need minimal movement but also want minimal vibration.

[Aloha818]

I have looking at wheels for over two months! Just when I think I've found the perfect wheel, I find out it doesn't come in the right bolt pattern, or width, or size, or cost too too much, or other. Enkie has great designs and the sizes we need, but a little more expensive, especially the cost to ship to Hawaii. Then it seems several others are already using Enkie and I don't want to be a copycat. To be honest I was about to give up for now and just buy some steel wheels and temp tires to get it on the ground and wait to see what others in the 818 community come up with.

Then I read where Wayne is using some XXR wheels on his car for SEMA. Good enough for Wyane/SEMA, good enough me right? I had looked at these wheels before, but I don't like the dual bolt pattern on the ones I saw. But made me look at their entire line. I have really been wanting a deep dish style, but with the Subaru bolt pattern design deep dish is not really utilized. But digging through the XXR website I came across their 535 design, deep dish, realatively simple 5 spoke design, in the single 5x100 bolt pattern, 17x7 size for the front, and 18x8.75 rears available. Perfect to keep a 30 mm tire size difference between front and back as suggested (will use 225 fronts, 255 rears). Then I found wheelproz on eBay that ships free to the lower 48, with a $95 upcharge to Hawaii, plus $699 cost for the set of wheels. I odered mine in Chromium Black. Anyway I ordered today.

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[Xusia]

Nice! I like those!

Any concerns with fitting a 225mm tire on a 7" wide wheel? I ask because I've been planning to use a 215mm wide tire, but I've been looking for 7.5"-8" wide wheels, which according to the "calculators" should fit well. Using that as a reference, you are putting a wider tire on a narrower wheel. Hence my question! :)

[wleehendrick]

Any concerns with fitting a 225mm tire on a 7" wide wheel?

I usually look at the specs tab on TireRack, it lists the nominal rim width (which I try to match, or within 0.5") and the acceptable rim range. Just an example I pulled up the tab for a 225/45R17 BFG g-force riva (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=BFGoodrich&tireModel=g-Force+Rival&sidewall=Blackwall&partnum=245WR7GFR&tab=Sizes)l, the acceptable rim range is 7-8.5" (nominally 7.5")

[Aloha818]

Nice! I like those!

Any concerns with fitting a 225mm tire on a 7" wide wheel? I ask because I've been planning to use a 215mm wide tire, but I've been looking for 7.5"-8" wide wheels, which according to the "calculators" should fit well. Using that as a reference, you are putting a wider tire on a narrower wheel. Hence my question! :)

Thanks!

Tire size brings up another round of choices/compromises. Trying to maintain a 25" diameter, keep a 30 mm split between front and rear (as recommended), as wide as possible in the rear for looks/traction/no extra parts, and narrower in front for looks/less traction (due to no power steering).

With a 7" wheel in the front I can use either a 225 width that is 25" in dia or a 215 width that is 24.6" in dia.

With a 8.75" wheel in the rear I can use either a 255 width that is 25" in dia or 245 width that is 25.7" in dia.

So the 225/255 combo keeps everything the correct dia and keeps the 30mm split, the 215/245 combo does too except that there is almost a 1" difference in tire dia between F-R.

I'm leaning toward using the Hankook Ventus R-S3's, in the 225/255 sizes, but based on their specs either choices fit. In my opinion I prefer the tire to be on the larger side of the wheel size spec, I don't like the look of the tire "stretched" wide to fit on a too wide rim.

[Mechie3]

I've stuck a 245 Kumho XS on a 7.5" wheel before and 255 starspecs (that measured out 265) onto 8" wheels before. Not the best setup, but it can be done. The 255 setup felt sloppy. The 245 setup didn't feel bad but had stiff sidewalls.

For the exhaust, you could always put a flex section in the exhaust and hard mount the tail pipe to the frame and let the flex take up the engine movement.

[Aloha818]

FFR sent my B/O hardware package, set to arrive late next week. I also ordered all new ball joints, steering end links, boots, etc, so I'm doing what I can. Since I'm in a rented space, and don't want to buy tools that I only need once or twice, I improvised on an engine hoist.

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I set the rear frame on a moving dolly and the front on a floor jack so I could move the frame around, then, as you can see, I used a 1 1/2" pipe drilled in between two joists above, down to a come-along.

22331

So a little lowering, a little pushing back, it slipped right in. Took me about 30 mins, by myself, FYI.

No one else has posted that they are using an automatic trans, so I guess I will have to pioneer how to get it done.

22332

So besides the fact that I have to cut off about 4" of the tail section, I need to figure out how to keep it in FWD. Any help would be appreciated. I know earlier years autos were FWD only, but I don't want to get into dealing with the electronics.

22333

A new rear trans mount will have to be fabricated, one because it is on the section to be cut cut off, two to keep the rear as low as possible. You can see in the pic the engine is tipped forward some. Does anyone think this will be a problem?

22334

Well the sun is coming up up, time to get back at.

[Mechie3]

I though some autos could be kept fwd simply by pulling a fuse. Not certain though.

[VD2021]

Henry (65 Cobra Dude) is doing an auto trans. He picked up his kit middle last month. I don't think he has a build thread yet so you may want to PM him.

[Aloha818]

Today I pulled the tailpiece off of the 4EAT to see what is required to fit. I am posting the more specific information in the Engine/Transmission section for those interested in that progress. Might need to cut out the cross racing under the trans to allow the trans to lower to level engine and be able to remove the pan in the future for service. I have about 5" from the center of the side driveshaft location to the frame below it. Anyone with a 5-speed care to measure what this distance is on your build so I have a reference?
2235422355

I purchased aftermarket rear control arms, not sure if I have the bolt locations etc in the correct spots, anyone care to advise?

2235222353

It seems I need different axles. The nastiest day of building yet, breaking down the old axles. Grease everywhere! Anyway, after getting everything apart, went exactly as the FFR manual, FYI, and cleaned up, I started test fitting. The axle end that goes to the trans fit, the end going to the wheel did not. The FFR axle has 29 splines, I need 21, is this common?

[Aloha818]

I though some autos could be kept fwd simply by pulling a fuse. Not certain though.

That's also what I read on Subaru specific forums. The other problem is trans length and height. Thanks for commenting

[Aloha818]

Henry (65 Cobra Dude) is doing an auto trans. He picked up his kit middle last month. I don't think he has a build thread yet so you may want to PM him.

Thanks for the reply, I just sent him a PM.

[Aloha818]

I jumped right in and shortened the tailpiece to fit;

22394

I gave more detailed info in the general, engine/transmission thread.

I still need the measurement from the top of the frame to the center of the axle output to determine if I need to lower the rear of the trans, if anyone has the time.

Anyone have problems with the FFR axles not having matching splines on the wheel hub end? The axles FFR sent me have 29 splines, my rear hubs have 21. Jay said they have not had this issue before and that basically I'm on my own to resolve.

When I built my jeep I had to take the axles to a driveshaft shop to lengthen the front axle and shorten the rear, so I will take the axles down to them to cut/splice/balance.

[Erik W. Treves]

Call factory five...there we issues with the axles. Although you might measure the stock axle against the FFR axle. I was surprised how close it actually was. mine were about 1/32 different in length...I bet I could have run the stock axles.

[AZPete]

Like this? This is a 2006 5MT in 818S:

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/AZPeteCobra/transheight.jpg (http://s210.photobucket.com/user/AZPeteCobra/media/transheight.jpg.html)

[Aloha818]

Like this? This is a 2006 5MT in 818S:

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/AZPeteCobra/transheight.jpg (http://s210.photobucket.com/user/AZPeteCobra/media/transheight.jpg.html)

Pete, thanks for answering! Yes, that's what I needed to know. That's about the same as what I have, but when you look at the front of the engine to the frame it looks like the engine is tipped forward.

Looks like all I need to do now is build a rear trans mount. I was all set to pull the engine/trans and modify the frame to drop the rear lower tonight.

Thanks again.

[Mechie3]

Id measure the rear as well. The engine and trans can pivot close to the axles so a large angular displacement gives little movement near the axle but a lot of movement at the rear.

[AZPete]

Okay, Mechie3. Like this?
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/AZPeteCobra/transheightback.jpg (http://s210.photobucket.com/user/AZPeteCobra/media/transheightback.jpg.html)

[Mechie3]

:D

I was going to measure it yesterday just as I saw you posted pics. Then, I didn't feel bad I hadn't measured. :lol:

[Aloha818]

:D

I was going to measure it yesterday just as I saw you posted pics. Then, I didn't feel bad I hadn't measured. :lol:

No problem, group effort!

[Aloha818]

I finished modifying the frame, built a rear auto trans mount, and installed the engine/trans for hopefully the last time! (More detailed info in the engine/trans threads under auto);

22545

On Thursday I received the B/O hardware from FFR and also the Subaru parts I ordered for the front suspension. New steering rack boots, tie rod ends, ball joints and cones for the control arms. So I was finally able to get the front assembled!

22546

Now another major mess to clean up! Seems like I spend almost as much time cleaning and putting away tools as I do actually getting some building done.

Now that I have the hardware and the auto trans installed I can get little projects done on weeknights. Hopefully start moving a little faster.

[riptide motorsport]

So Wayne showed us that the 6 cylinder will fit.......do you think it will fit with this tranny set up? It would be my preference ........thanks Steven

[Wayne Presley]

So Wayne showed us that the 6 cylinder will fit.......do you think it will fit with this tranny set up? It would be my preference ........thanks Steven

The 6 cylinder and auto trans will fit

[Aloha818]

Are we having fun yet? I keep asking myself as I wire brush/clean/paint nuts, bolts, and greasy/rusty brackets/calipers/rotors/etc.

I painted the front firewall with spray on bedliner, started fitting the master cylinder, and installed the steering column. For the steering rack I used my new tubing bender and made a loop in one of the power steering lines I took off to patch back;

22708

Since I'm using an auto I had concerns that fitting the brake pedal would present another challenge. It did, but very minimal. The bracket assembly bolted right up, drill a second hole in the pedal shaft for the pushrod connection, and shorten the pushrod by about a half inch;

22709

So between using an auto and that my donor is mostly a 2000 imprezza outback, with the rear suspension being from a 1998 forester (the outback didn't have disk brakes), I have few more challenges to overcome than if I had been able to find an "approved" donor. So this weekend it was time to conquer the brakes. Still waiting on another set of axles with hopefully the right spline count in the CV joint at the wheel end to fit the FFR supplied axles. It appears that the calipers from both donors are ok so I cleaned them up and painted with caliper paint. Took the disks to O'Reilly to get turned and pick up new pads. The fronts had enough meat left to turn, the rears too warped. Luckily they had the rear rotors and both sets of pads on hand. While I was at it I painted the center of the rotors black;

22710

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I guess when a few more get done with their builds we can compare notes on what is really required for brakes. So my setup is completely stock, including off the shelf pads for future reference. No power brakes. If I was building for track use it would be a no brainer, go for the Wilwood upgrade. But with the 818 weighing about half of the donor, I can't imagine that stock brakes will not give above average stopping power.

So a little note to those building behind me,

Fit all your parts and install the bolts, washers, spacers, nuts, etc as shown, but do not tighten! I typically do this anyway, I can't tell you how many times I have needed to take something apart that you think your done with, to get another part in. It has saved me a lot of time, especially since parts are on back order or waiting on other parts. I was reminded of this tonight when I went to install the front sway bar. You have to remove a top shock mount bolt to get it in place.

[RM1SepEx]

see photo 1 above:

your rear lower LCA bushings are mounted incorrectly, the side with the little "wiggle" is supposed to be down, the flat side on the top, swap and flip

there is a small funky shaped block off plate to go between the firewall and the master cylinder

[longislandwrx]

Looks great. Very sharp looking.

[Aloha818]

see photo 1 above:

your rear lower LCA bushings are mounted incorrectly, the side with the little "wiggle" is supposed to be down, the flat side on the top, swap and flip

there is a small funky shaped block off plate to go between the firewall and the master cylinder

Dan thanks for taking the time to review my pics and comment! There has been many conflicting posts/information about the installation of the LCA's that I temporarily bolted them in place until I felt the issue was finalized. So today I picked up some nuts and bolts, flipped them around, and bottled them in. I also painted the cover plate for the master cylinder with bed liner paint and installed. The plate did require some cutting to clear the top right master cylinder bracket bolt, FYI.

22768

22769

I installed the front sway bar also. My wheels are on island now, hopefully delivery tomorrow. If my axle parts arrive this week I plan on having the baby stand on its own feet this weekend!!

[Aloha818]

Looks great. Very sharp looking.

Thanks for the compliment! I'm trying not to hurry too much and keep working the parts to make the build look like it just came down the assembly line.

I read everyone's build posts daily to learn and plan my next steps, thanks for posting!

[VD2021]

A,
You're doing an outstanding job. I'm really looking forward to the karting of your auto-818. Keep up the great work.

[WIS89]

You are really flying along! The build is looking great, and you must be pleased.

So, how has it been working in the space you have? It doesn't appear to be slowing you down any!

I have enjoyed watching your progress. Looking forward to the go kart!!

Regards,

Steve

[RM1SepEx]

Dan thanks for taking the time to review my pics and comment! There has been many conflicting posts/information about the installation of the LCA's that I temporarily bolted them in place until I felt the issue was finalized. So today I picked up some nuts and bolts, flipped them around, and bottled them in. I also painted the cover plate for the master cylinder with bed liner paint and installed. The plate did require some cutting to clear the top right master cylinder bracket bolt, FYI.


If you followed my thread you can see that I spent a ton of time working out the LCA bushing issues! :-) I tried to get the manual straightened out but to no avail, there are still loads of conflicting photos and directions in the manual. :-(

[Aloha818]

You are really flying along! The build is looking great, and you must be pleased.

So, how has it been working in the space you have? It doesn't appear to be slowing you down any!

I have enjoyed watching your progress. Looking forward to the go kart!!

Regards,

Steve

Thanks for the positive comments! Actually the space is working out perfectly. Parts have been coming in as existing parts have been getting installed. Trash has to be hauled out often as all the cardboard and packing fills up a lot a available space. But maybe good, makes me clean up more often. I am having a great time building the 818 so far. Even with a few conflicts with information and Subaru parts variations, nothing has been frustrating. The frame and components have been laid out pretty well and component installation makes sense. My best tool has been my little angle grinder. Cut a little here shave a little there, etc.


A,
You're doing an outstanding job. I'm really looking forward to the karting of your auto-818. Keep up the great work.

Thanks for the compliment. My little plan for myself is to go cart by end of November and spend December on body and interior. I have been spending most Saturday's, part of Sunday and 2-3 nights a week for a couple hours building. Untold hours researching and buying parts.

[Aloha818]

If you followed my thread you can see that I spent a ton of time working out the LCA bushing issues! :-) I tried to get the manual straightened out but to no avail, there are still loads of conflicting photos and directions in the manual. :-(

I'm not sure if my method is correct or what, but I tend to stop work on an item when I don't think I have clear direction/understanding, and move on to something else. With the thought that after I get partway through that part installation I can get back online and research and having actually starting the install helps me understand better what Im reading in the everyone's posts. Then Im not wasting time trying to figure it out by myself. The LCA issue is a prime example, and one of the reasons I only assemble now and torque later. Thanks for your time in replying and putting this issue to bed!

[Aloha818]

My wheels finally arrived, ordered on 10/4, delivered 10/23, shipped from California. I call shipping cost and time delay the Hawaii "Tax". Nothing for free!

The wheels are XXR, 535's in Chromium Black, 17x7 front, 18x8.75 rear, all +35.

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22797

22798

22799

I had in my mind, after reading all the posts on wheel size, that I needed to push the boundary of size. My opinion is that these wheels are pretty big just looking at them hanging on the lugs. Obviously my body is not on, and I don't have tires yet, to completely verify fitment. But I can say they I only have about a half inch clearance on the backsides. I am really excited about how they look in person. I was hoping for a little more "deep dish" look, but its there a little on the rears. No offense to Wayne's XXR wheels, but the double bolt pattern bugs me, I'm so happy I found these with just the single 5x100 pattern.

[longislandwrx]

Awesome fit, there's hope yet for my 9.5 rears. Your box says 9.5... were they really 9.5s that measured at 8.75?

Tonight I plan on assembling the suspension and getting some good measurements.

[WIS89]

Love the wheels! I think they will look very sharp.

You are really cruising right along, and things are looking great. Are you going to stay with the white, or are you going to lay down some paint? After seeing Wayne's, I really like the idea of some color on top, although I don't have the creativity he has as far as that cool design!

Thanks for keeping us up to date. I am enjoying following along! Did I catch a picture without the hula girl? Or, did I miss her?

Keep on trucking along!

Regards,

Steve

[wleehendrick]

The wheels are XXR, 535's in Chromium Black, 17x7 front, 18x8.75 rear, all +35.

Looks great! I'm thinking about the XXR 530's in Chromium Black, so I'm anxious to see how your fitment turns out when the body panels are on.


No offense to Wayne's XXR wheels, but the double bolt pattern bugs me, I'm so happy I found these with just the single 5x100 pattern.

The wheels I have on my Z (Nismo LMGT4, made by Rays) are like that and I've kinda grown to like the 10 hole look...

22809

[AZPete]

I hate to point out an error online, but this is important. The hula girl is missing in your last photo - the right rear wheel. Did she quit and walk out on you?

[Xusia]

The wheels are XXR, 535's in Chromium Black, 17x7 front, 18x8.75 rear, all +35.


Looks great! I'm thinking about the XXR 530's in Chromium Black, so I'm anxious to see how your fitment turns out when the body panels are on.

I was also thinking about the XXR 530s in that same color and those same sizes, so I'll be very curious how your fitment turns out. Please keep us posted!!

[WIS89]

I hate to point out an error online, but this is important. The hula girl is missing in your last photo - the right rear wheel. Did she quit and walk out on you?

Hey Pete, I noticed the same thing. I looked and looked, but she seems to be on the lam... Maybe she went to the beach!

Regards,

Steve

[LesMurray]

I hate to point out an error online, but this is important. The hula girl is missing in your last photo - the right rear wheel. Did she quit and walk out on you?

I saw her - look behind the wheel to the left.

[longislandwrx]

22811

[Silvertop]

I saw her - look behind the wheel to the left.

Yes -- in front of the lower third of the shock absorber. She blends in with the yellow paint of the shock and becomes almost invisible. Good find!

[AZPete]

Whew. Good catch, Les. I've had them walk on me and didn't want that to happen here.

[NISMO_RB25]

Looks great! I'm thinking about the XXR 530's in Chromium Black, so I'm anxious to see how your fitment turns out when the body panels are on.



The wheels I have on my Z (Nismo LMGT4, made by Rays) are like that and I've kinda grown to like the 10 hole look...

22809

I have those LMGT4's on my R33 GTR and love them, but don't ever lose a center cap for the US version as they aren't made anymore and are nearly impossible to find.

[wleehendrick]

I have those LMGT4's on my R33 GTR and love them, but don't ever lose a center cap for the US version as they aren't made anymore and are nearly impossible to find.

R33... sweet!

Yeah, I got a deal on my wheels; forged monoblocks are super light, the XXR's that Aloha got and I'm considering cast; any chance of putting them on a scale?

Good to know about the center caps, but I'll be selling my Z in the near future. :( but I'll be getting my 818 tomorrow or Saturday :D

[Xusia]

According to this website: http://www.nlmotoring.com/XXR-530-Wheels-s/1673.htm, the XXR 530 17x7 weighs ~19.5 lbs, and the 18x8.75 weighs ~21.2 lbs.

[wleehendrick]

According to this website: http://www.nlmotoring.com/XXR-530-Wheels-s/1673.htm, the XXR 530 17x7 weighs ~19.5 lbs, and the 18x8.75 weighs ~21.2 lbs.

Thanks! Not too bad, but a couple pounds heavier than my LMGT4's which are an inch bigger in diameter and width.

[riptide motorsport]

Sweet wheels!!!

[Aloha818]

Love the wheels! I think they will look very sharp.

You are really cruising right along, and things are looking great. Are you going to stay with the white, or are you going to lay down some paint? After seeing Wayne's, I really like the idea of some color on top, although I don't have the creativity he has as far as that cool design!

Thanks for keeping us up to date. I am enjoying following along! Did I catch a picture without the hula girl? Or, did I miss her?

Keep on trucking along!

Regards,

Steve

Thanks for commenting.

I will not leave mine white. Although some of my friends like white. I keep changing my mind on color, so it will probably be like roulette, when the time comes for color it be what Im thinking at the time. I plan on a black interior with lots of red. I have already purchased a black steering wheel with red stitching, powder coated all the exterior body trim pieces satin black, and my wheels are blackish looking, so my exterior colors will have to match. My current inspiration;

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Having a time trying to find tires here, I even went on some mainland sites but it seems like most of my first choices are on back order, long lead time, or expensive shipping. I'm anxious to get to a rolling chassis so I might just pick up some cheap tires to get through the build. Been looking at Bridgestone RE-11's, Advan AD-01's, Toyo R1R's, and Hankook R-S3's. I should have started looking earlier.

Thanks to all for the reply's about the Hula Girl!! Sometimes she gets a little shy at all the picture taking and she try's to get out of the limelight:)

[Xusia]

Perhaps I can help. These are the tires I was planning on:

http://www.onlinetires.com/products/vehicle/tires/federal/215%252F40-17+federal+595+rs-r+racing+83w.html

http://www.onlinetires.com/products/vehicle/tires/federal/255%252F35-18+federal+595+rs-r+racing+90w+bsw.html

According to all the information I could find, they should fit the wheels you have fine. Price is right too.

There was a thread some time back about tires and from what I recall these were said to perform very well (despite being not very well known).

For what it's worth...

[longislandwrx]

How are your spacers fitting? Several of mine for the adjustable rear links are too long and the rear shock top ones are too short, it looks like i'm going to have to play musical spacers.

[RM1SepEx]

I had to do the same thing, musical spacers, some belt sander grinding to clean them up and a bunch of them that needed a rat tail file on the inner diameter as the bolts wouldn't go through them.

[longislandwrx]

Glad I am not alone. Makes me feel better, I think I could flex the brackets to make them fit but i'd rather not.

[Aloha818]

Perhaps I can help. These are the tires I was planning on:

http://www.onlinetires.com/products/vehicle/tires/federal/215%252F40-17+federal+595+rs-r+racing+83w.html

http://www.onlinetires.com/products/vehicle/tires/federal/255%252F35-18+federal+595+rs-r+racing+90w+bsw.html

According to all the information I could find, they should fit the wheels you have fine. Price is right too.

There was a thread some time back about tires and from what I recall these were said to perform very well (despite being not very well known).

For what it's worth...

Funny you mention these Federal's. I have not heard of them, but one of the local shops I went to yesterday sold Ferderal and Kuhmo. But the person I need to talk to was gone for the day. I'm going to see what models they keep in stock this morning. The RS-R's look close to the BFG Rival and Toyo R1R, at about half the price. The reviews I could find were positive, except for tread wear. But what do you expect with a tread wear of 140

I looked at the link you attached, shipping is same price as the tires! Maybe I will get lucky with this local supplier today.

[Aloha818]

Glad I am not alone. Makes me feel better, I think I could flex the brackets to make them fit but i'd rather not.

All my suspension spacers were very close, to just fitting. I used a large crescent wrench to apply just a little outward pressure (not bend) to slip the last spacers in. I felt mine were close enough that the thickness of the powder coating was the culprit.

The steering rack was another story, I did have to cut the passenger side down. Unless somehow I mixed up the parts! Might find this out later:)

[Aloha818]

Last weekend I was able to fit the refurbished calipers, new/turned rotors and new pads. I also installed the master cylinder and brake pedal assembly.

Today was tubing day. I purchased a little bender ahead of time, and it did come in handy to make the work look somewhat professional. I had sent out the exterior trim pieces and most of the steel brackets out to be powder coated. They were delivered Thursday, along with new braided lines to the calipers. So I had everything I needed to complete;

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First up was the front passenger side, everything was pretty straight forward, I made some creative bends to use the supplied lengths for the front;

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Then driver front;

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I routed the rear line out from the master down and along the side as per the manual, then put in the tee and completed up to the drivers rear. This is where I had to run to the parts store to pick up some different lines. FFR sent plenty of line, no shortage on their part, but I don't have a tool to flare, and the three lines I needed was less than the cost of the flaring tool. I bought 1ea 20" and 2ea 30". I used the first 30" from the 60" FFR line from the front to the tee, then a 30" up to the drivers side rear.

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The 20" line, along with the 60" FFR line made it to the passenger rear;

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I have temp used some zip ties until all the other lines and wiring is done in case I need to make an adjustment later.

I have one of those vacuum brake line bleeders so you can bleed by yourself (doesn't sound right!). So I filled up the reservoir, and like your supposed to, started from the farthest point and work to the closest. Worked pretty good, nice firm pedal. Had one leak, tightened it a little more, should be good to go. Took me about 6 hours, FYI.

[Aloha818]

I think FFR might have changed the height location of the pedal. Some others have posted that the pedal was too close to the floor. The pedal bracket sent to me was different than the manual and the little hole that is supposed to be the line up point for the cable to go through was about 2" lower than what lines up with this bracket now. Or I could be totally wrong and can't read pictures!

Looks different than all the other builds with one big brake pedal and no clutch pedal;

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FYI, the bottom of my gas pedal is 3 3/4" off the steel floor.

Also, the instructions were a little lacking on how to bolt the cable shell to the firewall when you have to drill a 1/2" hole to get the cable end and plastic washer through. So my answer was to cut halfway through a fender washer and slip the cable through. The split nut that goes on the inside of the firewall is pretty cool, I've never seen one before.

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[WIS89]

She's looking great! You have been making steady progress, and really knocking it out. Do you have a completion date in mind?

Glad you were able to take care of the brake lines so easily (relatively ;-o) ). That is a part of my build that has me a bit concerned.

Everything is looking sharp!

Regards,

Steve

[Aloha818]

Thanks for the positive comments!!

My rough schedule is to have drivable (no body) by the end of November, and 95% complete by end of year.

[Aloha818]

Started on the fuel tank Sunday. Like others, I didn't feel comfortable bolting the tank in with the bottom being metal on metal. I had some 3M sound deadening sheets left over from another project so I cut some sections and stuck them on before the tank went in;

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Nice day, so I went home, grabbed my wife and we ran across the street for a little sun time.

23018

Went back to work on the 818 and started putting the fuel pump together. I had ordered a Walbro 255 kit and with the the FFR parts nothing else is used from the donor. My soldering station is at home so I called it a day. My wife and I, son and his girlfriend thought it would be a great way to end the weekend by dinning at the top of the Ilikai;

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With a little Strawberry desert to finish it off;

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After work Monday I did get to finish off the pump assembly and installed in the tank along with the float. All was pretty straight forward from the manual, other than it does take some finagling to kind of "fold" the assembly at the rivet point and "work" to get everything throughout the opening. I had to move around the hose clamp head to get it in;

23021

Now onto the cooling system!

[Aloha818]

I have probably spent about 30 hours researching tire brands, models, suppliers, and shipping. Most time trying to figure out what tire I wanted, then trying to find a supplier with decent pricing and mostly shipping price.

Just when I thought I knew what tire I wanted, it wouldn't come in staggered sizes, or on back order, or shipping too high. I talked to my friends here in Hawaii to see if anyone had a friend in the business, not much luck. I visited over 5 different tire stores and called every other store on the island, either way overpriced, unavailable but could order, then high cost/shipping. Almost gave in and was going to get BF Goodrich Comp-2's from Sears, online order, deliver to store.

But I really wanted a softer tire. Even though I have an S version, and there is no designated track here in Hawaii, I wanted a barely street legal tire. Being that's its always warm here, this will be a weekend car, I'm not really concerned with wet water traction and shorter wear.

In my research, and also a comment by Xusia, I really started liking the Federal 595 RS-Racing tire. There is a pretty long thread on Nasioc about this tire, but not much else on the web in the way of reviews. So after deciding this was the tire I started searching for a supplier, onlinetires had the best price, but their only shipping option is FedEx at almost the same price as the tires, Performanceplustire had a little higher price, but with free shipping made the overall price lower. So I clicked away and ordered, happy that tire buying was over, and on to other parts to shop for.

Then came the call Monday morning, even though I filled out every form with my Hawaii address, and even used their shipping calculator to calculate shipping to Hawaii, they don't really ship to Hawaii free as they do for the lower 48. By now I was too worn out shopping for tires (like you are probably from reading about it), so out came the CC and another $150 gone. The lower cost on shipping means cargo ship instead of plane, so I'll have to wait a couple weeks for them to arrive. Good looking tire at a reasonable cost though;

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Due to these tires running a little wider than some brands, I ordered 215/45-17's for the front and 245/35-18's for the rear. Should fit pretty square on my 7" wide front and 8.75" rear wheels.

[longislandwrx]

With a little Strawberry desert to finish it off;

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Reminds me of the time I set the table on fire in the DR. Waiter said ok "blow it out"... which was synonymous with "ok blow flaming alcohol all over the table" We were ok, the table cloth went into early retirement.

My fuel pump comes today so after trick or treating i'll get my tank buttoned up as well.

[VD2021]

I have probably spent about 30 hours researching tire brands, models, suppliers, and shipping. Most time trying to figure out what tire I wanted, then trying to find a supplier with decent pricing and mostly shipping price.

Just when I thought I knew what tire I wanted, it wouldn't come in staggered sizes, or on back order, or shipping too high. I talked to my friends here in Hawaii to see if anyone had a friend in the business, not much luck. I visited over 5 different tire stores and called every other store on the island, either way overpriced, unavailable but could order, then high cost/shipping. Almost gave in and was going to get BF Goodrich Comp-2's from Sears, online order, deliver to store.

But I really wanted a softer tire. Even though I have an S version, and there is no designated track here in Hawaii, I wanted a barely street legal tire. Being that's its always warm here, this will be a weekend car, I'm not really concerned with wet water traction and shorter wear.

In my research, and also a comment by Xusia, I really started liking the Federal 595 RS-Racing tire. There is a pretty long thread on Nasioc about this tire, but not much else on the web in the way of reviews. So after deciding this was the tire I started searching for a supplier, onlinetires had the best price, but their only shipping option is FedEx at almost the same price as the tires, Performanceplustire had a little higher price, but with free shipping made the overall price lower. So I clicked away and ordered, happy that tire buying was over, and on to other parts to shop for.

Then came the call Monday morning, even though I filled out every form with my Hawaii address, and even used their shipping calculator to calculate shipping to Hawaii, they don't really ship to Hawaii free as they do for the lower 48. By now I was too worn out shopping for tires (like you are probably from reading about it), so out came the CC and another $150 gone. The lower cost on shipping means cargo ship instead of plane, so I'll have to wait a couple weeks for them to arrive. Good looking tire at a reasonable cost though;

23022

Due to these tires running a little wider than some brands, I ordered 215/45-17's for the front and 245/35-18's for the rear. Should fit pretty square on my 7" wide front and 8.75" rear wheels.

I remember ordering things from CONUS when I was on the island. Shipping definitely becomes part of the item price, total cost wise.

In this situation I would have considered adding an additional front and rear to the order for the just in case, tire issue, scenario.

[DodgyTim]

I hear you on the frustration with shipping costs
Quoted price for 4 tires to Australia is $330 shipping for a $700 purchase, really adds to the costs, but still cheaper than local purchase.
Every time I fly through the US I end up exactly on the weight limit, last time was 4 enkei Tenjins, next week is 4 BFG g-force Rivals, Xmas trip will be a front diff and flywheel!
One reason for buying the enkeis was a front+back weighed 50lbs, so I could spend more on the wheels to get lighter ones that didn't incur excess baggage costs:cool:

[DodgyTim]

...

[wleehendrick]

I had ordered a Walbro 255 kit and with the the FFR parts nothing else is used from the donor.

So just you just got the pump with a standard WRX install kit? Then no donor pieces are used? That sounds like the way to go. I've inventoried my parts, but haven't dug into my fuel system yet enough to be familiar with it.

[longislandwrx]

So just you just got the pump with a standard WRX install kit? Then no donor pieces are used? That sounds like the way to go. I've inventoried my parts, but haven't dug into my fuel system yet enough to be familiar with it.


correct, you just need the pump and wiring, if you get the install kit you don't need any donor parts from the tank.

[WIS89]

Great seeing the updates. Sorry about the shipping in paradise! I know it must be frustrating.

How come your hula girl didn't go to the beach and dinner with you all? I don't think people would have looked at you funny at all. ;-o)

Can't wait to see the finished R!

Regards,

Steve

[RM1SepEx]

Can you check to see how your steering rack lines up? My WRX rack appears to be mounted about .75 inches too far to the left. I can't align both wheels straight with the rack centered. there are not enough threads on the tie rod end

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23040

[Aloha818]

Can you check to see how your steering rack lines up? My WRX rack appears to be mounted about .75 inches too far to the left. I can't align both wheels straight with the rack centered. there are not enough threads on the tie rod end

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23040


I will take measurements tomorrow afternoon and send right away, getting ready for a crazy night in Waikiki. They go crazy here for Halloween!

[Aloha818]

Great seeing the updates. Sorry about the shipping in paradise! I know it must be frustrating.

How come your hula girl didn't go to the beach and dinner with you all? I don't think people would have looked at you funny at all. ;-o)

Can't wait to see the finished R!

Regards,

Steve

You know I don't mean to come off sounding like I'm complaining about the shipping cost per se, more about the info to others. Shipping expense is my "Hawaiian Tax" for being able to be here!

I guess you all should know my wife doesn't know about my Hula Girl, as a matter of fact she hasn't seen the 818 yet either. So it would be like bringing your girlfriend out to dinner with your wife if Hula Girl tagged along!

[Aloha818]

I hear you on the frustration with shipping costs
Quoted price for 4 tires to Australia is $330 shipping for a $700 purchase, really adds to the costs, but still cheaper than local purchase.
Every time I fly through the US I end up exactly on the weight limit, last time was 4 enkei Tenjins, next week is 4 BFG g-force Rivals, Xmas trip will be a front diff and flywheel!
One reason for buying the enkeis was a front+back weighed 50lbs, so I could spend more on the wheels to get lighter ones that didn't incur excess baggage costs:cool:


So your bringing your 818 back home 50lbs at a time, gonna take a lot of flights :)

I really liked the Rivals too, the places I called on the west coast said they were out of stock.

What brings you to the US so often, if you don't mind me asking?

[Aloha818]

I remember ordering things from CONUS when I was on the island. Shipping definitely becomes part of the item price, total cost wise.

In this situation I would have considered adding an additional front and rear to the order for the just in case, tire issue, scenario.

Thanks for commenting!

I'm going to try out these tires first, if I don't like them it would be a waste to have spares. Since no one has really posted driving experiences none of us know what we really should buy for these cars yet.

[longislandwrx]

Aloha, was the heat shrink tubing included? I could have sworn I saw it in a box but when it came time to do my pump I can't find it nor my personal stash.:/

[Aloha818]

Reminds me of the time I set the table on fire in the DR. Waiter said ok "blow it out"... which was synonymous with "ok blow flaming alcohol all over the table" We were ok, the table cloth went into early retirement.

My fuel pump comes today so after trick or treating i'll get my tank buttoned up as well.

I bet everyone panicked! Our waiter dribbled a little flaming alcohol on the table cloth, he blew it out before any damage. Maybe that's part of the draw of ordering flaming deserts, to see if the restaurant burns down!

Good luck on the fuel pump install. Just think a little more than I did on how it has to bend to fit into the opening, save you a few mins moving some of the fittings around. Also, if you got the walbro kit there is a little round clip that keeps the filter in place, I almost didn't see it to install.

[Aloha818]

Aloha, was the heat shrink tubing included? I could have sworn I saw it in a box but when it came time to do my pump I can't find it nor my personal stash.:/

Mine didn't have any shrink wrap that I saw easily. I had some at home from another project, so I didn't really look to see if any was sent.

[longislandwrx]

I've heard regular shrink swells when put in fuel, and that special fuel resistant shrink should be used. I'll have to order some. Thank you sir and have a happy Halloween.

[Aloha818]

I know this has absolutely nothing to do with building my 818, except for the fact that I didn't work on it tonight to enjoy the Waikiki Halloween Party. Here are a few shots;


We started off at the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner and drinks, Clark Kent was our server;

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By 8:00 pm the streets are packed, can barely walk;

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Saw a few vampires and devils;

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Did I mention devils?;

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A couple passing by;

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Even little red riding hood;

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And the pilot that will be flying the tourists home off this rock;

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[DodgyTim]

I fly-in / fly-out to Peru every 5 weeks
Engineering for mining is dead in Australia, but our Lima office is flat chat.
I could fly through Santiago, it is a little quicker, but there is no 818 parts shopping there :cool:
also the LA outlet malls allow me to limit spousal revenge spending
The hidden cost of good tires this time is a Fossil handbag for the wife.......talk about stressful, I have no fashion sense at all and " just buy me something nice" strikes fear into me

[fastthings]

That looked like a blast. Gorgeous women.

[Aloha818]

Can you check to see how your steering rack lines up? My WRX rack appears to be mounted about .75 inches too far to the left. I can't align both wheels straight with the rack centered. there are not enough threads on the tie rod end

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23040

So I hope this helps, I have only just eyeballed everything.

Inside rotor to inside rotor I have about 58 1/2", from the center of the pinion (probably not the right choice of word, but I'm referring to the round thing on the top side of the rack) to the top mounting hole location for the LCA is 7";

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From the center of the "pinion" to the inside of the driver side rotor is 21 3/4".

Like I said, I have only eyeballed everything so far, but my rod ends are closer to the end of the threads than they were on the donor. But it does seem like I have enough threads left for adjustment.

[Aloha818]

Sounds like fun! Although those long flights are a pain in the rear, literally!

Do you ever stop in Hawaii? My 818 is about 25 mins from the airport if you have enough of a layover.

My wife has a handbag fetish, I wouldn't have a clue what I would buy if she wanted me too!

[Aloha818]

That looked like a blast. Gorgeous women.

Hawaii has more holidays than on the mainland in the first place, and most feature full on parades will large crowds. They go especially crazy for Halloween! By 8:30 pm the sidewalks are so full you can't move. I guess I get a little claustrophobic when it gets this crowded and its time for me to leave. But probably 80% of the people are in costume, there are several Beer Gardens for your drinking pleasure, and well, if you like Asian and Polynesian women you would be hard to find a better place be be.

[RM1SepEx]

what donor is your rack from? It appears to be dimensionally the same as my 05-07 rack. When I center mine the left side's inner pivot ball is about 1 inch closer to the center of the car, on the right side it is 2 inches from the pivot closer to the center of the car.

On the right side you can see it is about 2 inches towards the center of the car.

Your rack appears to match ours. If I try to align the car with the rack dead center my right tie rod end only screws in about 2 full threads. That isn't safe... so you need to cheat towards the right on the position of the rack. If you looked at the bump steer info, you can see that position of this point relative to the A Arm pivots determines bump steer. If you want it to be the same on the left and the right you need to cheat about 1/2 inch towards the right. If you do this with r the rack being off center at straight you change the amout of wheel rotation on each side, increasing one, decreasing the other.

Bob in Cincy took care of it by shifting his rack to the right 1/2 inch. That increases bump steer geometry on the left and decreases it on the right. I want to leave it where it is on the left and reduce it on the right, that's why I want to space out the rack an inch + to position both sides in the same place relative to those points w/o moving the rack.

I don't know how much bump exists, but I'm unwilling to simply cheat and have the rack turn one way more than the other...

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sorry for the poor quality photos. You can see 1.5 inches of avail thread on the right and 1/4 on the left

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Bob in Cincy took care of it by shifting his rack to the right 1/2 inch. That increases bump steer geometry on the left and decreases it on the right. I want to leave it where it is on the left and reduce it on the right, that's why I want to space out the rack an inch + to position both sides in the same place relative to those points w/o moving the rack.



Dan
I disagree with this. By moving my rack to the center. My suspension now matches my original donor. If I have any bumb steer, It will be equal on both sides.
Bob

[Aloha818]

what donor is your rack from?


The rack is from my 2000 imprezza outback sport. I hope those ahead of me have some driving impressions to see if this is an issue before I complete.

[Aloha818]

I started on the cooling system during the week, followed the manual, again pretty straight forward. I had also bought a new t-stat and housing (housing damaged in wreck), put that in, ran both rear flex lines and both hard side lines. Then installed the front nose frame and had everything laid out to install the radiator for today.

I had also bought a new radiator, new radiator hoses, new top radiator mount brackets, and both upper and lower radiator mounting rubber bushings.

Like others, the radiator sat too low and the lower hose would rub the steering boot. So like others I used the rubber bushings from the FFR shifter base and slid onto the lower radiator pins to "shim" up the radiator a bit.

I did my top mount brackets a little different than the manual, I hope I don't end up with a problem with height and a conflict with body panels;

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And yes, I know I'm missing a hose clamp. Forgot to get new ones and FFR only sends what is not supposed to come from your donor. Then I dumped in a gallon of 50/50 mix just to say I'm almost done!

While I was in fabrication mode I went ahead and cut the front axle shaft ends flush to the seal ring;

23107

Then cut down the power steering bracket to hold just the alternator adjuster. It seems my alternator mount is a little more forward, I couldn't see how I could make a shaft with rod ends like others have done;

23108

So in case you breezed past my posts about the engine for this build, it's a 2000 imprezza outback sport EJ22. And I'm adding a turbo. I purchased a TD04 from a forester with less than 30k miles, but it did not come with the mounting bracket. So I picked one off eBay. It came in but I guess my engine does not have the same bolt locations, so this will have to be modified some. But here it is with one bolt in;

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As you can see in the pics I also picked up a new set of fuel rails and a Kinugawa Turbo downpipe elbow from eBay.

Made a list of all the parts I need to fabricate the fuel lines from the tank to the fuel rails. The "getto" turbo setup I'm using runs from the stock computer, but to compensate for the additional fuel required I will be increasing fuel pressure without the computer knowing. This requires a little higher rating on the fuel lines than what was sent by FFR.

I also made the cover for the rear of the auto trans but forgot to take a pic.

Almost,ready to tackle the wiring! I will be working on building a custom set of headers and exhaust, most of the pre-bent stainless steel pieces have arrived.

[Aloha818]

My donor rear axle assembly (1998 Forester) was not compatible with the FFR supplied Axle's. After a bit of research and exploring other options it was easier/cheaper to buy a set of axle's from a 2002-2005 Imprezza and hope the spline count of the axle going into the donor hub would work.

I found a set of axles's on eBay, $80 and shipped for free.

They took a couple weeks to arrive, but they did solve the compatibility problem. I put them together tonight and they are ready to install. One problem solved;

23210

[longislandwrx]

great progress. what's your plan for an intercooler? stock tmic?

[Aloha818]

Thanks for your interest. I'm still researching at this point, but looking at dual water to air like Eric did. Seems a waste not to use the perfectly good openings! Also planning on using the side openings for a motor oil cooler on one side and the transmission cooler on the other.

Braided fuel lines/fittings for my parallel fuel feed upgrade, tires, etc arrived this week, plenty to work on!

[KauaiMK4]

Aloha818,

I live on Kauai, and just ordered a MK4 kit, and am interested in what company you are using to get your kit shipped over.

Good luck with your build!

[Aloha818]

KauaiMK4, I used Honolulu Freight.

They arranged the complete shipment from pick-up in MA @FFR to Honolulu. No issues other than FFR does not yet have a verified/standard weight for the 818, not sure about a MK4. Jay gave me an estimate of 1500-1600 lbs, which is what I gave to Honolulu Freight. However, FFR shipping dept. put 2500lbs on the bill of laden. Now Honolulu Freight wants additional money for the additional weight. So far Honolulu Freight has not provided me with me with certified scale receipt so the actual weight and/or if I have to pay extra is unresolved.

Good luck on your project! I'm having a great time picking new parts and upgrades, and of course building.

[Aloha818]

This weekend was the completion of one of the phases of the project I'm running here in Hawaii, no time for my Hula Girl this weekend!

I did sneak a few mins away and get the wheels and tires mated and a photo op!

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I'm really happy with my choices on the wheels and tires. I probably could have have gone with 225 f and 255 r but with the difference being less than 3/8" of an inch I probably won't have to worry about anything rubbing and should still fill the wheel wells. And with my other deviations this will be one less possible issue.

I really need to finish the panel riveting work! Looking forward to exhaust fab, fuel lines, and electrical work. Almost all my currently ordered parts have arrived, sitting waiting for me.

[Xusia]

I've got 2 questions for you:
1. Do you really think the 225s will work in the front and clear everything?
2. How is the fitment with the body panels? I'm particularly interested in whether or not the offset is good or needs adjustment.

[Aloha818]

I've got 2 questions for you:
1. Do you really think the 225s will work in the front and clear everything?
2. How is the fitment with the body panels? I'm particularly interested in whether or not the offset is good or needs adjustment.

Xusia, I haven't installed or test fit the body panels, or made a rough alignment. FFR and others have used the 225/f and 255/r sizes and I can only assume they have adjusted/ordered the backset to fit. The rears clear all the suspension by 1/2", and the fronts clear all the suspension easily (didn't measure).

My rims are 7" on the front and 8.75" on the rear so either size is within the tire manufacturers spec.

I chose to go on the smaller tire size just to have a little insurance. And I think the tire to wheel fit looks perfect, not stretched or bulged.

More observations to come as I build!

[metalmaker12]

Xusia, I haven't installed or test fit the body panels, or made a rough alignment. FFR and others have used the 225/f and 255/r sizes and I can only assume they have adjusted/ordered the backset to fit. The rears clear all the suspension by 1/2", and the fronts clear all the suspension easily (didn't measure).

My rims are 7" on the front and 8.75" on the rear so either size is within the tire manufacturers spec.

I chose to go on the smaller tire size just to have a little insurance. And I think the tire to wheel fit looks perfect, not stretched or bulged.

More observations to come as I build!

I have body fitment pics with my wheels, 17x8 215/40,f ans 18x9 255-35 r, I will post in coming days

[Aloha818]

What is everyone doing for a muffler? Cats? Will the factory EMS throw codes without a cat?

[metalmaker12]

What is everyone doing for a muffler? Cats? Will the factory EMS throw codes without a cat?

You don't need a cat, the ecu will work fine

[RM1SepEx]

I need a cat for a sticker... right now just the cat, not too loud, long term bellmouth, cat, muffler, tail pipe all 3"

[Xusia]

Xusia, I haven't installed or test fit the body panels, or made a rough alignment. FFR and others have used the 225/f and 255/r sizes and I can only assume they have adjusted/ordered the backset to fit. The rears clear all the suspension by 1/2", and the fronts clear all the suspension easily (didn't measure).

My rims are 7" on the front and 8.75" on the rear so either size is within the tire manufacturers spec.

I chose to go on the smaller tire size just to have a little insurance. And I think the tire to wheel fit looks perfect, not stretched or bulged.

More observations to come as I build!

Your front is ET+35, and the rear is ET+33, correct?


I have body fitment pics with my wheels, 17x8 215/40,f ans 18x9 255-35 r, I will post in coming days

Thanks, I appreciate that, but there is really no need. Aloha818 has both the exact wheels and tires I want. It's important because of the odd sizes/ET of the wheels, and because the Federal RS-R is actually wider than indicated. This combines to make comparisons to other setups not very helpful. But again, I appreciate the offer! :)

[wallace18]

What is everyone doing for a muffler? Cats? Will the factory EMS throw codes without a cat?

I am going to use an Vortex cone from Summit that will fit in my 3" pipe. Part # DTC-772-32520

[Aloha818]

Your front is ET+35, and the rear is ET+33, correct?



Thanks, I appreciate that, but there is really no need. Aloha818 has both the exact wheels and tires I want. It's important because of the odd sizes/ET of the wheels, and because the Federal RS-R is actually wider than indicated. This combines to make comparisons to other setups not very helpful. But again, I appreciate the offer! :)

Both front and rear were ordered as +35, I have not measured them.

Part of the reason I went with the smaller width was from reading about how the RS-R's run wide. But some of the reviews were conflicting, based on different widths, so I erred on smaller size.

Part of my decision was that others had said its best to keep a 30 difference between front and rear, and since no power steering, a 215 width might help a little with parking! 90% of the time this 818 will be parked in a parking garage somewhere.

[Aloha818]

I am going to use an Vortex cone from Summit that will fit in my 3" pipe. Part # DTC-772-32520

Thanks for the reply!

I am unfamiliar with this, I looked up the part number @Summit. I understand that a turbo kills some sound, what is the sound effect with the cone?

[Aloha818]

I've been putting off installing the interior panels, one because I'm still designing/ordering parts to add a turbo to this EJ22, so fuel lines, mounting, exhaust, and water/oil supply lines, two because it is my least favorite task.

So almost all the oil/fuel/water line parts have been ordered, so I was out of excuses and started back on the panels. The belly pan under the seats about killed me! I have tried to keep the rivet spacing at 3" as much as possible on all the aluminum, including the belly pan which is about 80 rivets. This has been the hardest physical work so far on my build!

23432

So now I have a good idea on the final interior dimensions. I need to decide on seats, but needed the opening size. Fo those interested, it is 20 3/4" between the side aluminum panel and the console aluminum panel, the aluminum console panel is 5 1/2" wide, and the distance from the face of the rear aluminum panel to the inside of the angled crossbar at the seat front is 22"

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I can see why some have opted to remove the angle steel brace in front of the seats. I am reluctant to remove mine yet, until there is more data. Convertibles already tend to have more body flex than sedans due to the strength added by the roof, I have to think this brace helps with that.

I'm 5'8" so I should have enough legroom with the standard tank, but worried I might need to move closer and the bar will be in the way.

Makes seat shopping even more challenging!

[RM1SepEx]

at 5'8" you won't need the seat closer. I removed my brace for my wife who is petite... only 5'1" tall

[handyjimdandy]

Just ordered 818s kit. I'm a year out for delivery. Will looking for a better deal on shipping, I hope! Need to find a 2006 wrx on Big Island, Again I hope! Glad to see another Hawaiin building one.

[Aloha818]

Congrats on the order! Let me know if your ever in Honolulu and you can come by and see what you ordered.

[Aloha818]

I'm at that stage of the build where it takes hours to get small items done, and pics don't seem to capture the effort.

Still working on fabbing up the brackets to hold the turbo, on my 4th adjustment. Piecing together the oil supply/return, water supply/return, silicone intake system and the whole fuel supply system.

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I'm in the process of moving the turbo over to the passenger side about 2" and then it will line up with the output of the turbo. The elbow out of the turbo transitions to 3" and then the path remains 3" through the intercooler until the transition coupling at the throttle body.

Ordered an AEM universal fuel pressure regulator, it has provisions for -6AN line size Im using, when it arrives this week I will be done with the fuel system.

Mounted the charcoal canister (from a Miata) on the DS frame @coilover.

Ordered/installed a smaller aluminum reservoir that is in the path of the coolant supply to the turbo and mounted high so I hope it will help burp the system. I am using the two ports that previously supplied heat to the throttle body for the turbo coolant connections. The plastic overflow container next to it will perform its intended function, also ordered one for the front radiator overflow. ($9.98 delivered)

For oil supply I installed an adapter into the oil gallery next to the crankcase vent, then tapped the oil pan for the return.

A handful of items arriving this week should finish this stage.

Started laying out the wiring, next challenge.

I will be working the exhaust in between the electrical as I have a friend that is going to do the pretty stainless welding for me. As this engine has single port heads and no equal length headers available (especially to a turbo) the entire exhaust system will be custom. I ordered a 3" round Borla XR-1 racing muffler going straight out the rear with a nice stainless tip.

Great to see more builders posting about their builds! Eventually the perfect 818 will be built as a result of all the collective contributions!

[wallace18]

Looking good! You are doing some nice work.

[Wayne Presley]

Very nice work!

[riptide motorsport]

Love the hula girl!!!

[Aloha818]

Looking good! You are doing some nice work.


Very nice work!

Thanks, the compliments coming from you guys means a lot!

I fight myself everyday to keep moving forward one system at a time. My personality is that I have a hard time finishing loose ends if I leave them. So I force myself to complete each task so I don't end up with 100 loose ends to finish.

After I finished moving the turbo location for the 4th time, I indulged myself and stuck the passenger body side and the rear wheel/tire on (no fasteners) for inspiration!

It worked! Inspired for at least another week.

[Aloha818]

Love the hula girl!!!

Thanks, she is always ready for a couple quick pics, never complains that I spend time on the 818, even watches my progress without making any negative comments!

[Aloha818]

Has anyone thought about cutting the shaft off a little, maybe 1 1/2". It would close the gap up a little between the column cover trim and the dash, maybe make it a little easier to get in and out?

Looks like there is room at the end of the shaft.

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Anyone that has go carted, would you think moving it forward would be a benefit?

[Aloha818]

I finished moving the turbo over to the passenger side about 2". Now it lines up with the intercooler.

23787

Since I need to see what space is available for the wiring and placement of fuse blocks, EMS, A/T controller, etc, I tacked up both side sails and the rear bumper. So far my auto trans modification fits within the body;

23788

So after spending about an hour staring at the mass of wire;

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I dug in and started labeling the connectors. On my last project I bought a label maker. In prep for the wiring I printed out the entire wiring schematics for my model/year.

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After spending some time labeling and getting a feel for the design of the factory harness I started measuring distances, space available, and what best would fit where. I try in my projects, not always attained, to make the final result as close to what would seem like it came from the factory that way.

I am comfortable cutting, soldering, shrink wrapping, and modifying the harness as needed to fit, especially with a full set of schematics. So to minimize the amount of cutting the wire that stays, and to place components in logical locations, the EMS will be in the space above the fuel tank behind the passenger seat, I made a bracket to hold the fuse block and mounted up high on the firewall inside above the passenger footwell (the wire coming out from behind the block will be routed up then down through the tunnel to be out of the way), and then the power distribution panel under the hood just in front of the windshield.

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I have only spent the day working on this so far, but it looks like most of the wires I need to keep will either fit or need to be shortened. So far only the alternator wires need lengthened, I'm sure there will some more. I can see me spending a good week or so on the wiring stage since I will be be basically building a complete harness.

[Aloha818]

Got to spend a full day in my little shop, un-interrupted, while everyone else is out shopping.

The BOV and hose adapter arrived so I was able to button that up and check clearances;

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There is about an inch and a half from the top of the BOV to the deck lid.

I put the air filter out close to the body side, basically 90 degree turn out from the turbo, so that it can pick up the fresh air coming through the body side vent. Since my final turbo mount location is a little more rearward (about 2") I did not go under the intake manifold before the 90 degree turn. This will help to pick up fresh air but cut into the space for the muffler. The Borla I picked up has a 15" body, going to be tight.

Made some decent progress on the wiring. Mounted the ECU in the space behind the passenger seat, above the fuel tank. I had already installed the engine harness, but pulled it back out to rework the loom to move the two large connectors to be pointing forward, as opposed to pointing rearward. This gave enough slack that I did not have to cut or splice any wires coming from the ECU. I also split the loom and separated the wiring going to the O2 sensors and it looks like that will also now reach. The wire loom with the two large connectors for the auto trans will have to be lengthened by a good 3 feet.

So time wise I have a little less than 2 days in so far. The main power block, fuse panel, ECU, engine harness, front lights, horn, turn signals, battery (in FFR supplied location), and alternator wiring is mounted/sorted out. I haven't terminated any of the front wiring yet, just run to the close location until body panels are installed.

So now that I have all the major termination points complete and the main cables terminated I can continue to "diet" the unneeded circuits and work on the dash and under dash components. All my front to back wiring runs through the tunnel, for me simpler to keep together and the shortest route.

Some looms require a complete tear down. For example, in the same factory loom is the brake fluid sensor and the starter, once inches apart, now at opposite ends.

I think I have dishpan hands, I cut on the looms, wash my hands to get all the sticky/oily/tape residue off, look through the schematics, print/install labels, route/modify looms, repeat.

I was called for dinner so I didn't take any day end pics.

My back ordered headlights arrived from FFR today, FYI. I think other than the door panels I have everything.

I'm thinking about picking up the Zeitronix ZR-2+ZT-2 multi-guages. One guage that you can toggle through, might look simpler. Anyone with any experience or other preference?

[metalmaker12]

Nice work, looks awesome!

[Aloha818]

Nice work, looks awesome!

Thanks, I'm having fun picking parts and figuring out proper placement for everything.

The wiring rework is getting tiresome though! So much time, but looks like you haven't done anything.

But some deliveries perked up my day;

Head unit
24222

Speakers
24223

Seats
24224

It looks like the best place for the mid-woofer is in each side kick panel, the tweeters will go in each door. The head unit is pretty cool, will play FLAC files and Pandora through my iPhone, no CD, so it is only like 4" deep and weighs nothing. After I finish the car I will evaluate the addition of an amp and subs. But since the head unit, tweeter, and mid-woofer will be visible and affect finishes, I'm putting in now.

The custom shifter cable for my auto trans was done so I picked that up (no pic yet)

And I dropped off an exhaust flange gasket at a local metal shop to get a couple stainless header flanges water jetted. I couldn't find any available for my single port heads to make the exhaust out of. They are also doing some custom work for the project I'm on, so only $50 each.

[GUNS]

Looking great, you are moving right along!

[Mechie3]

The wiring rework is getting tiresome though! So much time, but looks like you haven't done anything.


That's the worst part. "I was just here for 4 hours, and what exactly did I do? I'm not sure, because everything still looks the same".

[b1doby]

I must force myself daily to finish projects. Loose ends for me become problems never finished.

I take great joy scratching things off my to do list.

Thank you for such a great job sharing your build with me.

[Aloha818]

I must force myself daily to finish projects. Loose ends for me become problems never finished.

I take great joy scratching things off my to do list.

Thank you for such a great job sharing your build with me.

Your welcome on the sharing! For me taking the time to take pictures and post is part giving back, park record keeping, part being a part of the community, and part ego.

I am really pushing myself to complete the wiring, and I am the same way, if I don't finish as I go I'll have too many loose ends.

For me the wiring is not hard work, or a mental challenge, but boring and tedious! I've been on this for 3 weeks and just now seeing daylight. I have to admit though that I am basically building a new harness. I have mounted the main power fuse box in the front with the battery in the FFR location, the fuse box under the passenger dash, the trans and engine ecu's over the fuel tank, and all the relays will be under the dash. My plan was to build as what the factory might have done. So it has taken considerable time to purge unneeded wires, lengthen wires and shorten wires. All my joints are soldered and covered with shrink wrap.

I have also had a few interruptions with the holidays and parties (sorry, don't have cold weather to blame!)

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And then one of my friends just picked up a new (to him) Ferrari 599

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I think in another 3-4 hours I will finally be ready to start on the exhaust!

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Great job on the wiring. You are the first one that I've seen (oem ECU) that has a reasonable amount of wiring in the tunnel.
Bob

[longislandwrx]

Nice work, and a picture of one of, if not my favorite Ferraris.

[Aloha818]

Nice work, and a picture of one of, if not my favorite Ferraris.

Thanks, hope you and everyone has had a great Christmas!

I'm running back to the mainland the first week or so of January, but when I get back I will get a chance to drive the 599. It's a 2007, all options, the exhaust add was more than a finished 818. ;)

[Aloha818]

Now that I finally "completed" the wiring, I jumped into the exhaust. I still have to button up the runs to the lights and under dash when the body/lights goes in. I need to complete the fabrication of the exhaust and some other mods I'm doing before I put gas in the tank and the engine started, no reason to hurry and weld with gas around, but I was able to power everything up, crank the engine, and verify the fuel pump kick on.

My engine is a 2000 EJ22, single port heads, non-turbo, but I'm adding one. So all exhaust work has to be fabricated. So I bought 1 5/8" SS pre-bent shapes to run from each head, the 2" SS pre-bent shaped to run to the turbo. From output of the turbo I bought a downpipe elbow, 3" SS pipe, Magnaflow SS muffler and a SS tip, exhaust through the rear vent.

To make it easier I laid one of the FFR sheet aluminum panels under the engine and used a plumb laser to mark the exhaust openings, frame rails, oil filter, oil pan, etc so I could fab on the table instead of under the car;
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Here is everything fitted up to the turbo flange, ready for my friend to weld up. I used some gorilla tape to hold everything together to show the shape;
24764

Then I shortened up the downpipe elbow I bought for a straighter path, (did not not use any of the FFR supplied exhaust parts, FYI) cut an angle on a piece of the 3" SS pipe, cut a temp hole in the rear bumper (will use hole for support while I fab a bracket, then cut out the rest of the area for the FFR supplied screen) and slipped in the SS tip;
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[Aloha818]

Now that I have seats (not installed yet), stereo head unit, extra guages ordered (one came in), I started trying to come up with a plan for the dash and center console.

My list of items to fit in are,

1) head unit
2) air/fuel guage
3) boost pressure guage
4) dual EGT guage
5) fuel pressure guage
6) oil pressure guage
7) Lokar emergency brake handle
8) auto gear selector
9) cup holder (most important)
10) 12v power port

At this point I have cut out the steel face that will hold the head unit and the guages and measured out the fitment for everything else. The gear selector will go in the tunnel to the front, then the cup holder, then the E-brake handle. I think I am going to put the 12v power port in the vertical 1/4" alum panel just above the E-brake handle between the seats, then the power cord won't be cluttering up the front;
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To be a little different I'm using guages from a company called Westach. Their main customer is aircraft, but the prices are reasonable and I like the look.

The steering wheel location (to far rearward) and the gap between the cover and the dash bugs me. My next mod will be to shorten the steering u-joint and shorten the shaft going into the u-joint about 1 1/2"-2". I will also have to modify the mounting point under the dash, we will see how this works out;
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After a long day I dropped on the trunk lids and placed the seats for some inspiration;
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I played a little with the height, feels about right with 2" between the bottom of the seat and the top of the steel frame. The slider is 1" thick, so should be reasonable to fab up some brackets.

[07FIREBLADE]

Looking good. How much room is there from the bottom of the awic to the top of the tranny?

[Xusia]

Which NRG seats are those?

[Aloha818]

Looking good. How much room is there from the bottom of the awic to the top of the tranny?

Thanks,

On my setup, auto trans, there is about 4 1/2" between;
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I set the bottom of the awic so that there is 1/2" clearance between the bottom of the air inlet/outlet and the top of the frame crossover. Let me know if this answers your question.

[Aloha818]

Which NRG seats are those?

Sure, Ferrari XM2 Style.

Got them here;
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Let me know if you need anything else.

[Aloha818]

I've mentioned a couple time times here that I don't like the gap between the dash and the steering column cover. I've seen a couple builds where a filler was added to try and fix the gap, but for my size and sitting position the steering wheel seems too close also. I'm about 5'8" 170 lbs for reference.

I had also mentioned maybe cutting down the linkage, but no one tried to talk me out of it, so today I went for it! By cutting out the rod between both joints I removed about 3/4",
before;
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After;
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Then onto the column. On my column there was plenty of length of the splined section, there was a gap of about 1 1/4" between the body of the u-joint and the end of the splined shaft;
24806

So I cut off about 1 1/4" of the shaft to allow the u-joint to slide to the end of the shaft;
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In total I shaved off about 2".

So now I need to address the mounting point of the top of the column under the dash. So I cut a piece of metal plate roughly 3 1/2" x 5", drilled in a pair of slots for the anchor bolts, and attached to the top of the existing bracket via 4ea 1/4" spot welds;
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Now the gap is almost gone;
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After this mod, based on my seating position, I was able to bolt the column tight to the frame without any spacers. Partly, since the column is at an angle, by shortening the length I also lowered the steering wheel. The top of the opening for the instrument cluster is now right at the bottom of the top of the steering wheel, at least in my sitting position. This is with the tilt function all the way up.
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I am using my MB C240 for reference as it has a comfortable sitting position, views, distance to controls etc, for me. In my regular sitting position in the 240 the center of my chest is about 14 1/2" to the center of the steering wheel. Now with this mod, seats, etc, I have the same 14 1/2" distance.

[Buzz Skyline]

This is great. I too am about 5'8". Thanks for posting the details!

[Aloha818]

My donor is a 2000 model, the belts were grey and dirty. I was planning on buying some newer Subaru belts, but it seems like there are issues with binding if you use the side locations, and then not enough room to mount the belt return inside the cab without the seats hitting, and/or put them in the engine compartment and slot the aluminum above.

I was not happy with those options so I started looking at universal belts. I settled on and ordered a pair of these;
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The return body is small enough to fit inside the cab with 1 1/4" space to the rear of the seat (will be 1" after I mount the aluminum panel first permanently), at least on my configuration with the seat all the way back and the headrest touching the roll bar;
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The buckle is sheathed in a nice plastic extension, and about the right length, again for my configuration;
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And the color is a real black, not a grey black like the Subaru color;
24814

[metalmaker12]

hu'i hu'i build

[Aloha818]

hu'i hu'i build

Mahalo and Hau’oli Makahiki Hou!!

Off to the mainland today, build on hold for a week:(

[07FIREBLADE]

Thanks,

On my setup, auto trans, there is about 4 1/2" between;
24801

I set the bottom of the awic so that there is 1/2" clearance between the bottom of the air inlet/outlet and the top of the frame crossover. Let me know if this answers your question.

Yes it does. Trying to figure out if I can run an exhaust pipe through that opening. Where did you get your awic setup? Is it VCP? Mind giving details if it's from some other location.

[Aloha818]

Yes it does. Trying to figure out if I can run an exhaust pipe through that opening. Where did you get your awic setup? Is it VCP? Mind giving details if it's from some other location.

So far I have only purchased the piping, clamps and intercooler, these from www.frozenboost.com. They sell all the parts for a complete system, but I'm still deciding between a single or dual set of radiators.

[Junty]

wow - thanks for sharing the great idea moving the steering column forward. The location against the dash aesthetically looks much better. I appreciate you sharing this on the forum - it will help many of us who follow - with builds starting soon.

[Oppenheimer]

....The top of the opening for the instrument cluster is now right at the bottom of the top of the steering wheel, at least in my sitting position. This is with the tilt function all the way up.
24810


Nice. Did you procure the steering wheel you will be using yet? Be sure not to go too much smaller diameter than the stock one, lest the smaller wheel blocks your view of dash.

[Aloha818]

wow - thanks for sharing the great idea moving the steering column forward. The location against the dash aesthetically looks much better. I appreciate you sharing this on the forum - it will help many of us who follow - with builds starting soon.

Thanks for commenting!

I've been on vacation for a week (TN, FL) right in the cold spell! Glad to be back in paradise and get back to work on my 818.

I will be fitting the seats next, but with my first guess on seat location and height, the new steering wheel location makes the cockpit less claustrophobic and makes getting in and out of the car easier, besides feeling like it is the right distance for my reach and cleaner look at the fitment to the dash.

[Aloha818]

Nice. Did you procure the steering wheel you will be using yet? Be sure not to go too much smaller diameter than the stock one, lest the smaller wheel blocks your view of dash.

I have. It's about 14" (350mm) black carbon fiber with red stitching, should look good with my red and black seats.

It's not much smaller, I'm waiting a little bit to swap out to keep from damaging the new wheel.

The only pic I have on hand;

[DruOdil]

That looks great, what brand and model is it?
Dru

[Tdelta1]

I jumped right in and shortened the tailpiece to fit;

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I gave more detailed info in the general, engine/transmission thread.

I still need the measurement from the top of the frame to the center of the axle output to determine if I need to lower the rear of the trans, if anyone has the time.

Anyone have problems with the FFR axles not having matching splines on the wheel hub end? The axles FFR sent me have 29 splines, my rear hubs have 21. Jay said they have not had this issue before and that basically I'm on my own to resolve.

When I built my jeep I had to take the axles to a driveshaft shop to lengthen the front axle and shorten the rear, so I will take the axles down to them to cut/splice/balance.

Aloha818,

Thank you for sharing your build process and progress with us all. It gives forum newbies and future 818 builders the confidence to go forward with their own 818 build. I have a question about auto transmission used in your build, how did you cover the rear section of the auto transmission after cutting off the rear section? I think it would shed more light on auto transmission builds going forward.

Thank you,
Tdelta1

[Aloha818]

That looks great, what brand and model is it?
Dru

Dru I bought it on eBay, is a "Momo Style" wheel, not sure who actually makes it. Here is a pic of the listing from eBay that I bought, hope this helps you;

25125

[Aloha818]

Aloha818,

Thank you for sharing your build process and progress with us all. It gives forum newbies and future 818 builders the confidence to go forward with their own 818 build. I have a question about auto transmission used in your build, how did you cover the rear section of the auto transmission after cutting off the rear section? I think it would shed more light on auto transmission builds going forward.

Thank you,
Tdelta1


Here is a pic of the rear of the trans after the cut;
25126

Here is a pic to show the cut in relation to the bumper;
25127

I made just a simple cover plate from 3/32" steel to cover the openings, and used permatex gasket maker for sealing and I drilled and tapped 2 ea 8/32 holes into the trans and attached with 2 ea 8/32 SS screws. I though I took a pic of the completed cover installed but I can't find it. I will take a pic and post later.

Thanks for your interest and let me know if you need any additional info.

[Aloha818]

Tomorrow I will get back to the build. Been off island for a week visiting friends and family in TN and Fl. Took 21 hours Wednesday to get back to Honolulu from Orlando, via Atlanta and Las Vegas. Then one of my friends invited my wife and I out last night, when I really wanted to sleep. So we met at the Sheraton Waikiki;
25130

So he could give me these;
25129

So we could go to a private concert of;
25131

Lionel Richie put on a great performance, this was a small intimate venue that was really great up close and personal;
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Then if that wasn't enough, he started dancing with the attendees;
25134

I might interrupt the 818 build a little to run over to the Open and hang out in the skybox for a bit. But I'm suffering withdrawals from not working on the 818.

[Aloha818]

Having a hard time getting re-started after a week away. So after staring at it last night for a bit I figured my next project would be the seats.

I really didn't like idea of having voids under the seats, would collect more debris than typical and would be really hard to reach under and clean. So I decided to cover the top of the steel tube with some plate aluminum. The front and back can be supported by the frame, but the sides and middle lack support, so I siliconed and riveted some 1" square tube aluminum. I then ground flat the welds, painted black, ran another bead of silicone around the top of the tubing and added the plate;

25314

The seats I bought came with sliders but not mounting brackets. So I installed the sliders to the seats and test fit to see what to fabricate for mounts. After some measurements I decided to weld 5/16 nuts into the bottom of the slider track and since the 1" steel tube frame hits three of the slider mounting holes, I just drilled through the tube frame and used 2 1/2" grade 8 5/16 bolts from underneath. For the center rear location that missed the tube frame I just fabled up a small offset bracket.

The bottom of the seat is about 1 3/4" off the floor pan, just enough room that the slider adjustment arm clears the crossbar and is functional. Although the front to back movement is only about 2";

25315

The seating position feels pretty good at this point. The top of the seat is just above the cross bar so my legs don't rest on it. For my height I feel pretty good with the seat almost as far back as it goes, with the seat back angled to just about hit the roll bar.

[Aloha818]

I purchased a steering wheel and hub adapter on eBay, took the factory wheel off and started looking at how it all goes together. The Subaru has what I guess is called a "clock spring". It's a more positive way to keep a physical connection of the wire harness to the air bag, horn, and cruise, than the more primitive method of having a spring loaded pin rub on a copper ring of the back of the steering wheel.

So the dilemma of how to fit a copper ring style connection for the horn to the Subaru column. After reading various posts I also learned that part of the "clock springs" function is also to cancel the turn signal. So copying some ideas and adding some of my own, I cut off the center of the existing clock spring plastic shaft and with epoxy glued what I need off the shaft to clear the opening and still cancel the turn signal;
25673

Then for the horn I used just the back part of the clock spring case, drilled a hole for a rivet centered on the copper ring, used a modified safety pin, and with a wire connector riveted it all to the case;
25674

Double checked for a positive connection through the safety pin and bolted it all up;
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Anyone have any comments about changing the roll bar to hoops, like this;
25676

Besides two hoops instead of a bar, I also think it would look better made of 2" tubing. So I made a cardboard template to get a couple fabbed up;
25677

I will probably stretch the top a little wider, but the seat belt harness bar and rearward brace bar will still be retained. Any comments?

[Canadian818]

I think two hoops will look better, but I believe the hoop design was to meet certain racing requirements. Don't quote me on that though.

[metalmaker12]

If that's a momo hub , you could have just made a provision (hole) for the clockspring plug and used the wires accordingly. I am about to install one on my thread, stay tuned. Nice wheel . I also put the seats as far center as I could since the column is more centered anyway .

[Xusia]

I love the double hoop look, but as I understand it, that is unlikely to be allowed by most track day organizers. The stated reason was something to the effect of the manufacturers of vehicles with this configuration have provided information to the public in regards to the engineering. Since this is a modification, you wouldn't have that.

[Aloha818]

If that's a momo hub , you could have just made a provision (hole) for the clockspring plug and used the wires accordingly. I am about to install one on my thread, stay tuned. Nice wheel . I also put the seats as far center as I could since the column is more centered anyway .

Thanks for the comments, in my case the thickness of the clock spring case and the protruding connector couldn't be made to fit. I only had a space of about 5/8" and the clock spring case is about an inch thick if I remember correctly.

My seats have the tilt lever on the outside side, so to have room I pushed the seats to the center of the car also.

[Aloha818]

I love the double hoop look, but as I understand it, that is unlikely to be allowed by most track day organizers. The stated reason was something to the effect of the manufacturers of vehicles with this configuration have provided information to the public in regards to the engineering. Since this is a modification, you wouldn't have that.

Unfortunately here in Honolulu we no longer have any tracks or dragstrips. They do set up a "track day" type events sometimes at the Aloha Stadium I've been told. Not sure what regulations they might have, but I'm building for street use anyway. I haven't started cutting yet, but I really like the double hoop look better. How does the Cobra kit owners enter events? I see them running sometimes with just a hoop on the drivers side.

[jayguy]

The events are most likely Solo II or similar autocross events, since there isn't a track there. In that case, speeds won't get very high, so roll bars aren't a requirement.

If you can find out who the organizers are, they'll be able to confirm that, but that's the way it is with the events I've seen across the country.

Here's a page that might help.
http://where2race.com/venues/view/aloha-stadium

[Xusia]

As far as the Cobras go, that is how the car was originally engineered (and was race legal at the time). So that's also how replicas are designed. <-- point here is that FFR could provide engineering information since that's how they designed the Roadster.

[Santiago]

If you do go with your own hoops, sit in it and make sure they'll actually do something to keep you safe in the event of a roll over. Personally I think the S-bar is too low as is, so if I were modifying this I'd stretch it higher. That cardboard template you had barely stretches over the seat top, which by the look of it would barely extend over the height of your head. I know you put it at the same height of the existing S-bar, but if you're going to change it, do so for more than looks. I would definitely not want to have my head protection even with the top of my actual head. You want a buffer.

My $0.02

BTW, I love the photo-bombing hula girl doll... :D

Best,
-j

[Aloha818]

The events are most likely Solo II or similar autocross events, since there isn't a track there. In that case, speeds won't get very high, so roll bars aren't a requirement.

If you can find out who the organizers are, they'll be able to confirm that, but that's the way it is with the events I've seen across the country.

Here's a page that might help.
http://where2race.com/venues/view/aloha-stadium

It looks like the events here are organized by the SCCA, Southern Pacific division, looks like about once a month. Not sure if I would actually ever try to participate, but I will look into the rules anyway, thanks for commenting!

[Aloha818]

As far as the Cobras go, that is how the car was originally engineered (and was race legal at the time). So that's also how replicas are designed. <-- point here is that FFR could provide engineering information since that's how they designed the Roadster.

Thanks for the reply. You are probably right, doesn't seem like a difficult process to engineer.

[Aloha818]

If you do go with your own hoops, sit in it and make sure they'll actually do something to keep you safe in the event of a roll over. Personally I think the S-bar is too low as is, so if I were modifying this I'd stretch it higher. That cardboard template you had barely stretches over the seat top, which by the look of it would barely extend over the height of your head. I know you put it at the same height of the existing S-bar, but if you're going to change it, do so for more than looks. I would definitely not want to have my head protection even with the top of my actual head. You want a buffer.

My $0.02

BTW, I love the photo-bombing hula girl doll... :D

Best,
-j

Thanks for the comments.

Due to the angle of the pic it looks like the template is lower than the FFR bar, but it is actually about 1/2" higher. I'm still playing around with templates to get a good look. I'm trying to have the bar centered on the seat, still hit the rearward brace, come through the fiberglass panel in the same location, and have both hoops meet in the middle. My head is about 1 1/2" below the bar in my template.

Glad you like my hula girl! Here is a pic of a real hula girl I took Saturday from a party I was at, looks pretty close to mine;
25725

[Aloha818]

Like some other builders, I didn't like using the stock e brake handle. So, like others, I purchased the Lokar unit. On my center console I need space for the shifter (auto), e brake, cup holder, and maybe an arm rest. Also I wanted a little more interesting console, so I decided to put the e brake section on a slope. This will also help the e brake cables to clear the wiring going over tank. So I started with welding in a couple cross plates to bolt the Lokar unit to;
25785

Then started fabricating some 3/4" tube to support the cable mount location and provide a frame to secure the aluminum skin to;
25786

A more sideways shot;
25787

The angle is close to the same angle as the body sides and the e brake handle is located pretty close to a comfortable spot to use. There might even be room for a small flip-up pad/armrest behind/above the e brake handle. The plan for tomorrow is to finish welding in the frame and installing the aluminum skin on the sides of the tunnel. I'm having some different aluminum being fabricated for the top of the console.

Hopefully my custom header/up pipe will be finish welded this weekend (by others) and I can finish up the misc engine components and give it a test ride.

[Aloha818]

Today I was able to complete the e brake install and aluminum panel.

I had to modify the mounting brackets that came with the Lokar brake to meet the higher angled console. The front pair I increased the height about 5/8", the rear pair a little over 2";
25810

After I welded up all the 3/4" tube and verified the operation I painted everything, then silicone and rivets for the aluminum panel. The rear 1/4" upper back panel had to be notched for the raised console. I'll have to fab up and weld up the unneeded cutouts in the FFR rear 1/4" back panels;
25811

Overall I'm real happy with the Lokar handle, the angle of the console, operation, and look. Sitting in the seat the handle feels like the perfect location.

The seat belt receiver from the kit I bought looks good with the height and location of the seat and console.

I know, slow going, but I have a lot of competition, met three of my friends for beers last night, only thing missing is a finished 818;
25812

[longislandwrx]

25812

better turn up the boost. looks like 1400hp parked in that lot.

[Aloha818]

better turn up the boost. looks like 1400hp parked in that lot.

The Porsche and Maserati no problem, they are both overweight, the 599, that's another story!

[Aloha818]

Busy this weekend helping a friend of mine remodel his HIFI store, but skipped out for a couple hours to meet another friend that is in the steel business at my little shop.

I'm not sure why FFR has these square cut outs on each side and the notches on both the lower and upper panel;
25991

So we welded them up, I will grind flat before I cover with vinyl/carpet;
25992

25994

A week ago we tacked up the exhaust bends and he took back to his shop to finish welding. No one makes a header/up pipe for a 2.2 single port head (probably for good reason as this is the least favorite Subaru engine, but it's what was available at the time), so this is my solution. I also wanted equal length. All the pipe is heavy guage SS along with the head flanges. The turbo flange is regular steel. From the heads the pipe is 1 5/8" going into 2".
25995

25996

I ordered faux leather for the top of the dash, center console top and other misc interior parts that has come in;
25997

And for the lower part of the dash, guage cluster console I fabbed up, and other accent pieces I ordered some 3M carbon fiber wrap.
25998

It looks good as it is but after it is installed I will coat with a couple coats of clear. I hope to get a similar look as this;
25999

Since I was early in receiving my kit I didn't realize the advantage of adding a "firewall" to the front of the engine compartment. After seeing how everything comes together I can see the advantage. So my friend also brought over a sheet of 1/8" aluminum for this. It will be a lot of extra work to undo everything and work around the engine but I think this will be worth it. Anyone starting now I would suggest to install first thing, it will make life easier later.

[metalmaker12]

If you clear that, make sure to gray scuff it good and use an adhesion promoter

[Scargo]

Nice work on the car. Thanks for all the tips you've provided.
As to the roll bar, you could do one that would pass muster if you read the rules. It requires a certain size of DOM tubing and a specific height. But then, all the supporting structure would have to be there and qualify, too. That is the rub. The square tubing wont cut it.
The R is built to qualify, as is.
Your steering wheel purchase prompted me to go to Ebay and buy a 330mm Sparco for $140, shipped.

Please tell us where you purchased the pre-bent stainless tubing pieces. I plan on doing my own headers and I have TIG. I have had limited success finding parts for home fabricators. The prep work you did looks great.

Lastly, if you ever forget hula girl in your photos we will all go crazy looking for her! I like the shots where it looks like she is looking up right at you. You could make her harder to find and we could have fun looking; like looking for the Playboy rabbit head.

[RM1SepEx]

1/8 aluminum is far too thick for the firewall in front of the engine. I just picked up a piece of .030 to do mine (after engine install and running... ) :-(

[Aloha818]

Nice work on the car. Thanks for all the tips you've provided.
As to the roll bar, you could do one that would pass muster if you read the rules. It requires a certain size of DOM tubing and a specific height. But then, all the supporting structure would have to be there and qualify, too. That is the rub. The square tubing wont cut it.
The R is built to qualify, as is.
Your steering wheel purchase prompted me to go to Ebay and buy a 330mm Sparco for $140, shipped.

Please tell us where you purchased the pre-bent stainless tubing pieces. I plan on doing my own headers and I have TIG. I have had limited success finding parts for home fabricators. The prep work you did looks great.

Lastly, if you ever forget hula girl in your photos we will all go crazy looking for her! I like the shots where it looks like she is looking up right at you. You could make her harder to find and we could have fun looking; like looking for the Playboy rabbit head.

Thanks for the comments.

My steel guy is making the hoops now, should see them in a week or so. I need to read the local rules on specifics.

I purchased the pre-bent SS exhaust tubing from www.forzenboost.com make sure you get the extra thick parts, I accidentally ordered the regular and it's too thin.

I will try to get a little more "creative" on the placement of the hula girl. Having her as a marker helps me know what pics are mine. When I'm complete, you will get to see pics with "real" Hula girls!

Now that I have the exhaust, I can complete the last couple items needed to start/drive, yea!

[Aloha818]

1/8 aluminum is far too thick for the firewall in front of the engine. I just picked up a piece of .030 to do mine (after engine install and running... ) :-(

I totally agree that for just a "firewall" 1/8" is too thick. In my case I had to buy a sheet to fab up the cap for my console tunnel (pics soon) and for that I had to have 1/8", so it's the left over. Also, I plan on using the thicker plate to mount engine accessories to.

Dreading all the extra work required to install "after the fact", I feel your pain!

[Aloha818]

Not much time for car building the past week or so. More free time ahead!

I did get a couple hours today and started fitting my aluminum tunnel cover. I'm making the tunnel cover in three sections, each section will be wrapped in leather (faux) and attached with friction/Velcro. Part of the reason is easy access to the wiring and the other is to provide a way to end the carpet and start the leather as the cover is about 1/4" proud of the sides of the tunnel;

26460

Welded up the notches/cutouts in the firewall and ground flat. Cup holder fit. Shifter missing! I'm using an auto, stay tuned for transmission control.

The rest of my guages arrived (made to order). Just stuck them in the holes for a visual. Maximum boost on my setup will be around 10-11 lbs, before someone comments on low range of boost guage. This section is planned for carbon fiber.

26462

[MichaelN]

I love the guages. I'm always a sucker for wanting more data and looking for anomalies. I'd probably get in an accident because of being distracted by the gauges. :-)

A couple questions:
What's the center gauge for?
Does the OEM ECU provide outputs for all those?

[oki-ra]

That center one is egt, it's a dual gauge. I'm guessing he's going to use it monitor temps on each header.

[Aloha818]

That center one is egt, it's a dual gauge. I'm guessing he's going to use it monitor temps on each header.


I love the guages. I'm always a sucker for wanting more data and looking for anomalies. I'd probably get in an accident because of being distracted by the gauges. :-)

A couple questions:
What's the center gauge for?
Does the OEM ECU provide outputs for all those?

Thanks for the comments on the guages.

And yes, the center guage is dual exhaust temp, one probe 2" downstream of each head. And no, these guages do not interface with the stock computer or wiring.

I'm using a 2.2 liter engine with stock ECU and adding a TD04 turbo. To supply the extra fuel required for the turbo and yet maintain the use of the stock ECU I will be increasing the fuel pressure in direct relation to the increase of boost. By using some mechanical/electrical means to "trick" the ECU. It is a delicate balance between fuel pressure, boost, and exhaust temperature. I also have water to air intercooler and meth injection. Hence the extra guages.

I spent the day working on the car and installed my custom header, opened up the exhaust exit in each head to match the gasket, installed the O2 sensor and both EGT probes. My exhaust is now complete through the exit in the rear bumper. Now a couple days to install the firewall and make final fuel, coolant and vacuum lines and see if will actually run.

[Aloha818]

I somehow forgot to order the uppipe to turbo gasket, second day air arrived last night and so I was able to bolt the turbo up for the last time. A little more tweeking was required for the turbo to engine support bracket, 4th mod. I also had to put a notch in the crossmember that goes over the engine. Will require some welding and additional plates to be welded to keep strength.

I'm running 3" pretty much a straight shot right out the rear bumper.

26613

26614

26615

26616

What looks like a hose clamp on the header is the EGT probe, one each side.

I'm hoping the exhaust exit will end up looking like this, except single exit.

26617

On to final hose connections tomorrow.

[Scargo]

I've been thinking about your desire to clearcoat the fake CF vinyl film. I used to be in the prototyping biz so I worked with many materials and many finishes.
Vinyl is hard to paint and have it bond well. It takes special prep work and materials. They used to sell (only in automotive paint supply stores) a system for painting vinyl car seats covers. You would want it to be UV resistant clear. I'm not sure if there is a good solution. It is a fascinating topic since I experimented with and found a solution for getting paint to stick and not peel off Delrin. You might try a "liquid sandpaper" type solvent as a prep.

I immediately found this on the internet: http://www.carbonfiberfilm.com/blog/experimenting-by-clear-coating-di-noc/ This exposes some of the drawbacks and people's feedback is noteworthy.
Certainly experiment, but it looks like clearing it could mess with the CF look as it makes it glossier. Without having seen it or worked with it, the clear vinyl film as an overlay looks most promising to me. I wonder how much of the CF look is derived from surface texture and contrast? Again, anything you use, for long-term happiness, should be UV stable...

[metalmaker12]

If you scuff it with a gray scuff pad lite and use a plastic prep paste with water, pre clean serveral times, tack and clear with a typical urethane clear you should be ok. I can not guarantee it to hold up long term, but it might.

[Aloha818]

I've been thinking about your desire to clearcoat the fake CF vinyl film. I used to be in the prototyping biz so I worked with many materials and many finishes.
Vinyl is hard to paint and have it bond well. It takes special prep work and materials. They used to sell (only in automotive paint supply stores) a system for painting vinyl car seats covers. You would want it to be UV resistant clear. I'm not sure if there is a good solution. It is a fascinating topic since I experimented with and found a solution for getting paint to stick and not peel off Delrin. You might try a "liquid sandpaper" type solvent as a prep.

I immediately found this on the internet: http://www.carbonfiberfilm.com/blog/experimenting-by-clear-coating-di-noc/ This exposes some of the drawbacks and people's feedback is noteworthy.
Certainly experiment, but it looks like clearing it could mess with the CF look as it makes it glossier. Without having seen it or worked with it, the clear vinyl film as an overlay looks most promising to me. I wonder how much of the CF look is derived from surface texture and contrast? Again, anything you use, for long-term happiness, should be UV stable...


If you scuff it with a gray scuff pad lite and use a plastic prep paste with water, pre clean serveral times, tack and clear with a typical urethane clear you should be ok. I can not guarantee it to hold up long term, but it might.

Thanks guys for chiming in!

I will try an experiment or two first to see the results before I make a mess on an actual part. But my first experiment will be by lightly scuffing and then spraying with a couple coats of DuPont ChromaClear. I used it on my sons Vette, a couple stereo speakers I built and a couple other projects. It's expensive but flows nice, good build, wet sands easy, and has UV protection.

I'll post results when I get there, good or bad. Right now I'm about 4 hours of work away from a first start attempt. Friends are in town, so spending time playing tourist here and then the Big Island for the day Tuesday.

[Aloha818]

I have spent part of the last two days buttoning up fuel lines, vacuum lines, oil and water lines to the turbo, catch can brackets and connections, fabricating charge pipe to turbo with related taps, etc.

About the time I was supposed to quit for the day I filled up the trans, engine oil, coolant. Then thought, only a couple more mins to dump a couple gallons of fuel in the tank and flush all the new lines before making the last connection of the return line to the tank. That only took a few mins, forgot to tighten one of the -6 tee connections, a couple more mins. Made the last fuel line connection and thought, so close, why not just crank it over a min and make sure oil is running through the turbo before connecting the drain return line.

But it started right up like it had been running yesterday!!!

I will sleep good tonight! Now I can feel good about installing the body! BTW, only 45 mins late for dinner!

Last pic of an open engine bay;

26673

[Canadian818]

Great work Aloha818, and congrats on the first start. Which Borla XR-1 is that, sportsman or multi-core?