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Thread: LearningCurve's Donor Teardown

  1. #1
    Member LearningCurve's Avatar
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    LearningCurve's Donor Teardown

    Hey there future friends. After lurking for many months the time has come for me to start my car building journey. Knowing that I will undoubtedly need some need some help along the way I thought it best to introduce myself to the community and hopefully gain a few followers.

    A bit about me.
    For the longest time I have had an interest in cars. There has always been something about the look of a unique car or the way it sounded that drove my interest. I wouldn’t call myself an enthusiast by any means as there is far too much I don’t know. Nonetheless I think it fair to call it an interest in cars. I find that I am also driven by understanding how things work or more commonly, why thing are not working as they should.

    My first car out of college was an 04 WRX that I still have today (coming up on 12 years). The car has not only been my daily driver but also my hobby. I enjoy working on it and would like to think I have a basic understanding of most of the components. This comes from having performed most of the car’s maintenance, repairs, and modifications (a respectable 275 whp) throughout the years.

    Well before the 818 became a thing I had aspirations to build a Factory Five MK4. One day that still might be possible. When the 818 appeared on the scene I obviously gravitated more to it considering budget limitations and my current skill set.

    My goal for this project is like most. To build a reliable and streetable car capable of ~300 whp that would be up for an occasional autocross event and in the process be able to learn a few things.
    Last edited by LearningCurve; 12-28-2016 at 07:33 PM.

  2. #2
    Member LearningCurve's Avatar
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    After spending several months watching/participating in car auctions and searching Craigslist ads I finally won a bid on an 04 WRX with 168K miles (located in NJ). I think I would have preferred to have picked up an 06 WRX but found that I was routinely being outbid (<$4K) and I found it frustrating that wrecked cars were going for so much. It still amazes me what these cars go for.

    Anyway, the 04 looked to be in pretty good shape from the photos with minimal rust and no apparent body damage. The auction did list it as able to start but had the comment of “turbo won’t go into gear.” I had assumed what they meant was the car won’t go into gear thus implying that the transmission was probably shot. This would have explained why it was at auction with no visible body damage. The comment about the turbo (and higher mileage) didn’t deter me that much as I planned to rebuild both the engine and transmission (more future learning).

    When the car arrived I was must say I was fairly concerned. There was a whole lot more rust on the body than what was visible in the auction photos. After thoroughly inspecting the car once it arrived, I get the impression that it sat for several months (maybe close to a year) before I was able to pick it up. Aside from the rust I was happy to find that the car started right up after charging the battery and it even went into 1st, 2nd, and reverse with no issues. I couldn’t take it on the street to get it up to speed as one of the tires was completely flat. At this point I am not sure what condition the turbo (TD04) is actually in but regardless I am planning on replacing it with something larger.

    Photos:
    https://goo.gl/photos/v4NSFxogQVbQQFRk6

    Let me know if there are any issues with the link. I see that most people upload their photo directly to the forum. I am going to try to keep my collection on the Google Photos platform. Also, this is the first forum I have participated so I know I will have some learning there as well.

  3. #3
    Senior Member flynntuna's Avatar
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    Welcome to the madness, i too have a " learning curve " to deal with. Fortunately the guys and gals here on the forum have a wealth of experience and talents that will help in dealing with any problems which come up.
    Looks like a great donor( no problems with the link).
    Looking forward to following your journey with this project.

  4. #4
    Senior Member AZPete's Avatar
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    Welcome to a great journey that has a fun & fast destination. There will be some obstacles and frustration, of course, but there are guys on this forum who can help if you ask. I'm also on a learning curve but that's part of the fun. If I knew how to do every part of the build it would be boring. I agree that your donor looks good and you'll learn a lot taking it apart.
    818S/C : Chassis #25 with 06 WRX 2.5 turbo, ABS, cruise, PS, A/C, Apple CarPlay, rear camera, power windows & locks, leather & other complexities. Sold 10/19 with 5,800 miles.
    Mk3 Roadster #6228 4.6L, T45, IRS, PS, PB, ABS, Cruise, Koni's, 17" Halibrands, red w/ silver - 9K miles then sold @ Barrett-Jackson Jan 2011 (got back cash spent).

  5. #5
    Member LearningCurve's Avatar
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    Started with the trunk and rear seat. Thus far it has been easy going. The car definitely sat for a while. Found about about an inch of water under the spare tire. Still pretty nervous about all the bolts on the outside of the car. I am hoping it won't be anything that a few cans of PB Blaster can't handle. Thus far I have made 51 cents back on my investment. Hopefully there will be more under the front seats.

    https://goo.gl/photos/LWFRT8BuXV2g6L6C6

  6. #6
    Senior Member flynntuna's Avatar
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    Here's some interesting reading for those stubborn nuts and bolts.....

    https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/fo...t/75323/page1/

  7. #7
    Member LearningCurve's Avatar
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    Thanks flynntuna. I will have to give that a try.

    In order to take advantage of FF summer sale I need to get my order placed in the next week or so. I have a question out to those that have already built or are in the process of building their 818. Where there any options from FF that you regretted not going with or options that you went with and were not happy with?

    Any other recommendations for consideration when placing my order?

  8. #8
    Senior Member AZPete's Avatar
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    I'm glad I opted for the powder-coated frame on my 2 FFR kits. Some guys like a bare frame because they weld in changes, but most go with FFR powder.
    818S/C : Chassis #25 with 06 WRX 2.5 turbo, ABS, cruise, PS, A/C, Apple CarPlay, rear camera, power windows & locks, leather & other complexities. Sold 10/19 with 5,800 miles.
    Mk3 Roadster #6228 4.6L, T45, IRS, PS, PB, ABS, Cruise, Koni's, 17" Halibrands, red w/ silver - 9K miles then sold @ Barrett-Jackson Jan 2011 (got back cash spent).

  9. #9
    fasterer and furiouser longislandwrx's Avatar
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    if I did it again I would not get the ffr coat, so much of my powder coating has flaked off I've had to use quite a bit of touchup paint.

    It seemed a steal at $300? I think the quote from my local shop was $1200. Now I see why, they powder coated right over the surface rust, with minimal surface prep.

    In hindsight in a heartbeat I would have drilled and cleco'd all my panels and then have everything coated by a reputable shop.
    A well stocked beverage fridge is the key to any successful project.

  10. #10
    Member LearningCurve's Avatar
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    This weekend was spent on the dash and wiring harness inside the car. Now that the carpet is out of the car (and the garage) it does not smell as terrible in the garage anymore.

    For those of you that are considering this project, I can't recommend the Clip removal pliers enough. I can't remember who's forum comment I saw these listed in but I am glad I picked a pair up. I have probably destroyed more clips that I can count but I can say that at least with these babies you can make quick work of them.

    Up another 78 cents. - Will soon be posting a part out list.

    Pliers:https://www.summitracing.com/parts/w...FQQehgodR7YKGA

    https://goo.gl/photos/zEMxXqc2BY9jmdwW7
    Last edited by LearningCurve; 09-12-2016 at 06:50 PM.

  11. #11
    Member LearningCurve's Avatar
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    Part out has officially started. If you see something you need just let me know.

    https://goo.gl/photos/zzaqHZoijLpkPYVR9

  12. #12
    Member LearningCurve's Avatar
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    I am now a true believer in the ATF/Acetone mix. I have been fighting with the bolts holding the shock to the knuckle and after a soak in just about everything under the sun they only broke free after spraying them down the ATF/Acetone mix.

    The dash is now mostly out. Last thing to remove in the car is the steering wheel and column. Spent the last week working on the engine bay getting all of the fluids drained and the wiring harness pulled free.

    Anybody know the best way to remove the connector to the brake controller? This is not something I am trying to damage and after messing with it for a while I can't seem to get the connector to release.

    https://goo.gl/photos/wnYRjJQL1JLHnNV4A

  13. #13
    Moonlight Performance
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    Yes, see the thing sticking out that looks like a handle? Pull it outward. It will unlock the connector. You can then pull the connector out but it comes out at an angle. Pull from the side the wires are attached to. The opposite side as a hook that hooks onto the ABS controller. Once you get the connector at an angle, you should be able to push/pull the hook out.

  14. #14
    Member LearningCurve's Avatar
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    Thank you Hindsight. Just got that connector off. I would not have figured that one out on my own.

  15. #15
    Member LearningCurve's Avatar
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    Last edited by LearningCurve; 01-16-2017 at 06:42 PM.

  16. #16
    Member LearningCurve's Avatar
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    Is there anything from the front doors that I need to keep? Page 13 of the disassembly manual states to save the hardware from the front doors. Everywhere else says it is the hardware from the rear doors.

    https://www.factoryfive.com/wp-conte...isassembly.pdf

  17. #17
    Moonlight Performance
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    Been so long, but I recall you save the rear door handles, rear door latches, rear door striker, and ALL the bolts for those items. I highly suggest you remove every nut and bolt you can find on the car, even for things you don't need, and put them in a coffee can or whatever. I can guarantee they will come in handy.

  18. #18
    Member LearningCurve's Avatar
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    Today was spent finishing off those stubborn bolts holding the shocks to the knuckles. Once those were off I was able to get the calipers and brackets offs. Next I went to work on the the driveshaft. That ended up being a lot easier than I had expected it to be. I went ahead and cut the frame in front of the engine to gain some additional clearance for when I go to pull the engine and trans out. The last item to free up from the engine was the steering column. With that out of the way I just need find an engine hoist that I can borrow for a few days.

    https://goo.gl/photos/QDwaxohuktG3NJJM6

  19. #19
    Member LearningCurve's Avatar
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    Received my order confirmation this week. Expected delivery is mid to late October. Pretty siked. Thus far I have only decided on the FFR powder coat. I am not planning on making too many welded modifications so I am hoping the power coat holds up well.

    Anybody have any opinions on the carpet set or the interior panel? Those are a couple of the other options I was considering.

  20. #20
    Senior Member STiPWRD's Avatar
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    Hey there, I noticed your craigslist ad was in northern VA. It's great to have another local builder! If you're interested in checking out my 818 let me know, it's about 89% complete.

  21. #21
    Member LearningCurve's Avatar
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    I didn’t make any progress last weekend since I was out of town for the Battle of Bristol game (VT vs Tenn). It was quite an experience and a lot of fun other than the beat down Tenn gave to VT.

    This weekend I went out and picked up an engine hoist. I thought that since I had completed 95% of the prep work on the car that it would only take me an hour or two to get the engine pulled. Boy was I way off. It ended up taking me most of the day. The first issue I ran into was that one of the bolts that holds the engine brace to the frame broke free from the bracket that keeps the bolt from spinning. With nothing to keep the bolt from spinning I had to cut the head of the bolt off. Since all I had on hand was a Dremel I went at it with a few cutting wheels. This ended up being futile. I went out and picked up and grinder which made quick work of the bolt. The second issue I ran into was trying to get the engine free from the engine bay. Since I went with the method of leaving the transmission and front suspension attached to the engine, the engine has to drop low enough from the frame to clear it. I was not able to get the frame of the car high enough or the engine low enough to clear the bay. I ended up having to cut away more of the frame in the front to get the engine free. With a cutting wheel on my new grinder I was able to get the frame cut away without too much trouble.

    https://goo.gl/photos/JMzp2cDhAMQ6mesq7

  22. #22
    Member LearningCurve's Avatar
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    All that remains on the donor is the rear suspension. I am really struggling with some rusty bolts holding the trailing arms and the rear diff to the frame. I think I am left with the options of trying to grind and cut my way through these bolts or saving my sanity and just buying all new/used parts to rebuild the rear end. My main concern with the grinder option is that much of that rear diff is right next to the gas tank and my inexperience with the grinder has me very nervous about that.

    Words or encouragement or discouragement?

  23. #23
    Member LearningCurve's Avatar
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    Well I was able to get the rear end out after a long and dirty battle. I ended up having to only cut throught the trailing arms which was not too terrible. I finished pulling out the last few items in the engine bay and the pedals. The last thing to go is the gas tank. I really don't want to have to cut up the remaining frame. I am hoping I can either pay someone to haul it off or convince someone to collect it for what it is worth in scrap metal.

    https://goo.gl/photos/5Dd8S36kWZ4tsmUaA

  24. #24
    Member LearningCurve's Avatar
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    I got the gas tank dropped from the car and ended up having to dispose of a few gallons of old dirty gas. Luckily there is a recycling center not too far away that was able to take it. With the gas tank off that's it for the donor car. The delivery of the kit is just a few weeks out. All I need to do is get what remains of this rust bucket out of the garage and give the garage a good cleaning.

  25. #25
    Member LearningCurve's Avatar
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    The shell is gone!!!

    Got a hold of a recycling company near by and they hauled it away for free. As far as I am concerned that was a way better deal than trying to cut that thing up. It is a relief to have it gone but I have to admit I was slightly sad to see it go. It took me almost 2 months to the day to completely strip it down. A bit longer than I would have expected but considering the amount of rust I encounter I shouldn't be surprised.

    In addition to all the parts that need cleaning the garage is a mess and it is driving me crazy. I have to admit that getting rid of the donor parts that are not needed has been more of a challenge than I would have expected. I am getting lots of people asking about parts but not a whole lot of sales.

    https://goo.gl/photos/1R1RN6229wnQUafG6

  26. #26
    Member LearningCurve's Avatar
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    Even though the donor is gone I thought I would give a quick update from the past few weeks. I got the garage cleaned up a bit so that has me feeling a bit better. The kit is scheduled to be completed this weekend; however, Stewart Transport is a bit backlogged and they said it would still be a few weeks before it could be delivered. Since I still have lot a prep work to do this works out fine for me.

    I started working towards the goal of separating the engine from the transmission and getting the engine mounted to the engine stand. Having read about many of the struggles people have had when trying to separate the engine from the trans I found my experience to be much the same. Even after using all the suggest tricks (propane torch, penetrating oil, and pray bars) I still ended up spending the better part of a day getting the trans pulled off. With the engine now on the stand it is starting to feel like the parts cleanup process has officially started.

    https://goo.gl/photos/kd3ojfWHJpFn6jow8

    I spent a few hours today putting together an electrolysis tank. I was really proud of it until I went to turn it on and didn't see any action. I am not getting any current flow. I am thinking my battery charger is too smart for this and won't turn on unless it knows it is attached to a battery. I am ordering up a less intelligent charger.

    https://goo.gl/photos/jkvQ38j2AzUKH2kJ9

  27. #27
    Senior Member STiPWRD's Avatar
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    The engine and trans look like they're going to be a nice winter project, what's your plan for the rebuild? Btw, I had good results with evaporust for all of the nuts and bolts - just soak them in a small cup and in a day or two, most of the rust is gone.

  28. #28
    Member LearningCurve's Avatar
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    Right now what I have in mind for the engine is a new 2.5 STI shortblock with the 04 WRX heads. The engine has 168K+ miles on it and I can only assume it lead a fairly rough life. I am hoping the heads are still in decent shape and I can get away with just a good cleaning on them. Worst case I just have them rebuilt. I know I have a lot more research to do but that is the general direction I am leaning towards.

    As for the transmission I am really hesitant to crack that thing open on my own. I am going to see about having Andrewtech do a rebuild for me.
    Last edited by LearningCurve; 11-10-2016 at 06:26 PM.

  29. #29
    Member LearningCurve's Avatar
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    I spent the last week or so getting ready for the delivery of the kit. My goal was to get the remaining parts that I was planning to keep off of the rear end. This task ended up being quite a struggle and in the end I am not sure I will be able to reuse much of anything. Again the problem has been rust. Once it became obvious that I was not going to remove the bolts attaching the trailing arm and lateral links I broke out the grinder and cut out as much as I could hoping that I could save the knuckle and parking brake assembly. I have most everything removed except for the long bolt that attaches both lateral links to the knuckle. This bolt is pretty well seized so unless I can get a shop to brake that bolt free with a high torque impact wrench I think I am going to have to replace just about everything from the rear end. Bummer.

    https://goo.gl/photos/TSRprzniMrjoEYWp7

  30. #30
    Senior Member STiPWRD's Avatar
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    That looks like a lot of work but I think the spindles are saveable. I'd suggest scraping away as much rust as possible with a small flat head screw driver and then saturating it with PB blaster and letting it sit over night. This has worked for me in the past when I couldn't separate an axle from a hub. I'd especially let the PB blaster pool on the bottom inside of the spindle where the lateral link bolt is exposed. Also, we could try my air impact gun, it's pretty good.

  31. #31
    Member LearningCurve's Avatar
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    I may have to take you up on that offer. I have already ran one of the knuckles through the electrolysis tank and it is pretty much rust free. Still can't get that bolt to budge though.

    Good news is that the kit has arrived and made it safely into the garage mostly unscathed. Have started the inventory but still have several boxes to go through.

    Hats off to the Stewart Transportation driver (Jerry). He did an excellent job unloading the kit.

    https://goo.gl/photos/vCidsUBLzH4KngJ16

    I should probably start a new post under the build threads. Will get to that soon.
    Last edited by LearningCurve; 11-30-2016 at 08:56 PM.

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