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Thread: Dr Dave's 818C #553

  1. #1
    Member Kiwi Dave's Avatar
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    Dr Dave's 818C #553

    Hi All

    After lurking the this excellent Forum for a year, buying and tearing down our donor, going to the Build School, and picking up my kit a couple of weeks ago, it is time to start a build thread. This is going to be of most interest to novices like me thinking of getting into an 818.

    Me: I am a PhD Clinical Pharmacologist working at a mid-large sized Pharmaceutical company in Gaithersburg, MD which is just North of Washington DC. My team and I work on the clinical development of new medicines for cardiovascular, metabolic (Type 1 and 2 diabetes, NASH), and renal diseases. I love my job as the new medicines we develop really do change lives and I get to work with really smart people. I have very little car experience, but I am from New Zealand (NZ) which has a culture of fixing things yourself due to being so geographically isolated and, when I grew up, a penchant for following Mother England which meant we had reliably unreliable British cars that needed constant attention. I also had a 1958 Vespa (made by and English firm called Douglas) which was my Dad's that I pulled out our chicken coop where it had been abandoned after an accident. I fully restored it and it became my primary mode of transport to high school. I could disassemble and assemble that thing from its component parts blindfolded! It was as unreliable as you might expect, but I was able to keep it on the road as we bought 2 others for parts. I currently maintain all of our small engines, lawn tractor, zero turn mower, etc. myself. During Pharmacy School and Grad School, I served in the NZ Territorial Army (like the National Guard) for 6 years, first in the Infantry and then in the Armoured Corps and here I learned the value of a days work, attention to detail, completing mission you have started (e.g., an 818 build!), resilience, teamwork, dealing with people from all walks of life, and self-discipline. I never made it past Trooper (Private) though! My wife is also a Kiwi (New Zealander) PhD (chemistry) and we've lived in the USA for 22 years (SC, NJ, and MD). I am a huge fan of old BBC Top Gear and The Grand Tour. The current BBC Top Gear doesn't get watched as it appears to be only about cars ;-)

    Why the interest in an 818?: My son and I were visiting a Kiwi mate in Boston and we went to the Lars Andersen Auto Museum. A lovely small museum that had a FFR GTM on loan. What! You can build your own Super Car? Cool. After some research on FFR, we decided that the 818 was also cool and doable and that the GTM would be too big of a first step. My son (12 years) wants to be an engineer, so I figure this is an opportunity for us both to learn something practical and to keep him off the computer for a while. My daughter (9 years), who once banned me about talking about the 818 at the dinner table, is now taking an active part in this as well.

    In my Forum research I have concentrated on the more popular build threads and also some of the local MD and VA builders. Thanks to those early builders who took the time to document the process. I would not be here without your information and support: AZPete, STiPRWD, Wayne, Touchstone, Mikeb75, Metalmaker, Mechie3, Frank818, Rasmus, Insuranceguy, Mike Everson, K3LAG, Bob'n'Cincy, and many, many, more. I also check on interesting threads for other FFR kit types - lots of good experience and advice there, especially from the Roadster guys. I am in constant contact with Scott (Octobersknight) who lives close and who is a couple of months ahead of me with his 818C build.

    Aside from the building experience, my goals with the car are to have a safe, fun, reliable street vehicle that can be used year-round which means A/C and heat here (R guys puke now!). Perhaps we'll do some autocross and open track days. Within reason, I am not too budget-constrained and will go with quality parts whenever possible given the time and effort that is going into this. I will outsource jobs I don't have the skills for - engine rebuilding, welding, upholstery, etc. but we will endeavor to do everything else ourselves.

    My goals with the build thread are to document the experience and hopefully impart what I have learned along the way to anyone interested. I will, and have, posted specific problems I need the Forum's help with in the most appropriate 818 topic but I will likely ink to them from here for completeness.

    Lastly, I recognize I can be verbose at times but here it is because I am passionate about our 818s and I want to communicate what I have learned. Read on at your own risk! ;-)

    Cheers

    Dave
    Last edited by Kiwi Dave; 01-20-2019 at 08:57 AM.

  2. #2
    Member Kiwi Dave's Avatar
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    Donor Experience

    I spent a lot of time trying to figure out if I wanted to go the donor route or buy most things new. The wiring would be cost prohibitive to buy new just to chop the thing up, so would the steering column, and perhaps a few other things depending on your budget. These OEM new expensive items can be had used on eBay, but it starts to add up. In my case, there were parts I didn't know that I need yet that I hadn't accounted for. At the same time, I was watching the insurance auctions when at my closest Insurance Auctions of America (IAA) I saw a 2007 WRX Tuner Ready (TR) sedan, running and driving condition, with a mild rear end/very minor front-end crash that had only 81K miles on it. The only thing better would have been a 2006 with those characteristics (aluminum LCAs - but I bought these new for $320 with ball joints).

    Insurance Auction

    I signed up with one of the Brokers listed on the IAA site. There was a bit of paperwork involved, but not too bad. I sent them $1 K as a safety deposit and then I had them bid on the car for me. I was overseas when the viewing of the car was open to the public, so I was taking a bit of a chance but, unless there was another 818 builder bidding, I was pretty sure I'd get it as I put a decent maximum bid on it. I won it by pre-bidding - nobody on-site at the auction bid on it (you can listen to it live on the Interweb). Over e-mail I later met one guy who was pre-bidding against me as he recognized the car from my Facebook part out listing - he was OK about losing the auction since he was knowledgeable about the 818 and thought it was a very cool project. I sold him my radio brackets as his got boosted with the radio in the car he ended up buying - so at least he had a piece of the car he bid on! The broker was super communicative and put up with a lot of e-mails from me as this was my first experience at doing this. They even refunded me a courier fee when they sent the title by post. I wired them the final amount which included shipping that they arranged for me. For their $175 fee, it was well worth it for me. You can bid yourself, but it was $200/year to do so and since I only wanted one car, it was slightly cheaper to have the Broker handle the bid and to deal with IAA, the title, and shipping.

    What did I get?

    The car was delivered as promised, but it would not start. My heart sunk when my wife texted me the news (I was at work). They had to put it on the truck with a forklift. The delivery driver helped my wife put some gas in it, but no dice, and it was left on the lawn by the driveway. We towed it in, added more gas, but still no dice. Looking in the engine bay, I noticed that someone had unplugged the main engine harness - it will turn over but not start in this condition. I suspect someone on-site at the auction who wanted the car did this, so it wouldn't start for other on-site prospective bidders. We plugged it in, and it started right up. No ticks or other unusual noises. It drove and shifted great which was a big relief given my gamble. We drove it around the back roads a bit – this was the first time in 22 years I have driven a manual transmission, although I grew up in New Zealand driving them, and the first time ever driving a left-hand drive manual car.

    IMG_2645.jpg
    The TR WRX had the STI wing. Ugly I reckon, but it sold right away to someone who wanted their WRX to look like an STI.

    There was virtually no rust - I was secretly a bit disappointed as I was hoping to use the Rasmus “bucket-o-doom” as a chemistry lesson for my kids and to get my wife a bit more involved, but there was really no need and I quickly got over that disappointment given some of the Northeast rust horrors shown on the forum! The previous owner obviously didn't expect to lose his/her car that day so there were a few personal effects and signs of a big speaker having been hurriedly clipped out. The only issue I found was a torn front CV boot, otherwise it appeared to have been well-maintained and cared for and I believe the low mileage to be genuine. It had a CEL that I didn't get checked, but there was a catless down pipe with a Turbo XS exhaust that may have caused it. That, and an ACT Heavy Duty Performance Street Clutch were the only mods I am aware of. The DS rear lateral link was bent - a common problem in auction cars as they move them around with forklifts, lifting from the rear. The rear lateral links FFR sells are a good upgrade if your donor's links are bent.

    I went to the DMV to pay the taxes and get the salvage title in my name to avoid problems during the registration process. Let’s just say that most of the people there are not used to someone doing this. I eventually asked to see a supervisor after several people insisted I have the car inspected at the Glen Burnie Inspection Station first as they thought I wanted a rebuilt title, despite me explaining clearly that was not what I wanted. Luckily, the supervisor understood what I needed. However, a rebuilt salvage title came in the mail as apparently the person who made it didn’t understand either! No matter, it should be good for the registration.

    With everything – auction bid ($4.6 K), broker and auction firm fees, transportation, taxes and title, I have almost exactly $6 K in the donor. To date (6 months later), I’ve sold about $2.5 K in parts (see below) and I reckon I have about $2 K of parts left to sell (I believe I will do so eventually). I also recovered 73 cents in coins from the donor. An immediate return on investment! Overall, I would go this route again, even with not much of the engine being used in the end - it is a lot of work with the break down and selling and refurbishing parts, but a valuable learning experience for sure.

    Break Down

    We proceeded to pull it apart - unbolting doors, seats etc. went quite quickly and the biggest challenge was where to store everything. Then progress slowed a bit and I was very careful to label all of the electrical connections and spent a couple of hours with Mechie3's excellent wiring guide to make sure I knew what everything was. What a monster!!!! We mostly followed the disassembly manual and looked at some of the build threads that describe the donor break down. Being entirely new to this, the time spent researching and reading build threads meant no major surprises or difficulty. We'd spend about 2-4 hours on it at a time usually one day on the weekend and I took one day off work. At at this time of year (July/August) in the DC area you are going to be drenched in sweat with the slightest exertion - lots of iced water needed! We had it done in 6 weeks. Not as quick as Wayne who can do it in a day without breaking a sweat, but I feel that dismantling a car will be a very valuable experience in building a car.

    IMG_2677.jpg
    Most of this stuff ended up under my deck......

    IMG_4669.jpg
    Oh that wiring! What a monster! iWire here we come!

    IMG_2710.jpg
    Everyone helped!

    IMG_2852.jpg
    Adding value to the headlight resale with the toothpaste polishing trick

    IMG_2888.jpg
    Nearing the end of the break down process

    For the shell, if you are lucky enough to give this away to someone who will pick it up, that's the best route although you'd need to be able to mobilize it to get it on a truck or trailer (mine was on stands). I don't think it's reasonable in our area to expect someone to want a wrecked WRX shell. We cut ours up with a reciprocating saw and my $10 Harbor Freight grinder (best value tool ever!) and took it to recycling in minivan-sized pieces (3 trips).

    IMG_2905.jpg
    A bit of an undignified end for a turbo car to be taken to recycling in a minivan that has a "I am the Stig" sticker on the back window!
    Last edited by Kiwi Dave; 01-05-2019 at 10:00 AM.

  3. #3
    Member Kiwi Dave's Avatar
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    Donor Tips

    For inexperienced builders like me, here’s what I learned that is not extensively covered elsewhere:

    An impact wrench with long-reach impact sockets are invaluable. I bought a good air compressor after the donor break down after seeing the air riveter in action at the Build School. I wish I’d got it beforehand and got an impact wrench and saw for it – air tools are cheap, last forever, and don’t run out of battery power.

    You'll need access to a 2 ton engine crane. Harbor Freight is usually your friend for these things but better if you can borrow one. Renting is as costly as buying but you need somewhere to store these things. Same deal for an engine stand and hydraulic press. I changed my bearings without a press using aluminum discs and bolts and hammers, but I would just get a press and the discs if I were to do it again. Or pay someone $200 to change them if you don't have room to keep a press. I wish I had spent more time connecting with local FFR builders (beyond 818 builders) who I am sure would lend me these not often used tools. Same deal for the Eastwood brake/clutch line flaring tool. I bought one on sale, but I'm sure a local fellow FFR owner would let you borrow theirs. I think local "cars and Coffee" type clubs would be a good place to meet other builders - difficult for me to get to with kids sports, etc.

    You'll likely need to buy a 32 mm socket for your axle nuts - I imagine it is much easier loosen them (after pulling out the safety divet) while the car is on the ground, or at least before the brakes are off (ask me how I know that).

    You'll need a torx bit for the trans drain plug (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ie=UTF8&psc=1_)

    Rust/tough nuts: Thanks to information on the forum I used 1:1 acetone:ATF in a squirt bottle to soak rusty/tough nuts. This worked very well - I'd say better than PB Blaster. If that doesn't do it, then heat from one of those hardware store $30 propane torches solved any remaining issues - there was only two exhaust nuts that I had to use this on, but it's a handy tool to have anyway. Using the jack handle over my breaker bar for extra torque was the best way to "crack" nuts - a forum tip - it's good to have 2 people when doing this one to hold the wrench and one to pull the handle.

    Door hardware: In Wayne’s Grass Roots Motor Sports videos, he tells you to put the windows down as the first thing to do. Don’t. The rear windows need to be up to extract the latches/actuator. This could be done as one of the first things before disconnecting the battery. Otherwise, run wires to the motor connector from a battery or charger. Switch the polarity to make the window go up or down. Per Wayne’s advice, it is best to store the doors with the windows down put them down after removing the pieces you need for the build. Don’t forget the child lock is on the rear doors. This can be expoxied in the unlocked position.

    Door hardware: The striker screws have a large amount of blue Loctite and it's easy to strip the Philips head (ask me how I know). Apply heat first or use a hammer drill or high torque impact wrench (my 20V DeWalt was not enough but my hammer drill was).

    Save all bolts, nuts, etc. I kept the nuts for various systems (F/R suspension, brakes, etc.) in labeled Ziploc bags. Unfortunately, no, amazingly, not many bolts seem to have multiple uses on these cars - but keep them anyway.

    The quick-release fuel lines in the 2006/7 WRX were new to me. You can buy a plastic tool to get them off, but, as I discovered, it won't work on the engine connections due to the welded brackets interfering. You can use picks to shove down the connector, but even better use 2 pieces of a stout zip tie shoved in between the pipe and connector at 90 degrees to the two holes - it will pop right off. Also, be sure to depressurize the fuel system per the FSM before you begin the break down otherwise you are in for a mess!

    Selling donor parts not needed for the build

    First rule: Keep anything that you are unsure whether you'll need it or not - you can always sell it later if you have room to store it.

    Where to sell: I listed a "Part out" on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. These are very different crowds. Craigslist yielded very few responses but there was usually a sale in the end. The Facebook part out listing yielded scores of messages immediately, so much so that I took the part out listing down and instead listed each part individually - that was much easier to manage. Individually listing parts is more work in terms of creating the listings, but all the generic part out messages were driving me mad whereas the individual part listings are quite manageable and I’m still selling 1-2 items a week as people have accidents and need a specific part. Facebook also tracks the number of views your listing gets so you can see what's popular and you can negotiate prices accordingly. It will also alert people who've looked at a listing when you lower the price if something isn't moving. I didn't do this, but in hindsight it would have been a good idea to set up a dedicated Facebook page for your part out car to keep you anonymous to browsers. You can also check out the profile of the person as some measure of knowing who you are dealing with. I blocked several time wasters. I often took parts with me to work and did the exchange in the parking lot if that was convenient or if I didn’t want someone coming to my house.

    For the used parts market for these age and mileage cars, there are 3 main demographics in my area (I recognize I am generalizing here). High school kids who want WRX pieces to make their NA look like a turbo - they usually have little money and will low-ball you to death. Gear heads who were those high school students not long ago but are now working and perhaps now have that WRX - they tend to have cash and I was usually contacted via Craigslist. Most importantly, there are the lower income adults who love their cars and have been in a minor accident or need a specific part for their beloved Impreza - I was usually contacted via Facebook Marketplace by them - these folks usually came to a reasonable price. Interestingly, Craigslist also attracted some potential 818 builders since they recognized from what I was NOT selling that I was likely building an 818. I did this too - a good way to connect with local folks not necessarily on the Forum.

    Prices: I used eBay as my yard stick. If the parts had free shipping I would go a bit lower. List 20-30% higher than you want so the buyer feels like they are getting a good deal too when you come down a bit. If they don't haggle, you are ahead! Refer them to eBay if they want to pay too low a price. The advantage of selling locally is that they can get the part the same day (if convenient to me) and they can inspect the part in person plus I say they can bring it back if there's a problem (offering this assurance makes for a happy sale).
    Last edited by Kiwi Dave; 01-04-2019 at 08:34 AM.

  4. #4
    Member Kiwi Dave's Avatar
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    Build School

    In September my son, Jack, turned 12. This is the minimum age to attend an FFR Build School at Mott College and they happened to have an 818 class that same month. So off to Michigan we went (9-hour road trip!). I bet Jack was one of their youngest students ever!

    The experience is nicely documented by one of our classmates (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...Build-(School))

    I took a notebook expecting to fill it with information, but the time I spent on this Forum beforehand and having torn down the donor meant there was no major surprises and my documentation was mainly in the form of taking plenty of pictures. A lot of the work was done, rivet holes, body panels, etc. by prior classes or the Instructors, but the hands on up close experience with the 818 is a great way to see if you really want to do the build. I was surprised that many of the class were not intending to build one. They were either using it as a fun experience or already deciding not to build but attended the class anyway since the fee is not refundable. At least one bloke decided not to go ahead with the project despite having torn down his donor already - he simply recognized he would not have the time needed to build a quality car. I have mixed feelings about this as I am sure he would have built an awesome car and he had clearly done as much homework as I had.

    One important lesson was to not use the donor seats unless you are unusually short. They are too tall for most and your head sticks above the roll bar and a helmet makes the situation even worse (i.e., "broomstick" test failure). Danger Will Robinson! They had a variety of racing seats for us to test out that alleviate that problem.

    The Instructors, Todd and Scott, were absolutely fabulous and I can't say enough good things about them. The 10 other classmates were brilliant towards my son and they let him do some of the more interesting jobs to keep his enthusiasm up. Thanks guys!

    IMG_4234.jpg

    Overall, a great time and worth the investment. You also get a $250 credit from FFR if you buy a kit afterwards.

    IMG_4288.jpg

    The finished product - just back from doing donuts in the parking lot (only the Instructors can drive it though!). Sorry about the pic being upside down, I can't figure out how to fix it.
    Last edited by Kiwi Dave; 01-04-2019 at 11:58 AM.

  5. #5
    Member Kiwi Dave's Avatar
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    FFR Pickup

    Here's our pickup experience: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...l=1#post350182

    Apologies for posting this on a non-818 thread, but I thought it would be generally helpful. It's worth a read as it was an unusual day at the factory the day we were there............
    Last edited by Kiwi Dave; 01-01-2019 at 10:43 AM.

  6. #6
    Member Kiwi Dave's Avatar
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    This is where I am as of today:

    From Factory Five Racing
    818 Coupe kit #553, picked up 12/15/2018
    Powder coated chassis
    FFR steering wheel and adapter
    Adjustable rear lateral link control arms
    Rear axles/CV joint
    Vinyl covered dash/door upgrade
    Matte black 818 wheels
    [2018 Fall Sale discount]
    [Build School discount]

    IMG_4716.jpg

    The other parts are stashed all around the house.

    Engine by AndrewTech Automotive
    STI block assembly (donor block was cracked - ouch! On the bright side, it would have eventually failed once I had it in the car)
    Manley Piston Set - 23 mm x 2.5 inches
    Manley H-Tuff series connecting rods
    ACL HX rod bearings
    ACL HX main bearings
    ARP 11 mm head studs
    Multi-angle valve job
    Decked cylinder heads
    All new engine gaskets
    Killer B Motorsport Aluminum Oil Pan
    Killer B Motorsport Oil Baffle Windage Tray
    Killer B Motorsport Ultimate Oil Pickup
    Radium engineering air-oil seperator (to be installed once the engine is in)
    2.4" Perrin black turbo inlet
    Injector dynamics ID1050X top feed fuel injectors
    IAG V3 topfeed fuel rails
    Aeromotive -6 fuel pressure regulator
    AIG silver TGV deletes
    GrimmSpeed 3-Port Boost Control Solenoid
    OEM timing belt + tensioner
    New OEM water pump
    Nylon braided fuel lines
    Air pump delete with Torque Solutions block-off plates
    Cobb Accessport v3
    AndrewTech will manage the first start and the dyno tune

    Donor major engine and related parts
    Exhaust headers: heat shields removed, tabs cut off and ground down, wire wheeled, ARTR Titanium Lava Fiber wrap, sealed with high temp silicone spray - my son did the wrapping and spraying.
    Intake manifold, wire wheeled
    Alternator, wire wheeled
    A/C compressor, wire wheeled
    Donor starter motor, wire wheeled
    Optima yellow top battery

    Other engine-related handled by me
    Turbo XS Top Mount Intercooler purchased used, but never installed - a Facebook Marketplace bargain find except that the Y-pipe bolt threads are stripped. This think is huge and will hopefully avoid having to put in a FMIC.
    Wayne Presley/VCP coolant burping mod, 45o 1/4 inch outlet on a 1/8 inch NPT base
    1 step colder NGK spark plugs
    New OEM thermostat and outlet
    Walbro 255 lph fuel pump (it only just fits with the OEM filter), use the large pipe for the return, not the small one as recomended in the manual
    Mike's Replica Parts (Mike Everson) alternator support - passenger side only (turnbuckle, spacers, and bolts) due to planning on running A/C. A nice piece the elegantly avoids using the large P/S bracket.

    IMG_4713.jpg

    Transmission
    Donor 5-speed MT with 81 k miles, wire wheeled case - needs 2WD conversion
    New ACT Xtreme Duty Performance Street Disc clutch, pressure plate. Matching donor lightweight flywheel (resurfaced by Rockville Ring & Bearing) - still needs to be installed
    Stainless steel braided clutch line, re-painted slave cylinder

    IMG_4715.jpg

    Suspension and steering
    New front and rear wheel bearings, seals, spindles, and axle nuts
    Depowered steering rack, piston removed, quill immobilized with epxoy (not sure how this will last, but no harm trying it!), painted and polished
    Moog tie rods, tie rod ends, and ball joints
    Moog aluminum front lower control arms and ball joints
    New OEM LCA and ball joint bolts
    Godspeed rear adjustable trailing arms

    Brakes
    Donor 4/2 pot brake calipers sandblasted, powder coated gloss red, and clear coated
    All new pistons and seals
    Stop Tech front and rear stainless steel braided brake lines
    Power Stop Front and Rear Z23 Evolution Drilled/Slotted Rotors
    Power Stop Evolution Sport Carbon Fiber/Ceramic Brake Pads, although I put the donor pads back in for now until the car is running so I can seat the new ones properly
    Rebuilt emergency/parking brake with Power Stop shoes plus new springs, etc.

    IMG_4714.jpg

    Other
    Hella Supertone horns

    General
    Donor bolts, nuts, pins, etc. soaked in Evap-O-Rust, wire wheeled, and treated with POR 15 metal paint prep (leaves a zinc coating for rust protection), anything damaged, majorly rusted (e.g. exhaust and manifold), or pivotal (e.g., engine and trans mounts, key suspension bolts and nuts) replaced with OEM parts (Dealer or Subaruparts.com)
    Brackets, bearing carriers, brake shields, and various other metal parts wire wheeled, POR 15 paint prep and, if painted, undercoated followed by 2-3 layers of red of black engine enamel top coat
    Bare aluminum parts treated with Chemical Guys Heavy Metal Polish Restorer and Protectant
    Plastic and rubber parts clean up especially well with Chemical Guys TVD_107_16 V.R.P. Vinyl, Rubber and Plastic Non-Greasy Dry-to-the-Touch Long Lasting Super Shine Dressing
    Last edited by Kiwi Dave; 01-03-2019 at 04:44 PM.

  7. #7
    Member Kiwi Dave's Avatar
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    These are things I have planned - please give feedback:

    Planned meaning I have decided this is where I am probably going but there's still a possibility to change:

    FFR-supplied bare metal parts to be sprayed with primer and 2 coats of Eastwood 2K Aerospray Rat Rod black paint to match the powder coat on the frame. These hardener-activate paints seem to be second-only to powder coating in terms of durability.
    An important consideration here: I didn't realize there was so many FFR-supplied unpainted parts. My garage is too big to feasibly heat and the winter in DC is no time to paint as it's too cold per the paint specs. This is going to hold me up on getting fully started on the build, but I will wait for warmer weather and do it right.


    Sound deadening: Hy-Tech SC#1000 Sound Control Coating (or their ceramic added to my own paint) and Noico Black 80 Mil 36 Sq Ft Car Sound Deadening, butyl automotive deadener
    U-Pol Raptor Black Urethane Spray-On Truck Bed Liner for fenders, underside, etc.
    Blouch 20 g turbo (recommended by AndrewTech)
    iWire electrical harnesses for 818 C with 2007 WRX donor: ABS, Bluetooth speakers, remote door locks, A/C and heat, interior lighting, center brake light, USB power, etc.
    ZDM 5-speed bell crank
    SW20 MR2 Short shifter, ZDM MR2 shifter adapter, and custom control cables (100-04222-0095)
    ZDM Oil filler and cap - now with "818" embossing
    ZDM Dipstick
    ZDM Turbo heatshield
    ZDM Coolant tank relocation bracket (also need Gates 28460 coolant hose)
    Donor ABS system
    Single wiper based on a boat wiper motor (see FormaCars and Insuranceguy) with a washer kit and (hopefully) no hood cut installation
    K3LAG Electronics odometer reset (in person by Larry as he is localish)
    Catted exhaust (Boig Motorsports 3" or similar, or have a custom one made)
    A/C and heat - Vintage Air Gen-II Mini Universal Climate Control Systems 66005-VUZ-A, AZPete setup for A/C, heater bypass setup up front
    Hood reinforcement (Insuranceguy method of fiberglass angle matched to fender or similar)
    Cipher Euro Series Racing Seats - Tan Leatherette Carbon Fiber Back With Brown Stitching
    Rear spoiler with brake light
    APR carbon mirrors
    Oil temperature, boost, and air:fuel ratio gagues mounted in the center console (Prosport or similar)
    All season tires: Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS
    SPT High Flow Air Intake System (or similar)
    Copper-nickel clutch and brake lines, metric fittings, flared with the Eastwood flaring tool, Motul RBF 600 brake/clutch fluid
    Sealed bottom and back of doors (AZPete)
    DEI reflecta gold foil for engine firewall heat deflection
    Motul 8100 Xcess motor oil
    Evans High Performance, Waterless Engine Coolant
    Carbon fiber patterned wrap (matching seats) for interior aluminum sides and rear firewall

    Still under consideration or more research needed

    Donor center console for more OEM look (see axelthrasher's and billjr212's cars)
    Replica Parts master cylinder relocation kit or Tilton brake/clutch remote fluid reservoir
    ZDM Radiator supports
    ZDM Steering rack cradle
    ZDM Louvers, various
    ZDM hood hinges
    Rankin Upholstry (local shop) to do the interior to match leatherette seats
    Hydramat - not needed with new tank and not racing?
    Body panel paint or wrap - no idea about color yet
    Splitters, diffusors, etc.
    Tow hook
    Seatbelts or harnesses? I'm leaning towards harnesses for maximum safety.
    New aluminium racing radiator
    Coupe A pillar reinforcement
    Kia rear end? https://www.kiapartsdepartment.com/p...iagram=2455012
    Double rear firewall with sound insulation in between
    Fuel tank venting - carbon filter?
    Seat heaters
    AZPete plenum and hood air piping for TMIC
    Last edited by Kiwi Dave; 01-03-2019 at 09:39 AM.

  8. #8
    Senior Member mikeb75's Avatar
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    Welcome to the madness, looks like you've got a great start going (especially that it's a family affair). I'm probably less than 15 minutes from you, so if you need anything feel free to reach out!

    Looking forward to following your adventure!
    818SC chassis #206 EJ207 2.0L VF37 twin scroll || Cusco type RS 1.5 LSD || Wilwood pedal box (firewall attach) || Wilwood superlite front calipers
    BUILD Phase 1: 6/6/2014 car delivered || 5/24/2015 first start || 6/7/2015 go karted || 4/20/2016 hard-top-topped || 10/25/2016 registered || 11/18/2016 inspected & complete
    BUILD Phase 2: 3/8/2017 EJ207v8 || 5/29/2017 re-first re-start || 7/17/2017 re-assembled with race car bits

  9. #9
    Senior Member Bob_n_Cincy's Avatar
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    Wow Dave,
    You get the award for doing the most homework before getting your kit. Looks like a great father and kids project.
    Have fun!
    Bob
    818S #22 Candy Blue Frame, Front Gas Tank, 2.5L Turbo, Rear radiator, Shortened Transmission, Wookiee Compatible, Console mounted MR2 Shifter, Custom ECU panel, AWIC soon
    My Son Michael's Turbo ICE Build X22 http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...rts-818S-Build
    My Electric Supercar Build X21 (on hold until winter) http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...e-Build-Thread

  10. #10
    Member Kiwi Dave's Avatar
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    Thanks Bob and Mike.

    Bob - I knew if I listed people to thank that I'd miss someone important, my apologies (edited now). Thank you for all of your excellent contributions to this forum - you are an 818 elder statesman. Research is my training and job, so it's only natural for me to apply this to my new hobby as well! A comment from you reminds me that, technically, the first cars that my son and I built together were Cub Scout pinebox and pinewood derby "race cars"! It's inspiring to see what you and your son are doing with your 818s. Thank you.

    Cheers

    Dave
    Last edited by Kiwi Dave; 01-01-2019 at 08:53 AM.

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    Happy New Year Dave and welcome, yours is going to a fun family build to watch.

    If you are not sure about dieting the wiring harness I recommend checking out a Iwire harness, it is truly a plug and play. I had planned to do my own to save a few dollars but realized i didn't have the time or patience. (more the patience)
    Last edited by Mitch Wright; 01-01-2019 at 07:05 AM.

  12. #12
    Member Kiwi Dave's Avatar
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    Thank you Mitch, and Happy New Year to you and everyone!

    Many threads have gone dark for months during the wire dieting. Having seen an iWire harness and it's "plug and play" nature and high quality manufacturing at the Build School, that is the route I am going. Brian at iWire is a great guy and super helpful. With ABS, it's ca. $3 K, but well worth it. In fact, I have it in a box already and it will ship to them in the next few days. Of note to new builders, you need to send some parts from the kit with your harness so it's not something you can do before getting your kit. Also, they are quite backed up with 818 jobs, so get it to them as soon as you are able to do so.

    Cheers

    Dave
    Last edited by Kiwi Dave; 01-01-2019 at 10:49 AM.

  13. #13
    Senior Member AZPete's Avatar
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    Dave, thanks for giving me a wonderful read on New Year's Day! I've really enjoyed your plans, auction experience, donor prep, picking up at FFR, and your upgrade goals. I also like how you've added your lessons to this forum so others following can learn. Most of all, however, I am envious that you can share the build adventure with your son and daughter - truly a life-enhancing experience for them also. Oh, and fortunately your dog is there to console all 3 of you through the frustrating moments.
    Happy New Year.
    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).

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    Senior Member Frank818's Avatar
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    Dave, I was wondering where your build thread was!

    I can tell you one thing, you already have a PhD, but after building your 818 you will get a second one!!

    Happy New Year and start of the project!
    Frank
    818 chassis #181 powered by a '93 VW VR6 Turbo GT3582R
    Go-karted Aug 5, 2016 - Then May 19+21, 2017
    Tracked May 27/July 26, 2017
    Build time before being driveable on Sep 27, 2019: over 6000h
    Build Completed Winter 2021

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  17. #15

    Yes, I love Technology
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    Having your family involved is priceless. Don't worry about long blogs, at least for myself, I like reading pretty much everyone's builds. I never know where another idea will sprout from. Glad you are onboard & happy building !

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  19. #16
    Senior Member STiPWRD's Avatar
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    Dave, welcome to the forum! I grew up near by in Germantown so I'm never too far away if you ever need anything (tools, etc.), you're in for a fun build! That's quite a nice list of parts you've got - I saw you're thinking about the 20g, definitely a nice turbo but the power will be on the edge of what the stock 5-speed can reliably handle. You may want to consider upgraded gears or the sti 6-speed. I can't remember if the 07 5-speed gearboxes had any improvements over the earlier ones but it may not be as much of an issue. If you want to see an almost finished 818, I'm on the other side of White's Ferry.

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  21. #17
    Member Kiwi Dave's Avatar
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    Slava - I will come and visit you! Thank you!

    A couple of updates today:

    First, this monster has been wrestled into box #2 and shipped to iWire:

    IMG_4669.jpg

    IMG_4723.jpg

    This was an easy process where you fill out a Google forms document and pick all the options you want and then Brian at iWire sends back a quote. If you want something special he can do that too, but the product has space to add things to the various fuse boxes later. We had some back-and-forth on some specifics and we came to an agreement as to what I really wanted. I paid a deposit ($500) and shipped off everything in the picture plus the ECU (ca. $100 via UPS). The online instructions don't say to send the power window wiring and the ECU, but Brian let me know in plenty of time about that, and I pulled out the parts in the kit that I needed to send him during the inventory. Brian is super helpful and having seen the finished product at the build school, I know this is the way to go for us.

    Second: I've been having a vexing problem with assembling my shocks that delayed getting started on the front suspension over the holidays. The issue is detailed here (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...hocks-assembly), but it is likely to be resolved now with the shipment of the correctly fitting parts from FFR (we'll be sure when we get them!). It appears I was just unlucky to be the first to get a batch of defective spring seats and/or coil sleeves. FFR couldn't reasonably have known about the issue, but I hope they follow up with their suppliers.

    Once I have my front suspension in, I will adjust it to ride height by placing 4.75" (or whatever final ride height I want) blocks under the front of the frame with the suspension bolts loose, no weight on the springs, and 10 lb of pressure in the tires. I will the torque everything up and adjust (tighten) the springs to maintain 4.75" height and also tighten the springs as weight is added during the build to maintain my height. The manual covers this part poorly, but I think that's right. My question is, can I use donor wheels and tires here, or should I buy my tires and have them mounted on my FFR wheels to set the ride height? I ask because I will have to make my mind up on tires sooner rather than later in the case where I need my final wheels and tires.

    Cheers

    Dave
    Last edited by Kiwi Dave; 01-14-2019 at 09:56 PM.

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    Senior Member STiPWRD's Avatar
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    Ride height will fluctuate (slightly) as you drive the 818 the first few miles. The springs will cycle and settle into their final shape so you'll need to re-adjust ride height once or twice. I don't see any reason why you couldn't use the donor wheels to torque down the suspension, I wouldn't worry about it. They're plenty to get you in the right ball park.

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    I think the Iwire harness is great. FYI I did add an additional 0 ground cable from the battery to the engine, I was able to use a cable supplied in the kit.

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  26. #20
    Member Kiwi Dave's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by STiPWRD View Post
    Ride height will fluctuate (slightly) as you drive the 818 the first few miles. The springs will cycle and settle into their final shape so you'll need to re-adjust ride height once or twice. I don't see any reason why you couldn't use the donor wheels to torque down the suspension, I wouldn't worry about it. They're plenty to get you in the right ball park.
    Thank you Slava. This really helps me understand what I need to do - i.e., not worry about ride height once I have the suspension torqued the first time - I just make adjustments to the coils if needed to return the suspension to this "neutral" position. It also helps me with another question I had for the Forum about which panels to make removable (i.e., rivnut and no sealer, possibly some foam tape to account for the small rivnut gap) vs rivited and sealed (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...make-removable) . If I only have to torque the LCA-hurricane bracket bolts once, then I can just rivet the entire front firewall afyter they are torqued and not worry about needing regular access to them later or drill a big hole to access them.

    My plan now then is to make the cockpit and front aluminum panels underneath removable for seat install/removal and general access if needed, along with the rear fire wall for front engine access. We'll cleco the front firewall and sides or drill and take them off until we've finished the other assembly in those areas and then seal and rivet them with the handy-dandy HF air rivet gun - there may be fighting among the kids as to who gets to use that cool tool!

    Cheers

    Dave
    Last edited by Kiwi Dave; 01-05-2019 at 08:31 AM.

  27. #21
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    I think it would be a royal pain to install the driver's side of the front firewall after the LCAs are in and I don't see the need a for a removable front firewall. If I had to do it over I would just drill the holes to begin with.
    Factory Five 818c #456

  28. #22
    Member Kiwi Dave's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shawn818c View Post
    I think it would be a royal pain to install the driver's side of the front firewall after the LCAs are in and I don't see the need a for a removable front firewall. If I had to do it over I would just drill the holes to begin with.
    I agree Shawn. Thanks. After mocking up the front suspension (see below), once I am certain I have everything in position, I'll just cut a couple of holes and place bungs in them or have small removable panels.

    It is clear that it will be a while before I really start building in earnest since I have a lot to paint and the weather is just too cold for now. However, there are still plenty of things to do and contemplate and it's been a couple of weeks since I last posted, so time for an update.

    I bought an unused Turbo XS TMIC off a bloke who advertised it for $85 on Facebook Marketplace (a good venue for Subaru parts in our area), along with aluminum Y-pipes and silicone tubes. These things are $650 new. The core is 3 x the volume of the stock WRX TMIC. Since I am not going to be racing and I have the Coupe roof scoop to help with airflow, I reckon this might be sufficient for our build.

    IMG_4732.jpg

    The first problem with it was that the Y-pipe bolts would not torque to spec - they just spun. I bought a Helicoil thread repair kit and that fixed that problem. A nice product that I used for the first time. A second issue was that the brackets were missing. I made some up using some aluminum bar and rivnuts. This was my first time using the rivnuts and they are a great tool as well. Based on discussions from the Roadster forum, I bought some ribbed ones from McMaster Carr rather than use the FFR-supplied smooth ones. I also bought a rivnut setting tool since the FFR-supplied multi-tool is not what anyone would describe as elegant!

    IMG_4846.jpg

    The saga of the ill-fitting spring seat threads continued, but after 2 more shipments, I finally had 4 working sleeves and spring seats! In fact, I had 7 by the end of it. If you want one or more of the 3 extra I have, please PM me. Anyway, they take about 2 min to assemble when all of the parts work. I had no issues with the sleeves being tight as some others have had. They look great!

    IMG_4740.jpg
    Here, I'm putting on the recommended pre-load to the rear shock as they are apparently hard to access when on the car.

    With front shocks finally assembled, we were then able to mock up the front suspension to see how everything fit. We swapped the hurricane brackets from L to R and R to L and the black bushing to arm brackets have been flipped 180o to gain caster. As Scott (Octobersknight) found recently https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...nment-problems when you install the LCAs in the manual-recommended position they bind up like crazy. I remember at Build School that they said to flip the hurricane brackets 180o, so we did that and they seem to move much more easily. The hurricane brackets are mounted in the innermost holes as is the joint at the front. I know you guys (Bob, et al.) are excellent at picking out suspension mistakes, so please take a look and let me know if I have it right and/or any improvements should be made:

    IMG_4757.jpg
    IMG_4759.jpg

    There are several large nuts on the suspension that the FFR manual says to be reused from the donor - I think they are called deformed thread or tighten-to-torque nuts. Is everyone comfortable reusing these? The FSM says to replace them.

    We also put in the fuel pump and level sender (which as far as I can tell serves no purpose except perhaps to keep the OEM electronics happy). The new tank now has a baffle and I have not heard complaints of leaks or fuel starvation in street use like the old one. After feedback from Mike (Mikeb75) and Lawson (Isfourwheeler) who both have hydramats in the old and new tanks, respectively, I think I will just stick with the OEM mat for now and I'll put in a hyrdamat if I have starvation issues. The filling hole is still in the middle of the side of the tank, so slow filling will still be an issue.

    IMG_4842.jpg

    A highlight for us last week was to visit Mike (Mikeb75) who was very generous with his time and knowledge. He has an 818C registered in MD. What an awesome job he's done!

    IMG_4784.jpg

    He was putting in a new Boyd tank while we were there, so it was on casters. Look at that color! It's like the Batmobile. This is Plastidip. I am seriously thinking this is the way to go - we can do it ourselves and it can be repaired easily - no worrying about scratching up an expensive paint job. So cool. The APR wing is also very cool.

    Mike told me about harnesses being allowed in MD if they have a simple push button release, so that's the way we will go for maximum safety. Aero Catch hood latches are also on the build list now too. We inspected that car from stem to stern and he gave us a bunch of good pointers. An important one was the more caster you can have , the better ^^. We'll be checking in with Mike frequently I think!

    One thing Mike mentioned for us to address early is the popping or "oil canning" floor panels. Our drivers side has one spot where it does this and the passenger side is awful. I have seen that to address this to heat the metal panels in spots with a propane torch and then cool it quickly with a wet rag. Art Quillen tried this method, but it did not fix the issue - if this builder extraordinaire can't fix it this way, then I don't like our chances. He ended up welding some beads on the bottom, but I don't have a welder. Is this my opportunity to get a cheap HF welder (Mike has one that he used to weld on supports for his wing, so I would have other uses for it), or are there other solutions that I don't know about - braces underneath? Bolting on a thicker plate underneath? Suggestions??

    My kids and I went to visit Scott (Octobersknight) and his family today to see how he was getting on with his build and to compare notes. It was great for all involved as his kids and mine get on extremely well while we talk car stuff. Scott got his initial painting done before the cold hit as he got his kit a couple of months before me (Summer Sale), so he'll be well ahead of me come the spring and it's looking good. It's great to have someone you can speak with face-to-face regularly to bounce off ideas and share experiences. He also kindly gave me a couple of bungs for the torquing holes I mentioned up there ^^. This and the visit with Mike is the "FFR Family" in action. What a great bunch of people we have the honor of interacting with.

    I hoped to visit Slava (STiPWRD) last week, but the snow thwarted those plans. Hopefully, we'll get together in a few weeks time instead.

    Lastly, just having sent my harness to iWire and having grown up with English cars, I saw this on Facebook and had to share here (Brian from iWire, no need to replicate this product!):

    IMG_4787.JPG

    Do you know why the English drink warm beer? Because Lucas makes refrigerators too! (Grand Tour joke!)

    Cheers

    Dave
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    Last edited by Kiwi Dave; 08-12-2020 at 01:07 PM.

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    Dr Dave, I replaced with new the stub axle nuts front and rear and reused the rest that had come off my donor.
    You are making some great progress on your build and it great you have some many others close by.

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  32. #24

    Yes, I love Technology
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    That oil canning was a bugaboo until i put those weld beads on it. I did that with the simple, plain, lowest cost 110V Lincoln wire feed welder you can get. Actually got it in 1997 at Menards or Sears, don't recall for sure. Later I added the gas kit which has been great for doing fancier work, but a lot of stuff just plain self flux wire is the way to go. I've used this for a zillion projects since then. A HF unit would be just as good I am sure. I even make gratings for my barrel wood stove from scrap rebar.

  33. #25

    Yes, I love Technology
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    There is also "magic smoke". That is the secret ingredient in electronic chips and transistors. Makes 'em work. Nobody sells it so you have to fry something to get any of it. But how to put it back in? The more magic it has, the worse it stinks too!

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    Consider fixing your too cold to paint problem by powder coating instead. The equipment is not expensive, I feel I can get a better finish, and the parts can be used as soon as they are cool.

  36. #27
    Member Kiwi Dave's Avatar
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    Hi Everyone

    I have been a slacker about keeping my build thread updated and I will try to do better in 2021.

    We are now nearly at the first start/go cart stage but I wanted to post this now so AZPete has another New Year’s Day read from me ahead of that milestone

    Not long after my last post in 2019 things at work took a totally unexpected path and I ended up reluctantly becoming the Head of the Department as we headed towards a drawn-out integration with another separate part of the company at a time of great uncertainty. Fast forward to mid-2020 and I am back doing what I was doing before which is developing new medicines and developing people, this is what I love doing - not managing leaders above and below me. It was all terribly distracting from the 818, but doing this helped keep my job in the end - most other leadership team members are elsewhere now. We didn’t make a huge amount of progress over that time. Now I’m back! The pandemic has given us a bit more time on the weekends to work on it as, unfortunately, the kids don’t have any organized activities. Here is the 818 as it is today (dogs are for AZPete):

    IMG_0159.jpg

    IMG_0157.jpg

    IMG_0156.jpg

    Here’s some of the highlights so far - you should see most things I write about from the photos above:

    Electrical

    We received the wiring back from iWire and I must say their product and customer service is outstanding! I have been guilty of rushing things on this project but I am glad I got this done early as they no longer routinely do 818 wiring now. The only thing that was missing was a wire from the A/C trinary switch to the CPU to tell the computer to turn on both fans and up the idle speed when the compressor is going. Brian from iWire sent the wire ready to go and all is good. I later also had iWire make a harness for the G-sensor which I realized I needed.

    Because we want A/C and heat, there was no obvious way to get the fuse boxes in with the Vintage Air evaporator/blower unit in the FFR-recommended position on the passenger side cabin front firewall. One option is to extend every wire and have them on the hood side of the fire wall – ugh! I learned later that iWire will make longer wires to allow this position if you ask them. We ended up putting them in the center tunnel and it worked out great – nothing needs to be extended or shortened if you put them here. We will install a removable panel on the tunnel to allow access. Everything was plug-and-play and we have secured the harnesses with zip ties for now in case anything needs to be moved later.

    IMG_6904.jpg

    I made a wiring harness for my Hella Supertones and got a more waterproof relay than the one supplied. Man, those horns are LOUD if you are in front of them!

    We are using the Optima Yellowtop battery from the donor and it doesn’t fit tightly in the battery holder, so I made some spacers out of some aluminum angle so it is held snugly now.

    61549395535__8235B90D-4058-45F5-8D70-89AAF1CF89F5.jpg

    We destroyed the clockspring when we took the steering wheel off the donor and we need it as a horn and self-cancelling turn signals are requirements in Maryland. A forum member (Alan P.) directed me to a $40 replacement from China that works great. Delivery was delayed by the pandemic and it took about 4 months to get here, but it made it in the end! We have the FFR steering wheel attached to a maximally-shortened steering column and it is a very nice upgrade indeed.

    Aluminum and Steel Panels

    We installed a rear firewall on the engine side as many have done. As with all of the aluminum panels, we used the Noico black 80 mil sound deadener which is highly effective and really stiffens them up. I also added DEI reflectagold on the engine side. If we were to do this again, I would put the middle triangle on the cabin side as I think it will be difficult to get those screws out with the engine in.

    We installed the lower cabin aluminum with a carbon fiber wrap. Since we have harnesses, we plugged up the seatbelt aluminum panels with JB Weld and sanded them smooth before installation. We made some panels to fill the gaps by the fuel tank and then sealed everything up in that compartment, including all the holes in the floor, with gasket maker. I think that fuel tank compartment is pretty water tight now.

    To access the LCA bolts behind the hurricane brackets we drilled holes in the firewall and used bungs held in place with a piece of sound deadener to plug them when not in use.

    As discussed earlier, we wanted to avoid the foot panel popping. I tried welding some beads on practice pieces, but I am not a good welder. So, while the frame was on its side, we got some steel plate and riveted them on across the middle which was very effective for alleviating popping in that area. The pans still pop in the corners, so I cut some of the steel I had leftover from my seat floor steel and we’ll rivet them into the corners. More weight, I know, but it prevents that cheap feel when you get in and they pop. We’ll add sound deadener to those areas later. All road-facing panels on the bottom have been sprayed with truck bed liner.

    IMG_5287(Edited).jpg

    Cooling

    We went with a bigger aftermarket Mishimoto radiator and treated ourselves to Boig pipes to avoid some of the issues people have had with the FFR flexible pipes. They are a nice product but tolerances are tight in places, especially on the drivers side. Given the issues many have had with burping the cooling system, we have Wayne’s coolant mod and a line run from the upper passenger side outlet on the radiator back to the coolant tank which was relocated with the ZDMS bracket. An aftermarket reservoir was added - the donor tank didn't look good. For the coolant we used Subaru coolant and a couple of bottles of their conditioner. We used the FFR method of filling – alternately lifting the rear and then the front. Holy cow! This works, but I lost count of how many times this had to be done (maybe 20 ups and downs?), but now we can’t get any more in for now without the engine running the pump. I found pumping the fluid around and getting air out by squeezing the 90o hoses in the rear also helped. One of the vacuum tools may be a better way to go if you can borrow or buy one.

    A/C and Heat

    AZPete kindly sent me his guide and we ordered the parts and the special pliers from a local Vintage Air dealer who gave us a better than catalog price and had them delivered to our house. I took my “U bend ‘em” pipes to him with the Subaru compressor connectors and he had a friend weld them together for me. The dealer owns a custom hot rod building business, so I got a tour of his setup and current builds which was nice. We ran all the A/C and heat pipes down the drivers side, so now there’s a lot going on in the left footwell area, but it seems to work. The A/C system holds a vacuum overnight, so hopefully it is all ready to charge when the engine gets running. I am not sure if the heater lines got filled with coolant without the pump, so we await developments there. The "H" pipe from Vintage Air to recirculate coolant when the heater is off is installed in the pipes on the drivers side. Since I purchased the A/C manifold/gauges, I used them to charge up my daily driver A/C and it blows cool air like new now.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Kiwi Dave; 01-01-2021 at 06:42 PM.

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  38. #28
    Member Kiwi Dave's Avatar
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    Clutch

    We installed a heavy duty ACT clutch with new OEM bolts and fork. I wanted remote brake & clutch reservoirs and got a set of Wilwoods at a good price from another builder who went with the Tilton instead. They are connected to the master cylinders by a Wilwood adapter from Amazon that seems to work after some grinding of the aluminum on the master cylinders or notching the adapters.

    IMG_0160.jpg

    We ran the Ni-Cu line with metric connectors and did the flares with the excellent Eastwood tool. We used a stainless steel line from the slave and ran it out to the drivers side rather than over the engine block.

    Bleeding the clutch was more problematic than I had anticipated. I was doing this myself as I had purchased a cheap pneumatic bleeder, but I just kept getting so much air. After researching on the forum I found many had the same trouble. I think the rod was not coming back far enough to let enough fluid in when the pedal is released when installing the rod in the factory position with the FFR spacers. This can be alleviated by adjusting the throw of the rod under the dash by 2-3 mm but there is little room to get hands and tools with the A/C unit in there. The easy solution is to back off a few threads on the clutch engaged switch which determines the pedals uppermost travel limit – a great suggestion from InsuranceGuy! Once I did that, we used the traditional two person method to bleed it without issue and it now feels great. It took me quite a while to solve this problem, but, as usual, the Forum helped immensely.

    Brakes

    We attached the ABS unit from the donor by making a bracket out of angle and the hacked-up donor bracket in order to retain the rubber seat it sits on. We put it in a similar place to others. The brakes lines are being finished up at the moment – these and the clutch line were left until later in the go cart build since I knew it would start to get crowded up front and you can run these pretty much where ever you want.

    The handbrake was another challenge as we will use the donor center console and the FFR-supplied cable anchor piece can’t be used in this situation as it is too tall and takes up the space where the armrest glove box goes. Eventually, I came up with a mount to anchor the cables that didn’t interfere with the console or the fuel tank.

    IMG_6630.jpg

    IMG_0161.jpg

    The handbrake was mounted under the center console top tubes rather than on top in order to make it less intrusive into the cabin. It works really well. I bought a nice leather red-stitched boot that match the seats for the e-brake handle from the UK off of eBay - and one for the gear shifter.

    Engine & Transmission

    We installed a Blouch 18g turbo with the billet wheel. Since we had the engine and trans apart we put the engine in first and supported it with the jack at the front. It went in pretty easy with two of us guiding it in - we have the low profile ZDMS oil filler and we had taken off those ugly heat shields a long time ago which helped I think. We have the ZDMS turbo heat shield and the Boig 3" muffler. The O2 and AFR sensors are new as the donor's were pretty cruddy.

    IMG_7273.jpg

    We then mated the transmission without any major issues. The air-oil separator was plumbed in and we got the electrics and rest of the plumbing hooked up. The Accessport is mated and codes cleared. We’ll take it to AndrewTech who rebuilt the engine for its first start and a break-in tune since it is basically a brand new engine. I’ll also have them do the alignment. I still need to figure out exactly how to get it there.

    I bought Craig’s (ZDMS) beautiful 1.0 MR2 shifter kit and 5MT bell crank and the SeaStar 8 ft. cables he recommends. I got the donor shifter from a second hand MR2 parts site and new bushings and a spring from Toyota. The cables are routed out the drivers side lower gap in the rear firewall and fit perfectly – the 7 ft cables would be too short for this routing. One thing to be aware of is that is optimal to drill another hole in the shifter rod closer in towards the front for a better feel. I used a spotting drill through the piece that connects to the rod to get a good start on this hole. I am VERY pleased with the shifter feel and there is plenty of adjustment to get it how you want it – this is an upgrade worth doing for sure. It is a shame that we will cover up the shifter in the end, but at least the bell crank will be visible. If you haven't recognized this already, Craig has a lot of my money but his products are first class - plus my son and I each have 3 t-shirts!

    Donor Part Sales

    These have been going on in bursts over 2 years or so. I don’t have much left now – two doors and the prop shaft are the major items remaining. Almost everything was sold via listing on Facebook Marketplace (see my earlier advice on this topic). Things really picked up in the early stages of the pandemic as people were at home fixing their cars. I’ve so far recovered more than half my donor overall expenses by selling parts, but it’s been a long slog.

    Interactions with other 818 Builders

    I am a member of a Wash DC/Virginia/Maryland 818 builder Facebook group and this has been a great place to get advice and support – several members of this group are active on this forum.

    Mike (Mikeb75) visited us after installing his new tank and he took my son and myself for a ride, our first in an 818, and we also went and watched him at a local autocross session with Scott (Octobersknight). Scott and I are at similar stages and pace in our builds and often exchange information. We have visited each other several times. He very kindly made me some shorter harness bar spacers the other day. We also visited Slava (STIPwrd) and a couple of his mates at a local Cars and Coffee event (Katie's).

    Here’s Mike’s car in our driveway:

    IMG_6242.jpg

    Here’s Slava’s car (note my son’s ZDMS shirt!):

    IMG_6337(Edited).jpg

    Still to Do before first start

    Install the seats – As Mikeb75 has done, we also chose to have steel plate over the under seat areas for added protection and to anchor the seats and lower harness mounts to. The Cipher seats I got are a bit too big for the passenger side and it will need to be mounted on an angle which I have a way of doing. The drivers seat is on a slider, but it only slides two inches or so, nonetheless this allows at least some flexibility for seat distance and/or back angle and my wife will appreciate it when she drives it. The harness bar and harness need to be installed – I got the Schroth Rallye Cross 4 pointers with the civilian-like latch button. We need to finish running the brake lines, bleed them, and clamp them to the frame. Then a once-over to check everything is good and off to the first start. We live on a private pipe stem, so I have about 100 m of road to legally test it out on!

    If you've made it this far you are a good sport! CONGRATULATIONS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
    Last edited by Kiwi Dave; 01-01-2021 at 06:40 PM.

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  40. #29
    Senior Member AZPete's Avatar
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    Thanks, Dave! It's New Year's Day (again, like 2 years ago) and all I had to look forward to this afternoon was watching some YouTube puppy videos, a few dash cam vids and then maybe popping some bubble wrap. It was just another pandemic day until you posted your mega-progress! From iWire and the trinary switch, to under-seat panels, to AC/fuses, to shifter, and E-brake, I'm very impressed by the quality of your son's work.

    BTW, if anyone would like a 2020 planner, mine's for sale and it's like new, completely blank. Happy 2021 to all.
    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).

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  42. #30
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    One thing I have been looking into lately is the Moore 2.0 "Blast Plates". These aren't true blast plates which stop shrapnel when something blows up, but rather the intent is to stiffen up the transmission case to prevent the gear teeth from being stripped when the case flexes under heavy load such as a spirited takeoff. I figured my engine is pretty reliable now, so the weak point will be my 5MT and I spotted an uninstalled set going for a reasonable price on Facebook.

    I looked through the Forum and found one builder, Devin (bds818dwk), who had these installed along with the ZDMS bell crank which is my situation:

    Blast plates.jpg

    I am not sure if the blast plates will work with that setup as there may not be enough clearance for the shifter cables. Devin seems to have stopped posting before he installed the shifter cables, so it's hard to say. Devin made a terrific start, it would be great to see the progress (hint)!

    Then I started asking around about these and whether they work or not. These are controversial in the Subaru world, but consensus of folks who I trust the most, including AndrewTech who are Subi transmission specialists, is that they do not really work. So I will save my money and move right along..........
    Attached Images Attached Images

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  44. #31
    Member Kiwi Dave's Avatar
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    Hi All

    I heard back from Devin and he did have to modify the ZDMS bell crank for where the cables come in to accommodate his blast plates, so something to keep in mind if you have that setup. He said you could also modify the blast plates, but I guess that would weaken them a bit. My conclusion is still to skip these and consider PPG gears if anything untoward happens to the transmission.

    It has been pretty cold here and I don't have heat in my garage nor any decent amount of time during the work week for the 818, but some work was done one day of each of the past weekends when the temperatures were slightly above refrigerator temperature. The goal at the moment is to get the brakes finished. Last weekend, my wife (the Ravens were playing, so no son ) helped me to try and bleed the brakes with the two person method. We kept pulling air when we did the DS front which is the one to do first per the FSM with the ABS unit where we have it. This brake and the PS rear use the cylinder at the rear of the MC. We'd not only see lots of air at the caliper, but also coming from the MC to the reservoir line.

    I wondered if my Wilwood adapters were leaking air (they don't leak fluid but may have been sucking air), so I cut about 6 mm off the bottom and pushed them on in my vise until I was certain they were right up against the seal and then tightened the clamp with the piece still in the vise. During this week, I did some reading on the Forum and elsewhere and found that it is best to have fluid in both parts of the circuit if fluid is not already present in new lines - I guess the rear line could also be a source of air, even though the bleed nipple is closed. I put some anti-seize on the bleed nipple threads to avoid sucking air through their threads. I bled both lines initially with my $20 Amazon air compressor bleeder until I got some good fluid from both front and rear calipers. With my wife (the Ravens were playing today as well), we then bled each line with the 2 person method and we were done in a few minutes! Repeat for the PS front and DS rear and, again, done very quickly. We pushed the car down our sloped driveway (maybe 5-6 mph) a few times and it stopped immediately. No leaks. The pedal holds firm and steady for as long as you can be bothered pressing it after pumping it up with a couple of presses, so we'll call that good enough to move on to the next item which will be securing all of the brake and clutch lines to the frame now that I know I won't have to take them off due to leaks. I have new rotors and pads, so they'll be bedded in on our private pipe stem once we are up and running.

    Since I unscientifically changed 3 things at once from last weekend, I am not sure which one or which combination was causing the air issue, but hopefully if you are having trouble bleeding the brakes the above may help. I would bleed both lines of the circuit (DS front/PS rear - rearmost MC, PS front/DS rear - foremost MC) as best you can with a pressure or vacuum system (I also tried gravity, but that didn't work) and then do the 2 person bleed. It won't hurt to grease or anti-seize the nipple threads.

    Many thanks to Bob 'n Cincy for suggesting clear lines from the reservoirs to the MCs - it was really easy to see and remove air and helped identify a source of our problems. I think it would be impossible to tell if you had air in these lines otherwise.

    Mike (Mikeb75) has VERY kindly offered me the use of his trailer, so I now have a flexible way to get the go kart to the mechanic for it's first start, alignment, and break-in tune. Thanks Mike!

    Have a good week everyone!

    Dave
    Last edited by Kiwi Dave; 01-12-2021 at 11:24 AM.

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  46. #32
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    Update

    Hi All

    Continuing my New Year's resolution to keep up better on my build thread, here's the next installment.

    Undoubtedly the most exciting event since my last post was attending the first start of Scott's (Octobersknight) 818C!! The milestone is summarized here: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...l=1#post442534

    I learned a lot about troubleshooting an engine no start situation. The issue was tracked down to a failed rubber bung between the fuel filter and the pump unit cover - a $2.50 part that I presume had dried up and hardened during storage that was leaking enough fuel back into the tank so as to not allow sufficient fuel pressure. I replaced mine immediately.

    Next was to finalize my drivers seat setup. Following Mike's (Mikeb75) lead, I have steel plates bolted to the seat floor area that provide an anchor for the seat rails and the lower harness mounts. I trimmed and "welded" some harness anchor plates to the bottom:

    Top seat plate.jpg

    Bottom seat plate.jpg

    I'll disassemble later to paint the steel when it is warm enough. The sliders that came with the seat are only about 1 cm high and they will be useful for when my wife drives the car.

    Seat bottom with rails.jpg

    Here's the seat installed with the Schroth Rallye 4 anti-submarine static harness belt with the push-type catch and I also got the optional padding and grips:

    Drivers seat.jpg

    I also added 1 inch bar clamps to hold the belts in place on the harness - these can also be used as steering rack limiters if I need to do that later (a pack of 10 is $20 on eBay).

    Clamps on harness bar.jpg

    Last weekend I dropped off Scott's and my clusters to Larry G. (K3LAG) who lives about an hour away from me. He expertly re-chipped and zeroed out the odometers so we will know the true mileage of our 818s at a glance. Larry keeps his 818S offsite, so I didn't get to see it, but I had a great time chatting with him and he is a very talented gentleman with many different interesting hobbies. Many thanks to him for doing this as I am not confident I could have done it myself (I don't think even AZPete soldered his ).

    Cluster zeroed.jpg

    So, now there's nothing that I know of preventing go cart mode. Scott and I are booked into AndrewTech next week for an alignment for the street, appropriate tunes (break in for me) and my first start since they wanted to manage that after rebuilding my engine. I will report back on that adventure next week.

    This weekend I'll give everything the once-over, set the ride height since it has settled somewhat while sitting on the ground for a few months, and maybe install the passenger seat.

    Cheers

    Dave
    Last edited by Kiwi Dave; 02-19-2021 at 07:49 PM.

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  48. #33
    Senior Member octobersknight's Avatar
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    Excited to get our karts over to AndrewTech for an alignment and tune! Hopefully this winter weather clears out fast enough that we can do some (ir)responsible go-karting before the long-haul of bodywork starts. Are you dreading the doors and windows as much as I am?
    818C chassis #546. Ordered 8/14/18, picked up 10/6/18. First start 01/16/2021!
    Donor: 2006 WRX wagon, 108k miles.
    Options: Chassis powder coat, CF street splitter, rockers, diffuser, and spoiler, polished shift knob, adjustable rear lower lateral control arms, vinyl padded dash/door, complete carpet set, battery cut-off switch, wiper kit, aluminum shifter assembly, complete CV axles, harness bar mount, matte gunmetal wheels.

  49. #34
    Member Kiwi Dave's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by octobersknight View Post
    Excited to get our karts over to AndrewTech for an alignment and tune! Hopefully this winter weather clears out fast enough that we can do some (ir)responsible go-karting before the long-haul of bodywork starts. Are you dreading the doors and windows as much as I am?
    Yes, the doors and windows seem to be our next big challenge!

    I will try the fabulous Mr. Quillen and Mr. Corsi's brass shoes on the window lifter and the bulb seal Mr Quillen used. I already have some brass with plenty extra and the grease Art recommends if you'd like to try that as well.

    Cheers

    Dave
    Last edited by Kiwi Dave; 02-19-2021 at 07:56 PM.

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    Dr Dave, allow me to save you some research. Throw away the ffr supplied shower door rollers and go to a local salvage yard to get window channels & filler strips to mount inside your doors to help steady the windows. You’ll be looking for a 2002 Chevy S-10 pickup for the channels. Get both sides. They will come out without removing the glass when unbolted from the door shell. You’ll need to cut them to appropriate length and add complimentary mounting brackets on both the channels and the door inner structure. This will save you 60 hours frustration and labor, not to mention teaching your children bad language. Hth.

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  52. #36
    Senior Member AZPete's Avatar
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    "(I don't think even AZPete soldered his )." Dave, you are correct. I took the board to a TV repair shop (who knew they still existed?) and they did the delicate soldering.
    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).

  53. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by AZPete View Post
    "(I don't think even AZPete soldered his )." Dave, you are correct. I took the board to a TV repair shop (who knew they still existed?) and they did the delicate soldering.
    I did the same. Well worth the 20 bucks, and nice to have started at zero miles.

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