Update: 7/12/09- White car stripped for paint

[IJ.]

Shaeff: There's snow where you live?

 

[shaeff]

most certainly- but i don't drive it in the snow, or the rain.

i'll also be getting aftermarket traction bars, and whatever other goodies i can pop in down there. i'm open to suggestions!

 

[Justin727]

man can't wait to see the finished work!

 

[IJ.]

You may not but whoever owned the car before did

 

[shaeff]

justin: thanks! it will be uber clean when i put it back in.

ian: oh hell yeah. you should see the spare tire well. i'm cutting it out completely and replacing it.

 

[Justin727]

Can't wait to get a hold of a 89+ subframe so I can beef it up before throwing it in... Think im gonna powdercoat mine hot pink

 

[IJ.]

I used an 89 JDM Subframe in mine when I did the 9" install.

We don't get snow here so my 86.5 is pristine but I figured I'd use the 89+ for the tube braces.

 

[shaeff]

justin: that was my intention, but i couldn't find an '89+ subframe.

ian: do you have pics handy of the extra bracing? can extra bracing be welded onto mine to make it like the '89+? bryan is pretty damn handy with a welder!

 

[shaeff]

pics of said rusty tire well:




yikes! however, the rest of the car is solid, except a bit of rust in the wheel wells, which bryan might look at for me as well.

 

[IJ.]

Chris: They're just bolt in braces that go under the inner CV joints sorry no pics..

 

[shaeff]

hmm. i'm sure i can figure out something to help brace that area up as well. i'll dig around for pics later, and if i find them, i'll post them in here. (and start planning how to replicate them)

 

[IJ.]

I welded in a bunch of bracing on mine to reinforce that area and put a tube brace across the back for the 9" rear mounting points.
(used the stock rear bottom ones)

 

[shaeff]

nice! i'll have to scour your build/pics thread for ideas. haha

 

[shaeff]

i apologize for whoever i stole this pic from (someone selling it)- but this is apparently an '89+ subframe:


and this is a pic i graciously stole from IJ. - note the welded diff area:


i'm hoping to accomplish something along the lines of the above- as i never want to have to drop the subframe again. (not that it was difficult, just don't want to do it again. )

 

[Justin727]

Good I hope to see it come out well

 

[shaeff]

thanks! as soon as i get my subframe sandblasted, i'm bringing it to bryan to work some magic on!

 

[s383mmber1]

Most people would have scrapped this car in a second, having that much rust and all.

I seriously admire you for staying with the project Chris!

 

[shaeff]

thanks, will. what's truly sad, is that i see better chassis than mine going to the scrap yards. that's messed up!

 

[miekedmr]

that looks familiar. mine was a bit worse and I mangled it trying to get the control arms off, so I got one sent from south carolina that just has a tiny bit of surface rust. :love: everything else cleaned up real nice with a wire wheel.

...and then i press in all my new nylon bushings and BIC solid subframe spacers.

I had some bushings with siezed camber bolts that I ended up burning out with acetylene, so I need new ones. You got yours from BIC I guess? Any chance there are more of them?

 

[shaeff]

hey man, haven't seen you around here in a bit!

surprisingly, my rear control arms came off easily with the rattlegun, PB blaster, 5lb hammer, and a centerpunch.

pulled the nuts off, pounded out the eccentric bolts. now the fronts (when i didn those a little over a year ago, haha, i had to cut the bolts in half with oxy/acet. torch. that sucked!) however, i managed not to break anything that i didn't want broken!

as for the bushings, the subframe spacers i got from BIC, and he still carries them. the actual nylon bushings, i bought the very last set of them that's been made. there are some for sale in the FOR SALE section, though. (i paid $750 for the kit) mr sinister is selling them for a little less.