the subaru, it is the run. again
like flip 3 switches, push start button, car runs on it's own. injectors spraying and all. it is super rich as this system was on a 455 pontiac prior to my purchase. i've been on car hiatus finishing up the 454 5 speed truck and cleaning the yard. consequently, having a 454 and 5 speed in a short bed regular cab truck is badass and makes for smiles.
front subframe - untouched except a little behind the rack was removed. rack is untouched, no change to geometry. has an s10 4x4 v8 swap oil pan and it works rather well. everything tucks under hood with factory scoop installed. good times. rear is stock. if it goes then i'll deal with it, until then don't care. by deal with it i mean buy a rotten thunderturd and pull the 8.8 center section, hubs, and axles out and make that stuff work. since my plasma cutter purchase i've become even more bold with the insane projects i take on.
also found a wonderful trans cooler in the attic of my dad's garage that was given to me years ago by a landlord whose tenant left a truck and a garage full of parts, which she in turn gave to me. ordered 3" stainless $106 ebay exhaust too, and dug up a used flowmaster 2.25" to 3" y pipe from about 15 years ago.
more pics to follow. i believe next up is get throttle cable fixed, get it tuned close enough to run smooth, and button up just enough to test transmission. if that flies i can build a new firewall and tunnel section to patch the cut out stuff up. if trans is bad it is going to be so much easier to switch it out with a giant hole in the floor and simple access to the bellhousing bolts.
definitely going to change out the homemade shifter for a free b&m quicksilver no matter what. for some reason nobody likes that shifter, i love them. i was given a 78 el camino years ago with the shifter, then used it in my camaro. then my old truck when i swapped to automatic, now it can find a new home.
enough long windedness.
i think when this thing is done it's not going anywhere.
update:
i need to fix the throttle cable that came with the car. it's hooked to the pedal right but was buggered up at the carb. he bought a cut to length lokar cable and assembled it wrong. luckily all the parts are there, and he left it long, so i can trim the bad end and put it back together.
i had to use known bad plug wires to get it running, so i ordered a surplus 95 foot roll of 8mm packard wire and i'm going to salvage the boots and ends off the old wires.
i did straighten out the bar under the radiator. it looks like it was jacked up from that point so it was pushed up. i got in there and jumped on it a few times and it's straight again.
i need a short water pump and pulleys. i have room for water pump but not even room for a slim fan. with my belair i had the same issue, and resolved it with the short pump setup and that gave me room for fans. there is no room on front for a pusher.
is it a FMIC? nope, but it's my deceptively long trans cooler from something i parted out years ago, don't even remember. leading to the deception, the goal is that nobody would know from the outside that this is not just your hooning cousin's wrx.
squeezing the biggest radiator that'll fit, going to remove the fill neck and run one that's integral with the thermostat housing as that's the highest point in the system.
radiator to pump clearance, sub 2". the short pump will give ~1 3/8" more room. unless i score a deal on an electric for less than a short pump and pulleys cost.
oh yeah.
now i'm trying to find headers. it is apparent to me when i was looking at an engineless subaru in the yard that the exhaust ran under the front crossmember from the factory. i would love some that dump straight down between 1/3 and 2/4 cylinders respectively, it would keep heat off my starter on the right and keep me well away from the steering shaft on the left.
the tri-5 blockhuggers would work if i could get someone to sell me 2 lefts, or i'd have to buy 2 sets and use both lefts, then keep the rights for something else. i really don't want to bottle this thing up with stock log manifolds.
Check the Speedway Motors garage sale section right now. Tons of headers that might work, and I have a 15% off code.
Can you call up the header manufacturer, explain what you are doing and see if they can just sell you two lefts, even better ask if they have some damaged ones for cheap. The $20xx challenge is well enough known in the industry that I'm sure they'd be willing to help if they can. SBC RWD and WRX all in the same sentence is enough awesome sauce to make people or companies want to help you I'm sure.
gamby
UltimaDork
10/1/14 7:39 p.m.
My GOD, this is perverse. So, SO wrong.
It's fantastic. 
patgizz wrote:
oh yeah.
now i'm trying to find headers. it is apparent to me when i was looking at an engineless subaru in the yard that the exhaust ran under the front crossmember from the factory. i would love some that dump straight down between 1/3 and 2/4 cylinders respectively, it would keep heat off my starter on the right and keep me well away from the steering shaft on the left.
the tri-5 blockhuggers would work if i could get someone to sell me 2 lefts, or i'd have to buy 2 sets and use both lefts, then keep the rights for something else. i really don't want to bottle this thing up with stock log manifolds.
how about a set of these.
more soon, not much more done right now. just collecting parts and getting distracted with life/kids. i did procure an old stock 90 foot roll of 8mm spark plug wire to make my own custom length wires. that's next on the list, make plug wires and see how it runs, knowing that at least 4 of the wires i put on it just to get it going are crap.
i've come across one small bump. my crank trigger occupies the same bolt holes that would normally accept power steering brackets, so i have to figure that out. i don't think i want to drive with a "depowered" rack - ie the lines are cut.
If you have to leave the rack de-powered, you might want to get a 2003 or later Subaru Forester rack. They are 19.1:1 in the center, 15.2:1 at the ends, so the effort de-powered should be fairly easy for parking and such. It will bolt right in.
I have one here, if you were closer I'd do a straight trade for your WRX rack.
how much could one make parting this car out, assuming the engine and EFI stuff is off the table?
i seem to have trouble with automotive ADD, and this one is taking attention and garage space away from important ones. add to that the rusty quarters and the crusty present on most of the suspension members, something is telling me to keep the injected small block and get back what i can out of the rest, knowing i only have $1200 tied up in the initial buy-in and any of the stuff i added could be used elsewhere. i have an itch to use the EFI on the belair and bust out the forced air parts i've been squirreling away for several years.
i think the fork in the road has been met of continue down road A and end up over challenge budget to get the car working and have to fight the state for emissions exemption or road B let it go, and buy a nicer unhacked still subie powered one in the future, keeping key parts like the new rotors/pads and exhaust for that time. the plan from day one was $2015, and i just don't think it's going to be possible to hit that budget goal trying to undo the major hackage that has befallen this car prior to my purchase.
I'm unsure, but I'm sad to see you abandoning this project. 
it is the rust. the more i dig the more i find. nobody did this car a favor driving it in the winter.
when i can follow the quarter panel lip rust right through the door jamb, to the pinch weld, and to the wheelwell behind the back seat it's time to stop.
my big automotive goal is to have $ saved up to import an r32 gts-t like another guy here did by the end of the 2015-16 school year as my cousin is going to japan as an exchange student that year so i'll have eyes over there. he has a buddy there whose brother is skyline guy, and they volunteered to help find one if i don't want to go through a broker and get an auction car.
