'83 Starlet-Avoid the Noid! content

So, a no pictures update.

I've been working on brakes. I had one new rear caliper, one used, with a pin seized in it, two fronts, and lots of missing bits. I ordered way too much stuff from my favorite on-line parts supplier. I'm leaving their name out, because I really do like dealing with them, and don't mean to detract from their good name.

Some pictures were wrong, descriptions labeled brake pins and bolts were bolts only. One thing labeled springs had a picture of the pins I needed,but turned out to be bolts only-NOT springs. Because all of this, I have maybe 5 extra sets of bolts for the rear calipers. I don't mind so much, because they were like 99 cents each.

I was determined to rebuild the front calipers, but really struggled with one front seal. I eventually figured out the seal was wrong-too big.

To cut to the chase, I rebuilt one caliper, ordered two new ones from the local parts house, which came with pins, and hardware. I should be able to cut one of the spare pins down to work on the rear, and voila, 4 refurbed calipers. I really took the long way around on that one.

So, the seals were $2 per wheel, a new front caliper $30, and the rear $70 (all numbers approximate). I'm glad I proved to myself I could rebuild the caliper, but doubt I'd do it again, unless I couldn't get the remanufactured ones. It's damn fiddly work. They don't check the cores for seized bolts or bleeders, both of which I had, and caused considerable greif to deal with. Still, learning is cool, and I'm definitely doing that.

In other news, a buddy moved from 10 acres to a boat Sonny Crockett style, and gave me buttloads of paint and stuff, so I'm using free caliper paint, and this stuff will be really pretty.

I learned the same lesson when I rebuilt the SU carbs on the Bugeye Sprite. Yeah, I now know how to do the job, and that itself has value, however I also know that next time I will farm it out.

I keep thinking about 4 or 6 piston calipers, and having much respect for people who can pull that off. These were all single piston. Still,they will be a huge upgrade from stock.

Next up, wrapping up the cowl inside and out, and rebuilding the rack.

Still no rear axle-they "had to re machine the axles"

Slow going these days, but here's the latest in minute details of my shop time:

A friend is turning 40. She is an outwardly conservative teacher who I first remember seeing at a metal show wearing the drummer's Viking helmet somewhat like pictured, and throwing the devil sign in the pit. So I made her a sculpture.

My calipers are coming along. and here's the extra pin painstakingly procured next to the spare one I now have for the front caliper. Under the knife. The lathe was actually spinning here. Modern cameras are pretty amazing... but not quite idiot proof.Apologies for the blurry. The picture above is the pin post-op. Not 100% perfect, but I'm sure it will do swimmingly. Now, what to do with all those extra brake parts.

Fiddly work, but the front brakes and struts are ready. And work on the cowl continues. I may still be able to make wheels on the ground by March 21st.

Little bit of a rattle can rebuild, but I'm calling the rack done. New inner and outer tie rods,new boots, I checked the passenger side bushing, and it felt good, so I worked some grease back and forth on the rack, and shot it with some more free paint from my maritime buddy. Everything felt tight. The old inner tie rods had about 1/8" play each.

I eyeballed the alignment as best I could, but with all the new, adjustable parts, I'll have to start from scratch anyway. Sanding continues on the cowl. I continue to nag the 4X4 shop once or twice a week.

I'm sure there may be those who are sick of hearing about the darned cowl, but I am a smidge proud. Before: After: And I finally decided what to do about the suspension pivots I wrecked. That's one layer the same as stock, backed up by an 1/8" layer. That'll do, pig.

That cowl looks like some clean work. Still enjoying watching this.

The starlet with the N2 wide body kit is for sale near me still. This thread always makes me look at it again.

Great looking cowl. You do nice work.

Looks great. Bet it feels great to sit back and admire the win.

Whats next?

I probably missed it but what strut inserts and rear shocks do you go with? Have they been converted to short strokes?

Sorry, just saw that indeed you are running AGXs. I plan to use those as well. And you got the T3 front suspension kit...man o man, that's some nice stuff. I couldn't take paying the retail price. So, I'm using a T3 weld on control arm kit, T3 tension rods, AE86 sway bar, and then fabricating the "subframe" it all ties to.

I'm also sticking with the Starlet rear end but I swapped the gears from 3.2 to 3.9 and added a TRD 2-way LSD.

My next projects is adapting AE86 GTS rear brakes to fit the Starlet axle.

Brilliant work.

NOHOME wrote: Whats next?

Well, I've gotta re-touch the paint on the bottom, then we're back to jack stands, R&R the front cross member, then I can start putting suspension on. Unfortunately, I am still having trouble getting the axle back. Suffice to say, I have been getting less, and less polite.

redvalkyrie: I'm having deja vu. You are welcome to any spares, as I don't want to scrap stuff someone can use. Edit: Also, much love for Chuppy.

Others: Thanks for your support.

I just checked, it's about ten hours out to your area from Tulsa, which honestly, isn't that bad.

In reply to redvalkyrie:

It would please me greatly to send this stuff on to another life in caring hands. I've still got your cell. Do you have mine?

wheelsmithy wrote: Unfortunately, I am still having trouble getting the axle back. Suffice to say, I have been getting less, and less polite.

I think it's time to rescue what's left of your parts and get a refund. They took a rear end you could've sold as a going unit and butchered it so you have all the right to a full refund. No satisfactory result? No money. Doesn't matter how much time hey put into it. They accepted the job and didn't deliver.

In reply to Jerry From LA:

They say the diff is built out, housing narrowed, and they are just waiting for axles. I have paid them nothing, so worst case, I'm out ANOTHER axle. I'll follow through to a conclusion of some sort.

I try to do something for the cause every day, so today, I took the pig off the spit. But first, I just wanted one more pic of the shiney. I put the brake/vent/fuel lines back on, along with the heat shields-after a splash of paint, of course. One more pic, just because.

Are you going to leave the bottom in POR or go with a Shutz kind of rubberized undercoat?

Something about a bare shell that I like. Seems to exude potential.

In reply to NOHOME: I put rustoleum gloss black over the POR, and that's all she wrote for now. As long as I'm not blasting down gravel roads too often, the hope is that it will hold up. I have to admit, getting over spray on my pretty black drove me a little crazy, but I keep reminding myself, protection is the name of my game.

The bare shell to me is insane. Like the things you see in factory pictures. It is not even a car. But yes, potential is a good way to put it.

I have officially started to get anxious for the day I can roll it out, and wash it all down.

Today, I removed, cleaned, and stitch welded the crossmember and painted it with leftover caliper paint, if for no other reason than I didn't want to throw it out. It has a ceramic content I guess that should make it tough.

This has taken quite a bit more time than I thought, but the front suspension is basically in. There is plenty more fiddling to be done, but there you go. I've been struggling a bit as there were no instructions (duh, better check online later), and, it occurs to me, this is the first car I've ever lowered. Shocking. Edit-not true-second. 1st with coilovers.

Anyway, I have seen much more elegant ways to open up the tophat mount, but I have full adjustment. One of the main reasons stuff has been taking so long is I can't stand putting rusty old bolts next to all that overly shiny black paint. So I've been tidying up everything before it goes back on. Copious amounts of both anti-seize and Blue Loctite have been applied. It sure is good to be emptying some of those zip loc bags.

Congrats! Putting it back together is one of the more rewarding parts of a project.

ShawneeCreek wrote: Congrats! Putting it back together is one of the more rewarding parts of a project.

Ugh. I always have a hell of a time FINDING all the parts to put it back together. Sure, they're bagged and labeled...but where did I put the bag?

In reply to Mezzanine:

There is definitely plenty of that going on.

When I last posted, the front suspension was loosely bolted on. Now it is tightly bolted on. I had to drop the cross bar, and ever so slightly egg out some holes in order to utilize all 10 mounting points as T3 intended. The front mounts had 1" of airspace between the sway bar mount, and the frame. Not on my watch. So I split some black iron pipe I had laying around so it was all tied in. and it looked like the heim joints at the sway bar ends might bind during travel, so I turned half of each of the spacers down to 14mm on the lathe. I've been double nutting where I can, Loc-tite-ing where I can't.

The anti-virus on my crappy computer has decided that T3's site is unsafe, so I can't download instructions, but I have assembled this thing in just about every manner I can, and compared it to the pictures on the website with my tablet. Good enough for now. If it needs to come apart a bit once the first alignment happens, so be it.

For several days now, I've been sanding the roof, cursing the 4X4 shop, and more sanding and cursing.

Result: I never thought a Starlet's rearend would give ME such trouble.