Newbie Fixing up a Scooby!!

[shorty87]

Hiya, thought I'd re-write my project thread as it's really handy having it to look back through to remember what I want/have done!
(some parts are copied and pasted from scoobynet so if it reads funny thats why!)

Back in January I picked up what I thought was a UK300 Impreza looking a little bit sorry for itself:






Managed to get this far today after an exam this morning:



Fingers crossed the parts all arrive tomorrow so I can go about that first drive!

I apologise in advance for the fact I'll probably ask a few dumb questions along the way but I'm used to classic VW'.

Between work and exams have made a bit of progress, both wings are off, new battery's in, front tyre been changed, bent wishbones out, driveshafts out gearbox end...struggling with the bloody nut at the other end though!
Managed to give it a good clean too as it was full of rubbish, could've taken a shovel to the boot
old wishbone, tiny bit bent:





ps the cable ties on the headlights are temporary!! just holding them in while the wings are off

Also curious, am guessing this is part of the alarm system?

--EDIT this turned out to be part of a fire extinguishing system that is no longer hooked up!

Then I found out the car used to be Morettes show car hence the lights:


This also showed it as a WRX Impreza, but after a trip to JGM RR it turns out it has an STi engine and ECU in so someone along the line has upgraded it!

This was how I drove it for a while whilst I was waiting for Jago (paint guy in Chichester-highly recommend him!) to be free to do the paintwork:

[shorty87]

After a few weeks of driving it looking like I’d been rallying at the weekend I dropped it to Jago and it came back looking a lot happier:
From this:


to this:


And this:


to this:


I then had to go to France to work for a month so used that time to get a new clutch kit/ cambelt kit/ sti intercooler/ godspeed brakes and pads/ braided hoses and a few other niggly bits done

When I got it back from the garage, there were just a few touches I wanted to add:
Rally pigs:



Scooby:


And an all singing all dancing head unit:


After a bit I also got round to de-stickering the boot as it was way too messy:



The “final” product looks like this now and I’m chuffed to bits:

[shorty87]

Only downside is I just went back to work in France for 6 more weeks and you have to see the funny side when during the whole time I was away Dad borrowed my car once...and the gearbox failed on him!! 
He felt really bad and got a replacement fitted, £11 on ebay..which I think might be why it still makes horrible noises. Anyway I had been toying with the idea of upgrading to a 6 speed box anyway so guess this means now I have to!

It turns out when I got home from the airport and turned into the driveway, that Dad had felt so guilty thinking he’d wrecked my car that he panicked and picked up this:

Its a WRX turbo with a blown head gasket (hence it’s engine being on the floor in front of it!)...not entirely sure why he thought a second broken Impreza would be a good thing but the thought was there!! Anyway, thats now a new project for once my Scooby is back to full health.

[Tomma]

You'll be able to recoup some money breaking that!

Just trying to work out what I can lend my dad......... the only thing he breaks at the moment is wind!

So you have the gearbox from that dark blue wrx in your car now?

I'm sure there was a gearbox for sale on here not so long ago

[shorty87]

I'm still searching for a replacement gearbox, Dads plan now is to fix the darker impreza (i think it was actually a sly way of getting one for himself as he admitted he loved driving mine...until it went bang!) so the one from that is not available.

I really hope i find one and get it in by wednesday afternoon as I need my car quite desperately that day, but my chances are getting ever thinner?!

[Tomma]

maybe stick an urgent ad in the wanted section or try jap performance parts?

[shorty87]

Managed to find one, getting it fitted next week, hoping that cures it as the garage said I might need to redo the clutch which considering its less than 3 months old I really don't want to have to!
I got a blue box exedy clutch kit, do they come with a thrust bearing? If not I'm hoping to just change that for a cure!!

[jonnyricer5]

good and bad times its looking a lot better now