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Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2009 10:28:48 GMT -5
Well I keep saying I need to make a page for this car, so here it is... Not a huge start but it's a start! This was when I was signing the papers: So I needed a cheap "get around" car, and started looking and found this Justy almost immediately. I had wanted a FWD car for a while after owning my 4WD '91, and this seemed like it would work. It is a bit worn, with 120k hard miles. The interior is trash, the carpet was so packed with food and dirt that it will most likely not go back in the car. The seats are shredded, etc. Rust spots, barely ran, etc. So first steps were to place an order with Subaruparts.com for the normal tune-up parts: plugs, wires, cap, rotor, fuel filter and while I was at it I picked up a few more broken pieces like the rear window latches (both held together with zip-ties), a window crank, a pitch mount (the one on the car had fallen apart) and a few other misc items. I also got some rear wheel bearings since it sounded like mine were not long for the world. I Seafoamed the engine, changed the oil and filter. I used 20/50 Castrol GTX since I did not know the condition of the oil pump and the idle was not good - thought it would help a bit. I installed an oil pressure gauge which shows the oil pressure to be OK, so I will be going to 10/40 ASAP. Now with the tune-up parts in the car runs MUCH better but still has a mild miss. The injector o-rings have turned to dust, so I am going to pull them at some point and have the injectors cleaned and replace all the o-rings. Now that I have cleaned the oil and mud off the engine, I can see there are a few oil leaks - one it looks like might be coming from the distributor hole, and another I have not found yet - but after running for a few moments there is a little oil sitting on the ridge above the oil pump. At first I suspected my oil pressure sender install, but that seems to be dry. Either way it is VERY hard to get in there since this car has A/C. I didn't even know you could get A/C on a Justy! I was pretty excited not only to find A/C (the owner didn't know it had it) but that when it turned on, the compressor would kick in! I took it to a local A/C shop and they said both compressor hoses are leaking and it needs 4 o-rings and a recharge, for this they quoted me $600. Now I notice my compressor does not kick on at all any more so not sure what they did. Gonna make a mild effort to find the A/C hoses, but if they don't drop in my lap I am going to make my life easier and just remove everything. Anyway, enough words. I need to take some pics. I got my tachometer installed, it's mildly embarrassing but nice to know engine speed. It came in very handy during the smog preparations. It has a white face though, and every picture I have taken shows just this white blast of light so I will have to get tricky.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 19:00:31 GMT -5
Today I changed the oil again - to 10/40 this time. While I was waiting for the oil to drain, I swapped out the pitch mount. When I was all ready to go and started the car back up, it ran for a bit, the CHECK ENGINE light came on, and then it died. I was sitting there scratching my head, but then did some investigation under the hood. After a little bit I tried to start it again, and it ran fine but the CEL stayed on. I remember that before, when I would come to a stop, the engine would stumble and die. Sometimes, when the car would be sitting and idling with the hood open, I could grab it by the manifold and shake it for/aft (bad mounts all around) and it would stumble and die here too. I thought back to this and remembered what some other people had said about the distributor wires, so I started playing with them. When I pushed down on the wires on the firewall side of the 4-lead connector going to the distributor, the engine would die instantly. I repeated this again twice to make sure. After playing with the wires, it was clear to see the green and white wires were broken. I took them out of the clip and ran new wire to the plugs, wrapped with heat-shrink, and will aim to replace the whole connector when I can.
In other news, the miss seems gone, the car runs smoother, and it seems much more powerful. It also does not die if I grab it by the manifold and shake it, but then it doesn't shake as much.
Turns out I must have jiggled these wires past their threshold whilst installing the pitch-mount. Pretty funny.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2009 19:03:22 GMT -5
Next items that are more or less emergencies:
- alignment - tires - steering rack and or tie rod ends - got to see, but something is loose there.
After being under the car for a while, the inside 3cm of tire tread is GONE from both fronts, as in, metal showing. The outside has what looks to be a load of life left. Hmm... All that toe out would hurt mileage as well, and explain how eager it is to turn in...
I need to find a set of stock GL 13" rims for now. Gonna roll with some black painted stockers, and some RE-92s again until I can find something I like better.
So much fun to have a Justy again. There's just something about this little car. Still can't wait to check out a 1st gen.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2009 2:24:36 GMT -5
Wow, this thread needs more pictures... Here's a shot when I picked it up and got it washed off - about to start ripping out the interior. I didn't get to keep the roof racks, which turned out okay once I got a closer look at them... This is mostly what my interior looks like now, except with less sound deadening. For some reason, it all simply lifted off the floor. I have never seen that happen before, ever. My rubbish bin weighed over 80lbs with JUST crap removed from the inside of the Justy. That should help the fuel economy along with the ~50lbs of hardened mud that has come off the car. I didn't really get any "before" pics which... Is a good thing. Here's an under-hood shot after about 2 hours and 4 cans of "engine bright." Odd that it's missing the Subaru MPFI sign on the manifold... Less than a week of ownership and I got the oil pressure gauge installed: Just got these home today: The fourth was off at the machine shop getting set up on the lathe. Here's some crappy cel phone pics from the machine shop: And here's the center bored out to 60mm (well in this case 60.14mm): Looks like it's gonna work, I just need tires. Oh, and a wheel stud to replace the one I broke off the front during the process of trying on the rims... Aaaargh. The nut felt a little odd coming off the first time, and then there were all the threads that sprinkled out. Then, I was in a hurry and put it back on... A few turns in I realized what I had done. Durn it - I was just thinking how nice it was that this car has new pads/rotors so I don't have to get into that... Guess it's time to order up those GL brakes already. Oh yeah and while I had the wheel off and stuff, I took out the snorkus. I CANNOT BELIEVE what a difference that makes in how the car drives, especially at lower RPM. It is actually worth it to me to save the snorkus on the off chance that I get some dyno time and can see if it really does make a difference. Sure feels like it. My turn signal stalk also died on the way in the driveway yesterday. I was turning the wheel and heard a loud "CRACK" from around the column area and suddenly my turn signal stalk went floppy. I no longer have turn signals, but thanks to a zip tie - they do not come on randomly as I hit bumps. Now, I am the one person in the Bay Area who has an excuse as to why I do not use signals (I always do and have already messed up the zip tie in around 6 miles of travel).
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2009 23:10:20 GMT -5
So I was messing with the wheels and was trying to figure out the easiest way to make them a little more presentable - had considered powdercoating them dark grey but that would be around $50/wheel. I could paint them flat black for much less but then they would be flat black, and I would have to sand them down either way.. Anyway I started sanding one of them and well, I was committed. All of them had lots of spidering/corrosion as well as damage around the center bore, most likely from being beat around and such. So I hit them with 100grit, then 150, then hand sanded with 200, then 400 and hand-buffed them with some Mother's aluminum polish. I am really handy with this method of polishing wheels and have gotten about 6 sets now into a mirror shine, but I didn't want the Justy wheels to be blingy or shiny so I just "lightly" buffed them. Usually I would have finish sanded with a finer grit and machine-polished with a muslin wheel. These came out, for my purpose, perfect. I ordered four Bridgestone Potenza RE-92 in 165/65-14 hoping these would work well on the Justy without any cutting or major speedo changes. These are only 1" larger in diameter than the stock Justy GL wheels, so I thought it wouldn't be too bad, while welcoming the lower cruising rpm and such. I was happy to see that the tires look great on the wheels, fit perfectly and did not require any cutting. I am still planning to modify the front of the rear wheel opening similarly to how stacks did since there is around 10mm of clearance there and it just looks wrong. The weirdest part of all though... I paid close attention to the tach on the way there - noting that at 60mph it was exactly 3100rpm, looking forward to seeing any difference on the way home. On the way home, I got up to 60mph and was perplexed at seeing exactly 3100rpm on the tach again at 60mph. I was running extremely worn 155R12s previously. The car drove SO nice home, was solid and smooth and actually really nice at 70mph/110km/h. I feel like I could tell the difference with the heavier wheelset on there, a slightly more ponderous feel... Cannot wait till I can do some suspension work and try to get some more control out at the wheels.
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SeattleJusty
No, a boxer will not fit in a Justy.
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Post by SeattleJusty on Sept 8, 2009 1:32:34 GMT -5
The weirdest part of all though... I paid close attention to the tach on the way there - noting that at 60mph it was exactly 3100rpm, looking forward to seeing any difference on the way home. On the way home, I got up to 60mph and was perplexed at seeing exactly 3100rpm on the tach again at 60mph. I was running extremely worn 155R12s previously. Your speedo and tach will always be the same whether or not you have golf cart tires & wheels on it or huge 4X4 tires on it. Your car thinks it is going 60MPH when it hits XXXXRPM because it is calibrated to do so. It doesn't have any way of knowing that you are moving at a different speed.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2009 9:50:40 GMT -5
Your speedo and tach will always be the same whether or not you have golf cart tires & wheels on it or huge 4X4 tires on it. Your car thinks it is going 60MPH when it hits XXXXRPM because it is calibrated to do so. It doesn't have any way of knowing that you are moving at a different speed. DOH! Yeah, that makes sense... I wish I would have thought about this longer before posting about it. Just thought back to the times when I have swapped various things on/off my Celica track car, not thinking that the only times when my speedo/tach relationship changed was when I swapped rear end ratios or went to a different gearbox. With the same stock parts and the speedo reading off the gearbox, tire size makes no difference there. So when I am traveling at 60mph, my speedo will indicate 56.5mph (when traveling 100km/h the speedo will indicate 94.1km/h). Thanks for pointing that out. It will probably be handy to cruise around with a GPS for a bit to get a feel of the speed difference. Interesting that I was going slightly faster than I thought I was and the car felt so nice. We'll see if these stay on. I would like to weigh a mounted set and compare that to the weight of a mounted 13. I think this will be a good test because I will be using my old Justy which has still-good 165/65-13 Potenza RE-92's and mine are the same, just 14" mounted on aluminum wheels. The 14" set was noticably heavier than the 155R12 set, but I had no scale available to me at the time to see exactly how much heavier. I am hoping that suspension improvements will help keep the extra unsprung weight in control. I want to replace that wheel stud and get new lug nuts so I can stop driving like I have an egg on the dash and see how it handles.
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Post by Raw Justyce! on Sept 10, 2009 21:31:32 GMT -5
Can't believe you took the bars off the roof! What'd you do with 'em? Those wheels are pretty darn spiffy though. Looks to be damn straight too.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2009 10:18:26 GMT -5
Can't believe you took the bars off the roof! What'd you do with 'em? Those wheels are pretty darn spiffy though. Looks to be damn straight too. Nah, the girl I got it from said she had to keep the racks, they were her boyfriend's or something. I was bummed till I saw them because they were pretty shaky. I let my Thule setup go with my last Justy but might end up getting another one. We actually used it yesterday to go hit the trails. Thanks about the wheels. They were pretty messed up and corroded when I got them, but some quality time with the cabinet sander and they look better. I think the style really matches the Justy. Just got to set it down a little now.
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Post by Raw Justyce! on Sept 11, 2009 19:01:39 GMT -5
Well sometimes you can get lucky with those racks anyway. Dunno if I have pics up of mine on my car, but I snagged a Thule pair for 2 bucks at a junkyard. You can get any of those bars off without the key no problem. How you planning on lowering it?
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Danimal
Getting my two Justys back together after a Justy hiatus.
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Post by Danimal on Sept 11, 2009 20:08:45 GMT -5
Very nice work so far. Those wheels look great! -Danimal p.s.-Is that your blue WRX in the background?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2009 11:43:39 GMT -5
Well sometimes you can get lucky with those racks anyway. Dunno if I have pics up of mine on my car, but I snagged a Thule pair for 2 bucks at a junkyard. You can get any of those bars off without the key no problem. How you planning on lowering it? Nice - I bought a Thule setup for my last Justy and it was around $450. You scored! I do not have the suspension ideas worked out completely yet, and I am sure some of this will change but it's basically hoping to be something like this: Front: Justy GL sway bar + brake setup, new rubber everywhere, Koni or KYB adjustable strut insert in Justy or '83-'84 Subaru front strut with Civic-based coil-over conversion kit and unknown spring. I am going to consult my alignment guy as to a way to adjust camber. Rear: Ground Control E46 BMW "weight jack" spring perch mounted on stock Justy GL rear control arm in current hole where the current spring resides. Hole will be strengthened, and I will start with a cut stock Justy spring for height. The weight jack adds around 2" of height and is designed for a 2.25-2.5" spring, so this should work well. A similar Koni or KYB rear strut insert will be used. Stock Justy GL rear sway bar, later custom bar once exhaust is worked out. Still working on all this. My target for the strut inserts is the '88-91 Civic as they look similar weight-wise and the struts physically, but I am waiting on parts to show up. I do not particularly care what components I use and do not mind custom-making some stuff however my goal here is to also find something that is cost effective and will work for the average Justy owner as a replacement strut option. Hoping to find a KYB that works out, however I want the first one to be adjustable since it's not made specifically for a Justy, I want to be able to tone it down if needed. This should effectively make it last longer as well. Having purchased brand new Subaru struts for all 4 corners of my '91 4x4 Justy, I would like something better. Here's a pic of the weight jack I have in mind. I know this sounds totally nutty, but I have really wanted to see what a Justy would be like with a little bit more aggressive suspension. Nothing crazy, just to make it be nice and controlled at motorway speeds. The Koni Yellows and H&R springs in my MR2 have inspired me since the Justy already handles pretty darn well and has a nice enough suspension.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2009 11:46:35 GMT -5
Very nice work so far. Those wheels look great! -Danimal p.s.-Is that your blue WRX in the background? Thanks! That WRX belongs to a friend, however I have been trying to convince him to sell it to me since it's been here (April). We need to do a clutch in it and a few other items. I have had 4 Imprezas, the first being my silver '98 "R-Reg" Impreza Turbo 2000 when I lived in the UK, a silver '03 WRX sedan, blue '01 2.5 RS Coupe and a blue '95 Impreza Brighton coupe. They are great cars, loads of fun!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2009 13:24:41 GMT -5
I wanted some new lug nuts that had a larger angled face on them to mount these wheels. I figured it would be safer since the Justy lug nuts sit inside of the tapered seats on the wheels. I found some 12mm X 1.25 lug nuts at Pep Boys and bought 4 to try them out, and ended up messing up another stud in the process!! I should have tried another wheel I guess... Anyway, a friend of mine told me that this could be due to the coating and I should try tapping them and seeing if the threads were OK. Sure enough, the threads needed a good amount of work. I found a die as well that matches the studs, cleaned up the wounded stud enough for now, and ordered 4x new studs for the driver's side. I should have just gotten them all for the front but wasn't thinking at the time. I will replace the right side asap, or when I do my brakes - whichever comes first.
So I am going to make sure the nuts fit nicely, and if so, buy the remaining needed 12 and tap them tomorrow whilst at the shop. Pulling the motor and transmission in a '72 Pantera tomorrrow - that should be exciting!
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SeattleJusty
No, a boxer will not fit in a Justy.
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Post by SeattleJusty on Sept 15, 2009 16:36:07 GMT -5
Woah Pantera! The engine bay on those things is huge! You could hide the whole Frank family in there.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2009 11:30:03 GMT -5
Woah Pantera! The engine bay on those things is huge! You could hide the whole Frank family in there. No doubt, but sadly it doesn't make the car any easier to work on. That 351 is pressed so tightly up against the firewall that there are some coolant and heater hoses that you simply cannot remove/change without removing the engine. In addition, with me in the drivers's seat and the internal engine cover off, the water pump pully is right about at my elbow... OW! Still, it's an amazing car and a childhood dream to work on it.. We have 3 in the shop currently.. This one has aftermarket A/C and power steering which makes the whole job like doing eye surgery through one's arse. Just pulled the motor/trans last night. This car is put together nearly show car quality - nearly every surface is NEW however it was clearly thrown together in some aspects. For example, the engine sat lower in this car - with the fit and finish we did not think that would simply be loose engine mounts but once we pulled the engine, the mounts were clearly loose... No buildsheet on the motor, so we are pulling it apart to see what's what for the owner. Anyway, this is about my Justy so I should knock this off, but I just had to put up some pics... That whacky engine bay... Should have gotten one of the guys to get a pic of me straddling the trans/bellhousing whilst starting to prep for engine removal. Carb tuning is a PITA in this car too since you have to hug the motor, and twist your head around to get in there and see the float bowls... No easy way. 345/30/ZR18's... Gulp. Completely custom, carbon fiber, interior... This is the nicest Pantera I have ever laid eyes on, and it will only get better...
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2009 2:58:19 GMT -5
Not much to report - got new wheel studs installed on the LH side and added new lug nuts as well. Just purchased the rest of the lug nuts and will be tapping them out to clean the threads and installing them.
Next projects up are adding GL model front brake calipers and rotors, as well as getting started on figuring out how to improve the suspension.
3 tanks of fuel so far in this tune - getting 32-35mpg per my calculations. Going to mess with the timing a little as it seems there may be a touch of advance to go for yet.
Still contemplating ripping out the A/C gear... Would I even use it if it were working? There is no doubt that it would make the car easier to work on and slightly lighten the load. Looks like I would need a new alternator bracket though - not sure what else. Might start with pulling the hoses just to see...
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Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2010 21:43:56 GMT -5
Wow - not much new stuff with my Justy. Today was the first in a while. I swapped my seatbelts over to the "non-stupid" style which attach normally to the body. Previously my car was equipped with the "automatic" seatbelts which add a lot of weight and problems to the doors. Now it's much nicer to drive, and the doors open/close much nicer easier. Good times! Thanks to another member here, I also got rear panels to finish the job. While I was at it, I put my rear seatbelts back too so the car is fully useful again.
Sad thing is my windhield got a crack in it the other day. Not sure what happened but I was just driving along and it cracked in front of me. Looks like there might be some rust under the windshield and if so that would be the cause. So, some body work and it will be fixed..
Next project is suspension. I am replacing all the bushing in the suspension and adding a rear sway bar from the GL model. In addition to that, I will be adding GL model front brake discs and calipers.
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Post by thejallenator on Jul 15, 2010 20:06:37 GMT -5
hey what ac shit do you need? i took all mine off when i pulled the motor the first time. maybe i have some stuff that salvageable.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2010 11:50:18 GMT -5
hey what ac shit do you need? i took all mine off when i pulled the motor the first time. maybe i have some stuff that salvageable. At this point I have decided to just remove all my A/C stuff. Just trying to track down alternator mounting hardware now. It will make oil changes easier, save weight, and I have never once thought A/C would be really nice or worth the cost to get it working in my Justy. I got my GL calipers, brackets, discs and pads. Waiting on brake lines and those brackets that go behind the calipers. Pretty excited about this as my car really needs a brake upgrade! I tightened my crank pulley again last night. I hope this doesn't keep happening! I found a place where there is a broken bolt near the oil pump that is the source of my worst oil leak. Going to try to extract what is left of the bolt and see if I can stick a new one in there. Next items will be suspension related. The car really needs new struts at least up front, new bushings all over and I am trying to figure out how to get a rear sway bar on it.
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