crewzin70

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Well after further inspection after the halloween trip I noticed my exhaust wrap looked messed up. After unwrapping it discovered my headers had almost spit in 2 under the turbo along with some leaking gaskets at the heads, that sucks. But Outfront said it would be covered and to send it back in so ended up not welding that back up myself, going to have that re jetcoated in black this time the polished silver does not last for anything. Also going to be adding their heatshield and maybe I wont have to put the wrap on there to save my timing covers this time. While it is apart I decided to have my couple of pulleys powdercoated to match my valve covers. Little bit of bling never hurt right? It never ends, trying to get all the kinks out this season so in the summer I can paint or powder the frame.

Might have been me bud, sorry if it was a close one and never saw you. I'm usually the one turning away and taking a different line away from ppl headed towards me and not looking. I'm usually pretty aware of others around me as I run heavy equipment for a living and have to always look around and not squish ppl. Was this the jerk LOL? http://www.youtube.com/user/crewzin70

Like night and day, it's alot more user friendly with the subi in there, thinking I will put the old lady behind the wheel next trip and getting her broke in putting around in it, she turns green in the passenger seat so I'm sure I can convince her to drive it and maybe she won't get sick. LOL

Made it out for halloween! Car drove out of the trailer and back in at the end of the weekend. Have some work to do on the shifter and play with some springs and shocks but all in all it ran great.Kids had a blast riding it it all weekend. one short vid with the cell. http://www.youtube.com/user/crewzin70#p/a/u/0/JIjxSlnt0Ro

Nice turbo setup, looks like it's time to get some sand on it!

House of Hose ended up saying they couldn't do it to being short handed and they don't work on ppls cars.... I tried to explain how it just needed to be fitted to the car and it was all in the open but they were retarded. Granberry didn't want to do it either so next was All Hose I used to go to them over off Craig and 15 when i built my old ford and when I looked them up they now have a west location that was just right down the street from me. Called and John I believe it was said they were short handed also but we will take care of you just bring it down as early as I could. Loaded it up and hung out while they did it. Great customer service and came out nice with fair pricing. Will be going back there for all my hose needs.

My buddy had house of hose make his at their shop fitted directly to the car. Just black and then they put both hoses in a sheath so if it were to burst it would not get on the occupants like on the heavy equipment. Gotta call this week and set up a time prob.

Finished everything up today(well almost everything) and fired it up for the first time. Engine ran for about 30min. 10min of idle and 15 at 1700rpm's. Good oil pressure and stayed at 180 degrees, should be a good one. Everyone keep your fingers crossed for a good season. Gotta wait for some road time till I have my PS hoses made to finish up the steering.

Got my rebuilt STI shortblock back from Outfront and with my heads this last week and finally got to work on it yesterday. So here is a pic of the progress as of lastnight. Hope to fire it up by this afternoon.

Very nice build!! Turning out smooth.

Got the mount all in for the charlynn unit and steering linkage. Just need to buy a few more bolts and when I get the motor back I'll tab for the PS resevoir and get the hoses done.

Dropped the engine off at Outfront Motorsports in Cali this weekend for a rebuild with a new crank forged pistons and race bearings in the STI block. Heads will be torn down and gone through and prob shipped back by the end of the week so hopefully by Sun I will have a running buggy again and work on finishing my PS setup! Can't wait to get this thing in the sand again.

The one pictured with 2 pieces was actually 3 when I took it off and peeled them off the crank. All 3 pieces were mashed up together. 2 slivers under one larger one and the rod was beat kinda out of round, I don't think they spun it was more like this one went dry then got ate up. Then with the extra space it went to hammering it to nothing. All the other bearings are just all scrapped up really bad. I shouldn't need too many new parts and pistons should be fine with new rings and a hone hopefully. Really was a blast to drive and with this new engine and a close ratio trans it was worth all the time I have into it. Just wish the economy would pick up so I can finish!

Maiden voyage went well, never got stranded or broke down. Had a bunch of good rides in it. Front end was great!! Can't believe the difference, just shocks need to be dialed in. Only problems were: having no brakes for a bit due to a shot master cylinder. Then I had no clutch on the last day prez weekend cuz of a crapped out slave cylinder, that was fixed by taking off in 3rd and running between 3rd and fourth. After 3 good weekend trips the fourth I loaded up got out to dumont and unloaded, after warm up started up a dune and the engine started knocking. Rolled over the dune and shut it off. After examining and seeing nothing wrong to the eye went to start it and it would barely turn over. Had no cell on me or my buddy and no radio so knew we were walking or driving it. Waited a bit and it then fired and with a bunch of knocking and crappy power I cruised back to the trailer and loaded it up knowing it was toast. Rode the quad and in my buddy's car for the remainder of the weekend. Turns out the used shortblock I had bolted my heads to had dirt in it from sitting and transport that ended up eating out all the bearings and killing one on the rod to crank. Here's a couple pics of the damage and kinda where I sit now. Work is slow so no extra buggy money, I already ordered a new crank cuz turning the old one is questionable and cost would prob be about the same as the machine work so I might have a spare for a backup motor later. Engine will be going to John at Outfront when funds come available for a shortblock rebuild and a head cleaning and inspection. Then I'll bolt it all back together and keep my fingers crossed.

Thanks for the replies guys. BTW who will be out this weekend? Kinda my shake down run this weekend so if you see me sitting somewhere stranded come on by. LOL

The only logical reason I could think of that a hub could be beefier is that it might be made out of a stouter material and be a thicker chunk than what a spindle mount offers in that area of the rim. Never really looked into it just knew I wanted front brakes. Reason I have brakes and beadlocks on the mind are the car weighs 390 lbs up front and 1300lbs in the rear.... lets just say it pulls the front pretty easily! I like to dune and not big on wheelies with my 091. I'm not saying ADDING weigh is a solution to equal things out but I was already planning on them and they could not hurt a thing with the way i have to drive to keep up with my buddies with LS cars. Otherwise I would have looked for some beadlock spindle mount rims to begin with. Andydew what engine do you have in that Rail?

Yeah I had plans for hubs with front brakes and weighed options with the budget and the combo I have on now was all I could do but it is on the list for upgrades along with beadlocks all around. Figured the combo spindle mount could work till the end of this season.... haha like 2-3 trips. Tatums seem to be the best bang for the buck for price so that is what I have been looking at.

Did you ever get some pics? Curious to see how it turned out.

Since the last post the car has been down to Outfront Subaru for a dyno run a couple weeks ago. BTW one of the best shops I have ever dealt with, John and all his guys are top notch. It is set at 8lbs of boost on 91 octane and around 290 FWHP. I had some issues with the oil pump and some debri in the engine but all that is good now. Added a bar behind the front seats to both B pillars. Also worked out some bugs with some mean bump steer in the steering. Now it is cycling 18in up front and close to no bump. I ended up selling my Pro Comp HID's and buying 2 pencil and 2 flood Baja designs that I'm converting over to HID, I used my lightbar I built for the other lights with moving the tabs and rotating it a bit. The last pencil will replace the 2 pencils I have in the center of the hood area. Today,Justin (that did my front end) and I finished up my side panels, all that is left is some bead rolling and I need to buy some more aluminum for my roof piece. Whats left for me to make it for prez weekend is switch out a set of my rear springs for a lighter set and have all the shocks tuned. Have a custom fuel tank fabbed up with some additional resevoir welded to it for PS (that may be added later) and coolant overflow. Last will be a good one over on all the fasteners and a few little odds and ends. here are a few pics, what do you all think?

Added the idiot lights and all my switches today. So this is pretty much finished except for adding another switch for something later and a cigarette/12v source socket and plumbing the inside. Should be real close to all buttoned up this weekend I hope.

Don, It's all good bottomed out with no springs on at full compression with the tires I have on there I still have 3 full inches of ground clearance. LOL no way I wanted to be laying frame with my front end! Thanks for looking out and the input, keep it coming. I have 4 children thhat ride with me in this car so if anyone sees any issues that need to be addressed feel free to post up. This is a learning process and my first sand car so I love everyones insight.

Haven't done too much lately but work on the dash. It ended up being more fun and a little less cash to do my dash myself. Only thing I paid for was for someone to tig weld the 2 upright sides on the lower box part. I still have to place all my switches where I want them and some idiot lights. So inside will be a fuse panel and a few relays for the lights. A While back I picked up a set of front tires and rims and also added an adjustable light bar and 3 HID's, one is off being repaired.

Nice score!! I did the VW to subaru conversion also... and not looking back. Power is like night and day and their also fun to work on, pretty simple stuff.

I didn't get much done on the rail today but a couple of friends were having some fun in it in the garage. Check em out.....