Update time!!

This is where I left off:


By beans161 at 2012-05-21

I went shopping for tires, after a bit of drama thinking the rims were the wrong offset, they werent, it was thick paint in the stampings making it hard to tell what they were. They all looked different, I was very frustrated. Actually its a bit of a funny story now I look back, but decided its not worth dwelling on. I got it done and now:

Insert front end.....


By beans161 at 2012-05-21

NEXT: Add struts and rims and check clearance, and mark out where the front guards need a little shave for the full lock clearance of the 16x7 with 205/45 tires. No rolled guards, no flares, nothing done at all to fit these rims except in the pic below. But remember if I purchased the size they recommended with out checking all that time ago, I wouldnt be so happy right now!


By beans161 at 2012-05-21
on the inside

By beans161 at 2012-05-21

By beans161 at 2012-05-21

By beans161 at 2012-05-21

By beans161 at 2012-05-21

The pic above, notice the box section in under the guard lip, this is where most rx3/808 sedan and wagons with aftermarket wheels rub as no one seems to account for that bit of metal, they bash it flat when the rims scrubs or cut it out all together. Or they have the rear so high in the air it looks lame! I have even seen people get the guards rolled to stop the scrubbing only to find the problem was higher up under the guard.. No mods here. no scrubbing - happy times.


By beans161 at 2012-05-21

By beans161 at 2012-05-21

By beans161 at 2012-05-21

By beans161 at 2012-05-21

Add fender mirror mounting holes


By beans161 at 2012-05-21

VERY happy with the way they sit... the color combo of car and rims, its all coming together, no longer a dream that I am "gunna do this too" I am doing it.. And here are the rest of the pics


By beans161 at 2012-05-21

By beans161 at 2012-05-21

By beans161 at 2012-05-21

By beans161 at 2012-05-21

By beans161 at 2012-05-21

By beans161 at 2012-05-21

By beans161 at 2012-05-21
love this pic, I can really see my car taking shape.

Anyhow thats all for now, next update is looking to be more progress.

Nice... you should get the front guard "flare" reshaped to the line you marked out rather than just cutting the end of the guards off. They won't look modified that way, not much work to move the flare features where you now need them if you ask me.

Thanks John, noted. Yes the folded lip on the inside will still be there not cut off all together lookin dodge, but I know what you mean about the flare section. I will take a drive to the panel shop especially to show them.

Well the build stories on here are very motivational, I do enjoy sittin on the couch reading about other enthusiasts trials and tribulations along the way to motoring satisfaction!
As I have come to learn and appreciate, any progress is good progress and with a week away and I have all these stories to catch up on, a rusty rx2 coupe getting raced in the US, swapped rx2's and 3's, gypsy's immac interior, rare little cars stored in sheds under blankets, a 626 showing how one can make a vision come to life! the list goes on.. ahhh JNC's

Update: The best part about holidays is the fact you forget about life back home... Well kinda. You see recently I had a week away and managed to forget about the stresses of life, my yard and work still to be done, but I could not get my dogs or the wags from my mind! No matter how many cocktails I had by the beach or pool I still found myself wondering about my little companions and the wags. Dont get me wrong travelling is freakin awesome but I realise I may have become a bit of a recluse enjoying my time within the confinds of my little castle!

Just prior to my holiday things were really picking up in the wagon build. But a week away gives you time to clear your head and re-charge ready for an all out assault on anything and everything that lay dormant waiting for me to apply my time and hand too and get done.

With the renewed enthusiasm I went down to the paint shop to sneek a peek at whats going on, much to my suprise was this blue beast sittin there looking back at me like my dogs with a tail going flat out like "your home, where ya been, pat me, touch me, pat me" and shit yes it was a great sight.. so before I end up writing a book lets roll out the pics.


By beans161 at 2012-06-11

By beans161 at 2012-06-11

By beans161 at 2012-06-11

By beans161 at 2012-06-11

By beans161 at 2012-06-11

By beans161 at 2012-06-11

By beans161 at 2012-06-11

Its so freakin exciting!!! I got a bit to do but the next update will be when it arrives at its new home in my garage, the plan was to have the shed ready for it to roll into however a few minor setbacks and waiting on council approval for my pergola. This means it will be locked in the garage for a couple months while I get cracking on the yard again! As I said earlier with renewed motivation comes a new list of things to complete! cheers.

colour on the car must make you extreamly happy, looks like you have a busy few months ahead, cant wait to see it with the wheels and mirrors on will be amazing!

Looking good

Fantastic progress

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REgards, Mo Melville

thanks for the kind words guys!

Lookin good mate, is that Impulse blue?


Keith

Thanks Keith! Its the original color the car was, very happy I didn't change it now.
The color chart I have says "Skyish blue" paint code AT.

looks awesome mate! I am jealous!

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Rockin' the 7 in a street near you.....

Its a beautiful thing getting a project to this stage.

Looking awesome, great work.

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'73 Mazda 808 Sedan - Unrestored
'74 Mazda RX3 Sedan - Undergoing restoration

Wow, nice project you have here

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Carina TA12, Starlet EP70(sold) and EP71, Mitsubishi Lancer CS9W

Thanks for the positive feedback guys!

Well no car build is without delays, for myself its been a weather issue for the last 2 weeks. Heavy rain and a semi complete back yard causes excess water flooding the crap out of any low lying area, getting home from work late at night only to find my pond/water feature is now a lake!! fish swimming through the garden!! not fun at all, the water is cold, the mud is stinky and the rain still falling!
The water got in under the pond liner causing it to balloon like a waterbed.. then to make matters worse, when I pumped the water out the rocks that surround the pond and hold the liner in place had fallen into the pond. So basically I had to remove most of the rocks and re-set the pond liner then replace the rocks. Hopefully the issue is resolved for now.

However things had progressed with the car, it was now having the rear windows re-installed ready for a break in the weather so we could tow it home. With another late night tidying up the garage to create a safe place to store the car while I continue with the yard. The break in the weather came and no sooner than the sun popping out was it loaded and ready to head home!!

The car still has no steering components in so I had to grab a piece of tubular alloy cut and bend it to make a tempoary steering linkage to stop the front wheels going wayward. a small thing but it made relocating the car slightly easier. Same tow truck driver from over a year ago when it went down to the panel shop, he was suprised to see it again.

By beans161 at 2012-06-25

By beans161 at 2012-06-25
I like this shot as its not often this car is out in the open to see the world, I hope it enjoyed the parade home waving to on lookers like me! ahhh jokes


By beans161 at 2012-06-25
gees I'm not into big booty but in this case I love that fat ass end. Badonkadonk!

By beans161 at 2012-06-25
Home in its new resting place.. notice rear windows are in!

By beans161 at 2012-06-25

By beans161 at 2012-06-25
I think I'll be investing in some workshop toys like wheel jack/rollers for easy movement around the place a new hydraulic Jack and a garage creeper (not me, the thing you lay on! ) Currently trying to borrow an engine crane if not will have to purchase one of them too..

Will be grabbing some bubble wrap to protect the panels and to wrap the front quarters in while stored away as I tinker.
Now its time to get wrenching, as its all hard but fun work from here!

looks really nice, i love the blue these little beasts had, looking forward to seeing more of this wagon.

nice build up mate, will be well worth it in the end..

Nice.... but the doors !

Make sure you mask everything up especially edges and corners when fitting the doors. The guards will need to come off if the hinges arent bolted to the A pillar. If you can get them to fit the doors I'd be asking them ! It's a headache adjusting and aligning while in primer let alone once they have paint on them. You probably want to start with the rear doors get those right them move onto the front door then guards. Expect around a 5mm gap maybe a touch more.

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Ebay reproduction parts for sale here

cheers Gypsy!

The doors are a while off yet, the front guards are coming off also while I fit the steering linkages etc. It will go back to the panel shop one last time in a couple months for final door and panel placement and front windscreen etc.

For now the aim is to fit as much of the final running gear as possible and overcome any hurdles along the way.

update:

Well, its not all bolt it together and there you go is it! you try to make a start on something but find you need a little part or something powdercoated etc etc the list goes on, so in actual fact I spend much time in the garage measuring, checking, reshearching online then out checking again, but I guess thats technichally RND?

I have the steering box back in and the custom crossmember/engine mount I have almost ready for a final bolt up. I put it in then looked underneath and it was not polished like the top so I pulled it out taped it up and gave the underside a blacked out to match and hide the black powder coated sway bar


By beans161 at 2012-07-18

Then sat it in for a quick sus. so now I look at the pics more i'm not fully sold on this crossmember/ engine mount now its in, but I think it'll do until I come across an original one ready to swap it over.

By beans161 at 2012-07-18

Little beast all bubble wrapped for saftey from my clumsiness.

By beans161 at 2012-07-18

In my yard I have replaced the fence from this;

By beans161 at 2012-07-18

To This:


By beans161 at 2012-07-18

By beans161 at 2012-07-18

Then replaced a dodgey facia with the help of a mate ready for pergola.
before

By beans161 at 2012-07-18

By beans161 at 2012-07-18
After

By beans161 at 2012-07-18

So finally my yard is coming together and looking quite tidy ready for pergola. Car well car is there and i'm working on a few things so if they pan out well it'll be in a coming update.