1986 Subaru Leone RX TURBO STi

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Thu Aug 28, 2014 8:38 pm

do you just order these factory bits (stickers, panels, lights etc) straight from subaru? I didn't think most of that stuff would be stocked any more. Looks like you have a bottomless wallet!

wagonist · Post by **wagonist** » Fri Aug 29, 2014 5:20 pm

I agree. If you can get that stock new from Subaru, could you take some orders & ship them over? Stickers are non existent here & cop more punishment from our sun.

nico leone · Post by **nico leone** » Tue Feb 17, 2015 2:01 pm

AndrewT wrote:do you just order these factory bits (stickers, panels, lights etc) straight from subaru? I didn't think most of that stuff would be stocked any more. Looks like you have a bottomless wallet!

yep most of the stuff is all old stock from japan that was on a shelf.. everything from my dealership.

wagonist wrote:I agree. If you can get that stock new from Subaru, could you take some orders & ship them over? Stickers are non existent here & cop more punishment from our sun.

unfortunately I bought up most of the stuff in the last one.. but maybe there is black version still in stock or silver ones.. ill have to check what's still there..

so decided to improve the handling of the car a bit better and I noticed the 2015 uses rear spherical bearings. I had a machine shop shave them down each side 1.5mm and made a spacer to take up the slack for pressing them in my lower suspension mount in the rear of my coil overs

locally I found a nice set of ES-Tarmac ENKEI wheels 5x100 16x8 et45 14lbs wheels, super light weight compared to my braid wheels

started to build the spare motor, Ej22T stock crank, 10mm oil pump, ACL bearings, Carrillo Rods, Wiseco pistons, cometic head gaskets, ARP Custom Age 625+, V9 STi heads, killer b pick up, and allot of new factory case bolts and plugs gaskets

nico leone · Post by **nico leone** » Thu Feb 19, 2015 10:26 am

so this is what else I'm working on at the moment along with the lower pillow ball bushing for my coil overs, I decided to get a one piece unit made so I can get rid of the rubber spacers and all that mess..

this is a prototype unit to test on the car then i can get them made up once it fits ok.

black is 80s strut mount, green is coil over mount.. needs a bit more work to be perfect fit

also found the rear garnish in japan for my car, maybe ill put it on. to many holes to drill in a clean car.

wagonist · Post by **wagonist** » Sun Feb 22, 2015 12:51 am

where does your number plate mount?
In the bumper or between the lights?
We only ever got between the lights (I think partly because Subaru knew that a lot of the cars would have a towbar mounted, which would then obscure the bumper mount type, and hence be illegal).
But I do like the bumper mount number plate with the garnish between the lights on the sedan.

nico leone · Post by **nico leone** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 3:29 pm

wagonist wrote:where does your number plate mount?
In the bumper or between the lights?
We only ever got between the lights (I think partly because Subaru knew that a lot of the cars would have a towbar mounted, which would then obscure the bumper mount type, and hence be illegal).
But I do like the bumper mount number plate with the garnish between the lights on the sedan.

mine is like yours up top with lights, the usa got the bumper but never got the garnish from japan..

i dont think ill put it on, got a new plan for a carbon spoiler bolted on the rear body where the bumper goes for racing.. it will make it look crazy though lol

subaru 80's old meets subaru 2012 new moulded into one...
cnc billet aluminium & anodized black, now I can add a pillow ball at the top mount like the front..

next project is cnc billet aluminium front control arms with pillow ball and 1' longer so I can get some larger cv axles to with stand the abuse I am about to put down. cv axles will be new age subaru length.

FujiFan · Post by **FujiFan** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 9:13 pm

Can I order a pair of these rear top mounts? Thats a fabulous idea/job with those.

J.

nico leone · Post by **nico leone** » Thu Mar 26, 2015 12:01 pm

FujiFan wrote:Can I order a pair of these rear top mounts? Thats a fabulous idea/job with those.

J.

well other people have asked but my guys are so busy with aero space stuff they told me they cant make me anything right now... but i do have another idea that wont cost that much and will work just the same.. usmb forums has my wagon build which ill be updating soon on the new idea I have...

so this is my rear top hats bolted up with spherical bearings.. the lower cups also have 2015 STi spherical bearings made buy subaru which I needed to make a spacer.

I decide to get serious with my coil-overs to make this car handle like a top notch missile and I got the GR STi Ohlins road & track set.. I have to do two mod's to make them fit perfect which is the lower rear bushing mount will be made new with a STi spherical bearing and drill the front top plates to early subaru size like leone/gc8. my reactions from just holding the ohlins is how light weight they are WOW half the weight of my hsd..

like to thank jake @ ohlins usa for hooking me up with the extend clickers also !.. there on the way.

FujiFan · Post by **FujiFan** » Thu Mar 26, 2015 1:06 pm

Cool, sounds good. Those Ohlins look awesome and at much less mass gets me excited.

wagonist · Post by **wagonist** » Thu Mar 26, 2015 3:24 pm

Looking at those rear mounts, I reckon I'd be much cheaper to cut off the "hat" hanging down, weld a block of steel to it, drill & tap that instead.

nico leone · Post by **nico leone** » Wed Apr 01, 2015 2:31 pm

FujiFan wrote:Cool, sounds good. Those Ohlins look awesome and at much less mass gets me excited.

very excited to feel the diffrence wont be much longer weather in canada should be nice in a couple weeks to bring the car out...

here is what i was saying about the top hat cheap version.. last post

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/top ... gon/page-2

wagonist wrote:Looking at those rear mounts, I reckon I'd be much cheaper to cut off the "hat" hanging down, weld a block of steel to it, drill & tap that instead.

funny you say that i got my wagon build top hat made like how you said... last post

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/top ... gon/page-2

so here they are, my very own aluminium control arms like the big boy STi have. now the little Leone can be up to STi spec !
But the little Leone has 1up on the STi with the 2015 STi oem pillow ball bushing in its place

25mm longer so now I can run oem cv axles from a STi or those 800hp ones..

FujiFan · Post by **FujiFan** » Wed Apr 01, 2015 11:08 pm

Awesome wagon project and thanks for the pics of the cheaper rear damper upper mount pillow ball details

Those custom front control arms are total drool factor

Your many pics and details are appreciated!!

I think I speak for some of us here on this forum down under to say you have access to many and varied options for the old L series thats makes us jelly at the knees... That said a healthy budget always helps with these hobbies.

J.

Clearwater99 · Post by **Clearwater99** » Thu Apr 02, 2015 5:58 am

What a wonderful car. I just bought a 2009 outback. However my DL 1991 is still the most fun car I have ever owned.

wagonist · Post by **wagonist** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 6:01 am

I think if I was going to that extreme to remake the arms, I would've remade the radius rods mounting plates to accept the a pivot mount like the later model cars, then made an arm with 2 mounts like the later model cars.
They are much stronger and more stable under load.

Jealous that you've got access to stuff to make that kind of thing. I've been wanting to install a 2nd engine in the back of my racecar, but the welding involved is beyond me...

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 7:14 am

+1 jealous here too !

nico leone · Post by **nico leone** » Mon Apr 13, 2015 1:39 am

FujiFan wrote:Awesome wagon project and thanks for the pics of the cheaper rear damper upper mount pillow ball details

Those custom front control arms are total drool factor

Your many pics and details are appreciated!!

I think I speak for some of us here on this forum down under to say you have access to many and varied options for the old L series thats makes us jelly at the knees... That said a healthy budget always helps with these hobbies.

J.

thank you

I use lots of pics because I cant explain so much in words not so good at typing things out.. in my head I can explain it all lol.. or in speech... I get lost my self some times

best part about all the pics I can look back and see how I pulled it off lol

the rear mount should be good for the wagon something simple cheap that I whipped up, they look ok never know how long they will hold up, only way to do it is try in the end.

Clearwater99 wrote:What a wonderful car. I just bought a 2009 outback. However my DL 1991 is still the most fun car I have ever owned.

thank you.. I owned new subarus but your right the old ones just feel right.

wagonist wrote:I think if I was going to that extreme to remake the arms, I would've remade the radius rods mounting plates to accept the a pivot mount like the later model cars, then made an arm with 2 mounts like the later model cars.
They are much stronger and more stable under load.

Jealous that you've got access to stuff to make that kind of thing. I've been wanting to install a 2nd engine in the back of my racecar, but the welding involved is beyond me...

i was going to use the new STi control arms they look like they will bolt up, only one thing wrong with them is there way to short for our cars.. the stock xt6 arm is longer then them from where it mounts to the cross member to ball joint.

also I am looking at these radius rods from nissan or toyota ??? they look like they will fit the control arm perfect on our cars..

remove the bracket in the back and bolt it up to the frame and make something like a bracket like the STi arms we speak of.

steptoe wrote:+1 jealous here too !

thank you

ohlins custom made for the Leone STi.. lower mount was machined new to be used with the oem 2015 STi pillow ball bushing.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Mon Apr 13, 2015 10:53 am

nico leone wrote:ohlins custom made for the Leone STi.. lower mount was machined new to be used with the oem 2015 STi pillow ball bushing.

This, and meeting with a streeter subi crew makes me want to build a neat lowered L series to show them Old school (EJ'd of course!).

Neat work - your attention to detail is crazy!

If you don't mind me asking, what has this suspension (plus fronts) cost you so far?

Cheers

Bennie

nico leone · Post by **nico leone** » Mon Apr 20, 2015 10:33 am

El_Freddo wrote:This, and meeting with a streeter subi crew makes me want to build a neat lowered L series to show them Old school (EJ'd of course!).

Neat work - your attention to detail is crazy!

If you don't mind me asking, what has this suspension (plus fronts) cost you so far?

Cheers

Bennie

thank you for the kind words

I'm going to say about 5k on all the suspension work so far.. shocks, rear mount, machine shop, STi bushings and what ever else i forgot lol.. it adds up fast when your doing this stuff..

so since I was making stuff I made pillow ball bushing inserts for my arms in the rear to give it that razor sharp handling...

cusco design

Porsche 911 has all most same design look rear arms and they also upgrade with pillow ball

nico leone · Post by **nico leone** » Wed May 20, 2015 2:42 pm

new control arms on, ohlins on, pillow ball heim joint the hole car.... feels great now just need alignment..

was testing it on the track and she handles like a dream... only thing missing was a race seat to hold me.

2015 Sparco Grid.. so light weight from there old line up of seats.

STi axles now

more pictures and videos of my Leone on Insta-gram

https://instagram.com/pinocchio_ok/

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Thu May 21, 2015 7:55 pm

Aww... Equal length extractors

Otherwise looking awesome mate!

Cheers

Bennie