1989 Vortex 4WD Turbo

attitudeaudio · Post by **attitudeaudio** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:45 pm

Hey guys,
Just thought I would show you all what I have, and what I have done.
As with most, it is still in progress, and will be revived this year, after about 2 years sitting around awaiting a part to repair.

Specs...
1989 Subaru Vortex Full-Time 4WD Turbo
1.8l EA82T Under the hood (Standard)
3" Intake with Pod filter
2.5" Exhaust (cat-back), no hot-dog, and turbo-flow muffler.
14" rims
Super Low King Springs, on Lowered Munroe Struts @ Front
Standard struts, and cut springs @ rear (now sits lower in rear than photos show)
Aluminium Twin GT Touring wing
20% Window Tint all round.
Custom graphics (done by myself)
Stereo:
Alpine... All Alpine
MP3 HU, MP3 Stacker, DVD Standalone, 4x Amp, R-Series 10"Sub, DDDrive front splits, and DDDrive rear 2-ways.
Underbody neons, under bonnet neons, boot neons, under seat neons, and....EL Foot pedals.

And... thats it for now....

This is my first link to an offsite picture server, so I hope the link actually works.

Ciao all.

attitudeaudio · Post by **attitudeaudio** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:46 pm

http://www.ausubaru.com/coppermine/thum ... p?album=38

Fury · Post by **Fury** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:21 pm

Where did you get the rims?

attitudeaudio · Post by **attitudeaudio** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 5:05 pm

The rims were already on the car.
I was lucky and they are 14", currently with 205/60's all round.
All my others have only had 13" rims.
I have looked around for bigger, buto nly found 2 styles anywhere, and they are both butt ugly, and still only 15".
To me, it is not worth the expense of changing hubs to get a larger wheel.

My current challenge is to find a shock/spring assembly form another car that will bolt straight up at the rear..... so far, Mazda mx5 is looking promising.

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 7:09 pm

Lookin good, although im not a big fan of the wing

Have you tried king springs lows and kybs that are lower, i had the option of getting them when i got new suspension.

Post by **Alex** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 7:26 pm

ahahah pimpn...really need to dump the back though!

alex

Chris_Rogers · Post by **Chris_Rogers** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 7:37 pm

attitudeaudio wrote:The rims were already on the car.
I was lucky and they are 14", currently with 205/60's all round.
All my others have only had 13" rims.
I have looked around for bigger, buto nly found 2 styles anywhere, and they are both butt ugly, and still only 15".
To me, it is not worth the expense of changing hubs to get a larger wheel.

My current challenge is to find a shock/spring assembly form another car that will bolt straight up at the rear..... so far, Mazda mx5 is looking promising.

if you have $$- simmons p86 - available in a 16 and a 17" version - holds a 45 and 40 series tyre. had a set of 16's on my old sedan and it looked good , handled better and I liked it. not cheap though. they were a one off and if you ring simmons they can make you a set.

attitudeaudio · Post by **attitudeaudio** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 1:16 am

Hey Suparoo,
Yeah I get that comment about the wing all the time... some love it, some hate it.
The best comment so far was....."has Quantas asked for their wing back yet?"

Last time I tried the shock manufacturers, all had either the stock replacement, or nothing. King will manufacture a spring to suit my requirements, but have found K-Mac to be cheaper, and faster.
I need to get the shock before I get the spring, otherwise I will have the height, but will practically be riding on the bumpstops of the shock... not good.

Kepp the comments coming tho, it is good to hear them.

Thanks.

Fury · Post by **Fury** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 7:34 am

You can lower the rears a little more by inverting the rear strut tops. Basically it is as easy as flipping the mount over - but most times they are really on super tight. I am currently doing the same with mine and only so far have 1 of 2 bolts on the strut top off... and that was done with a breaker bar and a 2m (or 6' ) bar extension. Then I snapped the 1/2 " drive breaker bar !

Will come down by an 25 - 30mm or so extra when finished.

I was running those same rims before my hub / brake upgrade - and sold them to Brett (byb) last year. Highly Polished up, they looked awsome ( for a solid style rim )

I am also not a fan of the wing - but each to their own. There are few enough Vortex / XT owners who appreciate their cars - I say .... go for it.

If you did go for a 5 stud conversion eventually, some tien coilovers for the front would lower the fronts nicely.

I am looking at 9 way dampened airbags for the front of mine, which should lower it so the wheel arch just clears the tyre.

Now for an intercooler setup and up the boost a few pounds....

yes ??

attitudeaudio · Post by **attitudeaudio** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 8:03 am

I do remember a while back about inverting the top mount to lower it a bit more, and I rember, when I tried it, there was not enough clearance to put the pin through. Might have to drill a hole above the strut.
Getting the shocks off is easy for me.... I have a rattle gun.
Have used it so many times now, it has paid for itself in saved time, and tools.
It takes longer to remove the security bolt from the mag than anything else.
Lol.

attitudeaudio · Post by **attitudeaudio** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 8:04 am

Oh yeah, I forgot, I have a boost guage, and have upped the boost to about 13-14psi using a standard T-piece.

Fury · Post by **Fury** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 8:17 am

I also have a good quality rattle gun ( Chicargo Pneumatics CP-762 @625 foot lbs) which wasnt strong enough! Even the local tyre place couldn't undo them ! I currently have a thread about this subject on an overseas XT forum. I hope they do come off easily , as I have been trying , part time for a few days now.

If you are not running an IC at 14lbs, you are really risking head gasket damage

. The fuel also leans out and will overheat the combustion chamber temps and can make a nasty mess as well. As well, you will find 14 lbs is about the max that you can run the EA82T engines without extra mods to keep them alive.

I think most people on this forum would agree with me ... so just be carefull

Obviously , as you are reasonably new to the forum, I don't know your experience, ( you might be a Subi mechanic

) but can only comment on personal experience.

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 9:28 am

Chris, I am so drooling over your rattler right now....

I snapped a eye off the rear coilover on my first RX and had to drive the car to subaru and get them to put their 3/4" rattler to get them off. All my other cars a super**** one does the job. A CP would be great though!

Fury · Post by **Fury** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 9:45 am

It still wont budge those damn rear strut top bolts though...

I am running a 12cfm, twin head clisby compressor ( head is rated at 16 with a larger motor) 3/8 line and the reg is set at 100psi ( the CP rattler is supposed to be at 90psi) - and no amount of soaking with CRC, WD40, I am now trying Inox. I have also tried "locktight freeze off" also without success.

Not to hijack your thread.....

attitudeaudio: Those graphics should turn some heads

Matatak · Post by **Matatak** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 8:02 pm

try a 1/2 inch hose atleast
at work we have a huge beast of a gun (1100 ftlbs maybe an inch or jsut 3/4 inch drive) that we use for truck wheel nuts and couldnt get them off with a 3/8 line but went to a 1/2 inch line and now they are coming off easily (use to have to jump on a metre long breaker bar to crack em lol)

attitudeaudio · Post by **attitudeaudio** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 8:06 pm

Hey Fury.
Yeah, the graphics do make people look, but sometimes it is just the "what the hell kind of car is that?!!" look too.
I am aware of the limitations of too much boost on a standard engine, long before I found the topic on the internet.
I had a mate (long time ago now), who informed me of this when I bought my FIRST Vortex. He was the head mechanic for Possum Bourne.
He also said damage starts happening after 14psi, thus the reason I stopped there.
My experience as far as mechanical results from a "ask, then try" approach, with a good deal of success, however, motor wise, I leave to the experts.

I do professionally install car stereos, and I find sometime the screws holding in head units assembeld at factory will not budge with the power drill, but I have found that if I try to "tighten" it a bit (with a high torque setting) first, that usualy cracks the join, then it will loosen no problems.
This theory MAY work for you too..... just a thought.

Marty

Fury · Post by **Fury** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 8:31 pm

Thanks ... done that with no success. I did get one off with a 1/2" breaker bar and a 2m extension - then I broke the breaker bar

That mechanic isn't at Triggs Toronto is he?

I have had a Possum Bourne Mechanic do work on mine too. He was supposed to be the head mechanic, but I cant remember his name. Think it starts with a "G"

I did try a short 1/2 " line too ( only had a bit lying around - still without success...) back to soaking

H-top · Post by **H-top** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 6:58 pm

Still around Attitudeaudio?