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1984 GL Wagon Fwd Build

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  • Author

I'll need those for the brat maybe. I'm going to try going all ej on this one. I picked up ej backing plates, from what I have read I can use those paired with the xt-6 hubs, and then all ej brakes over them. 

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  • It's all back together now. I took it for a drive last night, seems to go pretty good. I need to time it now and then I think it will be great. It does have some check engine light issues right now, b

  • Started working on the control arms for the five lug swap today. I bought a tool from Mac for the job, worked well on the largest drill I had around. Only took me a few minutes to drill each of them o

  • Worked on the control arms more tonight, got both bushing removed, and spent some time messing around with them and welding them. I'll just say they are a fair bit stronger now. I put the bushings in

If you have the control arms retapered for the 6 ball joint and it is the same as an ej ball joint why not ej hubs too?  Just wondering is all.. 

  • Author

I am using ej hubs. I'm re tapering the stock control arms so I can use the EJ ball joint in them. The rear I have to use xt-6 hubs, and I'm planing on using ej backing plates, along with ej rotors, and calipers, and converting it to a rear e-brake. 

Edited by 1982gl4

Oh gotcha.. Sorry I forgot about the rears..  I am hoping one of the members picks up a deal with the guy from Crossbred Performance..  That is about my only option since I  seem to be too slow when XT6 stuff becomes available someone gets to it first...That is very low on my list of mods currently.  I will worry when I get closer to a full EJ engine and tranny swap.. probably never but at least it is a goal.

  • Author

Oh gotcha.. Sorry I forgot about the rears..  I am hoping one of the members picks up a deal with the guy from Crossbred Performance..  That is about my only option since I  seem to be too slow when XT6 stuff becomes available someone gets to it first...That is very low on my list of mods currently.  I will worry when I get closer to a full EJ engine and tranny swap.. probably never but at least it is a goal.

 

I've always just put up wanted adds, it's how I've gotten all of my xt-6 parts! Without goals none of my projects would be anywhere close to where they are now. 

  • 2 months later...
  • Author

Tucked away for winter next my dad's subi swapped 914, and my bug. Hopefully this winter I'll work on the five lug swap and get everything ready. The brat, and my latest project will be getting my attention for the winter.

 

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  • 4 months later...
  • Author
Started working on the control arms for the five lug swap today. I bought a tool from Mac for the job, worked well on the largest drill I had around. Only took me a few minutes to drill each of them out. The EJ ball joints seem to fit very well now. I just need to do a little grinding so I can get the castle nuts all the way on. I need to change the control arm bushings (already have new ones from subaru) that should be pretty easy at work. And then I can start rebuilding the hubs, and figuring out the front axels and front struts. Rear should be pretty straight forward. Progress will be slow as the car isn't out yet and I may need to have surgery on my knee...

 

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hey bro,

1st car looks great 2nd.......

You still have those bumpers laying around??

Buck

  • Author

Worked on the control arms more tonight, got both bushing removed, and spent some time messing around with them and welding them. I'll just say they are a fair bit stronger now. I put the bushings in the freezer tonight and I will be putting those in tomorrow and hopefully painting the arms after the install. 

 

 

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  • Author
Finished up the control arms tonight at work. They came out well. Up next front spindles. I'll be digging those out of the snow this weekend and install new wheel bearings and ball joints. 

 

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do the arms bend on hard driving or your rallying or off roading with them and then there bending ? 

  • Author

I have tweaked a couple offroading. They are pretty strong, but I decided while I was working on them why not add some strength. I doubt with the action this car sees I would ever damage one.

  • Author

New tires ordered, and I dug the front hubs out of the snow. I need to pull them apart so I can clean and paint them. I need to figure out what to do with front struts and cv's and then I'll be ready to swap everything over. I still need to order e-brake cables as well, but its slowly coming together! 

  • 2 months later...
  • Author

Got a chance to work on this a little bit this morning. My dad and I spent some time with the headlight wiring they were wired incorrectly for the H4's and repined all the connectors so they work as they should now. before they were super dim, and the high beam indicator was on whenever the lights were.   I haven't done anything with the five lug, as I have been finishing my two vw's to sell, and rebuilding a 94 toyota 3.0. Now that those projects are finishing up I have some time to work on my old subarus again.

  • 1 month later...
  • Author
Took this to a car show this weekend. Had a great time catching up with some people, and talking to some guys with aircooled VW's. The car ran awesome as always and got great mpg, I checked it last tank 35mpg! I also won best subaru which was awesome. Here are a few pics. The gold wheels are also back to stay for a while. I'm trying to get some things done before I tear apart this for the five lug, I need this one to be together and reliable for a little while. 

 

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MK3 converted to a 2 door using golf rear quarters, and doors. It was an amazing job, it looked factory inside and out. 

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A bad pic of a chopped corviar. 

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Friends beetle 

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Always liked these 6 series 

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Amazing bus

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This was sunday pretty early, a lot more cars in the enthusiast group showed up later after it stopped raining. 

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  • 6 months later...
  • Author

Some end of the year photos I never got around to posting. The car is now in a heated shop for the winter. I haven't touched it since it was put there. Too many other things going on in my life to get to the five lug swap, I have most of the parts now, just not the time to install them. As soon as warm, salt free weather comes around this will be back to daily duty just as it is. The five lug may happen next year at this point. I have to get my datsun done and a 74 westy after that. 

 

 

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  • 2 months later...
  • Author

Got a part in for this today, A new shift linkage mount. It broke at the end of last year, it will be nice to drive this again without the shifter trying to fall out the bottom of the car. I also gathered up everything to service it, I'll be going over everything, and getting it ready for summer hopefully this weekend, but I am moving in this weekend so that may limit my car time. I had a crazy idea for front struts while working on a rabbit this week at work. They use strut cartridges and housings. The top mount is similar to a ea81, and the lower mounts are really close to a legacy. I could always cut and weld them as well because I can take the cartridge out to modify the lower sections of the housings. Now I just need to find some. I have some messages out to my VW friends! 

  • Author
Today was a pretty successful day. This morning I got to work on the wagon, checked it all over, everything looks good after sitting all winter. It started up no problem, and is running great as always. I got it on the lift to change the oil, and swap in my new shift bushing, the bushing was a bit of a challenge, as the bolt tried to break off in the floor. Nothing a little hot wrench (torch) action couldn't fix. I tried some new oil for it this time around. Brad Penn, I have been using it in my aircooled stuff, and they seem to love it, so I figured it was worth a shot in this. After that was done, I washed it added a new sticker, and proceeded to load all of my belongings into it and drive it to my new place which I officially moved into today!  Here are some photos of the day. 

 

In the shop

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Broken shift bushing 

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Green oil

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New sticker 

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How much can you fit in an 84 wagon? 

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In my new garage 

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Nice man. So jealous of the garage, and house for that matter haha. Congrats on moving in!

  • Author

Thanks man, I still have a long way to go, but its nice to be living here now.

 

In recent news I need to do some work to this. The rf cv shaft is not healthy. I'm hoping I can make it into work today with it, and I can swap it out tonight. I purchased one the other day, just haven't had time to change it. There are a few other things, but that is the most important right now. 

Your Subie is Looking Awesome!

 


 

Seems like this is a "Popular" fail on our Subies Nowadays:

 

 

... Broken shift bushing 
 
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...

 
 

This also happened to my "BumbleBeast" recently...

 

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...Kind Regards.

  • Author

Thanks! I need to spend some time cleaning it, but it is looking rather good these days! It doesn't surprise me that some of the rubber bushings and such are failing on these cars, they are getting up there in age! Luckily there are parts still available! 

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