1979 4WD Wagon revitalization

[moosens]

Hard to believe I haven’t had a thread going for this project unless I missed something. 
 

Pics as I can become smart enough. 
 

Quick version: over on the dreaded book of face a good member of the Subaru vintage cult posted that this wagon was being Given Away. Money end of things I couldn’t take it for free and threw the family $100 which the grandson would up with after they passed it around three generations. That and I threw my tow guy savior buddy $450 and covered the tolls. That little or that much got the car home. 

A little too much to discuss in detail but the previous owner is a cool little old guy not much different than myself or my dad or maybe some of you too. 
 

OK my dad was never a project guy with any type of hoarding  it he was and still is at 94 a hands on guy who seemed to be able to fix or maintain anything. Henry the previous owner had cars, motorcycles, and all sorts of machine/tool items and generally a crap load of cool stuff. 
 

This wagon is a bit of a forgotten bit as far as he was concerned. The car apparently has been stored on stands inside the garage since I think 1990 or so but he wasn’t sure if it was the 80’s or 90’s. The car shows signs it’s an original 65k (I think) car. But also shows strange repairs. 
 

Keep in mind what life was like back then for small Japanese cars here in the States. 
 

So the car came to me with 2wd exhaust rigged up. And I’m thinking the engine may be from a 2wd as well but I need to check the distributor and a couple things to verify.

Meanwhile the engine I’m dropping into it now is from another free sort of 1978 4wd wagon. So at least I’m sure the car will once again have correct engine not that there’s much difference. Just ND vs Hitachi and little more. 
 

On lunch right now so I’ll post more soon. Gotta manga ! Ciao!

 

[l75eya]

Hey that's a clean looking car! Neat story, too, I hope you're able to post better quality pictures, I like to put my photos on IMGUR and then copy the link here in the "insert image from url" box in other media. Attaching photos directly to the post is a royal pain in the arse! Cheers

[moosens]

Engine in today. My daughter was my helper and worked well with me getting that pair mated together. As usual it was at that point where it was mostly in but needed much jostling. 
 

Raise and lower transmission and working the engine from the crane and muscling. Unfortunately the boom and leg combination leaves it so I was like an inch short in terms of allowing the engine to be slid fully onto the transmission shaft. If I had the front of the car in the air at that point my crane would have easily rolled the extra needed. 

Barely have them sewn up. I owe if some nuts n bolts and place the starter, pitching stopper with fresh bushings, and one nut way down low. 
 

Then I can begin the peripherals. 
Nice weather for the next couple of days so I’ll be going wild. Hoping to crank it over ASAP like maybe Sunday. It’ll be the Y pipe only but who cares.

 

Stay tuned! 
 

 

[moosens]

Little more progress today. 
Not the great report you wanted to see but we’re closer to cranking it over today than we were yesterday. 
 

Some slight differences between 78 and 79 and I’m using a 78 engine. So I’ll be referring to all my pictures and if I’m lucky maybe someone has both a 78 4wd and a 79 4wd or Brat can help. Couple basic brackets vary according to A/C used etc. 
Would be nice if I could see yours but I’ll likely be able to zoom in on my pics and hopefully all works out. 

[moosens]

Only reason to post today is for good karma, good mojo, whatever you’d like to call it just generally good spirits from the once mighty USMB crowd. 
 

Funny how things happen. Lost parts that finally show up. Frost has now become the norm overnights so I’m pretty much past my goal, well past really but given the adjustments for life’s events I was hoping to at least be done and have the car running before any real snow. So far I’m still within that margin. 
 

Today I should be in proper shape to start this car for the first time in ?? Maybe since 1989 for the car and likely since 2005 for this engine I’m using. 
 

No need to post although the cheers will be appreciated. As long as I posted here that’s probably enough to spark the magic. I doubt it’ll be a first crank and run affair. But we can hope. 
 

I have to admit to being a bit of a hack at this point in regards to the carburetor. I truly should have lifted the float chamber top and at least sprayed the heck out of it. I’ll have all on stand by and that gasket for the float lid and then some. Hoping I spray carb cleaner in the fuel input and down the throat and get lucky. But I expect that float and it’s valve will be stuck or sticky enough they’ll need attention.

Here’s to the weekend ! Cheers! 

[moosens]

Starts with spray can! Now I have to sort out my fuel delivery. Was relying on the original pump which sat for decades. Did I do anything to it before attempting to put it into service? Nope. 
 

So the pump was getting a little warm but not clicking or humming. So I disconnected it. Did a quick contact cleaning and also think I unstuck the plunger. That’s just taking each end cover off. Didn’t do the full exploration. But I did pour a little acetone down the intake and output and each time blew them out with air. 
 

Also I managed to dig out another used pump. Somewhere in my stash should be at least one new pump but you know how it goes sometimes. 
 

So next items to sort out: fuel delivery, why the horn wants to beep, hang the rear section of exhaust and get a short mid pipe made up, get timing dead on, let the fuel tank drain down and then reseal the sending unit, general inspection of coolant and oil retention and I’m sure a much longer list to grow. 

[moosens]

Running with jumper wire to the fuel pump. Will need to sort out alternator, voltage regulator, and such. But it’ll start and run. The aged and dried out float chamber somehow was kind to me. Must be my angels. 😊

Next up I need to finish the front brakes and make it roll on down the road!!!