POR 15 in the bed, expensive, but well worth it. 

 

Well put I'n a new center dash my old one was broken

 

 

Also plasti dip my front bumper

 

And found a 5 speed D/R trans for 100.00

 

 

 

Thanks

Buck

That console is salvageable, just use some Weld-On #3 plastic weld, or two-part epoxy glue.

Well put I'n a new center dash my old one was broken

 

IMG_20140409_110543_829.jpgIMG_20140409_111243_908.jpg

 

 

 

Thanks

Buck

Hope you didn't throw that center dash out, that is a site better shape then mine.

Success!(?) 

 

We just had a massive downpour of rain lasting about 30 minutes, and I can report that there is zero water leaking onto my passenger floor.

The pinhole clean up with the Dremel® and JB Weld did the trick. How long will it last? Who knows....without pulling out the windshield to properly clean up the glass

channel (which the Safelite thugs should've done properly when THEY replaced it, let alone not leaving a frikking void in the adhesive.....) it

may very well eventually rust more. I'll keep hope alive and my fingers crossed. 

Meanwhile, I guess it's on to reupholstering that headliner.

Got my cruise installed

 

Got my windows tinted

 

New starter

 

Tune up stuff

 

Fixed the cel

 

Got some tunes with some polk audio 5 1/4 up front 6 1/2 in the rear deck:)

 

Fixed some leaks

 

Cleaned it up

 

Ummm man I need to start my own thread:)

 

Anyway heres a pic, yay...

 

Soldered in replacement harness and connector for the blower fan speed switch, then re-installed dash harness into the dash. Everything neatly tucked up and tight.

Soldered in replacement harness and connector for the blower fan speed switch, then re-installed dash harness into the dash. Everything neatly tucked up and tight.

Excellent, how's the new switch working?

Excellent, how's the new switch working?

No idea, the dash is still hanging on a hook in my workshop    Nowhere near to putting the interior back in yet.

 

Switch should work perfectly, I tested it in all four positions with a DVOM before hacking into the harness.

Got some Rigid Industries D2 LED lights for my front bumper. WOW, these things are BRIGHT. They completely overpower the headlights, meaning I no longer need high beams (just use these). They're really small too, which I love. And LED, so low power consumption and a bright white color. These are the "driving" style, and they light up as far as the high beams do. But they also light up the entire road, to the sides of the road, and up in the trees. For the price of these lights, I could've bought another EA82 wagon, but they're well worth it! The pictures give you and idea as to how bright they are, but still not as bright as in person. They make a huge difference.

 

 

 

 

Also got a brand new radiator too. Been two years, and I've finally had radiator issues. But now she runs really cool. So cold that I don't think the thermostat is opening, so I can't burp the heater core. The needle sits at 1/4 of the way up, at the most. Sometimes it's a bit colder. Guess I gotta wait for a warm day so I can properly bleed the system, but that ain't coming soon. Until then, I'm fine without heat. Might take off the clutch fan to bleed it, but this radiator does its job well!

 

(BTW, oil pressure gauge isn't calibrated correctly, so it reads low)

 

 

Oh, and I got my Head Trauma Inc. taillight guards in the mail too! Very useful, because if I broke my Finnish taillights, I'm not gonna find replacements easily (or cheaply). So the guards are added insurance so I don't damage 'em. The guards are quite strong and I can imagine they'll hold up nicely in an impact.

 

Edited April 18, 201411 yr by jj421

In a fit of thoroughness, I pulled the rest of the interior plastic pieces for painting. 

 

Edited April 18, 201411 yr by suprjohn

 

My fellow XT drivers be hatin'.

Shoutout to Txakura for turning me onto this little gem.

Also, pretty sure the reman axle the PO put in is failing. Time for RWD

 

Twitch

In a fit of thoroughness, I pulled the rest of the interior plastic pieces for painting. 

 

LOL, seems to be a contagious situation!

 

Are you using Duplicolor Vinyl & Fabric Coating?

Yes I am. Not sure I'm impressed with the durability, but it's what I started with. SEM is another product that another forum member used with good results. 

 

John

I can't comment as to durability once it's all put back together, but preparation is key. I'll assume you know the information I'm about to post, but I'll put it in here for anyone else considering this. In researching this I came across quite a few disaster stories (mostly on ricer forums....), but also noticed a trend of people failing to use the products properly or sometimes to do any prep at all.

 

 

 

The following is what I've been doing, and so far the pieces have survived the fingernail scratching test quite well. Will it stand up to throwing tools, dogs, and/or the occasional drunken midget hookers with multiple body piercings around inside? I don't think so. But, if you are constantly throwing tools, dogs, and/or the occasional drunken midget hookers with multiple body piercings around in your old Subaru, you shouldn't really be worried about what it looks like in there anyhow.

 

1. Clean each piece well with TSP and Scotchbrite pads. Rinse well with water, and allow to dry.

2. Clean each piece with wax remover/degreaser (I used DC's own) [use lint free rag, in case product mildly attacks material]. Then clean it again, just to be safe.

-----2b. Wear gloves from here on to avoid getting skin grease on part!

3. Adhesion promoter, two light coats about 2-3 minutes apart.

4. Within 2-5 minutes after last coat of adhesion promoter, start laying down color. Light coats each time and again, 2-3 minutes between.

5. ALLOW PART TO CURE FOR AS MANY DAYS AS YOU CAN.

 

I've been sticking with a general rule of three light coats for each piece, not including little spots or edges that I find later that could use an extra puff.

By light coat, I'm saying that my first coat is very spotty and definitely doesn't cover completely. Do not be tempted to go heavier at any stage!

The curing part, I did a hard fingernail scratch-test on a piece about 24-36 hours after the final coat and it did not lift the color, though you could faintly see where I

scratched it - but take into consideration, if you scratch any OEM piece of plastic or vinyl, you are going to leave a mark too, so......

 

We'll see. So far I'm impressed with my results. I'll post pics when the weather gets better here.

Lets see...

 

plugs (E3), distributor cap, valve cover gaskets, fuel pump and filter, brake pads, coil, fabed up crank case ventalation, waiting for my weber, waiting to put on my rally armor flaps, waiting to put on the glass pack and i still have to find a window and some seats but it runs carb just leaks gas out of every nook and cranny

LEDs have been in for a few but here is a pic:)

 

Love my green as close to factory but way brighter and greener, thank goodness the dimmer works or they would be too bright this is all the way turned down:)

 

And who doesn't like a shot of my new master key in action:) have a good weekend guys:)

 

 

LEDs have been in for a few but here is a pic:)

Love my green as close to factory but way brighter and greener, thank goodness the dimmer works or they would be too bright this is all the way turned down:)

And who doesn't like a shot of my new master key in action:) have a good weekend guys:)

Where did you get your green LEDs?

The ones I got don't dim with dimmer.

I always go to superbright LEDs, but the LEDs in my 91 Toyota have the same bulb and they don't dim either, so it must be the way the dimmer switch works. Is this in the brat? I wonder if the dimmer is different...

 

Anyway these are the bulbs I ordered..

 

http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/miniature-wedge-base/194-led-bulb-5-smd-led-wide-angle-wedge-base/206/

I probably didn't follow very good paint prep, though I did wash with TSP. Seems to be pretty good except at sharp edges of corners. I really like the color and finish in general. Really makes the panels look like new. 

 

John

After routing in my custom harness for the Gentex-177 mirror, I figured "why not remove the last vestiges of anything in my car" so pulled out the heater core and housing for an S&R. Will now be ordering new hoses, those suckers would not come off the nipples. So they had an unfortunate run-in with a mad slasher.

Housing is currently down to component parts soaking down with some disinfectant and degreaser, to get the traces of rodent vacations out of it, and when dry will be put back together with all new foam seals, just like the blower housing.

Might as well do as much as you can while it's apart:) be nice getting new foam in there, it's pretty amazing the heat and cold you can lose with the deteriated foam..

new air and oil filter and oil in the wife's outback today. Cleaned the battery terminals and inspected around a little.

 

probably swap out the cabin air filter in a day or 2.

 

Detected extremely slight movement rocking left front wheel up-down. No crunchiness when feeling spring and turning wheel. I'll have to monitor that closely.

Edited April 19, 201411 yr by 1 Lucky Texan

Replaced everything aft of the driveshaft ((but the 3.9 final)  with bits from a GL10, to get the disk brakes.  Found out that the swaybar can't be mounted after the axles are bolted up to the struts...

Might as well do as much as you can while it's apart:) be nice getting new foam in there, it's pretty amazing the heat and cold you can lose with the deteriated foam..

Yeah, things-to-do just keep piling up now. It's so bad (or good?) now that I  can't begin putting anything back into the car until certain things are finished in a certain order. NOTHING can go back in, now, until I reupholster the headliner....so I can put back in the A-pillar trim.....so I can put the dash back in.....etc, etc, etc.