BRZ Rally Car

Resurfaced flywheel and clutch installed:

Curiosity got the better of me- does the hood close?

Nope.  Fire up the cutoff wheel:

How about now?

Yep, although it will be resting on the strut tops.  Vents should happen eventually, but vents don't get the car back out there, so vents will wait.

Back to brake line plumbing and staring out the window looking for the UPS truck.

Some day I will plumb a handbrake in a way that I actually like, but today is not that day.  It's attached to the car and the brake lines are "done" pending a box of tie down thingies that haven't arrived yet:

In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :

As long as it doesn't leak it's good! Though I understand you wanting it to be prettier. 

In reply to AWSX1686 (Forum Supporter) :

It's not just the lines, I can wrap those around a nice radius and make them pretty once the important parts are tied down- I just never can get the right combination of parts to do it without adapters from the flare fittings to the master cylinder, which bugs me.

In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :  grab an assortment of fittings for your tube size.  I buy them and my nicopp lines from inline tube.  

In reply to Patrick (Forum Supporter) :

Sure, but for whatever reason passthrough master cylinders always have dumb fittings- I think the cleanest way to do it would actually be banjo bolts to lines with AN tube nuts, but I always wind up adapting to a 3/8-24 flare fitting instead.  It works but isn't pretty, if I wanted to run lines straight into it I'd need an extremely deep (over 1" long) 7/16-24 fitting and still would need a 3AN adapter for the outlet.

Say it with me- "installation is the reverse of removal"

The moment all of the subframe bolts were tight I stuck the suspension on it sans springs and bumpstops to see what it looks like.  Full droop looks promising:

Lift all the way down is roughly stock ride height:

Rally ride height will probably be a little higher:

Full "oh berkeley who forgot to put in the bumpstops" can be achieved with some blocks of wood:

And full droop again from the same angle:

I measure just over 8" of travel out back, just under 8.5" up front.  I still have a lot to do before I can play with it but I'm feeling pretty good.

Chipping away- got the springs and bumpstops on and installed all four corners, as well as brake lines.  Doesn't seem to leak anywhere so that's good!

Decided to make a temporary "light duty" front skidplate out of the old, way too thin (1/8") original from the Merkur since I haven't managed to get the beefy one I designed made yet:

The bend at the front and the overall width aren't quite right but the slots are where they should be, so I can swap it out later.  Test fit:

Just needed to weld these little standoffs onto the subframe braces:

It's getting there.  Hoping to put in a bunch of time tomorrow!

Sara helped me bleed the brakes, which seem to be holding pressure and hopefully don't have air in them.

I also did this, because I still had the jigsaw out and it seems like a good way to keep myself from bumping into the handbrake plumbing:

Are you trying to bring it to the DC rallycross next weekend?

In reply to AWSX1686 (Forum Supporter) :

I don't want to jinx it, it needs to work properly and the clutch needs to be broken in first.

In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :

Makes sense. I was really thinking about taking my Miata down earlier, but I just realized that I'm not actually likely to be free that day. :/ Maybe someday. 

what are your thoughts on it as a SR car?

In reply to MrChaos :

With the traction control defeated, it should be pretty competitive in SR.  Maybe add a skidplate if it's legal.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

In reply to MrChaos :

With the traction control defeated, it should be pretty competitive in SR.  Maybe add a skidplate if it's legal.

skidplates are legal as long as they arnt chassis bracing as well

Long day today.

Lots and lots of assembly, an oil change, and coolant top up later:

Moment of truth- if my math and fabrication is all good it should sit perfectly level a few inches higher than stock:

Hot damn:

I bounced the car a bunch to settle things, and ended up adjusting down 1/4" in the back and up 1/2" in the front to get something that looks right:

It settled more after driving, I have almost exactly 7" of clearance from the bottom of the pinch weld at both ends.  Toe is zero at both ends and the camber is equal on both sides according to the level on my phone.

Oh yeah, driving.  I put 50 miles on it and it.  RULES.

No weird noises, eats bumps like nothing, turn in is excellent, super balanced, and it seems to be just fine with having no ABS.

Minor complaints- the brakes could stand to be bled again, and the rear springs could be a little softer.  Then again, I don't even have a spare tire back there, much less the jack and tools I'll be carrying for stage rally, so it's probably fine.

I'm happy.

In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :

Hot damn!

Wow! Really nice work. 

The view from my seat is very good. Compliments to the chef - at least the taste test was excellent .

Bitchen! 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

I put 50 miles on it and it.  RULES.
...
I'm happy.

This thread delivers. Congrats on the successful maiden voyage!

I wish I had 1/5 of the garage time you've had lately. Amazing work on this thing. 

In reply to Scotty Con Queso :

Get quarantined for two weeks, that's how this thing got done!  I've tested negative twice now so I am actually sleeping in my own bed again. 

I added a tiny bit of rear toe-in and ran around on a little more gravel this morning.  I still think the rear is a little stiff but it settled the corner exit behavior down nicely, I think I'll leave it alone for a while.

Then I bolted the stock wheels back on so I can break in the clutch without chewing up the rally tires any further.  It's still pretty civilized for just driving around, other than the NVH increase you'd expect from the spherical bearings in the shocks.