Great news, Doug. The Bad News is that I live too far away to help with anything but Moral (and I've lost most of those by now) Support and worthless advice. The Good News is that I have a huge supply of both. Here's to you, your project and a brighter 2015!

Hows it looking Doug?

OK....I'm back at it.

First order of business: Clean up the elbows up front. I need to replace the rubber elbows with something made of stainless. I'd bought 1" copper pipe to use that, but the copper pipe is actually 1-1/16" OD, which WILL NOT fit inside the silicone tubing I'd purchased.

So I need a few 1"OD stainless elbows and connectors to get the front tidied up.

Right now, I don't like this setup AT ALL....I think it's not nearly as refined and sturdy as I'll ultimately want it. Time to make some changes.

Doug, I've been following this but didn't see where you got your coolant cap adapter piece from- that's pretty slick!

It's just kinda lying up there right now. That's absolutely the highest point, so I thought it would work best to have the coolant fill/burp valve up there. Just kinda sitting up there right now while I decide the best way to do it. I may end up with a solid metal tube up there to get the water from one side of the car to the other, then elbow down off of that.

The highest point is the key, but where did you get that piece? I've been looking around and seems they're difficult to find...

Doug, just FYI I have the same fuel pump as you and it's kinda loud. It's a great pump, so I wouldn't change it, but if you notice the whine you may want to wrap it in some insulation.

Those radiator fillers are on e-bay...

Radiator filler

Summit, Jegs, etc.

I'm going to wait and see it it's tolerable first. When I turned the ignition the first time, I noticed that it WAS loud....but I figured that once the motor turns on, I won't notice it as much.

With fuel running through it it's not as bad, and with the car running, even less noticeable. Made me really appreciate the nearly silent L-Jet fuel pump.

Thanks Chris! I must have missed those...

You may want to consider rubber mounts or insulators on the radiator mounting points. Inevitably any flexing going on up there may transfer to the radiator and give problems down the road.
Nice build by the way....

Your radiator looks really hard to shroud. As it sits, all the air will go around it and not through it. Thus you will overheat.

I would remount the rad tilted forward and figure out a different way to secure it. Perhaps vertical bracing to the same mounting studs?

The hoses rising behind the fuel tank form an air trap and you will need to have a bleeder on both hoses.

I love the size of the radiator! I need to find one that size if I do not go with a Boxster setup.

Make sure that no air can get around the radiator at all. I'm no expert but I can tell you that my conversion runs way way too cold; 160°F. Not many of us can say that. My radiator is almost twice your size and completely shrouded and sealed.

I have rubber grommets in the radiator setup, so it's "floating" now. But I DO think I need to change it. That's on the list now that the weather has broken.

I used a vw scirocco all aluminium 2-pass radiator. It fits down there nicely, and should be more than enough to cool the EJ20. Shrouding will be important...for sure.

I admit it I love you radiator. Its small compact, the question is will it cool a 2.5 L?

I forget the unit of measurement for radiators, but this was the same as the one that cooled the V8 that was in the car previously. It's only a little smaller. An all aluminium, double-pass radiator is the way to go....or so I was told by the guys at Summit Racing where I got it. They said it'd be "more than enough" for what I was using it for. It's also larger than the stock WRX radiator.

I hate to do it, but I think I need to let this project go. It's been 2y and I'm no closer to having time to finish it. Ugh.

Unless there's someone that would be willing to drive to Cleveland, pick it up, and finish the mechanicals for me. (I'd happily pay.)

Hey Doug! Nice to hear from you! I know Brad Mayeur in Peoria could finish it. McMark is in Grand Rapids now. Don't let it go man. Hate to see all that work go unrewarded. What's left to do at a high level?

I have done exactly that several times, what kind of time frame are we talking? I need to finish my car though. PM me if you want to go over the particulars of what needs completed still.

At this point, try to find someone to come in and help, wasnt the engine builder going to finish it for you? Its a soul crushing moment to sell a project off thats 90% completed, but I think every one of us has been in that position or have had that feeling. I know it all too well myself

Stephen could finish it if he has the time. The body work is all done and it's painted. It's mainly dealing with the wiring harness, plumbing the turbo and getting the engine fired, finishing the interior. I just can't remember where he left off.

Thanks guys. I've reached out to a few people, and we'll see what I can find. MY hope is that I can send this off on a few-month vacation to someone that can help me get the mechanicals across the finish line.

You might want to hide your welder from Stephen.

Hey I guess I deserve that one

This is my first time reading through your thread. This is an amazing build! Now is not the time to get rid of it!


Unless you want to sell it to me

j/k .... sort of.

I think about when you started this project and all that you've bared your soul about with personal matters and such. You've put so much work, imagination, and raw emotion of your own into this build that getting rid of it now may just further the funk you've been through. Finishing this would lift your spirits and give you the reward of driving that would only help you feel more accomplished (not that you're not accomplished already). To state a partial line from one of my favorite 80s movies; "You can't give up now... it's a moral imperative!"
Yoo can doo eet!!

So, Scott came to Cleveland last weekend to take a look at helping me finish this thing off. Holy mother of shit is his car cool! I had no clue what kind of power these Subie engines are capable of. Wow.

So I'm putting together a punch-list of things that need done, and we're going to see what it'd take to get this thing in the works again.

Just giving you all an update. My goal, once again, is to drive it to Hershey next year. Let's see if I can make this one a reality!

Go Doug Go!

Awesome Doug! Glad to hear it. Hershey next year is a good goal. Take your time. Everything I rushed I have re-done.

That's great to hear! I know it's discouraging to table a project like that when you were so close to actually being able to enjoy the fruits of your labor! Look forward to seeing you get this on the ground ! If you can get to Hershey next year maybe you can make something like Okteenerfest in the fall too!
Keep us updated on progress-

Narrow rear tires really amplify the insanity. With the meats you have, you will be upgrading your turbo next winter.

Look forward to working on it!

Cheers,
Scott

Punch list item not on the current build

Limited Slip

Ha! That's the first thing Scott told me I needed!

"Bout time. JK ya, Doug. I know you been drug thru the these past 2 years. I believe that all of us Suby converts wanted to help you. Some of us just live too far away. The experienced eye can see that there is still an awful lot of work to be done but your with an experienced person now so things will move right along. Keep in mind what Chris said. Everything he rushed he's had to redo. Good to see you back at it. Kent

Thanks for the encouraging words guys. Going over the car with Scott, I realized how far I've really come with this thing. And also how far I have to go. Like he said though: "all the right parts are here." So I guess I did something right after all!

Having a proper engineer finish off the important bits is going to be key. The last thing I want is a shoddily built 350hp go-kart!

Good to see you back! We are both in the same place. Need experts to finish/tidy up bits. Keep the faith and you will have a rocket soon!

One wheel burn outs = not cool Scott has an LSD in the Porsti, and he roasts his tires on a regular basis. One of your tires is almost equal to two if his.

Of course this now goes the other way. Scott you need flares or slicks

Ill bring up my DVD on 914 flare shaping, my palm nailer, a buffed carriage bolt and we can make our ears ring worse than a Spinal Tap Concert my palm nailer goes to 12

Hmmmm, Sept 29-30 and maybe that weekend since I will be there anyway.

Stephen...the day I can't blow up the rear tires from a 40mph roll is also the day I start yearning for a really spendy engine/turbo upgrade. I'll get to see how Doug's car is with proper rear tires and then do flares on the Porsti this winter.

Leave your palm nailer at home, we'll just need the epoxy gun!

Cheers,
Scott

Getting ready for a big move tomorrow, so I put tires on her and dropped her to the ground for the first time in 3 years!

More pics and info tomorrow after I get her in the sunlight and on a trailer.

I wonder where it is going?

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Evidently, to a much cleaner garage!

What is behiNd the chevy's cab?

I had just finish its weekly vacuuming before the picture.

The A-pillar/firewall of the old rusty cab. I left all of the parts on the old cab while I was shortening the frame and installing the new cab. Now I need to swap everything over.

No idea where it is going But can't wait to see it tomorrow. Unfortunately it involves work.

All loaded up and heading to southern Ohio for some engineering!

Grey Matter made it safe and sound to its new home for the next few months.

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Spent a couple of hours clearing out he loose parts and random other stuff while putting a plan together.
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So much better!
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Also ,sorting out some of the parts I am likely to use.

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Lots of good parts to work with, so much cutting and welding to get them to work together.

Excited to see this come together. Love this car.