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2001 Impreza L | WRX swapped | Rust repairs and weight reduction!

189K views 1K replies 66 participants last post by  bue car 
#1 · (Edited)
This is mostly the progress of my srp 2001 L coupe, but also some 98L and 2018 brz stuff.



Backstory:


I got the car in August 2011 with 100,500 miles. It was my first car, and it had lots of problems at the start. Almost sold it a few times, but once I read about all the swap stuff, I decided I had to keep it.

I messed with weight reduction, and fixing/upgrading the suspension while I gathered funds for the swap...lots of maintenance too...although the ej22 ran strong the whole time. It really was bulletproof. I had to have the transmission rebuilt, but was finally was able to start the swap summer 2014 and I got an ej205 in and running.

Fall of 2015 it was totaled (not my fault) and I spent a year slowly fixing the car myself with no collision experience. After tons of spot welds, test fits, wiring, and double checking......I got the car inspected and legal to drive again in November 2016, with a reconstructed title.

2017 and on will be dedicated to rust repairs,weight reduction, and self tuning.




Here are some up to date pictures, regardless of the different seasons:

















The goods:


ENGINE:


-USDM 02/03 ej205 (6/28/14)

-TGV deletes

-Grimmspeed catless uppipe, ceramic coated

-Cobb catted downpipe, ceramic coated

-02-05 wrx, Invidia q300 catback

-STi oil pan

-KillerB oil pick-up tube

-Avo turbo inlet

-lighter crank pulley, and no p/s or a/c pulleys

-Protune by Jermaine @TurboXS

-v3 accessport

-iWire merged harness



TRANSMISSION:


-'01 5mt (3.9) and cable clutch;
AndrewTech rebuild

-custom reinforced clutch fork

-'01 (oem) TOB, and pivot ball

-'06+ wrx clutch

-'06+ wrx pressure plate

-'06+ wrx flywheel

-TiC shifter linkage update and pivot bushings



SUSPENSION / HANDLING


-KYB excel-g struts (2/2/14)

-Eibach pro-kit springs 2/2/14)

-Group N front top hats (2/2/14)

-3/8 saggy butt spacers (2/2/14)

-18mm Outback rear sway bar

-20mm WRX wagon front sway bar (6/28/14)

-JDM GC8 crossmember (6/28/14)

-Whiteline steering rack bushings (6/28/14)

-Whiteline rear endlink bushings

-group N front-of-trailing arm bushings

-power steering delete



WEIGHT REDUCTION&DISTRIBUTION:


-Currently about 2690~ lbs.
-***Was at 2590, but the turbo engine swap and a full-size spare added well over 100 lbs back.

-Aluminum jdm gc8 hood

-USDM front bumper beam cut in half

-deleted a/c

-deleted power steering

-washer fluid tank relocated to trunk

-battery relocated to back seat

-removed hunk of metal from glovebox and under dash

-removed most sound deadening

-stripped trunk besides spare

-lighter wheels

-removed keyless entry system

-random little things. More soon.



----------



Here's the progress from the beginning mostly in order. I'm going to add in some dates/mileage later on. Bear with the potato pictures for the first few pages. I eventually got a digital camera, and now a DSLR, so the pictures get progressively better in quality.







Warning, picture heavy:







-Bought late August of 2011, bone stock.















--some actual wheels to replace the steelies and decent tires too.







16x7 with 205/50-16 Conti DW















--This is the oldest pic I have of my car, and the only pic from the beach driving I have left.























--Rally armors, which get used on a daily basis on PA's crazy roads :unamused:























--Homemade light bar that mounts 2 hella 500's























How it looked last winter:























--Polyurethane rear end link bushings







This is when I learned how hard pressing bushings is.....















--New outer tie rods, ball joints, and front wheel bearings.







This is when I learned to hate wheel bearings and ball joints......















This is a ball joint removal tool......mine were really stuck.















j
 
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#61 · (Edited)
2001 Impreza L | WRX swapped | lightweight daily driver project

Thanks guys!

The terbo likes this cold air. ;)
...I just hope it lasts till spring.


I finally ordered my hood struts last week and installed them yesterday. The bushing that holds the oem prop broke apart from age....so the prop would fall out of place while driving and almost hit the alternator belt....I've been just keeping it in the backseat to use whenever I need it. :lol:

I'm lazy and used all the factory bolt holes for the brackets. Eventually I'll mount the lower ones closer to the hood so it lifts the hood higher but meh...it's good for now. Sooo much easier than the prop.




I also did an oil change this weekend, and changed out the last section of hose at the fuel filter....I had the wrong type of 5/16" and it didn't fit 100% resulting in the smallest fuel leak possible.

164,700


And I finally got some time to start taking apart the old ej22....poor thing has been sitting outside since the summer. Nothing was wrong with it, but I'll clean it all up and see if it's useable for the next GC.



Also...the PS and AC brackets from the ej22 fit the ej205. So I'm cutting/shaving as much as I can from each, and painting them before I transfer them to my car. The brackets are bulky so this will clean up the bay a bit more.

Here's the "PS bracket" so far....it's only using 2 of the mounting holes...I'm thinking it should be fine since it only holds the alternator. I already have a cut PS bracket on my engine now...but I cut a LOT more off this one.

Every pound counts at this point.



 
#63 ·
I finished up the alternator brackets and bought a new catback last weekend. I also installed some kartboy longer hangers, and a new heatshield for inbeteeen the catback and driveshaft....no more rattles!

..more on that stuff soon......

..but....today.....I went to pull out of the driveway and shifted into second....and the car shut off.

Won't start.

Cranks over and over and over, just fine....but no start.

Fuel pump IS NOT priming. I don't even hear the clicking of a relay. Pump is less than a year old; DW300 pump.

The main fuse and SBF5 fuse are both good....I'm getting 12v at each of those too (under hood fuse box).....also, the OBD2 is still working because the accessport is working....it will still read all the sensors too, including fuel stuff.

Gah!!!

:(
 
#64 ·
2001 Impreza L | WRX swapped | lightweight daily driver project

Tried more stuffs.

I'm getting 12v at the plug on top the fuel tank....12v at the fuel pump relay connector ( green ).

So I have voltage to the pump and to the relay....but neither wanna work.

I tried a different fuel pump relay from my old ej22 harness and still no luck.

EVERYTHING works inside the car....dash lights, heater/blower, lights, radio, ect.....except the fuel pump won't prime....I pulled every fuse inside and they all looked good.
 
#66 ·
Tried more stuffs.

I'm getting 12v at the plug on top the fuel tank....12v at the fuel pump relay connector ( green ).

So I have voltage to the pump and to the relay....but neither wanna work.

I tried a different fuel pump relay from my old ej22 harness and still no luck.

EVERYTHING works inside the car....dash lights, heater/blower, lights, radio, ect.....except the fuel pump won't prime....I pulled every fuse inside and they all looked good.
Is your check engine light coming on when you turn the key to the on position without starting the car?
 
#69 ·
2001 Impreza L | WRX swapped | lightweight daily driver project

Hmmm....very possible. Mines up behind glovebox.

I can't find ANY info on how to check if the controller is good or not....so maybe I can get a friend to stop by with his WRX and I can swap the controllers out to see.

So if anyone knows how to check the controller with a meter, lemme know. :lol:

I'm gonna check EVERY fuse again....but if no fuses are blown, the controller is a likely suspect.

I also just checked both fuel pump relays I have with a 9v battery....both will click on and off, and show continuity on the other pins once activated. So the relay is good....
 
#70 ·
here is a fuel pump diagnosis order of operations:
-Fuel pump (check)
-Relay (check)
-Wiring (check-ish)
-Controller (?)
-Battery (unlikely but possible)

I would bypass the controller. If the pump turns on, the controller is bad. The controller serves as a "throttle" for the pump, and increases voltage to the pump according to the throttle position sensor, o2 sensor, etc. So if it is internally open, or there is a short in the wiring, no voltage will reach the pump.
 
#71 ·
Where do you suggest I apply power to bypass the controller?

I've been searching and searching through online manuals and wiring diagrams, but can't find out what connector or pin to apply the 12v....with the battery in the back seat it's gonna be really easy to do. :lol:


I confirmed that the fuel pump relay IS working....I can feel it click on and off with the key ON or OFF....before I thought it wasn't getting power, but it is.

For the 6 pin connector on top the tank....under the little oval hatch....the upper left pin gets 12v with the key ON.....the arrow points to it here:
 
#72 ·
2001 Impreza L | WRX swapped | lightweight daily driver project

I finally found the PDF on how to directly apply voltage to the pump, and bypass the controller....I still confirmed with iWire before I tried it though... ;)

...and......unfortunately...the pump is dead. :(

6-month old DW300....Bullshit....
Probably gonna go to IAG this weekend and buy a Walbro 255 to get me back on the road hopefully.

Instead of the 6-pin connector above the tank, I used the 2-pin under the back seat....it has larger pins to attach leads to. With my battery in the back it was super easy.

Terrible picture, I know:
 
#73 ·
2001 Impreza L | WRX swapped | lightweight daily driver project

So it was definitely the pump. I rode down to IAG on Saturday and picked up a Walbro 255...then I sat out in my car with a space heater in 15*F weather and installed it. :lol:

Started right up like nothing ever happened. Hopefully the Walbro lasts.....I don't think I'll try another DW pump.

Here's the two pumps for comparison....they look almost the same (minus the logo):



Here are the finished alternator brackets...for now. I wanted to paint them, but it was just too cold. Once it gets warm I'll shave more off and paint them.

I can't re-use my alternator cover because the ej22 P/S bracket and the ej205 P/S bracket are slightly different. The bolt to tension the alternator is moved slightly to the side and it won't line up with the cover I made. So I'm using no cover for now:







I replaced the heatshield that's between the exhaust and driveshaft....it's been rattling, probably since I bought the car. :lol:


The one corner was rusted off so I couldn't secure it. I bought a brand new one through Subaru so it would be in perfect condition and cause no rattles.

Of course one of the bolts broke taking the old one out.....so....self tapper to the rescue!




I also caved in and got some rumble. Since I wanted a quiet catback, there's not many lightweight options....I went with the Invidia q300 because I was told it was quieter than the Cobb. It's only 7 lbs lighter than the OEM wrx catback.



Fitment is meh....but so was the WRX one. It hits the rear diff bracing/shield and doesn't line up with the middle hanger....but with a little convincing from zip ties and Kartboy hangers it doesn't rattle. :lol:

It's louder than I wanted, but atleast it sounds good. The tip isn't a huge barrel, so it's kinda stealthy. Even though it's a 3" flange, it actually bolts up pretty well to my Cobb downpipe (2.5" at the end).

You can see how close the exhaust is to the underside here:

 
#75 ·
my sti catback does this too. i took a piece of rubber radiator hose and zip tied it to the exhaust where it hits the diff. no noise.
Ooooh.....that's a damn good idea. Definitely gonna try something like that.

those brackets look like they were meant to be that way. nice work!
Thanks, all it took was a hacksaw and dremel. That aluminum is really easy to cut.
 
#76 ·
2001 Impreza L | WRX swapped | lightweight daily driver project

So I noticed my radiator leaking from the bottom a couple weeks ago. It was a slow enough leak that I had some time to decide on a replacement. It was between the Koyo 1819 or a new OEM replacement.

Well the leak got a bit worse last Wednesday, and it needed to be replaced ASAP. So I didn't have time to order a Koyo from somewhere.....plus I really didn't wanna mess with new fans and shrouds, and a JDM overflow.....so I got a brand new OEM radiator straight from the dealer.

Yes, it was stupid expensive....but it works perfectly fine and nothing had to change.



So I replaced it on Saturday and turned my driveway into an EPA disaster. :lol:





New one:



I gutted a new radiator cap too. The one on the old radiator was fine, but taking it on and off to fill the radiator risks the gasket getting messed up and not holding pressure. Plus I like having extra gutted caps just incase.

I slowly cut away the plunger and springs with tin snips....very careful to not mess up the gasket or somehow deform the cap itself. I suppose it would work by just removing the smaller gasket, but I like to cut away the plunger too.

Normal cap next to the gutted one for comparison:



And here's some random pics I took recently. I got a new lens for my camera so I've been messing around with it lately.









 
#79 ·
I'm not sure exactly how it works or why, but here's how I understand it.....if anyone more knowledgable is reading, please correct me:

It has something to do with how my coolant lines are ran to the overflow....since the terbo engine has that upper reservoir on the intake manifold.

The gutted cap goes on the radiator, and allows coolant to flow freely to the upper reservoir. Then, the upper reservoir has the real radiator cap with spring....so once it all gets up to temp and pressure, it will open and flow into the overflow.

The OEM n/a set-up goes straight from the radiator to overflow....the gutted cap set-up makes everything kinda work like OEM.
 
#82 ·
2001 Impreza L | WRX swapped | lightweight daily driver project

Been a little while....after all the maintenance over the winter (and last summer/fall) I've been lazy. The past few months I've spent over $1500 on stupid things that have failed and maintenance, so I haven't gotten to do any real upgrades/mods.

I'm also trying to save up for a spare engine for my car, and a spare GC/GD for when mine has problems.

So anyway, it's warm out finally, and I got new summer tires. Went with Dunlop direzza ZII. They're supposed to be Star Spec replacements or something, and I like them so far.





Also needed an alignment, so I made a trip down to AndrewTech. I also had them do the tranny and rear diff fluid while I was there....cause it's AndrewTech and they're awesome. :banana:


Then I converted to a Hovercar:


Just kidding, I painted the wheels cause I was bored of the white. I'll probably do some more coats this weekend to make it last a bit longer, but I like the gold:




The rear 02 randomly died so I replaced it. Pretty sure the heatshield cut into the wire, and eventually caused a short or break in the wire....so I added some "trough liner" that covers the sharp edges. We use it in electrical so edges don't skin the wires up, so I figured it would work prefect for the heatshield:


I added 2 ground wires in the interior, to link back to the battery. One is ran to an ECU mounting bolt, and the other is the factory ground right by the passenger door....that ground is also the ground for my fuel pump and fuel pump controller. Since the battery was moved I wanted to make sure both of those had a solid ground.

Ran along the trans tunnel to my battery in the backseat:







I've been still RANDOMLY losing oil and can't figure out where. Hardly even a drop in the intercooler, and the turbo doesn't seem to burn any.....I pulled the downpipe last weekend and all seems good. No shaft play, and no wetness of oil, so that's good....





And I rolled over 170,000 miles on Monday:

 
#85 ·



I've always kinda liked gold wheels on red cars.


Hey there, just stopping by to say I really enjoy your thread, and the path you've taken with your car. It's nice to see a Subaru modified from a true 'drivers perspective', keep it up!
Thanks! I just wanted the car to handle decent but remain functional, since the roads in PA are terrible....plus, boosting on gravel roads is just too much fun. :projectsti.com:
Eventually I'll get around to some cool interior and exterior parts though...
 
#86 · (Edited)
2001 Impreza L | WRX swapped | lightweight daily driver project

Haven't done much since the last update.....bought some things, installed a couple things, and cleaned the engine bay.

Painted some rusty bits, and cleaned 15 years of gunk off the firewall:





-v1-4 front bumper

I finally found one local to pick up, so I didn't have to deal with shipping. Just gotta get it painted SRP, and find a new spot for my LED's.







-Rear disc conversion parts

I pulled the calipers, brackets, and rotors off a 2004 Impreza wagon...but was unable to get the knuckles from the same car. So the knuckles and hubs are from a 2001 Forester....quite the task pulling rear knuckles from a junkyard Subaru. :lol:

These won't go on for a couple months. I will be refreshing/rebuilding the calipers, de-rusting and painting everything, and installing new wheel bearings.




-Interior stuff

Pulled some interior pieces from that same Forester I got the knuckles from.

I needed a new armrest and couldn't find a normal small one, so I grabbed the extended Forester one. I also grabbed the fuzzy dash pocket, and a new cup holder.








Attempt number 5 for an Accessport holder/mount.

Suction cup type with a good adjustable holder seems to work better than the other types.





-I finally took apart the old ej22, and it looks like the ej22 coolant crossover fits the ej20 block. Gonna read into it more and see, because it would fix the sharp angle of the upper radiator hose.

Pictured is the ej205 block....it just has the ej22 heads mocked up to consolidate parts around the house.

 
#88 · (Edited)
2001 Impreza L | WRX swapped | lightweight daily driver project



I am excite.
As soon as I find amber turn signals for it, I'm dropping the bumper off to get painted.

-----------

Small update:

--Two weekends ago, I journeyed up to Wellsboro to watch STPR. It was an awesome time, and I can't wait to go back next year.

Twice, I got "bad" directions and ended up on the same gravel roads the rally drivers were using between stages. :lol: :banana:
One time I was going the opposite direction and had to move to the side for each car...and the other, I got to drive behind them for a couple miles. Pretty cool that you can get so close to the drivers.

Here's a short clip of the road I saw the drivers on:
STPR 2015 rally car drive by - YouTube

Here's a iPhone clip of one of the GC's on stage 13:
STPR 2015 fast GC impreza - YouTube

and here's some of the pictures I took:













--This past weekend I started my rust removal with electrolysis. You can see the rust that floated to the top in the second picture:





This is how I plan to de-rust all that rear brake stuff I bought. Works VERY well. I did a trial run this weekend, and here are a caliper and bracket after about 4-5 hours:





It's a long process, so in a week or two I'll have the rest of it rust free. Here's a quick mock up of the painted caliper on the knuckle. I still need to dunk the rotors in too....but I like the red so far!
I might find a darker red to match the SRP better though.

 
#90 · (Edited)
2001 Impreza L | WRX swapped | lightweight daily driver project

Been kinda busy lately between work and troubleshooting problems with the car. It feels like its been forever since I've done any mods....but the next 2 things are the rear discs and v1-4 front bumper finally.

I've been at a standstill with the rear discs. I still can't get the stupid ass lateral link bolt out of the disc knuckes. Its literally frozen in time and won't budge.....I've tried almost everything, but will be torching/cutting it out this week. The calipers, brackets, and rotors have been ready....just sitting on a shelf waiting.

I also got my amber turn signal lights for the v1-4 bumper. Someone on here showed me where to get new DEPO ones for a awesome price, cause I couldn't find used oem ones anywhere.







Today (8/16/15) I finally replaced the fuel filler neck. I've been battling 3 different EVAP codes on and off the past year, so I figured it was time. It was rusted through and had a few small holes.

All new OEM stuff....all stainless hardware. Just gotta replace a few clamps and one hose.

I put about 700 coats of paint on the new filler neck and plate. :lol: I bet it'll still rust in a few years.
...by the time it was installed, it was so scratched up I had to re-spray it on the car.

Drove about 50 miles so far and no codes....hopefully I'm in the clear. If I still have problems, I'm having the tuner turn off the CEL's and I'm deleting the EVAP. :lol:










Last week I replaced the PCV fitting that comes off the block, and the hoses around it. The hoses were really hardened and leaking oil, probably vacuum too. Managed to get hose clamps on every connection.....huge PITA to work with the turbo there.





 
#91 · (Edited)
2001 Impreza L | WRX swapped | lightweight daily driver project

I'd like some opinions on how this looks. I photoshopped my LED's onto a SRP Impreza with v1-4 bumper I found on google.

Hoping by next week or week after to drop the bumper off for paint.....but first I need to fit my square LED's somewhere.



They'd basically fit right where the oem fogs would go. I'll just make up some brackets, and trim to fill in around the lights.

I'd like some nice looking circle lights, but I NEED the LED flood lights for nighttime driving. Circle lights in general just don't seem to have the output of the LED's.....and my LED's only weigh 1 lb. each, and only draw 1 amp each.

Just for reference, here's an old picture showing their output....they were poorly adjusted and are brighter in person.

High beams vs. High beams + LED's:



 
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