Subaru Impreza GC8 & RS Forum & Community banner

TwinKams L

45K views 339 replies 22 participants last post by  vocalkeny 
#1 ·
Hello to all, so I picked up a gc8 a few weeks ago from norcal, from a rs25 member on here.

The cars a 1995 one owner red Impreza L coupe with 168k when purchased, All stock, auto 1.8L, & comes with the safety package all wheel disc brakes & abs.

My plans are a full 2.5rs front end & trim, repaint it, then swap in a few years.

It’s my daily and already got a few things for it, though I think I may leave it stock until the paint work is ready. Enjoy.

Pics to follow
 
#4 · (Edited)
So as mentioned here are some photos..

Boarder town Colorado/Kansas

Somewhere in North east CA about an hour or 2 from Nevada.

In Reno


The car was driven back 3000 miles to jersey from NorCal. Along the way only issue was some old oil smoking off the exhaust from a previously fixed oil leak.

As for the plans.. we’ll parts are starting to pile up


I have a ton more on the way.. I’m really in need of front aero guards as well.. have rears in the mail but it’s next to impossible to find the front even in Japanese portals. If anyone has any leads for the front aero guards let me know I don’t wanna paint until I have everything.

Also as for wheels right now, I have a set of 17x7.5 work vs ss wheels that have been sitting so I did order adapters and gonna test them out.

For suspension I’d like to find some oem jdm sti struts / springs for cheap for now.

Lastly, here’s a teaser of some of my other cars.. (Edited 2021):

2000 Renault Clio sport (half caged, hpde/track prepped, made 184whp before manifold & new map)
1989 Suzuki Samuri (100% rust free)
2018 Renault Megane (daily in eu)
1991 fiat 126p SOLD 2020
1991 fiat 126p (blue og paint mint, rally prepped)
1987 fiat 126p SOLD 2019
1983 fiat 126p SOLD 2020
1985 fiat 126p SOLD 2019
1974 Datsun 260z SOLD 2019
1993 Mazda rx7 SOLD 2019
2005 ram 3500 diesel dually (truck for life hopefully)














& my gc8 which I owned 2008-2012?


Also just for fun, I’ve owned & either scrapped sold or crashed the following 2006-2014: 89 supra, 87 Corolla, 90 civic sedan, 13’ FRS, 89 240sx, 96 330ci? (Nonvanos 6 cyl with oem lsd e36 coupe), 2000 Audi A6 2.7 biturbo, 2008 vw passat 2.0t, 2000 gc8 sedan with v8 swap, stock trans.
 
#10 · (Edited)
So more teasers. Trans should be here soon. Been busy so didn’t get anything installed yet besides wheels

2018 brz performance package (made in Japan) 17x7.5 48et

Car currently:
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Red Coupé


Parts shown are
5x100 GD, WRX style spring, jdm sti genome struts springs,
Converting stock mounts to rear GroupN & front stock GD
Jdm 6 speed complete swap from v8 sti
Full Cusco bars, & gender braces (i will weigh every piece)
Also bidding as I type on emblems for the whole car.

Enjoy

Cylinder Pipe

Photography Optical instrument Auto part Suspension Suspension part



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#12 ·
Anddddd its a jeep......



It pains me to leave the car so high so I did order this...


Also i missed these auctions, going back I’d skip the GD sti genome struts and get either these kybs or s201 struts..


Also got a rear diff cover in the mail, and my stickers came in [emoji41]



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#18 ·


Preventative maintenance:


Maintenance:


These panels were off for the first time in the cars life I think. Replaced all speakers and head unit to a double din touch screen .. with green lights.



My rear speaker shelf cover.. whatever the real name is for it, crumbled into pieces on one end.. anyone have one from a part out or gut let me know.

Lastly, my dog posing with this sweet part:



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#19 ·
So package came in I ordered back in August. Beatrush/Laile stuff was backordered. Enjoy...



Now I know some of you were curious on weights.. well I weighed. Tho with bags because I’m leaving to the EU Friday and don’t want to loose, miss match, bolts. All Cusco stuff has bags, sticker, and instructions.. so give or take 3-4 oz?

Syms rear diff cover: 3.29 lbs


Beatrush/Laile floor brace & bolts: 7.64 lbs


Cusco triangle rear strut add on (have carbon rear bar currently): 2.91 lbs


Cusco floor t brace GC left+right (not sure if it’ll fit with my gd rear xmember and arms): 2.76 lbs


Laile rear xmember GD stopper donut type bushing: 0.30 lbs


Sweeeeet lug nutz: 1.75 lbs


Why the f*** did I weigh this? 0.10 lbs


Add lightness bro mod: 0.10 lbs


Sti diff brace, prob weighs same as stock (box tared): 3.08 lbs



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#20 · (Edited)
Sti trans xmember bushings: 0.15 lbs



Cusco floor braces (weighed one, then the other + bolts): 11.6 lbs



Cusco rear trunk brace: 6.4 lbs



Cusco front v brace (near rad support): 2.6 lbs



Nagasi fender braces.. these didn’t come with bolts which scares me for the over wheel well section: 4.3 lbs


So adding to my car at least 38 lbs

I do have a 15lbs Braille battery which saved let’s say 25lbs

Also have on tap F+R jdm light weight bumber beams so 30lbs...

So theoretically I’m not adding any weight to my L [emoji41]



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#22 ·
Been back for a few weeks now. And got busy on the 6 speed swap. Enjoy:

Got the car in the garage, general clean up interior


Planned on getting it done in 5 days, started late had 4 (spoiler alert, I’m missing some bolts so had to abandon on day 4)




Gonna try to adapt this genome muffler (2.5”) to my stock L 1.5” mid pipe



Some precise removal, rust free makes it easy as pie


Distractions


Outtttt




Decided to undercoat the whole undercarriage. Hope it wasn’t a mistake. I used por15 degreaser, with some amazon drill head bristle brushes to scrub the whole chassis. Then cleaned with some left over tar wax remover and finished with denatured alcohol. Let it air dry for 24h, then undercoated w a light single layer.




Video:
Gc8 new undercoat - YouTube

Now for the install:

Sneak peak for 2019.. leaving stock L body for winter [emoji849]





Problem 1: spent an extra 2-3 hours going to the store for small files & filing one of the hub splines




Found the oil leak... there was essentially 0 gasket here.


I gave away my rear end and forgot to take out the lateral link bolts.. so had to order [emoji58] they’re $20 a piece [emoji22]


Used wrx pedal box. Wasn’t too bad fitting it.



So what’s left?
Mate transmission,
drill extra hole for starter,
remove transmission,
tap that hole,
install flywheel clutch
Install trans/mount/shifter assembly
Install clutch master cyl
Connect clutch master to slave
Hook up speed sensor
Hook up starter
Install iwire dccd
Install heat shields
Install drive shaft
Install Cusco under brace
Install front axles,
Install gc8 front lca bushings
Install gd alum. Control arms
Install gd front hubs
Install brake lines
Bleed brakes
Bleed slave
Fill trans
Fill diff
Re check all bolts
Wheels on
Carpet seats back in
Go stall out in 6th gear doing 65 with the anemic ej18

Enjoy.








Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#25 ·
Getting rid of this Motor next year.

Also just got back to the car it’s been sitting in a garage @ 50f for the 6 days and the undercoating is still tacky. I think I may have not washed the degreaser off 100% or maybe that the garage was wet and super humid for those days painting on 12/14. It’s 12/20 and the cans of crc undercoating says cure in 48hr


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#26 · (Edited)


Wish I had a lift... jacks are maxed out


Got the trans mated to the motor. Used the 6 speed bolts with a pass through socket, as usually there’s like .5” of starter flange.


Don’t know yet if I’ll drill like this, or mark and remove. Either way have to remove to install flywheel clutch


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#27 · (Edited)
Ladies and gentlemen, catastrophic fuck up.

During drilling the new hole for the 2nd starter bolt, I didn’t realize how far I went and went to far.. turns out there’s a water jacket right behind that. I can’t believe it. Anyone got an ej18 around central NJ?



So drilling 2.2cm is already too much. I tapped the hole until the end...


I’m thinking about actually caulking this bolt w


And then just putting it back together and maybe only having 1.25cm or 1.5 of the threads go in, so I don’t block the water passage.. lol [emoji22]

It’ll rattle heavy during start coz it’s the starter bolt.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#29 ·
You'll probly be ok, I did the same thing to an exhaust manifold bolt on my SVX. Leaks coolant when removed, but doesn't leak coolant or exhaust when tightened, and I didn't even use a sealant.

Great job on everything so far :projectsti.com:
 
#30 · (Edited)
You'll probly be ok, I did the same thing to an exhaust manifold bolt on my SVX. Leaks coolant when removed, but doesn't leak coolant or exhaust when tightened, and I didn't even use a sealant.



Great job on everything so far :projectsti.com:


I got the trans in, all bolts in, and the “threaded” hole doesn’t tighten. It isn’t gonna be a tight seal. Not sure if the threads got fucked already. I’m thinking about getting a 10x1.5 bolt and cross threading it. Or maybe some standard bolt. Either way I figured out the issue...

Doing this, your supposed to thread with an 11x1.25 (or use one of those rivet in threaded grommets) the bellhousing hole! Drill the starter to accept an 11mm bolt good to go. Have the 2nd starter bolt attach to bel housing not block coz as we see here, the flange around the block is off and doesn’t line up w the flange on the belhousing

Feeling real stupid.
 
#31 ·


Another bad move getting rid of my old parts. I think I could use this stock rear section of my trans crossmember. What do I do for the front? My L did not come with anything there, the gd member doesn’t reach.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Top