Kimmo's '85 Exa - reincarnated!
Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 6:27 pm
Location: Melbourne
Period of ownership: Since September 05
Performance: Should be heaps better >: (
Engine Mods: AFM relocation, KKR 280, electronic BOV, shithouse custom manifold, 21/2" zorst
Interior Mods: Adjusted brake and clutch pedals lower and bent the throttle over a bit for easier heel & toeing. Replaced cracked dash section with a bit of backyard upholstery; looks alright. MP3 deck with USB; cassette player hole used as CD stash
Exterior Mods: None... fuck, I'd love to have something sexy available to replace those fugly bars...
Wheels: 14" ET rims, got some Bluebird TRX 15s, just gotta get em to my joint from NSW...
Other: Scored this thing for $800... had to chuck some new discs on it, and a few other minor things... then one day not long after I'd done my rocker clearances, the timing belt tensioner retaining stud let go, and my valves said hello to my pistons. So I got this NT Garage mob in Yarraville to rebuild my motor. Not long afterwards my original turbo shat itself, and I went through a string of secondhand turbos trying to get rid of the smoke. The first turbo (a T25G in good nick) was pinched before I could install it, dammit... the last one was another T25G I'd stuck a T25 turbine housing on, but almost certainly needs a reco... anyway, the smoke was getting worse and worse, so I put a dummy turbo with just a bolt through it on to eliminate the turbo from the equation, and the smoke didn't diminish.
So just 3000 ks or so since the motor was rebuilt it was utterly fucked again. Not happy, Jan. Took it to C&D in Sunshine, and when they pulled the head off they informed me I'd been ripped off hard. Bloody slop everywhere. So they got me a reco donk, and I figured I CBF with the possibility of any more smoke, so I went for a KKR 280 for about $700. This ran kinda meh until about 3500 when it just went insane... once I did the AFM relocation though, there's heaps more power down low so it's pretty sweet now.
Future Plans: I don't want it to be too worked; I want it to retain plenty of driveability in the lower revs so it's still fun in traffic. I'm thinking either a smallish FMIC or a TMIC with plenty of ducting... or even a refrigerated TMIC, hmm... and a boost controller up to maybe 15PSI... a new computer would be nice, too. When the motor's sweet, I'll see about some ET trailing arms for the discs and swaybar. Springs and dampers might have to go at some point, too. Once all the mechanicals are sorted, I'll get onto the body... I figure I'll stick with the metallic charcoal over black, but try and tidy it up a lot... I'll piff off the black bit over the wheelarches (I'm tempted to do it with a spraycan in the meantime), prolly do the door handle and C pillar vent in the grey, bugger off the repeater indicators (maybe integrate some LEDs into the mirrors), change the five holes in the bonnet to a single slot with black mesh, and hopefully at some point, some custom bars and skirts and a nice set of 17s.
But I reckon I'll leave it for a bit before I get onto the body. Better value for my fun tickets in stuff like a 1/8 scale gas R/C beast or a $5000 pushie...
Pics:
Damn, those 13" Pulsar mags were vile...
Aahhh.
Like a fucking steam train.
Picked up a spare car the same colour for $180; swapping a few bits and pieces:
Those ET rims look bloody miles better, and somehow bigger than just another inch
Backyard upholstery:
Heart transplant in progress:
Mmm, shiny
CD storage; holds 35:
State of the engine bay @ 23/11/7:
With shit new exhaust; 9/1/8:
Read on for details...
Period of ownership: Since September 05
Performance: Should be heaps better >: (
Engine Mods: AFM relocation, KKR 280, electronic BOV, shithouse custom manifold, 21/2" zorst
Interior Mods: Adjusted brake and clutch pedals lower and bent the throttle over a bit for easier heel & toeing. Replaced cracked dash section with a bit of backyard upholstery; looks alright. MP3 deck with USB; cassette player hole used as CD stash
Exterior Mods: None... fuck, I'd love to have something sexy available to replace those fugly bars...
Wheels: 14" ET rims, got some Bluebird TRX 15s, just gotta get em to my joint from NSW...
Other: Scored this thing for $800... had to chuck some new discs on it, and a few other minor things... then one day not long after I'd done my rocker clearances, the timing belt tensioner retaining stud let go, and my valves said hello to my pistons. So I got this NT Garage mob in Yarraville to rebuild my motor. Not long afterwards my original turbo shat itself, and I went through a string of secondhand turbos trying to get rid of the smoke. The first turbo (a T25G in good nick) was pinched before I could install it, dammit... the last one was another T25G I'd stuck a T25 turbine housing on, but almost certainly needs a reco... anyway, the smoke was getting worse and worse, so I put a dummy turbo with just a bolt through it on to eliminate the turbo from the equation, and the smoke didn't diminish.
So just 3000 ks or so since the motor was rebuilt it was utterly fucked again. Not happy, Jan. Took it to C&D in Sunshine, and when they pulled the head off they informed me I'd been ripped off hard. Bloody slop everywhere. So they got me a reco donk, and I figured I CBF with the possibility of any more smoke, so I went for a KKR 280 for about $700. This ran kinda meh until about 3500 when it just went insane... once I did the AFM relocation though, there's heaps more power down low so it's pretty sweet now.
Future Plans: I don't want it to be too worked; I want it to retain plenty of driveability in the lower revs so it's still fun in traffic. I'm thinking either a smallish FMIC or a TMIC with plenty of ducting... or even a refrigerated TMIC, hmm... and a boost controller up to maybe 15PSI... a new computer would be nice, too. When the motor's sweet, I'll see about some ET trailing arms for the discs and swaybar. Springs and dampers might have to go at some point, too. Once all the mechanicals are sorted, I'll get onto the body... I figure I'll stick with the metallic charcoal over black, but try and tidy it up a lot... I'll piff off the black bit over the wheelarches (I'm tempted to do it with a spraycan in the meantime), prolly do the door handle and C pillar vent in the grey, bugger off the repeater indicators (maybe integrate some LEDs into the mirrors), change the five holes in the bonnet to a single slot with black mesh, and hopefully at some point, some custom bars and skirts and a nice set of 17s.
But I reckon I'll leave it for a bit before I get onto the body. Better value for my fun tickets in stuff like a 1/8 scale gas R/C beast or a $5000 pushie...
Pics:
Damn, those 13" Pulsar mags were vile...
Aahhh.
Like a fucking steam train.
Picked up a spare car the same colour for $180; swapping a few bits and pieces:
Those ET rims look bloody miles better, and somehow bigger than just another inch
Backyard upholstery:
Heart transplant in progress:
Mmm, shiny
CD storage; holds 35:
State of the engine bay @ 23/11/7:
With shit new exhaust; 9/1/8:
Read on for details...