Open Light Subaru build

This a buildup of Brianne Corn's Subaru. It's been built for Rally America Open Light class, which is the naturally aspirated AWD class. This car is being built on a VERY tight budget.

A long time ago, in a region that's almost never heard of rally...

Back in 2008 we bought a crappy '95 sedan for a couple hundred dollars. Stripped it down and started removing the sound deadening and seam sealer.



The liquid nitrogen was SPOONED out onto the floorboards to remove the tar boards.





Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2011 05:17PM by modernbeat.

Ran out of nitrogen (only had a gallon or so) and had to finish stripping it with wire wheels.

The car sat in storage for about a year while we worked on other projects. In late 2009 we stripped a wrecked '97 Outback for some drivetrain parts and the electrical harness.





Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2011 05:25PM by modernbeat.

Bought a used STi rack, but found out that the steering column wasn't the same.

Cut and shut the column and welded it up.

In early 2010 Brianne tossed an engine, a welded up rear diff and a short ratio trans with a welded center diff in the car. Took it to a drift contest to try to win a small purse. This was RWD, no front axles or decent front diff.







Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2011 05:29PM by modernbeat.

Right after we got back from the Pikes Peak Hillclimb in late June, the car was stripped down again and building in earnest started. The goal was to have it running for the Nocona Rally in early November.



Also bought this heavily abused RS for parts. The interior had been painted with bedliner!



Out came the busted transmission (RWD drifting will do that) and in went a version 3 JDM STi transmission.

Old and busted:


Old but not busted:


JDM YO!

Stripped it a little more. All the body parts were thrown in the back yard where they waited for the tub to be prepped.



And then stripped the tub even MORE. The roof came off after hole-drilling the spot welds. It was worth it.



Welded in the sill bars as a foundation for the cage.

Made some strut top reinforcement plates and seam welded the tub - particularly around the strut towers, wheel wells and rockers.

Bought another donor. A 2001 RS sedan that was filthy, and ran, but had a hole in the block.



The engine:





Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2011 05:45PM by modernbeat.

Brought that engine along with a bare 2005 STi block to AWD tuning. They combined the two, along with some other cast-off OEM parts from some of their performance builds to make a complete, running motor.



A local JDM importer had been trying to sell a set of JDM STi brakes for months. They accepted my low-ball offer and I drove over and picked them up. A new set of rotors and they worked well.

Made some feet for the cage.



And got the main bars welded in.

Oops, the calipers don't fit our bargain basement wheels. Very slight interference at the spoke. Nothing a grinder won't fix.



Super low-buck suspension. Used OEM 2004 STi inverted struts, used Ground Control lower spring seats and used no-name springs. There's even a set of used stainless brake lines in there.



More seam welding.



And a few more bars in the cage.

It's a lot easier to weld the top of the cage without a roof.



Suspension and wheels are back on all four corners.



The RS donor had ABS, but the rally car won't. Had to replumb it to delete the ABS components.

AWD finished the engine!



Another oops. The RS components don't work on the STi block. Had to track down some more STi parts to clear some of the bosses on the block.