Cams AE85 build from NZ

[slacker.cam]

Hi guys. Here's my AE85 build from New Zealand. I've had a couple of build threads on other forums before but this is really where it should be - being an AE86 specific forum and all... So first up is some background on the project to date. Hopefully this follows as a story in reasonably chronoloigcal order.

I got obsessed with the thought of owning an AE86 when I was still at highschool (7 years ago) and even though they were far less popular (and therefore less expensive) back then; there was no way I could afford a decent track car. So in 2005 I got hold of a stripped out AE85 for very cheap and decided this would be the base of a ground-up track car build. This was the state the car was in when I got hold of it:




It didn't take me too long to realise that I was in far over my head from both a skills an monetary point of view. The body was in very bad shape and it was going to be a nightmare trying to piece back together an entire car from a pile of pieces that I didn't even take apart. Towards the end of 2005 I came across a driveable AE85 and picked it up for $1500NZD (pretty cheap for anything AE86 related). It had no warrant of fitness but didn't need too much work done to make it legal. The original car immediately began donating parts in the way of a LF guard, indicator lights and pop-up unit as the car had been in a minor front left accident. I also built a rough as guts under diff exhaust (as it had none to start with), got both front and rear bumpers reconditioned, fixed some minor rust (bootlid, around windows, etc) and got the thing on the road. It was only an AE85 with auto box, drum brakes and the 3A motor but it felt great the few weeks I had it on the road. The good points about this car were it was complete, had the facelift interior, bumpers, and lights and wasn't insanely rusty.





In early 2006 it was time to start pulling it all apart. Plans at this stage were to replace the running gear and suspension, strip the interior, install a half cage and go and have some fun on the track. So first to go was the engine and auto box: