DIY: Hopeless project.

[Rascal21]

Some more updates.
Did a super quick repaint on the wagon, just so it doesn't look like a complete disaster.

With engine running issues sorted, exhaust modified and intake revised some, it goes pretty good and doesn't sound half-bad from any angle either, here's some videos (one from 2013 and one from last winter after repaint):

Meanwhile, the worm & roller took a dump, steering wheel self-centering pretty much faded away last winter, I took it all off the car:


And a quick inspection confirmed it was too far out of spec to decently dial in and still keep self-centering (even with full caster).
New TA40 worm & roller costs a fortune, used worm & roller costs a fortune.

I had a KE70 front sub-frame with rack & column laying around, so I gathered those parts and had a look:

Then I took the TA40 crossmember off:


I also like the angle grinder, so used that as a way to have a closer look:


With these cars I've been meaning to get into something that, if a gun was put to someones head, they would say it could almost be semi-decent modification/fabrication work, so I kind of winged it from there:



(Continues in next post)

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(Continuation of last post):






You get the idea.. some time later:






So that was the crossmember sorted, wasn't too hard, a bit of measuring, cutting, line it all up and tack it in place, measure again then go to town with it, I've seen far better, but to the techstapo it looks OEM from underneath so I'll let it slide.
In the next post we'll be having a look at what can be done with the steering column

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With the engine crossmember sorted, steering column is next.

The KE70 column>rack steering spline shaft steery... thingy.... joint end up top, TA40 column>steering box... hardy-joint (?) bottom:


As we've well established I'm beyond caring about technical pronounciations at this point, the important thing is the column diameters are both the same, and the telescopic shafts are the same too.
The KE70 column end merely needs adding onto the TA40 column, which allows for keeping the same ignition lock, which saves time in shortening, modifying and adding TA40 bits to the KE70 column.
Great!

Moving on:
Weld KE70 end onto the TA40 column, by simply sliding it on and filling the original holes the drilled spot welds:

Then adapt the TA40 column> firewall mount to the KE70 end (add a few welded bumps on the column tube, on the other side to stop the column from sliding around) then test-fit:

Then repaint:


In the next post, steering shaft and exhaust has to be sorted.

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Right, with the above bits sorted, I merely installed the crossmember.
The KE70 steering shaft actually only needed a bit of lengthening.
As it turns out this is tubed from factory.
So I cut it in half nearly at the rack-side uni-joint, then slid a piece of smaller diameter steel rod I had laying around that fit perfectly inside the shaft tube, and filled the whole b*tch with the MIG, then gave it some cuts with the angle grinder and filled those with the MIG as well (to be sure).



Then simply grind it flat with the flap disc and repaint so it looks pretty, you know how it goes.

Next up was the exhaust.
When I did the engine swap years ago, I had to get the car on the road quick.
That means circumventing the steering box.... With a SOHV 2T that was no issue, but the 4A-GE head is wider.
After I mounted the transmission, I then had to place the engine over to the passenger side, and since the car up until that point was mostly for laughs anyway, the "downpipe" was simply a stock 16v RWD exhaust manifold with some 2mm steel plate cut into triangular pieces, and some 2" exhaust pipe cut in half length-wise added to the front and rear, then cut it all at the bottom and a 2" bent pipe:


Not pretty, but as you saw the car went forward, didn't sound too bad, and went sideways too.

That wont work with the steering rack though, so I had a look around in the parts bin, found a stock AE86 exhaust manifold and downpipe, then I test-fitted for the fun of it:

..For once, something fits and I don't have to do anything

From there all I had to do was modify the downpipe (didn't take long) with a over-size end to accept the existing exhaust system:


Then use a powered sticksaw to shorten the exhaust piping to suit the downpipe, I don't have pictures of that but you get the idea.

All that was needed was to screw the tie rods in and match the steering rack on both ends, no pictures of that but it's as easy as anything.

Contemplating just grafting this in while I'm at it:


The issue is tackling panhard body-bracket, as the fuel tank is sitting just where that would go.

Meanwhile there are other things going on.

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I got this a while ago:




83 W-German, used as a field car in Poland before it got exported, then I took it over (minus interior) and got a free brand new windshield with it as well
Bad thing is rust (as always), and a lot of it, so more to come on that.

Speaking of which, having grown tired of welding rust and modifying the `40 wagon that's still hard to drift under any conditions (owing to the leaf rear springs), better to just keep modifying it until I can make something solid out of it.

Meanwhile my neighbor asked if I wanted to buy his car, I figured what the heck, solid winter beater and will be nice to go sideways without axle tramp shaking my gums out on washboard winter roads, picked it up on the day:

What's left of this TA60 looks like all sod, but it's actually pretty solid and has been owned and driven by truck drivers exclusively, so drivetrain is in excellent shape, I've never driven with a tighter T50 (and that includes rebuilt ones), and it's 4-link which makes it ridicilously easy to drift.
Just needs a quick do-over, LSD and steering lock mods to look and drift the way I want it to.

So far only modded one thing:
The China-spec rally lights were anything but satisfactory.
And seeing as I need to see where I'm going on winter mornings:

For comparison, here's the OEM wax candles:


ZAP


More to come.