Bilbo's Scrapeyard Spec Eunos

Well I just bought some yellow koni shocks with stock springs that I can take to brekkie on Sunday...

So I had a grinding noise that I worked out was coming from the left rear. Upon inspection I realised I had zero outer brake pad left, literally just metal on metal.

The disc was already ruined and I had to do a run to the New Forest yesterday to pick up some 4x114.3 adapter spacers (more on that later) so I just did a 200 mile round trip with it like that. When I got back to do the brakes they were looking just a little worse for wear:



Anyway, after stripping one of the wind back bolt things by trying to force it the wrong way (genius ), I managed to use the one from the other side to get the piston back. With help from a couple of mates, a hammer, and some levering, the very stuck slider pins were removed, cleaned up and regreased.

New discs and pads fitted, lovely:



Got quite frustrated doing this so only done the one side for now, the other side isn't seized and has plenty of pad left for now so it can wait a week. However I do need to adjust the handbrake as it doesn't really seem to do a lot now!

When I got home I opened the boot and my can of TyreWeld had done an epic explode in the boot:



Annoying, but hilarious at the same time. It was dripping out of the boot onto the road, so I guess there's either stock drain holes in the boot, or I've got a rust hole somewhere (another one).


So anyway, the adapter spacers. As I said before I've got some Volk mesh wheels. Old school JDM goodness. 15x7 and an offset of we have guessed 10ish. So with a 20mm adapter spacer it works out around the same as a 15x8 ET0, ish.

However upon test fitting the stud was contacting the back of the wheels slightly so some Halfords special 3mm slip-ons are also being used. Tyres were 185/60/15, possibly used on an AE86 in the past. Far too large for a 5 really, and were causing issues with the wings, and even bumper, on lock.





As you can see, tyres were very big, and old, and scrubbed up from someone using them for drifting (Kenda Radials, don't even think you can get those in the UK). So I got some Firestone Roadhawks in 195/50/15, and they fit much nicer:



They still need some work to get the clearance right, with coilovers and some more camber dialled in they will sit beautifully in the heavily flared arches. They look far more aggressive in person than the photos really show. Just need some 30mm spacers for the rear wheels now as it looks absolutely ridiculous with these on the front and the 14x6 ET35 or 40 Watanabe reps on the back.

They ideally need a refurb, so I might spray the centres in the original gold at some point and try to remove all the corrosion on the polished lips. Overall it's getting there, slowly!


We also did a scenic moment:

Cheers mate, it's coming along alright yeah! Just budget holding back getting it all done in one go to be honest, and the time needed for it.

Haha, a bit of fun, but suspension is so awful so can't give it too much yet as feels ropey!


Another update:


So the car needs a bit of work, but I was sick of looking at the rear wheels being so far in the arches, with the fronts now sitting nice and wide, especially as the rear overfenders are slightly wider than standard rear arches, it made it even worse. So I start looking at spacers for the Wat reps, but would need something like 45mm spacers to level them with the fronts, and these are rather expensive, and finding them used is quite difficult.

Then after a quick wanted post on FB someone offered me these:



A pair of Work Equip 03s, 14x7 ET12 with a set of 4 brand new 25mm 4x100 to 4x114.3 adapter spacers (including spigot rings). Perfect. Only in Southampton and for a good price. Again, much like the Volks, they need a refurb. But they're straight and hold air, so they're ideal for now.

I went and got them on Saturday morning. Then straight back to Brighton and had the basically new tyres off my Wat reps fitted:




Fitted:





Needs coilovers and an alignment now to drop it a bit and get just a bit more camber on them as the tread is just poking a little too much, but they don't rub so perfectly usable until that is sorted.

So this is just a midnight Photoshop with no mouse, just a laptop trackpad, and a less than ideal photo that isn't side-on, so a bit crude. This is more how I want it to sit, with the Volks painted to match the red Works:



Then I might re-paint the car cream white, I reckon it'd look amazing.

Yeah I think it would too!

Nah, can't get nice wheels like these and leave them looking crappy haha, so much potential with a bit of paint and some polishing.

I do want to tidy the car up, paint it all one colour, will transform it from ropey to decent straight away. Want my mate to do the sills first, no point spraying and then cutting it up haha.

Sik bruntou m8

2 months since my last update, so here goes:

The car was looking like this:



Bit goofy, nothing really tying in at this point. So we did the following:

Cut down rear studs, fitted 15mm adapter spacers on rear to tuck the Works in better under the overfenders. We then lowered the Direnzas down, with pretty damn good rear fitment now (3 credit cards sit tight between arch and tyre), and it doesn't rub! Fitted the GV2 front lip, and finally I think it started to come together:








Been chasing cooling issues since I had the car. The mk2 cable tied rad, coupled with a leaky water pump that got RadWelded, it was all just a bodge. Temp gauge was going mental constantly, to the point where I thought it was faulty. We changed the rad for a brand new mk1 rad, and gave the system a bit of a flush. This broke the RadWeld seal on the water pump and it was pouring out. I had completely had enough so a mate took me down to 5Parts, and I got everything. New thermostat housing (both parts) to replace the cracked one, new thermostat, cambelt, idler, tensioner, tensioner spring, gaskets, o-rings, cam locking tool. Got a genuine Mazda water pump off a mate unused for £25. We did the lot, but as the cam gears had to come off to get to the thermostat housing bolts on the block, we used the old adjustable and grips method on the cams. They slipped. The cams were out badly, intake sound was absolutely INSANE, but it had no power. So I spent a couple of hours sorting it all out a week or so later, all timed up and sorted. Good as new, full new cooling system basically, and it's absolutely spot on, like a new car. Worth the cost for sure!

Got a silver bonnet off James Cribb for £20. It's not perfect, but it isn't a terribly painted black bonnet, so I'm happy. No more Mr. Bean vibes now!




So anyway back to dumb mods. After we lowered it I caught the bodged exhaust on a raised drain while not paying attention and looking for a parking space. Ripped the flanges apart a bit, lost a bolt. Sounded like a tractor, but it was popping decent flames on the overrun so I left it for a while haha. Found a Malian for £60, and I already have a practically brand new Malian centre section, so I got it. I put the cat back in, and I'm glad I did as it is very bassy even with the cat.

I like the look:




Boy oh boy does it sit low though:




I'm going to raise it up soon with some jubilees on the hangers. It contacts the subframe as well. It's a crap design, but it was cheap. I'd have been very disappointed if I'd paid the new price for one to be honest. But it does the job and looks big and obnoxious so I can live with it!


Heard a new noise when driving along, thought ah it happens. It carried on. I became concerned. Rear bumper was only held on with 2 cable ties, my friend had just roughly put it on when he took the Duce kit off when he stripped the bits off. Well one of them gave up, luckily on a quiet road with no one behind me!



All sorted now!


I went to Fuel Coffee House with a few mates, and this has to be my favourite photo taken of my car so far (credit to Fuel for the photo!):




Finally, did this:



Look how fabulous it is!




So all in all it's still a piece of crap, but god I love it and it's really starting to get there looks wise now!

Cheers man. Some decent work mixed with some bodges, all good fun. 

Oh you're 100% right. Once the exhaust is raised it won't be so bad, but yeah right now it hits the ground everywhere. Even cambered roads. Friends who have followed me have said it sparks a fair bit as well haha. I'll raise the exhaust, but the car is staying at the height it is, its manageable and I don't mind hitting the floor occasionally.