Did a little more weekend deathwheel work today - took about an hour to get some access panels cut into the bed floor so I can more easily add some gussets to the subframe while it's bolted to the assembly.
The idea here is that I'm going to use them both to reinforce the subframe and it will give me a locating feature when I go to tack this piece into the car so everything lines back up.
The idea here is that I'm going to use them both to reinforce the subframe and it will give me a locating feature when I go to tack this piece into the car so everything lines back up. I've still got to take things in and out a couple times before this becomes a more permanent part of the vehicle. I'll probably weld the panels back in once I'm satisfied with the subframe and suspension towers, as some of these welds I'm planning on leaving only semi-permanent till I've got all the clearances worked out with the coilovers, so I'll be leaving access until I'm sure I don't need it anymore.
This last photo looks real scary but in reality it's just me adding four tack welds to the gussets only on the subframe. I'll be removing it one last time to box everything in and hit it with a bit of weld-through primer.
Folks with a real professional background in automotive engineering would probably cringe at some parts of my approach, but I got everything measured up as even and straight as a mallet and tape measure would allow. I'm honestly pretty impressed with myself at how evenly I was able to get everything to line up with a couple symmetrical features I used as reference points (a couple bolt holes and a few key bends/seams. I find myself repeating the mantra "perfection is the enemy of progress" a lot on this build, and so far (knock on wood) it's working out pretty good.
Next up I have a fairly short punchlist to get this subframe on the car in a meaningful way, and then I'm planning on attacking the lateral links, trailing arms, and locating the strut towers. The more I think on it the more likely it is that I'll probably be scrapping more of the Impreza tower than I'd intended. The rust is pretty deep in the driver side tower and the more I stare at the mockup as it sits the more dislike the way it looks. One way or the other I'll figure out something good. Main goal is to have it back on its own four wheels (again) around the new year. We'll see if I make that goal or if I blow past it for some unforeseen reason.
Hopefully I'll have at least one more update before the New Year, but if you don't hear from me beforehand, have a good last few weeks of the year, everybody!
-M