The Beast I Drive Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 This is my most current project, my 1985 DL Turd wagon. Its been in the works for a while, but I never really got anything done until recently. It started as a fairly decent $100 car from Oregon: I pulled the motor and driveshaft, then sold it. A while later, I got it back in trade for lifting a rig. It came back to me with a D/R 5 speed in it. I then proceeded to tear out the original undercarriage: It sat like that for a while until I got a '76 Jimmy off a friend for cheap due to irrepairable rust and plenty of other problems. I am putting the 6 lug axles under the Turd, the wheels will stick out past the fenders but I like that, and it will add some stability to this tall beast. What I have so far: I had to do some serious beating here to make clearance for the T case with out cutting the floor: Im using this Nissan Transfer case: The subframe is now bolted into the car, next will come the suspension work: These came today For now the suspension is going to be Triangulated 4 link with stock springs and about 20" of lift. When I have more cash I plan on upgrading to some nice coilovers, but I need to move this car, I need to make a bunch of lift kits and I need the bay this car is in. I plan on running a carbed EJ motor in it and having some fun until I blow the tranny, then I think Ill try to adapt a Nissan 5 speed to it. I plan on running 33" tires, the axles have well worn 31"s on it now. Anyway just had to share -Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 what up with the 64/65 chevelle malibu i spy in pic 1? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beast I Drive Posted November 18, 2008 Author Share Posted November 18, 2008 what up with the 64/65 chevelle malibu i spy in pic 1? That is my dad's, he plans on fixin it up with a built 400 sbc and trickin it out muscle car style. -Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeamCF Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberoo Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Why that much lift for only 33" tires?You can fit 33" tires with only an 8" lift. Put some 40"s or 44"s.just have the axles regeared to 5.13:1 or something... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooinater Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 (edited) ...... i'll be gentle... you have an offset pumpkin up front, but are using an optionless non-offset t-case that's made for an ifs front end. you will have some really bad angles on those drivelines and are setting it up for parts failure. if you run 40" tires on some half ton chevy axles and get them bound up with a powerful engine... ping there goes the ujoint and it will take the shaft out. 20" of lift? are you stoned or do like to be top heavy? cheesy and pointless to use the subaru shocks and 4 link the axle........ just go pick up some $40 jeep or toyota coil springs and set it up for that. just as an fyi when you get your ticket for 20" of lift and a full width track..., for RCW 46.37.517, 46.40.010, 46.37.500, WAC 204-90-040 make sure you read and semi follow them, or just trailer it if you are actually going to take it anywhere. at least be close or make it look like you are making a real good effort. but it is slightly hard to hide the fact that the cars bumper is over 22"... otherwise, nice project. Edited November 21, 2008 by Rooinater Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beast I Drive Posted November 21, 2008 Author Share Posted November 21, 2008 I guess i forgot to mention that this was not really intended to be street legal, so bumper height and track width is irrelevant. I am totally up to speed on restrictions for road legal lifted rigs, Ive been through this with the DOT before on the Beast. As for 20" of lift, I needed to get the axles under the car by myself, i had no help, and they had tires on them. Just so happens I like the way it sits that high. Why only 33" tires? So the 2.2 can still run 'em reasonably. I wont have trim my fenders either, and I like the way it looks. As I said before, the stock Subaru suspension is TEMPORARY. I will upgrade to some nice coil overs when I can AFFORD them. For mud, this setup will be quite nice I believe, maybe slightly underpowered, but thats what forced induction was created for I went with the Nissan T case because i got it cheap, and I didnt want to use one of my NP205's, those things are waaaaaay to heavy. the pinion angle on the axles really isnt going to be all that bad, I took some measurements and stuff and it wont be that bad. Flexy rock crawling style off roading isnt something we have much of down here in the valley, we have sagebrush and mud. I plan on looking into lower gearing and lockers for the axles eventually, but that will prolly go hand in hand with the coilovers, so its all a money issue. Basically, what you see now I am building with what I had around or what I acquired for very little $$$. It will get better in the future, but i want to get it rolling now so I can get my shop space back to do some other stuff that really needs to get done. If the tractor hadnt died on us i prolly wouldnt have even started this project, I woulda just lifted it out of the shop and dumped it on one of my other wrecked parts cars. -Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooinater Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 not trying to get you to stop the build but hint ideas. trailers are always nice. actually within about an hour from you is naches, rim rock and the eastern side of manashtash. manashtash ridge has some of the best trails in washington, and the most extreme rock crawling in wa, other than the outlet mall trail at reiter. not to mention the few local rock crawling areas in richland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subarutex Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 OMG, you're not building it for crawling. Just stop now. Will be cool if you get it done properly... even if it is just for giggles and poo. PS, i like the color. When your done give it a good polish. That gold flake will get the honeys to... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatswhatshesaid Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Nah...body damage gets the honeys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beast I Drive Posted November 21, 2008 Author Share Posted November 21, 2008 Lol I plan to leave it brown, thats where I derived its name from Im sure it will get plenty of damage, who knows, I might manage to roll this one too :-\... Or maybe Ill just stay away from that particular crossing, it might be a little harder to get htis on back on its feet if it goes tits up Ive been up to Manastash ridge, actually had some fun up there in a stock 85 toyota pick up too :cool: I just rarely get the chance to go places like that due to cash, so I stick to the lower valley mostly, that and my Friend's uncle owns a ranch that covers a large section of hills that used to be the Yakima Firing Range... so theres a little room for me to play thats close to home, but nothing extreme. And I can backroad this thing to that ranch, saving fuel on a tow rig. Interesting, the front axle is about 2 inches too wide to fit on my trailer with 10" wide tires :-\ We had to push the jimmy on with another truck and wedge it between the side rails, and then i had to tie the truck to a poll and pull the trailer out from under it with the Ram to get it off , so Im gonna have to build some sort of ramp setup that will place the wheels above the fenders of the trailer, but thats no big deal. -Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbrat Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 so Im gonna have to build some sort of ramp setup that will place the wheels above the fenders of the trailer, but thats no big deal. -Bill I've seen guys with 8x8 or 6x6 (whatever it takes to match the fender height)chunks of lumber angled and laid down next to the fenders. then they drive up and over the fender on the blocks, then back down once past the fenders.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beast I Drive Posted November 21, 2008 Author Share Posted November 21, 2008 I've seen guys with 8x8 or 6x6 (whatever it takes to match the fender height)chunks of lumber angled and laid down next to the fenders. then they drive up and over the fender on the blocks, then back down once past the fenders.... Our trailer has rails on each side leading up to the fender and back down to the tonge, so Im just gonna make something that clamps to those and screws or bolts to the wood deck in the middle. -Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beast I Drive Posted November 23, 2008 Author Share Posted November 23, 2008 Got the front springs mounted to the axle today, I shouldve gotten a LOT more done than I did :-\ I havent quite decided what to do for the rear end, but it looks like Ill be making a mini sub frame to lower the rear struts. Then I need to make the radius rods and links, and I think for the sake of get it done now Im just gonna do a 3 link front steup. This should also give better flex and clear the driveline with no problems and still be stable. The rear will still be 4 link as planned. Then I can roll that monster out and get my Hatch in there and start making my lifts. -Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beast I Drive Posted December 2, 2008 Author Share Posted December 2, 2008 It is out of the shop, the suspension is pretty much done, just a few things i need to reinforce and one thing I want to change before it becomes drivable, but that will be a long ways in the future anyhow. Its out of my way so i can get some other projects done and give me time to collect some parts for it. Now that its out of the way for now, I have been able to get workin on my hatchback. here is a teaser, a taste of things to come... -Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bratman18 Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Love the wheeler tires! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudddn Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Wow, that's probably one of the more ridiculous subarus I've seen. Props Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigo1966 Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Cool, and i thought i had a ton of free time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beast I Drive Posted December 2, 2008 Author Share Posted December 2, 2008 I do plan on sourcing some long travel coilovers in the future, front and rear, as the stock suspension isnt great for flex. However, flex isnt my main game with this rig, its gonna be more of a mudpit monster than a flexy trail rider. I wish i had more free time, these late nights are killin me! -Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phizinza Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Looks like a fun.. Everyone is stuck up on things being 100% practicable. If you got the time to spend building for fun, go for it I say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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