The Foz

Discussion in 'Off-Topic' started by JaloP, May 4, 2020.

  1. JaloP
    Offline

    JaloP Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    209
    Trophy Points:
    128
    There's a little backstory behind this but we'll start here for now and see where it takes us.

    I've been looking into this clean looking Foz for a little while and am semi hesitant to pull the trigger. There are definite pros and cons that I've been trying to work out. Without getting into a big explanation, it would suit the family better (being auto, and various other reasons), so my wife's definitely on board. However it would take time I currently am short on at the moment.

    From a purely subjective point of view, what are some of your opinions/experiences with some of these projects. Yeah, it's very general but roll with it. ;)
     
  2. tangledupinblu
    Offline

    tangledupinblu Event Coordinator Staff Member

    Likes Received:
    8,819
    Trophy Points:
    573
    What are your plans for it? Run it until it dies? Motor swap? Pimp My Ride version?
     
  3. JaloP
    Offline

    JaloP Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    209
    Trophy Points:
    128
    Well, I have big plans, medium plans and little plans... Or ideas I guess. The OG idea is to 6 swap it and call it good. It's clean and with a freshish engine it could be a fun trusty car that will last quite some time.

    The bigger plan involves lifting it, wheels, tires, yadda, yadda... That comes with more complications in that my wife is all about "if it's running, why do you need to work on it?" Sorta deal. So that one is more of a dream that may work out someday.

    The smaller plans are to just put a known running 4 banger back into it. But that would be boring, not just the idea of it, but also boring to drive. :)

    My problem is that I have a one track mind. So I have the potential to get consumed especially with a car sitting in my garage staring me down. So I'll have to remember that I have a family and house projects and stuff like that. That's my concern that plays into my own personal decision though.

    I would just need the necessary H6 bits. Ideally I'd buy one off of my brother but getting it out here from Pennsylvania is the issue. We don't have plans to go out there this year and I don't think he's willing to drive it out himself. I could source a JDM one with lower miles and just try to find the harness, rad and whatnot.

    So I guess to answer your question @tangledupinblu, motor swap;)
     
    tangledupinblu likes this.
  4. tangledupinblu
    Offline

    tangledupinblu Event Coordinator Staff Member

    Likes Received:
    8,819
    Trophy Points:
    573
    Love it...long story short, MOAR POWAH!! Lullz
     
  5. JaloP
    Offline

    JaloP Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    209
    Trophy Points:
    128
    Uh yeah basically.
     
  6. JaloP
    Offline

    JaloP Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    209
    Trophy Points:
    128
  7. JaloP
    Offline

    JaloP Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    209
    Trophy Points:
    128
    Well, I lost my garage camera so I'll have to see if I can dig through my phone pictures in the meantime.

    I got the Forester as evidence from the above photo. I also managed to snatch up a fairly well maintained 3.0 Outback that @Chux was kind enough to point me towards. It has been a very slow process thus far, mostly because summer's get out of hand and work has been pretty draining, leaving zero motivation for this project.

    As it sits currently, the engine bay is pretty much empty (engine, rad, a/c condenser etc...) and the interior is gutted up until the back seats. I have pretty much all of the wiring expose I just have to pull the rest of the random bits behind the crash bar and then I can start pulling the harness.

    The outback is currently in the same shape I brought it back in. It's currently sitting in my father-in-law's shed in Hayward WI waiting for some attention.

    My goal is to pull motivation from some unfortunate passerby and get most of what I need from the Outback. We're going to hopefully be spending most weekends at my in-laws for bow season where I plan to work on the car during the day and hunt the evenings.

    I would like to have both harnesses out before it gets too cold so I have something to do this winter...

    Wish me luck?
     
    tangledupinblu likes this.
  8. tangledupinblu
    Offline

    tangledupinblu Event Coordinator Staff Member

    Likes Received:
    8,819
    Trophy Points:
    573
    Good luck!
     
    JaloP likes this.
  9. Nic Wiederhold
    Offline

    Nic Wiederhold Member

    Likes Received:
    79
    Trophy Points:
    28
    OMG how many times have I heard this... LOL. Although, I guess I sorta deserve it. I'm a bit of a serial offender with projects. Good luck to you. Looking forward to your pix!
     
    EricS and tangledupinblu like this.
  10. JaloP
    Offline

    JaloP Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    209
    Trophy Points:
    128
    Ha! Thanks. She's actually pretty on board with this right now which makes it fun. Making design suggestions and whatnot
     
    tangledupinblu likes this.
  11. JaloP
    Offline

    JaloP Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    209
    Trophy Points:
    128
    Screenshot_20201125-114401.png

    Outback is coming apart. Engine, trans and other misc are stripped out. Interior is all taken apart. Goal is to get the harness out within the next couple of days.

    Overall it's been a successful week
    Spending time at the in-laws is great, the kids stay occupied pretty well. (They basically turn into wild animals but at least they have fun)

    Screenshot_20201125-115131.png

    (Note: this is not the wild animal in reference, just part of the successful week)
     

    Attached Files:

  12. JaloP
    Offline

    JaloP Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    209
    Trophy Points:
    128
    Now I can rest easy knowing it's out of my father-in-law's way... It was pretty awesome of him to let me use his large heated shop :thumbup:

    Screenshot_20201127-192742.png Screenshot_20201127-192802.png

    Now I'm questioning what on earth I was thinking... Good grief. You fellas who do this sort of stuff over and over are insane.
    :blackeye:
     
  13. JaloP
    Offline

    JaloP Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    209
    Trophy Points:
    128
    IMG_20210403_224844066-01.jpeg


    Basically been sitting, taking up space in my garage all winter. Which turned out pretty well as our garage door failed to open the other day and if we were parked in there our vehicles would probably still be stuck... Time for a new garage and thanks to our government and lower interest rates, we'll be tearing it down and getting something bigger and nicer this summer!
     
    tangledupinblu likes this.
  14. JaloP
    Offline

    JaloP Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    209
    Trophy Points:
    128
    When I started this project we had two children so it was feasible. Currently we are at 4 (foster care, long story), a 3 week old, 1 year, 3 year and 5 year old. So now it'll take a miracle to get this done by myself. We've also finally got the new garage shell up so the finishing touches; electrical, sheeting, new deck, gutters and landscaping will take priority.
    :frantic::eek::dead:

    Screenshot_20210717-213747.png Screenshot_20210717-213917.png Screenshot_20210717-213944.png
     
  15. pillboy
    Offline

    pillboy Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    3,614
    Trophy Points:
    348
    You might just as well put that sucker up on blocks and turn it into a playhouse.
     
    EricS, JaloP and Krazylegz1485 like this.
  16. tangledupinblu
    Offline

    tangledupinblu Event Coordinator Staff Member

    Likes Received:
    8,819
    Trophy Points:
    573
    Man...very nice garage!:thumbup:
     
    JaloP likes this.
  17. JaloP
    Offline

    JaloP Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    209
    Trophy Points:
    128
    Haha! I like this idea
     
  18. JaloP
    Offline

    JaloP Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    209
    Trophy Points:
    128
    Through various circumstances, we took in another foster baby (yeah, we're up to 5 kids). Fortunately a foster placement/adoption qualifies me to take some paternity leave so my wife and I started discussing the Foz and decided that we were tired of seeing it just sit and take up space in the garage. We figured we could try and capitalizes on the opportunity and do some work on this pile of bones and came to the conclusion that a H6 swap, though still feasible, is no longer worth the amount of time it will take to finish up. The original idea here was to have form and function, now however, I'm just shooting for function; in an effort to get it out and moving, I found and purchased a JDM import EJ203.

    There was plenty enough to do while waiting for the engine to arrive; most of the wiring harness was removed so I laid all that back in, put the dash back together and started reassembling the interior. Got most of that done before the engine showed up, but once that thing came in I wanted to get it in the car and make sure it ran as quickly as I could. I knew I had some parts I'd have to swap from my old 215 but, since I wasn't planning on doing a swap like this it had been sitting outside for the better part of a year and a half. Luckily, I had removed the intake and kept that inside the whole time. The 215 block itself was pretty crusty but all I really needed was the flex plate, cam sprocket and crank sprocket and those weren't actually in too bad of shape. Well, I got all of that stuff swapped over and dropped the engine in the car. I was a little concerned if it would actually fire up or not considering the gas in the tank was probably 2 years old but after a few tries it fired up, ran rough for a bit and then stabilized itself right out. So far the only engine code I've had has been for the upstream O2 sensor (I figured I'd have some issues with the exhaust too because that had been sitting outside too).

    I've currently got a transmission fault for the ATF Temp Sensor. I've never messed with these transmissions so I'll have to do a little digging there. Maybe some critter chewed up some wiring underneath or it's possible that I wasn't careful at some point and smushed something with a jack under the trans pan. From what I can tell, you have to remove the trans pan to get at those sensors but what I don't know is if it's easy enough to just replace one at that point or if you have to removed most of the wiring in there. Again, never messed with these so I really haven't got much of an idea what I'm even talking about. I did figure that it's cold enough outside, and the trans fluid is fully serviced so it shouldn't hurt it to drive it around a little to make sure everything else works just fine.

    Screenshot 2022-12-07 075126.png

    I'll eventually want to bleed the entire brake system seeing as the fluid is extremely dirty, I'm pretty sure at least one, if not both, of the rear wheel bearings will need replaced and at some point I'll want to replace a good amount of the suspension items. My goal here is to be able to drive it wherever (cross country if need be) without any fear. Or at the very least, let my wife tool around town with it without having to worry about her.

    DSCN2254.JPG DSCN2246.JPG IMG_20221031_113523980.jpg IMG_20221031_115202795.jpg IMG_20221108_101313668.jpg IMG_20221108_101616744.jpg DSC_0001.JPG
     
    Last edited: Dec 7, 2022
  19. JaloP
    Offline

    JaloP Well-Known Member

    Likes Received:
    209
    Trophy Points:
    128