rexhuntas BC6 '91 Liberty.

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rexhunta
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rexhuntas BC6 '91 Liberty.

Post by rexhunta »

Didn't know where to put this, so here we go.

Hi there, my name is Pete, I am from the SouthWest corner of Western Australia, and this is my 1991 BC6 Liberty I purchased from a 1 owner who had her licence taken off her.

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It started life as a stock as a rock FWD, 4 speed automatic EJ22. Even had the original 91 made spare tyre still sitting in the boot, with all the lines still on it ! It's a Bermuda blue, blue velour interior, blue trims.

It had the factory rust on the front wheel arches. I cut it all out, replaced the metal with all pieces from another car, rustproofed and reprimed all inside before I welded the new panels in.

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next up, I took the motor and gearbox out. I pulled all the covers off the motor, and done every seal I could think of. Rear and front crank, cams, covers, all the o rings etc. This is what the inside of the motor looked like. Replaced the bearings, timing belt, thermostat, all the little hoses I could get to as well, basically if it was rubber or bearing'd it got replaced.

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With a good look at the motors condition and happy that it looked pretty good, I started on with the 2nd most critical part of the build. Giving it 5psi via a TD04Hl. Stainless UEL headers, braided oil feed, modified some vacuum breather hoses from an EJ20T intake manifold and tapped the sump for the oil return.

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I made all the intercooler piping with 2.5" mild steel, and a 500x175x65mm intercooler, and made a new intake pipe with bungs for the 2 catch can setup.

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Next off, I put it in the back of the shed for awhile, to conjure up a plan to make it AWD, which would've been around November last year. At new years, a perfect donor car popped up. I was stoked.

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and the next day later.

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This car had everything but seats and motor in it, which was perfect for me. I gutted the car, took everything, pedalboxes the lot. And then it flew away.

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Again I put it on the backburner as I changed jobs, and then I started to hit the car hard. I pulled the trailing rear section out, fuel tank out, and then started to question myself to whether what will fit. After a play, the GD fuel tank and complete GD rear cradle was bolted into the car. This stage I got excited and started to order some other parts.

While the motor was out, I bolted up the 5 speed manual box to the EJ22, and started to have a gander at the wiring and seeing what was needed to remove. Printed out complete diagrams and spent a few nights researching to find out what needed to be bridged etc.

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Also pulled the auto pedals out, and crossed my fingers, the GD pedalbox and all the hydraulics bolted straight into the BC chassis. Was so happy.

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Next up, chased around on a few local Subaru groups, and found an RS liberty tailshaft. I had to swap the rear yoke over as the RS yoke is smaller then the GD yoke.

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Pulled the GD tank back out, put in a Walbro 255lph pump, replaced all the hoses on top. Tomei FPR in the engine bay, will upgrade the injectors later on when i put a new ECU in it. currently still looking at a Haltech, trying to make sure it'll be usable for the spare GD EJ205 I have sitting waiting to be rebuilt later on.

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I replaced all the brakes, lines, backing plates with the GD 2 pots front and rear, replaced the master cylinder and slave as well, then when eyeballing the driveline one day, I noticed the rear subframe was sitting out further then the front frame. The GD was 80mm wider then the BC6. I fitted the GD front aluminium lower control arms, GD swaybar links, GD front hubs, GD axles.

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Also fabbed up 3" downpipe, 3" exhaust to a single hooker muffler, wired in an AEM wideband.

So mods so far ( from top of my head )

GD 5 speed box
GD complete rear cradle
GD pedal box + all hydraulics for clutch and brakes.
GD Fuel tank and all accs.
GD F + R brakes and all lines.
GD Front axles, lower control arms, swaybar links, hubs.

TD04L from an 05 wrx.
FMIC and 2.5" piping
3" exhaust
Stainless UEL headers.

Walbro 255l/h pump
Tomei Rising rate FPR
Clutch Industries single mass clutch kit for a 2.5RS.

AEM wideband
Saas 52mm boost gauge.
Saas twin catch cans.

Momo Tuner wheel + boss kit ( stamped 3/94 ! )

GD WRX 17x7 wheels.
Last edited by rexhunta on Mon Dec 26, 2022 5:38 am, edited 2 times in total.
rexhunta
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Re: rexhuntas BC6 '91 Liberty.

Post by rexhunta »

Bodywork.

Next off I started the bodywork.

Stripped off all the paint with 80 grit on an orbital, then hand sanded to 240 grit. I went through, and filled all the big dents I could ( lets be honest, the 80 year old liked to bumper car park.)

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I then sprayed in high build primer, blocked the entire car in 400 as deep as I could, then bogged the remaining dents where I could see. While that was drying, I pulled the heatgun and removed the dents from the bumpers, then primed and blocked them up.

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After i blocked the car again, sanded it back to 400, and reprimed it, this time with slightly less thinners.

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This has now been rubbed back to 400 and will try and get it to 600 next week. After that it's a good clean and remake a new booth and ready for colour which will be the factory bermuda blue. I managed to get all the badges, trims and rubbers off without destroying, which I was really happy about. I did patch up the rear 1/4 panel liberty badges but left the rest.

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I have a set of GD 17x7 wrx wheels that have been grossly painted black, these will be rubbed back and repainted in the factory silver once I get the main car out of the way.

Also, the wiring I removed and added - I removed all the auto wiring, the auto TCU. I added in the neutral switch and reverse lights for the manual box into the ecu. I removed the electronic speedo switch from the bell housing, cleaned the threads up in the hole and the factory BC speedo drive bolted straight into the bell housing so all the speedo works good.

Plans later on will be coilovers, ecu'd and tuned until i blow the stock EJ22 up, then fit a proper 205 or 255 in with the haltech. Mainly using it as a stock looking oem sleeper, not much else, probably do some autocrossing in it and light trackwork.

Pete.
Legacy777
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Re: rexhuntas BC6 '91 Liberty.

Post by Legacy777 »

Welcome to the BBS Pete!

That's awesome work with the car!! Please keep us updated as you finish things off.

I am going to move your thread to the build forum as that's probably a better spot for it so you can continue adding to this great thread!
Josh

surrealmirage.com/subaru
1990 Legacy (AWD, 6MT, & EJ22T Swap)
2020 Outback Limted XT

If you need to get a hold of me please email me rather then pm
rexhunta
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Re: rexhuntas BC6 '91 Liberty.

Post by rexhunta »

Thank you.

Hopefully this shift break from work i'll get it rubbed back to 600. Been keeping an eye out for some random parts on sites, but hopefully a few of the bits and pieces I want will pop up.
cartwheels
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Re: rexhuntas BC6 '91 Liberty.

Post by cartwheels »

Can't wait to see more updates! Great build so far!
1994 Legacy TW
1993 Geo Tracker
1991 Legacy SS (finally got one!)
rexhunta
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Re: rexhuntas BC6 '91 Liberty.

Post by rexhunta »

Thanks.

Today started painting the base coat, just having lunch then i'll be onto clear coat. Hopefully that goes down as smooth as the base did. Here's hoping anyway.
rexhunta
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Re: rexhuntas BC6 '91 Liberty.

Post by rexhunta »

Small update.

Onto some slightly better BC news.

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and decided to paint the cooler black to hide it a bit more. Don't mind the dust and sticky residue on the bumpers, I haven't cleaned it properly yet.

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Car hasn't been buffed or anything yet, Painted last friday and got the front end on and that's about it. Hopefully Mond/Tues I'll get a few more trims and some of the interior back together. Roofliner goes into the upholsterer soon to be recovered, then I'll get the majority back in, whilst cleaning the suede trims and shit as I go.
cartwheels
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Re: rexhuntas BC6 '91 Liberty.

Post by cartwheels »

Looking good!
1994 Legacy TW
1993 Geo Tracker
1991 Legacy SS (finally got one!)
rexhunta
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Re: rexhuntas BC6 '91 Liberty.

Post by rexhunta »

Thanks.

Few weeks ago took the motor back out to fix up oil leaks, the cam cap on the back of the head started leaking like a sieve, so ran down to my local Subi dealer and grabbed another and smashed it in. While I had it out also took the sump off, and Tig'd around the oil return instead of the mig. Retapped the thread, put in a new brass fitting, replaced the hose, and now I have no oil leaks from under the car.

Also heat wrapped the downpipe, made some new brackets for the catch cans on the firewall wall, rewired the knock sensor and cleaned the living shit out of the engine bay as best as i could while it was empty and up on the hoist. Changed out the stock strut/springs for GC8 coilovers, dunno what brand just what i could find for now until i get BCs or Teins.

Today/yesterday got it all back in, all running, pretty sure i found the shitty ass exhaust leak that's been causing me grief for ages as well.

Also today started to get all the bugeye fuel covers and bolts in and got the folding fuel flap all back on. Finished a few small fb jobs under the back of the car for the carbon canister that goes with the bugeye tank as well.
rexhunta
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Re: rexhuntas BC6 '91 Liberty.

Post by rexhunta »

Hated the paintwork I did so sent it off to the painters.
 
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While it was at the painters, fumbled around with getting a proper tailshaft made. I had an RS tailshaft that I swapped the yoke on, but did not know that you can't swap stakeable Unis, bit of back and forth to local engineering shop, I grabbed a SF Forry tailshaft, and had it modified. They machined all 3 unis to accept external c clip types and extended the rear tube 60mm. 
 
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And now. Together. Had the number plates remade in classic Black on grey, instead of the black on yellow, these plates are the same that the car was originally licenced with.
 
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Roofliner all redone by local trimmers. 
 
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Pretty Much stock interior apart from wheel, AEM Wideband and a boost gauge. Stock deck all works, no need to change ! 
 
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Found some good nick tail lights so they went in. 
 
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And My first coffee and cars with a couple of mates in their euros, hhad a great time and got a heap of good comments and a lot of questions, and the usual " My Aunty had one of these " sorts of comments. 
 
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So quick Run down. 
 
Ej22E + TD04HL @ 5 psi. Walbro pump, Tomei RRFPR. Shitty stainless headers, 3" exhaust, Hooker Muffler and Resonator. 
 
GD Driveline, 5 speed manual, GD Cradles, GD Axles, GD fuel tank, modified SF Tailshaft, GD front control arms/hubs/swaybar, GC8 Coilovers, GD 17x7s, 215/45/17s.
 
90s momo wheel, aem wideband, boost gauge. 
 
repainted in Bermuda Blue. 
 
Current soonish future plans is injectors and a Haltech 750, get the tint stripped and redone, and get all the exterior trims rewrapped/painted/something. 
 
Enough. 
 
Legacy777
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Re: rexhuntas BC6 '91 Liberty.

Post by Legacy777 »

Nice update!

It's always nice to see work that's paying attention to the details :)
Josh

surrealmirage.com/subaru
1990 Legacy (AWD, 6MT, & EJ22T Swap)
2020 Outback Limted XT

If you need to get a hold of me please email me rather then pm
rexhunta
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Re: rexhuntas BC6 '91 Liberty.

Post by rexhunta »

Legacy777 wrote: Thu Feb 15, 2024 4:34 pm Nice update!

It's always nice to see work that's paying attention to the details :)
Thanks man.

Another small update.

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Elite 1500, Bosch DBW setup, Bosch 620ccs, Top feed conversion kit, Bosch water/3 bay map/air temp/knock sensors and all the matching connectors.

Give it a week or so and i'll start pulling all the loom out and get onto converting, pull the intake manifold and few other pieces and get down to it.

Pete.
scoobiedoo22
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Re: rexhuntas BC6 '91 Liberty.

Post by scoobiedoo22 »

Nice upgrades to a sweet build to far, Pete! Keep the board posted on your updates and bringing this old girl back to it's original glory and more.
1991 Legacy SS 5-Speed

1999 Impreza 2.5RS Coupe
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