Vanilla Fitment - '95 FTO

[bjk]

Nothing simple with cars! Got it back with a temporary solution on gearbox for moment, but leaking a bit of coolant from top rad' pipe so have to take it a bit easy. Starter motor in silver car died on same day mechanic was finishing up with white one. He put starter from his car into silver one since his car is off the road, only for the starter motor in the white car to die this morning. At least one is running! Ordered two more starters off ebay this afternoon and will sort that out once mechanic is back from holiday.

Otherwise, new LSD is super smooth, as unobtrusive as the open diff in my old car. Haven't had a chance to flog it properly but initial impressions are good.

[bjk]

Nearly there! Just waiting on one darn gearbox seal so the fluids can be refilled.

[bjk]

Box is back together! Culprit: crown wheel. Was seemingly a Cusco one, which is fractionally taller than stock. Mechanic swapped them around, tried it again; everything spins, gears select, all is right in the world lol. Car goes all back together over the next few days.

Next contemplating a few suspension/brake upgrades, just have to decide if I want to shell out the coin. Evo V LCAs, hubs and thus rotors and calipers are a direct bolt up for us, which would be a nice change to the chopped hubs and custom brackets. Can also pick up rear calipers and rotors cheaply enough with it all together. Still around $1500 all up excluding what it takes to ship it here, but will make some back from the STi Brembos with any luck, hopefully lower total south of a grand. Still gotta pay my mechanic and whatever the shop charged.

[bjk]

Stumped even the specialist. Possibly a problem with the diff. Cocks to the side when it's assembled so the gearset presses against the bell-housing and so it won't spin. (much as I can understand)

Mechanic has another gearbox coming, and will take that one apart and confirm whether it's doing the same thing or not. Standard diff going in the car for the meantime so it can go back on the road.

The trials of car modding lol

[bjk]

(mechanical things I don't understand)
Gearbox spinning, and then not spinning when mated. Mate is taking it to a specialist, fingers crossed it's simple!

[bjk]

I know that feeling lol

Could stand to get it machine buffed/polished, but would rather spend the money on something else lol.

[drift55]

I know that feeling lol

[bjk]

Looks awesome!

Cheers. Paint looks better the further away you are lol

[drift55]

Looks awesome!

[bjk]

Had some general maintenance done. Keeping an eye on leaks. Found out engine mounts are stuffed, haha. Diff swap slowly approaches.

Went out with a mate so he could test a new lens, below is just one of mine.

[bjk]

Nothing much exciting. Gave it a quick wash and took it out for some pics. Have a shoot this weekend with a local photographer that I won through a random draw on their facebook page, so that's pretty nifty! Been a bit lax on the LSD side, but hopefully under-way soon.













Meanwhile, white is a really difficult thing to photograph in full sun with a cheap compact lol. With the silver car when editing shots I was always bumping the midtones up, but now I even lower them sometimes.

[Dome]

You have stumbled upon my dilemma! Theoretically I could have swapped everything good on the white one into the silver car, but the effort (mostly for my mechanic lol) was prohibitive.

The white one may yet go silver again, or a light gunmetal sort of shade.

It's a very adaptive colour!

Nice to hear that man

[bjk]

Have to say that I liked your silver FTO more than the white one from the optical aspect because of the colour. The silver suits the car just perfect, especially on that night shots

But lets wait till the white one is done, maybe it will change my mind

You have stumbled upon my dilemma! Theoretically I could have swapped everything good on the white one into the silver car, but the effort (mostly for my mechanic lol) was prohibitive.

The white one may yet go silver again, or a light gunmetal sort of shade.

It's a very adaptive colour!

[Dome]

Have to say that I liked your silver FTO more than the white one from the optical aspect because of the colour. The silver suits the car just perfect, especially on that night shots

But lets wait till the white one is done, maybe it will change my mind

[bjk]

It's heeeeeeeeere! And as heavy as I was expecting.
Just gotta get clutch and bearings/possible synchros now. Uprated brake gear will be done at same time, getting keen!