Introduction:
So after joining the forum yesterday and receiving a warm welcome, I've decided to make a build thread that will, like everyone else's, follow the progress of my Liberty. I'll start with some base information and then go into detail as the post goes on.
Basic specifications:
Engine: EJ251 (2.5 Boxer-4 non-turbo)
Transmission: 5-Speed Manual
Year and Trim: MY2002, RX
Horsepower/Kilowatts: 154HP/115kW@5600rpm (Stock, car is modified)
Torque: 223Nm/164Ib-ft@3600rpm (Stock, car is modified)
Drive-type: AWD
Price (When new): $38,785 AUD
Price (Now): $4,600 AUD
Colour: 01G Premium Silver Metallic (Silver)
Background information:
So I bought this car back in June 2015 as my first car for around $4,600 AUD. The car was listed under a dealer, however this didn’t phase me as it has taken quite some time to find the right car that I liked. I actually got the car for a little cheaper than the price originally advertised also, so that was an added extra. Another interesting factor is that this car was listed as a “GX” model. However, after working on the engine some time after purchase, I realized it was actually an “RX” model, therefore being worth a little more. The car has an EJ251 in it, however it doesn’t have a turbo, so sad. Rules and regulations here in Australia prevent me from driving certain turbo cars until I am fully licensed, not just probationary.
What I have done since purchase back in 2015:
I have been documenting all the things that I have done with the car since I bought it back in June of 2015, including taking photos each time to show the progress. Here is what I've been up to.
Update #1 - Re-painting the calipers and under-guards.
When I bought the car, it came with horrifically ugly red calipers. So the day I rolled it into the driveway, I got out the sand paper and rattle-cans, and began the respray.
I also decided to fix up the flaky/peeling guards with some bumper black.
I also decided to fix the center caps in which my dad sandblasted at work to get the previous plasti-dip crap off.
I was extremely happy with how this quick-fix turned out. Also, I know the before/after pictures of the guards show two different ends of the car but you get the idea haha.
Update #2 - Fixing a major oil leak.
I'm sure we've all experienced this here. I'm talking about the classic Subaru head-gasket failure. When I bought the car, this issue was never something I knew about, however after discovering a puddle under my car, a few months later, I quickly learnt. Now I could have taken it to a mechanic and pay him some amount of money to repair it for me, but that's not why I bough this car. I bought it not only as my first car, but also as something I could learn with. So dad decided to help me fix the issue, sourcing parts and then fitting them.
As we pulled everything off, we made sure to label each wire/hose with some tape so it was easy to put back on later.
We actually gutted the engine right down to the block and took the opportunity to clean everything. This included the piston heads also.
Once everything was clean, we started to put everything back together. I decided to simply replace all the gaskets instead of just the heads, so I bought ones for the exhaust manifold as well.
Also, we bought a new timing kit because the old one was kaput. I'm not sure what else we did but this was the base of it, after all, this was almost a year ago. If your wondering what new gaskets I used, I can't remember. I could try to find the packaging as I think I still have it, but rest assure, they are good quality ones... I did my research.
Update #3 - Replacing the radiator.
Just a week after doing all the engine work, my radiator began to leak. So I sourced a brand new one and began replacing that. I didn't get any photos of the actual installation, however I took the chance while it was out to clean the bottom plates as they were COVERED in crap.
I had plenty of left-over caliper paint so I decided to spray the brackets.
Once put back, it looked so much better. A shame really as it was only ever going to be covered up.
It's amazing to see some of the grime and dirt that a 14 year-old car can have just sitting there. Was a very satisfying experience being able to remove it all.
Update #4 - Fixing the floppy wipers.
So this is the most recent update, as it was only a few weeks back now that I did this. After driving down the freeway at 80 in the wet, the wipers started flying off the sides of the pillars! Once I was stopped, I realised it was because they were VERY loose. I tired tightening the bolts, but this didn't work. So I began pulling the trim off and checking the motor and so on.
Turns out, the bushings were completely ruined. Years of service on this Suby just destroyed them. I called Subaru and asked how much a replacement would be, and of course they tried to make me buy the whole linkage assembly for $170. So I went down to Jolly's (a local wreckers), and found another sad Liberty and took them for $20, assembly and all.
As I took out the old one and switched over the motor, I again, took the opportunity to clean the 14 years=worth of grime that was lying under the trim and panels.
I only cleaned the panels and briefly went over the new linkage arms and so on as I didn't want to pull it all apart and risk ruining the bushings. Plus, time was limited in this case.
Here's a gif of them all tightened up, because why not aye?
Other small updates in between:
So in between all these bigger updates, I fixed various other small parts such as the battery holder, tray and battery itself.
I also fixed some intake piping that was botched together.
Conclusion:
My plans:
So all caught up now. My updates from here on will be in the form of reply posts further down the thread so make sure to look out for them. I simply want the car to look good, feel good and sound good. To do this, I plan to fix most of the bodywork as there are plenty of dents, door dings and various scuffs, as well as some faded paint. I also need to do some mechanical work that I will talk about in an update post here in this thread.
Thank you for stopping by and I look forward to sharing more progress as the days and months roll on.
- Kyle
