Merlin's 1993 BA8 Si - Because Race Car

[JEBB4]

Congratulations on the new car looks like a good base to start with

[Merlin]

p.s you didnt mention the hornets/wasp nest you found stuck down the side of the battery

Yes! So far the only crazy Japanese stuff in the car.

[wurlycorner]

All dead, I hope!

[Drax]

jesus BURN IT!!

[Merlin]

Took some time at the weekend to get the car ready for it's MOT this week. Vanzep and 3rdGenSteve were round to give a hand. The car needed three things:

New wiper blades as the old ones were perished. I took the opportunity to remove the rear wiper complete and change the front wiper arms to nice ones off the BB4. Since the arms were off, I also swapped the nice black scuttle panel cowl while we were there.







The steering wheel is a likely MOT fail, the outer rubber has become unattached to the metal inner wheel. Vanzep says he has a spare one. So far I have half fitted a rear fog light, but I'll finish that for the MOT.

Just in case I took all the brake calipers off to cleck for any sticking sliders, but all was good and moving very freely, something that surprised me since the car has been sitting for so long. It was 3.5 months on the boat from Japan alone. But since I had the wheels off, I got a chance to look at inside the wheel wells. All looking very clean.



Once the car has its MOT and the paperwork is off to the DVLA the teardown can begin, although I think we are going to attack the BB4 first.

[wurlycorner]

I can't believe how mint that rear suspension is!

[Andyjess666]

I love the way all you guys muck in an help one another out shame I don't live up there it'll save me a good chunk of money on garages down here

[Merlin]

I love the way all you guys muck in an help one another

Yeah it is good to have some Prelude mates, I have lost count of the number of times Vanzep and I have raided each others parts pile.

The car passed its MOT.... just. The only advisory was that the rear brakes only just passed, TBH I kind of expected this as they did look crap, but I'm removing the lot anyway and didn't want to have to change brakes now. I wired up a very janky fog light switch that was left flapping around in the passenger footwell, but again, I am fitting a motorsport rain light so that will replace the rear fog light in time. The kicker was that on the way to the MOT station, the car's CAT temp warning light and battery light came on, the alternator must be failing, but the MOT dude didn't care about it.

I have found a wee spot of rust under the boot seal, nothing bad. But talking about rust, you can see why I had to replace the BB4, this is just the part of the sills that can be seen. The sills, arches and boot floor are swiss cheese.






A couple of bonus pics of our JDM Toyota Hiace. It was imported in 2019 and is the 2.4 diesel from the Hilux. It is silver but has a matt black wrap.

[toadster]

Lo
I love the BUS
Looks really
Cheers
Toadster

[Merlin]

While earthing my janky fog light in the passenger footwell, I noticed this bronze box, what is it? I assume it's something to do with the automatic gearbox