Hey, not to derail but since I know this is where the cool kids hang I need some advice. What do you think the value of my 13b NA keg is? I know I'm never gonna use it and I need to try and sell it. It was rebuilt before I got the car but has been sitting for damn near two years now.

Thanks guys and keep posting the cool **** you're doing. Maybe when I get this line of cars done I can start back on mine.

 

I asked the same question here once (and also in a local owner's group) and didn't get much feedback. I think they're really hard to price now since they aren't common anymore. I haven't seen a running engine for sale in awhile.

Last I tried to buy an NA engine the only one I could find was $1000 for the long block. It was allegedly running but pulled from a 10 AE car (yeah, someone NA swapped a 10 AE). I didn't end up buying it. I was later able to get a good shortblock for $500 which I'm currently running in my car right now.

It's unclear what the actual market price is (since people can ask whatever they want for something, but asking price isn't necessarily indicative of sale price). People also sometimes list parts at absurdly high prices because they don't really want to sell but would if they got a lot of money. Is the part that valuable? Not really. But someone might pay it so they list it anyways. This is a roundabout way of saying that I don't think there's an easy answer to that question.

I will say that I originally intended to resell my NA engine after I swap it but watching the availability of parts dry up over the past few years has convinced me otherwise.

 

Rgr rgr. I don't ever plan to have a rotary in mine so it's gotta go. I have paperwork from where it was rebuilt right before I bought it. Problem is that it's been sitting on a dolly for two years 😅
I'm going to pick up the k24 for mine Sunday. Have a friend moving and he's giving it to me.

 

A K24 sounds like a ton of fun in an FC.

I was seriously ready to swap one into an Rx8 to use as a daily, but unfortunately my regular carrier wouldn't insure me for it (they don't do modified cars) and Hagerty (who insures my Rx7) requires me to keep a separate daily with another carrier.

I might be able to find another carrier who would cover it but I haven't had the time to call around. Or I just daily a stock Rx8, but even with a 2 minute commute to work 17MPG on premium is not ideal.

 

So here, anything over 25 years old is no emissions and you can pretty much do whatever you want. There are no inspections.
I just got the Baja I built tuned and on the road and that one has to have emissions. It got a catted downpipe and it should be fine.

I just realized the amount of crap I bought that was rotary specific lol. RB headers, mid pipe sheesh. Gonna be fun selling it all.

 

Well they did away with emissions testing a few years ago (my Rx7 was exempt when I bought it due to age, but they removed the testing entirely).

Technically it's still illegal to remove emissions devices but it has barely ever been enforced here anyways. Plus I usually keep all mine, so if I K-swapped an Rx8 I would still keep a catalyst.

Insurance is really the only sticking point.

 

Definitely going to run a cat, I'm too old for dumb **** anymore. I ran test pipes on my NSX and holy hell the noises it made.

 

I just can't leave well-enough alone!

My car runs very well with the Z32 MAF, but I felt like there was some area for improvement. I noticed that the signal would bounce around a lot (a lot only being 0.05 or 0.1 V, but that is significant in MAF terms). This wasn't much of an issue except that I had to turn up the MAF Averaging setting to smooth it out a bit, and this setting dampens response time which means you need more acceleration enrichment correction. I also think that the Z32 design suffers a bit from reversion because the wire is sitting in the open. So air can bounce back and swirl in the pipe and the Z32 design might be more susceptible to noise. Lastly, there was some noise in the system even with the car off which leads me to believe the sensor itself is a bit finicky.

I decided to give the R35 MAF a try. It seems like there are plenty of variations on this sensor design (the slot style) and also lots of people using them in standalone applications. The sensor is designed to minimize reversion and also includes an integrated IAT sensor. I thought that it would be easy to find data for this sensor as well, although I failed to account for the fact that the different variety of slot style sensors makes it difficult to find the correct voltage curve, and also that Hitachi doesn't actually make the datasheet available for this sensor. But those are solvable issues.

I picked up a sensor (Hitachi MAF0031) and wired it up to test:



0.34V at zero airflow. Blowing on the sensor changed the reading which confirmed I had the wiring correct.

I found a helpful document that showed the pinout, but the IAT sensor had some confusing nomenclature. I expected it to be a simple thermistor,but the phrasing in the document called one pin "IAT Signal" and the other "IAT Ground". This had me wondering if it was a 0-5V sensor powered from the same 12V supply as the MAF sensor, but it turns out that the document was just awkwardly phrased. It is, in fact, a plain old thermistor:



Before the sensor arrived I had actually started designing the housing. I needed a mounting boss for the sensor and didn't find a free 3D design for the boss on it's own. Either it was a paid design or it was already part of a tube. So I found this diagram and made my own.

Step one was to import the diagram into Fusion 360 as a canvas:



There's a very convenient function in Fusion that lets you pick two points and provide the distance between them, then the software will automatically scale for you. In this case I used the two bolt holes.

Then I spent a few minutes drawing all of the lines:



And a few more extruding:



Done. I'm glad I started learning Fusion; Blender would have taken ages to achieve the same result. Not that Blender is bad, but it isn't really designed for CAD. I fell into the trap of becoming comfortable with the software I knew rather than trying to learn something more appropriate for the job. Using Blender for CAD is like deciding to cut down a tree with a hand-saw when a chainsaw is available that will do the job in 1/10 the time (Fusion).

I imported an existing adapter tube from Thingiverse. I've used this tube in the past when I was running a speed-density tune, and it works really well (as long as it's printed in something like polycarbonate that can withstand the heat). The only tricky thing is that since it's an STL mesh and not a solid, it's not as easy to modify in Fusion.

I located the sensor boss as far back in the tube as possible, and made an educated guess with a set of calipers to try and locate the opening for the hot-wire right in the center of the tube:



Then used Fusion's excellent "To Surface" setting in the Extrude tool:



Lastly, Extrude-Cut the opening for the slot:



I printed one with my remaining PC filament, but unfortunately ran out just before the end of the print. It was certainly good enough for testing though:





The fit on the sensor is about 90% of the way there. I moved the sealing surface on the inside of the boss up 0.5mm, and the flats the screws tighten up against also up 0.5mm.





I did a pretty good job centering the hot-wire too. I later revised the design and moved it down a few more millimeters.

To be continued

 

While waiting for another role of PC filament I decided to test out the sensor using the first tube I printed. I took out the airbox (a literal 2 minute job, I love working on FCs) and realized I had completely forgotten to account for clearance when designing the tube:



It's a really, really tight fit due to the shape of the airbox:



But happily my new design still fits:





The next one (printing as I type this) moves the sensor down about 5mm, so clearance is even better. Changing the sensor will still be an airbox-out job, but like I said before that isn't exactly an arduous task.

Lastly, I wired up the sensor by just connecting the exposed pigtail wires to the Z32 connector I added to the harness last time:



That's obviously for testing purposes only, and to shake out any possible issues without making a permanent change to the harness. The IAT wires are just extended over to the stock connector on the dynamic chamber.

I couldn't find the calibration for the thermistor, so I took a resistance reading at room temperature and compared it to a plain old mercury thermometer. Then I did the same comparison at 45C with a heater, and also at -20C in the freezer. This lets me input the three points into the MS3X and it will generate a curve. I kind of don't like how this feature is implemented (it would be nice to see the curve) but it does work.

I also couldn't find a flow-curve for the stock sensor. There are plenty out there for the PMAS HPX sensors but I couldn't find a stock R35 curve. I decided to just fire up the car, and I was able to get a (crappy) idle by multiplying my prior curve by 1.5 or so. I found that the reading wanted to jump around a lot (more so than the Z32 sensor even) but that can also happen when the engine is running poorly and vacuum is inconsistent so I don't know whether it's a problem yet.

I was also operating under the assumption that the two curves had a similar slope. Simply multiplying the curve by some number (in my case 1.5) assumes that both curves are increasing at the same rate as the line moves rightward. Meanwhile if the Z32 flow increased by 15g/sec from 1V to 2V and 100g/sec from 2V to 3V (arbitrary numbers I chose), there's nothing to say the R35 MAF couldn't increase 15g/sec from 1V to 2V and 45g/sec from 2V to 3V. I'm probably not explaining that well, but that's the best I can do.

With my current flow-curve obviously insufficient, I played with the PMAS HPX transfer function generator to try and get a better curve. The generator tool is an Excel spreadsheet that allows you to input the diameter of the pipe and then returns a flow-curve. This is what it gave me:



I'm not using all of the resolution the MS3X gives me, since I haven't rescaled the curve. But assuming it's in the ballpark this should be good enough for testing until I rescale and actually spend time tuning it. I should have the new tube printed by sometime tomorrow, so if all goes well I can take it for a drive and see what happens.

Until next time

 

Well, I guess I won't be testing the new tube today:





Oh well. Such is the life with cheap 3D printers.

 

Duuude that sucks. I know it's easier said but time to get a Bambu. I spent so much time tinkering with my ender and it was always a crap shoot. I got an x1 and now I don't even look after hitting send. It goes from a hobby to a straight up tool.

I'm also super jealous of your CAD and software skills. You're one talented S.O.B. I have a friend who is in medical device design, I bet you'd do well in that area.

 

in the PFC world, now, the FC Tweak stuff looks at the voltage the ECU sees, and then also the WB sensor ground, and its picky.
but if you're only using AFR to tune, any noise in the system, throws off the signal, sometimes quite a bit.

i hear you on the software too, i took a class in solidworks a long time ago, and i guess its time to just play with fusion 360, seems to be way better

 

I'm actually in a position to afford a Bambu now (my contract has turned into a full-time position) but money spent on that is money not spent on the turbo swap. So if I can get the Ender to suffice for a few more small projects I will probably just try and coast by with that for now. It looks like I can just replace my old hot-end for $40 and possibly build a simple enclosure out of something non-flammable to get printing again.

That being said, the Bambu (particularly one with the multi-filament system) is very appealing. Not only for the reliability but for being able to print using water-soluble support material so that I can just wash the support off my prints.

Yeah, it's occurred to me that some of the sensor noise might even just be from the environment too. The sensor wire is unshielded and you've got noise from the alternator, the ignition coils, etc. One thing on my to-do list is to construct a new harness and be really diligent about the wiring. The harness and ignition coils are probably some of the only original parts on my car, so that means almost 400k km and 39 years of heat. I've gone through it and there are no more apparent issues (although the harness isn't very neat from the various extra wires) but it would be good to build a fresh one. Even if just for the peace-of-mind that I've eliminated one more weak spot.

 

I was able to fix the 3D printer for about $40, but I ended up returning the MAF I bought. One thing I noticed was that when idling the signal would jump around (a lot, much more than the Z32 sensor). I also noticed that there were no part numbers on the supposedly "new OEM" Hitachi sensor, and some scratches from it being installed previously. I assume the Amazon seller was selling used aftermarket parts instead of OEM, and I didn't really feel like investing the time to tune a sensor of unknown quality and origin. I will pick that project up again sometime with a proper OEM MAF.

I ended up spending a bit of time and money on something entirely unrelated - the steering wheel. But first here's a refresher on my adventures with the prior steering wheel (feel free to skip to the photos if you aren't interested).

When I bought the car it had the stock 380mm wheel. This is a slightly larger size than normal, and like most people I kind of wanted a 350mm wheel but didn't really feel like buying one since the stock wheel worked fine. I did however have one strange issue which is that the horn would go off randomly. I had already resoldered the body CPU more than once and failed to resolve this issue, and I noticed that it would only happen when turning the wheel (and only sometimes).

This came to a head when the horn started blaring in a Tim Horton's parking lot and wouldn't go off (terrifying some poor old man trying to park his car nearby). I just ended up lifting the hood and pulling the negative cable off the battery with my hands (yes, I've replaced the terminal since then) and then reaching my hands through the grill and unplugging the horns.

Driving around without a horn isn't safe, so I ended up buying a "genuine" Momo wheel on eBay and an NRG short hub. Then when they arrived I realized that the wheel hit the turn-signal paddle and I needed a spacer to push it away from the dash. The spacer I picked was a shiny one that I kind of liked at the time but would later be a bit too "busy" for my taste.

Oh, and the problem with the original wheel? Well there was no obvious issue that would cause the horn to go off, but eventually I shook the wheel in just the right way and a tiny little screw fell out. It wasn't an OEM screw and I have no idea how it found it's way into my steering wheel. I assume that every so often it would land in just the right place and bridge the contacts for the horn button before falling back out again.

The new wheel worked fine for a few years, but I carelessly bent it last year (or the year before? I don't know anymore). A shop that had done an alignment for me a few years back cranked the NRG hub down on the column so hard that it started to damage the splines on the hub, and bottomed out the hub slipring against the sprung contact for the horn (if that doesn't make sense there will be photos shortly). I was able to later pull the hub off the column directly, but not before putting a small (but noticeable) bend into the wheel itself.

I could live with a bent wheel (I have better ways to spend my money) but then a few weeks ago someone cut me off, and when I pressed on the horn button it just blew apart in my hand. Gee, I sure showed that guy! Turns out the plastic in the horn button was very brittle after almost a decade and it finally gave out. So now I was in the position of needing to replace the button, as well as wanting a non-bent steering wheel and a less eye-catching spacer.

I grabbed another "genuine" Momo wheel off eBay, and supplemented it with a "genuine" Momo quick-release. It does the same job as the spacer, except all black and with the added safety benefit of being able to remove the steering wheel quickly in an accident. It's fairly unlikely I'd survive an accident since most of the cars on the road nowadays are trucks with a hood-line higher than my head or 5000lbs SUVs that could drive up my car like a ramp, but every little bit helps.

Here's the old wheel:



It actually felt really nice to drive with. The bulges at 10 and 2 made it really easy to grip. However, the whole wheel doesn't really "fit" the aesthetic of the car in my opinion. It's not terrible, just a little bit out of place.

Speaking of out of place, here's the spacer:



Too shiny. And speaking of out of place (again), here's the issue I mentioned with the horn slipring:



The hub isn't supposed to sit down that far on the column. Instead of the horn contact being held against the slipring by spring tension, it's compressed against the slipring. I had fixed this issue in the past, but due to some damage to the splines it doesn't require that much torque to compress it down this far. A new hub is probably a good idea, but I'll get to that later.

Looking at the hub, I also had to address a design flaw. The slipring and the plastic ring it fits onto can move a little bit independently of the hub itself. This causes the wire for the horn to bend a bit and then eventually it breaks. This is of course aggravated by the extra friction on the slipring from the over-compressed horn contact, which means when I turn the hub the slipring really does not want to turn with it (placing tension on the wire):



So I designed a little tube to take up the slack:



Resoldered a new wire (had to center the wire in the middle of the solder joint or the tube won't sit flat):



Dropped the tube in:



Put the whole assembly on the back of the hub:



And there we go. I put a dab of hot-glue on either side just for some strain-relief and to prevent any rattling.

With that done, I had to install the quick-release. It's a bolt-on install, but the height of the Rx7 column nut will compress the wires for the horn when installed and could wear through the insulation. So I had to use a file to grind a little channel for the wires to go into:



I also reattached the ground wire using that little threaded hole, but forgot to photograph it.

Then the wheel bolts onto the front part of the quick-release, and it clicks into place:



All black, and complete with speed-holes!

Clearance for the horn button is very tight, so I made some custom wires:



This still barely clears, but with the spring for the horn button installed (not in the photograph above) it fits securely.

To be continued

 

Overall it works pretty well. I was able to carefully find a sweet-spot between installing the hub securely but not bottoming out the horn contact, so I can get away with using this hub. I used blue Loctite to be safe and have been checking every couple of days, no sign of the nut loosening yet.

Despite it looking a little bit cheap, I really like the pleather on this wheel. It's grippy enough that it doesn't slide around, but smooth enough that loosening my grip when exiting a corner lets the wheel return naturally. Speaking of which, the poor returnability of the steering wheel that I had been experiencing is basically gone. I think it was a combination of friction from the horn slipring and some friction from the steering column trim (which I trimmed back a bit further when I had it off).

The only thing I'm not super happy with is how far the wheel sits from the turn-signal paddle:



This is the sort of thing that wouldn't be a problem on most cars but is a problem on Rx7s due to Mazda's weird choice to use a paddle instead of a stalk for the turn signals (and cruise control, if equipped). I actually really like the paddle, but it does make the steering wheel situation a little weird. I think I can get used to it though.

Until next time

 

there is nothing quite like the feel of a nice steering wheel. i had bought a Nardi for the rx-7 way back when and since i'm dragging *** i dug it out and put it in the Baja with an adapter from japan.

i found a place online that makes a cool as hell front end for the rx-7 and i'm trying to see if they will fab a matching subframe for a k swap.

https://cagekits.org/product/fc-bolt...r-rad-support/

 

That's pretty cool, and very reasonably priced when you consider the R&D + fab work that goes into making such a part.

I have some designs in mind for a custom triangulated front strut brace and a removable rear brace that doesn't interfere with the speakers in the shock towers, as well as some better under-bracing for the front control arm mounts and possibly the frame rails. But I would need to buy a much better welder and get a lot of practice before I could achieve a decent result.

Also I should really finish up swapping in the Turbo II engine before I go adding even more weight to the car...

 

If they decide to make a subframe for my swap, it should easily be useable for the 13b.

 

Light on photos this time, but I always try to log even minor repairs so I can refer back to them in a few years when I've forgotten them. I have a terrible memory. You wouldn't believe the number of times I google an Rx7 related question and find my own answers from years ago.

This actually took place a few weeks ago, but I was driving near my house and when I changed into second I got a really big "CLACK" noise from the transmission. I was on it pretty hard (around 7500rpm) but even so, that shouldn't happen.

When I got home my dad asked if I was sure I had my foot all the way down on the clutch, and I was. But it did raise the question of whether the clutch was properly adjusted. I remembered two things:

1. The clutch master and slave had both been replaced, but the fluid in the reservoir would still turn black and need to be replaced every few months. I had been putting off replacing the hose.

2. I have never adjusted the pedal freeplay in the clutch.

I figured I would try the freeplay first and then look at the hydraulics later. The freeplay is adjusted by loosening a 12mm lock-nut and then spinning the pushrod on the pedal in or out. You don't need to mess around with removing the c-clip and clevis pin - ask how I know. Adjusting the freeplay so that there was only about 1/2" of space at the top of the pedal seemed to work and I was pretty happy with it.

I thought about putting the hydraulics on the back-burner, but the decision was made for me when I was moving the car in the driveway and the clutch pedal stopped coming up. My dad helped me roll the Rx7 back into it's spot and I took out the old hydraulics:



Now the only original part here should be the hose, but as I was changing this out I got to thinking how foolish it was of me to continue using a 38 year old rubber hose. The fluid has been changed more than once and it still came out looking like the black goo from the X-Files. I can only assume this is from the inside of the rubber hose, although I thought they were PTFE lined so maybe it was something else.

About $80 on Rockauto got me some brand new parts:



I sprung for the Exedy cylinders, and I think the hose is a Dorman? They all seemed to be really good quality.

I didn't take any pictures of the process (I rarely do when hydraulic fluid is involved). Removal and re-installation took a cumulative 30 minutes. I think even the bleeding process only took like 10 minutes total, plus 5 minutes vigorously washing anywhere that the fluid may have dripped below the cylinder. After the replacement all is well.

I have been finding myself wanting a lighter flywheel and more aggressive clutch lately. The heavy stock flywheel is kind of nice when you're learning to drive (this was my first car 8 years ago) but once you're experienced driving manual, you can shift a lot faster than the stock flywheel will allow. Plus I notice that when my current clutch (Exedy stock replacement) is hot after a long drive it isn't as grippy as I would like. I can replace the clutch / flywheel in only a few hours, but considering that none of the parts involved (S4 counterweight, lightened flywheel, grippier clutch) would transfer to the Turbo II engine I'm not really sure whether I want to spend on it.

Until next time

 

In keeping with the tradition over on Grassroots Motorsports, I am writing this before I've actually taken possession of the car. Or sat in it. Or seen it in person... I've already purchased it though



Like every car purchase there's a bit of a story behind it. After many years of excellent service, my Celica has finally accumulated enough small issues to justify replacement. It still runs drives and stops. But there is an evap code that comes and goes, the front brakes will need replacement soon, it burns some oil, the AC doesn't blow very cold, I can feel the engine moving around a little every time I shift, etc. Most of all, there is rust on both rockers. While it's hidden by the side-skirts, it would be a very involved repair. So I've decided to part with the car and hopefully someone else will either decide to fix it (unlikely) or the parts will live on in their project.

Also, I no longer really need a small two-door car as my daily. At the time I purchased my Celica my Rx7 was living on jack-stands in my garage. I needed to scratch that itch somehow while fixing my Rx7. These days my Rx7 is my most reliable car.

So with the decision made, I set out to find the replacement car. There were a few candidates but I eventually decided on a Gen 3 Mazda 3 Hatch for the following reasons:

- I like Mazdas, and I think this generation of 3 has aged really well

- Still somewhat sporty with multi-link rear suspension (driving my mum's NC Miata has spoiled me)

- Off the shelf trailer hitches available (for my bike rack)

I was, however, disappointed to find that almost all of the more affordable examples already had rust issues. I know that's how it is with Mazdas, but it's always easier to prevent rust than to remediate. Twice I went to look at cars that were nice in the pictures but then had panel rust when I saw them in person. A third time I went to a dealer with 6+ Gen 3 hatches, all of them rusty. These excursions did present me with the opportunity to test drive differently optioned cars, and I further narrowed down which options I cared about:

- 2.5L is fine with either automatic or manual, but 2.0L would have to be manual to be tolerable for me

- Sunroof was almost a must-have

- Needed the infotainment system with a touch-screen (the other one is not easily upgradeable)

After spending some time on this I realized that I would need to raise my budget a bit to get a clean example, so I did. Even then it was tough to find a clean one that didn't sell quickly (missed out on one by only a business day).

This past Tuesday I saw a Kijiji ad from a smaller dealer advertising a 2014 GT. It was posted that morning and had no photos attached at all, nor any details other than that it only had 130,000km and was an optioned-out 2.5 automatic (I think GT always comes optioned-out but the trim levels on this car confuse me). I called the dealership on my lunch break and the salesperson was kind enough to send me some photos of the chassis:






These are actually photos my dad would take later, as the ones the salesperson sent me were compressed when sent by SMS. But I got plenty of photos and saw nothing concerning in any of them

Minty-fresh. I figured this was an opportunity I had to jump on quickly, but I obviously couldn't leave work in the middle of the day to go look at a car. Conveniently my parents were going to be in the area of the dealership. I asked my dad to inspect the car for any issues and let me know what he found, and if he found the chassis was rust-free then to negotiate on my behalf (and to go up to asking price if necessary). I'd already test-driven an identically specced car (one of the rusty ones I saw) so I knew that I liked the car, plus my dad knows what he's looking for so I trusted him to find any issues.

Turns out the car was as clean as it appeared and I e-signed the purchase agreement from work. The car comes certified and the dealer has excellent reviews, plus both of my parents had a very positive opinion of everyone they dealt with there. They wouldn't budge on price, but I'm very happy with what I get for the price I paid. This car had the one biggest factor I cared most about (a clean chassis) and as a bonus came with the following configuration:

- 2.5L (auto with paddles)
- Sunroof
- Leather seats
- Factory window tint
- Dual zone climate control
- Backup camera
- Heated seats
- Factory weather mats and trunk liner
- Fully optioned infotainment system with nav
- Heads-up display
- Even came with a trailer hitch, exactly as I wanted

I only will probably only ever use about three of those features (sunroof, infotainment, trailer hitch) but getting all of those others is a welcome bonus. And maybe I'm getting old, but while manuals are more fun, I don't mind a decent automatic for my daily. Plus it's easier on my left knee (which all medical professionals seem to agree is in perfect health but continues to have random aches and pains).

Also, jumping on this car quickly was a good idea as my dad saw another salesperson pulling up the car's info for a customer when they were leaving the dealership (only a few minutes after I signed).

This car will remain stock, so the only posts I'll make about it will probably be maintenance. I intend to install my dash-cam and at some point do the Android Auto upgrade, but otherwise it will remain materially unchanged. Updates to come once I pick it up

 

That is a nice find, I was considering one myself. I heard that some parts of Canada use only sand instead of salt? We have a giant salt mine in Erie, Pa so it is cheap and plentiful here.

Rust is has destroyed every car that i have owned if I didn't. I live in SW Pennsylvania and I refused to buy another used car from here. My last car was from Oklahoma were no salt is used and snow isn't very common. The extra $500 in gas to drive it back and a plane ticket was well worth it.

I took a page out of your Canadian governments book and use Corrosion Free on the innards of the frame, doors, etc. In Canada some Canadian Tire stores offer the service. I highly recommend getting it for your car. My 2006 has no visible rust after 10 years of salty roads.

Enjoy your new ride! I feel the same way about the sun roof too. Just shoot some air or water in the drains to keep them clean.

 

grats on your new car! it took me a year to find a clean Baja. apparently no rust meant the opposite. i learned to tell the signs simply by looking at engine bay pics. rusty strut bolts, or any other hardware visible was an instant no. i agree on the auto as well. i got the turbo auto as i have other manual cars to fill the toy itch. an auto daily is much less hassle.

 

Yeah, they use a lot of salt near me. I'm not entirely sure why they don't switch to sand.

On my Celica I did fluid-film (or a similar brand of the same product) and it worked reasonably well most areas. Despite yearly applications (6 of them since 2018) the rust on the rockers grew so fast over the last year or two. I'm wondering if there was a drainage issue of some sort (albeit unusual that both rockers rusted out the same way) or if the rust had already started in the inner structure and then crept out to the outer panel. And by that point, there's so much work involved to fix it that it isn't worth the time or money for an older high-mileage car.

I'll probably start paying for the annual rust-spray services like you suggested. Once I did the math on what a few cans of fluid-film cost, plus the time spent on it and the mess + cleanup, it seems cheaper to just pay for a professional to take care of it.

Here in Ontario there is usually surface rust on control arms and under-body fasteners within a year or two of ownership. I can tolerate that (it's just how it is up here), I'm more concerned about any part of the unibody and then second to that the subframes.

Every 3 I saw other than this one had rust on the pinch welds, and a couple of them had it visibly starting up on the rockers. Weirdly, two of them had rust spots appearing on the front fenders right in the center above the wheel-well. Both of them with the factory red metallic paint. I'm wondering if there was some sort of defect that caused this, or simply cheap metal that started to rust under the paint.

I see a lot of older Subarus with the same rust issues, although typically not right in the center of the front fender.

 

Fluid film is great too. These products never stated, as far as I know, that they don't stop already started rust or treat rust. I assume these don't have any phosphorus. These do seem to stop rust before it starts. Also depending on how the stuff is applied, there could be some missed spots. I like the stuff I use because it wicks into hard to reach spaces when it gets wet.

Going to a pro setup has advantages, I like it because they have the long wands to get in deep to the cavities. What I don't like, doing the rear quarter panels myself. They will not remove anything like the rear trunk stuff to spray anywhere. The video says that they drill the door jams and spray those and my shop does not.

Whatever you choose or not, enjoy your new wheels!

 

The eagle has landed. Here are three grainy night-time phone photos:







Some things I noticed:

- There is no cargo cover (not a big deal, but I will try and find one sometime soon)
- The driver's side door speaker crackles whenever there is a hint of bass. I think the prior owner masked this before trade-in as someone had turned the bass way down and the treble way up in the EQ settings. The dealership was very professional and I don't suspect them at all, but their 30 day warranty explicitly doesn't include stereo equipment so this is on me to fix. Not a big deal except that I need to replace the door woofers as a matched pair.
- There is an extra fob on my keyring that turns out to be a remote-starter (neat, not that I'm ever likely to use it).

Otherwise the car is clean and as described. Everything seems to work (so far) and the car drives great. More details to come once I have time to give it a proper once over.