LC Lancer hatch

[gaPhil]

Sweet!

I doubley like this because the wheels are awesome and Ive scored a set out of it!

[BlueThunder]

Thanks for the positive comments.
The look of the car is really growing on me. I really liked the look of Lancer Hatches before, but I have to admit, I keep finding myself standing at the back door looking at it

Little by little I'll chip away at this car and keep building on the look that the car has. The wheels were a major purchase, anything else I do to the car will seem quite minor after that I suppose?
My plan is to finish my house and then get stuck into this car.
I want to rub the car right back and fix any panel damage it has. Damage as in rust and minor straightening of panels.
I originally wanted to change the colour, but since I've put the wheels on it the colour looks better to me then ever

Dave...

I know the feeling Dave! I have the same with mine: everytime I look at it I see things which I didn't notice before. Especially now when I get it closer and closer to the original, it becomes as it should be, like Mitsu meant it to be...

Sven

[75wagon]

Here's the latest (as small as it is?).

I fitted new mirrors to the car. I didn't like the stainless steel/chrome mirrors that were on it, they weren't a matching pair anyway.



I also moved them forward on the doors.
Now I have some holes to fill and repair

Dave...

[astronturbo77]

bit of touch up paint over the old mirror position and you will never know!

[75wagon]

bit of touch up paint over the old mirror position and you will never know!

Yeah, I'm actually pretty lucky the door is black across the top. It should be easy to fix up?

I'm still planning a full respray for this. I'm still trying to work things out.
I've got heaps to do around my house (damn renovations), I promised my wife I would finish the house first before I got stuck into the hatch. But the little things will keep happening to it for now.
For now I'm thinking either a respray in the orange/black again (it's growing on me) or white/black (I think the bonnet will stay black, I like it. I'd probably add the front apron in black too, and the panel behind the grill (it's hard to see, but it's orange now)

Just for a comparison on mirrors, you'll see in this pic how far they were back on the door.


Dave...

[GC75]

Keep it orange and black looks good

[75wagon]

OK, I haven't had much time to work on either of my cars, but it hasn't stopped me collecting stuff for them.
Here's a small up date of what I've picked up for the hatch over the last couple of months.
First are the new rear side louvers. I've had these for quite a few months now, and intend to put them on the car when I do some more painting on the car as they will be painted in the body colour to suit. The louvers came on the first model Celeste (Japanese model and some model in Europe) and they were also available on some Plymouth Arrows, although I'm unsure exactly which model/option level. They were never available on Australian delivered models and I have been after a pair of them since I built my LB hatch back in 1994. I finally found these in the USA thanks to BlueThunder for spotting them on US Ebay and letting me know about them


My next acquisition arrived in the mail just today (thus this post). The plan is to fit the carbs on the hatch after I rebuild them and fit the aircleaner (after I give it a restore) onto my wagon. Well that's the plan, but let's see what happens





I got lucky with the carbs, I picked them up on Ebay for a ridiculously low price (sellers loss, my win. such is life on Ebay ). They came with a small amount of damage to the carbs (I have the spares to repair them), the almost impossible to get factory aircleaner that came with an aircleaner element that doesn't look like it's ever been used (my win again), and 2 unopened carby kits

I'm a bit disappointed I haven't been able to spend more time on doing things to the hatch, unfortunately it's become a to and from work mule. My house at the moment is taking precedence over my car habit, but my renovations are getting closer to the end, and then I'll be able to get right back into it again.
Hopefully I'll be able to post up plenty more pics of what I'm up to soon?

Dave...

[geezer101]

WAAAAAHHHH! It is an amazing hatch. If only mine didn't get hosed off the road by a mobile commodore panel beater. And ditto from everyone else about those wheels, really striking. Bet it really grips the road now!

[75wagon]

Bet it really grips the road now!

Yes and no.
On smooth good condition roads it grips very well. On poor condition (bumpy/potholely) roads it is worse. Any roads that aren't flat (ruts and things) it tracks quite badly and you have to be really careful and pay attention. In wet weather it can be a lot of fun. And ride quality it reduced quite noticeably. On bumpy roads the wheels seem to bounce across the top of them instead of keeping full contact. To me it just proves that tyres are an extension of you suspension.

So would I buy rim a tyre combination like this again? Yes, but like anything it would depend on the purpose for the car. If it was a car I intended to drive long distance then the answer would be no. But for a hobby car or car driven short distances on city or town roads then yes.
On a tar race track it would be awesome.

If only mine didn't get hosed off the road by a mobile commodore panel beater.

If only I didn't sell my LB hatch that I built years ago. It had no rust at all, had never had a hit, and had a brand new perfect dash pad. Oh how I wish I'd left that car to sit in my shed until I was ready to do something with it

Dave...

[geezer101]

My LB hatch looked like exactly was it was- a $400 roughie. Interior was shot, blew smoke at take off, spray painted in white house paint (over brick red) but had 14x6 cheviot lace alloys and decent tyres and a tilt out sunroof. I spent a year scavenging parts and repairing it slowly. Got some unrepeatable bargains and finds along the way. Pristine jap 5 speed for $50? It was running a belt drive '32 and I sort of know my way around these motors. Found a really unusual inlet manifold at a scrap metal yard, had no EGR on it at all- paid $5 for it! Resurrected a wax pellet choked carby (covered in crap, broken water inlet on the base) real budget stuff. The weekend I was planning to take it off the road for a rub back and respray- friday afternoon, BAM. Totalled. I know what you mean about tracking too, swapped a set of 15x6.5 wheels with offset. It tracked badly if it encountered road ruts but had go kart-like handling!

[77galantv6]

you forgot to mention your new steering wheel

[BlueThunder]

Your welcome Dave!
Im curious about how they look on an LC... :p

Cheerz
Sven

[75wagon]

you forgot to mention your new steering wheel

True, I did too.
Thanks for the steering wheel 77galantv6, I'll post up some pics of it early next week (I've had to leave the hatch at work for the weekend and it's in the boot).
I actually tried it on the other night with the boss kit that I had looks like I'll need to make a custom one again, the steering wheel is soo deep dish, that it way to close.

Your welcome Dave!
Im curious about how they look on an LC... :p

Credit comes where credit's due.
And I think they will look good, but that remains to be proved doesn't it?

Dave...

[75wagon]

Well, had a shocker with the hatch today.
It was running rough and pinging it's head off. Ended up having to leave it on the side of the road and make my way back home to grab the service vehicle (GC Galant wagon) to bring back some tools to analyze what exactly was wrong.

To cut a long story short, it ended up being a blown head gasket between No.3 and No.4.

Let the fun begin.

Dave...

[geezer101]

You and cottees are having one of those weeks when it comes to lancers and heads...

[75wagon]

You and cottees are having one of those weeks when it comes to lancers and heads...

H'mm yeah I suppose?

Seems like a good opportunity to fit those twin carbs at the same time? I just need a Fiat accelerator cable.

Dave...

[geezer101]

Fiat cable? Would've thought the stock cable was compatible...

[75wagon]

Fiat cable? Would've thought the stock cable was compatible...

No, not long enough. can't buy the GS cable in Aus to my knowledge, but a Fiat 131 cable is perfect. It's ball both ends, I just cut the end off, and used a screw on barrel type end. Has been on my wagon for 7 years now.

Dave...

[81GL]

oh bummer... that's a bit more annoying than a fuel pump

Good luck with it

[geezer101]

I would've used a heavy duty mountain bike brake cable and sleeve with the barrel lock- the cable inners are about the same thickness and they're dirt cheap from a bike shop. Ends are compatible too (made one up for a conversion myself).

[Tj.]

I (after a bit of drama with someone else) got a company called Conwire in Milpera to make mine for the coupe. Had to be made custom and they knocked one our perfectly for $40 with a two day turn around. I was pretty pleased with them.

[75wagon]

Just finished taking the head off.
I was a bit scared as to what I would find, but I am pleasantly amazed

- No corrosion on the head at all. It is common for the 4G32 (chain drive heads) to corrode heavily around the rear water ports behind No.4.
- no lips in the bores
- original pistons (so hasn't been re built)
- but my diagnosis was right, the head gasket is missing a piece about an inch long between 3 and 4.

I think the problem may have been caused by the head gasket not being sealed well to start. I've never had a head just lift off before with no resistance. Seems there was no seal other then the torque on the head bolts?

New VRS kit comes tomorrow, hopefully it will all be back together and going by tomorrow night.
But I might take my time while it's apart and do a little detailing. The motor in this is seriously ugly, the oil leaks and rusty pulleys etc don't help at all.

Dave...

[Tj.]

I've heard that if you put corrosion inhibitor (sp?) in the motor straight after building it, it soaks the gaskets with the inhibitor and stops them from making a seal initially.
What I was told was that ideally you run fresh water for a short period initially and then flush the system and replace with anti freeze/boil.

I did this in the coupe and there's been no issues yet (touch wood) mind you the water that came out looked a bit murky and stunk pretty bad
I'm sure this is common knowledge (was new to me however) but it could be what happened to that motor.

Good to hear its nice and tidy inside though, its always a nice surprise

[77GDWAGON]

Fiat cable? Would've thought the stock cable was compatible...

No, not long enough. can't buy the GS cable in Aus to my knowledge, but a Fiat 131 cable is perfect. It's ball both ends, I just cut the end off, and used a screw on barrel type end. Has been on my wagon for 7 years now.

Dave...

GE sigma accelerator cable is what i use,was told by ron at coltspeed many years ago when i got his last twin carb thermastat housing.

[75wagon]

I've heard that if you put corrosion inhibitor (sp?) in the motor straight after building it, it soaks the gaskets with the inhibitor and stops them from making a seal initially.
What I was told was that ideally you run fresh water for a short period initially and then flush the system and replace with anti freeze/boil.

Yes I've heard that too.
I spray all my gaskets with Hylomar before I install them (yes, even monotorque head gaskets). I don't know if that would help seal against coolant or not, but I don't think it would hurt?

GE sigma accelerator cable is what i use,was told by ron at coltspeed many years ago when i got his last twin carb thermastat housing.

Ohhh, thanks for that, I won't forget that

Dave...

[75wagon]

Spent the evening cleaning off the years of oil and crap off the motor. It's got a new coat of gloss black paint on the block, and the pulleys too. Even gave the customised air cleaner a coat of charcoal hammertone (customised, because it's a standard air cleaner with the bottom cut out and welded up to fit the down draught weber carb). Just tryting to work out now, if I should polish or paint the rocker cover. Polish would look really good, but be a heap of work, painted wouldn't look near as good, but easy as. Decisions, decisions

Dave...

[orangelancer]

hmmm on older carss i think polished is nice but the problem with the lancer is its between periods. if the block is black i think a red rocker cover would look cool

[75wagon]

Well, what I've ended up doing is painting it gloss black. The block is gloss black, the rocker cover and pulleys too. The only thing I've painted different is the air cleaner.

I think red would clash with the orange on the body colour?

Dave...

[75wagon]

Well, it's all done.
It all back together and running again.

The black rocker cover looks really good (I'll take a pic tomorrow when it's light), and the hammertone aircleaner looks soooo much better then the rust and black paint that was there before. The clean motor makes the unpainted engine bay look even worse.

There is just one thing left to do, replace that bloody annoyingly loud fan belt. It's a bit old and shabby looking, and putting soap on it only works for about a minute.

Dave...

[81GL]

Fiat cable? Would've thought the stock cable was compatible...

No, not long enough. can't buy the GS cable in Aus to my knowledge, but a Fiat 131 cable is perfect. It's ball both ends, I just cut the end off, and used a screw on barrel type end. Has been on my wagon for 7 years now.

Dave...

How short is the standard cable Dave? Not sure how long the lancer cables are, but compared to a GD, the GE GH Sigma cables are "roughly" 100mm longer, and are identical ends of course
Pic:


Good to hear it's all back together too! Got some pictures of the finished(/ repaired) product