.T. Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 (edited) Well since I've had the Ke25 for over 4 years now, it was about time I started working on it!! I wanted a Ke25 for a while - one of the guys I worked with at Meridian had a rather modified one. He left & went back to boat building. When I rang him up on the off chance he might want to sell it, he told me he had (just) sold it to someone else I knew, as spares for his race car. No point in pursuing it further so I started looking elsewhere. At the time I was building up Harvie's ke15 (http://www.rollaclub...-ke15-build-up/ One day just prior to Xmas (about 4 years ago ironically) I get a phone call from him. Conversation went something like this: Him - "Guess what I'm standing in front of?" Me - " No idea" Him - "Ke25, almost no rust" Me - "Where is it?" Him - "Centre road wreckers - want it?" Me - "YES!' So I had Harvie put a reserve on it & get it pulled out of the yard. I rushed down after work & paid the extortionate amount they wanted for it. (they probably only paid $50 for it) It was still registered. Some old ladies daily driver. Lucky I took it - wreckers told me they had 3 people try & buy it - one even tried to offer more money for it - that was even after I had paid for it & it was waiting to be delivered. So mega thanks to Harvie for finding it for me. Have not seen one in a local wreckers since - they are getting rare. Ironically I don't think I took any pics of the car in the state it was in when I bought it. I will keep looking as I thought I had a couple... First job was to give it a wash & a vac - it was a pretty original car. even had the original stereo still in it! At this time, I really did not know that much about ke25's - looking at the car something looked wrong - it did not look like Pete's ke25 (the guy I worked with at Meridian) Some research & I found out what was wrong - there are 2 different front's! I had a flat front. The one I wanted was off a update ('73-'74) Bit of dealing & I manage to swap the front end off a update ke26 (still had the wrong grill & corner finishers & tail lights) Bit more searching around (ebay, trademe, forums etc) & I had the update tail lights, update grill, the correct under grill panel & the headlight corner finishers! A lucky score also saw me find a ke25/te27 type centre console as well! (I have spare ke20 grills, garnishes & under grill trims if anyone is interested) I took some time doing research into options & finally sorted out exactly what was going into this car: ae101 4agze, but with s15 b/b turbo oil cooler j160 6 speed box s13 irs rear end with aftermarket lsd s13 front struts z32 front & rear brakes either koni or cusco coilovers (I have both) rack & pinion conversion ma70 abs system simmons v4's Recaro seats te27 dash & center console gauges te27 replica flares (why? because I can) Needless to say, I actually have all the parts now. However, the one thing I did not have was time - At the time I purchased the '25 we were having our first child. Of course then we had to do a house extension, further children, home reno's etc basically meant the car sat in the garage, surrounded & in some cases, covered with furniture, house stuff etc for the next 4 years or so. I kept an eye out for parts & when things turned up at the right prices, they were snaffled up & wedged into the garage. When my wife was growing up, her older brother had a yellow ke20 (he also had a v8 cortina as well - but that was later. He's now rebuilding a 2 door cortina he had in storage for 20 years) Anyway he thrashed that little thing & it just took it. So my wife (who is also into modified cars - look up "LADYSX" on toymods to see her old ae93) always wanted one. One morning I was looking at a forum & saw a rather poorly placed add for a ke20 - basically a rolling shell, not too far from me. Rather crap pics. I gave him a call - apparently I was the only person to do so. Turned out it was basically a one family car - was grandads who gave it to the young bloke, who thrashed it around for a while until he lost interest. He smashed it (lightly) & sold the motor & box out of it. This is when he bought it. It then sat in his garage for 2 years whilst he tried to figure out how to put his planned sr20det into it - he had no idea. Finally wife cracked it & said it had to go. He was only after $600 for it. I was busy & was finding it difficult to organize a time when he would be home & I was available to look at the car. A couple of days later he rang me up in a panic - car had to go, would I pay $300 for it? (would I ever, I was going to offer $400!) So for that price I couldn't be bothered going to look at it, so money was paid & I organized for it to be picked up. Turned out to be a really good buy - almost no rust at all. Original uncracked dash pad. Had obviously lived in a garage. Very good. So 2 days later I'm bringing my wife home after she's had our second child.(just after mothers day) Home extension is in full swing so there is crap everywhere. I left the '20 at the front of the carport. When she got out of the car she asked why my corolla was in the driveway - I said my corolla was not in the driveway, it was in the garage. So now she's confused - & walks (hobbled?) over to have a closer look - I could see she was excited - recognizing it as her own ke20! (mind you it's now sitting in the garage under a pile of crap & as we buy stuff for it, it gets wedged into it (sound familiar?) So now the house extension is basically finished (well it's not, but the permit is signed off, & that's the most important bit) & we now have 3 kids... & Ironically I also have another car project - I got a Tr7 convertible project a year or so back as well - it was a deal I couldn't pass up - I have years worth of project ahead of me!!) Anyway, over the xmas break I decided to do some house work & start on the corolla (no such thing as "holiday" for me - if my wife wants me to take a break, she knows we have to go overseas or something) So I started with the rust repairs on the ke25 shell - tinworm had attacked the base of both rear windows, the bottom of the rear guards & the boot lid. Also the bottom of the radiator panel (have replacement ebay panel). No big deal, have angle grinder, welder & body filler & I know how to use them! Before During.... no rust now! Finished! now time for filler I now have a rust free body. I had sourced a rust free boot lid so that was the easiest panel to repair. My original front guards were very good, however I had swapped them for some later model ones (that were not so good) one will require the headlight area to be cut off & replaced (have that bit) & a minor repair at the bottom. rusty boot lid supplied the correct steel for the weld in patches for other parts of the body. Next: Steering & front end. I have some cusco s13 struts I managed to pic up for a song a few years ago. I also had an ae86 x-member & s13 hubs & lcas. Pulling the ke25 xmember I could see that it was not going to be worth retrofitting the ae86 xmember into the ke25 - I would have way too much track! So I stripped the ke25 rack of the engine mounts & the steering box stop thingies & cut the engine mounts off the ae86 xmember. I unstitched the rack mounts as well. The s13 lca's fitted the ke25 xmember with very minor mods. Then I roughly positioned up the rack with spacers etc, modified the inner & outer tie rods to give me the approx width i wanted & started playing around with the bump steer. Going to wait until I have the engine in the car before I weld the rack in position (sump clearance) - as it is it's pretty good (mind you I did not check the standard setup for comparison before stripping it) has a tiny bit of toe-in on bump right now, but not much I also started modifying the original column to accept the ke70 column internals I had - all in all it was a pretty easy modification - top of the ke25 column was retained, basically modified ke70 bottom. steering lock works as before & it has the collapsing joint in the middle. If you didn't know it, you would not realize it had been modified! I also modified the firewall to accept the ta22 vac booster I had, along with the ta22 pedal box - using it i got a vac booster & a hydraulic clutch in one go. There is a bit of stuffing around to fit up the ta22 pedal box - would probably have been easier to have sourced a te27 pedal box (but as I need 2 of them I though I'd make it up) I still need to finish the mod to the back of the ta22 pedal box, but as it is, it fits. need to play with the wiper motor mounting though! Next 2 parts I'm up to are the hardest parts: 1. Fitting the s13 irs rear end into the body & 2. Making up the adaptor plate for the 4age to j160 6 speed box & fitting into car I started on the rear end last night - I assembled up the s13 subframe, arms etc & the simmons rims to give me a width. 1650mm. Then I measured up the body. 1500mm. Hmm, 150mm - not as much as I expected! Then I fitted up the te25 flares to the body - now 1600mm! So I only need to narrow the subframe by somewhere between 50-100mm. Not that much. Next job is to build up a jig to mount the subframe on. Subframe looks to be pretty easy to cut up to adjust the width. Mind you the driveshafts will be another matter..... Sent a few questions off to my auto engineer this morning about mounting up the subframe into the body I work in the composites industry - we made up this as a prezzie to get my wife motivated on her ke20 (xmas present) Not sure yet if I'll sell them as they are quite labor intensive to make (I do ke25/te27 flares already) To be continued...... hopefully not in 4 yearly installments! :) Edited February 9, 2014 by .T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doogs Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Awesome project mate! IRS has always crossed my mind for a KE2x, but there is certainly a huge amount of work involved. All the best with the project, keen to see it progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.T. Posted January 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 The leaf spring rear is prob the worst thing about the ke2* series - & the one thing limiting modernizing the car in my mind. What I'm looking at doing has been done in japan already - but not that well ( have some pics somewhere of a modified te27) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.T. Posted January 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 (edited) Pedalbox modified & installed Ta22 pedal box partially modified & unmolested version Pedal box installed into car with the modified column Edited January 15, 2014 by .T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.T. Posted January 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 For anyone interested, here are the pics of the te27 with the s13 irs in it. Not that helpful, but beggers can't be choosers!! At least it shows that the conversion has been done. Fyi this was/is in a historic race car - technically it should not be as it is not a period modification! This shot is slightly more usable (only a little bit though) pity he didn't get right under the car... some people are so inconsiderate of others!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.T. Posted January 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 Not a huge amount done over the past week. Temps over 40deg & going back to work kind of stopped play in the garage Stripped one of the j160's for the bellhousing on the weekend. Overlayed the 4age dust shield over it for comparison So there is a bit of size difference there! Speaking to a machinist mate about making up steel sandwich adaptor plate.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.T. Posted January 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2014 Again not too much to report.... this little thing called "work" getting in the way of playing in the garage.... mind you it provides the folding stuff to allow the playing in the garage to continue, so one should not complain too much! Having a bit of a "dissagreement" with the engineer about the s13 subframe - he's not keen on me narrowing it - would prefer me to keep it stock & put wider flares one it -as per the te27 above. Not keen on that idea. Another idea is to buy aftermarket adjustable suspension arms & shorten them up - I don't want to do that as it will affect the geometry. Hopefully we can come to a compramise of some form. (End result is that he's the one with the $10million personal liability insurance that will be signing off on the car, so he will get his way - I just need to shape his requirements a tad more) Lots of close up pics showing how basic the sub frame is I guess! Nothing happened on the gearbox side of things, but on other projects I just bought a 2011 clubsport ls3 motor package! Also sourced a tr6060 6 speed for mates supercharged 1uz alfa project. Made up carbon nose cone for my clubman project (I have not mentioned that one yet in this thread!) - yet another (long term) project! fyi used to work for Meridian Motorsport. We were the aust agent for the Birkin s3 clubman. I always wanted to build a clubbie, but never had the time, & whilst working for Meridian I had a defacto clubbie to drive around in. Anyway I have been slowly collecting the parts to build my planned composite chassised clubbie - plan is to make the body out of 25mm thick carbon honeycoam sandwich board (lets be honest, a clubbie is lots of flat board sections - should not be too difficult) still have a very long way to go but I now have the following: carbon front & rear guards & nosecone (being able to borrow the moulds was a bonus) alfa sud 1300ti close ratio transaxle subaru liberty lsd (for alfa trans) porsche 944 torque tube caterham "7" grill & rear lights honda s2000 s2 digital instrument cluster roh astron 15x6.5 rims (looking for a 5th one - anyone? 4x100 pcd....) So a lot more parts to go. plan is to run front engine (engine yet to be determined, & will be one of the last items chosen due to length of project & changing emission standards) with modified torque tube & rear transaxle. why? because I can. There were 2 prototype "7" clubbies built by the licensed south american agent back in the '70's that ran front motor, rear transaxle, both still exist apparently) enough dribble.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.T. Posted January 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 Didn't get much done on the weekend - kids swimming lessons, taking the kids places so they won't destroy the house over the long weekend... Managed to finally trial fit up the update ('73-'74) tail-lights I've had for about 3 years now. Personally I think they look much better than the early lights. (early lights for sale if anyone wants them?) Much cleaner. Lights are in generally good condition, will require a repaint & some rubber pinch trim to be replaced. I also finally opened up the box containing one of the 2 custom 4age to ke2* radiators I got made about 2 years ago (!) Fits where it is supposed to go (always a good thing on a custom made part!) - just need to sort out all the isolator mounts for it (fuel pump isolators basically) so that it won't corrode once installed (you don't solid mount alloy radiators into cars unless you want to replace them every 2 years or so - electrolysis!) supprised at the number of auto fabricators (ie supposed "professionals") who don't know that... Next to get the engineers sign-off on my proposed subframe mods... Have a problem with my work email right now so can't send off the pics to him this morning :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.T. Posted February 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2014 Yay! Just got reply (in writing) from my engineer to aprove my planned method of modifying the rear subframe! So that now allows me to go full steam ahead on the rear of the car. Of course its going to be 40deg tomorrow.... Good timing on my behalf! (Being stubborn, the high temp won't stop me grinding up the subframe) Managed to track down a few of the missing goodies for my wifes car (& the one bit I was missing)over the past week or so. (Pics to come) From what I figure I'm just missing a passenger side front lower control arm & some coilover parts for the wifes car. Maybe one day she may actually do something on it...... (mind you with 2 kids at kinder & a 6 month old, swimming etc she runs around a fair bit during the day) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.T. Posted February 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 Well started cutting up the subframe. Completed dismantling the back section, but other things keep getting in the way (family stuff) when I consider what I could have gotten done on a weekend before kids vs after kids, you would be lucky to get 25% done with kids! Got some of my e-bay / net purchases last week the $9 strut brace (off a skyline I believe) will be re-jigged to suit the ke25 - is the correct width! & the last lot of rare toyota bits I needed for both cars: slightly damaged & incomplete centre console (but price was right) - I have a complete undamaged one that I plan on taking a mould off, so the missing centre panel is not a problem! & the rare update undergrill trim ($10!!!!!!!!) & a complete original rear vision mirror (the only bit I was missing for my car) All in all, very happy with my collection of loot! Need to make up some special stepped washers (22mm stepped down to 21mm, with 12mm hole) for locating the sectioned subframe on to the jig (basically a 1200x800x32mm piece of mdf - will be bolted down using sections of 12mm allthread & wooden spacer blocks. Jig is only going to be used twice so I think the mdf will cope fine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parrot Posted February 11, 2014 Report Share Posted February 11, 2014 Ha!!! 25%!!!!! Just wait till they hit school and start playing eleventy billion different sports. Cricket, football, hockey, swimming, domestic basketball, rep basketball, gym. Then there are all the trainings, committee meetings, team manager thingies etc etc. Was that console off the UK guy? That WAS a good buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.T. Posted February 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2014 Hi Peter, Oh yes you know all about that stuff!!... Mine are still pretty young, but already lots of running around (2 different kinders for the oldest 2, 2 seperate swimming classes, & they are just showing interest in sports etc. - oldest will start martial arts after her birthday too.... even less spare time..) Annoying thing is that after they have gone to bed, I really can't play with the cars as I generally need to use powertools (at this stage in the project anyway) Mate of mine in NZ does not have that problem - he built his shed far enough away from the house that he can dop what he wants without worrying about waking his girls up! No actually it was local (& badly advertised - lucky for me!). I got outbid on the UK one. Paid less for this one too Ironically! (still more than the first one I got from NZ though!) Finished cutting up the rear subframe yesterday. Actually was easier than I expected, which was a bonus. Looks pretty small now... Now comes the tricky part - figuring exactly what width I want, cutting it down & aligning it in my "jig" Yet to check the other car & its wheels (the ke20), but suspect the other set of simmons I have for it will be a different offset, necessatating a different width subframe for that car.(if i assumed the same, I'd be wrong for sure) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.T. Posted March 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2014 Been busy - but not on cars. Had to do some work on the house - finishing off the merbu decks (still not finished because I ran out of timber - had to grab another $400 worth of timber on saturday morning) (Funny, I can just buy $400 worth of timber & not even blink, but if I was spending that on a car part, I'd have to justify it to myself for hours before hand.....) Nearly there now. Just the step at the front & a section of barge board to go. Mind you next job involves climbing onto the roof & installing over 1000 screws into the new colourbond roof (job I'm SO looking forward to....) Didn't go the the GP - (young kids sorted that one out for us) It was my brother-in-laws birthday so we went up to see him. On the way back we went past the track when the F1 car were racing - boy the v6 turbos sound like crap. Might as well have been a bunch of commodores running around the track (mind you middle child has the terrible two's & was going off at the time so we could hardly hear a thing over her - Thanks for that Eva!) Well I have progressed on the narrowing of the subframe (a bit) Nearly finished the basic jig Just need to add supports for the upper arm mounts & the diff. Cutting down the front member was easy Before: After: The back section is a lot more work - due to the mounts for the rear arms: Before: During: Cut down top section 50mm per side. Now to section it Last stage: Sectioned & tacked back together Now I'll take it into work & Tig it together. The next stage is the more interesting bit - putting it all back together (once I have finished the jig) Then comes the hardest part - cutting up the car to fit the subframe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.T. Posted March 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2014 Tiny update Rear section of x-member welded together & spot primed Strangely enought it's 100m narrower than before, but suspension mounts in same place! & latest acquisition from what I'm calling china e-bay. TRD centre caps. $19 posted...Just ordered another set for the simmons on my wifes car. Won't get any work done on the cars this weekend as it's our anniversary (8 years already!) & we are going away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ke70dave Posted March 20, 2014 Report Share Posted March 20, 2014 (edited) Hmm I've never come across this project before, looking great so far. I don't mind the sound of the F1s (though only heard on TV). Its certainly different to the V8s and perhaps not as glorious, but small displacement high horsepower turbo engines are certainly a thing of beauty I reckon. Edited March 20, 2014 by ke70dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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