Please help - looking for st205 conversion info. Options

[silverlude]

Ok, let it begin.

First of all - yes, I am looking for info to do a st205 conversion. Yes, I have searched and cannot find much useful info.

I don't want to waste anyone's time with this same old topic, so if you don't want to help, please hit the back button on your browser now. Also, if you have no real useful info, please do not post such things as "why don't you just import?" "why don't you just buy a DSM/5th gen All-Trac/EVO/WRX/VR-4...?" "It's not worth the time/money..." etc.

Bottom line is we have time/car/money and are looking for some great fun.

What I am looking for is USEFUL info on the conversion. Either access to someone who has done it before or someone who knows just what it is going to take.

We are also looking for connections to get some major parts. Anyone with personal experience getting clips, or possibly full parts-only cars from Japan or UK would be an asset.

Thanks in advance.

[celiman05]

hey i got your PM and figured i would give you some help.

first off, definatley look for a front clip. its the best way to go when your going to do such a major swap. finding all the odds and ends you need can really be a pain. the clip that i got, came with everything that i would imagine that i needed and then some. it cost about $4500 including shipping, but it was well worth it. i got it from this place called NAD auto out of Georgia. it came with, motor, tranny, drive shaft, rear diff, all the suspension, etc.

i would recomend that you do all of your research prior to taking the car apart so you know what your getting into. also, the wiring is pretty much what takes the longest, so if you can get that done first, it would be a big help.

as for the one that i completed, i swapped just about everything from the front clip into my car (besides the climate control.) therefor, the ECU wiring, and wiring under both fenders had to be lengthened. the fender wiring was the pain part. seeing as how its right hand drive, both sides had to switched. i just criss crossed them under the dash. some wirirng under the hood is going to need to be lengthened also.

the mototr itself was out and the new one in within a weekend and was fairly simple. MAKE SURE YOU CHANGE THE CLUTCH BEFORE PUTTING THE MOTOR IN. that was a stupid move on my part, cuz the motor had to come back out cuz the clutch was smoked.

the tunnel for the driveshaft already exists, on the cars so that is realatively easy cuz it runs right down where the exhuast goes. your just gonna have to make templets to figure out where the drive shaft brackets need to go. i think there is about two or three of them????? sorry its been a while. weld up the brackets out of sheet metal (doesnt have to be real thick sheet metal if you make them correctly.) once they are all made and placed up where they need to go, and fit....... then weld them up in place and seam seal them so they dont rust.

as for the rear end, if i remember correctly, the four mounting positions, should pretty much line right up with the existing holes from the other rear. at least two of them line up perfectly square, so if the other two dont line up, then you can drill the holes out where they need to go. your gonna have to make a spacer for the rear end mounts so it sits level. i just made mine out of a chunk of steel with a hole drilled in it to space them out. put everything up in place before you start the welding so ypu make sure its going to work.

your gonna have to figure out what your gonna do with a fuel tank. the stock tank wont work cuz everything is in the way. the stock st205 tank will work if you can find one. i just bought a fuel cell, cut out the spare tire well, and fabbed up a recessed holder for the cell. it wotked out very nicely. you could barely even tell there was a fuel cell in the back. the carpet covered it right up. the only thing you could see was the hose that i had coming from the filler. i just cut a hole in the middle of the carpet. MONEY!!

you gonna have to go with a custom exhaust. a real GT4 exhaust will not fit.

and as of right now, im having a serious brain lapse and cant think of anything else. if it hink of anything ill post up. hope that can be of some help to start you off.