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1981 DL Hatch 4WD EJ22 Swap

Sooooo I found this car when I was looking for a pressure washer on the Facebook marketplace right when that feature was added for $200 over a year ago, the things that sold me on it was not the fact that the motor would barely stay running and smoked like no other car I've ever seen and a brand new Weber... It was the mounds of spare parts it came with, spare FWD tranny, EA71 block, complete spare EA81, Boxes of brand new parts, wheel bearings, balljoints, brakes, etc..

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I had the fuel supply and return lines backwards at the fuel rail, it lives!

Still need a fuel filter though...
 
Mounted the fuel pump and ran wires to it also moved it out of my garage under its own power, first time it's moved under its since I Acquired acquired this thing over a year ago.



 
Well done mate!

Good feeling isn't it?!

Next ej22 conversion already feels easier? Mine does and "sad" to say my first and last was ten years ago now :/

Cheers

Bennie
 
If I ever do another it will be in a clean hatch or brat. Who knows I may take on another for an old Subaru master tech I used to worth for, we'll see, never can tell the future..
 
Been working on this thing quite a bit lately a year or more later, kind of went on the back burner for awhile.... Been cutting up the body to fit 235/75R15 tires...



Tacked the exhaust, it's done now, has some random fart can I had laying around on the end of it, O2 sensor welded in the J pipe I fabbed up



6 lug conversion is finished, learned one of my drum brakes is a gen 3 assembly, was having a really hard time finding brake shoes for it...

 
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Great to see this! I learned to drive in a DL wagon, back in '82. :)
 
Stitching the passenger side wheel well back to the body after cutting a few inches off.

 
The rear wheel wells are now welded, sealed with silicone sealant and topped off with some harbor freight bedliner. Tires clear the rear with about a 1/2"+ from the body, so the next adventure is lift because the front tires don't have enough clearance to turn.

 
Will you have to attach wheel arch flares / extensions to cover the expanded wheel track?
 
That will come done to whether it's going to be a Rat or not. :cool:
(if it was going to be a rat, the body looks pretty much done.)
 
I was thinking of doing a 4", been doing some research on what all I need, most of it is 4x2" steel tube in various lengths, front strut spacers are pretty straight forward. I'm still kinda confused as to how the rear is done? Just longer rancho shocks? Could the 4wd loyale front struts be used instead of making spacers or will that not be enough length?

I'm thinking of throwing mud flaps on it front and rear and I'm hoping to use this thing for a snowboarding season or 2 before I sell it.
 
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