Chris’ SC Auto AW11
I’ve been meaning to make this thread for a while now, but progress on the car has been super slow thanks to limited funds and a couple setbacks.
After selling my other two cars, I was hoping to stick with one reliable daily that I wouldn’t have to spend too much on. A near 30 year old AW11 in average condition was always going to be a terrible choice, but I couldn’t help myself. I’m a long time automatic driver (I know right), and I’ve always loved the unique shape and mid-engine design of the AW11.
So this was the car as I purchased it, a 1986 Supercharged Automatic Targa AW11 with slightly over 100,000 k’s.
Mechanically, the car wasn’t in terrible condition, but the body and paint needed work. Plenty of peeling paint, scratches and damage which made it look pretty poor up close. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the blue and white scheme that one of the previous owners had gone for. I have a feeling that these pictures probably make it look better than it actually was. Car was all stock apart from the fiberglass skirts, wheels (Speedy Holotypes) and the exhaust system. Apparently it’s a very old Fujitsubo muffler and cat. Honestly, it just sounds like the oem exhaust.
Started out with a service and had a few of minor mechanical issues sorted out including new rocker cover gasket, radius rod bushes, exhaust leak and new radiator cap.
From there spent the next 6 months trying to source the various missing bits and pieces and trying to replace anything that was in poor condition, or wasn’t working properly. This is currently a list of what I can remember, although I’m sure there’s probably more I can’t think of.
- New sun shades/bags for targa tops
- Headlight retractor unit (as amusing as having winking headlights was)
- Wiper control switch (wipers wouldn’t self-park)
- Used rear vision mirror (original was scratched)
- Interior mirror ‘triangles’ (missing)
- New Sony head unit (aux)
- New screaming eagle badge (original is badly faded, still haven’t replaced)
- RHS power window motor, regulator, cables and channels (original died)
- Replacement eyebrows (originals came apart after I attempted to clean them)
- Driver side seat adjustment lever (missing)
- Frunk fuse box cover (missing)
- Manual headlight adjustment caps (missing)
- Driver’s seatbelt buckle (original damaged, still haven’t replaced)
- Honda shin-etsu silicone grease (greased rubber seals/targa)
Apart from that, endless amounts of cleaning.
At some point I decided that the skirts had to go since they were badly damaged anyway and I was curious about how bad it was underneath.
On the upside, the car generally looked better and had a cleaner look without them.
I actually didn’t mind the Speedy Holotypes that came with the car, but they were a bit plain.
New wheels! Rota Slipstreams 16x7 4x100 + 38 in Matte Black with hub-centric Rings. 205/45/16 Tires. I couldn’t believe just how much difference this made to the feeling of the car. I never realised just how heavy the old wheels were and how much of an improvement it would make. It now feels slightly less like a truck, and more like a Mr2.
New steering wheel. (Autotechnica Maloo)
This is currently how it looks after getting it back from the crash repairs. Wasn’t cheap, but well worth it given how it looks. They really did an amazing job, and I’m super pleased with how it’s come out. All the damage on the bottom half of the car repaired, and obviously the black paintwork has been done. (Mirrors included).
I got used to having no skirts on it, so decided to have all the holes welded up and stick with the clean look.
The white paint is still a little shabby in a couple places, but generally I’m pretty happy with the overall look of the car now.
So that’s how she currently stands. Any progress from now on is probably going to be fairly slow, but we’ll see what happens. I’d love the get stuck into some performance/handling mods but most of that sounds a little pricey at the moment. Instead I get to try and find a solution to my leaking driver side window. . .
The car feels fun, but certainly not fast and is probably too heavy. The SC equipment, targa top and auto transmission are probably weighing it down. I considered pulling the AC system out since it’s broken, and I would literally never use it. Still, can’t imagine 20-30kgs would make any noticeable difference.
New exhaust system/cat is probably on the top of my want list, but I’m open to suggestions and advice.
post edited by Surgeon - Monday, August 31, 2015 4:55 AM