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.

Looking so clean.
 
Always had a preference for  Automatic over Manual?

Looking good man, it all takes time and money

Looking sweet. Well done and enjoy!

Don't let the 'automatic' bit fool you - these are weapons in the traffic. Just aim & squirt!

Thanks for the comments guys.
 

Phiz
Always had a preference for  Automatic over Manual?

I've just been driving auto so long that manual seems unusual and uncomfortable for me. I mean, I fully acknowledge that driving manual is a much more rewarding driving experience, but I'm happy to just stick with the slushbox.

Hi Chris
 
I like what you have done.
The black paint on the underside combined with the wheels makes the car look really stunning.
I remember the engine bay lid was quite dirty and I could not get it to come up clean. However I saw you sometime after the sale I was amazed how clean you had made it.
It is a credit to you for what you have achieved with my beloved car!
 
Cheers
 
John

In regards to the "too heavy" part, it's much the same with all factory AW11's, and yeah sure you have the heaviest combination (as do I) in the targa/sc/auto combination, but AW11's are heavy for their size, but that doesn't mean they don't make up for it in handling!
 
They are after all an 80's car, so a kerb weight of roughly 1190kg for the SC auto with an engine that when new was only pushing 145HP, you can't expect much out of the old girl. FYI the Auto transmission is roughly 70kg when most of the fluid is removed, but the SC manual gearboxes aren't the lightest either.

Sure you can up the boost like everyone else does, but you will be dramatically shortening the life of your SC. Turbo would be a logical path but it's not a cheap route. The GZE is an incredible engine to turbo though, you won't be disappointed!
 
In regards to the exhaust, you have by the looks a HKS SC muffler, so you aren't going to get a lot better on that front unless you go custom made. There are definitely improvements to be made in the header/mid-pipe department, but don't expect a lot of gains to be made, maybe 10-15HP at best. It'll mostly just look cooler/sound better.
 
Like where you are going with the car, and don't let anyone tell you the auto is inferior. I love driving manual cars but the Auto SC is a great car to drive. Especially down the highway when all the manual guys are getting tinnitus and you're cruising along at a lazy 2,200rpm in overdrive. 

Thanks for the response.

Yeah, I think my comments about the car being too heavy probably come from the fact that I've previously driven a adm aw11, and I enjoyed the lightweight feel of the car. Still, much prefer the boost over the NA.

As much as I'd like to get more power, I doubt I'll be going in that direction unless something goes dramatically wrong. I'm more interested in the exhaust for the sound than anything else. Previous car was a R34 GTT with turbo back exhaust, so I guess I'm missing that a little.

Looks nice. Eager to see it progress further. I had considered turning my old AW11 into a "panda" colour scheme.