Project Sleeper Wedge

[Criten]

Hi Guys,

This is pretty much the same thread i've posted on fordlaser as a member from here said it might be a good idea to post it on astinagt for you guys to watch my progress aswell.


The 1990 Mazda Astina SP Series 1! ‘The Wedge’
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/27.jpg

I decided to start a fresh, but something without a ford badge this time. I’ve mucked around with a few TX3’s before. I bought an ’86 KC TX3 and dropped a B6T into it, a gearbox death later and decided to up the power. I then bought a ’92 KH AWD Turbo TX3 and did some light modding. But I think I was a bit weary of the 4wd gearboxes after hearing my mates blowing them up left right and centre although never having any signs of trouble with my own. So I thought this time I’m going back to FWD(possibly the biggest mistake of my life lol), but not without a G-Series gearbox so I bought an SP. I also made a decision to lean towards the sleeper side of things just to keep the law off my back this time.

First things first, a few more pictures after I got it home.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/26.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/24.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/25.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/18.jpg

It was in pretty good condition considering its age if I don’t say so myself. Picked it up from a caryard in Sydney. Got a few dollars off for paying cash so that only sweetened the deal.
I pretty much got straight down to business having a very vague plan to rip the BPT out of my AWD TX3 and drop it in. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with the TX3 afterwards… maybe NA FWD it or wreck to you guys on the forums?
Without a 100% decision on the engine I decided to just do some mucking around with the Astina.
First, most easiest mod I could find on here was the J-Spec Tail Light Mod…

Before The Mod(Sorry, hard to see the lights, it was taken during the day)
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/22-1.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/21.jpg

And After
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/20.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/19.jpg

It looks quite snazzy at night, I like it. Took no more than an hour or 2 and cost me $10 for the sockets and bulbs from a wrecker.

I then was looking at turbo upgrades. To keep it looking somewhat stock I went shopping through the classifieds and Hybrid Turbos came to mind. I PM’d a fordlaser member and a turbo was available for Hybriding. So off I sent my turbo…
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/23.jpg

And back came this one...
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/15.jpg

So now I had a VJ20/VF10 Hybrid but still couldn’t work out the engine side of things. Fortunately for me I was still searching through the fordlaser classifieds and saw my mate was selling the remainder of his parts. One of these parts was… yes, you guessed it… a BPT engine complete with turbo, loom and AFM. I’ll take that thank you very much!
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/16.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/17.jpg

So while this baby was sitting around in the garage, it made it easier to do some TLC like replacing seals, gaskets, waterpump, get injectors cleaned, some new hoses, fuel filter etc etc. All up for everything, cost me under $250. With all that done I decided it was time to take the astina off the road and pull the BP engine out.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/13.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/14.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/11.jpg

had to part my thread due to the photo limit...

[Criten]

I ordered in a heavy duty clutch but wasn’t available in time for the weekend so instead of doing the conversion, I spent the weekend giving the BPT and everything else a nice kero and degreasing. Things looked much better afterwards and I also changed the rocker covers over.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/12.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/9.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/8.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/7.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/10.jpg


I was still missing a few bits and pieces. Nothing too much, just some gaskets for the dump, the stock dump itself and some bolts that I ended up borrowing from another member who generously allowed me to go searching through his garage.

I eventually got my hands on the Heavy Duty Clutch, and what better colour huh!

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/28.jpg

I also ended up borrowing a piece of exhaust that connects the dump pipe up to the stock astina exhaust from a turbo astina friend just to get it on the road when the time came.

 
…and the time did come…

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/6.jpg

Having dropped it in, like always I ran into a few problems like the radiator fan didn’t fit, the fuel pump didn’t work, the sidemount intercooler needed to have some specially made up brackets to fit but still doesn’t have an airflow going directly into the core, i needed some custom intercooler pipework made up and the aircon doesn’t switch on anymore.
Some of these things should be an easy fix. However I must say I must have an odd loom as the fuel pump wires that should be spliced as explained on one of the guides on fordlaser didn’t work for mine, I found that after I did it I had to change it all back to original wiring and the fuel pump worked. Odd?

The rest of the wiring was pretty much all plug and play, just needed a few new bits and pieces that needed soldering that I saw were a bit dodgy. New 3 wire oxygen sensor, new plugs etc etc.
Also forgot to mention i’m running a J-spec ECU :D
Before i got the engine to kick over i also got my radiator flushed... thought i might as well get everything done right the first time through.

Anyhoot, here’s a few more goodens of the finished conversion...

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/5.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/4.jpg
 
And my 2 babys all turbo'd up

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/2.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/3.jpg

Mag swap and wash
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/1.jpg

So far its costed me just over $1500 thats including engine cost, clutch, all gaskets, hoses, waterpumps, radiator, injectors etc etc

I took it for its first drive today... It runs quite average due to a stock pindick sized exhaust and restrictive cooling pipework but i have high hopes. Took a while for the loud tapets to shoosh also.

As far as the future goes i'm looking at keeping it sleeper like but modwise... 3 inch zorst, 2.5 dump, extractors, up the boost, lowering, hidden fmic, lsd, new rotors, etc etc. Just the money thats holding me back. hopefully i get the exhaust done in the next week or 2 for starters :D

I will keep you all updated.

Peace

Tony

[Criten]

getting 3" mandrel zorst mesauring and quote on wednesday. i'm sure its guna be hella expensive!

oh and 2 things came in the post today....

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/29.jpg

Air/Fuel Gauge and PSI Boost Gauge

[-dc-]

that was me that directed you here! :) it was a good write up of the conversion and thought it may be valuable to alot of the BG owner's hoping to do a BPT conversion but are unsure how to do it.

thanks for copying all the info over, its a mad little project. should be a rocket once the exhaust is free'd up abit and everything is complete.

[Criten]

haha yes it was you, cheers for the idea! :)

[derb]

i'm in the same sleeping situation, it sucks. i'll explain later.

watch your gearbox, it'll blow something within 2 years. most likely 3rd gear or the teeth on the diff crown wheel will get eaten up. apart from the g-box worries you will eventually have it looks great!

just don't expect anything decent to race you, even though you'll win. [i've beaten new WRX STi's and a Porsche Cayman once they finally decided to give me a go] Do, however, expect every commodore and camry and other 4 banger to try and beat you at the lights with merging lanes just after. **** i hate having to 'drag' losers who think their v6 whatever will **** on my 'p plater special'. best part then is to sit on 59 or whatever 1km below the speed limit is and watch them go nuts behind you while the cars in the other lanes pass you at 65ish.

[Criten]

i really thought the g-series would hold up alot better than what ur saying. i thought it was stronger than the f-series and awd boxes anyway.

pretty sure 'rob-80e' is on here, he's on fordlaser anyway, he had well over 200kw@fw on his wtf323 with a g-series right? anyway, see how i go. maybe i'll look at PAR straight 3rd?

i'll race whatever i can get... just not until i'm modded up :D

[Mad Mat]

g series are MUCH better than f series. :D and yes a par third gear and lsd are a must. i sugest a mfactory lsd as they are the best thing since sliced bread :p

also think about good gear box oil too. and a FM ECU. :) then u'll be cookin with gas :p

[derb]

yeh the G series are the strongest of the lot, but still not strong enough.

here is ROBB0E's gearbox parts list:-
2nd gen G Series FWD out of a KJ laser
- Double Syncro 2nd gear
- Cryo-treated gearset
- Mazdaspeed Protege LSD (strengthend)
- PAR Straight cut 3rd gear
- Custom Driveshafts (not stregthend)
- 4WD Flywheel
- Jim Berry Custom 5 Puk 235mm Carbonics Clutch Plate
- Jim Berry Custom 4WD pressure plate (2100lbs clamp)

and here's mine:-
Rebuilt 5 Speed G-Series Gearbox [G-series casings, a mix of G25 and Familia 4WD gears]
Custom 3-piece Double Synchros on 1st, 2nd & 3rd
PAR Straight Cut 3rd gear
Familia GTR 5th gear [0.71]
mFactory Helical LSD
Familia GTX flywheel
Nick's Performance Clutches custom 5-puk ceramic/metallic sprung centre clutch
Short Shifter
CorkSport solid shifter linkage bushes

at least get that PAR 3rd and a few double synchros on the first couple of gears. i can't say enough about the LSD either. it is pure brilliance. i'm off the work, laters. and remember to turn the boost up to 12psi if you've havn't already hehehehehhe.

[NaughtyGT]

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/7.jpg

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haha....this is where I am up to except, I have the joy of fitting same hybrid to a B6T :eek: hmmmmmm, wonderful :rolleyes:

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http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/28.jpg

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I ran this clutch on my BF B6T. Very sure clutch that will never slip yet, watch the launch or you'll stir your gearbox oil into a Milkshake :p Once you are motoring, gear change is like like any other clutch other than the heavy pressure plate feel. I will be using the clutch again for sure when I install engine :cool:

Great pics & all best with project ;)

[Criten]

cheers for all the comments, opinions and heads up.

i already had the mfactory lsd in mind and PAR 3rd was a maybe. that should cost me almost around the 2 grand mark just for those?

how much are double synchros then?

i hope it goes well NaughtyGT, i loved my b6t when i had it, never ran into problems with it and it was quick as. correct me if i'm wrong but the stock turbo for the b6t is a vj14? I was actually running a rare rally spec version of it, i cant remember the name but it might have been a vj17 or something, slightly bigger compressor, ran really good :D

[NaughtyGT]

i hope it goes well NaughtyGT


thanks :)

correct me if i'm wrong but the stock turbo for the b6t is a vj14?

Yep, that was the AU-Spec turbo we got here.

I was actually running a rare rally spec version of it, i cant remember the name but it might have been a vj17 or something, slightly bigger compressor, ran really good :D

Did you have the J-Spec engine by any chance? I have one to go into my GT now & am having loads of incompatibility issues @ moment. Mainly loom & plugs etc :(

[Criten]

I didnt have a j-spec engine but i had a few problems with the loom anyway, i had that many different looms i dont know which one i ended up with :S was about 3-4 years ago so cant help you in any detail lol. 1 thing i do remember is the dizzy plugs where somewhat different and had to rewire the whole damn thing >.<

[Criten]

Just got my quote for 3" mandrel zorst, higflow cat, muffler + 2.5" dump made up(with clearance for aircon). bout $1200
reasonable?

[derb]

cheers for all the comments, opinions and heads up.

i already had the mfactory lsd in mind and PAR 3rd was a maybe. that should cost me almost around the 2 grand mark just for those?

how much are double synchros then?

i got almost everything off 1 awesome dude. but the LSD should be about $800-$850 trade. the PAR 3rd is $800RRP, so cheaper trade. and the double synchros are from PAR too and i have no idea how much they were. let me just say, i bought the car already converted to BPT, and the gearbox build cost more than the car......

[Criten]

Mini Me cooler arrived friday.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/myspace_tony/Wedge/mini.jpg


going in the shop tmrw for 3" exhaust :D

[derb]

ooh that looks like a perfect fit for the front end. what are the dimensions?

[Criten]

its 550x140x65
it should fit with minimal to no front bumper alterations. there 'may' be some slight cutting but nothing that is going to change the stability of it. :D

[derb]

sounds good, i couldn't find anything shorter than 300 when i was looking around, but being 140mm it should fit nicely.

[Criten]

i saw a 180 but thought it might be just that little too tall. see how it goes. keep you posted.

car in exhaust shop right now.