SK's '88 RT4WD build thread
Shaun K
Wagonist
This is sort of a placeholder for now, but I thought I'd get started. This will be a build thread for my 1988 RT4WD wagon, the first RT of the 3 wagons I've owned. My first was a '90 FWD with a B20 and YS1. Some of you from the old board might remember it, I had the RTi Limited front end for it. Anyway, I sold that wagon to Jaker who has proceeded to flare it out and put giant wheels on it. Oh and he converted it to RWD too :twisted:
So this time around I got sucked back in by a deal I found on Craigslist, seen here: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=4864
I towed it home, and it sat for nearly 2 months while I dealt with my other cars and with the snow we got. This is how it looked when I got it home:
And this is how it looked under a little snow:
So this time around I got sucked back in by a deal I found on Craigslist, seen here: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=4864
I towed it home, and it sat for nearly 2 months while I dealt with my other cars and with the snow we got. This is how it looked when I got it home:
And this is how it looked under a little snow:
Comments
i really like that color wagon, '88 only... car looks clean too! good deal.
(btw, nice Mazda5.. im trying to get my dad to get my mom one instead of the Sienna we have right now lol.. that thing is too big IMO)
I was wondering about this color. It's more of a gunmetal silver/blue, not the usual powder blue you see on EF's. I have another '88 wagon (seen in the background in some pics) that is the typical blue you see. So this was an 88-only color? Was it only on the RTs?
The 5 is definitely a nice car. We had a '98 Odyssey that was a stopgap car when we sold our Forester XT last May. We had a 2nd kid on the way and the Forester just wouldn't be big enough for 2 carseats and still allow a normal sized human to sit in the drivers seat. The Ody was nice but it was a smoker car, and the previous owners had 4 boys, so it was beat. We liked it but finding another '98 was near impossible, and since the newer Ody's were too big and too thirsty, the 5 was the clear choice. We've had it for nearly 6 months now, put a little over 2k miles on it, and it's been great for us. The '08-up is a better choice if you can swing one, the 5spd auto is much nicer and there were a few other little improvements too.
Low mileage shortblock (106k)
Ported D16A6 head
Delta cam
Isky valvetrain
B16A throttle body
D16Z6 intake manifold (port matched to TB)
Mugen hard rubber engine mounts
SiR airbox w/K&N filter
Magnaflow high-flow cat
New exhaust with Magnaflow resonator and Dynomax 20" muffler
Replaced and did the following to the engine:
bottom end gasket set
Y8 2-layer head gasket
cam seal
dist o ring
timing belt
water pump
fr/rr crank seals
Exedy clutch
drive belts
oil/filter
input shaft bearing
axle seals
input seal
cotter pins
engine mounts
rocker o-rings
vc gasket set
tube seals
hondata intake gasket
tb gasket
injector o rings
hot tanked trans case
cleaned block
valve adjust
Suspension now consists of:
ES rack bushings
ES control arm bushings
ES end link bushings
Koni Sport shocks
Ground Control coilovers
Ground Control shock tops
Rhino front camber arms
Ingalls rear camber arms
Will be adding more suspension work soon, including new balljoints and wheel bearings.
Wheels and tires for now are some BBS RZ's from an E30, size 14x6.5 +30. They are powdercoated a chrome silver and have 185/70-14 Nokia Hakkapeliitas. Basically they're the winter tires, but since we don't get that much snow here I will usually run my SSR 265's as seen in the snow pics above.
Brakes are next, along with some rear diff maintenance. Will post more pics and info when I have them
Here's how it looks now:
Oh, I have EDM corners and tails for it too, not installed yet. Also have some Euro H4 headlights coming soon as well.
Love the color. I've seen ONE other wagon that color, and I thought it was a repaint, but I guess not now.
Those BBS meshies look bad-ass man.
No thumbsup icons, but just imagine two huge ones.
only reason i would get an '88 model RT too
Why is that the only reason you'd get an '88?
in my experience its safer to get a car a couple years after they first produce them. that way they "sort of" worked out the kinks it may have had. maybe it doesnt apply to older cars, but with new ones it does more or less. lol... :P
no need to imagine:
Don't think I've seen any real kinks with any of the EF's, except a couple things on 88 CRX's.
haha great term :P
VW Corrado steelies widened to 15x8 +18. Just need to get them powdercoated and decide on a tire.
what he said
:shock: :shock: HOLY SH!T! Must be some bitchin steelies!
im glad with my near new rotas for only $325.
PS
My opinion on tires for your wide steelies since they are for summer and meets. Go 165/50/15. Trust me! check these out. SSR PROFESSOR SP1R's, 15x6.5, 4x100, ET15, with dunlop le mans, 165/50/15.
Hell 195/50/15's would stretch and look bad-ass. I've loved my Kumho ASX for the year+ I've had them on my wagon.
Hey, thanks....I'm pretty much glad to be back. I really missed the space and utility of the wagon, and it's a lot less conspicuous than the Si I was driving last year. I'm still not sure I need or want to deal with the extra complexity of the RT4WD but I figured it was worth a try. So far the mileage sucks and it's slow as balls, but it still beats the 15mpg I get in my truck.
Those wheels look awesome, they're one of my favorites. 165's are really a VW size too...for old bugs anyway. The problem is that there's no way they will fit on an 8" wide rim...they will work for your 6.5's but just barely. It's like putting 195's on 8" wheels, it just barely fits and most tire shops won't even do it for you.