John Hall's 2007 specB - Daily turned Restoration (Respray, Engine Build, Air Ride, More!)

[BagRidersJohn]

On 11/9/2022 at 3:21 PM, SoobyDoobyDoo said:

Outstanding. Whoever buys this will have a very high quality built, one-of-a-kind LGT spec B. It’s kinda bittersweet to see this is gonna be sold but that’s just me-at this point it’s too hard for me to replace what I have lol (plus I have high expectations that usually exceed budget!). Im excited to see what’s next though. The quality and amount of attention to detail that went into this is phenomenal, it’s been a pleasure to read about. 

Hey thanks so much for the kind words @SoobyDoobyDoo 

It's been a while since I've updated this thread, as I've not done much (anything) with the car besides from driving and cleaning it

Next weekend is Wicked Big Meet! If you'll be there, make sure to stop by the Bag Riders booth and say hi!

This car has been a joy to own and progress my skills on. I've learned a lot, especially in the realm of body work. I feel that I've modified the car in a way that is unique, yet not hacked together (far from it!) with small service-oriented details that will ensure a future owner isn't frustrated if they need to do something simple like removing a flare piece (all installed with nutserts), bumper covers (similarly, fabricated new tabs to ensure consistent locating) or even doors (2-pin Deustch connectors for a break in the aftermarket speaker wiring)

I feel like my journey with this car is complete, and I'd be happy to see it go to a loving home. In addition to my specB, I'm also looking to sell my 39K mileage stock 2007 STi Limited. That one might go up on an auction site... TBD. After selling both cars, I'm leaning towards some kind of cool family-friendly car... first gen Panamera Turbos are appealing given their huge depreciation, but not sure I would love an automatic for a daily. The CT4-V Blackwings are extremely temping  I think those will hold their value pretty well, as I can't see GM putting out another rear wheel, manual, 6 cylinder ICE car... maybe ever! 

In big life news, my wife and I are beyond excited to welcome a baby girl in November! So, what better reason to do the aforementioned 2-for-1 sale/purchase

[BagRidersJohn]

It was another great year at Wicked Big Meet. Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth to say hello. I received some very nice compliments regarding my specB which is always appreciated  I had the pleasure to meet and have a brief chat with @Max Capacity and a number of other LGT.com members. It's great to put a face to forum handles!

Here are some photos I've found that I dont think I shared...

Before shooting the marketing content for our Super Low suspension kit release, I added quite a bit more negative camber in order to tuck the lips of the wheels behind the over-fender pieces. This allows the car to roll lower than fender-to-lip fitment. I'm usually a fender-to-lip guy, but with this car having a fiberglass kit and just being aggressively "stanced" in general, I decided to try something new with the "aggressive tucked" look and I have to say, I like it!

Here's a shot from my home workshop after I first adjusted it:

 

In the fall time last year, I went out with a friend to capture some shots in the "golden hour". The autumn backdrop here in northern VT made for a beautiful scene. 

 

I think I mentioned it, but if not, it is quite evident in the above photos - I had all the glass tinted at 35%. I've never had tint quite this dark, but I love the look.

That's all for today. In case you're interested in buying this car, please shoot me a message I'd be happy to chat.

Have a great week LGT.com!

[Max Capacity]

Hi, it was nice to meet you too. The car looks good in person.

[BagRidersJohn]

16 hours ago, Max Capacity said:

Hi, it was nice to meet you too. The car looks good in person.

Thank you sir!

[ChicagoSam]

Saw this at WBM- always a favorite of mine to pass by. That color and build quality in person strikes inspiration. 

[BagRidersJohn]

18 hours ago, ChicagoSam said:

Saw this at WBM- always a favorite of mine to pass by. That color and build quality in person strikes inspiration. 

IMG_4851.MOV

Thank you Sam! I really appreciate that! Cool clip too

[BagRidersJohn]

I think I’ve mentioned this before— due to the amount of negative camber in the rear of my specB, and the BL/BP’s rear knuckle design (integrated trailing arm), the trailing arm is at a funky angle at the forward point where it mounts to the bracket just below the dogleg.

I currently have whiteline two piece bushings in there and they have failed due to this extreme angle.

My solution is to convert this bushing to a spherical bearing. This will allow the articulation needed, while also pricing a more positive connection for the trailing arm. Obviously there is a rule of thumb when ”upgrading” bushings- rubber bad, metal good! (Sarcasm here!) but seriously, it is the right choice here.

The OEM press fit bushing measures about 65mm in diameter and accepts an M14 fastener. The width between the “ears” on the mounting bracket are about 67mm. So safe to say, there is no production spherical bearing that will match this criteria!

Because spherical bearings have a shorter service life than their rubber counterparts, this needs to be a serviceable part. So I will design a billet adapter cup to receive a readily available spherical bearing. The bearing will be pressed into the adapter cup, retained with a snap ring, and the adapter cup will be pressed into the trailing arm.

The parts I’ll use arrived yesterday. I’m using some rod end spacers to fit the bearing to the bracket on the car.

OEM:

 

And the parts I am using: 

Snap ring not pictured.

Next up is some CAD work for which I’ll lean on my good friend Kevin who does all the CAD work for our suspension products at Bag Riders. We can go through the same rapid prototyping process we use for our suspension line which utilizes 3D printing to proof design concepts before moving to the more expensive and time consuming CNC step.

In case anyone is interested in one of these setups I’d be happy to do a group buy as it will help reduce the billet cost significantly if I can buy more than two!

As always I’ll update this thread along the way. Cheers!