The saga of Baz

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El_Freddo
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The saga of Baz

Post by El_Freddo » Sat May 16, 2009 12:20 am

Okay, so my sister's '84 L series leone (sedan) has had a colourful life - its been most colourful in the last two weeks... His name is Baz, as named by my sister. She tried to nickname Ruby Scoo 'Shaz' so we'd have Bazza and Shazza. It never stuck (thank the subi gods!)

So a few years ago we 'won' Baz on flea bay for $250 - blown head gasket, rust around the windscreen, roof lining sagged. Other than that he ran and was pretty complete. He was to be sister's 18th birthday pressie. We also found out later that he had been cosmetically written off, fixed and returned to the road... no worries there, just some more screwing around with the authorities later down the track.

AFter we won him we somehow managed to get him home and in the shed without sis knowing. Dad got the engine out and replaced the dead gasket and put it back in. Pick-a-part was our friend when finding a roof lining (and how to fit it in without damaging it, having the windscreen out helped). We cleaned up the rust around the windscreen and ended up with some holes. To fix these we got him back on a trailer, to my uncles for some mig welding treatment and back home again without a hint of what was happening by sister.
While Baz was being welded dad managed to start a fire under the dash from some molten metal that fell through the hole and onto some foam lining. A few panels, some wiring and an AC duct saw him back to GWO.

We then got him Roadworthied and Rego'd without sis knowing - he was in and out of the yard a few times while she was at home, there was a fair bit of phone communication to make sure she was somewhere that couldn't see the yard or was distracted by something else.

My mates and I got a stereo sorted, a decent Pioneer unit with some new rear speakers - our 18th pressie to her.
When it finally came time to give it to her she had no idea - and was very stoked with her 'new' car. I told her I'd get her into a subaru!
Our first big trip in him was to Yarrawonga - we boiled him en route, the radiator cap wasn't put back on properly and it took an hour for him to lose enough coolant for it to be a problem.

Once home dad did both head gaskets and had the heads shaved. When he was put back together he only ran on one bank of cylinders - this was when we learned our mistake with the instructions for the L series cambelt replacement. This also solved the problem I was having with Ruby Scoo at the time (before I found this place or had her on the road)...

So from here he was again an everyday reliable subaru. Then my sister moved to Port Douglas and took the car with her. Before she left dad did something to the engine, think it was a general service and a renewal of the oil pump - I remember now, sis stacked Baz on a dirt road - put him into a small dead tree - a week before she left... The tree killed the front end lower support panel, the radiator and AC condensor + the cosmetics - bumper etc. Good timing. We got Baz back together, straightened the support panel (with a chain and a rangie in low range pulling 3,000RPM!). Baz sounded like a diesel once started again due to the worst lifter noise I've ever heard. "She'll be right" was the motto. And for the 3000 odd km up there he was, the lifter tick left by the time mum and sis arrived in Port with Baz.

He was up there for about 19 months, I'm surprised he didn't rust out while up there. He did however have an altercation with an embankment between Cairns and Port. Busted powersteering rack, bent rim, damaged bumper and guard - and no parts available up there. It was lucky for sis that she was coming home via plane near the time, I remember dashing out to PAP with dad to find a suitable pwr steering rack to sent her back with - we even shoved a rim in her check in luggage, no questions asked even though part of the rack was hanging out the side of her bag...
All good back at port, he was up and running around again.

Afew months later sis and I met up in Airlie beach, we were on our way home but mum and dad didn't know it at the time... This was Janurary last year. We left Airlie at 1.30pm and arrived at 4pm on the sydney harbour bridge! Yes marathon drive but a good one. And Sydney traffic is INSANE!!! I thought it wasn't difficult from what I'd heard - until I was stuck in the middle of it!

We gave dad a surprise when we arranged with some family friends to 'hide out' at theirs before dad arrived for dinner. I'm glad his ticker didn't pack in, the look on his face was classic as at this point we had to let them know what was happening (I was meant to be home from a first aid course in NSW) and had told dad that we were slowed down by the floods in southern qld (Floods?! what floods???) and were still in Towoomba :twisted:

Next day we were off back home - we had been smelling burnt rubber the whole way home but thought it was just a local smoking up a tyre, as you do... (remember this bit for later ;))

We teed up with Ruby Scoo who I left in Canberra, from here it was a mini subi convoy.
We got home and after a week or two dad had been smelling the burnt rubber. As it turned out the idler pulley for one of the AC fanbelts had seized! We were running on the same belt since he left home and it had survived the trip, its still in use now!

Sis then left for overseas fun and Baz was left at home for general reliable use - Bros enjoyed his wheels for a bit too. October last year sis came back. Baz still all good, got a few more km's under the belt.

Earlier this year a mate of my sister's moved in and is now using Baz everyday since she'd gone back OS.

This is where the colourful bit starts for the last two weeks...

Unfortuantely Baz was subject to a roo about two weeks ago - he also copped a speeding fine about a week earlier, the first one we know of...

Damage from the roo - the front right light was no longer, the bonnet and right hang guard rolled in on themselves, one of the driving lights written off. He still drove fine and the bumper bar was all good too - one less part to pay for.

Some panel beating and PAPing was done to get the bits needed. I rolled everything back out and sorted some damaged wiring. He also needed a new radiator and the radiator support panel needed to be moved forward. Finally we got him all back in one ok looking piece for use last friday. He's a bit rough but is still a good reliable subi.

Then sunday I got a phone call to see if I would be home monday - Baz was stolen! While parked at an outter melb suburban train station on saturday he was pinched in broad day light - they ripped the ignition barrel out, stole the stereo then took Baz for a ride, well at least til the steering lock kicked in mid corner... He ended up in a fence not far from the trainstation. The police took him, then returned him monday covered in chalk dust for finger prints (they were super efficient and very professional). He had scratches all over from the cyclone fence, had lost some fittings and a side mirror, plus the remaining driving light (glad we didn't put a new set on him). The front left guard was damaged and the ignition barrel needed to be sorted.

We told sis and apparently she's pretty proud of her Baz for being stolen... She figures he MUST be a pretty good car if someone wants to steal him. Dad's just glad he was recovered without being burnt out.

So work started on yet another fix in just over a week, I got the steering lock out of the way by re-installing the safety catch subaru had on the barrel. Then the ignition switch was removed from the back of where the barrel should be and taped to the steering column so he's still driveable. If someone wants to steal him again he's of no value to them and good luck to the little buggers ;)

Now a few cosmetic things need to be 'fully' repaired - more work on the guard and the side indicator to be replaced... He still goes well even though he's had a colourful history, all before he's near the 300,000km milestone!

I hope you've enjoyed the read, I'll dig up some pics asap ;)

Cheers

Bennie
"The lounge room is not a workshop..."
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AlpineRaven
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Post by AlpineRaven » Sat May 16, 2009 8:10 am

hehe what a lucky tough little bugger! Oh that is a good story above.
Cheers
AP
Subarus that I have/had:
1995 Liberty "Rallye" - 5MT AWD, LSD - *written off 25/8/06 in towing accident.
1996 Liberty Wagon - SkiFX AWD 5MT D/R, Lifted.. Outback Sway Bar, 1.59:1 Low Gearing see thread: 1.59:1 in EJ Box Page
Sold at 385,000kms in July 2011.
2007 Liberty BP Wagon, 2.5i automatic
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daza
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Post by daza » Sat May 16, 2009 10:55 am

Did you put a shout out when he went missing?


Did you put a shout out when he went missing?

Daza.
:cool:
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

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steptoe
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Post by steptoe » Sun May 17, 2009 11:30 am

wore me out reading that one Bennie, but you had my attention right through, especially when I read of an L with driving lights! same wiring diagram as supplied earlier? Low priority now since coolant spit head crack/gasket ?? GRRR

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Thalass
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Post by Thalass » Mon May 18, 2009 10:02 am

Great story! Maybe that ignition lead to the electric fence ribbon woven into the seat cover trick is in order...
Living in Canada now. Looking at all these SVXs for sale...
I'VE GOT AN OUTBACK AGAIN WOOT

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El_Freddo
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Post by El_Freddo » Tue Jun 30, 2009 8:01 pm

Thalass wrote:Great story! Maybe that ignition lead to the electric fence ribbon woven into the seat cover trick is in order...
Hmmm... I seriously considered this one Thalass after you posted!

Sorry for the time between the start of the thread and posting photos. Here's two I've managed to dig up so far - these are from the theft incident and only show the front:

Image

Image

^ These were about 2 weeks (if that) after fixing up the right hand side from a roo incident... I'll have to dig up those photos...

The lastest with baz, nothing serious: He got pulled over the other day and the driver was asked why he was covered in finger print dust :mrgreen:

Cheers

Bennie
"The lounge room is not a workshop..."
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