New flared wings for the AE86 and a starting issue resolved. We also get a visitor to try out some potential looks for my Trueno.
Whilst AE86 Part hunting at MR X’s house, we score an unbelievable collection of old JDM Head Units and rare gauges from all the cars he dismantled.
This day was something Gerry had spoken about for years. Over fires in his backyard in Canada, drinking a couple of beers, we would chat about bringing home a Canadian AE86 just because they didn’t exist in Ireland. This country is obsessed with the chassis. Bringing home a bone stock SR5 would instantly make it one of the rarest examples in Ireland, it would stand out for being stock and different. It was always a pipe dream, something we would throw back and forth, but I never thought Gerry would bother. I figured it would have been too much hassle to make it happen.
I’ve been slacking lately, updating this side of Juicebox with articles. Years ago, it used the website, everything was about getting an excellent piece up with photos, and I enjoyed that pace. Lately, I feel like im playing catchup on youtube and Instagram trying to keep the algorithms happy. It’s weird being so far behind with the videos, too. I have to make sure im releasing the content that matches the episodes’ dates.
Since July, the weather has been good. It was hard to sit inside and find time to make it happen. Hopefully, over the winter months, I can double down on the content, as there are considerable gaps in the backlog due to japan in a van and other bits.
Not everything goes to plan. Unfortunately, our exhaust mission didn’t work out, I sort of forced josh to make an exhaust for me, and realistically I should have got one made up elsewhere. It’s one of those situations where you have a friend who can weld, and suddenly everyone asks him to do work.
This was a productive weekend of sorting the dash, realising the exhaust is fucked and requires a whole new system, painting the little metal piece on the car’s frame to match the life, and sorting the headlight brackets.
I hadn’t been to the shed in a few weeks due to covid lockdown nonsense, so seeing Josh balls deep in his s15 resto and Flip doing some bits on his FC was a pleasant surprise. We usually get more stuff done when there isn’t a crowd!
We fit the new exhaust, but it doesn’t go to plan. To save the day, we repair the new AE86 dashboard.
We check out a shed filled with old eighties restored Toyota Corollas, AE86s and more. Our friend Paddy from Retro Autos gives us a tour.
A productive weekend at the shed, finding more Trueno problems, fitting the headlight assembly, checking out Foley’s forgotten S14 and more.
Shed scenes from our day fabricating an exhaust and fecking around with the car outside. It was so good to get this out in the sunlight finally.
After a month of awful brakes on the Trueno, we finally figured out the problem.
We take the AE86 out for its first drive with the new engine set up around the business park, no panels, lots of noise and lots of laughs!
For anyone who has been here before, the feeling as you nervously wait for the engine to fire up, years and years of putting time and effort into this build with friends because this car is a communal effort hoping it will pay off.
After years of building, the AE86 runs and drives! A huge milestone for the project. Also, our shop is finally live and fully stocked!
At the time, I didn’t realise just how important this day would be. In well over three years, the ae86 hadn’t seen the light of day on its wheels. After we fitted the engine and box, we decided to push the car over to Flips to fit the manifold, sort a Flexi pipe and do the exhaust.
A few shots from a random weekend messing about at the shed, sometimes I have to remind myself to take some photos as there is always something interesting going down.