so, my truck has sucked the kumara (that's a kiwi colloquialism for "royally f*cked")
and in searching for things to make it go, i found an astron engine (4g54)

... but it was in a 1990 magna.

,and so tidy that i couldn't butcher it for a transplant. so now i'm rolling in a *mint* 1990 silver station wagon. panels straight, all original glass.

(you must understand, in NZ, finding a jappa car more than 6 years old that isn't raped is a rarity)

i have big plans for it. the first being central lock kit and an alarm system. tints, seat covers, stiffer rear suspension (has a towbar, but only rated to 1.2T), faster front suspension (it rolls like a boat, but i hate fwds anyway), some nice sounds, tool kit and gear in the back.

so, this is my thread for my wagon and you'll get pictures as i get around to it.

 

Worst thing on that model is the door drains get blocked and the doors rust out, so make sure they are clear

 

thanks dude, but as i said, this thing is mint. literally like it's been driven off the showroom floor. i put the central locking and dragged most of the wiring for the alarm through it today so got a good nosy into the corners, and, as above, she's mint. i was almost too sad to put the drill through it...

now for a dual battery rig and power plant in the rear...

 

so got the immob and alarm and central locking installed. i thought i had more pics, but, notes on what i do have:

one of the original quarter quard screws was removed, drilled and tapped to 5/16bsw to accept tamper switch.

there was a space forward of the gear lever under the coin tray to accommodate the control unit for the central locking, the wires to the rear doors were only *just* long enough.

the rear doors actuate horizontally through a cam, i had to reverse the polarity of the wiring, otherwise they would unlock when i locked the front, and lock when i unlocked the front.

the drivers door was the only one with a cable gland fitted, the rest had blank 26mm grommets. i cut an X in the centre to duct the wiring neatly through.
getting the wiring through on the driver's was a real bitch. i ended up taking the door off so i could seat the pillar gland nicely again.

now it's all in and flashing and beeping as it should. so no n*ggers are gonna be joyriding in my baby!

oh, and the only bit of rust on it? - surface rust on the metal stereo bracket
=) =D