Hi everyone!
I few words about me - my name is Plamen, I am 24 from Bulgaria. I was studying Economics in Bulgaria, but a year ago I decided that I really want to get serious with cars and that I see myself in the future working with cars no just as my hobby. So now a year later I am studying Automotive Technology in Aarhus, Denmark and I really enjoy it. I have always been thrilled with cars ever since I was I child, so I guess this is a natural step for me.
What I really liked back then when I was watching movies and videos were the old school rear wheel drive lightweight naturally aspirated cars, but when I was looking for a car I couldn't find cars that would match that pattern. Some were RWD but had dull engines, other were too heavy and so on. But one day my brother came to me with a DVD of Best motoring Drift Bible. I must have watched it for hundred times and I was simply amazed by the hachiroku. That was the car. So nimble, lightweight and with small revy 1.6 engine. That was everything I was dreaming for in one package.
So I started looking for an AE86 but in Bulgaria there weren't many. It took me about 5 years to get one, but I think it was well worth it because I am enjoying this little motor every time I drive it.
Through the years there were some AE86's for sale but they were either in too bad conditions, or were too expensive. So I found mine in a garage sitting for about 3 years with stolen ignition coil. It was very strange because I was lurking the forums for anything AE86 related for sale and there was this guy who just wrote "looking for a coil for 4age". Then I decided to e-mail him and he send me photos of the car - I was quite amazed when I saw them. The car was a Zenki Trueno AE86 hatch - there were no other trueno hachbacks in Bulgaria. And the guy sad that he was selling it... I was over the moon, but unfortunately I didn't have the money. So A guy bought it and started restoring it. For about 2 years complete disasembly, engine rebuild a conversion from RHD to LHD and respray was done. Then he badly needed money I was lucky and bought it. This is how the car came to me about 3 years ago.
Since I've got the car I've been trying to improve my driving and mechanical skills and to also to tune the car. It has been a lot of fun driving and messing around with it. I haven't done anything crazy in terms of mods because I don't have the money, but slowly I hope that at the end I will have well tuned machine.
The car was far from perfect when I got her. There was a popping out second gear, the left halfshaft was bend due to a some curb action and the wheel bearing was quite gone so it was a bit noisy.
The car is JDM model that has been imported in Bulgaria 15 or 20 years ago. It didn't have LSD and oil cooler but it had and Air conditioning and a digital dash. I guess it is a GT Apex model but I am not quite sure.
So on my priority list was to get a new gearbox, an LSD and to fix the halfshaft. I was very lucky and a guy from Bulgaria that had decided to quit messing with 86's agreed to sell me a box and full rear axle, so they were at bargain price and I took them.
Some pics when I got her:
A DomoKun invasion...
After I changed the gearbox and the diff I put new Motul PA90 LSD oil in the diff and new Motul transmission oil for the gearbox.
After the main problems with the car were gone I could start putting some performance bits. I bought a prothane full bushing kit for the suspension and front and rear strut braces. The car immediately got way firmer especially at the back I was quite happy with the result.
Winter time - Fun time :)
After this I made some small changes and upgrades - I rebuided the clutch cylinder with new piston and installed new prake pads at the rear and machined the disks.
Old clutch cylinder piston VS new one -no more leaking fluid for me :)
40mm RCA's installed...
Hi everyone!
I few words about me - my name is Plamen, I am 24 from Bulgaria. I was studying Economics in Bulgaria, but a year ago I decided that I really want to get serious with cars and that I see myself in the future working with cars no just as my hobby. So now a year later I am studying Automotive Technology in Aarhus, Denmark and I really enjoy it. I have always been thrilled with cars ever since I was I child, so I guess this is a natural step for me.
What I really liked back then when I was watching movies and videos were the old school rear wheel drive lightweight naturally aspirated cars, but when I was looking for a car I couldn't find cars that would match that pattern. Some were RWD but had dull engines, other were too heavy and so on. But one day my brother came to me with a DVD of Best motoring Drift Bible. I must have watched it for hundred times and I was simply amazed by the hachiroku. That was the car. So nimble, lightweight and with small revy 1.6 engine. That was everything I was dreaming for in one package.
So I started looking for an AE86 but in Bulgaria there weren't many. It took me about 5 years to get one, but I think it was well worth it because I am enjoying this little motor every time I drive it.
Through the years there were some AE86's for sale but they were either in too bad conditions, or were too expensive. So I found mine in a garage sitting for about 3 years with stolen ignition coil. It was very strange because I was lurking the forums for anything AE86 related for sale and there was this guy who just wrote "looking for a coil for 4age". Then I decided to e-mail him and he send me photos of the car - I was quite amazed when I saw them. The car was a Zenki Trueno AE86 hatch - there were no other truenos in Bulgaria. And the guy sad that he was selling it... I was over the moon, but unfortunately I didn't have the money. So A guy bought it and started restoring it. For about 2 years complete disasembly, engine rebuild a conversion from RHD to LHD and respray was done. Then he badly needed money I was lucky and bought it. This is how the car came to me about 3 years ago.
Since I've got the car I've been trying to improve my driving and mechanical skills and to also to tune the car. It has been a lot of fun driving and messing around with it. I haven't done anything crazy in terms of mods because I don't have the money, but slowly I hope that at the end I will have well tuned machine.
The car was far from perfect when I got her. There was a popping out second gear, the left halfshaft was bend due to a some curb action and the wheel bearing was quite gone so it was a bit noisy.
The car is JDM model that has been imported in Bulgaria 15 or 20 years ago. It didn't have LSD and oil cooler but it had and Air conditioning and a digital dash. I guess it is a GTV but I am not quite shure.
So on my priority list was to get a new gearbox, an LSD and to fix the halfshaft. I was very lucky and a guy from Bulgaria that had decided to quit messing with 86's agreed to sell me a box and full rear axle, so they were at bargain price and took them.
Some pics when I got her:
