Subaru Shock Tower Repair - Unibody Repair - Rust And More

This is my personal bugeye. My favorite car!
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[@ruttspeed]

So much hidden rust is scary when you see people spending thousands having the underside restored. You're super talented.

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

Ya very sneak rust, otherwise clean quarters, really decent rockers etc. so much rust repair for a visually “rust free” car 😂

[@angrywargamer8836]

This channel needs to be renamed "the car necromances" because he brings cars back from the dead.

[@johnathansmith3819]

Like I said before...The relashionship between a car and a mechanic is a "sado- masoquistic" one. One loves to give pain...The other, adores to receive it!! Wow. Horses were all the time better than cars: if they failed to do their job, you could always eat them! I admire you guys! Thanks. 😊

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

Thanks, and very true! This is my personal car in this video. Had it 15 years now and will continue to drive it forever. Its like a family member to me. Plus, the overhaul was cheaper then buying a new car

[@DavidMcBay]

Great job! I'm currently doing a much lighter resto on my Impreza and have learned so much from your channel. Keep them coming!

[@samuelgoyette7700]

You guys would make MILLIONS in Quebec doing these kind of repairs

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

I believe it brother! We share the same rust belt here in Ontario. Quebec somehow still manages to be worse though

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

@subiesavers see how much we need those coming soon shock towers 😂 this turned out great but so much work compared to what you guys got coming.

[@Gunma_garage]

Cant wait to see what theyre up to. What a game changer I bet

[@dorianleclair7390]

I love your dedication keeping these cars on the road.

[@spotthedogg]

Beautiful work

[@fitnessfab]

Amazing work for suck a great car that hasn't gotten great respect in this Community. In the Subaru community that is. Bugeye's are the least reverent of all the platforms, yet the "cutest". Cheers... Much respect.

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

Bugs and hawks for me. The bugeye, first of the gd’s. Those huge fog lights did for me! Thanks brother

[@haitz4]

You are an absolute hero. Can't wait for the next episode!

[@fixinanddoinstuff2134]

You are a brave man. OK ....... really friggin skilled! 👍👍

[@bruiserdotcom]

Terrifying condition before...your patience and craftsmanship are beyond me, bravo

[@frozenmongolian3334]

nice job

[@Ellie163]

Oh hey perfect timing lol, i literally spent 5h today cutting the rear rails out of a junkyard foz for my SF, will be good to give this a watch and see how you've done the replacement :)

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

No way! Love that people are ambitious enough to try this and save their car. Thats awesome! It was tough, i did feel discouraged at times. But with a little patience it really wasnt too bad. However I did this over a span of 6 months whenever I got spare time. So the frustration level was low each time Id re visit the job

[@Ellie163]

@@TheSubieSanctuary It's probably not worth it in my case (800$ SF that i've spent the last year giving a total restoration basically), but it's a car I want to keep for a long time, and for once in my life have a daily that's not rusty and held together with hopes and dreams lol, so to me it is. Plenty of previous fab/resto experience so it's not TOO bad of a job, just as you say gotta jump around between areas and other projects when it gets annoying. Floor/rad support/quarters/bunch of other stuff already replaced, but now i kinda HAVE to get it done before the winter as my normal daily (a long-suffering volvo 240) needs a lot of work and there's no way I'm driving my 260z in the snow and salt lol. I'm pretty sure I'm a few hours east of you unfortunately otherwise i'd love to swing by and chat shop. Not sure if YT will let me include a link but if so, small album of the sawzall work and current state of my foz: imgur.com/a/bG7GMYC

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

@@Ellie163 thats the right attitude! I do hope we both finish our current projects before snow falls 🙏🤞🤞

[@jaredoliver3296]

Always love seeing what you are up to! Maybe when I have the SVX back long enough without breaking a trans I will bring it up for a visit when you have time and we can get a realistic idea of what we can do with it to save the shell or if it's better to go looking for a clean shell from somewhere that might just need some minimal work and swap my driveline over...and manual swap another one😅

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

Thanks brother, would absolutely love to have the svx come by! Let me know dude!

[@bobbyshobbies1800]

Y'all are unreal! Great work and great videos.

[@mattywots]

i love this - im going to do this to my 02 bugeye wrx soon but It doesnt need as much repair!!

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

Thats awesome, definitely worth preserving the oldies 👌

[@ML-yk5zj]

Wow that's a ton of work! Great job

[@TheHarryNe1son]

Wow! 12:12 real mature 🤣🤣🤣 This video is great. No ifs, ands, or buts about it

[@Subiesavers]

What parts do you find the most common you need help with. We are working on the shock towers. Open for ideas. Good work, man.

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

I did check out the shock towers concepts, I assume they cover the inner shock tower as well. Which is great! Next most common part I make is: the rear inner rocker that the diff “T brace” bolts too. Almost every car I do rockers on , ends up needing that replaced.

[@nicoolkkonen9284]

Definetly the inner rockers

[@Gunma_garage]

This is what the internet is all about, great opportunities to collab and trade thoughts

[@Jacobeh]

Anything that rusts!

[@Gunma_garage]

@WhistlinDieselClips do you keep anything long enough to rust? Not being a dbag btw lol. Genuinely curious if you do have some personal rides you've held onto

[@Benny-dv7xm]

Better lighting please! You did super showing the frame rail but the shock tower was terribly dark!! Thanks that you are actually doing a whole frame rail replacement! I wish subie savers made parts for a 2004 subaru forester X. Will you plan to re-design a subaru and make an actual frame and then mounts to do frame on body. I have seen that frame company for older muscle cars down to people doing krappy patches but no one does any full diy whole frame work for subarus.

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

SS does have rockers/quarter patches for 03-08 foresters! Ya a frame kit would be neat!

[@Gunma_garage]

Nothing like removing that Lego piece that you put in at the start. Removing Unibody sections when theyre PART of the chassis lol, only a true Subaru enthusiast would tackle this lol. Thats one lucky Bugeye

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

Felt uncomfortable at points glad i pushed through it though! My baby almost back 🙌

[@Gunma_garage]

@TheSubieSanctuary yeh the exiting of my comfort zone thing would stall me for months. How did you see it thru? Draw some neat artwork hahaha I guess they're really all just sheets of metal, but I worry about surfaces that can't be seen while i try to do mine. I need to rewatch all 4 pts to catch more of your methods because I shouldn't watch at work 🤣🙈

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

@@Gunma_garage i just really push myself to get through it. I typically do this from 6am-830am each day before going to work

[@RoadPatina]

Dude, OMG monumental!

[@andrewabrik4052]

Beauty work as always. My WRX bug is about the same, although I did the shock towers 10 years ago when I bought it. Sadly I don’t think I will be able to ever bring it back to life like you can. Please tell me you’re going wide body with this. That was my dream with mine, it’s also a wagon.

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

Ive had the sedan quarters stashed away for probably 7 years! It is totally going to happen…eventually 😂

[@andrewabrik4052]

I’ve got sedan doors and bumpers stashed in my shed. Recently bought a clean sedan too. But I think I’ll save some sanity and just leave the sedan whole and scrap the wagon. Keep the bits I want, maybe one day I’ll WRX swap my 2.5i.

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

@@andrewabrik4052 you are definitely smarter then me 😂 Im over here just walking into constant punishment on my wagon

[@aaronbohl8234]

Thanks for posting. Know your pain, fixin to do towers in my bugeye wagon

[@Benny-dv7xm]

Can you build a rotisseri to use for all that under body upside down work at least when you have to pop the motor?

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

I actually have been looking at one! The next car i do, im going to use a rotisserie for sure 👌

[@tjadventures]

Wow, that’s some really good job! I love how in detail you go in your repairs and how much attention you give each piece. I know that the strut towers are built with some doubled sheet metal pieces (that’s why they rust when water and dirt gets in between the two layers), is it ok to just replace it with a single piece? Did you use thicker sheet metal to replace the doubled sections?

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

Totally fine to use a thicker single piece, the reason they rusted was because the double layer.

[@tjadventures]

@@TheSubieSanctuary thanks, that’s what I thought too, but wanted to check with someone who really did this already, and looking through your videos, you have lots of experience. Great job on the cars and the videos!

[@winstonbrowne3167]

Saving one subie at a time. 👌

[@menditman2004]

Hi great video what thickness of tin did you use on the shock towers ?

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

Thanks! I used 20g, with a heavy hammer and screws along the way it wasnt too bad to shape. Once welded it felt very solid

[@Autovisions]

Watching these makes me feel like I can fix my rusty Subaru.. mine is way worse lol

[@asvoqc2709]

I need you help honnesly to save my SUBARU impreza 2006 where are your place mate and i love your work you doing great

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

We are in Ontario, Canada

[@servandoruiz8320]

Im getting ready to do the same thing… so let’s see how things go

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

Time consuming, tedious and messy. But so worth the end results to save your car

[@jordonlee7797]

Is there a special place you got those frame rails from looking athaving to do the same to my 04 forester xs

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

I got it from subaru dealership!

[@mynameisjonas1997]

Silly question, is this all steel you're welding? I'm looking at buying a forrester with a rotted strut tower but want to make sure I can weld it with my gear before I do.

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

Yes sir! All steal

[@PhatPeePee]

Absolutely insane repair, but so worth keeping it alive! Awesome work

[@infatuationsencumbering2251]

That is a great job, what thickness of steel used in the repair, Thanks

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

@@infatuationsencumbering2251 thanks! I used 20g for this, sturdy if you make some bends and relativity easy to shape.

[@infatuationsencumbering2251]

@@TheSubieSanctuary Many thanks for the info. going to do some repairs on my Subaru and now i know what to get.

[@mooseuk4915]

​@TheSubieSanctuary after many hours dropping the diff cradle and restoring I have 20g steel ready for shock tower restoration thanks again 👍

[@rj5485]

Shout out to the twig & berries 😂😂😂😂😂! Nice touch 😂

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

Glad you caught um, my signature tag 😂

[@rj5485]

@TheSubieSanctuary hahahahaha! Keep up the great work man! Loving it!

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

@@rj5485 thanks brother 🙏 feeling good about the recent progress on this one. Bound and determined to hit the road before the snow falls

[@rj5485]

@@TheSubieSanctuary Excellent!!

[@Jacobeh]

Where did you get that frame rail??

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

Subaru had it in stock 😂 wild eh

[@flopdockmcock]

At what point do you say "this isnt worth it"? How many hours did you put into the repairs in this video? I just got rid of a blob eye wagon bc of rust in the rear and I've kind of regretted it but after watching this video, im seeing how much worse the rust probably was and i did the right thing to get rid of it.

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

Im actually currently making a vid of how bad is too bad. But, with this car. Its my personal car. If a customer brought me something like this to fix. Id have likely said no. I spent about 200 hour’s total doing this but also re did all suspension, brakes, bushings. Definitely a massive job and would cost someone a small fortune to have done. I always say, better to put the money towards a good condition one then fix a rusty one. Even though thats half of my business. Easier to preserve then repair

[@flopdockmcock]

@TheSubieSanctuary i look forward to that video. I kind of figured that was the scenario. Thanks for the response. I feel much better about getting rid of the one i had

[@uranium51]

Quick question for you. How long does the repair last ? Mine is pretty much in the same state and i'm thinking of restoring it too but people told me it would rerust in like 5 years + or - :( Amazing work by the way and thanks for your awnser :)

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

If you cut away until you get to clean metal then it will last forever if properly sealed. I expect this to last another 20 years now myself. Thats really just it though, the more thorough the repair the longer it will last. Sealing the work inside and out with a quality epoxy is probably the 2nd most import part to a lasting repair

[@uranium51]

Allright thanks man keep up the good work 😁

[@Christosan88]

Wow what a complex repair where most others id assume call it totaled and move on. 👍🏼

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

Ya i was close to just wanting to get a jdm wagon and swap the dash but i have a very deep connection to this car. Had it like 14-15 years now. Had to keep it going

[@MaNiBoY19]

kinda wondering how much it cost for a restoration like this

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

Typically exceeds the value of these cars unfortunately. If I was to charge for this exact job and this exact amount of time. It would be $15k Canadian in labour. Typically comes down to hours spent, this was my own car in this video. If a customer asked me to do this id likely say no.

[@servandoruiz8320]

Is it the same procedure for the sedan? I’m asking cus of all the space you have in the back on the wagon

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

For the shock tower or the frame rail? For the most part, both would be approached the same. Little harder to work in the sedan for space

[@servandoruiz8320]

@@TheSubieSanctuaryframe trail as I am doing the same thing this summer as it’s hard to find a clean body where I’m at.. also thanks for the reply

[@Xx9ThatKid6xX]

What do you use to remove the undercoating? Asking for a friend. 😂

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

I used a wire wheel on a corded grinder, it is horrible to do. Ive also see like a power chisel tool be used as well

[@Xx9ThatKid6xX]

@@TheSubieSanctuary Awesome thanks for the reply, I have to go through my car soon and was wondering what the "fastest/easiest" solution was. 👍

[@wingman358]

Where did you get a new frame rail? Damn lol

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

Wild eh! Was in stock at subaru warehouse

[@ethanjohnson8445]

Did you brush epoxy on the undercarriage in the rear aswell? and what epoxy sealer are you using?

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

Hey buddy! I sprayed the epoxy on the underside, but i brushed it on in the inside of the car to keep the over spray down. I used pro form urethane seam sealer after the epoxy! Also, no harm in brushing on the epoxy on the underside, I do it all the time on other cars that are partially dissembled

[@ethanjohnson8445]

@@TheSubieSanctuary cool, also when your encounter surface rust on the undercarriages, are you getting to bare metal then epoxy? or are you sealing with some other method before the epoxy spray? also I don’t think I caught it but, is there a specific epoxy spray that you would recommend or currently use?

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

@@ethanjohnson8445 when encountering surface rust, yes i bare metal it and coat with epoxy. We use a ppg cre 2 part epoxy

[@kendrickdeporter2233]

So you work on Subaru’s during the day, then work on Subaru’s when your off work? There’s a pattern here I just can’t put my finger on it.

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

😂 Non stop

[@MrRrRrRrRroberto]

How did you deal with the outrt reinforcement of the shock tower?

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

Do you mean the c shaped reinforcement between shock tower and outer quarter panel? If so, you cant do anything with that without removing quarter panel. Which ill actually be doing sooner then later to install sedan rear quarters.

[@MrRrRrRrRroberto]

I mean the one that is spot welded on the tower from the outside, the one with the circular holes in it 13:30 you can see the reinforcement that I mean.

[@MrRrRrRrRroberto]

It is kinda C shaped if you look from the upper side, did you rebuild them or how did you reinforce the towers

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

@@MrRrRrRrRroberto so not the part between tower and quarter panel. Whatever it was or is, youd make it out of metal

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

@@MrRrRrRrRroberto yes thats the piece I thought you meant. If that needs to be replaced, then you have to remove your quarter panel to do. Mine was fine, its just the sheet metal between that brace and shock that typically rusts out. I will be taking my quarter panels off to replace with sedan ones eventually. But only way your seeing that or working on it is if quarter panels are off. Ive seen people have to repair/replace that. Most people will just fab a new one since its a simple shape and out of sight when done

[@Darkseb22t]

Crusty Content! Viva el Canadian winter…

[@TheSubieSanctuary]

Scary eh 🥲

[@Darkseb22t]

Got the same plateform for the winter but 5k km on it and i love it but not enough for your dedication.. gonna spend my time on other project,keep the nice and good work! From Québec

[@Chippyd363]

i saw your PEE PEE🤣

[@mikeforester3963]

12:10 Ehehe ... _Benis_ XDD