As suggested by GORAN I am starting a topic on the rebuild of my 85 AB GSR. I'm posting all this to like minded enthusiasts for your enjoyment. You can also follow the build on Instagram: cordiaturbosydney

I've owned it since approx 1993. It was an upgrade from an XY Fairmont 302 Windsor. That 1st ever feeling of turbo boost is like your first root. Unforgetable. By year 2000 that 80s metallic paint had flaked off its clear layer and the respray was on. Only problem was that the girlfriend had bought tickets OS to go backpacking and it didn't get finished in time. It was in thick undercoat, I bought a 20ft container, drained the fluids out, put it on stands and closed the doors. 13 years later, the girlfriend is the wife and I finally get back to Australia.

Storing it in the container wasn't kind to it. The condensate was dripping from the roof and the muffler was a pile of dust on the floor. Anything that could have rusted did! But as the body was straight and intact, then the rebuild was on. Before being stored, the painters had the glass out and had already started the final coat inside the doors and under the bonnet in the original maroon.

Attached is picture the day we pulled it out of the container. The 14x6 Momo's also suffered with corrosion, but still think they suit the car so planning on having them fully reco'ed from Wheels Australia, Vic.

More to follow. Next steps are rebuilds of the brakes, clutch and fuel tank.

Great story mate.

Just like you, I still remember being taken for a drive in my mates cordia back in 90’s, running 20 psi.

It’s true , you never forget such moments. Even today that car would be quick.

That same car, I found after so many years and gave it back to him as a gift, see one of the threads below.

I would love to see your build, as well as many others that are still here.

It also gives others motivation to finish their cars.

13 years is a long time, but it looks like you have a good base to start on.

Best of luck.

Post more pics as you go.

Lets continue! So I'll be rebuilding this car on a shoestring. Usual family and mortgage story.

I love looking at all the tricked up modified Cordias around which I know would haul ass but I've decided to keep it as original as possible. Couple of reasons. Firstly when its finished I want to put it on Historic plates to keep the yearly running costs down to below $300. I have another car on Historic plates and I've spoken to the Club Registrar who said he would happily put the Cordia on H plates (even though its a Mitsi). However the key part is that the Registrars are only allowed to authorise it for H plates so long as the car is un-modified. Besides, I've been doing a lot of Sunday morning Cars and Coffee around Sydney recently and the cars that are really turning heads are the well looked after stockers. You can have highly polished intercooler tubes going everywhere under the hood but people remember how the stock engine bays used to be and it catches something in their mind.

The only mods are really the suspension. It was fitted with big fat KMac sway bars front and rear and I have Koni adjustables on the front struts. But the ride height is only half an inch down on stock so it doesn't looked slammed. The springs are rock hard and I like having close to original ride height in this day and age where you have to go over a million speed humps just before you get to the supermarket.

So its out of the container after 13 years and need to know if the motor still turns. New oil filter, filled it up with oil, squirts of WD40 down the spark plug holes and over she turns. So far so good. But I sense the whol fuel system is going to need a complete workover. There was no noise coming from the fuel pump on ignition. So out with the tank.

OMG what a mess. 243,000kms on the clock and this is what the tank looks like. I uploaded 2 pictures, before and after. The pump was completly siezed so got replaced. The tank internals all out and went in for a soak. I bought one of those fuel tank repainting kits with Marine Clean and etch paint. So hard to clean the internals of the tank and get every bit of rust and dust out. After multiple wash throughs I ended up getting the residual dust into one corner of the tank where I could vacuum it out from. Silver paint goes in, swished around, excess out and then left in the sun for a few days. Good as new...hopefully...

Nice work, Yes I would clean the fuel system before you do anything else.

Going stock on cordia these days is probably the way to go as it will be worth more stock and that’s what people want to see at those shows anyway.

NSW is very different to VIC when it comes to rego, it is way more strict, even with H plates nothing will stop you in Vic to get one if you have the intercooler .

Most people have no idea what setup they come out with anyway.

I have 2 L cyclone dash engine in mine, I will leave as it is, I’ve been getting rid of all 90’s boy racer crap that was on it and going for simple look.

My plan is to have the whole engine black , even with the aftermarket cold air intake, I am planning to modify the stock air box and put the pod in there, that way
It all looks standard.

Any progress?

In September 2001, nearly 17 years ago I packed up my life and moved to the UK with the girlfriend and a backpack. The Cordia was in the middle of a respray. The 80s metallic finish clear coat was perishing fast in the aussie sun and it seemed like the right thing to do. However the airplane tickets had been purchased and all of a sudden the day was approaching. Only thing to do was to purchase a 20ft container and pack the old girl away up in the Blue Mountains.
Well the girlfriend is now the wife and next weekend the GSR gets towed down the mountains and home from exile! The wife and kids have been fully prepped in terms of the space the new arrival will take up in the garage. The 1972 Fiat 500 will have to be parked at work under covers for a year or 2. Check the Fiat out on Instagram fiat500sydney if your interested.
Here is a rough picture I recovered from 20001 when I towed her up the mountains. My Fathers XE Fairmont Holley powered 302 Cleveland doing the work.....
Next update will be pictures of her back on the road.....well on a car trailer at least.....

On the weekend we towed the old girl down from the Blue Mountains and into my garage. Let the games begin.

Step 1 get the car running before she goes into the paint shop. I need to figure out why I am not get 12 volts to the fuel pump.

If you are not getting 12 volt to the fuel pump check the main control relay, it's on the passenger side above the ECU.

From the wiring diagram, I discovered there was a Fuel Pump Check connector. Its got the same black wire with white trace as the rest of the fuel pump wire. I found it next to the brake booster and sure as hell it had 12 volts with the ignition on (to start). Eventually I found that in a previous life someone had wired the line to the back of the car through an old Cobra immobiliser. Once this link was restored bingo alive came the fuel pump. Ready to put some juice in the tank and check all the connections for leaks......with a fire extinguisher handy of course..

Nice, good idea.

Rusted out Engine Coolant pipe - Bit of a setback over the weekend. I was chasing down leaks in the cooling system and when the lower raddiator hose was taken off, the end of the metal pipe that runs along the block behind the turbo was found to be a complete mess. The pictures say it all really. So how to fix it? I'm chasing down that parts Cordia in SA. No response yet. Also possible that I cut off the dodgey end and tig another piece of dia 35mm tube on. I'm still in 2 mind whether or not to repair or find a replacement....

Suggestions anyone?

Can you cut the piece out at the end and weld a new one?

The rest of the rust is hopefully only a surface rust.

To remove rust from the parts without using caustic chemicals, mix 1 part molasses with 9 parts water in a container, then soak the rusty items in it for between several days and two weeks. The solution breaks down the rust.