[caveguru]

New Pictures in Post 101!

Post describing each install/review is listed next to item description. Feel free to ask questions!

Picked up the car on 6/25 at the dealer with 26 miles on it.

Plan for the car is to build it into a high-hp DD street/track car. I'm now looking to sell or swap my '02 for a rally-prepped wrx sedan.

What's done:
tint, tails, and lamin-x front
UR flaps on front
275/35/18 Bridgestone 960 A/S's on TRM MT1 18"x9.5" +45mm rims *post 13
rear fenders rolled
Perrin 22mm RSB *post 17
Perrin 22mm FSB
HIR high beam bulbs *post 17
Deka 15.5 lb battery
Cobb stage 2, 93 oct
WL steering rack bushings *post 22
WL rear camber adjustment bushings *post 34/41
Kartboy rear subframe bushings *post 35
WL rear diff bushings *post 35
WL ALK kit *post 36/41
WL Roll Center Kit *post 51
KW Clubsport coilovers with 8 kg/mm springs all around *post 51
Cusco OS front strut brace *post 64
Group A crank and alternator pulleys *post 73 incl. why not P/S
"D" shifter bushing per TiC diagram *post 79
GMS turbo inlet hose *post 79
TurboXS DP w/ P&L catted adaptor, both coated and wrapped *post 79
borrowed Perrin cat-back exhaust *post 79

Goodridge lines, Motul fluid, and EBC Yellow pads *post 98
Enkei RC-T4 wheels in 18x9 +35mm with Dunlop Z1 Star Spec tires in 255/35/18 *post 101
custom brick edge front lip

Next week:
custom side skirt extensions

Awaiting installation:
Carbonetics twin plate cf clutch
taller 5th and 6th gear
headers (Perrin EL)(painting)
UP (P)(painting)

Coming soon:
cooling ducts (not on market?)
intake (still deciding- AEM? Maybe a custom 3" design)

Stage 2 protune delayed until I have a CAI.

Some time over the winter I hope to complete a GT30/35R transformation with meth, pistons, and cams. The clutch is in preparation for this jump. Target is 450 whp w/ meth and a top mount.

Thanks to Subaru for finally making an STI wagon.

Thanks to all the people that have designed, manufactured, and sold parts for the subaru community over the years, allowing me to buy a perfectly good new car and mod the s*** out of it in less than a month...ok. maybe over a month, but pretty dang quick.

Frank

Just after arrival:

[caveguru]

For use in comparisons, here's what's been done to my '02:

2002 black WRX wagon
~70k miles
stock engine, clutch, tranny, and turbo
stage 2 Cobb ots map
Cobb UP, catted DP
Greddy EVO2 exhaust on KB hangers
front and rear shifter bushings
Perrin short-shift adaptor on stock lever
Airborne Automotive crank and alternator pulleys
Samco intercooler hoses
Perrin turbo inlet and afta-MAF hoses
drop-in STI air filter
ebay homemade grounding kit
Deka 11lb battery
stock calipers with SS lines, Motul 600
front pads vary, either EBC yellow, DS3000, or HT10
rear pads are ebc yellow (I think)
front rotors vary, currently $28 Autozone rotors, were Powerslot cryo'd
fogs replaced with cooling ducts and hose running to RCE ducts on hubs
(Cibie 100W driving lights temporarily removed)
front 10-point aluminum brace ala GT spec
aluminum 1/8" front skid plate
rear Superpro outrigger bushings
Hotchkis "street" sway bar set (~22 front and rear eqv) (rear set to middle)
Front and rear Perrin STI endlinks
DMS 40mm coilovers with 220F/220R springs, set to 4 clicks from full hard, at least one damper (FL) partly blown
front Eibach camber plates
Ride height ~1" lower F, 0.5" lower R (car is *raked*)
converted to sedan front fenders and bumper
custom brick-edge moulding lip
rear fenders rolled flat and slightly pulled
converted to '04 STI steering rack w/WL bushings and STI ps pump
installed '04 STI front LCA's
sedan front and rear axles
Perrin rear lateral links set to ~05 STI rear track
interior removed behind front seats (spare is patch kit)
Recaro Profi SPG XL drivers seat
street: OEM wheels w/ 205 Pilot A/S's
track: 17x7.5" RPF1 w/ 225 Bridgestone RE-01R's
dirt: 15x8" TD ProRally1 w/ 17/65-15 Michelin ZAL/ZAR81's
Camber: -2.6 L/R in front, -1.6 L/R in rear
Caster: 4.6 L/R in front
Toe: 0 all around, or as close as possible (maybe 0.02 total error)

handling is very neutral on this car. Track behavior is extremely predictable and easy to drive until I overheat the brakes and tires (20-30 minutes on a tight course). Car feels very nimble with all the mods and ~2970 lb weight. Could use more power, bigger tires, better dampers, and bigger brakes if I were to continue to use it on the track. Instead, car is probably going to get a rally cage, suspension, brakes, etc. and used in rally events.

Frank

Here's a shot of the '02 in all it's beater glory. Afraid I don't have many pictures of this car:

[KarlSTI]

Frank, looks good. Wow, can't leave well enough alone, eh?

275 sounds awfully wide for DD to me for some reason. Also, your tune date is 6/17....is that next year?

[caveguru]

Originally Posted by KarlSTI

Frank, looks good. Wow, can't leave well enough alone, eh?

275 sounds awfully wide for DD to me for some reason. Also, your tune date is 6/17....is that next year?

Oops, yeah- July is the seventh month of the year...

Frank

[Nativepenguin]

Good picture!

[AcquaCow]

To update... just so that I can steal some of Frank's thunder...

I rolled Frank's 08 STi tonight and we put the +48 18x8.5 MT1's on with his 275 width RE960s. Rear clearances just fine, no issue. Front, at full lock has about 1/4in max between the edge of the tread and the front fender liner.

Just to explain that a little better... At full left lock, the front right tire, where the outer sidewall turns into tread, you have no more than 1/4in of space between the tire and the front fender liner with this wheel/tire setup. You have a little more room by the firewall, but not much.

Frank will post pics =)

-- Dave

[RFFG]

Moar pics!!

[paikman]

Grats man, looking forward to seeing another OBP around at meets and what not.

Originally Posted by AcquaCow

Just to explain that a little better... At full left lock, the front right tire, where the outer sidewall turns into tread, you have no more than 1/4in of space between the tire and the front fender liner with this wheel/tire setup. You have a little more room by the firewall, but not much.

Frank will post pics =)

-- Dave

I highlighted where I have the most chance to rub, but it hasn't yet. Is this the same region where you're seeing the tight clearance? there's a small notch for a piece of the fender lining that sticks out by where it meets the bumper

[caveguru]

^^^ same area, just a bit lower and just inside- part of the plastic of the fender liner.

Originally Posted by AcquaCow

I rolled Frank's 08 STi tonight

-- Dave

Ahhh, that would be the fenders that got rolled, although the car almost got hit by a tree that fell on the road during a 15 minute window.

Some preliminary info:

As the manufacturers claim, the 19.5 lb MT1's and 30 lb 275's weighed a combined 49.5 lbs each, which should be roughly 2 pounds less than the stock setup. The car feels pretty hefty now though, as the weight has shifted substantially from the rim out towards the tread.

The rear fender was rolled substantially to make room for wider tires later. For now, the 275's have plenty of room both inside and outside. 295's would fit right now, and 315's might fit with a bit more persuasion.

The fronts will be more of a problem. There's at least 1/2" to the shock, but I haven't dialed in any camber or installed coilovers yet. As Dave said, with the +45 wheel and 275 tires, the front outside edge of the tire is almost hitting the fender liner. It's only at the bottom of the fender liner, though, so lowering the car will not make it worse. Adjusting the caster using something like the Perrin PSRS on the LCA will make this worse. Remember all this is with 275/35/18's, which Bridgestone claims are 25.6" diameter, or .1" less than stock. If 295/30/18's are used, they are around 25.1", so you gain a little room there.

My last comment is that 275's are just wrong, especially as DD tires. This is going to be fun.

Frank

[T3h_Clap]

why only an 8.5" wheel?

guys are running 275s on 9.5s without issue.

[caveguru]

Originally Posted by T3h_Clap

why only an 8.5" wheel?

guys are running 275s on 9.5s without issue.

minor oops there- they are 9.5's. Although I'd think it would be a bigger accomplishment to fit 275's on 8.5's and then track the car.

Frank

[T3h_Clap]

alright so where are the pics?

[caveguru]

ok, ok, pictures here:

left side:

right rear:

one wheel:

one more: (the factory wheel was still installed up front when this photo was taken)


I don't have a picture of the inside front wheel well for some reason. I'll get it soon.

Frank

[caveguru]

Originally Posted by paikman

Grats man, looking forward to seeing another OBP around at meets and what not.

no doubt. I'll be at summit point a bunch.

Originally Posted by paikman

I highlighted where I have the most chance to rub, but it hasn't yet. Is this the same region where you're seeing the tight clearance? there's a small notch for a piece of the fender lining that sticks out by where it meets the bumper

Yeah, I see yours is lowered so the close spot is higher in the fender well. I also discovered that I just barely rub the inside edge of the front mudflap when backing up near full lock. Springs arrived today, sway bars coming Thursday, so it's install time this weekend, then alignment next week. I'll probably just max out the fronts with the factory bolts- maybe -1.5?? The 275's have also magnified a slight pull to the left from the factory (dealer?) alignment.

Stopped at the Ferrari garage near Andrewtech- you know some F430's only have 215/275 from the factory??

Frank

[paikman]

hey i have that problem too with the UR's so does spaceman.. I think it needs a smaller bolt/washer combo...it just barely rubs on the head of the bolt only sporadically..
your setup looks really good man!