[Singletrack]

Well I'm sitting here laid up after a pretty bad knee surgery (don't worry I have drugs) and I thought it would be nice to post up some pics of my car.

Some of the first pics:





One of the first road trips – got treated to some incredible motorcycle action. The wheelie was the simplest thing they actually did : )



With the winter wheels/tires:







What she looks like now:

Bosal twin tip:



My V1 remote mute button:



Gloss black paint by Wheel Collision on the stock BBS wheels:





New STi decals by rallydecals.com, the car also has 30% Johnson metallic tint:





Stuff that has been done to the car (updated as things are added):

-Knocklink installed
-Alpine CDA-9813 HU with KCA-420i Ipod interface
-MB QUART RCE 216 installed with spacers from IAperformance.com
-Subaru factory underseat subwoofer
-Hardwired V1 with remote mute button and remote display hidden behind stock factory clock location
-Red HVAC controls and ignition ring
-Bosal 3” twin-tip exhaust (removed)
-Black stock wheels painted by wheelcollision in bath, pa
-Bronze Rota SDRs (custom silver center caps w 225/45-17 Dunlop Wintersport M2s (now M3s) for the winter
-Mcguard lugs
-30% Metallic Johnson tint done by Auto Effects (the best IMO) in Monaca, PA
-2005 shift knob – looks so much nicer than the 04 IMO
-Baked/cleared headlights with sprayed turn signal bulbs(front and back)
-Homemade grounding kit
-Autospeed front STi plate cover and dead pedal
-AMS 5w30 year round
-Stoptech SS brake lines
-ATE super blue
-Defi Boost Gauge
-Defi Oil Temp Gauge
-Airbag module dyed black
-Blitz Nur Spec Touring exhaust
-SPT intake and heatshield (removed)
-SPT battery hold down and oil filler cap
-Black kartboy exhaust hangers
-Greddy Informeter
-STi V Limited front spoiler

The car has about 29k miles on it right now and I picked it up in 8/03 (6/03 build date). I drive it daily to and from work and also try to get out on the weekends when possible. Overall it has been extremely reliable with the only issue being the replacement of both rear struts for the infamous "strut clunk". I drive the car extremely hard at times and it performs flawlessly. I really couldn't be much happier with my purchase.

That's about all I can think of/write about at the moment. I just wanted to say how much I enjoy this site and overall* the maturity of the posters here. Discussions rarely degenerate into the web board flame fests that I have witnessed on quite a few other online communities.

[gixxer6]

car looks great, i love the 3rd pic with the bike riding a whellie those stock bbs's painted black look really good especaily on silver

[Singletrack]

Originally Posted by gixxer6

car looks great, i love the 3rd pic with the bike riding a whellie those stock bbs's painted black look really good especaily on silver

Thanks! Yah my good friend who drives a WRB STi took that pic from my back seat. As for the wheels, this car was my motivation:

[max05sti]

nice car man...where did you mount your V1???

[nice-rice]

Sweet car man, those wheels look great.

[Singletrack]

Originally Posted by max05sti

nice car man...where did you mount your V1???

Thanks bro! The V1 is mounted right above the rearview mirror. It is one of the later-gen ones so it is slightly slimmer and it just fits. I then ran the cable around the headliner, down the pillar, behind the glove box, and then behind the headunit/center console. From there I have the mute button wired to the control stalk and the remote display where the factory clock use to be. I'd take a pic, but I'm sort of immobilized at the moment : )

I picked up the mute button from a guy on Audiworld (http://www.toyguydesign.com) and here is the wiring diagram for putting the remote mute button inline while still keeping the remote display:



Let me know if you have any questions!

[mike_]

The funny thing about this is that I *always* have guys on crotch rockets pulling wheelies around my STi. Must be the wing.

[esemes]

Originally Posted by mike_

The funny thing about this is that I *always* have guys on crotch rockets pulling wheelies around my STi. Must be the wing.

bro...

please........ *sportbikes*........ is a much less derogitive term for superbike/streetbikes.....


just picking on ya!! (14 year rider myself)

-ese


ps- i too have bikes trying to show me how their bike has a lb/weight ratio less than 70% smaller than us.....

[boostedscooby]

^^ this is happening to me also.


btw . Great looking STi i love the black wheels

[TRM]

nysh!

[Singletrack]

Thanks for all the compliments guys.

Here is a picture of where I installed the aftermarket BOSCH knock sensor:



The large metal object in the lower left hand corner of the screen is the BPV - to give you a perspective. The sensor itself has the black and brown wires coming from the harness. The bracket above the knock sensor holds a hard coolant line which runs to the throttle body.

In order to install the sensor you need to take the oem bolt out of the hole in the block that holds the bracket. The stock bolt is M8-1.25x30. Now the new bolt will obviously have to be long enough to accomodate the sensor height as well. Simply measure the width of the sensor before you start disassembly and pick up the appropriate screw at the local hardware or autoparts store. The correct tightening torque per the 04 STi manual is 24 N-m or 17.4 ft-lb. In order to get the sensor UNDER the bracket you need to bend the bracket. To do this I held the bracket, and bent it by inserting a 1/4" extension into the hole and slowly prying it until the sensor fit underneath it properly.

The only other thing you need to do is remove the intercooler to get access which also involves removing the intercooler hose from the compressor side of the turbo and the BPV from the front of the intercooler. There are 2 bolts on the BPV (16N-m, 11.6 ft-lb), 2 bolts on either side of the intercooler on rubber gaskets, and 3 hose clamps (2 on the inlet to the throttle body) and one on the hose coming from the compressor outlet. DO NOT remove both the clamps on the throttle body inlet hose. It is waaaay eaiser to get the intercooler back in with the hose in the same location. I left the clamp on the TB side and this worked well for me.

To reinstall the intercooler get it wedged back in there (you will see what I mean). I used some car shampoo on the compressor outlet hose to make sure that it slid right onto the turbo without issue. After you get that squared up, it is easier to get the throttle body hose lined up with the intercooler.

I'm bored so I thought I would document this : )

The instructions for the actual wiring of the knocklink come with the unit, so you should be all set there. There is a rubber passthrough behind the pedals that you can use for wiring. I have my knocklink installed in the ashtray area of the center console. I ran the harness under the ashtray itself. Take a look and you can figure it out. Soon I'll be remotely mounting the LEDs in a better location. Others have documented this procedure at various sites - basically just soldering lines to the board and getting some LEDs and holders.

[Singletrack]

A couple of new things I did recently:

Black airbag module:



Defi boost gauge:

[TRM]

Chris, who's Audi is in your garage?

[UltimateLurker]

JDM floor mats? Saweeeet.

[Singletrack]

Originally Posted by TRM

Chris, who's Audi is in your garage?

My girlfriend has a B6 1.8T. I smoke my clutch anytime I have to drive that then come back to the STi ; )