[ghibli99]

** UPDATE: Well, after almost 9 months of ownership, the STi is no longer. The car has been murder on my lower back and neck, and instead of spend thousands on new suspension/seats, I decided to replace it with an WRX wagon. I got an 06 SGM Limited, and it's been a night and day difference so far. Sure, I miss the pure, primal quality of the STi, but since 99% of my driving is commuting day-to-day, I'm really liking the more refined feel of the wagon. I'm sad because I probably can't post in the Journal area anymore, but I'll drop you guys a line about my car in OT. Thanks for everyone's comments along the way. You'll probably be seeing a huge For Sale list soon in the classifieds here ... if you saw any parts (like the fogs and front lip) that you want, PM me. Anyway, stay tuned. **

Hi all,

I'm pretty green on IWSTI.com, but have been reading it for quite some time. Anyway, I bought my car back in July of 2005 (not too long ago), and the "builder's bug" took a bite out of me without hesitation. I originally justified the purchase in my mind thinking that I wouldn't do much to it since it came well-equipped from the factory. That all went out the window a week after buying it.

This isn't comprehensive by any means, but gives an idea of the path I'm taking.

Here it is, shortly after buying it (stock):


...and another one from the rear:


2 months in, just doing little things here and there:




K&N Typhoon SRI (removed):


STi Genome muffler:


Tein hood dampers:


This is where I am currently (November 2005)...

STi rear side skirts:


JDM front beam/foglight conversion & cleared headlights:


STi V-Limited front lip:






-ghibli99
SV2 Review :: Subaru. Viewpoints. 2quared.

[Nachos Libres]

Looks pretty sweet!

[AndrewSS]

very, very nice !

[wrx_sti300]

Looks awesome.

[ejbpnoy]

looks beautiful, im really liking the rear skirts.

[Whitford]

Lookin good so far..

[ghibli99]

All>
Thanks for the nice comments! I'll be back with updates when everything in the current queue is installed. I love seeing what others have done with their cars, too, so keep up the great work!

-ghibli99
SV2 Review :: Subaru. Viewpoints. 2quared.

[Turboxer]

Nice progression! You car is looking nice and clean. Great work!

[nice-rice]

Wow, looks great man.

[gixxer6]

your car is looking good man, before i bought my car i was telling myself i wasn't going to do much to it either. it doesn't take long for the mod bug to get ya though . btw where did you get the jdm fog lights, they've been on my mod list for a little while now. keep up the good work and keep us updated.

[ghibli99]

Originally Posted by gixxer6

your car is looking good man, before i bought my car i was telling myself i wasn't going to do much to it either. it doesn't take long for the mod bug to get ya though . btw where did you get the jdm fog lights, they've been on my mod list for a little while now. keep up the good work and keep us updated.

gixxer6>
I got my fogs (clear), garnishes, and JDM bumper beam/absorber from www.japanparts.com. Shipping is expensive, but they ship via air, so once it's shipped, you get it within a few business days, which is great. I don't have much patience, so it's worth the extra money to get it fast. Ordering more parts at once makes the charges easier to swallow.

If you get them, can't wait to see what they look like on your car, too! I think they're one of the best front-end mods.

-ghibli99
SV2 Review :: Subaru. Viewpoints. 2quared.

[rasetsu]

Looks great! Lots of JDM OEM goodies!

[Andy STI]

Ghibli, the car looks great. One question though - is the new bumper beam and absorber required when you install JDM fogs?

[ghibli99]

Originally Posted by Andy STI

Ghibli, the car looks great. One question though - is the new bumper beam and absorber required when you install JDM fogs?

Andy STI>
In a nutshell, the JDM fogs will not install on a USDM car without moderate modification to the bumper beam.

To save money, lots of people cut their USDM bumper beam to accommodate the larger JDM foglamp assemblies (this is why the foglights you buy from the dealers here in the US are smaller and set low in the garnish).

Since I don't have the tools to do this, and also because the JDM beam and absorber aren't that expensive, it made sense to just buy everything.

This may be stretching it a bit, but the JDM beam takes a significant amount of weight off the front tip of your car, so there is probably a very mild improvement to the car's handling due to the weight reduction. Don't quote me on that, but that was my impression after witnessing first-hand the size/weight difference between the JDM and USDM beams.

-ghibli99
SV2 Review :: Subaru. Viewpoints. 2quared.

[gixxer6]

^^^ yeah you are right about the JDM bumper beam helping the handling of the car. i think there are a few people who have added the JDM beam just for that reason, not even installed the fog lights.