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Discussion starter · #241 · (Edited)
Re: Gabby the N�rburgring Challenge STi: C3 x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davis




You better believe it's happening guys!!!!

Be sure to follow Kevin@C3 Composites at the following social media outlets to see exclusive pictures before they are released here on my journal:

C3 Composites Facebook Page
C3 Composites Instagram

 
Re: Gabby the NĂĽrburgring Challenge STi: C3 x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davis

WAIT A MIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I totally missed this, you found the Top Secret Long version tow hook!?!?!? I needed another one!!!!! HELP ME!
 
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Discussion starter · #243 · (Edited)
Re: Gabby the N�rburgring Challenge STi: C3 x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davis

Kevin @C3 is making some great progress on this Nurburgring bumper project. It is coming along really well guys, and I'm so excited for the final outcome...












Be sure to follow Kevin@C3 Composites at the following social media outlets:

C3 Composites Facebook Page
C3 Composites Instagram

 
Discussion starter · #245 · (Edited)
Re: Gabby the N�rburgring Challenge STi: C3 x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davis

This car is slowly giving me the shivers in the best way.
It gives me shivers too every time I think about her Alqasim :lol:


Alright, so Kevin@C3 has been making some serious progress on the car...










I'm beyond thrilled with how things are progressing with the car...Kevin@C3 is definitely giving this project his all, and it is clear how well it is turning out!


Be sure to follow Kevin@C3 Composites at the following social media outlets:

C3 Composites Facebook Page
C3 Composites Instagram

 
Discussion starter · #246 · (Edited)
Re: Gabby the N�rburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

Hey guys,

Hope you all are doing well.

I'm going to take a little break from the Nurburgring bumper project and share with you all another interesting project that's in the works.


So I've always wanted a Rear Fog Light for Gabby, however the only true "plug-and-play" option to go with is the Liberal route, where I would need to purchase the diffuser to run it.
Here's how the Liberal diffuser looks on my good friend and fellow IWSTI member: "canadianwrxsti" Quincy's car :








Don't get me wrong it's a beautiful diffuser, I really just love my Varis diffuser and plan on keeping it!

So what do we do now? :confused:

Well there is the route to get a EU-spec Rear Taillight and have the Rear Fog Light built-into it...but I'm not really a fan of that either...picky I know lol.

Ok so last option is to get creative. A few years ago, I stumbled on here and on NASIOC and found some guy in British Columbia with a white STi hatch who was running a DIY rear fog light!!
Here's some pictures of it on his car:








:eek: Looks amazing to say the least! :cool:

His username on both forums is "rcubed" and is what really inspired the creativity to one day give it a shot. So fast forward to now...I've definitely been thinking about taking the plunge and doing it.

This is essentially the area that will need to be cut:






Now I didn't want to experiment first on my car, so I decided to purchase a used spare rear bumper:




So with the rear bumper purchased now begins the search of a fog light that will fit in there.

I took measurements and will be looking online for some quality options that have the appropriate dimensions to fit in that tiny area.

Also, I stumbled on this picture online:




Both the above and rcubed's rear bumper has no "shroud" to clean up the area. The last thing I want to see is cut plastic when I have this done. One thing I fell in love with was how the Liberal diffuser had a shroud to clean up the area:




I will be working with Kevin@C3 Composites to design a Carbon Fiber shroud for the cut-up plastic area to clean it up...because who doesn't like Carbon Fiber :lol: :tup:


Be sure to follow Kevin@C3 Composites at the following social media outlets:

C3 Composites Facebook Page
C3 Composites Instagram





Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for some more big updates coming up!
 
Re: MSI x Ron Davis x KillerB x IAG x ARC x Recaro x Varis - Alex Introduces...Gabby

Mate,

I am interested in purchasing this group N shifter and wonder how you are getting on with it? I am trying to choose between this and the STi shifter which seems to get mixed reviews, although my car is a daily driver.

Cheers
Adrian


Hey everyone, I got another update to share.

This update takes place towards the end of November. This particular update will be a bit shorter, but is one that is pretty unique.

Let me first start off with a non-car part that I purchased, which I thought would be a MUST-SHARE with you all.

As many of you know, I love collecting rare JDM parts/memorabilia. You have seen me post my Top Secret Japan 2001 Jacket, but this one in particular is pretty cool… ARC Parts Catalogue.

I saw on a special ARC Facebook group the owner of Origin Fabrication, Mark, post up the ARC Great Masters Choice Vol.1 Catalogue. The collectors were going crazy over this, and I knew I had to have it. Mark helped me out on the price due to a previous communication error, which was very kind of him, as there were multiple higher offers. Glad to have gotten the opportunity to purchase a collector’s item that this Catalogue is.

Enjoy the pictures:

[URL=http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y413/E92_M3Rei/DSC_5868_zpsrppikxii.jpg]Image Link
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[URL=http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y413/E92_M3Rei/DSC_5869_zpscpcncurs.jpg]Image Link
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Now onto the teaser picture…way back when on Marc’s LP700R journal, I vividly remember Marc purchased something super unique, that most, if not all of us had never heard of…Tommi Mäkinen GroupN Short Throw Shift Linkage System (35010ZR010).

I knew when I saw that post, I had to have it, and really complete my Drivetrain modifications. I actually lost track about this part for quite some time, and only really remembered about it when I was perusing through Marc’s journal in November.

A special thank-you goes to Marc for being one of the inspirations for my build. Marc always looked to push the boundaries for this platform, and this is one of the many parts that was influenced by his LP700R build. In case you’ve never seen Marc’s car, here’s a picture of it and the link to his journal:

[URL=http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y413/E92_M3Rei/Marcs%20LP700R_zpsfaa6zhtc.jpg]Image Link
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[URL=http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y413/E92_M3Rei/Social%20Media%20Outlets%20Logos/Website%20Logo_zpsdib2jcdt.png]Image Link
[/URL]Marc’s IWSTI LP700R Journal


I decided to purchase this part through JapanParts as they had it in stock, ready to go. I’m sure we can all agree that JapanParts is nothing short of awesome, I just love dealing with them. Even though this was my first purchase from them, I’ve interacted with Yuki@JapanParts countless times over email to inquire about some rare JDM parts lol…but I’m glad to finally be a client and I know I will definitely be buying more from them in the future.


Please find my formal review for Japan Parts:

Quality: 10/10 ... This Tommi Mäkinen GroupN Short Throw Shift Linkage System (35010ZR010) is noticeably sturdier than the OEM piece. Here’s a photo comparison of the OEM Shift Linkage System vs. the Tommi Mäkinen GroupN version:
**Photo borrowed from JPNBUY (Top Shelf Japan Parts).

[URL=http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y413/E92_M3Rei/Tommi%20vs%20OEM%20Differences%20Updated_zpsjfpdavrm.jpg]Image Link
[/URL]



Turnaround: 5/5 ... This part arrived I believe 1 week after I placed the order. I don’t think I’ve ever received a part from Japan that fast. :lol: This goes to show that JapanParts was very quick to ensure that once the part was purchased, it was ready to go out for shipping ASAP.

Communication: 10/10 ... Yuki as previously mentioned has been wonderful to interact with. All of my questions were answered promptly given the time differences. Yuki explained what the part was, and ensured that I was getting the best service possible, and that they were doing everything they could to satisfy my inquiry.

Shipping/Packaging: 5/5 ... This part was very well packaged from Subaru. There was tons of protective packaging to ensure that my part was not damaged…plus, who doesn’t like reading Japanese newspapers :lol:

Overall Experience: 10/10 ... I’m more than happy with my Japan Parts purchase experience. They always deliver exceptional customer service to ensure that all consumers and clients have their needs met. I don’t think my experience could have any better…great job Japan Parts!


Now for the pictures! Enjoy:


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[URL=http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y413/E92_M3Rei/DSC_5860_zps8gnyl9m3.jpg]Image Link
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[URL=http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y413/E92_M3Rei/DSC_5862_zpsblhkhtry.jpg]Image Link
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[URL=http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y413/E92_M3Rei/DSC_5863_zps4ioza9jw.jpg]Image Link
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[URL=http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y413/E92_M3Rei/DSC_5865_zpsym9qdq3q.jpg]Image Link
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Be sure to check out Japan Parts at the following links:

[URL=http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y413/E92_M3Rei/Social%20Media%20Outlets%20Logos/Website%20Logo_zpsdib2jcdt.png]Image Link
[/URL]Japan Parts Website
[URL=http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y413/E92_M3Rei/Social%20Media%20Outlets%20Logos/Facebook%20Logo_zpsmlplkvuo.jpg]Image Link
[/URL]Japan Parts Facebook Page

[URL=http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y413/E92_M3Rei/Company%20Logos/Japanparts.com%20Logo_zpsscwdaer0.jpg]Image Link
[/URL]


Thank-you all for stopping by! Before I leave, I’m going to conclude with 2 things:

1) A couple years ago, one of my best friends and fellow IWSTI member: “canadianwrxsti,” Quincy, visited the Subaru headquarters in Japan. While there, he got a private tour of the secret museum that houses some of the most famous Subarus of all time. Many of us are very familiar with the S206 Nurburgring 24hr. Challenge STi…mainly because of that front bumper. I’d like to share with you all a picture that I drool over on a daily basis:

[URL=http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y413/E92_M3Rei/16256212409_ddc444682a_o_zpsefhf1l4j.jpg]Image Link
[/URL]

More pictures of this car will be posted in the next update…again thank-you to Quincy for capturing this beautiful car in person, and making me aware of this back in 2015, as I hadn’t heard of it at the time.


2) Enjoy this teaser picture of what’s to come for Gabby:

[URL=http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y413/E92_M3Rei/DSC_5871_zpsgyoftsit.jpg]Image Link
[/URL]
 
Discussion starter · #249 · (Edited)
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

Mate,

I am interested in purchasing this group N shifter and wonder how you are getting on with it? I am trying to choose between this and the STi shifter which seems to get mixed reviews, although my car is a daily driver.

Cheers
Adrian

Thanks for the question Adrian...without spoiling it right away because one of the upcoming write-ups will be a review of it with video footage, I can honestly say it is well worth it! It is such a direct and precise option, and the entire mechanism itself is improved/efficient.




Alright so it's update time!

So in case you forgot, I sold my ARC Titanium Alternator Cover over 1 year ago. Now you're probably thinking, "Why would Alex do that, it looked nice in his engine bay?" And you're totally right, I LOVED having it...the problem however was that it interfered with my OEM oil dipstick.




Everytime I needed to check the oil, I would have to remove the cover, and it just became such a hassle that I sold it; I've regretted that decision since. I haven't regretted the hassle part, but I regret that I couldn't figure out another option to make it work.

I considered a bunch of options that made sense in my mind, like relocate the oil dipstick (if that's even possible...remember I'm not a technical guy, so I'm not even sure if that would be possible, I just know I pay the bills) :lol:

So anyways, I never really considered the option of "modifying" the Titanium Alternator Cover. See there is a part of it that could be modified to hopefully allow for more clearance...the kicker...the coveted ARC Titanium Alternator Cover would have to be cut!!! NO! DID ALEX SAY CUT THE HOLY GRAIL OF ALTERNATOR COVERS! GRAB THE PITCHFORKS!!!!
Wait wait! Please hear me out...as crazy as this idea sounds, it just might work. :lol:

So I purchased the ARC Titanium Alternator Cover on a whim from a gentleman named Nick. Interesting story was I tried searching online, and normally I'm pretty good at finding the rarest of the rare parts. For the life of me though, I couldn't find anyone selling an ARC Alternator Cover, one did come up but it was in extremely beat up condition that was not salvageable (I considered trying too btw) :lol:
So I started getting a tiny bit desperate...what did I do you may ask? I went onto the ARC Magic group that I'm a part of, and searched for Sold listings of the ARC Alternator Cover, and reached out to any person that commented in it, as they may have been the ones who purchased them at the time of the listing.
And that's when I stumbled upon reaching out to Nick. Funny enough Nick had literally just posted his ARC Alternator Cover on the local forum of his, and what a coincidence that me not even knowing him or seeing his listing, that I randomly message him asking if he has one available!! It must've been fate lol...the ARC gods were talking to me! :lol:
Anyways, so Nick was selling his because he recently bought one that was in much better condition than the one he had, so he decided to sell his "worse" condition one.
His one had some evident flaws, but I knew that it could be repaired, not to mention I was going to go to town on it anyways...so I purchased it from him.

Very special thanks to Nick for allowing me the opportunity to be reunited with one of my favourite parts of all time! Most importantly as always, I met a really cool guy and made a friend out of it...after all, that's what this community is about right...cars are temporary, friends last a lifetime!
I hope you all enjoy the pictures of it:


























So as you can see from the pictures, there are a few areas of wear-and-tear /damage that are of concern, but here is my plan:

  1. Fix the areas of concern
  2. (The purpose of this whole plan): Figure out a way to address the clearance issue with the oil dipstick.

Based on this plan, I needed to find someone locally who has experience working with titanium...I knew just the person to reach:Matt@GT Customs.

Matt came HIGHLY recommended by my friends and people online for titanium work; and there's not too many people in Toronto who are capable, let alone can get top notch results working with titanium.

So I gave Matt a call, super awesome guy; very chill, humble, and even better he's Portuguese so he's got to be good :lol:

I presented him the following idea:












The actual burn theme, I wanted to go with something along these lines:




So now in terms of the picture showing where we are going to cut (the "X" area), I am really hoping that by cutting off that area and keeping the edge of it, when we weld the edge back on closer to the vented part, that it will provide me with enough clearance for my IAG Oil Dipstick...fingers crossed! This has never been done before, so I'm happy to pioneer this project and give GR owners some hope that they can achieve this too!

I know for a fact I got the best person doing the job, and am so happy to have Matt a part of my journal!

Be sure to check out Matt at the following links for some more of his amazing work:

GT Customs Facebook Page
Matt's Instagram Page




Alright next part of the update is VERY VERY special!

Back in January, one of my best friends, fellow IWSTI member, and owner of the BADDEST/BEST GR STi where a lot of my inspiration comes from, Quincy (canadianwrxsti) went to Tokyo Auto Salon (TAS). This is his second time going to TAS and I remember last year he went, he scored a bunch of sweet JDM goodies. I knew that I had to ask that he pick up one of the last pieces of the puzzle for Gabby's exterior.

The only hint I'm giving you is it's carbon fiber, it's made by a very JDM grassroots company, and Quincy not only got it for his car last year at TAS, but also got to meet the owners of the company that sells this...still no clue??
L'aunsport Carbon Fiber Window Vents!!!!
Now I had a very special request for Quincy...while at TAS, he's got to get a picture of him with the owner of L'aunsport with the window vents!!
Quincy happily took care of this request for me, and got a really great picture of him with the CEO of L'aunsport and the CEO's son:




When Quincy returned home from Vancouver, he shipped out the L'aunsport Carbon Fiber Window Vents, and told me he had a couple of surprises for me in the box...surprises...I LOVE surprises!!
I'll be honest, it was probably the longest 2 weeks of waiting for it to arrive at my house from Vancouver to Toronto...I couldn't control my excitement for the part, but also the surprise?

Well it arrived, and let me tell you, the surprise was well worth it; it had so much sentimental value, and really goes to show the friendships that this car has privileged me to have. Quincy is one of my best friends and he wrote a very thoughtful and heartfelt letter to me about our journey as friends, and how this whole thing with my car is a journey too and to be patient with everything. He touched on how these window vents symbolize and bring back really great memories he had this year in Japan at TAS. I called Quincy via video chat to thank-him and I came to tears of joy after we disconnected because of the thought and time that went into this letter, and how GREAT of a friend he is...I'm so blessed and fortunate to have you as Gabby's biggest inspiration, and one of my biggest inspirations and role models. You've made such an impact on my life and I'm so grateful to call you a best friend and brother!

This will hands-down be my favourite write-up of all time, so Quincy this one is specially dedicated to you! Thanks for always pushing me and encouraging me to be a better human being. I always got your back buddy!

Enjoy the pics guys:








Oh and did I forget, Quincy threw in some JDM candies!!




















I don't believe there is any clearcoat on these (See picture below), so I'm going to give them a good polish to make them pop again, and then get them clear bra'd.




What's cool about these window vents is that they've literally travelled around the world as Quincy travelled with them from Tokyo to Bangkok to Osaka :lol:


The last part of this update will address something pretty cool and unique that I purchased back in February...it's the JDM STi Gas Cap!

I actually never knew this existed, I always wanted the Top Secret Gas Cap, however they were discontinued somewhat recently. This one actually seems to be identical, just with an STi badge.

Now this one is pretty banged up, and it's debatable whether or not it can be salvaged. At the end of the day, I took a chance on this and got in touch with a gentleman named Juan to inquire.
It turns out he not only has this cap, but he also has the other Top Secret ones too!!!




Such a sweet collection of Gas Caps!! A very special thank-you goes to Juan for giving me the opportunity to buy this sweet part. I'm really glad to have met you and made a friend from the transaction. I'm hoping this isn't the last transaction we do, because you know my eyes are on that Gold Top Secret Gas Cap. ;) I'm going to be taking it to JP@StrippingTechnologies to give it his best shot at restoring this to as good condition as possible.

Enjoy the pictures:


















And this is how it will look installed:





Thank-you all for stopping by and joining me along this journey! Here's a small little teaser of what's going on with the Nurburgring Bumper Project:



 
Re: Gabby the NĂĽrburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

Wow nice parts! I got the Zerosports/East Cloud carbon fiber gas cap which is freaking cool!!! I asked before, but I will ask again, do you have any connections with ANYONE for the Top Secret Ti Tow hook? I need ONE freaking more for the rear of my car.:mad:
 
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Discussion starter · #251 · (Edited)
Re: Gabby the NĂĽrburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

Wow nice parts! I got the Zerosports/East Cloud carbon fiber gas cap which is freaking cool!!! I asked before, but I will ask again, do you have any connections with ANYONE for the Top Secret Ti Tow hook? I need ONE freaking more for the rear of my car.:mad:
Mr. Chris, I love that Zerosports Carbon Fiber gas cap!!

Haha I do have the connections buddy...I'll ask around and see what I can pull up. ;)


UPDATE TIME!!!!

It is my pleasure to present the final outcome of the NĂĽrburgring bumper project. Let me just first start by saying that this project was a dream of mine over 2 years ago back in 2015 when Quincy showed me pictures of his trip to Japan.

I seriously wanted this bumper the moment I set eyes on it. As I've mentioned, Subaru Japan didn't want to sell them to me off the car (understandable), and APR didn't want to make them for me.

I'm so happy that I met Kevin, and had him build this for me and make my dreams a reality. All I'm going to say is that anything is possible! Kevin literally built this entire project from scratch. I printed a bunch of pictures of the NĂĽrburgring STi, bought a spare bumper, gave him my fog lights and fog light covers to get an idea of the area's shape/curvature.

There were no templates people!!! Kevin took the pictures I gave him, and "went to town" on that spare bumper and made this project happen!

What this project taught me was patience is a virtue; I waited well over 2 years for this project to be finalized to where we are today. Who are we kidding, I'm still impatient when it comes to car parts, but this was a good experience for me to let the master (Kevin) do his thing!

I hope you enjoy the pictures of the project, tape is being used on the fog light housings for demonstration purposes, but those will be sealed in carbon once it gets installed on my actual bumper:
























I want to give a very special thank-you to Kevin@C3 for his continuous hardwork, dedication, and perseverance. Ladies and gents I'm telling you, this project was no "walk in the park" for Kevin. From what he's told me, it was a very challenging process, not to mention it had to meet his very high standards. Both he and I are ecstatic with the outcome and I hope you will appreciate it if you do ever see it in person because it's pretty incredible!

Don't think I'm letting Kevin off the hook, we still have many more carbon projects for Gabby in the works, and judging by the pics, a Carbon Chassis-Mounted Racing Splitter "might" be coming soon. ;)

Be sure to follow Kevin@C3 Composites at the following social media outlets:

C3 Composites Facebook Page
C3 Composites Instagram





Thank-you for stopping by, and please stay tuned for more big updates; still a long way to go with Gabby, and she is very excited to sport the NĂĽrburgring bumper and have the title as the 1st Street NĂĽrburgring STi in the world!
 
Discussion starter · #252 · (Edited)
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

Hey everyone,

Hope you are all doing well and enjoying the summer…it’s update time!

This update takes place in both February and March and both were quite eventful months to say the least. First lets start off with my time with my dad and uncle at the Toronto International Auto Show. As you know, I go every year with these two and we always have a great time both at the Auto Show looking at the cars, and grabbing food afterwards at new places!

This year’s Auto Show was pretty good, definitely not the best, but still enjoyable. Please enjoy some pictures of my favorite cars this year:
















As you know Porsche 911s are my favourite cars of all time…especially the Cup cars.


Alright so lets continue this update with some recent purchases that were made in March:

I purchased some OMP One-S Racing Shoes from a local race-oriented shop called Paragon Competition. I have pretty big feet (Size 12/13) and this was the only shoe that they had in stock, and the owner of Paragon, Joe, goes to me, “Alex, your feet have some pretty expensive taste!” :lol:
These shoes are made with Kangaroo Leather and are FIA-Approved.




They look amazing and feel incredible wearing them. Most importantly, when I’ve been driving my car with them on, the shifting and pedal feel is very precise. I know these will for sure be great to use when I hit the race track!

Be sure to check out Paragon Competition for your racing equipment needs. Here is a picture of their showroom:




Joe and his team are great people to deal with who really know their stuff and have racing backgrounds. Joe for instance races a 2015 Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo and some of the other gentlemen are racing instructors.










Paragon has access to a wide variety of racing equipment manufacturers, and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for gear.

Be sure to check out Paragon Competition at the following link:

Paragon Competition Website




I headed off to see the guys at Touge Tuning to stockpile some parts that I would consider “finishing touch parts:”

- Roger Clark Motorsport (RCM) Timing Belt Guide
- Samco Silicone Radiator Hoses
- Fluidampr Crank Pulley

Touge Tuning has access to an array of parts from manufacturers around the world, including top ones like RCM. I still get excited and feel like it’s Christmas every time I leave Touge Tuning with parts!

A very special thank-you to Chris & Mike@Touge Tuning for having all of these parts in stock for me, and always delivering exceptional customer service!

Be sure to check out Touge Tuning at the following links for your performance needs:

Touge Tuning Website
Touge Tuning Facebook Page
Touge Tuning Instagram
Touge Tuning Youtube Channel




Please enjoy the pictures of the parts:

































Thank-you all for stopping by; I’m going to conclude with a couple VERY VERY
interesting teasers below…I hope you all enjoy because your mind will be blown when I share what it is in the next update ;)



 
Discussion starter · #253 · (Edited)
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

Hey everyone, so this update is quite a big update…lots going on right now!

Let’s first start off with my plans for the car’s engine bay…TITANIUM THEME!!!

In case you aren’t aware, I love titanium!! I have the ARC Titanium Alternator Cover, Carbing Titanium Strut Tower, and West Coast Fasteners Titanium Engine Bay Hardware; yet with all these titanium parts, I still want more :lol:

I thought about areas of the engine bay that I could replace with a titanium part…I’m sure you may have an idea what part I’m thinking of getting replaced with titanium…INTAKE.

Yes, I’ve decided to have Matt@GT Customs not only take on my ARC Alternator Cover project, but to also build me a Custom Titanium Intake.

So you’re lucky this time guys because I’m not going to tease you all with separate posts of the completed build process…you all are getting pics of full job at once :lol:


Alright, let’s jump into this with the ARC Titanium Alternator Cover. As I mentioned before, I used to have one of these but sold it due to fitment issues with my oil dipstick. After recently acquiring another one, I was willing to have Matt@GT Customs modify it in an attempt to repair the condition it was presently in, spruce up the aesthetic appeal of it, and most importantly address the fitment issue.

Matt was keen on completing this project, and had a couple ideas up his sleeve, that seriously convey his attention-to-detail and creativity. Instead of cutting the ARC Alternator Cover via the traditional method, Matt instead decided to have it Waterjet Cut for the utmost level of precision.

Here is the video of it being cut:



I was extremely impressed to say the least with this option, and knew I was coming to the best of the best.

Please enjoy the pictures of the ARC Titanium Alternator Cover go through a complete overhaul:












Be sure to check out Matt at the following links for some more of his amazing work:

GT Customs Facebook Page
Matt's Instagram Page




We’re going to come back to the Titanium Intake in a second; in the mean time I decided to purchase a baller part…the famous Wiggins Clamp.

Now I always wanted a Wiggins Clamp, as it would tie in nicely to my burnt titanium, purple theme…not to mention it really makes the engine bay POP!

I will be using it for a special project that Matt@GT Customs is building for Gabby, and it will be nothing short of spectacular once fully completed.

I purchased it from Titan Motorsports whom many of you may be familiar with (Toyota Supra/ high horsepower specialists). They happened to have one 3-inch Clamp in stock and I immediately snagged it!


A very special thank-you goes to the Titan Motorsports team for having stellar customer service, and getting the order processed and out the door so quickly!

If any of you are interested in Wiggins Clamps, I’d highly recommend ordering through Titan Motorsports; they are an Authorized Retailer of Wiggins products.






Enjoy the pictures:




















Ok back to the titanium intake… Matt built me an unreal titanium intake…I really hope you all enjoy it as much as I do by just looking at it, even when it’s connected to the Wiggins Clamp (please note the last few pics are just a test fit to see how it would look installed):

















Thanks so much for stopping by everyone! Instead of sharing what last update's carbon teaser was, I’m feeling like teasing you guys again, but I’ll be fair this time :p

 
Discussion starter · #256 · (Edited)
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

Hey everyone, my most sincerest apologies.

For awhile, I haven't been motivated to update my journal due to Photobucket's 3rd party photo rules...so quite a bit of my pictures on my journal have not loaded, which makes me very unhappy.

I recently got some motivation to update this because from where I left off, SO MUCH has happened and SO MUCH will be happening, and I will be updating with the same level of detail and pictures as before.

Something I am currently working on is taking all of my photos from this journal and putting them on my Flickr account so that all of the pictures load...VERY VERY tedious and exhausting process, but that's where my focus is on right now (currently on Page 26).
EDIT*******JUST FINISHED...TIME FOR SOME UPDATES FOR YOU ALL!!!!!!!

As soon as I'm done switching over all the photos and re-editing each post of mine on each page, I will hit you guys with some much needed updates!

Thank-you so much for sticking with me, and to those who I owe reviews on my Tommi Makinen shifter, that will be coming soon in the updates.

Sincerely,
Alex
 
Discussion starter · #257 · (Edited)
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

Hey everyone, Project Transfer All Photobucket Photos to Flickr Photos is OFFICIALLY COMPLETED!!!!

So guess what that means…It’s update time…wow, it feels really great to say that again!

This update takes place back in April 2017; let’s kick this update off with a BANG!

Those Carbon Fiber Interior Door Cards from last post’s teaser shot. Yes, you read that right, Carbon Fiber Interior Door Cards!! Now as crazy as that is on its own, what’s even crazier is the story behind them, because ladies and gentlemen, these aren’t just CF Interior Door Cards, these are from the Belgian X-Games Europe winning Rally Car!!!

Story: Back in early 2015 (3 years ago), I reached out to this Belgian race team after seeing pictures of their 2009 Subaru STi Rally car. I was blown away by the attention to detail in the interior cabin, from the roll cage, to the dashboard, until I saw the door cards!




Yes…we can agree, these doors are THE SHIZZZ! So anyways, I emailed them that I was interested in them making another set for me. The gentleman on the race team who I dealt with, Wim, had advised me that they were a custom part made specifically for their rally car and that they weren’t going to make another one…not even for me :lol:
Ok, as sad as I was to not have a 1-of-1 part, I kindly asked Wim that if they ever part ways with the car (typically every few years, they will change to a newer car platform like a VA STi, or a totally different manufacturer like Ford) that I would love to buy it off the car. Now likely what was going to happen was they’d either sell the car as a whole or keep it in their collection of rally cars, so I knew it was a small chance. He said he had my email on file, and would contact me in the future if that was something they were interested in doing.
Fast forward to March 2017, I get an email from Wim saying that they were upgrading to a different platform and that my email was on file so he’s seeing if I’m still interested…UM YES!!! I don’t think I’ve ever typed my credit card information in to pay for something as fast as I did for these doors :lol:
Now he advised me that these were coming off of their car and they were “used.” Now by used, I mean he really stress that they were “used” in his email. So being from a rally car that is often thrashed around, I was to expect something that was a bit beat up.
So in April, I received these CF door cards off of the renowned and prized Rally STi that Wim built.
They were definitely “used” :lol: Tons of swirl marks, oxidation in the CF, deep scratches, scuffs…oh yes…they definitely need some TLC!

Enjoy the pictures:
















I will be having the doors repaired by Kevin@C3Composites, as there are a few areas that the carbon fiber needs to be patched up. I also want those hideous cargo nets deleted and the holes filled in…so Kevin will repair them.
Once Kevin is done repairing them, I will have the doors refinished by a local shop called Vaughan Fine Touch. They primarily focus on collector cars, exotic cars (Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari) as well as racecars!
They are the best in the area with the attention to detail that my build requires. Jonathan@VaughanFineTouch and his team will sand the doors down, polish, and clear coat them, with the goal of making them as glossy as possible!
Once that is completed, they will eventually go see Steven@ElevatedAuto (formerly from Auto-Links) for him to clear bra them to minimize any scuffs or swirls.
Steven sent me a picture of how the door will be clear bra’d…essentially 3 pieces will be used for full coverage:




Moving on, so Gabby came out of storage in April 2017, and I had a couple surprises for her:

First thing I wanted to do was kick it off and address Jeremy’s comment:

So when is this beast going to be protuned? :lol:
Sorry Jeremy, since ownership of this car when I got it new in June 2013, all I’ve had is my Greddy Catback exhaust…yes over 4 years of just a catback for “performance mods” :lol: … until now!!!! Now I didn’t quite get a Protune…yet, but while at GT Customs, I had Matt remove my stock downpipe, and throw on my Ceramic Coated Cobb Catted Downpipe and install my Cobb Accessport…he happily agreed to help.




I also had him give my ARC TMIC a polish…turned out nicely:




Special thanks goes to Matt@GT Customs for everything you've done for Gabby!

Be sure to check out Matt at the following links for some more of his amazing work:

GT Customs Facebook Page
Matt's Instagram Page




Jeremy and everyone…what was I waiting for?! :confused:
Going Stage 2 OTS was probably one of THE best feelings I’ve ever felt since when I first picked up Gabby. Hearing Gabby’s new voice with the roaring exhaust definitely opened me up to focus more on the performance side of things…to be honest, it kinda turned me on :lol:
Anways enough weird talk, let’s move on to the next part of the update where I stopped off at Touge Tuning for a BIG step in the right direction for Gabby!


So while at Touge Tuning, I had to get her oil changed…standard protocol…not very exciting. But remember, every time I go to Touge Tuning, its like Christmas. :lol:

I received the following parts:
  • SuperPro Front Roll Center Adjustment Kit (TRC0002)
  • APR Dry Carbon Fiber Rotor Cooling Plates

Enjoy the pictures:




























While at Touge Tuning, I also had some work done on Gabby, it was as follows:
  • Oil Change
  • Delete Air Pump
  • Install C3 Composites Nurburgring STi Carbon Fiber Brake Ducts and Fog Light Surrounds
  • Install Fluidampr Damper Crank Pulley
  • Install GrimmSpeed Turbo Heat Shield Ceramic Coated Black
  • Install IAG Silver Caps, Black Radiator Stays, Silver Oil Dipstick, and Silver Air Pump Block Off Plate
  • Install Killer B Motorsport High Capacity Performance Racing Oil Pan
  • Install Killer B Motorsport Oil Baffle Windage Tray
  • Install Killer B Motorsport Ultimate Oil Pickup
  • Install Lachute Performance Upper Radiator S/S Tube
  • Install MSI Billet Aluminum Solid Engine Mounts that will replace my Beatrush Engine Mounts
  • Install PTP Turbo Blanket Lava Subaru for Stock Turbo
  • Install Roger Clark Motorsport Timing Belt Guide
  • Install Ron Davis Radiator
  • Install Samco Lower Radiator Hose
  • Install Tommi Makinen GroupN Short Throw Shift Linkage System (35010ZR010)
  • Install West Coast Fasteners Titanium Engine Bay Hardware


That’s quite the list of stuff to do right…that’s why I leave my car in the best hands possible, Touge Tuning!
Oh and a quick note about the Tommi Makinen Shifter, if you have a WC Lathewerks Reverse Ring, you will unfortunately have to scrap it, as it's not compatible...oh well. :(

Special thanks goes out to Kevin@C3Composites for coming over to Touge Tuning and installing the Nurburgring bumper on my car…I’m not going to lie, I was a bit nervous now that Kevin was done with the spare bumper and was officially going to be cutting into my bumper! :lol:

Oh and I for the Deletion of the Air Pump, I had Sasha@OnPointDyno build me a map to clear the air pump codes.

Here’s the contact info for West Coast Fasteners for all of your Titanium Hardware needs:

West Coast Fasteners Website
West Coast Fasteners Facebook Page
West Coast Fasteners Instagram




Here's the contact info for Touge Tuning:

Touge Tuning Website
Touge Tuning Facebook Page
Touge Tuning Instagram
Touge Tuning Youtube Channel




Here's the contact info for C3 Composites:

C3 Composites Facebook Page
C3 Composites Instagram





Enjoy the pictures:






























































And here ladies and gents is the Nurburgring bumper!!!!!!!
































Oh and here's a shot of Gabby with a very dear friend of mine who you might know as "1BadSTi" Shan (IWSTI Member: "Tdot Teen"):






I am simply in love with how the Nurburgring bumper looks in person on Gabby. This was my dream for a few years and for it to be a reality…I’m speechless. I’m thankful for Kevin’s support and optimism on taking a few printed out pictures of the Nurbugring STi bumper, and making it from literally scratch.
His hardwork and determination to push through all of the challenges he faced with making this goes to show how talented he really is!
Kevin, thank-you from the bottom of my heart for making me the happiest person in the whole world…you nailed the bullseye with this project!



Thanks for stopping by everyone, to say it’s good to be back posting is a major understatement…I’m thrilled to be back and show you all what’s been going on with Gabby since!

Til’ next time, take care and enjoy this little teaser of what’s coming up next update:

 
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

Great reply and work mate!

But what happened to the Tommi Shifter review you have now promised forever!!! I have held off waiting for your review before ordering LOL:confused:
 
Discussion starter · #259 ·
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

Hey everyone, welcome back to another update!

This update takes place mid-April 2017, and starts off with more Titanium parts! :D

I absolutely love my Modified ARC Titanium Alternator Cover…it’s missing something however…titanium hardware from Rick@WestCoastFasteners.

I placed an order from Rick for some Burnt Titanium Bolts and Purple Washers, and when I say they look gorgeous, I really mean it!
It’s evident the amount of craftsmanship that Rick put into creating all of the titanium engine bay hardware for Gabby.

For all your titanium hardware needs, be sure to check out West Coast Fasteners at the following links:

West Coast Fasteners Website
West Coast Fasteners Facebook Page
West Coast Fasteners Instagram




Enjoy the pictures:








Keeping up with the titanium theme, I stopped off at Touge Tuning because Chris had a surprise waiting for me…well one surprise, and another part that I needed to purchase :lol: see what I mean…Christmas every time I go to Touge Tuning! :D

So Chris was hyped to say the least, but he’s very chill about it. He entices you, but stays calm and collected…whereas I’m the opposite…I’m like a kid in a candy store…I quickly get super excited :lol: Enough about me, so Chris mentions how Roger Clark Motorsport had 1 more special titanium part left in their inventory, it was super small, and was not ever shown on their website…I had no clue what that could be, but you better believe I was excited to find out!

It was a Roger Clark Motorsport Titanium Magnetic Drain Plug (same one used on the world renowned Gobstopper II).
My jaw dropped, I slowly picked it back up, pulled out my wallet and exclaimed, “Chris take my money…NOW” :lol:




While at Touge Tuning, I also picked up some MSI Solid Subframe Inserts. These are very aggressive and will be replacing my SuperPro Polyurethane Rear Subframe Insert Kit. MSI (Mooresport) is definitely at the forefront for top quality Subaru suspension parts, and I am proud to have Mark@Mooresport and his team’s support behind my build.

Special thank-you to Chris@TougeTuning for always thinking about Gabby and I, and providing the best parts and service possible!

Be sure to check out Touge Tuning at the following links:

Touge Tuning Website
Touge Tuning Facebook Page
Touge Tuning Instagram
Touge Tuning Youtube Channel



Enjoy the pictures:













Thanks for stopping by, and stay tuned for next week’s update…enjoy the teasers of what’s happening:



 
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