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Discussion starter · #261 · (Edited)
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

This is a very exciting update for me to share…lots is going on in this update and I hope you enjoy!

This update takes place in early May 2017.


Alright, lets first start off with my engine bay…it’s dirty…filthy in my opinion.

To refresh your memory, I have a detailer’s best friend by my side…my VX5000 Commercial-Grade Steamer. I’ve had this unit for almost 4 years, and it has been an absolute lifesaver in my detailing business; it works wonders on engine bays and interiors. No need for pressure-washing your engine bay…just use steam. It’s precise, not messy, and the best part…no chemicals used, just distilled water!!




So I entrusted the job of cleaning my engine bay, specifically my ARC TMIC fins, to my VX5000. It handled the task, no questions asked!

Enjoy the pictures of the process:




























The finished product:












Moving on…so Quincy reached out to me and mentioned that he was going to be going to this show called Autocon NY. He advised me to apply for the show, so I did, and “somehow” got in with my stock suspension :lol:
I was going to drive 11 hours from Toronto all the way to NY, why not right! :p
Quincy mentioned that I might not get in when I arrive if they see my car on stock height…great tactic to get me to purchase coilovers. :lol:
Lucky for me though, I found a set of used AST 4100 Coilovers with Swift Springs for super cheap!! These are entry level Racing Coilovers that are monotube, 1-way adjustable. Surprisingly I didn’t take any pictures of them, so I found a picture of one on the Internet of an almost identical condition one that I bought:



Now the Autocon judges won’t turn me down when I roll up…thanks Quincy :lol:


Next part of this update has to do with suspension parts. As usual, before installation of suspension components, I always hit them with my 1 2 Mayweather and RKO finisher:

1) Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant




2) Collinite 845 Insulator Wax




3) Pinnacle XMT 360 Spray Wax




This trio gives me great protection for my parts, and will make cleaning the parts easy when they get dirty.

Enjoy the pictures:






Alright so off to Touge Tuning I went with the mountain of suspension parts that were going to be installed.
Touge Tuning installed the following parts:

  • APR Dry Carbon Fiber Rotor Cooling Plates
  • AST 4100 Coilovers
  • GTSpec Rear A-Brace (GTS-SUS-1339)
  • GTSpec 4 Point Rear Subframe Brace (GTS-SUS-1329)
  • MSI Motorsport Front Endlinks
  • MSI Motorsport Rear Endlinks (Custom)
  • MSI Motorsport Top Mounts
  • MSI Rear Lateral Links
  • MSI Rear Toe Arms
  • MSI Solid Subframe Inserts
  • MSI Trailing Arms
  • SuperPro Front LCA Bushings (SPF3728K)
  • SuperPro Front LCA Rear DUROBALL Caster Kit (DURO3738K)
  • SuperPro Front and Rear 22mm Sway Bars
  • SuperPro Rear Sway Bar Support Brace


Unfortunately the MSI Trailing Arms were not compatible with the 2008-2014 STis, so I had to return them and order some Cusco Trailing Arms…no problem, it’ll still look cool under the car. :D

As well, I got rid of my SuperPro Rear Subframe Insert Kit and installed the MSI Solid Subframe Inserts. The evident difference between the two is that the SuperPro Inserts were made of Polyurethane...definitely a major improvement over stock; whereas the MSI ones are Solid Billet Aluminum...yep pretty cool right! :cool:

Please enjoy the pictures of the parts installed:
























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

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




I then decided to give my L’aunsport CF Window Vents a buff, because when I received them, they had tons of swirls! I used the Meguiar’s Twins for this job (M105 & M205) on an orange and white buffing pad respectively.




Enjoy the pictures and be sure to wear your sunglasses, because the glossiness has been restored: :cool:










Next, my buddy T (IWSTI member "cerealkiller326") reached out to me to see if I was interested in buying the last available L’aunsport Carbon Fiber Rear Wiper Delete. Long story short, T purchased all of L’aunsport’s remaining supply of these and offered me the last available one that he had…you better believe I bought it!

Special thanks to T for thinking of Gabby and adding more CF and weight savings to her :lol:

In case you are curious, here’s a picture of T’s car:



You can check his journal out at this link:

cerealkiller326's IWSTI Journal

Be sure to give T a follow on Instagram:

T's Instagram


Enjoy the pictures:












Finally, I had my buddy Steven@ElevatedAuto come over and work on Part 1 of a HUGE project for Gabby!

This project is not for the faint of heart…you will probably think I’m crazy…if not crazier than before :lol:
For Part 1 of this project, we are having the following parts clear bra’d:

  • All 4 Doors
  • Side Skirts
  • Fender Trim Pieces
  • Taillights

CRAZY RIGHT…I KNOW!

Back when Steven was working at Auto-Links and he clear bra’d Gabby’s entire front end, he called that the “OCD+ Package” :lol: I guess we call this the “OCD++ Package?” :lol: and the funny thing is this is part 1…which means he will be doing more clear bra-ing work :lol:

Before Steven applied the clear bra, I ensured that all of the above parts of Gabby were polished and swirl-free. Since owning the car new in June 2013, I have ensured practically no swirls on Gabby, because of my washing practices (for more information on how I wash my car go to Page 11 in this journal). But, I still wanted to ensure that any miniscule swirls get eliminated, and that the paint is 1000% perfect before being locked in with the clear bra. I used Meguiar’s M205 with an orange buffing pad to do the job.

Steven is by far the best and most meticulous, attention-to-detail Clear Bra and Tinting specialist in Toronto…hands down, no questions asked!
He is one of the very few hands that get to touch Gabby, and the only person I trust with Gabby in this sort of work. He did all the tinting, clear bra-ing work on my car, and will continue to do it for all of mine, my family’s, and my friends’ cars!

Be sure to check out Elevated Auto at the following links:

http://elevatedauto.ca
https://www.facebook.com/ElevatedAutoGTA/
https://www.instagram.com/elevatedauto/




Enjoy the pictures:

































Thanks for stopping by, lots of CRAZY things happening with Gabby so stay tuned for what’s in store next. As always, please enjoy a teaser of the next update:



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

Wow, lots of good stuff has happened to this car since my last visit.
 
Discussion starter · #263 · (Edited)
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 in late May 2017 and early June 2017 right before Autocon NY (June 12, 2017).

With the preparation for Autocon NY going smoothly, I decided it was time to pull the trigger on a rare item. Now my go-to person for rare car parts/memorabilia is Chris@JDMCainLab. Chris had a super rare, brand new ARC Power Steering Cooler that was available for sale. Here is a picture of it:




The lucky buyer of this rare JDM part also went away with a rare ARC V1 Catalogue, courtesy of Chris! You know I had to buy it for Gabby, but where would it go? Let me bring back my buddy T (IWSTI member "cerealkiller326").
T’s car looks a bit different now than the last post’s picture of his car. He is running an INSANE setup on his front end…Hella Horns, Power Steering Cooler, Liberal Japan Carbon Fiber Front Grille…what more could you want?!

Here’s a picture of T’s car:




You can check his journal out at this link:

cerealkiller326's IWSTI Journal

Be sure to give T a follow on Instagram:

T's Instagram


So this is the setup I’d like for Gabby to have, just with an uber rare ARC Power Steering Cooler :D

Special thank-you goes to T for the inspiration, and thank-you to Chris@JDMCainLab for giving me the opportunity to purchase this and throwing in the ARC V1 Catalogue. Be sure to check out JDMCainLab at the following links:

JDMCainLab Facebook Page
JDMCainLab Instagram




Enjoy the pictures:


























Alright now moving on to part 2 of this update, as I mentioned in the last post, Steven@ElevatedAuto was not done working on Gabby (that was just Part 1 of this 2 Part Mind-Blowing “OCD+++ Package”) :lol:
This time, I made it easier for him, and paid a visit to his new location that is within Importfest Performance – a boutique shop for performance parts, wheels, and automotive detailing/protection needs. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE their facility! There is no other shop that compares to this one…trust me on that one!

For Part 2 of the “OCD+++ Package,” I had Steven clear bra the following parts of Gabby:
  • Trunk
  • Rear Bumper
  • L’aunsport CF Window Vents
  • Nurburgring CF Brake Ducts and Fog Light Surrounds


To ensure that the paint was perfect underneath it, I gave all of the above parts a light polish with Meguiar’s M205 on an orange buffing pad; that did the job perfectly, and ensured that the paint was swirl-free before clear bra application.

Be sure to check out Elevated Auto at the following links:

Elevated Auto – Specialists In Customizing your Ride’s Look
https://www.facebook.com/ElevatedAutoGTA/
https://www.instagram.com/elevatedauto/





Enjoy the pictures of the entire process, and enjoy the pictures of Gabby’s newest friend…the Importfest GTR:





































































Thank-you all for stopping by, and stay tuned for next update…did someone say…Autocon NY? :D

 
Discussion starter · #264 ·
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

UPDATE TIME!!! This was definitely one of my favourite updates of all time…it was the first official Show Car show Gabby has ever been to! This update takes place in Early June 2017.

Autocon New York…ahhhh even saying it sounds so refreshing! Think of it as the Comic-Con for cars.

So after getting the AST 4100 coilovers installed, I needed to get the car re-aligned, and corner balanced. Touge Tuning recently moved to a bigger, better and nicer facility, and they had invested in a state-of-the-art alignment rack…unfortunately, the alignment rack itself did not arrive to their new location in time, so I went somewhere else local.

Here’s a picture of the car on the hoist getting the work done:




And one of my favourite pictures (poor quality iPhone shot, but the stance is just right!! :D




Gabby is ready to go for Autocon!

My dad decided to join me on the 10.5hr trek to Manhattan where we stayed for the weekend to go to Autocon NY.
Funny enough on the way up while driving, 2 CRAZY things happened…keep in mind, I am driving 10.5 hours through Pennsylvania to arrive to this big car show, so nothing better happen to us on the way!! :lol:

1) On the way going up the mountains, my nose started to bleed, and I had to somehow stop the blood, shift the gears and steer the car all simultaneously :lol: somehow I still managed to keep Gabby together; enjoy the quick video I did to capture it (don’t mind me being goofy)


2) Also on the way through the forests of Mt. Pocono, there were TONS of deer that were dead along the side of the road AND in the middle of the road…so I had to always be 1000% focused on the drive…no looking at the cool cars on the other side of the highway :(
So I’m driving and my dad is messaging my mom, and I see way out in the distance what I think is a living deer on the side of the road, but it’s just remaining still. We are getting closer and closer and it still isn’t moving, so I thought it was like a statue or fake deer :lol: Well it definitely was real because maybe 15 meters away from it, it jumped in front of us, and I literally had to swerve into the other lane of the 2-lane highway!!
I didn’t even check my blindspot, my immediate reaction was to swerve into the fast-lane and fortunately there was someone in that lane who saw what was about to unfold in the distance, so she backed off enough for me to make an aggressive lane change to avoid the deer!!!! PHEWWWWW…my goodness I was sweating buckets :lol:

I quickly pulled over at the nearest Pit-Stop area to fill up at Sunoco 93 and catch my breath :lol:




So we arrived in Manhattan, and I’d never thought I’d say this but Gabby arrived in Times Square!!! Seriously, it was so cool to be able to travel to places outside of Toronto with Gabby. I hate putting KMs on her, but didn’t feel any remorse about driving the great distance!






So we officially arrived at the hotel, as you can see Gabby = 1 …Bugs = 0 :lol: The gentleman valeted the car in their private parking garage, and I’m telling you I’ve never been more nervous in my life letting someone drive my car.
Once the car went in the elevator, I had no clue if he ripped her around or what, but I trusted him.




Next up, the day of the show…of course I had to address the bug splatter situation. :lol:
My dad not only joined me for support, but my buddies Quincy and his brother Clarence also tagged along to support me and their exclusive car show team, Team Emotion. We found a Coin-op Car wash about 8km away from the show, which was perfect to give the car a quick prep before rolling in. **Don’t worry, we just used the rinse function…you think one of the best detailers in Toronto is going to use the “Brush of Death”?! :confused: :lol:
That’s why having a good Sealant and Wax combo is so important, because the dirt/bugs disappear with a pressure wash. :tup:














The teamwork is evident in the pictures, thanks Quincy ;)


So we arrived at the show, they put me in the corner…wasn’t overly thrilled with that, but they then came back and put me in a GREAT spot with some even cooler cars!

Enjoy the pictures, and HEY DAD…GET OFF YOUR PHONE! : :lol:
































Some awesome cars at this show…the turnout wasn’t overly much, but I know there was a big local show in New Jersey that day, and I assume many locals went to that.
This is one of my favourite shots, where I ruined it by being selfish and cleaned my car :(




Gabby didn’t take home any hardware…it’s ok. :(

Something I REALLY want to share that I’d like for you to learn more about me is that when I was a kid, I had a really bad experience at a car show. I went up to the owner of a vehicle that I really liked, and wanted to ask him more about the car.
Picture this innocent 14 year old kid that is starstruck about your car coming up to you.
So I say, “Hi there, I really really like your car. Do you mind telling me a bit about what you’ve done?” I’m looking right at him and he totally ignores me and says “I’m busy kid!” in a super rude and confrontational tone.
My heart shattered into a million pieces, I walked off and I’m sure I cried a bit. It was unacceptable on his part to have talked to a 14 year old kid (myself), let alone anyone with that type of tone and harshness, especially someone who is taking interest to learn more about your story about how you built this sweet car!
So at that point, I made myself a promise that I would never be “that guy” anywhere or anytime someone wants to come up to me or ask questions about my car. I’m super passionate about Gabby, and if I can inspire anyone – kid or adult – I will give them my undivided attention…and that’s what I do at all of the meets I go to…I’m a genuine, caring person, and I know I am very well liked in the local car community. When I go to shows, if I see young kids, I grab them and their parents attention and ask, “Have you ever been in a racecar before?” They say, “No”, I reply back, “Go inside this Racecar” The parents are typically surprised, like their kid is going to damage my car upon getting in. :lol:
The kids grow a large smile, grab the DAMD Carbon Steering Wheel, and start going through the WC Lathewerks shifter gears pretending like their piloting a 600WHP track monster!
THAT right there is what makes me happy, because I know I’ve made a difference in someone’s life, whether it’s for a second, a minute, the ride back home with their family, a month, year, etc.

So at Autocon, my genuine promise held true, I met some cool people and definitely inspired some new friends for them to one day build a car that they envision!










Gabby arrived back home with a lot more bug casualties :lol: but ultimately safe and sound!




While Gabby didn’t take home a trophy, the real W of this experience was having my Dad, Quincy and Clarence join me and support me throughout the entire weekend! I’m so grateful to have family that is always there…so thank-you gentlemen.
Thank-you also to all the people who came up to me and chatted, my voice doesn’t thank-you because I lost it, but seriously, I had a pleasure meeting you all.



Thank-you for stopping by for this update, please enjoy the teaser for next update:





 
Discussion starter · #265 · (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 all are doing well!

Its update time!! This update takes place throughout June 2017. :D

Ok so remember the update that took place in April with those X-Games Europe Carbon Fiber Interior Door Cards? Well they needed to be repaired.

I sent all 4 door cards to Kevin@C3 Composites to have each repaired in the areas circled in red below:










I really didn’t want cargo nets on the doors, so those were deleted and filled in by Kevin. As well on the rear door handles, there are literally chunks missing from the carbon. :confused:
These were touched up and repaired by Kevin.

Please enjoy the repair process pictures:












They came out absolutely flawlessly!! Special thanks to Kevin@C3 Composites for repairing the door cards. :)

Be sure to check out C3 Composites at the following links:

C3 Composites Facebook Page
C3 Composites Instagram




So I got the doors back home:






As you can see, the doors are pretty swirled up with oxidation in several areas. I decided to give them a shot to restore. Unfortunately, the buffing restoration process was above my talent, and I had to consult the real professionals…Vaughan Fine Touch Body Shop.

Jonathan’s team at Vaughan Fine Touch will be taking a more “body shop-styled” approach on these doors, by wet-sanding them down, polishing them, and then clear-coating them with some professional automotive grade clear-coat…that’s the RIGHT way to do it to ensure perfection, which Gabby deserves!

Vaughan Fine Touch is the BEST body shop in Toronto. They primarily focus on exotic and high-end vehicles, and do a lot of custom work for their clients. I wanted to ensure that any of my parts were going to see the best hands, and these guys are definitely the real deal.

Be sure to check out Vaughan Fine Touch at the following links:

Vaughan Fine Touch Website
Vaughan Fine Touch Instagram




We’ll be coming back to them shortly in this update, but for now let’s move on to some new parts I got for Gabby!

As you know, I’m a HUGE fan of T’s (IWSTI member "cerealkiller326") car and I’ve gotten a lot of inspiration from his build. One particular part I really like is his Liberal Japan Carbon Fiber Front Grille. I knew I had to have it, and so I shot my buddy Yuki-San@JapanParts an email to inquire more about getting my hands on this gem.
Anytime I need something from the “Motherland” (Japan), I usually get in touch with Yuki-San and see what he can do. Being based in Japan, Japan Parts has CRAZY connections with the local shops – Varis, Voltex, Liberal, you name it – and I definitely save money from buying through Bulletproof or Evasive because of the USD. The pricing is always very competitive on Japan Parts, and Yuki-San is such a great friend, so of course I’m going to support him whenever I can!

So I did just that and ordered the Liberal Japan Carbon Fiber Front Grille!!!! :D
Now the funny thing was that I ordered this in hopes of having it installed before Autocon NY, UNFORTUNATELY, it literally arrived the day we headed out, so I didn’t get a chance to install it...oh well! :(

Special thanks to Yuki-San@Japan Parts for the impeccable customer service, communication updates on the status of the order, and ensuring it was well packaged! Buy with confidence from Japan Parts everyone, you will be another happy client of Yuki-San’s!

Be sure to check out Japan Parts at the following link:

Japan Parts Website




Enjoy the pictures:




















I will polish the Liberal Japan grille to remove any imperfections and have it clear-bra’d by Steven@ElevatedAuto.


Finally, I got some more inspiration from a guy on Instagram with the username: “stihigh.”
I really love how his hood looks with those APR Carbon Fiber Vents. It’s cool because you retain your stock hood, and get the “paint-matched” carbon vented look.




See for me, I love the Varis hood, but 2 reasons why I haven’t purchased it:

1) I don’t want to have all that Carbon Fiber concentrated in one area. With the APR Carbon Vents you get subtle amounts of Carbon Fiber.
2) Now I know what you’re thinking… “Alex, why not just buy the Varis Carbon Fiber Hood and have it paint-matched and leave the Carbon Fiber Vents exposed?” Well let me tell you, trying to match a Satin White Pearl (SWP) finish is nearly impossible, even for the best paint shops. There are so many variables that could affect how it turns out, and I want it to be perfect…I’d be heartbroken if I spent all that money on a Varis Carbon Fiber Hood and had it painted SWP, only for it to not be 100% matched. And don’t even get me started about saying, “Oh well you can blend the other body panels.”…NO! If I’m going to do that, the entire car will get repainted…hey that doesn’t sound like a bad idea :lol: Maybe in a few years. :p

Hence with the 2 above reasons, I went this route. Mark my words, I will buy the Varis VSDC Carbon Fiber Hood from Yuki-San@JapanParts, but that will be later on.

So I gave my buddy Carl@Wheelsco a call and asked him to order the APR Carbon Fiber Hood Vents for me. They arrived super quick, and they are gorgeous!

A Special thank-you goes to my best friend Carl@Wheelsco for helping me out getting these. Be sure to check out Wheelsco at the following links:

Wheelsco Website
Wheelsco Facebook Page
Wheelsco Instagram Page






Vaughan Fine Touch will be doing the necessary body work to install these Vents.

Enjoy the pictures:














I truly believe the car is going to be totally transformed with these APR Carbon Fiber Hood Vents! I’m super excited to share more of Gabby’s exciting journey with you all…so much more is coming so stay tuned!



Thank-you for stopping by and please enjoy the teasers for next update:





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

Looking good.
 
Discussion starter · #267 · (Edited)
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

Looking good.
Thanks Darryl!! :D


Hey everyone! This update takes place throughout July to August, right before my family trip to Greece.

I was driving along in Downtown Toronto in stop-and-go traffic and saw my car fit perfectly in this window…so you know I had to snap a pic!



Before leaving to Greece, I saw this beautiful Ducati bike and I had to Google “Ducati race bike” to find out what it was :lol:



Literally the day before I left to Greece, I had my car at Touge Tuning to get the following parts installed:
  • Killer B Equal Length Headers
  • Grimmspeed Electronic Boost Control Solenoid (EBCS)
  • Grimmspeed EWG Uppipe w/ Tial External Wastegate
  • Protune by Sasha@OnPoint Dyno



I only really got to enjoy the car for a day with its new power and sound, and judging by my reaction you can tell I was beyond happy! Enjoy the reaction :lol:




Next up was installing my discontinued Roger Clark Motorsport Titanium Drain Plug…gosh it looks SO GOOD!




When I returned back from Greece, I was driving to work and saw a giant window, so you know I had to do a little “snap snap




Alright so in case you forgot, I was inspired by Instagram user “stihigh” ‘s car with the APR Carbon Fiber Hood Vents on the stock hood. As mentioned before, this is a temporary solution as opposed to getting the Varis VSDC hood, as I don’t want to paint the car right away.





I trusted the best Body Shop in Toronto, Vaughan Fine Touch, to perform this job, along with refinishing my carbon fiber doors (sand, polish, clear-coat, polish). Initially, we were thinking about having the vents like this:



But after giving it much thought, we decided on this location:



So a big thing with these Carbon doors is I wanted SPEAKERS in the door…as a result, I HAD TO DO IT…YES I had holes cut in the doors! Vaughan Fine Touch refinished the doors, and their friend who owns DOB Electronics installed some nice Alpine Low Profile Speakers and upgrade the tweeters too…enjoy the pics:
















It looks so cool!!! Super happy with how everything turned out!

Special thanks to Vaughan Fine Touch and DOB Electronics for making Gabby even more beautiful…she’s very happy with the amount of attention to detail you both showed her.

Be sure to check out Vaughan Fine Touch at the following links:

Vaughan Fine Touch Website
Vaughan Fine Touch Instagram




With Importfest right around the corner, I had my buddy Matt@GT Customs build a bracket to mount my Auto Staff Titanium Tow Hook for my car and cut a section in the front bumper for it…looks exactly how I envisioned it to be:






Be sure to check out GT Customs at the following links:

GT Customs Facebook Page
Matt's Instagram Page




Finally, I had my buddy Steven@ElevatedAuto clear bra my Liberal Japan Carbon Fiber Front Grille and install it afterwards. As you’ll see in the pics, there is a white plastic piece that’s part of the car that sits behind the grille…we didn’t have a tool to remove it, but be sure that it will be deleted sometime soon:








Be sure to check out Steven at the following links:

Elevated Auto – Specialists In Customizing your Ride’s Look
https://www.facebook.com/ElevatedAutoGTA/
https://www.instagram.com/elevatedauto/





As always, thank-you for stopping by…I hope you enjoyed this post. More cool things coming, enjoy the teaser pic:

 
Discussion starter · #269 ·
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

More cool things coming he says.....:)
More cool things indeed Discobob; with that being said, it's time for an update!

This update takes place in late August 2017, where Gabby competed in her first ever local car show…Importfest 2017. This show is known throughout Toronto as being the best car show with some of the best modified cars in Ontario being in the show.

The competition gets fiercer and fiercer every year, and I’m thrilled to have Gabby competing against some tough competition.

Enjoy the pictures of how the show went!


































Ok so we left home with some hardware :lol: :D




2nd place for best 08-15 Subaru…to be honest, we lost to some Stancenation Yellow 2015+ STi
that was on air-ride, bolt in cusco cage, and LED Tail lights…not the way I wanted it to go down, especially since his engine bay was stock and hood was never opened.
From what I found out, it was a political decision where the guy was paid to come to the show, in hopes to attract more US folks with modified cars to come up to Toronto and grow the brand…SUCKS…I know, but we’ll be coming back HARD next year in efforts to win BEST IN SHOW…that’s right…going all out, and I promise that!

What meant the most to me was having my family and friends come support me in this big event; especially my long-time best friend Josh. Josh moved from Toronto to Seattle to work for Microsoft, flew in to come support me at the show…what a guy!




Stay tuned for next update…you better believe I’m coming in HOT!



 
Discussion starter · #270 ·
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

Hey everyone, it’s update time!! This update takes place in September 2017.
I’ve had my Cobb Accessport V3 sort of dangling around, or in my passenger seat, and it’s super inconvenient and dangerous having to take a look over to see things.

I turned to SMYPerformance to purchase the Solid Modifications Vent Pod w/AP V3 Holder. This combination was EXACTLY what I was looking for…it offers a convenient location to mount my Cobb Accessport that is also super safe for me to keep my eyes on the road and take a quick glance at if I need to.

Enjoy the pictures:


















Thanks Yanev@SMYPerformance for hooking me up with these parts. Be sure to check out SMYPerformance at the following links:

SMY Performance Website
SMY Performance Facebook




I headed to Touge Tuning to have my Solid Modifications Vent Pod w/AP V3 Holder installed prior to my first track day with the car!

Enjoy the pictures:









Special thanks to Touge Tuning for always delivering the best service! Be sure to check them out at the following links:

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





Alright so on to the exciting news, TRACK DAY with Touge Tuning!!!










What a blast that was, it was my first real track day where Gabby was pushed. My goal for the track day was to learn the track and understand the limits of Gabby before she was debuted at her first CSCS race day!
















































I ended up really pushing the car to its limits and spun it out a couple of times lol! I ended up getting a 1:23 with Bridgestone RE71R tires and 285 WHP car…that is an extremely respectable time for a 1st time driver on the track…Not trying to toot my own horn, but I have developed my technical skills by reading all the Ross Bentley books, Skip Barber books, and am in the Top 1000 for Forza Motorsport 4, so I fairly understand the racing line, and the fundamentals of racing…I definitely will be enrolling in the Bridgestone Racing Academy here in Toronto, which is seen as one of the Top Driving Academy/Schools in Canada, where I can get my SCCA Race License at the end of the 3 day course.
















After spinning out a couple times (don't mind my hair...I need a haircut :lol: ), I headed back to Touge Tuning to have the car realigned…check out my new underglow :lol:






We ended up cutting off that ugly white piece of plastic behind my Liberal grill…it looks much better now!






Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for next update where I share Gabby’s debut at the Big Stage at her first CSCS event, where all my friends from Touge Tuning in the below picture will be tracking too.


 
Discussion starter · #271 ·
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

In light of hitting 70,000 views, I think it'd be a worthwhile time for a KILLER update!

ARE YOU READY!!! You picked a great update to check out; it’s Gabby’s first debut at the big stage…CSCS 2017 Finale!

Details: Car at the time has the suspension and drivetrain fully done up (see mod list for details), power-wise, I’m making 285WHP (Greddy Catback, Cobb Catted Downpipe, Killer B Equal Length Headers, and Grimmspeed Uppipe w/ Tial EWG), and running Pirelli Trofeo R tires.

So myself and Touge Tuning arrived at the track with all the cars that you see here:




Only a couple of us were racing in this event. I had to get accustomed very quickly to the Pirelli Trofeo R tires that were mandatory for my car’s class. I didn’t know you really had to warm them up good before using them, so my first time out I spun out TWICE, fortunately the car was ok, and I continued on.



Time-wise, I was at a 1:23 consistently, which was good, but with these tires, I should’ve been doing at least 1 second faster, and I wasn’t getting that (due to traffic, and over-driving the car).

Let me tell you something, all the time and effort I put into making Gabby look the way she does, you’d think I’d be worried on crashing it…I am, but as Ross Bentley says in his Speed Secrets book, driving 10/10 is about letting everything else go, any thoughts about crashing, any drama in your life, and just being present and focused in the moment…and so that’s what I did!
I definitely over-drove the car, which caused me to spin out a couple more times where I overshot the exit of the turn and overcorrected to try and keep the car on the track…THAT led to a pretty big spinout at Turn 8 circled below:



The end result... my MSI Lateral Link failing, and my alignment being totally messed up, which resulted in 12:00 on my steering wheel being where 3:00 is, so technically I’m driving straight and my hands are at 3:00 and 6:00…YIKES :eek: Even when I spun off, the tire debeaded from the rim. Fortunately there was an on-site Wheel shop that fixed it, and Touge Tuning jacked the car up and re-aligned everything as best as they could given the circumstances.




The last round of qualifying was here, and I was in P9 with my time of 1:23, which wasn’t going to be good enough for making into the Finals. So my last run out, I remember it so vividly. I’m waiting in line to enter onto the track, eyes are laser-focused, the crowd is chatting, cars are flying by on the main straightaway, but I can’t hear any of it…I’m just so focused on the gentleman that is telling the cars to proceed on the track.




My time came very quickly, he waves me to proceed, and I gave all my effort, all the time I’d been playing at the competitive level of Forza Motorsport, all the time I spent reading Race-car driving technique and mental training books. I was blistering FAST out there, I had 5 laps, and all of them ended up consistently being at a 1:21!!! YES that bumped me from 9th to 5th in qualifying to secure my spot in the top 6 for the Finale!!!! I came off the track and the Touge Tuning guys including fellow IWSTI Member and personal friend: “funk32” Dave emerged from the crowd to congratulate me and commend me on what I had just accomplished in a car that was severely underpowered compared to my competition.

So I advanced to the Finals and ended up securing a 1:19.9 (2 seconds faster than my qualifying session, and .200 off of 3rd and 2nd place…I got 4th!!!!!!

Enjoy some of the shots taken from the CSCS Finale:






















What an accomplishment, and having my personal family, my Touge Tuning family, and my friends, even my buddy Jason who’s on a professional race team in China, flew in from China to support me.

There was a small casualty though, one of my IPF fog lights – which as you know is discontinued – cracked, and is out of commission. :(





On to the search of finding a replacement IPF Fog Light in the marketplace…wish me luck :lol:


And with that said, my CSCS Finale debut was a major success! I proved to myself and everyone that a fairly stock-powered car with a fantastic Suspension/Drivetrain setup and a good driver behind the wheel, will outperform a faster car, with an inexperienced driver. Now I don’t necessarily have much time behind the wheel on the track, but reading the theoretical books and understanding the racing line from the video games, and driving the car fairly hard on the streets gave me a leg-up on my fellow competitors.

My goal with this car has always been to make the car as fast as possible with stock-like power levels…and the last piece of the puzzle will be really just upgrading the differentials to OS Giken ones…that should shave off another couple of seconds. Nobody has ever done a 1:16 at Cayuga with the power levels I’m on with an AWD car…is it going to be easy…NO…is it possible…ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE…and I’m going to make that my goal for 2018!

To conclude this update...WAIT...DID YOU HEAR THAT? SHHHHH QUIET, LISTEN......
Did someone say Roger Clark MotorsportsMORE GREAT THINGS COMING, STAY TUNED!

 
Discussion starter · #272 ·
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.

Thanks for stopping by to another update! I have some SUPER EXCITING teasers to share with you.

You know, there’s something about Carbon Fiber that I just absolutely love! I can’t quite pinpoint exactly what it is, maybe it’s the “bling-factor” or perhaps even the look of it all polished and shiny, and paired with the Alcantara...mama mia! :cool: Either way, please enjoy the collection of teasers below that WILL BE COMING…yes…these will be coming in the near future to Gabby!! :























Oh oh oh, and I almost forgot; so in the last update, I shared with you all that my one IPF V1 Fog Light cracked from some track debris. SUCKS, I know…however I managed to find a BRAND NEW set of Discontinued IPF V1 Fog Lights!!!!






Rest assured, this time I will be putting some Plexi-glass to cover these unicorn fog lights from getting damaged, and finally matching the World Renowned Nurburgring STi 24hr Challenge car as seen below:





BIG things coming everyone!!!! STAY TUNED!
 
Discussion starter · #273 ·
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

Hope everyone is doing well, thank-you for stopping by for another update!

This update takes place around early October 2017.


For today’s post, we are going to focus on Weight Reduction!

I first stopped by Gabby’s 2nd home – Touge Tuning – for some guidance on helping Gabby shed some weight.

A great mod for my particular usage/application was to replace the stock STi battery with a Lightweight Battery. We felt as though the Odyssey Extreme PC680 would be best for addressing several reasons:
  • ICE (In-Car-Electronics) so all the Alpine speakers and tweeters
  • Parasitic Aftermarket Security System constantly draining the battery
  • Lighter than stock battery (OEM weighs 32lbs vs. Odyssey weighing 14lbs)





Special thanks goes to the Touge Tuning team for always pointing Gabby and I in the right direction with this journey.

Be sure to check out the experts of Subarus – Touge Tuning – for your needs at the following links:

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





Now in the last post there was A LOT, borderline TOO MUCH teasers regarding Carbon Fiber, and I guess Carbon Fiber counts as Weight Reduction right? :lol:
I ended up purchasing Seibon’s exclusive DRY CARBON Hatch, which is not the standard Carbon Fiber Trunk (FRP with real carbon overlayed on top) that they offer. This product is FULL Dry Carbon (inside and out). :naughty:

The main benefits of opting for the Full Dry Carbon Trunk is:
- Maximized weight savings with Dry Carbon=8lbs…OEM=25lbs, Seibon Wet Carbon=14lbs :eek:
- Dry Carbon (Matte) Finish

Unfortunately, this comes with a hefty price tag of about $2000 USD.
Again the goal is to make it as track-oriented as possible, hence why I chose to go with the Dry Carbon Hatch option.

Special thanks goes to my best friend Carl@Wheelsco for helping to source this Work of Art Hatch…it’s STUNNING!

Enjoy the pictures:










Needless to say, this hatch is LIGHT! To fully maximize the weight savings, I will NOT be putting the OEM Glass Rear Window back in this trunk. Rather, I will be purchasing a Plastics4Performance Polycarbonate Rear Window.


Be sure to check out Wheelsco at the following links:

Wheelsco Website
Wheelsco Facebook Page
Wheelsco Instagram Page







I also went to Portugal to watch Ronaldo and the boys in their World Cup Qualifying match against Switzerland. While there, I ended up seeing some BEAUTIFUL cars at the Hotel we stayed at:














Ferrari 275 GTB, Ferrari 488 Spider, Mercedes S450, and Lamborghini Aventador SV! :eek:

After returning back home, here’s a shot of the car parked at the office:




Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to stay tuned for the next update when we find out what’s inside this tall, rectangular box.

 
Discussion starter · #274 ·
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

Hey everyone, thanks for stopping by for another update!


This update takes place around mid-late October 2017.

Let’s jump right in and address that big rectangular box teaser from last post.


When I said BIG THINGS were coming, I really meant it. I can’t say I’ve ever seen anyone on the forums or on the Internet post about this.

I purchased something on complete faith that it would fit my car perfectly. I turned my wallet over to the UK for this purchase to a company called Rallytech.
You all know that I am a bit of a Carbon Fiber Fanatic right! Well I really wanted to transform the bland-looking interior and make it super unique, eye-popping and to ultimately cause someone to gasp when they see it! This feeling WILL be achieved with the help of my new Rallytech N14-N16 Carbon Fiber Center Console!!

The quality, customer service and overall experience with the Rallytech Team was FANTASTIC! I’d highly recommend anyone looking to go BIG to turn to Rallytech for your unique modifications on the Subaru! This is a company that makes Motorsport-grade Rallycross products.

Enjoy the pictures:












Be sure to check out Rallytech at the following link:

Rallytech Website




Next part of this update will address another unique purchase I made from the “King of JDM,” whom you are all probably familiar with if you’ve been carefully following this build; that is from my friend Chris (“JDMCainLab” on Instagram).
I managed to get Chris to source me a set of SUPER RARE Top Secret Japan AeroCatch Hood Pins!!
They are essentially your standard AeroCatch Hood Pins, just rebranded with the Top Secret decal on the packaging, and on the Hood Pins themselves! Super cool, and a great way to help Gabby further stand out!

Thank-you Chris for always ensuring a smooth transaction with all of my rare JDM products that I’ve purchased (ARC Power Steering Cooler, Top Secret Jacket, etc); you have a client for life, and I’d recommend any of you to check him out at the following links if you want Uber Rare parts for your car:

JDMCainLab Facebook Page
JDMCainLab Instagram




Enjoy the pictures:











Something else that I’m super excited to share with you all is something I have been tinkering with for awhile. Do you remember this project I had:






You vaguely remember? That’s cool, go back to Page 25 in my journal to see the original write-up on it. Unfortunately I couldn’t find that exact rear fog-light, so I had to think of other ideas. I’ll also remind you that I purchased a Spare Rear Bumper to PIONEER an idea that I had.




Keeping in mind that the STi Hatch Rear Valence Middle section is somewhat rectangular, I needed to find a Rear Fog Light that was similar in shape.
Well, I am HUGELY inspired by the GT3 Cup Cars, and I remember those cars had Rain Lights that were rectangular in shape…just fixed horizontally:



I did some digging and found that Cartek is the manufacturer of Rain Lights that are used in the GT3 Cars. I went on their website for more info, and they actually had the dimensions to their Rain Lights…PERFECT!
After grabbing out the measuring tape…it looked very promising that it would fit in the rear valence section…so I bought it!!!!




The Cartek GT3 Rain Light arrived and here are some pictures of it:
























The Cartek Rain Light is so ADVANCED, and the functionality of it is unbelievable…let’s hope it fits! :p

Be sure to check out Cartek at the following links:

Cartek Website
Cartek Facebook Page
Cartek Instagram





So today is the big day!! Let’s see how it looks on the car all installed!! I decided to bring the car by GT Customs so my buddy Matt could build a bracket and install the Rain Light.

Please enjoy the pictures:














Be sure to check out GT Customs at the following links:

GT Customs Facebook Page
Matt's Instagram Page





When the Varis Diffuser goes back on, we will have to cut off the middle section, as it will be blocking the Rain Light:






To conclude this post, I thought I’d share a friend-of-a-friend’s car. His name is Ernest (Instagram: “tex_wrx”) and he drives a beautiful WRX…I don’t need to give him much of an intro, because the car ladies and gentlemen proudly speaks for itself:



OH and I FORGOT TO MENTION…I’ll be purchasing something for Gabby that is on Ernest’s car above…wonder what that could be…stay tuned for next update to find out!!!!
 
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

Very nice.
 
Discussion starter · #277 ·
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

Very nice.
Thanks Darryl!

I have the Rallytech UK reverse scoop, I want to get more but my bank account doesn’t agree lol!
Lol, Jeremy, make your bank account agree with some more Rallytech parts!



Hey everyone and thanks for stopping by to yet another update. Like last update, this takes place in Late October 2017.

Alright, so before I share exactly what it was on Ernest’s car that I will be purchasing for Gabby, let’s see a few more shots of his car to maybe help you figure it out (PS there will be a common item that you will see in every shot)….OK let’s see the pics:











If you thought it was the Varis Wide Body Kit………………….It’s NOT.
It is this…






Yes, I have just placed my order in for a Voltex Type H2S II (Carbon Fiber) 1370mm Universal Spoiler to use on Gabby. My good friend Yuki@JapanParts will be using his amazing connections with Voltex to get this for me…it helps as well because he is based in Japan, and is probably on a personal-basis relationship with Voltex.

Be sure to check out Japan Parts at the following links:

Japan Parts Website
Japan Parts Facebook Page







I am super stoked to receive this spoiler…honestly speaking, I’m not really a fan of how it looks from the back, but from the front and front side view, the spoiler looks MEAN!


Alright, so in other news, I’ve been in touch with Roger Clark Motorsport (RCM), and it looks like I’m going to pull the trigger on their Vented Fenders off the Gobstopper II !!!! I have arranged with them to purchase one of their old prototype fenders to do a test-fit. Upon doing the test-fit, if everything checks out, I will place an order for the fenders!!!
RCM did in fact show some doubt in this working, simply because the Gobstopper II is a pure-track car with crazy amounts of changes done to the Suspension geometry. Their car is also slammed to the ground and there is still a noticeable fender to wheel gap. There were many other concerns they had about it working, but hey it doesn’t hurt to try, and they surely appreciate someone like me who has this crazy vision!

Enjoy some of the pictures:






I just love the vented look!! If this all works out and the test-fit is a success, I also have the idea of adding the Varis CF Side Skirt-to-Fender Extension that will connect to the part where the recession is! Super super cool and unique ideas that this mad scientist has! :p







Anyways, here's some more pics of the Gobstopper II, in all its glory:











Thanks for stopping by everyone, and stay tuned for next update…I think it’s time Gabby got a haircut, and maybe go BALD for a little while :lol:

 
Discussion starter · #278 ·
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

Hey everyone and thanks for stopping by!

This update will be a short and sweet update, with a nice teaser at the end.

It takes place late October 2017; wow... in retrospect, it seems like a lot of stuff happened in October :lol:

So in preparation of my soon-to-be arriving Voltex spoiler, I needed to find an NA Impreza spoiler. The reason for such is the Voltex Spoiler is not compatible with the OEM STi spoiler. As a result, I have to use an NA Impreza Spoiler.

I ended up finding one locally, and the gentleman was able to meet up to perform the swap. My good friend Richard was able to help perform the swap, as both myself and the NA Impreza owner are not mechanically-inclined. Needless to say I made a good flashlight holder :lol:

Enjoy the pictures of Gabby going BALD!!! :






Gabby's old Spoiler on The NA Impreza Owner's car:




The 3 amigos:





Thank-you all for stopping by, and ‘til next time, please enjoy the following picture of PURE GREATNESS

 
Discussion starter · #279 ·
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

IT HAS ARRIVED…Ladies and Gentlemen, I am in receipt of the original Prototype Fender from Gobstopper II !!!

Hey everyone and thanks for stopping by to this update that I am SUPER EXCITED to share with you all.

This update takes place at the beginning of November 2017.

It is my pleasure to share with you the Roger Clark Motorsport (RCM) Prototype Fender from Gobstopper II. I’m literally praying that it fits properly or with minor modification during the test-fit. Nonetheless, if it doesn’t work, I still have a piece of history here!

Enjoy some professional shots taken of the Fenders:














Thank-you to my friend Michael@RogerClarkMotorsport, for not giving up on this idea… even though the odds are against this working on a Street Car. We shall see what happens in the near future, but for now please enjoy the pictures:













Be sure to check out Roger Clark Motorsport at the following links:

RCM Website
RCM Facebook Page




Thank-you all for stopping by…and to continue this MADNESS, please enjoy the next teaser and pay VERY CLOSE attention to somewhere in that picture:

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

Nice fenders you have obtained.
 
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