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Discussion starter · #281 · (Edited)
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

Hey everyone and thank-you for stopping by!

Alright so this update will be super short and to the point. So I’m not sure if any of you figured out what exactly the teaser was in the last picture from the previous post.

Any guesses?? No…ok fine, I will post one more picture, try to pay EXTRA CLOSE attention to any similarities that you notice in both pictures regarding the car:






WOW, still nothing ey (crickets)…OK fine, I’ll share what it is:







:eek: Yep, it’s going down!!! These brakes are specifically Alcon Advantage Extreme 6 piston Front 355x32mm / 4 Piston Rear 343x28mm.

A very special thank-you goes to my friend Jon for giving me the opportunity to score these BEAUTIFUL Alcon Front and Rear Brakes!!





Stay tuned for next update everyone where we test fit the RCM Fender!! :p

I know I can’t leave you hanging, so here’s a sneak peek picture from the test fit!!!


 
Discussion starter · #282 ·
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

Hi everyone and welcome to a VERY VERY important update; you picked a really good one to check out.

This update takes place mid-November 2017.

Now without spoiling anything about how the test fit went, I want to first say a special thank-you again to Michael@RCM for making this entire process possible, and allowing my creative self to shine. I also want to say thank-you for my good friend Richard, and my dad for helping out with the test-fit! Both of your support and assistance were greatly appreciated throughout the entire process of this particular journey!

This entire process was very important to me because it taught me a lot about myself (I will explain later). For now, please enjoy the pictures of how the test fit went:






































Sometimes, things don’t always go as planned. As you all probably saw above, the RCM Fenders do not fit perfectly with the stock bumper, nor a fairly lowered STi.
The current wheel gap on the stock fender side is 3 fingers, while the RCM fender side is a 7 finger gap!!

Among other things, the body lines are close, but are not perfect. One thing I do LOVE though is the recession in the fender, which allows for a full view of the tire…Gabby’s doors however wouldn’t love all the extra rock chips from those fenders though haha (fortunately that wouldn’t happen anyways, as the entire car is wrapped in Clear Bra Paint Protection Film (PPF)). :p :lol:


Whether you’ve met me or not, I would say it’s fairly evident that I am a very passionate person. Passionate about cars, developing friendships, and also being one who has BIG DREAMS! At the same time too, I am a perfectionist, and while that’s a good thing, it’s also my biggest FLAW. If things don’t go as planned, I feel like the world is ending, and that’s something I’m working on personally. So you can imagine, I was crushed when the fenders didn’t work!
That’s ok, at the end of the day, I still had such a fun time throughout the entire process, and maybe one day I’ll go with a Custom Widebody kit that features elements like Vented Fenders! :p

Thank-you all for stopping by, I hope you’ve enjoyed the RCM Fender journey, we are going to keep moving forward though to even more exciting things!

See you next time!
 
Discussion starter · #283 ·
Re: Gabby the Nurburgring Challenge STi: C3 x TT x MSI x ARC x IAG x Varis x Ron Davi

Welcome back everyone!

The updates keep getting better and better it seems, so I’ll continue this madness with another EPIC post regarding the Legendary Alcon Big Brake Kit!

This update takes place mid-November 2017.

So the story behind this update is I happened to be perusing through NASIOC, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE looking through the Suspension/Handling and the Braking For Sale Section! I’m always keeping my eyes peeled for some Motorsport-grade parts.

I managed to see a thread with a Subject line of something like “JRZ RS Pro and Alcons FS 08 STi+” :eek:

Here was a previous picture of the Alcon brakes that I posted a few updates ago:




You better believe I clicked the link at light speed :lol:


I got in touch with the seller Jon, and started to ask for more information! He advised me that they are designed for the STi, but he had them retrofitted on his 08 WRX. The reason for sale was he was planning to get rid of the car, and upgrade to a Lotus Exige!! Not a bad upgrade if you ask me!! :eek:

Here's a picture of how they looked on his car:




Super nice! Ok so in order to do the deal, he would need Cash and my Stock STi brakes…alright I can work with that!

SLIGHT PROBLEM!!!!

He lives in New Jersey (I live in Toronto). I definitely didn’t want to ship my brakes, that’d be too much of a hassle. So what do you think this CRAZY person did….YES you probably guessed it…I made a 10-hour drive to New Jersey in my mom’s car to perform the transaction!!! :lol:

I can be spontaneous and crazy, I know, but I have the drive to get what I want exactly, and Jon was totally cool with that…he actually preferred a Local sale (I guess he didn’t specify if the Buyer had to be local though haha!!) :lol:

So anyways, I made the drive down, got everything, headed back home that same day, and I was safe and sound back at home with the Alcon Brakes!! Thanks again Jon for giving me the opportunity to buy the brakes…if you didn’t already sell the JRZs, I would’ve bought those too :lol:

I ended up getting the Alcon Brake Calipers Ceramic Coated, to always keep them protected and for ease with the cleaning process!

Here’s how they look on the car:






I think the Silver-on-Silver with the Enkei RPF1s is definitely a winning combination!

As happy as I am with this combo, I SOLD THE RPF1s!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, you read that right, even after I was so happy with how the wheels and brakes looked together, I still sold my beloved RPF1s…here’s why:






YES!!!! ADVAN GTs baby!!! My dream wheels are finally here!! In case you forgot, back at Hypermeet 2015, I remember telling you all in the post how much I love the Advan GTs, and how one day I would get them. Well that day has finally come!

I managed to find a fairly beat up set of Advan GTs locally in Toronto, and decided to pull the trigger and buy them! I will be sending them over to Leprecon Wheel Refinishing to have them refinished from any curb rash, and to be powdercoated Gloss White.



I can’t wait to mount these rims on Gabby, it’s going to totally change the look of the car, and also make my life a lot easier cleaning the rims :lol:


Thank-you all for stopping by, and stay tuned for next update…all I’m going to say is Gabby is looking a bit “empty.”

 
Very nice upgrades, thanks for sharing.
 
Discussion starter · #285 ·
Welcome back everyone, and thanks for tuning into another update!

This update takes place at the beginning of December 2017.


So I got my Advan GTs back from being refinished at Leprecon Automotive Conditioning Rim Services, they look INCREDIBLE! I finished up by taking them to Importfest Performance to have them Ceramic Coated for ultimate protection and ease of cleaning.

Check out how nice the rims turned out:




Be sure to check out Leprecon Rim Repair Centre at the following links:

Leprecon Website




Alright so it’s time to help Gabby shed some weight…may as well start with removing the OEM STi hatch, and install my newly acquired Seibon Dry Carbon Fiber Hatch.

If I told you that this would be an easy process, I’d be lying…it’s not challenging per say, but rather tedious. How you ask? Well for starters, we had to transfer all of the wiring from my OEM Hatch to this Seibon one, so that I could still utilize the locking mechanism.




To shed some additional weight, we omitted transferring over the struts. In doing this though, it requires you to physically hold it up. Kind of crappy, but hey, I won’t be using the hatch much anyways :p

I also tried to find a trunk garnish in Carbon Fiber with a similar weave pattern as the Seibon Hatch, but only found one from Chargespeed. I wasn’t really feeling the look of two different weave patterns together, so I think we’re going to keep this “Panda-look” :lol:

Enjoy some pics of how it looks during the install:







Alright now on to the BIG NEWS…I REALLY REALLY want Gabby to be lighter and more agile. What better way to do this then remove a bunch of stuff from the interior :lol:
Don’t worry mom I promise I WON’T put it back! :lol:
Be sure to enjoy the following pics:














Alright so my mom legit CRIED when she saw the car in this form…”Alexander you ruined the car” I think were her exact words :lol:

Sorry for making you cry mom, but TRUST ME, I have this crazy vision and I WILL make it come into fruition!

A very special thank-you goes to my 2 good friends Richard and Chris for being the mad scientists they are and performing all of these crazy modifications on my car like installing the Hatch, the Brakes, the Rims, Removing the Interior; all while freezing their butts off in the cold garage!
And with that being said, thank-you all for stopping by and enjoy a couple teasers for next update:



 
Discussion starter · #286 · (Edited)
Hey everyone, we just hit 80,000 views and I thank-you all from the bottom of my heart for your continuous support throughout Gabby’s journey!

Ok so let's get started; this update takes place in the Middle of January 2018.


Alright so due to an issue that came up with my MSI Rear Lateral Links, I had to unfortunately return them for Voodoo13 Adjustable Rear Lower Control Arms and get a store credit through Touge Tuning.

With the credit that I had, I ended up getting the MSI Billet Seat Bracket…but not one set…I got 2 sets of Seat Brackets!!

Now you’re probably wondering, “Alex, you have 1 Recaro SPG Seat and a Stock STi Seat, why did you get 2 sets of Seat Brackets?!”
Well…slight surprise…I will be SELLING both my Recaro SPG and Stock STi Seat…crazy, I know.
But don’t worry, I have some exciting ideas for the interior coming soon, and it’ll be worth selling my beloved Recaro SPG.

Please enjoy the pictures:













Judging by last update’s teaser picture, you also know that something else arrived…

My Voltex Universal Hatch Spoiler arrived!!!! Special thank-you goes to my good friend Yuki@JapanParts for getting me this spoiler in fairly quick time, and his exceptional service!

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

Japan Parts Website




Please enjoy the pictures:


















Thank-you again for stopping by and checking out this update! Some exciting things are going down next post, so stay tuned!!

As always, please enjoy some teaser pictures:



 
Discussion starter · #287 ·
Hey everyone, welcome back!

This update takes place in Late January 2018.

As many of you know, Project Rear Fog Light was a success! The last piece of the puzzle is to wire the Fog Light.

For this job, I reached out to Ryan at Start-Solutions. He specializes in Automotive Wiring, and offers services like Remote Starters, Aftermarket Security, and other custom services like such. Sadly, Ryan's business has permanently closed since then.




Please enjoy the pictures of the process:
















Functionality-wise, the Cartek Rain Light allows me 2 different lighting modes. Standard mode is a solid bright light, and with the flick of a switch, the boring Solid turns into Hazard Mode – A Strobe Light that feels like something out of Night at the Roxbury.

Here’s a video of how the Cartek GT3 Rain Light looks in both Solid and Hazard Mode.





Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you guys are excited because next update is going to be WILD!

 
Discussion starter · #288 ·
Hey everyone and welcome back to an update that I’ve never been more excited to share. It’s short, sweet, and slightly CRAZY! :lol:

This update takes place in Early February 2018.

So I sold my Recaro SPG seat…tragic, I know! :d
Before you all grab your pitchforks, I had a great reason to sell it! :naughty:

I’ve always wanted the Recaro SPA seats…something about the Carbon Kevlar backing, additional lumbar support, and every extra bit of weight savings you get compared to the standard Recaro SPG seat that I have.
More specifically, here’s a quick comparison of the Recaro SPG and SPA:

Core:
  • SPG: Fiberglass
  • SPA: Carbon Kevlar

Weight:
  • SPG: 15.5lbs.
  • SPA: 12.3lbs.

Lumbar:
  • SPA features more aggressive friction grip surfaces than the SPG. Friction Grip Surfaces are in the shoulder and seat area.
  • More distinct side padding, and more pronounced lateral guidance than the SPG.

Price:
  • SPG is around $1,000 USD
  • SPA is around $2,399 USD

Here’s a picture showing the comparison of both…please pay close attention to the lumbar sections and grip surfaces:





















Well in November, I ordered 2 Recaro SPA Carbon Kevlar Seats from my good friend Mo@Alpha Motorsports in Markham.

These seats are made to order, and I knew I was going to be anxiously awaiting their long arrival! Well they arrived and I couldn’t be happier; the seats are absolutely gorgeous!!


Alpha Motorsports has the best brands available from Voltex, AP Racing, Volk, Varis, Recaro, JRZ, etc. They have the BEST prices for those high-end brands, so be sure to check them out for all of your boutique/high-end parts!

Alpha Motorsports Website
Alpha Motorsports Facebook
Alpha Motorsports Instagram





Thanks for stopping by, and stay tuned for next update!
 
Discussion starter · #289 ·
Hey everyone and welcome back to another update!

This update takes place in Late February 2018.

As you all know, when February rolls around, I get hyped for the Toronto Auto Show. Well I went to the Auto Show this year and was happy to see some of my favourite cars!

Please enjoy the pictures:











I got a couple small updates, first being some stickers! Now if you recall when I got my Advan GTs refinished, the stickers had to come off…so I needed some new stickers.

I ended up ordering authentic replacement Advan GT stickers from Nengun. They provided great customer service and fast shipping!

Be sure to check out Nengun at these links:

Nengun Performance Website
Nengun Performance Facebook
Nengun Performance Instagram
Nengun Performance Youtube Channel




Enjoy the pictures:











I also had a malfunction with my Autofold Module for my Power Folding Mirrors, so I had to order a replacement one. I’m not entirely sure it’s going to work as it’s not the identical module…but lets hope for the best. :p

Here’s a picture of how it came:




Thanks for stopping by for this short update! I can’t leave you all hanging, so enjoy these teaser pictures…






It looks like Gabby is going somewhere TOP SECRET…you’ll have to stay tuned for where she’s going at a later point in time…HUGE things are about to go down!
 
Discussion starter · #290 ·
Alright so exciting update to share with you all, we are continuing with the goal of saving as much weight as possible!

This update takes place in the Middle of March 2018.

Several updates ago, I remember sharing with you that I purchased a Seibon Dry Carbon Hatch for Gabby, as seen below:




Staying true to the goal of maximizing weight savings, I made the decision to not put the OEM Rear Window in the Seibon hatch.
Rather, I decided to make the commitment to opting for a Polycarbonate Window from the Specialists in the field…Plastics4Performance.


I decided to go with their 4mm Hardcoated option that is made of Lexan Margard material. This material, “Has a special hardened surface coating that helps protect against scratching and chemical attack.”

Features of Plastics4Performance Windows, and why YOU should consider them:
  • Windows are manufactured from motorsport quality Lexan or Makrolon UV protected polycarbonate.
  • They weigh half as much as OEM glass.
  • They are made in the UK
  • They are marked to meet the MSA, FIA and ABG regulations.
  • They are fully thermoformed and identically profile cut to the shape of the stock glass to ensure an accurate and aerodynamic fit.
  • They are shipped with protective film on both inside and outside for protection.


Please enjoy the pictures:










Be sure to check Plastics4Performance out at the following link:

Plastics 4 Performance Website





Thanks for stopping by everyone, and stay tuned for some exciting things coming up with Gabby in the near future:

 
Discussion starter · #291 ·
Hey everyone and welcome back for another update on Gabby!

This one is a tiny update…literally.

It takes place in Late March 2018.


Staying true to my JDM roots, I had to add another ARC part to Gabby. ?
Now you’re probably thinking… “WHAT!! Alex, you already have an ARC TMIC, Oil Cap, Alternator Cover, Power Steering Cooler…what else can you add?”
Well I’m adding this:










YES!!! That’s right, it’s an ARC BOV!!!! I am so excited to hear how this sounds. I purchased it from a company I saw on Instagram called SCW Performance, which specializes in Honda Tuning, but are also JDM rare part collectors. This one apparently has never been opened or used before and has sat in their collection “Top Shelf” for a few years.

Less than a handful of people have sound-clips on Youtube, so I’m not entirely sure how it’s going to sound. Let’s hope it sounds sweet!

Thanks for stopping by today and stay tuned for next update:

 
Discussion starter · #292 ·
Ok so this has got to be one of my favourite updates to share with you all!

It takes place in Early April 2018.


I am working exclusively with Aerosim Research on a Dry Carbon Roof for Gabby!!!!!

This is how the roof should look once it’s finished:




Now the interesting thing is that Gabby currently has a Sunroof…well, I guess not for much longer. :lol: We are going Full Racecar, so it’ll be great to shed some weight off the top of the car! Needless to say, I am beyond excited for this wonderful journey that Gabby is embarking on to being the ULTIMATE Driving Machine!

Here are some progress pictures of the plug for the roof so far:


















I can’t wait for when this roof is done!! Over the next little while, I’ll be periodically sharing updates on the Roof!

Thank-you all for stopping by and be sure to check out Aerosim Research at the following link:


Aerosim Research Webpage

 
Discussion starter · #294 ·
Uh oh, some not so good news…looks like there was a hiccup with the Aerosim Research Dry Carbon Roof…








Looks like the Clear Coat that was applied to the Plug wasn’t good, and the plug will need to be redone.

The revised Plug looks really good:








Some fresh Paint and Clear Coat was put on, and the roof is ready for the mold to be made.

Something unfortunate happened during the carbon infusion process:










With tons invested thus far in materials, the entire process needed to be redone, as per Steve@Aerosim, who was unhappy with the quality thus far.

It seemed like everything that has gone wrong has gone wrong! I’m fortunate though to have Steve’s drive to making the ABSOLUTE PERFECT roof made. It goes to show that Quality Control is an important measure at Aerosim Research!
 
Discussion starter · #295 ·
Welcome back everyone! So with a new roof needing to be made, Steve got right to work! He was very happy with this result compared to last time:












So with the infusion process being finished, it needed to bake in the oven:




Well of course there was a problem with the oven. :( A component of the oven gave out and needed to be replaced…so the progress was delayed for a little while.
The roof didn’t cure and needed to be repaired:







Fast-forward a week later, the oven was fixed, and progress resumed for the roof.

In to the oven it goes:






Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned next week for what happens next!
 
Discussion starter · #296 ·
Alright so a long journey has finally come to its end. Steve@Aerosim made some killer progress on the roof and ended up finishing it:











Ughh how happy I am to see it boxed up and ready to arrive to me!

I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to Steve@Aerosim! You all do not want to know how much time and effort as well as material costs Steve spent working on this roof to make it the PERFECT roof thus far!

It could’ve been very easy for him to take shortcuts at numerous times as you’ve seen throughout this process, but Steve never compromised his values and his business acumen! He always responded to me and kept me in the loop, and gave his 110% in making the best Carbon Roof ever made; I’m very proud to be a client of Aerosim Research!

I would highly recommend you all look into Aerosim Research and have Steve build a Dry Carbon Roof for your Subaru.

Thank-you all for stopping by throughout this exciting journey, and stay tuned for what’s coming next update:

 
Discussion starter · #297 ·
Hey everyone, welcome back to my journal.

This short update takes place in March 2018.

To continue with improving the interior, I decided to turn my attention to the OEM Hood Cluster. Seeing as I have no plans to run gauges in the car, I was not going to upgrade the OEM Hood Cluster to the SMY Dual Gauge Cluster.

I decided to call my good friend Jason@Overland Designs to assist in transforming my OEM piece. We continued with our Black Alcantara and Shark Grey Stitching combination.

In my opinion, this combo looks gorgeous and really gives the car a luxury, exotic feel!

Be sure to check out Overland Designs for your Alcantara Interior Needs.


Please enjoy the pictures of the entire process:











To conclude this update, feast your eyes on this teaser picture of a couple parts that are “wrapped up” :lol:

 
Discussion starter · #298 ·
Welcome back everyone!

This update takes place Late March 2018.

With the existing focus on the interior, I decided to zero-in on removing all of the plastic parts in the car and send them off to Ryan@Slick Carbon to work his magic.

After seeing Slick Carbon’s work on Instagram, I was very impressed and knew they were the ones who would be wrapping my OEM pieces in real Carbon Fiber.

I shipped off my OEM interior pieces to Slick Carbon in California and received several pictures of the entire process to share with you all!

Be sure to check out Slick Carbon for your Carbon Overlaying needs.





Please enjoy the pictures of the process:





















Thank-you for checking out this update, and stay tuned for what’s coming up next, you’re not going to want to miss this!
 
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