New to Sti's and Cars in General- looking to add some mods

1116 Views 17 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Karlot, 7 d ago

georgexlong

Discussion Starter · 3 mo ago

I have a 2020 sti with just bove 20k miles on it. besides cosmetics, all i have done is add an axle back. What are some mods I should do to help longevity, and some that willl add some power? Additionally, is it worth buying a stage one AP and later getting a pro tune if I decide to upgrade, or should i just buy an AP and get a dyno tune immediatly.

Sorry I am new to cars and want to mod my Sti but also keep it reliable as I DD it.

Any help is greatly appriciated

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Karlot

· #2 · 3 mo ago

so you'll need to understand, adding power can absolutely hurt longevity. the more power you add, the less it will last. there is a trade off in terms of how much you can add that wont effect this much vs how much power you will make.

so far as power, what are your goals for the car? i can list of 20k worth of parts easily, that will make your car a blast to drive, but without knowing what you want out of it, i wont suggest much. if you can be more specific about your budget, what your power goals are overall (even if your budget now is 1k, and overall power is 10k, i can start suggesting parts you'll want and go from there). your best bet is to make a goal of i want x whp and then research what it takes to get there, and plan a mod path, and buy parts according to the plan.

with the exception of a catback, ANY engine modification will require a tune. keep this in mind.

personally, i dont like the OTS maps from cobb. your car doesnt have to be tuned on a dyno, although it can be. you'll want a reputable pro tuner and they can either do a dyno tune or an e tune/road tune for you. both are literally the same thing, difference is the dyno will show numbers and be simulated loads, where a etune/road tune will be real world loads. @yamahaSHO is a tuner on here and owns/operates jaztuning and can get you sorted when the time for a tune comes.

with the greenspeed updates, many have been skipping the accessport and going opensource or ecutek, to know which to get, you'll want to set the goal, and then talk to a tuner and see if they want you to use the accessport or ecutek or go opensource or something else. dont just buy one to buy one.

so the questions i'd want answered:
1- what's your overall goal for the car? whp goal? certain speed goal? please clarify
2- what is your budget
3- besides being a DD, will you be doing any form of racing/competition? if so, in what class?

answer those and i'm happy to help drill down to what parts would be the best options for you

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Reactions: 1

georgexlong

Discussion Starter · #3 · 3 mo ago

Karlot said:
so you'll need to understand, adding power can absolutely hurt longevity. the more power you add, the less it will last. there is a trade off in terms of how much you can add that wont effect this much vs how much power you will make.

so far as power, what are your goals for the car? i can list of 20k worth of parts easily, that will make your car a blast to drive, but without knowing what you want out of it, i wont suggest much. if you can be more specific about your budget, what your power goals are overall (even if your budget now is 1k, and overall power is 10k, i can start suggesting parts you'll want and go from there). your best bet is to make a goal of i want x whp and then research what it takes to get there, and plan a mod path, and buy parts according to the plan.

with the exception of a catback, ANY engine modification will require a tune. keep this in mind.

personally, i dont like the OTS maps from cobb. your car doesnt have to be tuned on a dyno, although it can be. you'll want a reputable pro tuner and they can either do a dyno tune or an e tune/road tune for you. both are literally the same thing, difference is the dyno will show numbers and be simulated loads, where a etune/road tune will be real world loads. @yamahaSHO is a tuner on here and owns/operates jaztuning and can get you sorted when the time for a tune comes.

with the greenspeed updates, many have been skipping the accessport and going opensource or ecutek, to know which to get, you'll want to set the goal, and then talk to a tuner and see if they want you to use the accessport or ecutek or go opensource or something else. dont just buy one to buy one.

so the questions i'd want answered:
1- what's your overall goal for the car? whp goal? certain speed goal? please clarify
2- what is your budget
3- besides being a DD, will you be doing any form of racing/competition? if so, in what class?

answer those and i'm happy to help drill down to what parts would be the best options for you

appriciate the reply,
my overall goal for the car is a long term fun to drive car, no real hp goal in mind but want to have a sick sounding car that is a blast to drive

my budget is relatively low right now, as a sr in highschool who spent most of my money to buy the car in the first place, as of now i have around 2500 to play with, but plan to do what i can now, and continue through college and so on.

no I will only be dd this car, and as I get into college, will be more of a hobby.

is their any mods besides power that i should do in terms of reliabilty? i often hear about AOS, killer b oil pickups, and cooling intakes. Are these good mods for engines health and relability?

Karlot

· #4 · 3 mo ago

georgexlong said:
appriciate the reply,
my overall goal for the car is a long term fun to drive car, no real hp goal in mind but want to have a sick sounding car that is a blast to drive

my budget is relatively low right now, as a sr in highschool who spent most of my money to buy the car in the first place, as of now i have around 2500 to play with, but plan to do what i can now, and continue through college and so on.

no I will only be dd this car, and as I get into college, will be more of a hobby.

is their any mods besides power that i should do in terms of reliabilty? i often hear about AOS, killer b oil pickups, and cooling intakes. Are these good mods for engines health and relability?

no worries. the hard part is a blast to drive could mean different things to different people. if you have 2500 to play with, you wont get much. honestly a catted downpipe and a protune will be what i suggest if you want the most power you can get from the budget, which will probably be about 285 ish whp (assuming dynojet dyno) but if you want it to simply sound good and be fun, i'd go a different route.

you can likely have a shop fabricate a muffler delete aka an axle back exhaust. this wont really add power, but you also wont have to tune for it, and it'll improve sound. you may be able to find them already made, i'm like 99% sure there are a couple options for axlebacks on the va chassis.
from there, suspension and tires will make the biggest difference in driving it, especially in corners. a quality set of coilovers and a nice set of tires will give you really good results. granted, quality coils and tires will likely eat through your budget. there was a guy on here selling ohlins used in northern va, that's one of the top coils you could get.

regardless of the path you take, research, research, research. and i say set an overall goal because lets say you want to make 350whp, you can easily do this on a stock location setup, so alot of the parts, like the downpipe i mentioned, will work now and when that happens. so you can mod in incriments. but say you wanted to go rotated turbo setup, it would be near pointless to spend money on a downpipe because it would be replaced with the rotated setup. which is why i say do the research and figure out what it is you want, why you want that, plan themod path and go from there.

in terms of reliability, a killer b oil pickup+baffle combo is a MUST. ive been around since before the va chassis, so its possible on the newer ones like yours subaru addressed this, but the older ones the pickups would crack, and then the motor would starve for oil and boom, now you need a new engine. a quality AOS is also a really good idea, killer b or IAG make the best two on the market. personlly, i have IAG, and if killer b had released theirs when i bought mine, i'd have got theirs. i'm a big believer in killer b's products, if they slap their name on something, it's been researched and will work and be some of the, if not the highest quality on the market.

cooling intakes aka a cold air intake, would require a tune, and wont really do anything in terms of reliability. you will get a small touch of power and some better spool. not much though.

equal length headers i also have heard the argument can help reliability, by taking heat off the passenger side cylinder bank. cylinder 4 aka on the passenger side is the one most common to break, and the oem header has two super short stubby runners on that side. on top of this, you will gain power, spool, tq, smoother drivability etc. literally everything is better.

getadom tune also makes a cylinder 4 cooling mod, which is pretty cheap and adds a touch of reliability.

if you plan what you really want, and then see the budget you need, it will be easier to know if you want to drop some of that 2500 on certain parts or save till you have a little more.

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georgexlong

Discussion Starter · #5 · 3 mo ago

Karlot said:
no worries. the hard part is a blast to drive could mean different things to different people. if you have 2500 to play with, you wont get much. honestly a catted downpipe and a protune will be what i suggest if you want the most power you can get from the budget, which will probably be about 285 ish whp (assuming dynojet dyno) but if you want it to simply sound good and be fun, i'd go a different route.

you can likely have a shop fabricate a muffler delete aka an axle back exhaust. this wont really add power, but you also wont have to tune for it, and it'll improve sound. you may be able to find them already made, i'm like 99% sure there are a couple options for axlebacks on the va chassis.
from there, suspension and tires will make the biggest difference in driving it, especially in corners. a quality set of coilovers and a nice set of tires will give you really good results. granted, quality coils and tires will likely eat through your budget. there was a guy on here selling ohlins used in northern va, that's one of the top coils you could get.

regardless of the path you take, research, research, research. and i say set an overall goal because lets say you want to make 350whp, you can easily do this on a stock location setup, so alot of the parts, like the downpipe i mentioned, will work now and when that happens. so you can mod in incriments. but say you wanted to go rotated turbo setup, it would be near pointless to spend money on a downpipe because it would be replaced with the rotated setup. which is why i say do the research and figure out what it is you want, why you want that, plan themod path and go from there.

in terms of reliability, a killer b oil pickup+baffle combo is a MUST. ive been around since before the va chassis, so its possible on the newer ones like yours subaru addressed this, but the older ones the pickups would crack, and then the motor would starve for oil and boom, now you need a new engine. a quality AOS is also a really good idea, killer b or IAG make the best two on the market. personlly, i have IAG, and if killer b had released theirs when i bought mine, i'd have got theirs. i'm a big believer in killer b's products, if they slap their name on something, it's been researched and will work and be some of the, if not the highest quality on the market.

cooling intakes aka a cold air intake, would require a tune, and wont really do anything in terms of reliability. you will get a small touch of power and some better spool. not much though.

equal length headers i also have heard the argument can help reliability, by taking heat off the passenger side cylinder bank. cylinder 4 aka on the passenger side is the one most common to break, and the oem header has two super short stubby runners on that side. on top of this, you will gain power, spool, tq, smoother drivability etc. literally everything is better.

getadom tune also makes a cylinder 4 cooling mod, which is pretty cheap and adds a touch of reliability.

if you plan what you really want, and then see the budget you need, it will be easier to know if you want to drop some of that 2500 on certain parts or save till you have a little more.

i guess a more specific goal would be 350ish hp while staying reliable. so as of now it sounds like oil pick up, equal headers, and a good aos is the way to go for reliability and none of this will require a tune correct? then maybe cyclinder 4 cooling and a cold air intake (also not requiring a tune).

then if i want to a new catback or just a catted dp would be the next step and kinda final step right? and this would require a protune correct? and would i need an AP for a pro tune? do i need to buy one?

in the future i def want to get coil overs. i know lowering springs are an option but would u even consider those?

again, greatly appreciated

killerbmotorsport

· #6 · 3 mo ago

Short term stuff, use 93 octane (or the highest octane you can in your area), use good quality engine oil, and change it sooner than later. I would start with an oil temp gauge first and foremost. IMO, a lot of these engines spin a rod bearing because you're heading to work in the morning, getting on an onramp and coolant needle says it's ready to party, but the oil is still only 120°. That is a condition you absolutely want to avoid under boost.

Don't lug the engine under boost, ever.

Longer term, oil pickup, AOS, and Cyl-4 cooling mod are great choices. If you are installing yourself, you'll have some budget left, but if you are having a shop do it, that will be about it.

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Karlot

· #7 · 3 mo ago

georgexlong said:
i guess a more specific goal would be 350ish hp while staying reliable. so as of now it sounds like oil pick up, equal headers, and a good aos is the way to go for reliability and none of this will require a tune correct? then maybe cyclinder 4 cooling and a cold air intake (also not requiring a tune).

then if i want to a new catback or just a catted dp would be the next step and kinda final step right? and this would require a protune correct? and would i need an AP for a pro tune? do i need to buy one?

in the future i def want to get coil overs. i know lowering springs are an option but would u even consider those?

again, greatly appreciated

so you will NOT hit 350whp on a stock turbo, pending dyno type, you might end up hitting like 310whp on 93, but i doubt youll see any higher than that. you wont need a tune for the pickup. equal length headers, you will need a tune, and personlly i'd say go with the killer b holy header, it quite literally is the best on the market and has been for years now. for a budget option tomei is nice, but wont perform as well as the killer b. AOS, you might, depends on which AOS you get, i get confused with which is which for IAG's lineup. they have a street and competition series, one requires a tune, one doesnt, and i dont think killer b's requires a tune, but since he's posting i'll let him answer that.

a catback is the only engine mod that does NOT require a tune. anything else a tune will be required.

you do not need an accessport for a pro tune, it's simply an option that a tuner can use to professionally tune the car. there is also ecutek, opensource, standalone ecu, i think hptuners offers one for your car.....dont buy an accessport...yet. talk to the tuner first, set the goals and see what they prefer working with. some may want to use cobb, some may prefer other options. see what the tuner says, and go from there.

like killer b said, an oil temp is a good thing and i second their suggestion. idk why i didnt think of that haha. (i have a newborn at home, i'm a bit scatterbrained).

you can get lowering springs, they wont have as dramatic of an effect on handling as coilovers that are properly setup would, but they can give a slight drop so the car looks good and give a bit better handling. keep in mind, you'll want to find ones that are specifically designed to work with oem struts, otherwise, you'll just cut the life of the oem strut short. fastwrx.com can help you get those sorted. RCE is one of their favorites, and a quality brand. that paired with some swaybars/endlinks will give you quite a handling difference on a budget.

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killerbmotorsport

· #8 · 3 mo ago

Karlot said:
i dont think killer b's requires a tune, but since he's posting i'll let him answer that.

You are correct, we recirculate, so no tune required. Our unit is also a lot easier to install and inspect/clean too.

W-A-Y back in my GD days I ran some JDM pink springs on OEM struts. Not sure if they make those for the newer VA chassis, but they did drop a little and gave a bump in the handling department too. Sometimes you can find them on the used market for a decent price.

Reactions: 1

georgexlong

Discussion Starter · #9 · 3 mo ago

Appreciate it greatly!!! 350 hp was kind of a guess but it sounds like we have a good plan. so u suggest all the mods we talked about, then getting a pro tune and asking ab an AP and what he thinks? Then from their eventually getting a new catback or keeping my MBRP axle back and getting a new down pipe?

then eventually getting lowering springs (killer b) or if its in the budget coil overs?

does that all sound good and like a plan? sorry im new to the car world but am extremely excited to learn to learn and thank you so much!

yamahaSHO

· #10 · 3 mo ago

If you like the current axle back's sound, I'd leave it. Honestly, in the terms of legality, codes, and ease of potential resale, I'd leave the stock downpipe on (the newer ones are decent). If you wanted to upgrade an exhaust component, I'd do an equal length header.

I would stick to a quality lowering spring. Any decent coilover is going to be expensive, especially if you want it to ride nice on the street.

With all the tuning options out there, I still prerfer Cobb... It. Just. Works. And the AccessPort is nice. I'm about to order a few and will actually be keeping one for myself. I ordered a car for my wife, which is supported by Cobb. I am happy to be able to use and AP myself again.

a5m

· #11 · 3 mo ago

There seems to be a thread like this every week now. Rinse and repeat.

Reactions: 2

pocketdrummer

· #12 · 3 mo ago

yamahaSHO said:
With all the tuning options out there, I still prerfer Cobb... It. Just. Works. And the AccessPort is nice. I'm about to order a few and will actually be keeping one for myself. I ordered a car for my wife, which is supported by Cobb. I am happy to be able to use and AP myself again.

Do you use Cobb exclusively, or do you also work with OpenSource? Do you do eTunes, and if so, what are your ballpark rates?

yamahaSHO

· #13 · 3 mo ago

I don't really do much with OS anymore, unless it's a need. It's not nearly as good or polished. Plus, the AP makes it easy on both the consumer and tuner. I do do etunes. Most of my tunes these days are etunes, actually.

If you want to discuss any specifics, you can PM me or email me at [email protected]. I can bundle tuning and an AP, which saves some money.

Karlot

· #14 · 3 mo ago

georgexlong said:
Appreciate it greatly!!! 350 hp was kind of a guess but it sounds like we have a good plan. so u suggest all the mods we talked about, then getting a pro tune and asking ab an AP and what he thinks? Then from their eventually getting a new catback or keeping my MBRP axle back and getting a new down pipe?

then eventually getting lowering springs (killer b) or if its in the budget coil overs?

does that all sound good and like a plan? sorry im new to the car world but am extremely excited to learn to learn and thank you so much!

i'd reach out to a tuner first, yamahasho above is a tuner, obviously lol. he can get you squared away and i'd suggest taking his advice when it comes to modifiying.

i dont think killer b makes springs, RCE aka racecomp engineering were the ones we sold most when i worked at mach v, there are other quality brands. and keep in mind, for coilovers to get a decent entry level set, you'll be spending at a minimum 1700, probably closer to 2k.

it's all good asking questions, there's alot of knowledgeable people on here who can help you out. there are also alot of threads on here that have quite a bit of good info. keep in mind the engine/trans on the sti has been basically the same since 2004 when the sti came to the states. there have been minor differences but even if you read an old thread for research quite a bit of it will translate to your newer sti.

Jay11STI

· #15 · 3 mo ago

Some really good suggestions here. Karlot, KB, and Yamaha have it pretty much covered. I guess I'll add my 2cents while im here even though no one asked 😄

For DD reliability, maintenance, driving characteristics, and habits will be key. Its recommended to always be on top of your oil levels and check it often. Atleast until you get an idea of the consumption rate IF any. Its also a very good idea to change oil on time. Lots of us do a 3,000 mile intervals for oil changes. Id recommend using some quality 5w40 oil and not the cheap-o amazon stuff. An important habit to develop when driving your sti, is to NOT to lug the engine. Just dont do it, ever! Lugging is referred to a high gear, low rpm situation using boost. Bascially being in 5th or 6th gear at highway speeds and putting your foot down to accelerate. Downshift, drop a gear or two and then accelerate. The less stress on the engine the better off you will be.

Lastly, research everything before modding. Feel free to use the search on here, you will definetly find ALL kinds of information on here. If you cant find it, ask, im sure one of use or someone on here will chime in. Some of us have been around for awhile. Long timers turned old timers lol.

I think the AP is fine for someone just starting out. Id say go for Cobb OTS stage 1 with the cobb intake. If you like it and want to go to the next step, then id suggest adding more mods and protuning. I wouldn't really depend on the Cobb ots maps after stage 1. Make a plan and go over it with your tuner first. Plan, execute, enjoy.

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RyantST

· #16 · 3 mo ago

Sounds like great plans for mods! Enjoy

goosevf187

· #17 · 7 d ago

So I just learned a lot in this thread, I guess at times I would "lug" my engine by doing 75 mph and stepping on it.
For a daily, you highly recommend the baffle and oil pan as well?

Karlot

· #18 · 7 d ago

goosevf187 said:
So I just learned a lot in this thread, I guess at times I would "lug" my engine by doing 75 mph and stepping on it.
For a daily, you highly recommend the baffle and oil pan as well?

If there’s no track use. The pan isn’t necessary. But it is nice. The pickup and baffle is a must to me. The oem pickup had some sort of design flaw. And if it cracks, there goes a motor. Typically faster than you realize it’s happening so you can’t shut it off to save it. So the oil pickup/baffle by killer b is a must in my opinion. Pan is cool if you want it. But for street use it’s not necessary.

and just drop a gear. Or two. Don’t lug it lol.

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