phmancus

Okay everyone, I'm finally getting around to starting one of these member Journals.

This is my 2001 Forester S 5MT. I call it "Melange"





Picked it up with 128K on the clock for $5,000 last August (2008), and I've been loving driving it over the past year. I just hit 140,000 miles last week.

“Melange” journal updated 5/14/2013

Most recent photo from 5/2/2013:


Taken by Pamcakes

192,xxx miles on the clock.

Mod list/table of contents, with links to posts in which they were done or begun talking about.

Engine/ Exhaust/ Intake:

-COBB Tuning cold air intake
-Group A throttle body spacer
-Grimmspeed phenolic intake manifold spacers
-Kartboy lightened crank pulley
-Borla unequal length headers
-Stromung midpipe - round 2!
-Stromung single-tip axle back - round 2!
-Kartboy pink exhaust hangers

Engine Management

-Stage 2 ECU reflash from Delicious Tuning

Drivetrain:

-Exedy Stage 1 organic clutch kit
-Mach V stainless steel clutch line
-Group N motor mounts
-Group N Transmission mount
-Kartboy pitch stopper
-Turn in Concepts transmission crossmember bushings
-Kartboy short shifter
-Turn in Concepts lever 5MT pivot bushings
-Kartboy front shifter stay bushings
-Kartboy rear shifter stay bushing
-Phil's 5MT Cocktail
-Royal Purple rear differential gear oil 75w90


Suspension/Handling:

-MY ’04 KYB WRX Wagon struts
-MY ’04 KYB WRX top hats
-Paranoid Fabrications 3/8” Saggy Butt spacers
-STI Pink wagon specific springs
-Kartboy soft differential outrigger bushings
-Kartboy "Botox" subframe locking bolts
-Whiteline 22mm front sway bar
-Whiteline 24mm adjustable rear sway bar
-Whiteline rear sway bar mounts
-Kartboy front endlinks
-Kartboy rear endlinks

Wheels/Tires

-2006 WRX wheels 17"x7"
-Toyo Proxes tires

Braking:

-OEM STI master cylinder
-OEM STI brake booster
-Grimmspeed master cylinder brace
-Mach V stainless steel brake lines
-Brembo Sport Slotted Rotors
-ATE Super Blue brake fluid

Interior/ Exterior/ Miscellaneous:

-Black floor mats
-Rally Armor mud flaps
-Weight reduction ~210 lbs.
-Kartboy white derlin shift knob
-Hella Supertones horns
-Kartboy battery tie-down

__________________
-Philip
"Melange"- '01 Forester S 5MT

phmancus

Thread Starter

1st MOD-

-Brembo sport slotted disc brakes (and new pads)

Did this a few months back and It was a real pain to get the old discs off. I'm happy with the end product though, they look nice.

2nd MOD-

-Exedy stage 1 organic clutch kit

The OEM clutch went at 135K, so I found a good deal on the new clutch and pulled the trigger. I love the new clutch, it's nice and tight.

3rd MOD (not really)-

-black carpet floor mats from SUBED UP! (thanks silke!)

Original beige ones were getting old and had a nice hole in them. I like the black better.

4th and 5th MODs-

-COBB cold air intake
-Stromung single tip cat back exhaust

This is what inspired the member journal. left my night shift job early yesterday to drive from Raleigh, NC up to Charlottesville, VA to pick these up from Nachas (thanks again!) who was selling them on the forum. As soon as I got back home, the CAI went on. that thing is mean! it growls and whistles. I could really feel a difference in performance.

I then took a ride to pick up new exhaust gaskets and bolts. After that, it was off to the local Irish bar for a very fun (Guinness) filled evening. We left there around 2am, headed back to my house, and got down to business on the Stromung.

It took a good amount of effort to get the OEM exhaust off, lots of rust. Thankfully, the cat back bolted right up in minutes. By 4am, my buddy and I had everything cleaned up, ready to fire up the engine...

HOLY MESS! As soon as we started the engine, the same look of childlike wonder came across our faces. it roared. we had to just turn it off and turn it back on, again and again. Took her out for a test drive, loved it, and finally went back home to take a much needed nap.

COBB CAI:


Out with the old:


Beautiful rusted gaskets:


In with the new(used)!!!!:

__________________
-Philip
"Melange"- '01 Forester S 5MT

2.5x_sleeper

Looking good!

A question, where is the air filter on your CAI? Is it in the black section?

Bobby...

__________________
'07 FSXT - COBB Surgeline dyno Protune - Stage 1+
'03 X +AVO turbo kit = XT (son's)
'95 Neon Sport

phmancus

Thread Starter

Thanks! I'm about to go driving around just to enjoy it some more....

yeah, it's a cone filter inside of the black cylinder.

__________________
-Philip
"Melange"- '01 Forester S 5MT

phmancus

Thread Starter

Okay,

took some videos with my camera for you guys to hear the difference in the exhaust note.

Before:
YouTube - '01 subaru forester stock exhaust sound clip

After: (FYI- the mic on the camera doesn't to the rumbling bass of the exhaust any justice at all)
YouTube - '01 subaru forester w/ Stromung cat-back exhaust and COBB cold air intake

I'll try and get some footage up of me driving with the windows up soon. You can really hear and feel the rumble when you're driving, and you can also hear the whistle of the CAI...it's very cool.

__________________
-Philip
"Melange"- '01 Forester S 5MT

Just Call Me Dave

ooo thats a nice deep roar!

how much did your intake and exhaust cost ya?

__________________
"Izzy" Black '99 L N/A

phmancus

Thread Starter

set me back $450 for the two of them picked up. pretty sweet deal, I must say!

__________________
-Philip
"Melange"- '01 Forester S 5MT

Rob

Best exhaust for a N/A Subie PERIOD!

Tuned200

Nice work!

__________________
2007 Forester XT - The Gray Goose
2006 Forester XT - Blu-Blur
2010 Forester X - SOLD-The Green Goblin

MudRunner

Awesome work! I love it! Saw a '00 Forester L at the stealer in the same color today and really liked it.


I still want to know if the stromung will fit on my Outback... nobody seems to know. Even just the axleback portion.

__________________
-Zach
MY'00 Outback 4EAT - lifted:
Ludwig von BattleWagon
MY'06 Volvo V50 T5 6MT SportWagon

phmancus

Thread Starter

this specific cat-back only works on the '94-'99 legacy and outback.

they make an axle-back that would work though...
Performance Exhaust for Impreza, Legacy and Forester

__________________
-Philip
"Melange"- '01 Forester S 5MT

SFBOXER25

Cant wait until I put my Stromung on... Should be here tomorrow or wednesday. You should invest in stronger exhaust hangers. I use the Rallitek ones on my 07 impreza and my Forester. they help alot esp with stiff suspension setups.

ScoobyDoobie

Nice man, thats cool you drove up to this neck of the woods to get those quality parts. The SF is coming along nicely.

BTW that stromung mid-pipe you have came off my SF. :)

__________________
05' LGT-99' SF (sold)

phmancus

Thread Starter

YEAH! Noah told me.

was gonna try and contact you and whoever else is in C-ville to meet up for lunch or something, but I was dead tired and just had to get home.

btw, Charlottesville is absolutely beautiful! i enjoyed walking around downtown for a bit.

__________________
-Philip
"Melange"- '01 Forester S 5MT

phmancus

Thread Starter

yeah, I definetly took note of that shaking. the plan is to order some KB ones very soon.

You'll love the stromung. I'm still getting goosebumps every time i fire it up.

__________________
-Philip
"Melange"- '01 Forester S 5MT