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Superacerc's Garage/Journal

('09-'13) 
309K views 3K replies 94 participants last post by  Superacerc 
#1 · (Edited)
Accomplishments so far:

Engine Mods:
-stage 2 built block from awdtuning, dallas tx.
+JE Pistons
+heat treated nitride coated crank
+manly H beam rods
+acr race bearings
-Cobb UNcatted DP (rallysportdirect.com)
-grimmspeed ceramic uppipe (rallysportdirect.com)
-Tuned via Rom Raider myself
-PTP turbo blanket (PTP in austin)
-lava heat wrap on Down pipe in engine bay. (PTP in austin)
-GFB Hybrid Blow off/bypass valve (rallysportdirect.com)
-Walboro 255lph fuel pump (rallysportdirect.com)
-GRIMMSPEED manual boost controller www.grimmspeed.com
-back to stock TD04
-Top Mount intercooler process west style (Fast motorsports) (turbotektuning.com)
-1000cc BOSCH injectors (turbotektuning.com)
-Grimmspeed Lightweight pulley (Grimmspeed.com)
-1 step colder NGK plugs (ray@turbotektuning.com)
-back to stock header
-2015 Sti Sedan Catback
-AEM Cold air intake
-Perrin turbo inlet
-2 Oil Catch Cans
-Deleted BPV return line back to intake.
-wrx engine mounts
-QTP Electric Exhaust Cutout


Suspension mods:

-22mm Whiteline front swaybar (rallysportdirect.com)
-22mm Whiteline rear swaybar (rallysportdirect.com)
-kartboy aluminium endlinks (rallysportdirect.com)
-Anderson Design Fabrication 2" lift with trailing arm extensions.


Drivetrain mods:

-6 speed sti transmission
-DCCD pro controller
-limited slip r180 rear diff
-sti axles
-sti driveshafts
-clutchmasters 6 puck fx400 clutch
-kartboy shifter bushing
-kartboy short throw shifter
-turn in concepts shifter linkage bushing.
-Drive Shaft Shop 08+STI Aluminum Driveshaft (58 inches)
- killer b delrin matte shift knob


Comfort/Utility mods:

-BFG TA KO2 IN 265 65 16
-Insulated Car with RAAMAT and Ensolyte (RAAMAT.com)
-Rubber Undercoated the entire underside with 3M Rubberized Undercoating (Autozone)
-Tinted front windows to match rear factory tint (Solar Shade Humble, tx)
-JVC Head Unit (SF.org member)
-Sylvania silverstar ultra lowbeams
-THULE Sidekick rooftop carrier(amazon.com)
-53" crossbars(amazon.com)
-gorilla offroad mudflaps (gorillaoffroad.com)


Supporting Mods:
-aem uego wideband O2 kit and gauge
-prosport sti style boost gauge
-smy gauge cluster
-wrx gauges(ebay)


Style/look mods:
-lamin-x gunsmoke rear tail tint (lamin-x.com)
-SPARCO Terra Corsa 16"
-Sports Grille


Brakes:
-Stoptech Street Performance Pads (rallysportdirect.com)
 
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#57 ·
So I actually drove the subie around for a little while this morning. I've got the quiet = slow car phenomenon going on.

Haven't heard of that??

You know how when you put a loud muffler on a slow car it feels like its so much faster now that it's loud? My issue is opposite. I was so used to the loud pingy Cobb DP and wastegate flutter noise that now that I put on the turbo blanket and wrap and it's quiet now it feels like I'm slower. It's that much difference in the sound that I feel like the car is slower. I ran a few Cobb access port App 0-60 times and It's right on 6s which is the same as it was since I put on the new tires. So no real change.

What i didn't mention earlier in the Journal is that due to the new michelins with more tread and slightly larger diameter the Old Geolanders the Access Port 0-60 came up almost a 1/4 second cause it's reading off the speedo which was affected by the slight tire size change.

I need to get this thing to a real track and try it out.
 
#59 · (Edited)
Was using the front audio connection but found this hole in the cubby in front of the gearshift. I ran my audio cable behind the vents under the dash and out through the hole so it looks neater in the car. theres an extra 18 inches inside there i can pull out if needed

Sent from my ARCHOS 80G9 using Tapatalk 2
 
#60 · (Edited)
Found an STI Axelback to throw on for around town. It's brand new I picked it up for $100 + shipping. A guy on NASIOC bought it for his wife's FOZ and she didn't wan't it cause it was too loud. $130 total Going to keep the Stock mufflers for road trips though.

Here's some pics:


 
#62 ·
I'm hoping some of the drone won't occur with my whole car RAAMATed and 3m undersprayed. I just want to play around and have some extra grunt in the city. I'm rarely in my car over 25 minutes at a time and its almost all interstate speeds keeping the rpm at 2500ish or higher. They're so easy to swich out though I'm going to keep the stock setup for longer trips.

I'll let everyone know how they are with my setup and post some video clips of the sound at different levels. If I hate em I can probably sell them for more than I paid.
 
#63 ·
Got some boost creep this morning. I did a WOT in 4th from 75-90mph and it gave me the infamous CEL code PO244. Wastegate malfunction exceeded limit

Sent an email to Ray the Tuner to see what we can do.
 
#65 ·
Ray already got my updated tune to me! Ill put it in when I get home. What great customer service!

Im not going to go with a vf52 when I do swap turbos. I'm going to go with 18g most likely cause im only going to be running pump gas and that should give me enough power.
 
#69 ·
Got the swifts on this evening. Only did a quick test drive since its late but it's a huge difference. Going for an alignment first thing in the am. Now I just need the rear sway and some kartboy links and ill be done with suspension mods....well....maybe.
 
#71 · (Edited)



Back on:



Doing the rears:


Even the impact wrench couldn't stop the inside bar from turning with the nut. Luckily subaru has put an allen head fitting inside the bolt so I used a socket on the outside and an allen wrench on the inside.


Alignment at Tiremax:
 
#72 ·
Found this video online as well that explains exactly how to do it. The only part that isn't quite indicative of one difficulty is when they do the rears. I had to step on the rear drum to push the rear assembly down enough to get the bottom of the shock off. That means it takes two people. I stepped on it while my wife pulled outwards on the shock to get it out of the channel. Other than that it's pretty straight forward.

 
#73 ·
It's not a huge difference before and after as far as height goes. It's pretty unnoticable. The ride is much better and much less body roll.

Before Front pic:


After pics:




Rear Before:


Rear After:



 
#74 ·
Yea you wont notice the drop itself but they do settle a little more. That is why i chose the swifts because they are stiffer and slightly drop it but not too much were you cant go up steep driveways and speedbumps. With the rear bar and swifts the drivability is 100% better imo but still reliable for dd.
 
#76 ·
Great job with all of the mods! You have good taste. Couple questions. Can you take a couple pics A little further away to see the drop better? And are those stock exhaust hangers? The sti mufflers look low. I think they would look even better tucked up like the stock ones. Even if you have to trim the bumper a little.
 
#77 ·
thanks!

I'll take some pics tomorrow and put em up.

the front hangers are stock and the rearmost hangars are some 3a racing ones that are really long from auto zone. this gives it a slight downward slope and keeps me from trimming the bumper which I'm avoiding. I've kept the stock mufflers to put back on for road trips for quiet serene voyages so ill switch back and forth as needed.

the drop is barely noticeable but as it settles in seems slightly more apparent.

Sent from my ARCHOS 80G9 using Tapatalk 2
 
#79 ·
I just saw the youtube videos of your exhaust and they sound different on mine. Maybe it's the microphone, but on my car, as I release the gas pedal and the RPM goes down, the RPM bounces back up from ~1000 to ~1750. When that happens, my WRX mufflers make a sound that I can only describe as a boom from a sub-woofer.

Regardless, that drives me crazy as I do 90% city driving. As you've mentioned, the mufflers are quite at highway speeds, but I can't stand the sound at low RPMs. I've decided to put my stock mufflers back on.

By the way, you're car looks amazing. I'm quite jealous of how you've set the car to your likings. Cheers.
 
#80 ·
Ive got no resonator so maybe thats the difference. Thanks for the compliment. Im pretty picky about my comfort level. Ive had a few newer vws and theyre abit more comfortable so really im just bringing the subaru up to the level im used to. ive got all the small stuff done now so ill probably do things less frequently from now on but they'll be bigger things. I haven't done anything to really change the look and really dont plan on it to keep from drawing extra attention to myself.
 
#81 · (Edited)
Been trying to do a little research on turbos. Liking the blouch 18gxt I think. Can't justify the gxtr price difference for a slightly faster spool time. Should have Plenty of power available and much better top end than the stocker and vf52(or so it seems). Looks like it doesnt spool terribly late. Any thoughts from the peanut gallery?

Ill probably only be running 18-19psi but it should hold it all the way through to 5500 or higher where ill be shifting up so I will get better top end pull through the gear.

Right now my top end drops down to 13.5-14 psi when getting past the mid 4k rpm range to the top end of each gear.

I dont wan't to go vf52 cause I know I'll be dissapointed with maxing it out on pump gas too easily.

I'll probably end up with a knock off tmic to save some cash and go ahead with the injectors at the same time. Looking to do this tentatively around nov-dec time frame so ive got a bit of time to keep researching. Meanwhile ill pick up a dw 65 fuel pump in the near future to start preparing and maybe the lightweight pulley.

Power goal for me will be 310-320 whp on 93 oct. What do you guys think?
 
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