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TJ's 04 Forester XT

('03-'05) 
38K views 174 replies 18 participants last post by  vTeej 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey guys,

Figured I’d start a build journal in here so I can have some sort of written history of what’s going on with my Forester. I'm going to try to document each thing I do to the car.

Current pic:

Car Vehicle Tire Plant Hood



Engine/Drivetrain:
  • 2005 STI 6 speed and R180 (with all subframes, knuckles, 5x114.3, etc) + MapDCCD
  • DOM 1.5XT-R
  • Tial 38mm EWG and GrimmSpeed uppipe (plumbed back into downpipe)
  • MAPerformance Headers
  • HKS 3" downpipe with custom wastegate plumbing
  • Stromung FXT catback
  • AEM cold air intake
  • GrimmSpeed TMIC and Y-Pipe
  • Perrin turbo inlet
  • FIC 1100cc injectors
  • FIC top feed conversion rails
  • IAG -6an fuel line kit
  • Aeromotive FPR
  • STI intake manifold (bling bling)
  • IAG 3mm phenolic spacers
  • TGV deletes
  • Walbro 450LPH + iWire Hardwire and Stud Kit
  • GFB Respons BOV
  • IAG Street AOS
  • STI oil pan
  • Killer B baffle and pickup
  • Oil cooler modified for header clearance
  • Koyorad with new Gates hoses
  • Gates timing belt
  • Cobb Accessport
  • Self-tuned with knowledge from MKTuned (MikeDrives1)
  • STI ECU
Suspension/Bracing:
  • FEAL 441 max travel coilovers - 6k front / 4k rear
  • 2004 STI steering rack
  • Whiteline steering rack bushings - KSR202
  • Whiteline subframe lockout bolts - KSB750
  • Whiteline roll center adjustment - KCA313
  • Whiteline anti-lift kit - KCA362
  • Subframe spacer delete (spacers removed and swapped shifter, trans cradle, rear subframe, and outrigger to WRX/STI units)
  • STI lateral links
  • STI control arms (05-06 high caster variant) with flipped pin for additional caster
  • Whiteline 24mm adjustable front sway bar - BSF36XZ
  • Whiteline 22mm adjustable rear sway bar - BSR36Z
  • Whiteline sway bar stout mounts - KBR21-22
  • Whiteline adjustable end links (to make sway bar parallel and remove preload) - KLC139
  • Subtle Solutions fender braces
  • Custom rear triangle brace
Brakes:
  • STI Brembos
  • STI master cylinder
  • STI booster
  • Stoptech stainless steel lines
  • Stoptech street performance pads + DBA4000 rotors (daily)
  • Power Stop Track Day pads + Centric blanks (track)
Exterior:
  • Enkei PF01 - 17x9 +48 with 255/40R17 Falken Azenis RT615K+ (track setup)
  • STI goldies with 235/45R17 Michelon Pilot Sport A/S 3+
  • JDM bugeye hood scoop w/ custom splitter made from V7 STi splitter
  • Rear wiper delete
  • Rear wing
  • 06-08 color matched waist band
  • Importology lip + S204 lip
  • Rally Armor UR flaps
  • GrimmSpeed hood struts
  • Bath tub handle on hatch
  • JDM skirts and spats
Interior:
  • Forester STI seats with USDM WRX driver-side rails to lower seat and add height adjust
  • STI pedals
  • Shift knob, lockout, and boot holder by WC Lathe Werks
  • 60mm gauge pod housing by BNA Solutions
  • Defi ADVANCE BF Gauges (Boost, Oil Pressure, Oil Temp)
  • 12" Sundown SA-12 @ 1200W with Hifonics BRZ1200.1D
  • Pioneer AVH-4100NEX
  • All weather floor mats and cargo mat
  • Custom fire extinguisher mount in front of passenger seat
  • STI steering wheel
  • STI gauge cluster with Aaron's Subie Electronics harness
Future Plans:
  • More track time!
 
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1
#6 ·
The next project was a big one. Went to the shop I work at and mounted my 215/60R16 Blizzak WS80s on the stock wheels, 235/50R17 Potenza S-04s on my BBS, put in an STi steering rack with whiteline bushings, and pulled the blown coilovers and put in Swifts on the FXT struts as a temporary holdover until I figure out what I want to do with my suspension.

Assembling the struts



Struts assembled



Droop difference. Coilovers rear, struts front.



Final ride height





Final ride height with the BBS

 
#9 ·
Swapped out the VF39 that the PO put on for a buddy’s freshly rebuilt VF39. Mine had unacceptable shaft play (in and out and side to side, with marks on the housing from the wheel rubbing :eek:). Also threw in an EWG and STi headers, since the GT Spec headers wouldn’t mate with the EWG uppipe I got. :(

The old VF39





The old headers and uppipe, anyone interested in buying them?



Unfortunately, no pictures of the EWG or new turbo. But, when I went back to Mike for a tune, I was able to snag his old Cobb FXT specific exhaust. Score! Thanks Mike!



Also, hit a cool milestone

 
#11 ·
Put my new shift knob on. Made by WC Lathe Werks. The red top is a copolymer plastic that won't burn my hand during the summer and won't freeze during the winter, and the bottom and inside are heavy stainless steel to improve feel. It's an excellent shift knob and the craftsmanship is top notch.

The reason the boot isn't centered is because I had him make a 6mt shift knob instead of a 5mt shift knob, which would have a boot holder on the bottom. I plan to upgrade to the 6mt eventually, so I figured I'd have him make the knob like this so that I don't have to send it back to him for modification later on.

 
#20 ·
Realized that the previous owner never put the intake on properly. The rubber isolator was placed on the outside of the bolt, rather than on the inside between the intake and body. Not sure why he thought that was a good idea...

Before:



After:




Also, started to mock up an intake heat shield that can seal to the engine bay and hood. Was inspired by the box that GatorXTi made in this thread, so I mocked it up with cardboard today. Going to get some aluminum and adhesive heat shields to make the final product.

Ignore the flap over the intake tube, I just didn't cut it off yet when I took this picture.



The piece of cardboard I chose is just shorter than the hood when fully closed. With a taller piece of aluminum and a rubber seal, the seal against the hood should be perfect.

 
#27 ·
I'm not trying to go too low, so I'll be sitting at or just below STi height with these. I rode in Sooblover's Forester which has the regular 441s, and they blew me away, so I figured I'd go with the long travel ones which favor my offroad antics a bit more.

In other news, I've got a whole bunch of goodies going on when I put my coilovers on:



Not all items are pictured here, but I'm doing the subframe spacer delete, including a WRX trans cradle, WRX shifter (which will be rebuilt with Kartboy bushings and the TiC linkage update), WRX outrigger, WRX rear subframe, and WRX pitchstop. Also going on are STi control arms and STi lateral links. From Whiteline, I have the anti-lift kit and roll center adjustment kit going on. Gonna replace the motor mounts with Group-N units while I'm under the car, too. Should stiffen everything up quite a bit and make the car handle much better.

Also pictured here is my old 2.5" catback, which was replaced by a 3" Cobb FXT specific muffler, handed down to me by MikeDrives1.

Since I'm pulling my TMIC to get the pitchstop on, I'm going to use this time to wrap it in DEI gold foil and replace the hoses and y-pipe, which are eBay units the previous owner decided to use. I'm going to have to address my splitter, since I have the Grimmspeed one. I'm thinking about selling it, then getting an STi splitter to modify to fit, so I don't hack up a pricey splitter.

I sold the STi BBS this weekend, since I run a pretty wide tire and had a lot of sidewall flex while cornering. I wanted to get some 949racing 6ULs or Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 in 17x9 +45, but both were out of stock. I grabbed some Enkei TS9s off Tirerack. Same specs, 17x9 +45.



Things on the immediate to-do list are to mount up my old tires on the new wheels and do an oil change. That should happen Thursday night. My PCV crankcase hose is kinked, so I plan to change that in the near future as well. All of the suspension parts will be installed on August 21st, since that's when I can get shop access at my old workplace. Sooblover and MikeDrives1 will be there to assist in the install.

This Saturday is an Autocross even that MikeDrives1 will be at, so I might go there as well. Should be fun, but I imagine my Forester will handle like a boat on these Swift springs. Oh well, should be a good time anyway.
 
#28 ·
Nice pile of stuff you got there! Good luck with the sub frame spacer delete. I did it on mine, but changed so many other things at the same time it's hard to tell how much it did. I also had the engine out of the car..On the Grimmspeed splitter, you have to hack quite a bit off of it to make it fit right. I can send you pics of mine if you like. Definitely killed the resale value of it though if I ever wanted to sell it..

Nice choice on the wheels too. I looked into those myself, but think I'm swaying towards the Team Dynamics. Curious to see how the TS9's look.
 
#36 · (Edited)
Bad news, the wheels I got don't clear the stock struts without 10mm of spacer, so I couldn't make the autocross I wanted to go to yesterday. :(

Good news, it seems I've collected all of my parts to do my suspension upgrades. When I do the upgrades, my wheels will clear, but for now, the fozzy is sitting on snow tires in my driveway while I drive my sister's Pathfinder to work every day.

Installation is happening August 21st. Gonna be a good time.


Part list:

02-07 WRX
* 5mt trans cradle
* 5mt shifter and linkage
* Rear subframe
* Rear outrigger
* Pitchstop
* Front subframe bolts
* Driveshaft

05 STi
* Control arms
* Ball joint cone inserts
* Lateral links
* Rear sway bar mount

02 STi
* V7 TMIC splitter

Turn in Concepts
* 5mt linkage update

Kartboy
* Front shifter bushing
* Rear shifter bushing

Whiteline
* ALK - KCA362
* RCA - KCA313

Group N
* Motor mounts

FEAL
* 441 Max Travel Coilovers
* Rear camber plates
 
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