As stated in my get to know yourself post, which hopefully EVERYONE has read by now, I'm riding in an 03 WRX with K&N intake and sounds like a blow-off valve, which i've read is and isn't stock, maybe that can be set straight. But as the title states, I'm wondering what's good to start with, keeping in mind that I'm much more interested in the car getting me around for a long time rather than getting me there in no time. From my limited browsing tonight it looks like up/dp would be a good starting place, but I just wanted a little more info before i got into something. And if it's frowned upon at this site to ask a question without searching for a post for an hour, i guess I'll find out now (i got in a lot of trouble on forums with my talon wanting more specific answers) but whatever works works.
In my opinion, engine management would be the best first mod. Also, if you do have a blow off valve, it's best for the car to replace it with a recirculating one. You can probably pick up a stock one from somebody on here.
no flames here. up dp is a good place to start if your looking for performance. if the car is fast enough for you, you could go with front and rear swaybars for better handling. its all in prefrence. as for the bov the car does come stock with a bov but its not really that audible.
haha that wont happen here but you are correct, my first mod was dp and exhaust and it was done on an install day where with help you can diy. I'm going for the same thing as far as reliablity, but I like the powa to boot!!
When I got my 03 it had same as yours + TBE, I did up, ecutek and tune and packed on nearly 80 ponies to the ground. The engine is nearly bullet proof but the tranny is another story.
I thought this would be mine too but after talkin to Mr.SS it save $$ by ding the mod first then tuning.
Technically the stocker isn't a BOV but rather a BPV (bypass valve). The difference being that a BOV blows off to the atmosphere and a BPV recirculates into the intake tract. Depends on your approach. If you go AP/Protune then you can get an AccessPort now and run stage 1 on the stock car, then stage 2 after uppipe/downpipe. Past that a Protune will take care of it. Since the tuning for the AP is pre-packaged you're not spending tuning hour $ between each mod.
Also, while not for the faint of heart they are making rather good progress with staged maps for OpenECU. For $90-ish for a cable and free software it's pretty damn good bang for the buck.
if u want power, as a first mod, i'd replace the uppipe with a catless one... im always skeptical about the pre-turbo cat... if you go through the trouble of replacing the uppipe, might as well replace the downpipe also since the downpipe has to come off to do the uppipe... you could also add a catback for a nice throaty rumble... with those mods (full turbo back exhaust upgrade), your car should run fine with the stock ecu... then you could go with engine management and gain all the power that was hidden away if u want improved handling, i'd recommend upgrading tires (if you still have the stock RE092 tires)... then i'd do swaybars... then lower it... based on your budget, you could chose anything between fully adjustable coilovers and lowering springs... lowering will also give u style points
Awesome another bugeye!! welcome to the wrx atlanta! We are proud to be known as a friendly community so dont worry about getting flamed if you have a question. We all had to start somewhere. As far as mods id say for power go uppipe and downpipe..for handling try some springs or front and rear sway bars..if it has the stock RE 92s you might want to put some money into some better tires.. as always if you have any other question dont hestitate to ask
Wow... what a community. I posted, then went to wal mart to get a few things and came back and all this. Really glad I came across the site. As far as tires, there are goodyears in front perellis in back for some reason. Don't feel like goin back outside so can't get a model number. Far as the mods, I'd assume for an UP/DP i'd like a reliable place to have that done. Engine management- when necessary, is this a recommended DIY with the proper instruction/equipment?
It depends on what you go for. The accessport is a very easy DIY. connect a couple of wires down near the bottom of the steering column, plug the accessport into your diagnostic jack and you're good to go. An ecutek requires some professional tuning but is also a very popular option. PS. The Accessport was my first major mod and I was quite impressed.
thats what im screaming. Gutted up. you already have the part, it costs you nothing but some elbow grease and a few min to learn the right way to do it. That is a debateable process, however in a nut shell, beat, bang, screw, bore out the cat. converter in your up pipe and then replace. this pipe is supposed to be on your car, so you wont have to worry about it breaking or not sealing up properly. as far as your down pipe, i suggest spending the money for a nice bellmouth pipe. Get what you really want the first time so that you dont have to climb back under the car again in 3 months when you decide that you should have spent 100 more dollars for the helix catted downpipe!!!!! As for looking for a good place to do this, you have an array of options. 1)subaru of Gwinnett, they do a good job there and everyone in this community should meet scott seigel. 2)top speed in alpharetta does install and tuning as well and your point of contact there is Doug. 3-1,000) a fellow wrxatlanta member's garage or your own. Normally, you offer beer and some chow and 10 people will show up to help you tansform your car into what you need. I myself am an advocate of choice#3 because you will never meet a better group of guys, they love working on cars, you will learn so much about what you are driving and its normally a really good time. If you opt to go this route, i suggest that you start early on a weekend when auto stores are open, just in case that you have to run out for a bolt, screw or what have you. It sucks when you cant finish a job because you are missing a washer The main perk of getting members to help is, most of them know more than anyone else around about what you are inquiring about and you dont pay out of the ass to get something done that should take no longer than 3 hours to install and have running properly. Engine management is another story. For that you'd be better off you go with selection 1 or 2. That is all. By the way, im Tom, im not in the area right now, i'll be back soon to chill, welcome, catch ya in a few months!
the center diff really doesn't do too well having different sized tires in front and back. I would make sure this is not a problem before I spend money on other things. After that I would do up/dp and a tune (either openecu or AP depending on your abilities and risk aversion).
With my '03 WRX, I immediately started with springs and wheels/tires. Then I got bit by the modding bug...did catback/midpipe and EM first. The aftermarket pads/fluid and front sway. Then came back and did downpipe/catless flex uppipe (all Prodrive stuff) and EM. If I had to do it all over again, I would have done the full turboback / uppipe / EM all together, but you live and learn. IMHO, I think springs, sways and tires are a great start. Hang out at some meets and do some research, take some rides in other guys' cars and see what you like for go-fast parts. I would also highly suggest getting some school track time in and learning the car's limits. Check out Siegel Racing Driver Education Clinics (SRDEC) referenced on the boards here. A bunch of us on here have done and it's a blast! Enjoy the car! See you around.
Best starting mod is by far the driver. Learn to drive your car in stock form. After that is down to the specifics of what you want to do with it. Autox-adjustable struts, performance-EM, catback, or uppipe, looks-springs/wheels.
I was also going to post this, get matched tires as quickly as possible tro avoid burning out the diff. New Wheels and tires (finid them used on here or NASIOC if you are on a budget like me)are always a nice first mod. Improves the looks and decent tires will help to add grip.
Well, I'll just ask some people in person. I am rumored to be getting some random bonus tomorrow, so with or without it I'm getting tickets to go to nopi with club wrxatlanta. I'm sure there'll be enough time to learn things there, as long as the sun doesn't feel like melting brains, as i've read was the case last year.
As everyone else has suggested Uppipe, downpipe, exhaust, and ecu first and really you should do them all at the same time so you can get it tuned. Suspension mods are alot of fun and for me atleast they are more rewarding most of the time.(go ahead call me out you know you want to) Decide what youre goals are power wise and make sure that you dont have to do things twice.... I feel like under 300hp is pretty safe in a wrx, I personally think once you get beyond there you are starting to push it as far as longevity goes. Matt
DIY'ers? SO UP/DP exhaust ECU. are these all things that could be done on an install day type g2g followed by a tune at, say, SoG? Or is it better/necessary to shuck out some money and have it all done at the shop. Maybe a mixture?
Welcome. If you still have the stock muffler, I would have to say best bang for the buck (and ease of install) is an STi takeoff muffler. They're generally near $100 and can cut your 60mph to 80mph time from 9 seconds to 6.5... (timed in 3rd gear, going WOT at 45) Then do UP and DP at the same time. Then EM. I'd have to say though, get the same tires all the way around on the car first. In addition to needing to be the same size, they should really be within 2/32 of an inch tread depth of each other... Welcome, this is a great site where everybody welcomes you, your questions, input, etc SS
Do you feel like you need more power? I never have. Seems to me that my car takes off just fine. That's not to say that I won't change out the UP and DP, but I'm in no rush there. I did get the AccessPort, probably 'cause I'm a geek. I liked the idea of changing maps at will. Frankly, the changing maps at will part really hasn't been very rewarding. I must say, though, that the maps from Cobb deliver a bit more power more smoothly than that stock software. When I do change the UP and DP, then I can get a map special for my car. I have changed the springs and sway bars because I'm interested in handling. I got adjustable sways, which is a two-edged sword - the upside is that you have the freedom to change sway bar ratios; the down side is that you have the responsibility for choosing a sway bar ratio. I suspect that I'll be messing with those sway bars for quite some time. Assuming that I don't do any asymmetric configurations, I have 6 combinations to try. Summary - I like the advice that you should first get used to the car the way it is. If you do that, then you'll have a better idea where you want to change things, and you'll have a better idea of whether you improved things. I also support getting a single kind and diameter of tire all the way around. Finally, change what you think you'll be excited by. It could be you'll decide you want to change the seats first. I know I'm tempted there.
Right on so far ^^^^^^ For sure our cars need some upgrades in the way of handleing so you could be thinking about how you might go about that. There are hundreds of combinations of spring, struts, coilovers, swaybars, wheels and tires... Some people go all out, some simply change out their springs and no matter what you do I think most will agree the single most rewarding parts upgrade you can make to your car in terms of how the car handles is a good set of tires. I wish I had taken a slightly different path on my suspension upgrades, but you live and learn. My advice is take your time and have a plan.
Stuff etc. Tires are matched size, roughly the same treat. They're actually Potenza and Goodyear, and roughly the same tread wear. I read that the power between ront and back is not 50/50 distribution, and is more to the back wheels. Could this or driving habits have cause the back tires to wear faster, or did the previous owner just have some reason to think different tires was a good idea? Also, i'm used to the driving by now. The power is a bit higher than the Talon TSi I drove, and I have teh same issue with 1st gear before the boost, and not wanting to keep the car revved on take-off to make the boost chime in earlier. That two seconds is mainly where i'm interested in an upgrade in power- getting a bit more out of that 2.0 for easier driving on the car (that's my idea at least). Because I'm not going to track or haven't been up any mountains i guess the handling isn't as important to me, although originally I thought about tires/ sway bars as my first investment. Another question is lightening the car. I found rims as low as 17.something pounds each, does anyone know what stock weight is? And has anybody had experience with carbon fiber hoods/trunks etc. or thinner glass, and read/noticed any difference with taking this route. Loving all the information- Curtis
The cars pretty heavy huh? At least if you compare it to a FWD Honda or a Mitsu. I'm sure you'll find that we, Subaru owners, approach our car very differently than people who drive other makes. It kinda tripped me out at first because I've been a long time Honda head. The usual Honda tuners approach would be to make the car more rigid and lighter and to try to squeeze as much power out of the engine as possible. But you'll find that most Suby owners are too concerned with adding strut bars or removing the extra weight out of the car. - Some people do it, and the front strut tower bar is pretty popular, but it's debatable whether it does any good or not since our cars are already very rigid. You don't see a lot of extra bars in the back either. And I know I'm moving around a little.... But the point is the gains you would get by removing a few pounds wouldn't be nearly as good as the ones you get from power related parts. Granted, I've never driven a 2.0 powered car, but I know that in my car you have to use a lot of clutch and a lot of gas to get the car going, because of the drivetrain losses and the transition from 1st to 2nd is unusual when compared to other cars. As for the tires. I'm pretty sure they wore differently beause of thier different compounds. Even if you took the most closely matched size and types of tires, from different manufacturers, as you possibly could they would still wear out differently just because of thier different makeups.
The same "size" tires from different manufacturers can be WILDLY different sizes. As in, a 215/50/16 Goodyear can be a FULL INCH different than a 215/50/16 Bridgestone... If you get the car in the air and measure the ACTUAL circumference, if it's within 1 percent or so, you should be okay. Otherwise, I'd get 4 of the same tires on it first. That "tip in" throttle that you are looking for might be best helped by an UP. Of course if you are going to do the UP, you might as well do the DP. If you're doing those, at least change the muffler too, and then you'll be ready to make a lot more power SS
Another point to mention is that the treadwear on different tire manufacturers is measured differently. Each tire company determines their own measurement. So a 400 treadwear from goodyear is going to be different from a 400 bridgestone which is different from a 400 Cooper. I have had a couple places refuse to sell me anything less than 4 new tires for my vehicle as it can cause problems with the transmission.
Hmm tire situation? The only thign is they still have good tread on em and It would be a shame if I couldn't find somewhere to sell em. I'm assuming online would be best to sell 'em, just hope somebody would buy 2 different pairs of tires in a month or so when i've got the money for new ones. What's a good tire you all have been buying? I know it may be pretty low, but I wouldn't want to stray too far from about 120 a tire. And I know they do make a big difference. I put some nice Toyos on my accord and was amazed at the difference.
^^ And even with 50/50 torque distribution the front tires will still spin before the rears on quick takeoff because of the weight shifting to the rear... just a random thought I guess.
yeah, i know on my car i get rear wheel spin before i get front wheel spin.. then again i have an auto.
awww :hsugh: but I know cars in general, and outside of learning your car in and out in stock form, suspension is a good place to start. tis all...
I'm gonna have to learn more about the muffler thing. I really understand the point of replacing the up-pipe, if for no other reason than to get the cat out from in front of the turbo. From there back, I have some learning to do to understand what's power and what's noise. I'd be tickled to death to have a car that sounds mellow and flys like nobody's business. DD
I have the Subaru SPT cat back mated up to a helix catted downpipe. I am controlled by cobb accessport stage 2 off the shelf map and I can tell you that, although not quiet, it certainly isn't loud. And as for fast, well... that it is my son...
I am going to go in a different direction than everybody else when it comes to the first mod. I would highly recommend some hood dampers as the first mod. Lets face it, most of us do some sort of power mod at first, exhaust in general. Nothing is better than getting that damn hood prop out of the way so you have more room to work. Makes working in the Engine compartment so much easier. After that, then start doing some power mods, exhaust, EM, Intercooler, etc...
i'm surprised this hasn't been suggested: short shifter and bushings. it was the first mod i did to my STi (Cobb shifter/bushings) and i love it. first power mod i will do is Cobb AP first handling mod i will do is tires followed by sway bars. for the OP's particular situation i would definitely see about getting 4 of the same tires. when it's time for me to get new tires, i'm thinking about Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Pole Positions. also get that cat out of your up pipe.
Ha! My first mods were the up/dp a few months ago, and I'm going in to get my front swaybar done on Wednesday right before I leave up to Seattle. I can't say much for the swaybar as I don't have it yet, but the up/dp was a huuuuuuge upgrade, and not that expensive either.
Haha, I usually forget about the fact that I have a short-throw shifter. That was actually my first mod too. It's definitely enjoyable.