Project RS - the makings of a fun DD/auto-x'er

i guess i should preface this by going over my background in cars and my current ride as it stands:

i've always been a car guy, and i distinctly remember being one of the few guys in high school that was into motorsports outside of nascar/drag racing. when the original 2.5RS hit the US back then i thought it was the coolest thing ever. that was the car that got me into Subarus and i've been a fan ever since. over the years, i've had a maxima, an accord, and recently an audi A4 1.8T. each car has taught me a great deal about power, handling, maintenance, and community in one way or another. i enjoyed my time in all of them.

i recently had to dump my beloved audi after a long string of heavy maintenance items that didn't want to end. the cost and condition of the car was too much to keep bearing so i went on the hunt for a car that had alot of the same attributes -- but was easier and cheaper to maintain. my budget was low enough that WRX's were not an option due to initial cost, running costs, and insurance. i was also really concerned with making sure the car was FUN. i love power (who doesn't) but most importantly the car had to have the right combination of ingredients to be a car you could really toss around and it would put a smile on your face. i kept subarus at the top of my list even though i had counted out WRX's, and almost by accident i stumbled upon the car i ultimately picked. i thought it was kind of funny that almost 10 years after i saw my first 2.5 RS and lusted after it, here i am in my own RS, which i also love. i picked it up on the 17th and have totally gone off the deep end into subaru-land :rofl:

the car:

'05 crystal grey metallic 2.5 RS, sport package.
- Paranoid Fabrictions grounding kit (installed by previous owner)
- replica STi f/r upper strut braces (installed by previous owner)
- kartboy short shifter (installed by previous owner)
- WC Lathe Werks shift knob





yikes wheelgap!




THE PLAN
i drive a minimum of 60 miles a day commuting, almost entirely highway. i plan on keeping the car as reliable and efficient as possible -- no crazy swaps, boost, or internal work...the engine will stay mostly stock, with only exhaust work and possibly an oil cooler planned. it's for the best anyway, as i really don't need the power and have fun with what i do have. i do, however, want to get into the suspension and brakes, and basically improve any "weak" areas along the way.

my goal is to have a fun, bulletproof RS daily driver that i can punt around on the weekends during the autocross season. i want to push the suspension, wheels/tires, and brakes to a high enough level to be able to compete reasonably well in STS. i'm also hoping to push my own abilities higher as well along the way, because it's the nut behind the wheel that is the most important component! i want to become a good enough driver that i can better utilize momentum as my main ally so that my lack of power won't be such a crutch.

thanks for reading through all this if you did. i'll do a review of the mods i do to the car to not only help others in making their modification choices but also to help my organize my thoughts on what i want to do.

 

Welcome from another fellow autox'er. Good luck with the modding. Hopefully we will see you in October for the last few AR events.

 

NICE! show up all these pansies and come out to play!

Oh, and want an STi spoiler? I'm looking to go wingless.

 

Good luck! There are lot of decent STS drivers in the region and unfortunately the RS is a bit heavy for the class. However locally I'm sure you could make for some good competition! Time for some coilovers and RE01rs!

 

thanks, i'll be doing what i can to get there. should be a good way to cord these RE92's to death so i can get a new set of REAL tires by x-mas, ha.

first batch of mod reviews -

Paranoid Fabrications grounding kit - to be honest i have no idea what the car feels like without it, as i didn't install this, but rather the previous owner did. i will say that the car doesn't have any dead spots in the power band at all. it also looks like a really easy thing to install, just 3 wires, all connected to easy-to-access engine and chassis points.

replica STi front/rear upper strut braces - again, installed by PO. they look pretty trick though :coolugh:. i have a feeling i'll be glad they're there when i get into the suspension more and things get stiffer. i've always been one of those guys that is of the thought that 99% of strut bars are the same old thing over and over, so i typically just buy the ebay ones. i imagine if i had wanted strut bars i would have bought the same thing.

Kartboy short shifter w/urethane bushings - partially installed by PO...i recently installed the lower, 2 peice urethane bushings this weekend. it's a good shifter and looks to be very high quality. pretty tight pattern. it's a bit low in height for my liking (i have to lean over a bit in my seat to reach 5th), but my arms are kinda short so for you normal people i guess you'd be fine. DON'T install this without the lower 2 peice bushing. it makes a huge difference, the stock bushing is total sloppy crap, i'm going to use it from now on as a squeezy stress toy because that's all it's good for.

WC Lathe Werks (Turninconcepts) shift knob - the STi piston knob that came with the car didn't fit my hand well and got hotter than i like on these lovely 100+ degree days. so out it went, and in went a traditional ball shaped acetyl copolymer (i think i got that right) shift knob from WC Lathe Werks. it's really light, fit and finish is flawless and it's almost insular...very little heat transfer. the black color matches my trim well. Chris from WC Lathe was very good in keep me up to date on my shipment and even hand wrote a few nice words on my packing slip. that's a pretty cool gesture you don't see anymore these days. $69.00 through Turninconcepts, highly recommended.


pics to come later!

 

hopefully you'll see me at the subaru challenge. i'm gonna hold off on the trunk swaps, i'm a wingless fan myself.

thanks, truth is i'm used to driving tanks and getting my ass kicked :rofl: but i tend to put up a decent enough fight anyway. coilovers will be a while but tires are the next big thing on my list. do you think the RE01's are too hardcore for commuting and road trips? i won't be lucky enough to have an extra set of dedicated track wheels/tires.

 

I've autoxed once on RE92s..... never again! When I sucked (which wasn't too long ago) I went through tires really fast to do poor driving; my first set of v710s lasted like 50 runs (I get 120runs out of them now). So pretty much as your driving gets better your tires will last longer. If you want something milder I'd suggest the 615 azenis or hancooks. Just make sure to get rid of those RE92s!

edit: wrx/rs take off ARE really cheap! stock rims FTW

 

I refuse to drive on crappy tires. it's worth the extra expense to me to use the best tires I can for every mile. Why spend a bunch of money on a nice car then put tires that cut performance literally in half? what are you going to save with high miles tires? $200/year? $300/year?

 

Oh noes. Its a Sport Package like mine...except I had a PSM one.

 

oh i definitely agree, tires are a huge factor in performance. i was meaning more along the lines of noise/hydroplaning resistance, not so much wear.

i was initially looking at B-stone RE750's and Ventus RS2 Z212 as replacements.

 

Here's my recommended mod list for power:

Find a stock WRX/STi intake box and duct, install that. That will be 10000% better than whats on there.

Next: Borla header, and a catback. Stock cats are fine...unless you want a CEL P0420. A highflow cat is a LARGE improvement over stock. I've run all three: Catless, stock cats, and high flow.

Suspension: 04 sti take offs with pink springs or something similar. Group N top hats front and rear.
Tribeca 25mm front bar (requires purchase of bushings and endlinks, STi rear end links and 24mm bushings)
Find a 20mm rear bar and upgrade the rear endlinks. Stop there for swaybars.

If you want more grip than the sti struts/springs...go to ebay and get the Megan racing coilovers. You wont find a better deal for the money. $900 shipped. EXCELLENT performance and ride. I have two sets on two cars.

Get some 17's and run RE070s. They are awesome. Otherwise the Hankook Ventus RS-2 Z212 tire in 235/40/17 on a 7 or 8 inch wheel will work perfectly for you. Awesome in dry or wet. However, they will get greasy on a hot autox day with multiple drivers...or a single driver if you get runs close together.

I do not recommend any ECU tuning at all on this car, gains are not worth the time/energy/money spent. If you get a high flow, it IS worth the time/energy to find out how to reflash the CEL away so you can use the cruise control.

 

Will, i really appreciate the detailed post. i feel a bit better about the reseach i've done as alot of the things i've been contemplating (sway bars, exhaust) match up with your recommendations.

is there a particular cat back you recommend? i was thinking borla headers to a stromung cat-back. is it worth it to go with a custom built exhaust?

when you say "STi take offs" do you mean the struts?

sorry about all the questions, thanks again everyone for the insight.

 

Yes...04 STi struts.

I'd prefer the Stromung XA catback...but thats me. Stromung makes awesome stuff.

I made a custom mid pipe so i could use ANY bolt on WRX/STi axleback and ran a prodrive round tip for the longest time. Otherwise I had a stock STi muffler...which is more than enough for the car...AND its stock like quietness.

 

Will had a pretty smoking fast RS last year.... he's the man to ask!

 

Sho'nuff!

 

awesome, i'm sure he'll be sick of me bugging him with questions in no time

 

i've been thinking of what i'm going to do in the future (i always do this with cars) and i'd definitely like to upgrade the exhaust eventually. one of the things i'm going to change out will be the header. for longevity, performance, and possibly helping to avoid a CEL if i change out the cat, i'd like to go with a ceramic coating on it.

does anyone have any experience with ceramic coaters like Swain or Jet Hot (and what it ran you)? Is there anyone local that does this type of thing? Better yet, is there anyone here who has used something DIY like the Tech Line coating and know of someone who can sandblast your header and apply the coating (cheapest option)?

just curious.


in other news....some way or another i'm going to get some decent tires on this car.

 

If I were you, I'd find an obx header used and buy a randomtech hiflow cat. Then get a used sti catback and weld it all together. This would be probably one of the better cost/performance ratios out there.

 

But it results in a CEL as its catless.

 

Read again lol

Randomtech hiflow cat

 

read again....it'll still have a CEL.

why? its an 02+.

Even more sensitive is the 05+.

He has 05.

 

Really? I thought aslong as he has a cat it'll be fine.

 

No...i've seen alot of newer NA cars have 420's or 2096's from high flow cats. Even the mechanical defeats do not work.

 

that sucks :squint: oh well, fact is it's never going to be fast so i'm not really torn up about not being able to free up those horses.

thanks for the info though, good stuff to know.

 

Ecuflash/openecu/enginuity/ecuedit the P0420/2096.

High flow cat makes more power.

It really makes the car.

 

which program do you recommend?

 

ecu edit is not free.

The rest are, and have better support in the forums.

last I checked, there is no rom definition for the 05 RS.

 

i've been getting some pinging lately. definitely not rod knock or piston slap, it's pinging for sure:

- merging uphill onto the highway hard in 4th gear, passing 4k rpm and it'll start chattering at me

- light cruise on the highway, going uphill, i'll hear it pinging a bit until i either let off or give it more throttle

- starting off quickly from a low rpm, it'll ping for a sec....i've experienced that before though, i just need to give the car more revs from a stop...but i thought i'd mention it.


this is always in the afternoon when it's hot. so what's up with this? my car only has 28k on it, and i'm using 87 octane as recommended. did i get a batch of shitty gas? i fill up at the local QT because it's cheap, should i be buying elsewhere? is it already time for a tune up, and if so, does that just consist of plugs and wires? is my timing off somehow?

any help would be appreciated, i'm kind of stumped, and even though alot of modern cars run on the edge of, and into light knocking sometimes, i don't like it and want to get rid of it.

 

it means you need to start modding the car.

 

haha, i like your advice

 

hey, if you do decide to change your exhaust, want to sell your stock to me? i'm runnin sti's catback now, still want to make it quieter.

 

absolutely! i'm looking to eventually do a borla header and some kind of exhaust.

maybe we can work out a trade of some sorts?

 

well i picked up some '04 STi struts/springs/tophats from another cool subie guy and can't wait to get them on. that should just about do it for the suspension, maybe a tribeca FSB to top it off? :naughty: hoping to have it done by the subaru challenge!! it better be soon anyway because these struts don't look good chilling in the middle of my living room.

i'm still getting a little pinging but i changed my plugs and reset my ECU and that seemed to help alot. i'm romping on it a good bit to hopefully get the ECU to learn/adapt quickly so hopefully no more pinging. if not...well i guess 89 octane isn't really that much more expensive.

also changed out the old tranny fluid for some Extra-S....took about 3.75 quarts and feels great. it wasn't an immediate change, but over time after i changed it out it just kept getting smoother. i still have trouble getting into 1st from neutral at a stop at times or when i really rush things, but otherwise it's great.

 

yeah, just pm me when you do decide to sell it,, thanks

 

finally got my used '04 STi strut assemblies on. it's a pretty serious change in ride but i think i like it so far. it helps that my commute is on the highway, not too rough. my butt has been spoiled by driving soft sedans all my life though :keke:

i'm totally stoked for my first autocross, i think i'll really be able to enjoy this suspension where it will shine the most.

ride height hardly changed as you can see. the springs are still settling i think, but i bet it's hardly a half inch difference, which i'm OK with since i like to stay under the radar. stock on top, STi on the bottom.


also met up with TooUglyForYou and swapped exhausts. wasn't too bad...i need to grab some washers to tighten up a leak at the cat/midpipe but otherwise fitment is pretty good and once i get the leak fixed it will probably sound like i hope it will. if not, i'll just snag a stromung midpipe and get the mid/axleback flange modified. some borla headers and the engine should be done to my liking.

 

Dude...thats a SERIOUS change in ride height.

 

haha, don't be jealous now!

 

almost ready for the suby challenge.

stopped by Gran Turismo East after work and they set me up with a nice autocross alignment with me in the car. it was a good thing too, my alignment up until then was a complete mess, i had toe out on one rear wheel, toe in on the other, camber all over the place.....

fronts -1.2 (maxed out the stock camber bolts)
rears -1.4 (stock camber)
toe 0 on the front, .02 in the rear

also installed my WRX air duct (thanks Jake!) which i have connected up to a peice of ducting that's acting as a snorkus delete. some of the weatherstripping at the front of the hood was removed to offer a bit more open area to the front of the duct. after an ECU reset and a little learing i feel like it really made a difference, if anything the response and sound alone was worth it.

i'm going to change the oil tommorow, clean the car out and air up the tires and i think that's it. there's a rally-pig sticker on the rear window now too :naughty:

 

the suby challenge was a blast....i had a fun time and met some cool people. the RS did pretty well, i managed a 52.3 best time and it was really educational as far as learning the limits. the biggest thing that was killing me was tires, i had my RE92's pumped up to 45F/45R and with the WRX rear bar and STi struts/springs (fun buy-it-used budget combo btw) i had a nice neutral cornering stance but the limits were just so low. under braking the ABS was going nuts.

i had a few moron moments as well, i DNF'd half my runs because i couldn't remember how to take the slalom on the back half and i did a nice little tank slapper in front of everyone on the front slalom my second time out. it was good though, i think i learned to keep my head up and my hands from flying around.

looking to get a borla header hooked up for a little rumble-rumble, some hawk pads and some better rubber once the RE's are gone, and that should just about do it. my goal of a decent, efficient DD and fun autocrosser is pretty much already there.

weeeeeeee

 

kick it old school!

old (new) and (not really) busted


to:

new (old) hotness


i had grand dreams of de-SUBARU'ing the trunk until i found out how miserable peeling adhesive off a trunk can be. i hate that crap, took me like an hour and a half. but my inner ricer is so satisfied!

also, RE92's were given the boot and I am so happy that i did. picked up Falken 205/55-16 FK452's from Edge Racing and love them long time. even for a summer tire they are doing great on the chilly mornings. they are really very decent DD tires and with the newfound grip i am hankering for some autocross action.




next up: unequal length header, a tune, and some solid endlinks :wiggle:

 

well, plans change so i've put off my "fun" mods for the necessary ones! my front pads were gettin low, so i finally stopped being lazy and picked up a set of Hawk HPS's from a vendor on NASIOC for a good price and bedded them in this weekend. i'm pleased so far, and would recommend this pad to anyone who just wants an OEM-feeling pad that will take some heat but not squeel like a stuck pig. as a bonus, everybody sells them so its easy to find deals.

i also went ahead and pulled out the front seats to stretch the support springs out a bit. the seat is softer and i sit lower, and the lumbar that was killing my back has been flattened out. great success!



missed the double-x, so i need to get my autocross fix in a hurry!

 

after driving around on the HPS's i am definitely pleased for sure. great daily pad...drives like OEM except that they don't mind if you heat them up. for the price i really don't think i could be persueded to another pad for daily duty and some spirited driving.

picked up some items from 2 great members here. Scoobaru (Lenard) sold me a drawtite hitch which i intend to use for a tray-style dual bike rack that i can alternate between the suby and our xterra. eventually i may tow some small stuff with it as well.

Shewb (Jason) gave me a great deal on some lightly used RallyArmor basic flaps. i love the look but most of the all they are super functional and easy to install. just driving around i can hear stuff bouncing off of them so i know they're doing their job.





i had to use 3 Kartboy long hangers to hang the exhaust low enough to clear the driver's side of the hitch mount. with a different muffler i may not have had to, but that said it works and there is no excess vibration in the cabin. for those installing kartboy hangers -- get ready for a workout. they fit very snug, like they should, so they won't go on without a fight. i know in the picture the drivers side in hanging a little low...i don't have a fix for that right now. it doesn't bother me but if it did i'd just have the hanger welded lower on the exhaust can, since it's the hanger that bangs the hitch if it's too high.

i'll have a blackstone report coming in soon on my recent change out of Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30. i ran it for just over 6,000 miles and hope to pull 8,000 out of my next fill if the report shows acceptable breakdown and enough remaining detergent. i've been tempted to try other oils but the PP is so well priced, available, and gets such good ratings i can't bring myself to do it. if it's anything like the report i got back from my xterra using PP then i'll probably keep sticking to it.

lastly -- had a chance to flog the car at the autocross at AMS on saturday. had a great time but noticed 2 things -- my sway bars are still not enough(stock front, WRX 20mm rear) and my FK452s were getting pretty greasy. i will have to look into a front bar and experiment with some pressures.

 

27mm adj FSB FTW!

I have run 35/45psi front/rear before and it rotated pretty well. This past event I was running 42psi front and 48psi rear. It gives quit a bit of rotation...now if I could just learn to control it!

I am thinking that for tire pressures you want as much grip in the front tires as possible. So you would want to find out what pressure gives peak grip and set that for the front. Then adjust the rear up or down to complement the front. Maybe some other Autox guys can give better advice, though.

 

yeah i should really do a test and tune, i think my rears could have used alot more pressure. always something to learn....

 

haven't updated this in a while!

my focus over the last few months was to slowly put together a nice sounding but discrete exhaust for as little as possible. i already had an STi catback which i had been running for a year but i just wasn't satisfied with it. after trawling through classifieds forever, WRXAtl came through again with the parts connection.

Matt donated his old UEL borla header to me which i greatly appreciate. i'd be remiss if i didn't point out that it looked like it had been through all seven levels of hell and had a pretty haggard weld job on it with a few cracks :rofl:, but it was salvagable and that's all i cared! $45 later the cracks were all patched up and it was installed. no leaks since!

Shu hooked me up with an old borla catback for a very fair price. i took a gamble on it fitting since it was for the older GC cars, and sure enough it was just a little too long and the ballin' muffler tip was so big it was hitting the tow hitch. so, after a trip to a very ghetto exhaust shop i had my exhaust back an inch shorter and with a regular tip for $40.

with everything buttoned up it sounds really good, like a proper subaru. surprisingly not much louder than my STi catback when cruising even though the borla is straight through. all said and done i managed to meet my goal and even take some weight out of the exhaust at the same time.

next up: stop getting my ass kicked in STS
• autocross more
• fat wheels/tires
• get camber/caster up front
• tune
• maybe bushings

pics and video later!

p.s. my old STi catback is for sale :coolugh:

 

looks good i love silver clean car man

 

Glad the exhaust worked out! Pics, please

 

you ready for this season?

www.soloatlanta.com

 

thanks all. still working on the pics...i am le tired

absolutely. i won't make all of the events but i'm hoping to hit at least a half dozen. i still don't feel comfortable with the car in really fast transitions and i'm hoping to conquer that fear this year along with finally getting my tire pressures right. its definitely fun to hang out with all the subaru folks too.

seeya there...