Hello Everyone! I've had a journal over at IWSTI for a while but figured I'd migrate over here with the local crowd. It was time to renew my subscription and I didn't see a reason to do so with IWSTI when there is such a great Subaru community here in GA. Things have been very busy for me the past year or so with work and other projects and I just haven't had much free time to focus on my Subaru. However, my schedule is finally calming down and it's about time I got back to having some fun with the STI. :banana:
-Current Mods- Interior - Pioneer AVH-P4200DVD - JDM Bezel - Tinted Windows - Redline 3-piece (Shifter/eBrake/Armrest) Leather Replacement set: Black with Silver Thread - Custom leather covered sun visors by JPM Coachworks: Black with Silver Thread - Twin pod cluster bezel by ClusterMaker - MB 52mm gauge pod - MadDad 52mm boost gauge Exterior - Debadged - R205 type STI front fender side garnish (black metallic) - Grillcraft Lower Grill Cover - Grillcraft Hood Scoop Grill (Black) Engine - COBB AccessPORT - AEM Cold Air Intake (AEM21-478WR) - Crawford v2 A/O Separator - TopSpeed ProTune Drivetrain - Beatrush Transmission Mount Wheels & Tires - Prodrive GT1 (18" x 8.5 +53) - Mcgard Spline Drive (Black) - 245/40 dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec Exhaust - MadDad V2 Metal Downpipe - MadDad V3 Whisper Exhaust - GrimmSpeed Turbo Heat Shield Suspension - RCE Yellow Springs Miscellaneous - Kartboy Pitch Stop -Planned Upgrades/Mods- Engine Bay Killer B Radiator/Alternator Cover: Black (Combo) SPT Battery Tie Down (Gray) SPT Oil Cap (Gray) Hella Horns (Subimods) Hella Horn Wiring (Subimods) Hella Horn Bracket (Subimods) Suspension Wave 1 Whiteline Front Sway Bar (24mm Adj.) Whiteline Rear Sway Bar (24mm Adj.) Whiteline Rear Subframe Positive Traction (KDT907) Whitelien Front Inner Lower Control Arm Bushing Beatrush Transmission Member Bushings Whiteline Rear Diff Mount - Rear (KDT906) Whiteline Rear Diff Mount - Front (KDT905) Wave 2 GTSpec Front 4 Point Ladder Brace GTSpec Aluminum Undertray Wave 3 Tarmac 2 Clubsport Coilovers GTWorx Camber Plates Exterior SEIBON OEM Style Carbon Fiber Grill Chargespeed Bottom Line T-2 Full Kit
-Pics!- Interior -Pioneer AVH-4200DVD with JDM Bezel- Exterior - Debadged Rear- And my lovely leather-covered sun visors courtesy of JPM! More to come soon....
I'll be updating my journal with newer pictures and upgrade updates as I get things ordered and installed. I've had a bit of bad luck this year with the STI and was a) hit by an old woman in a parking lot which pushed in my rear passenger door and b) got caught in a nasty hail storm that dimpled the *** out of the car. :wtc: Fortunately I found a good shop in my area that can handle the repairs and do so with the quality I expect. I hope to have it in the shop over the holidays and once it's finished I'll get a few more pictures (hopefully with some of the wishlist gear!) posted.
I've started to collect some of the items from my upgrade list and plan to begin the installation after the car gets back from the body shop. Some of the superficial items will go on while in the shop (bottom line, grill, etc) but I'll most likely need to schedule time with a shop to do the install of the suspension items as I don't have access to a garage to do the install myself. I hope to get everything in by mid-February in time for doing some autox. Given i'm just about out of the warranty period (and always looking one step down the road ) I'm considering a mild engine build next. I have done some research on parts, tolerances, 'bang for the buck', etc. and have come up with a guesstimate of what I'm looking for and complementary parts. So.... -The car will still be a daily driver -I autocross, looking to start rallyx next year -I'd like to keep it safe, and my goal is <400whp and as much torque I can muster I'm thinking... -Dom1.5 (not sure on 8vs10 just yet) -supporting injectors -fuel pump (new one from DW looks like it's perfect for me) -Tune -Perrin Inlet (?) -Headers (?) -Stock TMIC Would like to get some feedback on the engine build. I've been under the impression that a mild build in this hp range with a safe tune shouldn't cause any issues with the internals (pistons, etc) but unsure if I should just bite the bullet and go forged as part of this build so I don't have to worry about it down the road. Thanks!
I live in Americus. It's about 1hr southwest of Macon. I travel to ATL a couple times a month for work and usually try to schedule my shop visits at the same time. When I autoX, I do so with the MGA group in Macon or the Dixie region when they run in Adel. Nope, this is my first Subaru
Haven't updated the journal in quite some time. Seems I was never able to find the time to get the STI dialed in like I wanted. I'm actually sad to say that I've taken another direction in life for a while and the STI is no longer a part of it :wtc: However, I am staying with the Subaru family for now and plan on coming back to the performance side a couple years down the road. Just need something a little more family and business friendly for a while. My new ride Nothing special, but I've been very pleased thus far. Anyhow, I'll be putting some odds n ends up in the Garage Sale area soon. I'm a fairly active 'reader' on the forums and I'll be checking in from time to time. Who knows, mebah I'll try her out on the autoX course Cheers!
Thank you! I think I'm going to do a few enhancements to the interior and will probably give the guys at JPM a call next month. Nothing serious, maybe an Alcantara treatment on the headliner and pillars. I'll post up some pics if/when it happens.
I'm (we're) really enjoying it. The added space, less fuel/insurance/payment/etc. is great. Doesn't exactly 'handle', feels a bit lethargic at times, but overall I think it's a great vehicle for our current needs.
Just a quick note regarding my purchase. A few people have asked about the 'shaker' issues. I was fully aware of this issue as well as the upcoming model refresh for 2013 and took that into consideration before purchasing the vehicle. The initial road test had no indication of vibration during city stop-go or constant (45, 65, 75 - 80) speeds. Most information I've read points to these ranges being a good way to initially identify a shaker. Time will tell I guess, but no abnormal vibration in the steering wheel thus far. As for the 2013 updates, I'm glad to see them being put in place but would have waited another model year regardless as both the engine and transmission (CVT) were updated. Anyhow, I will provide some feedback again a couple thousand miles down the road. Cheers
Well.... a couple years and ~24k miles later and I'm still happy with it. It's been great for long road trips, hauling stuff from the big-box stores and the occasional [mild] off-roading adventures. As with every Subaru I've owned, there is one annoying rattle somewhere in the dash just out of reach, but I think I've managed to mentally tune that frequency out. That said I really miss the STI and I'll be keeping an eye on how the MY2015s stack up. I still have some uncertainty on this generation STI, but I'm sure my stealership will have a few in stock waiting for me in the lobby at my next service. Might just have to ask the wife to handle the next few maintenance visits so I'm not enticed to sit in one...