Subaru Crew - Modifications II

ateixeira

I was being sarcastic but I do think it's cool. I guess you could have someone giving you live feedback, "you hit the apex a little early that time...".

-juice

bluesubie

Gotcha. I thought you were talking about a dealer, but you were talking about a Subaru specialty shop.

-Dennis

kens

Stephen -- Well, from what I understand, the Stage 0 removes just the first cat with the up pipe. This cat was put there to improve cold-start emissions since it would heat up before the two in the exhaust. Here in CA, emissions tests are run on warm engines so it wouldn't be a problem (unless you were one of the unlucky random 2% that get the in-depth test). Yes, I am impressed with Shiv's design philosophy as well. If I ever do get a WRX and decide to mod it, I just may have to drive over to Martinez to Vishnu.

Colin -- Forgot to mention, but nice mug shot! ;-)

barresa62

as much as I love Subaru, I can readily believe it would put 3 cats on as an overkill in the emission area. I liken it to covering themselves as they have w/the towing ratings issue. (Sorry, Patti, no offense intended). :-)

Stephen

lucien2

swapped wheels this morning, and noticed my front pads are just about toast. I seem to remember you recommending sticking with OEM, even for auto-x, over Greenstuff or metal masters....... am I right?

locke2c

I disagree Stephen. The early-mid 90s Mustang V8s had *six* catalysts, three inline per side, and that sure wasn't for any reason besides an inability to meet regs without them. Same deal here.

Loosh--

That's right, I believe in the stock pads. If you do track days I would get a pair of front pads to swap in for that and make sure to bed them in.

-Colin

lucien2

I hope to do a couple track days this summer, that's about it. At $300 a weekend, I can only afford one weekend.

What tire are you liking these days? These RS rims of mine I think will be used for auto-x/track, and the bloom seems to be coming off the Ecsta rose from what I hear. The new darling seems to be the Azensis.

Hw do you "bed" the pads?

ateixeira

Colin: isn't the WRX an LEV? So maybe it's not about meeting the minimum emissions standards, but meeting more stringent LEV standards?

-juice

qbrozen

anybody know where I could purchase a new fender for our '98 forester? (other than the dealer) Any aftermarket body suppliers out there in internet land?
After that I'll need the name of a good driving school for my wife.

ateixeira

Try subaruparts.com and subaru-parts.com. Those are two different sites. Be sure to phone them to follow up, I've had slow responses to my e-mails.

-juice

locke2c

I use two distinct methods depending on the type of pad and its usage.

1) stock / street pad for street and autocross, LIGHT fast road and track use:

brake gently on them the first 50-100 miles and do not let them get too hot. that's it.

2) high performance street pad, or light track/street pad:

find an used stretch of road where you can repeatedly accelerate to 40mph and stop without causing any problems with anyone else, and ideally you can then drive for a while without using the brakes at all, at least not sitting still in traffic.

next, accelerate to 40mph and stand on the brakes (if you have ABS). repeat until fade is felt and you can smell the pads, should take maybe 10-15 runs. now drive for at least 10 minutes using the brakes as little as possible, 20 minutes is better. get home and park the car, then after one hour test that the caliper is cool enough to touch. remove pads and let sit for at least 48 hours before use.

you can also do this at a track day, but you want a slight spin on it... be easy on the brakes and gradually work into them after a lap or two. when you feel fade, be careful not to overrun your braking zone and then take at least two laps slow enough that you don't need to use much if any brakes. if the event doesn't allow cool-down laps, drive around the pits. DO NOT stop the car abruptly with stinking hot brakes, it's not good for pads or rotors.

brand new pads will last much longer under severe use if you bed them properly and let them cool afterwards.

-Colin

kens

Colin,

Can the stock rotors stand up to procedure number 2 or does it assume you've upgraded rotors as well.

Also, what's the rule of thumb with rotor resurfacing/replacement when getting new pads?

Ken

locke2c

Ken,

Yes the stock rotors can handle it. The only time they can't is when you go through rotors faster than pads. Some aftermarket pads are pretty aggressive...

The general rule is that you should turn the rotors when new pads are installed. BUT if you're using a set of front pads for the street and another for the track, this isn't easy or convenient. The best thing to do is to measure the pads and ensure that they are wearing flat. If they are, the face of the rotor should be flat as well.

Rotors should be measured for thickness and this is compared to the service limit listed in the manual. If it's under, time to replace them. (not sure what that number is offhand, I wonder if 1-800-subaru3 could tell you.)

-Colin

ateixeira

A buddy had a Tempo, and the pads ate all the way through the discs. It was quite a sight.

-juice

lucien2

had an '87 in college......

subearu

my '77 Nova (listed in my profile) had manual brakes. when I bought it, I had new pads put in, but not new rotors. They turned them. what a treat that was. anytime you hit the brakes (pumping them of course), it felt like ABS brakes with all of the pulsing (the rotors warped quickly after the turning). no wonder there was a hole in the floor - it was from stomping on the brakes (and praying that you'd stop).

-Brian

lucien2

So I was going to put Azensis on the RS rims for Track and Cone work, but now I wonder if maybe I should use them to plus one the outback.

On a related note, can I just say how pleased I am to be back on the S-03s? I'm glad to have squeezed out 6 months from the KDws that came free with the RS rims, but they were loud as hell and not nearly as predictable as the S-03.

ateixeira

Loosh: Plus One IMO. How many days will you really spend at a track? A couple per year? On the Outback you would benefit 365 days.

-juice

locke2c

you can have your cake and eat it too, if you haven't bought the Azenis yet.

put the 16" wheels on the outback. take the outback's 15" wheels and get some good 225/50-15 tires. ...wait. I just had a look at the tirerack and there isn't much for a 225/50-15. if you autocross in a class that allows any DOT tire (i.e., not STS or STX) then the Victoracer V700 would be great. but if you want to put a true street tire on there, then you don't have much options and most of them are pricey.

bah. stick to the original plan, how much is the outback going to 'benefit' from 16" wheels?

-Colin

ateixeira

Colin: you'd be surprised. He's got 205/70R15s on there now. Those are very tall, soft sidewalls. Great for pot holes but not much else.

I was at a tire shop and checked out even the premium Michelin tires in that size, and the sidewalls were "like buttah". You could push them in with your finger, with very little effort.

Shake the car from side to side, and it wiggles a few times before it stops. That's how much flex there is on a 205/70 tire.

Maybe 215/65 or 225/60 on that same rim would be acceptable, if you're willing to give up ground clearance and have the speedo and odo reading a little high.

-juice

barresa62

My shipment from www.subaruparts.com (Tacoma Subaru) came today. I got the turbo gauge I ordered (only because of the upcoming Vishnu upgrade) and 4 mudflaps. The front mudflaps don't fit the WRX as is. You have to do some cutting for them to fit over and around the wider sills vs TS/RS. It was cheaper to buy all 4 than to just buy the two rear ones.

Stephen

ateixeira

Really? That's funny. Maybe they have to open the package and re-package them.

-juice

locke2c

quote:Shake the car from side to side, and it wiggles a few times before it stops. That's how much flex there is on a 205/70 tire.

betcha a dollar that's that SUSPENSION, not the tires.

-Colin

ateixeira

Fair enough, but it's both. You can also see the tire flexing side-to-side.

The sidewall is so soft that's it purely relies on the air pressure to keep it's shape. Seriously.

-juice

lucien2

decisions decisions. With a $135 ticket in her glovebox, I think having her speedo read high is probably not a bad idea. I could just plus zero the thing like you said- 215/65/15. Actually there isn't anything available in 205/70/15 that doesn't have a whitewall anymore, so plus zero is the default choice, really.

ateixeira

Or raised white lettering, but that would be in the truck tire section. Yikes! :-)

-juice

lucien2

I did see a geolandar in that size. She'd kill me though. She is very jealous of my S-03s and expects an upgrade soon.

lucien2

I think I am about to get into an argument about cams over on the i-club Legacy forum. Remind me- what was your major gripe?

lark6

My sinus surgery lasted 4 hours, under general anesthesia. When I came out my body temp was 94 degrees F and I threw up a little blood. I was out of work for a week; bedridden (with exception, see below) with my head propped up, cotton wadding up my nose and into the sinuses, and taking NFL-lineman-sized doses of Vicodin.

Until it was time to get the cotton out my only trip outside the house was to see a Lyle Lovett concert (acoustic, small venue, not with the Large Band) for which I'd had tickets months in advance. I was told he put on a good show that night. Getting the cotton pulled out was amazingly painful for about 5 seconds. I had some nosebleeds for about 2 weeks after that. Since then it's been great. The recovery wasn't fun but not that long in the grand scheme of things. You do have to be careful with that Vicodin, though.

I'm allergic to dust mites, oak pollen, ragweed, cut grass, and cats and dogs (but not very to the latter). I also have allergy-induced asthma that didn't manifest itself until I was in my late thirties. I want to blame urban living for that but I'd lived in Atlanta, North Carolina's Triangle, Washington and Philly before any of that so there goes that rationale for moving to the country.

We use humidifiers and Filtrete filters in the house.

Hope this helps.
Ed

bigfrank3

I put the 18mm bar on my '01 Forester, and it came with the bushings in the box. It was about $83 delivered.

The bar part number: 20450FA020

Bushings: 21047GA671

Regards,
Frank

locke2c

Loosh,

my gripe about the Cobb SOHC street cams is that it's a lot of work for a small (but proven) high-rpm gain. the value is particularly marginal when you pay someone else to install them.

-Colin

hondafriek

Can anyone post the URL where the subaru install instructions can be found, somebody did post it before but I forgot to bookmark it.

Thanks.
Cheers Pat.

locke2c

anything in particular?

there's a bunch of stuff at http://www.scoobymods.com

also some on the iClub http://www.i-club.com under mods.

-Colin

barresa62

I put OEM rear splash guards on the WRX yesterday. I actually bought all four as it was cheaper than just buying the rears. The front won't fit the WRX due to the wider lower sills. They need to be cut to fit so I haven't the patience right now to do it. I will post pics of the rear soon.

Oh yeah, my Silvervision bulbs came a couple of days ago. I will be replacing the amber turn signals and amber gel w/these bulbs. They are silver when not on and blink amber when on. I will also be doing the rest of the headlight mod involving painting the reflector area around the bulbs next to the main headlamp area and the division between the main headlamp area and the turn signal area in high-temp flat black. It makes the light look somewhat like the STI lamps and cleans up the look a bit (IMHO), especially getting rid of the amber thingie (official speak, LOL). I may just do the bulb mod and not paint. This looks really clean on a silver WRX. Here's some pics of the mod compared to stock:





Stephen

barresa62

This is just switching out the stock turn signal bulb w/a Silvervision bulb and getting rid of the amber gel that's w/the stock bulb. I think this looks really clean on a WRX, especially a silver or White one. I might just do this instead of the flat black paint trim idea.

Stephen

ateixeira

I like those lights better.

-juice

kens

Ditto here. The all-silver looks very nice.

So you guys aren't intested in doing the UK300 mod, eh? :-)

Ken

barresa62

I haven't warmed up to the glossy black UK300 lights. The only lights I like are the Morettes (painted or half-painted)and the STI lights. The headlamp mod I'm talking about has only cost my $23 so far. If I decide to paint any portion of the reflecter I suppose you could add another couple of $ for the flat black high-temp paint. This is a lot cheaper than the other choices. :-)

Stephen

hondafriek

Thanks for those sites, The URL I was after was a site, that had the install instructions for all of the subaru accessories.

IE:such as the install instructions for the Cd player for instance thats not necessarily what I want.

I want to bookmark all the install instructions, I was going to remove the glove box in the GT but I do not want to bust anything.

Cheers Pat.

bkaiser1

Has anyone installed this themselves? I just ordered one from Subaruparts.com because the price was too low to pass up ($107 +$10 shipping) and I really like the look of it. I downloaded the install instructions which make it seem like a reasonably simple project, I was just curious if there were any pitfalls that I should be aware of before I start. Thanks!

artgecko

I like the all clear headlamps, as well, and I am planning on doing the same as soon as I get the gumption to tear things apart. I just put in the clear side markers on my black wagon tonight. I really like the all clear look on black. Here's a shot:

Where are the silvervision bulbs available, and what bulb number for the side markers? Same ones to replace the amber lamp inside the headlight?

Thanks,

Steve

homepage.mac.com/subaruwrx

barresa62

Stephen

locke2c

Nice! They're begging for silver paint though. :-D

-Colin

ateixeira

So those fit custom, but the fronts don't, right?

Do a "Pat" on those bad boys and heat gun them into the right shape.

Looks good so far. Love those headlights.

-juice

originalbitman

Pat - is this what you are looking for?

http://bitman.com/soobinstall/

BTW - I have an extra cargo net that I am going to trim and add the shock cord to so you can have a set of map pockets. Easier than trying to diagram the process.


Finally back on the board again. We did a road trip to Florida to see the inlaws. 6K miles. Averaged just over 28mpg. We got back 5AM on 3/16, looked at a house the same day, made an offer the next and closed last Thursday. Been busy ripping out carpets to get the floors refinished. Good news is I have a nice big 2 stall garage.


I am also going to set up a site for links and posting photos at bitman.com. Any and input appreciated.

Good to see everyone here.

bit

armac13

Welcome back. You've been missed.

Ross

barresa62

Colin: I think the splashguards would look better in silver too. I kept staring at them next to the WRX before mounting, trying to imagine. I will probably take them off and get them painted somewhere. My painting ability never quite measures up. :-) I had wanted to at least get the rears on before the Pt Townsend Fun Run this Sunday.

Juice: Thanks for the compliment on the lights but I haven't done the mod yet. If you look carefully, you can see the amber do-hickey still in the lights. The Silvervision bulbs are silver when not on and only show amber when blinking in turn signal function. I will have pics later today. I planned on being finished yesterday late afternoon but I wasn't paying attention and over-tightened the top headlamp bolt, effectively snapping it. I had to run to the nearby Lowe's for a new bolt, nut, and a couple of washers....figures. :-)

You're correct. The front splashguards don't fit the WRX as is because the side sill is a lot wider/thicker than the TS/RS for which the front guards are designed for. I will have to measure and cut to fit around.

Stephen

ateixeira

2 car garage sounds nice. I've been thinking about enclosing our car port (also 2 spaces).

-juice

barresa62

View w/turn signals off:

View w/turn signal on, more reflective straight on:

Closeup view of Silvervision bulb and no amber do-hickey:

Stephen

hondafriek

Welcome back. you have been sorely missed.

I will be happy to take you up on your offer of the map pckets and will be happy to cover any expenses involved.

I envy you that garage, I would happily forgo the house for the garage,good luck with the home I hope you will be very happy there.

Cheers Pat.