Ken’s Subaru Impreza WRX

I am the proud owner of a Midnight Black Pearl 2003 WRX Sportwagon, bought new and picked up in February ‘03. So here’s the list of modifications (all of which I did myself)…

Exterior/Chassis:

• Debadged liftgate
• Rewired fog lamps (currently removed) to be energized with running/parking lights
• Installed Brightstar HID bulb kit in OEM reflector housing (low
  beam replacement)
• Installed Hella FF1000 driving lights in OEM fog light location (actuated
  via high
  beams)
• Installed PIAA SuperSporza wiper arms and blades
• Cut down OEM front chassis subframe for fitment with ALK
• Installed larger JDM STi hoodscoop
• Swapped OEM front grill emblem for blue “I” (JDM)

Interior:

• Rewired defroster setting to NOT automatically turn on AC
• Hardwired Valentine One radar detector above center rear-view
• Installed MOMO Air Leather Subaru OEM shift knob
• Installed gauges:
  • Autometer electrical manifold pressure (3377) on RH steering column,
    tapped into BPV line, peak warn @ 22psi
  • Autometer exhaust gas temperature (3344) on LH steering column, probe in
    driver’s side exhaust manifold between cylinders 2 and 4
• Installed shift light/buzzer, driven by UTEC, LED set to 6500 rpms, piezo buzzer
  set to 7000 rpms
• Removed driver’s and passenger’s knee bolster/reinforcements

Powertrain:

• Intake:
  • Removed intake funnel
  • Removed intake silencer/snorkus
  • Installed velocity stack in airbox, opened to fender well
  • Sealed fender well from engine compartment
  • Installed K&N filter
  • Installed Samco turbo inlet hose
  • Installed Samco intercooler hoses
  • Bypassed throttle body coolant loop
  • Ported and polished IC elbows
  • Ported and polished turbo compressor housing
  • Modified OEM BPV to hold greater pressure
  • Installed Ebay upgraded TMIC
  • Ported and polished throttle body bore, knife-edged butterfly, shaved
    shaft
  • Installed DIY intercooler sprayer using two TORO mister nozzles and
    the OEM rear window washer pump, triggered @ 62% throttle position via TPS switch (temporarily disconnected due to upgraded TMIC shroud work in
    progress)
• Exhaust:
  • Gutted and installed spare OEM up pipe
  • Installed Bosal twin-dump down pipe
  • Ported IHI P20 turbo exhaust housing
  • Gutted and installed spare OEM mid pipe
  • Installed TurboXS Magnaflow backbox
  • Removed factory heatshielding from exhaust manifold
  • Removed lower factory heatshield from turbo, trimmed upper heatshield
    to fit downpipe
  • Ported, gasket-matched, wrapped exhaust manifold w/Thermo-Tec,
    covered with heavy aluminum foil
  • Wrapped downpipe w/Thermo-Tec, sealed w/paint
• Boost control:
  • Hybrid EBC/MBC setup, controlled via cockpit knob and UTEC boost map.
• Engine:
  • Installed Go Fast Bits crank/alternator pulley set
  • Installed STi Group N engine mounts
  • Added Redline Water Wetter to coolant system
  • Removed OEM spark plugs @ 25k miles, replaced with one step colder copper
    [NGK BKR7E] (tested compression, 165psi all around!)
  • Installed Walbro GSS342 fuel pump
  • Installed Aeromotive 13109 adjustable fuel pressure regulator set to
    65 psi static (+20 over OEM)
  • Installed ported and polished IHI VF23 turbo in place of OEM TD04L-13T
• Transmission:
  • Installed Perrin short shifter
  • Installed Kartboy shift bushing
  • Installed STi Group N transmission mount
  • Flushed OEM fluid and replaced with 35% Pennzoil Synchromesh, 65% Mobil
    1 75W-90 synthetic gear lube
  • Flushed rear differential OEM fluid and replaced with Mobil 1 75W-90
    synthetic gear lube
  • Installed ACT StreetLight flywheel in place of OEM
  • Installed Kartboy rear differential outrigger bushings
• ECU:
  • Installed electronic fix for p0420 check engine light
  • Installed electronic fix for p0546 check engine light
  • Installed TurboXS UTEC, running tweaked stage II w/up pipe map from
    wrxhackers.com
  • Set UTEC secondary rev-limiter to 5500 rpms, activated via clutch switch
  • Bumped up primary rev-limit to 8000 rpms
  • Wired up DIY remote UTEC map switch
  • Installed TurboXS Tuner Pro Wideband O2 sensor
  • Installed auxiliary Bosch knock sensor

Brakes:

• Installed MRT master cylinder bracket
• Installed Goodridge stainless steel braided brake lines
• Installed “H6″ rear brake upgrade kit
• Flushed OEM brake fluid and replaced with Valvoline SynPower synthetic
• Installed Speedbleeders
• Installed Carbotech Panther Plus pads in front

Suspension:

• Front:
  • Installed Noltec steering rack bushings
  • Installed Whiteline Anti-Lift Kit, sport bush
  • Installed Noltec front camber/caster plates, sport bush
  • Swapped OEM front springs for Whiteline P/N 83028A (Flatout)
  • Installed Noltec front sway bar end links
  • Installed Whiteline 22mm front sway bar
  • Installed Whiteline front strut tower bar
    (temporarily removed due to interference with upgraded TMIC)
• Rear:
  • Installed Cusco 20-24mm adjustable rear sway bar (set to full stiff)
  • Installed Kartboy rear sway bar end links
  • Installed Whiteline rear strut tower bar
  • Installed Whiteline rear subframe lock bolts
• WINTER: 205/55/R16 Firestone Blizzak WS-15 tires on 16″ OEM alloy wheels,
  32 psi
• SUMMER: 225/45/R17 Falken Azenis Sport (RS) on 17″ OZ Prodrive P1 wheels
  (anthracite), 40 psi

i went drag racing with it, once. not bad for the first and last time ever on a strip! it was pretty fucking warm that day, too.

You can see my car in action here: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom (ish)

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2 Comments

1. Flan, September 18, 2008:

   Looks like you did a lot of work on it. Congrats

2. john donnelly, November 15, 2008:

   any idea where to find instructions on how to install a hks turbo timer on a 2005 subaru wrx