Haven't really updated this thread in a while so a few updates.
1) I paid off the car last month. No more car payments means more money in my pocket and more mods on the car.
2) Did my first real performance mod. Upgraded my wimpy 13mm rear sway bar with a Whiteline 24mm adjustable one. Haven't really had a chance to test it out, but the car definitely feels less floaty and stiffer around corners.
Pics:
bit of a difference eh?:
Next mod is suspension. I've been on the hunt for some '04 STi suspension but every time a set comes up for sale it slips through my fingers. If I can't find any some decent coilovers will be going on.
So I just got a chance to hit some curves and sharp turns. Body roll is considerably reduced in the rear, but there is still a little roll in the front. (The front sway is a 17 or 18mm (I can't remember) so upgrading that would fix that.) The car hints at just a bit of oversteer and allows you to whip it around corners and point the nose where you want it, definitely a lot of fun. I'm still thinking about replacing the endlinks for some decent ones to solidify things a little more. Overall a fairly cheap upgrade that really makes the car feel more solid.
Something that occurs in Canada every November-April. Symptoms include: copious amounts of snow, sub-zero temperatures and a general yearning to head south.
assuming the steel is similar and the bars are of similar shape and construction, you can gain a lot of stiffness by increasing the outer diameter. For a solid bar, the stiffness of the section in torsion is proportional to the cube of the diameter.
'08 Jeep Liberty 6-Speed MT - "Last of the Mohicans"
Something that occurs in Canada every November-April. Symptoms include: copious amounts of snow, sub-zero temperatures and a general yearning to head south.
One of the best, most concise descriptions of winter I've seen in a while. +1. Though it's not quite the same in Kentucky as Canada
'15 Mazda 3 iSport Hatch 6MT
'11 Ford Fiesta Hatchback SE 5MT
'14 Giant Escape City 24MT '97 Honda Civic EX 4AT - Retired @ 184,001 mi
comawhite wrote:Still factory exhaust? If so, any plans on getting a better one? ;D
Suspension is my main area of focus right now. A buddy of mine might sell me his STi axleback. It's better than nothing.
It's easy to join the redneck club in regards to exhaust.
1) Break a couple of holes in the piping on the way back to muffler.
2) Remove actual mounting bracket and replace with string/tape/equivalent.
3) Roar down the road, occasionally causing sparks off the tailpipe.
4) Success!
Yes, I live in Kentucky. Though West Virginia was just as bad.
'15 Mazda 3 iSport Hatch 6MT
'11 Ford Fiesta Hatchback SE 5MT
'14 Giant Escape City 24MT '97 Honda Civic EX 4AT - Retired @ 184,001 mi
potownrob wrote:whenever i see this thread show up, i think 4onthefloor replaced the impreza
Not yet. It's all paid off and still relatively low mileage. It's staying around for a few more years. When I do replace it, it'll be for another Subie. This car puts up with a lot of my abuse so she's a keeper.
