Project STi

[KPWSerpiente]

I'm sure everyone important knows I bought Lee's 2.8L STi and proceeded to drive it from Virginia, to Texas and then on to Nebraska where I now reside.

The story before leaving the state:

Within the few days of ownership I swapped out his snow tires for a set of Potenza RE-01Rs and hit the track where I posted an ok best of 12 flat at 117 on pump with the boost a few lbs lower than when it was dynoed. Track temperatures were insane, over 100 up until when the sun went down and of course I was driving. I'm not sure what to do with a car that doesn't peg leg.

On the way back home from the track I encoutered overheating and was forced to completely fill the cooling system. This combined with the information that I had left a few drops of coolant at the starting line bothered me a bit.

The very next day the car went into a safety mode in which the electronic throttle accepts absolutely no input and just holds itself at about 2 rpm.

The car was towed to Andrewtech the next day. The issues were not resolved quickly and to make the story short, loose Hydra EMS, bad alternator, and a leaking water pump were all finally fixed a week and a half later.

As soon as it was running again I was off. I drove deep into Tennesee the very day after receiving the car back from Andrewtech and continued on into Texas in the days after that where I loaded up the car with all of my and my friends gear and we proceeded on to Nebraska.

Now that I'm in Nebraska with a nice hobbyshop on base and a digital camera the Project continues. Aside from the scratches, cracks and scrapes I put in a Koyo Radiator, some CF bling, and replaced Lee's ghetto catch can with a real one made by Greddy.

So here we go:

2004 Subaru STi "Jessica"



Engine:
2.8L GT Motorsports built long block
Forged pistons, rods, knife edged crank
14mm head studs
Ported heads, titanium valvetrain
Cosworth 272 camshafts
Cusco motor and transmission mounts
Custom 4 inch turbo inlet
Ultimate Racing GT35R kit
Tial 44mm wastegate with external dump
Borla Header/Up Pipe
Custom 3 inch turboback
TurboXS FMIC with custom piping and blow through MAF
HKS Super Sequential BOV
TurboXS High Performance MBC
Greddy Oil Catch Can



Fuel:
850cc injectors
Walbro 255lpr fuel pump

Suspension:
Tein Flex coilovers with EDFC

Cooling:
Koyo Radiator

Brakes:
Powerslot rotors
Hawk HPS pads
Goodridge Stainless Steel lines
Motul 5.1 brake fluid

Drivetrain:
Exedy stage 4 twin-plate clutch
Kartboy short throw shifter and bushings

Electronics:
Hydra Nemesis EMS
TurboXS DTEC reading boost and EGT
In car computer with touchscreen
Sony Xplod head unit
Boston Acoustics and Rockford Fosgate component speakers
Clifford car alarm

Bling:
Carbon Fiber Alternator Cover
Carbon Fiber Radiator Shroud
S203 hazard button
OEM carbon fiber interior trim
STi aluminum billet shifter trim
STi Type RA badges
Hella Supertones

Exterior:
Chargespeed V2 Front Bumper with custom damage
Chargespeed V1 Rear Bumper with custom damage
OEM WRX sideskirts with OEM strakes and JDM aeroguards
BBS rims custom black/damaged wrapped with Potenza RE-01R tires

Performance:
93 octane: 458awhp and 402 ft/lbs
110 octane: 565awhp and 511 ft/lbs
As of 2007: 12.09@117 mph (lower boost, 100+ ambient temperature, failing alternator/water pump, me driving)

Awaiting installment:
Perrin 22mm rear sway bar with solid mounts
Beat Rush rear strut bar



Short term plans:
Install front and rear sways/struts. New Enkei wheels and hit the motherfucking track. HPDE will finally happen this year.
Maybe hit the 1/4 with the racegas map.

Long term:
New system/computer. Undo custom damage. Methonal injection + retune.

[WRXtranceformed]

Finally got the project thread up! It's about time!

Glad you're enjoying it man, it is truly a unique car. Try to keep it out of the snow banks though!!!

I'm glad you got rid of my Royal Purple catch can too Next step should be PPG straight cuts imo!

[Andy]

Very cool, Travis. Definitely post pics of that thing on the track.

[WRXtranceformed]

You should definitely be in the 11s with a little more practice too bro. That trap speed is good for 11.5s-11.6s all day long. I'm still impressed with your first runs with it.

[Nis01]

Finally got the project thread up! It's about time!

Glad you're enjoying it man, it is truly a unique car. Try to keep it out of the snow banks though!!!

I'm glad you got rid of my Royal Purple catch can too Next step should be PPG straight cuts imo!

Glad to see this car continues to be the beast it was built to be.

+1 on the PPG gears... *drool*

[ScottyB]

'bout time

glad to hear you're giving it the beating it was made for! i'd like to hear how you like the sways. i'm looking into a front one and some solid endlinks soon, after a few other things are dealt with.

[KPWSerpiente]

Small update. Car was giving me all kind of little issues which I'm almot 100% done in solving. New K@N filter (it's bigger!), new plugs, new o2 sensor, new oil pump seal (install on that seal performed by a local Subaru expert). New header to uppipe gasket installed...but still leaking so I'm going to pull that off again and hit it with some kind of high temp sealant.

All of the aero parts are off the car and the left sideskirt was repainted because the paint had started to just fall off it it. I'm looking into ordering another front bumper like the one that is on it because the one that is on it is now in many fiberglass pieces. Duct tape ain't doing the job anymore. Thank you Nebraska roads. And if that George W tax special ever comes in a new set of wheels, brand and size to be revealed once they are on the car.

I had ordered some Okada (however they are spelled) coilpacks but they have dissapeared in the mail between my house in VA and where I'm out here in Nebraska. I hope they turn up because I can only imagine how much a pain in the ass it is to get money out of the postal service on things you have insured.

Should get a shot at the local 1/8 strip and an AutoX event that is coming up in May. Will report back with pictures once the weather clears up.

-T

[KPWSerpiente]

Well without pictures project threads suck so here are a couple.



This is the troublesome header to uppipe gasket. I can't get it to sealon its own and didn't give the high temp sealt long enough to cure (I gave it no time at all) the first time so on the second attempt I am going to let it sit a full 24 hours.



Apparently Borla felt that having the o2 sensor bung right in the way of the bolts for the flange was cool.



I know what you are thinking. I'd punish Shep in a race.



Lee never posted underhood pics. That's because he didn't have the carbon fiber bling bling like I do. I'd totally take the MM car show this year if I was anywhere near it.

-T

[KPWSerpiente]

I thought that all the old photos of how the STi's engine bay originally looked right after I bought it were lost but then I saw this thread again. Here is an updated photo showing how different it sits now.

-T

[ScottyB]

still totally badass.

looks like you've done some new intercooler routing on the right side, is that for a new core/setup or just optimized piping? how's the engine holding up otherwise?

[KPWSerpiente]

The 2.8L engine let go a while ago. None of those engines that were built by that company lasted very long but this one did make it the longest according to Andrew at Andrewtech.

I had another 2.5L engine built with cp pistons, eagle rods, same oversized 14mm head studs and identically built heads.

All the piping refabricated by Mike G at MachV and powdercoated along with everything else as you can see. Mike also deleted/ported out the TGVs.

Had front and rear 24mm adjustabler white line sway bars installed as well as a Kartboy pitch mount.

Element Tuning upgraded the Hydra to the latest version, 2.7 and I had Phil add in the Hydramist 3 and retune it. Has bigger 1100cc injectors and the DW300 in tank pump too now.

Probably some other things since 2008 as well but that is the main stuff.

-T

[JPolen01]

That sucks to hear that the 2.8 let go, but it still seems like a badass build none the less.

[CaptainHenreh]

Nice. You gonna be posting more, Travis? We've missed you.

[ScottyB]

The 2.8L engine let go a while ago.

damn shame. bottom or top end? seems the 2.5's pushing big numbers require a deft hand to build reliably compared to something like a 4G63.

looks great though, i hope it treats you well.

We've missed you.

where the hell are you these days anyway?

[WRXtranceformed]

Nice dude! So glad to see you are enjoying and still flogging on this car. Bummer about the 2.8L, but at the end of the day you have all the supporting stuff ready for the big power. I love that you added Hydramist too, that was the only thing missing power wise along with an even bigger fuel system.

Definitely like the powdercoating job too, it looks awesome. I still give a lot of my boosted V8 friends crap sometimes that they couldn't hit my race gas hp/tq numbers

What is it putting down now with the fuel system / new block / meth? Do you know?

[KPWSerpiente]

where the hell are you these days anyway?

I am still stationed in Nebraska. I spent 11 months out of 14 in Afghanistan flying on smaller ISR aircraft between June of last year and August of this year.

Lee, it redynoed 445 on a mustang dyno that Phil says would have been about 490 on a Dynojet @20 psi.
The block is the newer 704 castings that people are cracking a lot sooner than the old ones. Phil blew up the engine in his race car a few times plus a customers before he figured that they were weaker and that reinforcement would need to be done. I'll have the block pulled out and reassmbled by him including the filling that he now does to his to enable it to make 550+ safely again. Then we'll go for big power.

-T

[JPolen01]

Phil at Element Tuning out of MD? Always heard good things about those guys. Looks like they do good work.

[WRXtranceformed]

Yep Phil @ Element. Definitely a good guy, I spent some time with him during the tuning phase of the first build of this car.

Travis that is awesome, still running so stout. Can't wait to follow along as you keep upgrading it! I miss that car, just the way it sounded instilled fear in the heart of ricers :lol: