Project: Gravel Express MkII mod 0.

[TorinoCobra070]

Looks great. I wouldn't even worry about lowering it. Function > form.

Very jealous :thumbup:

[CaptainHenreh]

Speaking of Function over Form, the Big Brown Santa has brought a few things you are going to see installatiated over the next few weeks.

But First! Way back at Alvistide, I got a Christmas Present:


Awwwww yeaaaaaaaaaaah. I'm pretty sure that Supertones are one of those things you either "get" or you don't. I'm sure half of you are: :thumbup: and the other half are :evileye: and that's ok. For those of you who don't get it: Ear-splittingly loud horns. That's it. 118db.

There's just one problem, they come looking like this:


Bright, gaudy, look-at-me fireengine red. For some cars, this is ok. You get something like this:


And that looks ok, but I think on this particular color it would look tarded. Rattlecan to the rescue!

Take 'em apart, lay 'em out on some packing paper:

"Oh rex, it's so shiney!" you squeal. Patience, grasshopper.

Give 'em a second coat:


Then put 'em back together, with a little loctite on the ole screws:


I'm hoping to install these as soon as the Dr. says my eyeballs are ok for strenuous activity, because the easiest way to put them on (and remove the old horns) is to detach the bumper, and I'll need an extra pair of hands. I also need to build a little harness, as the Supertones come with their own HD relay, for maximum power. I bought a relay plug off of amazon for ease-of-installation, cleanliness, and waterproofing, but I'll still need to build a little harness to power the horns and relay.

So, more to come, this was just a preview.

[Kaan]

merry christmas homie

[WRXtranceformed]

Nice! I feel like mine were never as loud as they were supposed to be...haha.

[ScottyB]

boss. someone cuts you off? make them bleed out their ears.

[JPolen01]

If you want a hand next week hit me up. I shouldn't be to busy.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

[V1GiLaNtE]

I'm hoping to install these as soon as the Dr. says my eyeballs are ok for strenuous activity, because the easiest way to put them on (and remove the old horns) is to detach the bumper, and I'll need an extra pair of hands.

Hopefully that won't turn into a scene from Ghost.... But holler if you want some help..I have some Jeep wrenching to do(cough* more lift *cough)..Maybe we can combine forces

[Evan]

interested in the supertones install. ive got a pair sitting on my shelf i need to get around to installing

are you going to wire them into a separate switch?
i think id still want the regular horn for "the light is green stop looking at your phone" honk honk at stoplights.

[CaptainHenreh]

So this past weekend two things were done to the car:

#1: The oil was changed.

I decided to change it at 1k based in my personal theory that at around that time most of the lets call them "casting shavings" would have worked their way smooth and into my oil and filter. There's no real downside to changing your oil, so I picked up an OEM Filter and 5 quarts of Rotella T6 5W-40. Apparently, from what research I could stand to do, this oil is the shizz. I hate doing research for things like this. I like being told "This is the overall best. Use this." Doing oil research especially makes me want to :vomit: because everyone has some anecdotes, but the data is pretty heavy and it's hard to know what's what. But basically, the consensus is: "Mobile 1 ain't what it used to be and Rotella is damn fine oil besides."

Now, as some of you may know I'd had LASIK the previous wednesday, and the Optometrist was downright scary in telling me that I absolutely under no circumstances was to risk getting even the most minute speck of foreign material in my eyeball or I would definitely go blind or have permanent erectile dysfunction or both. So I asked Dave very nicely if he'd change my oil and he said yes. It went mostly without incident, with no "Evans" occurring on the floor of the VIR tech shed. 4.5 quarts exactly went in, leaving a half quart of oil left over for topping off purposes.

#2: Nothing at all happened.

After I did nothing at all to any of my car's components, I took it out for a brief, untimed, totally scientific/educational pull down the back straight of VIR. The resulting datalog: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhZOS9FneuCkdG5QUHpLV2NWcWtSRlhOWWFGMnUtQ0E#gid=0">https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhZOS9FneuCkdG5QUHpLV2NWcWtSRlhOWWFGMnUtQ0E#gid=0</a><!-- m -->

Now, while that is almost guaranteed to be gibberish to 99% of you (it is mostly gibberish to me) it basically indicates a "yerp, no problems here" with my Nothing At All. Which was good, because I did Nothing At All in order to ensure the safety of my engine internals. I may have to take some more datalogs after I slightly tweaked Nothing At All for an additional margin of safety, but mostly from my limited understanding everything is copacetic.

I have more stuff coming, it's all Stuff That's Actually Things, versus the controversial (but in the end probably the right decision) Nothing At All.

And yes, it goes like a raped ape.

[WRXtranceformed]

Are you already past the break in?

[D_Eclipse9916]

There's no real downside to changing your oil, so I picked up an OEM Filter and 5 quarts of Rotella T6 5W-40. Apparently, from what research I could stand to do, this oil is the shizz. I hate doing research for things like this. I like being told "This is the overall best. Use this." Doing oil research especially makes me want to :vomit: because everyone has some anecdotes, but the data is pretty heavy and it's hard to know what's what. But basically, the consensus is: "Mobile 1 ain't what it used to be and Rotella is damn fine oil besides."

Its the only oil I use for turbo/track cars. Since its a truck rated oil, they do not worry about the new certifications (which are really all for emissions now). So they do not worry about their zinc content and not worry about emissions and "slippery" oils for gas mileage. Also, Mobil 1 went from a grade 5 oil to a grade 4 oil despite their high price.

Of course, it just happens its the right weight for my cars. :lol:

[HAULN-SS]

I just changed the oil in my truck today with Rotell 15W40...first time i ever measured an oil change in gallons (almost 4)

[CaptainHenreh]

Are you already past the break in?

Yes. I changed the oil at like 1086, and I'm at 1200ish right now.

Good info on the oil, DJ. It is pretty widely lauded on the internets, so the next bitchin' Vatozone coupon I acquire I'm just going to stock up and use it in both the Subarus. Julie's car could probably benefit, and Subaru Full Synth is like 46 bucks a gallon. :finger:

[xvxax]

How did you log that? Standard obd2 port connection? Pretty cool stuff. That's a lot of info. Would be easy to turn up da boost ::cough::.

[Evan]

with no "Evans" occurring on the floor of the VIR tech shed.

:finger:

[JPolen01]

How did you log that? Standard obd2 port connection? Pretty cool stuff. That's a lot of info. Would be easy to turn up da boost ::cough::.

Cobb Access Port via obd2 connection most likely.

[CaptainHenreh]

with no "Evans" occurring on the floor of the VIR tech shed.

:finger:

I'm sorry Evan, but it's a thing. Embrace it.

[flintster55]

After I did nothing at all to any of my car's components, I took it out for a brief, untimed, totally scientific/educational pull down the back straight of VIR. The resulting datalog: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhZOS9FneuCkdG5QUHpLV2NWcWtSRlhOWWFGMnUtQ0E#gid=0">https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhZOS9FneuCkdG5QUHpLV2NWcWtSRlhOWWFGMnUtQ0E#gid=0</a><!-- m -->

Looks like just a slight bit of knock starting in row 18 but nothing huge. It also dropped your IAM down from to 1 to .88 but looks like it was quickly climbing back up. Your ECU should learn fairly quickly and retard timing in that RPM range to make sure the knock doesnt happen again.

And given the fact you just finished the break in period, I doubt you've had too many WOT pulls. Maybe do another log of a pull in a 1000 miles or so and see that knock is still present

[ViPER1313]

Thought of you today - a 2012 Plasma Blue Pearl WRX, manual with nav appeared in the parking garage at my work today. Just figured I would let you know that there is at least one in existence... STI is more bettar :thumbup:

[CaptainHenreh]

Thought of you today - a 2012 Plasma Blue Pearl WRX, manual with nav appeared in the parking garage at my work today. Just figured I would let you know that there is at least one in existence... STI is more bettar :thumbup:

Nice to know someone got their car. All WRX's are manual, btw. One of the things I lurve about subaru.

Anyhow, I'm unemployed, (for the next few days, anyway) which means I've got too much time on my hands, so I thought I'd use my garage for more than old appliance storage.

First I installed le mudfraps:




SO I went with the Flapatax mudflaps, rather than the Rallyarmor. Mostly to save like, 100 bucks. Seriously RA, I know your mudflap brackets are pimp as all hell but they are mudflaps.

Well, anyway, you do get what you pay for. The rears were a breeze. Put 2 u-nuts on 2 holes that are already there, install mudflap. DONE. BOSS.

The fronts however, begin with "the pictures taken here are shown with the wheel off, but this is not necessary for installation" Riiiiiiiiiight. If you're doing this, do yourself a favor and take your front wheels off. Anyway, because I went with ghettoflaps, the hardware left...a little to be desired and the driver's side went on with a little drama, and the passenger side with a whole shitload of cussing, bitching, moaning, breaking and bending. No blood though. I did finally get it on (after snapping one of the included stainless bolts in half, and ruining one of the u-nuts) and it looks damn good:


I'll get a better picture of the ass end tomorrow, but it looks very aggressive.

Since I was out there, I figured I'd try the BaysonR (aka: ebay junk) v-limited front lip install. It came with all the hardware you need, some terrible directions, and a polyurethane front lip.

It also went on with no drama, easy as you please. I only had to buy 2 nuts and bolts for an obvious place to put a pair.



Looks good, no? Subtle and sacrificial.


All this for just a little over 200 bucks, can't complain?