Samii the Subie, My Naturally-Badassperated Build :)

[ipodwinner31]

Hello everyone. My name's Devon, I'm 17, and on Friday, July 22nd 2011, i purchased my first Subaru. I have a 2002 Subaru Impreza RS 5spd in White. I don't know why, but I decided to name her Samantha, (Samii for short). She is in rough condition, but after a little work, she will be all of my pride and joy

What she needs:
-new front subframe (check)
-new front bumper cover (waiting on painting)
-new rear bumper cover (also awaiting paint)
-some tiny rust spots here and there to fix
-a couple paint chips to fill
-new sway bar end link (front) (check)
-new clock

plans:
-short throw shift kit
-STi 5spd shift knob
-Suede shift boot w/ red stitching
-new shifter bushings
-intake (possibly custom)
-borla rep UEL header
-HFC
-2.5"catback exhaust
-Delta 2000 grind cams
-upgraded valve spring
-port and polish heads, intake mani, and header (gasket match)
-Exedy stage 1 clutch and ACT streetlite flywheel
-Crawford Performance SRS-30 ECU
-replace head gasket and timing belt
-20mm rear sway bar
-H&R Sport springs+KYB AGX
-HID kit
-new amp (previous owner left all the wiring but EVERYTHING is wired to the amp so i have partial stereo right now with my old amp)
-pedals (maybe?)
-Stock WRX Momo steering wheel
-blacked out headlight housing
-5 spoke rims off my old car (aftermarket, but same size)

Current Mod List:
Engine:
-Delta 2000 grind cams
-06 AVCS valve springs
-heads ported and polished
-3 angle valve job
-Exedy stage 1 clutch
-ACT streetlight flywheel
-Borla Rep UEL header (heat wrapped)
-Supers high flow cat (heat wrapped)
-Tsudo 2.5" catback
-Crawford SRS-30 Reflash tune


Suspension:

Interior:
-Black W/ red Suede shift boot
-STi 5 spd shift knob
-short shifter
-Kartboy Shifter bushings


Exterior:
-Debadge
-Rally Armor Classics

pics-
















Debadged:




it was raining so the pics didnt come out great..

washed and waxed:








heres the old subframe







also, my dad thought the alternator pulley bearing was bad, (turns out it wasnt) so he got another alternator for it, but he kept it for good preventative maintenance. also, i sprayed my pulley covers blue! ill post pics of them on the car once we get the idler pulley back on. oh yes...and we replaced the belts and are in the process of replacing the pulley.









the last feeling of not having a 100k car

and then.......


me sad

Thanks all, and i look forward to having great fun with this car!

Table of Contents:
Post 2-detailed build plans

[ipodwinner31]

Ok so when i bought this car it had a few things wrong but nothing too extravagant. totally drivable, not bad. Well this winter, the troubles shall cease and the fun begin. The car has a small head gasket leak, nothing too major though and still drivable. also, at 103k, my clutch is starting to go. Timing belt/water pump and junk will need to be done. So me and my dad are going to pull the motor, do head gaskets, clutch, and timing belt. Soooo i say, why rip apart the block now, and have to do it again in the future if i wanna do stuff later? So i decided, lets go with some Delta regrind cams..(2000 grind) the price is great, and they've had a VERYYY high satisfaction rate. But with the upgraded cams, where does that leave my valvetrain? So after some research, i learned that 2006 AVCS springs are the same height and width as my stock springs, but a higher spring rate. Sooo 06 AVCS springs, retainers, and keepers are now added to the list. Hmm..my dad owns a repair shop..hes got connections. Gasket match port and polish the heads, intake manifold, and header for some extra air?? Sure! now to hold all this power, i decided to go with the Exedy stage 1 clutch kit, and ACT lightweight flywheel. That takes away some drivetrain loss and what modded car isnt complete without an intake, (custom yay for MAP ) header (UEL for that s00per sexy Boxer rumble!) and an exhaust. (2.5" manderal bent for Xmas) all in all, my calculations lead me to ~210-225 BHP (based off of stock being 165) which should equal ~160-175WHP. Lemme know what you think about these numbers. Am i being too optimistic? i tried to keep all the numbers rational... (~20BHP for I/H/E+PnP, 5BHP for de-cat, then 15-20% increase with cams, theoretical 5hp increase with lightweight flywheel, so appx 223.5BHP then -~5% drivetrain loss for stage 1 clutch so like 22% loss? 174.5WHP, but downlplayed the numbers a lil after cus i know a lot of hopes of people are unexpectedly killed) lemme know what you think in terms of numbers, and suggestions!! Thanks guys

Edit:ill also probably pick up an SRS-30 reflash ECU from crawford with this awesome cam/reflash group buy that should bump my numbers a little but idk how much.

im HOPING for ~180WHP when all said and done...but probably not :/ even still, i hope to be running smewhere around/with stock WRX's

P.S. all of this is money permitting, and im working my ASS off to afford this by the end of december 

[Bugeye Baru]

Welcome Devon, I applaud both your ambitiousness and your disdain for the environment.

[ipodwinner31]

Welcome Devon, I applaud both your ambitiousness and your disdain for the environment.

thanks! and for the disdain for environment part.....i feel dumb..i dont get it? 

[Bugeye Baru]

Oh, yeah.  Sorry.  I was speaking toward the blue spray paint all over your grass...Just a little light ribbing to prep you for the real assholes on here

[ipodwinner31]

ohhhhhhhhh hahaha psshhht the grass will grow back. im probably gonna respray em red anyway, so more grass will change color..OH NO! lol

[hydrochloric]

Ok so when i bought this car it had a few things wrong but nothing too extravagant. totally drivable, not bad. Well this winter, the troubles shall cease and the fun begin. The car has a small head gasket leak, nothing too major though and still drivable. also, at 103k, my clutch is starting to go. Timing belt/water pump and junk will need to be done. So me and my dad are going to pull the motor, do head gaskets, clutch, and timing belt. Soooo i say, why rip apart the block now, and have to do it again in the future if i wanna do stuff later? So i decided, lets go with some Delta regrind cams (somewhere in the range of 1500-1750 grind) the price is great, and theyve had a VERYYY high satisfaction rate. But with the upgraded cams, where does that leave my valvetrain? So after some research, i learned that 2006 AVCS springs are the same height and width as my stock springs, but a higher spring rate. Sooo 06 AVCS springs, retainers, and keepers are now added to the list. Hmm..my dad owns a repair shop..hes got connections. Gasket match port and polish the heads, intake manifold, and header for some extra air?? Sure! now to hold all this power, i decided to go with the Exedy stage 1 clutch kit, and ACT lightweight flywheel. That takes away some drivetrain loss and what modded car isnt complete without an intake, (custom yay for MAP ) header (UEL for that s00per sexy Boxer rumble!) and an exhaust. (2.25" manderal bent for Xmas) all in all, my calculations lead me to ~225 BHP (based off of stock being 165) which should equal ~175WHP. Lemme know what you think about these numbers. Am i being too optimistic? i tried to keep all the numbers rational... (~20BHP for I/H/E, 5BHP for PnP then 13-17% increase with cams, theoretical 5hp increase with lightweight flywheel, so appx 223.5BHP then -~5% drivetrain loss for stage 1 clutch so like 22% loss? 174.5WHP) lemme know what you think in terms of numbers, and suggestions!! Thanks guys

P.S. all of this is money permitting, and im working my ASS off to afford this by the end of december 

I'd find that number pretty unlikely...  195/200 I would believe, but the cams don't really get you MORE power, they just move where the power is.  20HP also sounds a bit high for I/E.  10-15, maybe.  On the plus, I think the accepted drivetrain loss is around 17%, so your WHP is probably unchanged regardless.

Let us know how the cams and LWFW go, I hear they cause issues together.  I'd love to get a set of cams for mine...

[ipodwinner31]

Yea I was thinking more 15hp for I/h/e but who knows XP and I've read a lot on the cams....most people seem to have issues with the 2000 grind and only at idle cus it can't adjust. I think on the 02 though, if you just let it idle for a half hour, the computer teaches itself to fix the idle. But since idk for sure im goin with the slightly lower grind so I (hopefully....knock on wood) don't get the idle issue. Also, people have come up with fixes for it like tactrix, or the TB screw adjusteor or something. Oh and the 1000 grind advertises 10-15% increase, and the 2000 grind a 15-20%. So if I can get away with the 1750 grind and doesnt cause Idle issues, it SHOULD be in the 14-18% range? Idk I still gotta talk to delta and see what they recommend.

oh and they do add power...they move the sweetspot but increase power overall as well. Win win X)

Edit: and dont forget fresh upgraded valve springs retainers and keepers...not really a "HP" mod, but itll help put the cams towards their full potential..

[Iant333]

Edit: and dont forget fresh upgraded valve springs retainers and keepers...not really a "HP" mod, but itll help put the cams towards their full potential..

All that does is stop you from breaking valvesprings and floating the valves with the new cams.

And you get more HP with cams, but only as a function of the powerband being moved higher up. Torque will stay the same as before or you may even lose some.

And I think the lightweight flywheel is a good idea, you could even toss in a lightweight crank pulley as well. People sometimes have problems with them but thats usually because they don't want to bump the idle. My 205 idles at 1000 and I like it, I think it actually makes it easier to drive too.

[ipodwinner31]

All that does is stop you from breaking valvesprings and floating the valves with the new cams.

And you get more HP with cams, but only as a function of the powerband being moved higher up. Torque will stay the same as before or you may even lose some.

And I think the lightweight flywheel is a good idea, you could even toss in a lightweight crank pulley as well. People sometimes have problems with them but thats usually because they don't want to bump the idle. My 205 idles at 1000 and I like it, I think it actually makes it easier to drive too.

id call that putting them to their full potential lol and i HATE how much pullies cost  but i wouldnt mind a bumped idle either...itd be easier to take off, especially with a LWFW. idk i probs wont do the crank pulley, but deff everything else (money permitting). also, from most of my reseach (unfortunately no dynos though   ) a lot of people are saying you dont lose any torque, you just feel like you do cus your top end improves so much XD idk how true it is, but just somethin to throw out there.

[hydrochloric]

I'm not saying don't do the cams, I'm just of the opinion that unless you go wacko on the grind, it's not really worth it for a road car unless there's other mods to utilize it fully.  Like, say a turbo.    But going wacko on the grind for a DD is silly anyway.  You'll get a power boost, sort of, but it never seemed worth it to me by itself.  Granted, it's also more difficult for me (2000 2.5) to up the idle, because old ECU, so I never considered it unless I was going to pair it to a forced induction setup.  I know I said I'd like a set, I meant it.  Just either wacko grinds, because race car, or med. grinds with FI.

But then, it's your car!  I've heard that a LW pulley really helps the rev, but remember, if you remove all your rotating mass, it doesn't matter what cams you have, you aren't going to idle properly unless you bump it.

[ipodwinner31]

I've heard a lot of good things about the cams...I obvs dont wanna go off JUST what others say, but a lot of people claim the car pulls MUCH harder at 3k+  and yea I hear ya on the pulley...maybe in the future. Idk yet thanks for the input though!

[skyphix]

Cams generally are a good idea in Subarus and have been for a long time:

Moves powerband up slightly so midrange power is better
Better fuel economy when you keep your foot out of it
"cooler" sound
No major issues as long as you don't go all wild with the grind.

[TheBigChill]

 Don't get caught up on HP numbers.  I/H/E, Pulleys, Cams, P&P, etc, will make that car really wake up and feel much more responsive and eager.  Don't forget to tighten up the chassis & brakes though.  Power's cool, but so is turning and stopping.

 I didn't want to be the guy that says "go turbo", but I'm going to do it anyways.  I'm not sure how much money it would cost to do everything you just said(I bet you do), but I feel that if you sold you're car as-is and saved the money that you planned on using for parts, I bet you could get an older WRX.  With the WRX comes high insurance costs though.  Either way, if you've never owned a truly "fast" car, a full bolt-on 2.5RS will likely keep you happy for a while.  Good luck.

[peter32892]

I'm not saying don't do the cams, I'm just of the opinion that unless you go wacko on the grind, it's not really worth it for a road car unless there's other mods to utilize it fully.  Like, say a turbo.    But going wacko on the grind for a DD is silly anyway.  You'll get a power boost, sort of, but it never seemed worth it to me by itself.  Granted, it's also more difficult for me (2000 2.5) to up the idle, because old ECU, so I never considered it unless I was going to pair it to a forced induction setup.  I know I said I'd like a set, I meant it.  Just either wacko grinds, because race car, or med. grinds with FI.

But then, it's your car!  I've heard that a LW pulley really helps the rev, but remember, if you remove all your rotating mass, it doesn't matter what cams you have, you aren't going to idle properly unless you bump it.

You can up your idle with a tactrix cable.

[phong]

You can up your idle with a tactrix cable.

Pre 2006 NA cars are not flash-able via Tactrix

[ipodwinner31]

Yea I wasn't sure about the tactrix....but since I'm cable driven, cant I manually adjust it? And thanks for the words of encouragement guys!!

[skyphix]

Yea I wasn't sure about the tactrix....but since I'm cable driven, cant I manually adjust it? And thanks for the words of encouragement guys!!

yes, but it will be temporary as your ECU will figure out how to adjust around it.

[ipodwinner31]

yes, but it will be temporary as your ECU will figure out how to adjust around it.

Yea I hear the other way is to just reset your ecu, then let the car idle for a half hour to an hour and the ecu learns how to idle without manually adjusting anythinf...but idk if that applies to the 02 ecu?

[BlackParis]

Pre 2006 NA cars are not flash-able via Tactrix

Its pre 2005

I tuned my 05 Rs...

Itd be interesting to see you swap in an 05 intake manifold, and ecu and wiring.. O and the gas pedal. LOL Then you could tune. Not sure if this has ever been done.. Or if maybe you could just swap the ecu, and figure out how to make it work with manual throttle body?

[peter32892]

Pre 2006 NA cars are not flash-able via Tactrix

You don't have to flash the ecu to up the idle on these cars.
http://www.rs25.com/forums/f72/t135678-cams-w-lwfw-crank-pulley-will-codes.html#post2105374

[hydrochloric]

You don't have to flash the ecu to up the idle on these cars.
http://www.rs25.com/forums/f72/t135678-cams-w-lwfw-crank-pulley-will-codes.html#post2105374

^ Correct.  Pre-05, you can adjust idle with a Tactrix, but that's it.  Plus, it's only one very specific model of Tactrix cable, and if you reset the ECU, it loses it again.

[ipodwinner31]

just got my rally armor classics!! kinda shitty pics cus it was in the shop and it was dark out.

[spoolordie]

Nice

[Nismonic]

White bugeyes looks so sharp... and I love the Legacy wheels on this car