FLIWRX
06-18-2009, 05:33 PM
I purchased my 2008 Forester XT sports a few months before the new 2009 models came out. After having owned a 2002 WRX that was heavily modified I thought going with something a little more low key and different would be fun. When I was looking into the Foresters I thought to my self when I get this car I am going to leave it mostly stock. That Idea lasted a whole five minutes after driving off the dealership lot. On the way home I started thinking the suspension is to soft, its not fast enough, it needs some wheels and from there on it all went down hill.
My goal with the Forester was to have the best daily driven street car I could build while not resorting to built engines or crazy suspension. I wanted something everyone could drive and enjoy being driven in. I started out with simple and effective mods to make the car a more rounded car and cure some of the pitfalls the Forester has from the factory.
I do not have any pictures of it stock but I do have quiet a few pictures of the 6-speed swap. All my other mods will have more detailed pictures that I can share.
Engine:
Cobb Access Port
Cobb catless downpipe
Cobb cat back
APS TMIC
APS BOV
Odyssey PC680
Tomei equal length header
Tomei up-pipe
VF-39
Drivetrain:
JDM STI 6 speed tranny
R180 rear end
Cobb short shifter
Kartboy shifter bushings
Exedy twin plate clutch
ARP extended wheel studs
Suspension:
07 WRX shocks
Prodrive springs
Cobb front and rear sway bar
Cobb adjustable sway bar mounts
Karboy botox bolts
Kartboy outrigger bushings
STI lateral links
Group-N trailing arm bushings
Cusco rear strut bar
GT spec fender braces
Prodrive 18x8 GC10 wheels with 225-45-18 Dunlop DZ101 tires
Brakes:
Front and rear Brembo calipers
Front FLI two piece rotors (5lb lighter per corner)
Pagid brake pads front and rear
COBB ss lines
STI master cylinder
My FXT lowered with Prodrive GC10 Wheels
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a388/FLIWRX/_ryan_main.jpg?t=1245365676
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a388/FLIWRX/_all_three_11.jpg?t=1245365742
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a388/FLIWRX/_ryan_12_.jpg?t=1245365867
After the wheels and lowering it was time for a turbo back and tune with a Cobb access port on our in house Mustang Dyno. http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a388/FLIWRX/08FXTFLIST2T61H43PSI15to6.jpg?t=1245366526
Even though stage two was a big jump up from stock I was still left wanting more power. I then picked up a VF39, APS top mount and Tomei header for the FXT. After it was installed we put the Forester back on the Dyno for a retune.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a388/FLIWRX/08FXTFLIST3T72H40PSI17to10.jpg?t=1245366752
The power of the VF39 was perfect for me and to this day I am happy with how much power the car has. I will most likely brake down in the future and go bigger but not for a while. What I always wanted since I had my WRX was a STI drive train. I really liked the way the 6 speed felt and how much power it could hold but never was able to part with the money in order to pick one up. As luck would have it I found one on accident from a Japanese Version 7 STi with suretrack for a great deal and I could not pass it up. So with the tranny and brakes sourced it was time to get to work.
The Version 7 6-speed
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a388/FLIWRX/Ryan6speed.jpg?t=1245367485
No more 5 speed
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a388/FLIWRX/tranny4.jpg?t=1245367580
The Brembos came in some sorry shape so we tore then down and rebuilt them. http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a388/FLIWRX/RyanBrake1.jpg?t=1245367644
New silver paint job.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a388/FLIWRX/RyanBrake2.jpg?t=1245367749
A stack of goodies waiting to be installed.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a388/FLIWRX/RyanDrivetrain.jpg?t=1245367967
My goal with the Forester was to have the best daily driven street car I could build while not resorting to built engines or crazy suspension. I wanted something everyone could drive and enjoy being driven in. I started out with simple and effective mods to make the car a more rounded car and cure some of the pitfalls the Forester has from the factory.
I do not have any pictures of it stock but I do have quiet a few pictures of the 6-speed swap. All my other mods will have more detailed pictures that I can share.
Engine:
Cobb Access Port
Cobb catless downpipe
Cobb cat back
APS TMIC
APS BOV
Odyssey PC680
Tomei equal length header
Tomei up-pipe
VF-39
Drivetrain:
JDM STI 6 speed tranny
R180 rear end
Cobb short shifter
Kartboy shifter bushings
Exedy twin plate clutch
ARP extended wheel studs
Suspension:
07 WRX shocks
Prodrive springs
Cobb front and rear sway bar
Cobb adjustable sway bar mounts
Karboy botox bolts
Kartboy outrigger bushings
STI lateral links
Group-N trailing arm bushings
Cusco rear strut bar
GT spec fender braces
Prodrive 18x8 GC10 wheels with 225-45-18 Dunlop DZ101 tires
Brakes:
Front and rear Brembo calipers
Front FLI two piece rotors (5lb lighter per corner)
Pagid brake pads front and rear
COBB ss lines
STI master cylinder
My FXT lowered with Prodrive GC10 Wheels
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a388/FLIWRX/_ryan_main.jpg?t=1245365676
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a388/FLIWRX/_all_three_11.jpg?t=1245365742
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a388/FLIWRX/_ryan_12_.jpg?t=1245365867
After the wheels and lowering it was time for a turbo back and tune with a Cobb access port on our in house Mustang Dyno. http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a388/FLIWRX/08FXTFLIST2T61H43PSI15to6.jpg?t=1245366526
Even though stage two was a big jump up from stock I was still left wanting more power. I then picked up a VF39, APS top mount and Tomei header for the FXT. After it was installed we put the Forester back on the Dyno for a retune.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a388/FLIWRX/08FXTFLIST3T72H40PSI17to10.jpg?t=1245366752
The power of the VF39 was perfect for me and to this day I am happy with how much power the car has. I will most likely brake down in the future and go bigger but not for a while. What I always wanted since I had my WRX was a STI drive train. I really liked the way the 6 speed felt and how much power it could hold but never was able to part with the money in order to pick one up. As luck would have it I found one on accident from a Japanese Version 7 STi with suretrack for a great deal and I could not pass it up. So with the tranny and brakes sourced it was time to get to work.
The Version 7 6-speed
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a388/FLIWRX/Ryan6speed.jpg?t=1245367485
No more 5 speed
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a388/FLIWRX/tranny4.jpg?t=1245367580
The Brembos came in some sorry shape so we tore then down and rebuilt them. http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a388/FLIWRX/RyanBrake1.jpg?t=1245367644
New silver paint job.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a388/FLIWRX/RyanBrake2.jpg?t=1245367749
A stack of goodies waiting to be installed.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a388/FLIWRX/RyanDrivetrain.jpg?t=1245367967