Please give me some insite on upgrades for stock WRX. The most bang for my buck. I'm mostly interested in power upgrades at this time. Please list you opinions in chronological order, ie; 1. boost 2. exhaust 3. ect. I'd like to shoot for 275bhp.

I've owned my wrx since May, but was too affraid to ask before. I'm familiar with the lingo, so fire away! Thanks everyone. Thanks New I-Club!

-Chris N

check the upgrade kits from www.turboxs.com , www.vishnutining.com or www.cobb.com . They'll get you the poswer your asking for.

on less than 1000 dollar invested total
Here is my current setup
Prodrive axle back exhaust(300 used)
intake silencer removed(free)
UNICHIP running TurboXS's stage one maps(520 shipped w/harness)
Go Fast Bits lightened/underdrive pulleys(135 shipped, usually 190)

Let me tell you that 270 feels ALOT better than 227.

But I do have to say, the best and biggest improvement I made on the car was the suspension.
I added a 22mm whiteline front sway bar, and a 20-24mm adjustable rear sway abr with whiteline endlinks.
This made an incredibly dramatic improvement on the cars handling. I have zero body roll now, and almost no understeer.

If you have the factory 16's, then tires would be the first place to start. My car came with 17" prodrives from the factory:)
My next step is Cusco Zero 2R's and making the jump to over 300HP with turboXS's stage 2 (turbo back and remap the chip)
And Samco hoses.
My advice for best bang for the buck is this
Manual boost controller, use your boost gauge(if you dont have one GET ONE NOW) and set your car for 15.5lbs boost in 3rd gear.
New tires, and a rear sway bar/end links.
Not counting tires, this is less than 300 bucks invested, if you shop around(including the boost gauge, DO NOT screw with boost without one)

Thanks a million.
Is the UNICHip how you are boosting boost? How much are manual boost controllers? I've read and shopped alittle for those but I'm not sure if I'm looking at the same things because some are like $80 and some are $500ish. I don't know which is what.
Boost monkey, what is that? I just don't want to get in over my wallet with warranty issues. Is there a book about such Suby installs?

Yep, tires would help a great deal, springs and rear anti-sway bar I'd like to do after that.

Vishnu's does not control boost, with his, you use an MBC

If you saw a boost controller for 500, it wasnt an MBC, itt was an EBC(electronic boost controller, not manual)
Personally, a used TurboXS unichip for 475-550 is a MUCH better deal than a 500 dollar boost controller.
Dont pay more than like 129 for an MBC. ANd only pay that much if you get a TurboXS high performance MBC.(it is a bleed AND ball spring controller, works a little nicer)
But you can build/buy a home made MBC for 5-15 bucks.

They all do pretty the same thing, some Like that turboXS one, work a little nicer, and lessen the severity of partial throttle full boost.(which is bad)
Boost monkeys are about hte best thing going as far as cheap reliable boost control, and with them, you get NO partial throttle full boost(which makes it a little safer for your engine)

Boostmonkey might be "safe" but they dont improve performance like an MBC, not even close.

And safe is still a relative term because thats still too much boost to be running with a completely stock setup.

The car still wont low end power like it will with an MBC.

From all the horror storys I heard that wouldnt consider putting one in my car. But thats my opinion.

And not to flame you or anything dave, but 270hp? Is that a dyno number? Do you have any 1/4 mile numbers? Thats big expectations for those mods if you ask me, even tho you didnt :)

~v6

whatever who cares I must know nothing:rolleyes:

Edit... I take it all back.

I base my opinions on actual things I see at the track.

If the track means nothing to you...

I give up

~v6

What about the dual setting controllers? Are they worth looking at? If I kept my exhaust stock, could I get 250ish? A decent kick in the pants?

Still unsure exactly what Boost Monkey is/ or how it works. WHo sells these? I'll be back after visiting Vishnu and TurboXS, thanks for the ideas guys.

so V6 like the MBC, right? whos MBC is better?
and dave likes the unichip as a whole package, correct?

...

...

Best bang evar = Manual Boost Controler. You must have a boost gauge to run this $50 item though.

Lobster Man, where are you from?

<-----me from "lobster state" NH lobsters too, but what other states lobster?

or get one like this off ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1873259951
or this
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1873297083

OH and I also like MBC's dont get me wrong, they are the best bang for the buck. But they arent a realistic solution when I am planning on making 320+hp. I also was tired of haviing to drive around PTFB. If you want a fast, super easy,cheap and VERY easily reversible mod, then do an MBC.

up pipe
intake
downpipe
boost controller
exhaust.

To be honest sometimes v6turbota can come off alittle strong but i will say this it seems like number one that he has a lot of track experience and secondly he has gone faster on a minamal (spelling??) amount of mods than most.... that being said.... i seriously doubt he is jealous or gives a rats ass about the who's is bigger syndrome someone seems to be falling into...He has some good advice and im prety sure he is aware of all the rather typical package deals a few tuners sell to to get to such and such power level...he just got his speed a different way.

Either way Vishnu and a few others offer some pretty well thought out package deals that will give you 270 or 275 horsepower with ease....shoot check the classifieds i have a brand new vishnu stage zero(275 hp) for sale for under $1000 if you are interested

Thanks
"The Goat"
Andrew

The guy can drive, and his car is very fast given that he hasnt done much to it.
But Its just the saying tha MBC 16psi is different than monkey 16PSI is what gets me

personally I think its just because he has some kind of weird hate for Kris going on. I dont really care either way, I dont know Kris.

And then basically calling bull**** on me when I post HP numbers(that are proven numbers) is what pissed me off. Its not like I was saying I got 30whp from a cat back or something.
The guy wants 275 HP, its an easy number to get to, I was just telling him how I am pretty much there and what I have done to get there.
If he doesnt mid doing the work himself, he is a perfect canidate for a vishnu stage zero, that will give him is 275 if not 280

Dave are you familiar with the factory EBC?

A boostmonkey still leaves you with low boost in first and second gear, and a decent drop in boost beginning at 5500rpm.

Hear my basic theory on why I don't like the 270hp figure you come up with.

My car ran 14.4 @92mph after a few weeks of trial and error, that was what it consistently ran stock.

After the few mods I have done the car runs 13.5 @98mph.. great, I said it 5,ooo times, so what right?

Based on those figures wouldn't you say that I gained a large amount of HP?

Well, I don't.

I say what I did was change my torque curve into more of a torque plateau. Not really increasing the Max numbers, but making a little more power over a lot more RPM.

When people ask me how much hp my car makes I feel like a liar if I say anything over 240hp. mayyybe 245...

Making more peak horsepower and torque is an easy thing to do, there's a lot more to it than that.

It bothers me when I see people claiming huge HP gains, then see them running 14's at the track. Just because you bought nice parts doesn't meant your car is fast. I'm not being a dick, I'm being realistic.

I have been following drag racing / modifying cars since I was about 14-15 years old. I was making runs with my permit in my pimp ass 87 Elcamino ten years ago (17.0@87)

I just know that the only way you know what you have is either on a dyno (which still doesn't mean anything to me) or at the track.

Why dont I like dyno's? My friend took his 96 S/C Saleen to a local dyno. Put down 375rwhp or so I honestly forget the numbers, but the guy reburned him a chip, toyed with a few things and ran it again and got 498rwhp out of it.

Point?

When he went back to the track he gained 2mph from what he was running the week before. Therefore giving me more reason to not care about dyno numbers.

Dyno runs are great for tuning, but that's about it. Doesn't really give you all the facts needed to know how well a car will run overall.

my brain hurts...

~v6

edit : spellcheck ;)

Dave 2 more things.

1 I know kris, get along with him fine, have NOTHING against him personally. I think he is a really nice guy.

2 An MBC and a boostmonkey do 2 totally different things...

The do relatively the same thing, but they go about it 2 totally different ways.

A boostmonkey will give you a smoother, slower car.
An mbc will give you a fast ass, herky jerky car. :)

I dont use part throttle, I have a gas button. ;)

~v6

You are totally correct about the flat torque curve being more important than peak power. That's why the USCCC dyno scoring is based on hp times rpm, every 250 rpm from 40% of redline up to redline. It's the reason our 2,800 pound, 165 hp RS's are able to spank a 2,500 pound, 165 hp Si at a stoplight.

but not where they dyno the car
1-2 gear , I would bet you pick up in the area of 20-40hp depending on how high you have the mbc set
its not that you gain 40 HP over that 227 in 3rd gear, more like you are actually getting the 227 you paid for in 1-2 gear now

As for the monkey thing, well maybe the guy's car that I drove had it in differently or something. Because I remember 14PSI in 1-2 gear(possibly he has something like a bleed valve too?
I am just going on my experience from that car(and another that I saw/rode in) It hit 14PIS in 1-2 gear and 16 in all others, it was exactly like driving my own car that had a MBC in it
An mbc will give you a fast ass, herky jerky car.

I dont use part throttle, I have a gas button.
ouch dude, hows you gas milage? lol. totally true though
This is another reason Ilove the unichip.
Just because you bought nice parts doesn't meant your car is fast. I'm not being a dick, I'm being realistic.
Again totally true, just go look at the TONS of kids out there with Mustangs that cant get below a 15, yet every good driver I have seen runs consistatly in the low 14's mid 13's (talking about stock mustangs) Or the guy at Epping with the totally stock Viper hitting low 11's Yet the car is only supposed to run 12's.
Power is nothing without the driver, no argument there.

So out of curiosity, whats your opinion on the unichip? Personally I think you would love it and hate it, then grow to love it period.
When I first put it in, I went out and did a few standing start drags down an empty raod in an office park. I was kinda dissapointed, as it was faster but nothing unbelieveable. But then I drove it around awhile. It is a totally different car, so much fatter of a tourque curve, just strong power everywhere. Im serious man, I had an MBC, its not even the same car now.

wading thru the flames:)

Thanks for all the input, especially from v6 and dave, I value the ideas and thoughts given by you. I don't intend on drag racing my wrx but I do autoX so proof on the pavement is always considered. Now, being a poor chump mechanic(saturn) myself with 2 kids that race karts and a wife who discourages any mod, I have to go the cheap and easy route > MBC<.

It looks like a very simple install and more importantly an easy un-install. I am always fearful of the warranty bastige on my back, I mean I don't want to pay for getting anything fixed or have to fix anything myself because I don't have the money or time. I change the oil, brakes, tires, alignments, reg service, thats all I want to do for a long time:) besides the upgrades of course.

I like it (mbc) because I can control how low/high it can go. Its cheap. Simple. If I decide drivability is not smooth or power is eratic I can upgrade to EBC when funds permit.

I'd like to see some of the locals at Epping.

Bear in mind that if you autocross, that MBC will put you into street mod. with some heavily modded cars.
If you are just doing it for fun, no problem, if you want to compete, then go another way.

I did see it was turning into a flame war(which I am just as much to blame for as anyone) so I tried to get it back to your question, and give some real feedback.

I drove a car with a unichip, VF30 (i think), injectors... the whole nine yards.

Car drove awesome. I cant say a bad word about the unichip in his car. Works perfect from what i drove (25+miles) And the car was fast as hell. :) Pulled up to 7000rpm like my car only dreams of.

Theres no need for it untill you mod the hell out of the car imho tho. Its too restricting for my tastes (hence having to have it remapped for every mod)

Good in some cases, not so good in others.

~v6

Dave a boost monkey basicly raises the stock boost curve

an MBC give you full boost to redline.

Check out some dyno runs of a stock WRX and watch how badly the power falls off above 5500rpm. Its due to the ECU lowering the boost at higher RPM. The boostmonkey does not stop this from happening.

Originally posted by V6turboTA
Dave a boost monkey basicly raises the stock boost curve

an MBC give you full boost to redline.

Check out some dyno runs of a stock WRX and watch how badly the power falls off above 5500rpm. Its due to the ECU lowering the boost at higher RPM. The boostmonkey does not stop this from happening.

While I don't remember all the specifics, I read the bostmonkey tech page and remember thinking that I would go with that if I was running a WRX on the street because of the better torque. It puts the emphasis on moving the car rather than the numbers off the dyno. Just a different way of getting to the same place.

Originally posted by V6turboTA

...Good in some cases, not so good in others.

~v6 Thats why I just am gonna do the mbc. It'd be nice to have my bases covered with the fuel and timing and ect the chip gives you, but I don't intend on modifiing much more than maybe the muffler in the next year or so. I might not use the mbc for autoX because I'd rather not be in street mod, thanks for pointing that out. Maybe I will, i pretty much suck in the wrx at autocross :D

[edit; i asked a boost gauge question before reading the boost gauge thread <---I'm a dummy...delete]