The down n/ dirty DIY, lil' bit at a time bugeye self-improvement thread
01-05-2015, 07:54 PM
#31
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Vacaville, CA
Posts: 243
Car Info: JDM STI V7 EWG powered 2003 Subaru MBP WRX
I love this thread! I'm very happy I stumbled upon it today. I always love DIY mods, and from the looks of it, you have quite a few ideas on some of these. Definitely like the idea of stiffening the OEM tranny and pitch mounts given they are kinda pricey to buy aftermarket. I have no experience with PnP so that doesnt help much. Looking forward to many more picture updates on the progress. Super jealous that you found a MBP V7 scoop - I had to pay out of my A$$ for a JDM one....shipping took forever - and it was in primer only. ALso, why not just do the koji mod on your headlights you have right now? It is very easy to do and one of the first real mods I did to my car back in the day. Good luck with your current projects!
01-06-2015, 08:39 PM
#34
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Car Info: JDM STI V7 EWG powered 2003 Subaru MBP WRX
Haha I totally hear ya man. Ive got four kids at home and my budget is non existant. I love to browse, but never get to buy lol. Last mod was replacing two coil packs because my car was bucking under wide open throttle - apparently the coils were going out. Car runs great now, but no fun parts that I can afford. The struggle is real! Lol
01-27-2015, 04:26 PM
#35
Ever closer...
Ported OEM pipes have the shield mounts hacked off and ground down, just need to quickly spray with header paint on the bare parts, then lava wrap goes on with wrap paint and foil for shielding.
Throttle body porting is DONE, just need to clean TB and attach the IACV.
Unfortunately, maintenance is getting in the way of fun - koyo all alum. rad (~30K mi.) is cracked and the stat is due, so doing a fix-it day: CX alum rad, coolant, stat+gasket, A/C idler pulley, lightened crank pulley install, access. belts, oil cooler hoses and cooler gasket (leaks). Oh, and oil/filter change. gawdamn. Will try to get the Koyo repaired and sell or keep for backup when the CX dies...lol.
Oh, and pretty sure the passgr side valve cover gasket is shot...NEVER. ****ing. ENDS. And the fuel pipes leak in the cold. FML.
Ported OEM pipes have the shield mounts hacked off and ground down, just need to quickly spray with header paint on the bare parts, then lava wrap goes on with wrap paint and foil for shielding.
Throttle body porting is DONE, just need to clean TB and attach the IACV.
Unfortunately, maintenance is getting in the way of fun - koyo all alum. rad (~30K mi.) is cracked and the stat is due, so doing a fix-it day: CX alum rad, coolant, stat+gasket, A/C idler pulley, lightened crank pulley install, access. belts, oil cooler hoses and cooler gasket (leaks). Oh, and oil/filter change. gawdamn. Will try to get the Koyo repaired and sell or keep for backup when the CX dies...lol.
Oh, and pretty sure the passgr side valve cover gasket is shot...NEVER. ****ing. ENDS. And the fuel pipes leak in the cold. FML.
Last edited by oaklandish_WRX; 01-27-2015 at 04:33 PM. Reason: mizery
01-27-2015, 05:34 PM
#36
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Car Info: 2000 Legacy GT, 2000 Echo 1989 Camry All-Trac
If you're going to be up in there, why not get my lightweight alternator pulley that I have FS 
(And/or my exhaust wrap - both at discounted prices...)
On a slightly more serious note, can't you get the fuel stuff warrantied for bugeyes, or is that only a rails thing?
(And/or my exhaust wrap - both at discounted prices...)
On a slightly more serious note, can't you get the fuel stuff warrantied for bugeyes, or is that only a rails thing?
01-27-2015, 07:15 PM
#37
If you're going to be up in there, why not get my lightweight alternator pulley that I have FS
(And/or my exhaust wrap - both at discounted prices...)
On a slightly more serious note, can't you get the fuel stuff warrantied for bugeyes, or is that only a rails thing?
(And/or my exhaust wrap - both at discounted prices...)
On a slightly more serious note, can't you get the fuel stuff warrantied for bugeyes, or is that only a rails thing?
I'm good for wrap, thx. The alt pulley is supposta be merder to get off n on. Crank pulley should be nuff.
Cold fuel leak recall was only certain states and ended in 2014. I may call carlson to see if they can still swing it. Else it's rbm in Hayward. C ya.
02-23-2015, 02:00 PM
#38
Put the Kartboy rear diff bushings in yesterday....
Figured to be ~1 hour...rust turned it into a 3 hr kitten-punch-inducing cussfest. Outer nuts/bolts came off fine...the studs and the nuts on the diff were friggin' seized bad to the bushing bracket. I had PB blast'ed it the day before and that morning 2X...still stuck. Torched 2X, and dead-blow hammered the open-end wrench to break it free. Almost didn't need to double-nut the diff studs it was so stuck. FML.
But, once they broke free, boom, out in 5 minutes. VICTORY!
Ratcheting wrenches saved a half-hour on their own, too.
I had a spare bracket that I'd de-rusted, rattle-canned and pre-loaded the KB bushings into, so that sped things up a bit. Plus, the old one was too rusty to be put back in.
edit: Driving experience is SO much improved...cannot put into words. NVH not much to speak of, but already had the outrigger bushings, tranny bushings, etc., so did not add much. Bit of vibration from the rear on certain road surfaces, but worth it. Need the pitch stop in, now!
Figured to be ~1 hour...rust turned it into a 3 hr kitten-punch-inducing cussfest. Outer nuts/bolts came off fine...the studs and the nuts on the diff were friggin' seized bad to the bushing bracket. I had PB blast'ed it the day before and that morning 2X...still stuck. Torched 2X, and dead-blow hammered the open-end wrench to break it free. Almost didn't need to double-nut the diff studs it was so stuck. FML.
But, once they broke free, boom, out in 5 minutes. VICTORY!
Ratcheting wrenches saved a half-hour on their own, too.
I had a spare bracket that I'd de-rusted, rattle-canned and pre-loaded the KB bushings into, so that sped things up a bit. Plus, the old one was too rusty to be put back in.
edit: Driving experience is SO much improved...cannot put into words. NVH not much to speak of, but already had the outrigger bushings, tranny bushings, etc., so did not add much. Bit of vibration from the rear on certain road surfaces, but worth it. Need the pitch stop in, now!
Last edited by oaklandish_WRX; 02-24-2015 at 04:50 PM.
04-20-2015, 12:55 PM
#39
Progress...of sorts. Finished wrapping the ported headers and GS crosspipe. ~45 feet in total of 1" DEI titanium wrap. Naturally, about 5' short of enough to also do the UP out of the 50' roll. 
Anybody wanna buy 5' of 1" wrap?
Passenger side collector was to most trouble, err fun - compound curves with increasing circumference =
. I'd hacked/ground off all the heatshield tabs - no heatsinks for me, thanks.
I used plain old plastic zipties to hold it on and tight initially, then went back with the Harbor Freight metal ties.
Pro-tip: Get the metal ties as snug as you can by hand, then trim the excess to ~1/2" and grab the stub with a needle nose pliers and spin it downward towards the band. I was easily able to pull another 3/8-1/2" of tie through the lock. It also tends to tuck the sharp end of the stub in, too. This replicates the use of the DEI wrap lock tool. Then use a small screwdriver to push down the tab in the lock. :ritz:
Finishing it will be Thermo-Tec silver heat spray and some heavy duty foil tape with safety wire. Belts, meet suspenders. It's almost a shame to cover this gorgeous wrap, but hell, it's under the car and splash shield for the most part.
Anybody wanna buy 5' of 1" wrap?Passenger side collector was to most trouble, err fun - compound curves with increasing circumference =
. I'd hacked/ground off all the heatshield tabs - no heatsinks for me, thanks.I used plain old plastic zipties to hold it on and tight initially, then went back with the Harbor Freight metal ties.
Pro-tip: Get the metal ties as snug as you can by hand, then trim the excess to ~1/2" and grab the stub with a needle nose pliers and spin it downward towards the band. I was easily able to pull another 3/8-1/2" of tie through the lock. It also tends to tuck the sharp end of the stub in, too. This replicates the use of the DEI wrap lock tool. Then use a small screwdriver to push down the tab in the lock. :ritz:
Finishing it will be Thermo-Tec silver heat spray and some heavy duty foil tape with safety wire. Belts, meet suspenders. It's almost a shame to cover this gorgeous wrap, but hell, it's under the car and splash shield for the most part.
Last edited by oaklandish_WRX; 06-16-2015 at 03:44 PM.
05-06-2015, 04:27 PM
#41
So shiny... Much less emissivity... 
Taping the OEM flex section should help make the lava wrapping easier...acts like a solid surface; also reduces surface area to radiate heat.
This will get wrapped with PTP Lava, thermo-tec spray, then another layer of foil tape w/ safety wire. The PTP wrap *looks* better than the DEI titanium...tighter weave. Jus' sayin'.
Taping the OEM flex section should help make the lava wrapping easier...acts like a solid surface; also reduces surface area to radiate heat.
This will get wrapped with PTP Lava, thermo-tec spray, then another layer of foil tape w/ safety wire. The PTP wrap *looks* better than the DEI titanium...tighter weave. Jus' sayin'.
Last edited by oaklandish_WRX; 06-16-2015 at 03:45 PM. Reason: linkys
06-08-2015, 10:35 AM
#43
Prothane rear 20mm sway bar mount bushings installed... Better.
A little cheesed that I had to split the bottom to get it over the bar, but 10 seconds with a sheet-rock knife and done. No way in hell it'd have been pushed over the end of the bar (plus have to undo the link bolts - eff that) and kept the lube in there. Also, these are a *bit* taller than the OEM rubbers, so getting the bracket back on was a pain; I have the 04/05 brackets and mounts.
A little cheesed that I had to split the bottom to get it over the bar, but 10 seconds with a sheet-rock knife and done. No way in hell it'd have been pushed over the end of the bar (plus have to undo the link bolts - eff that) and kept the lube in there. Also, these are a *bit* taller than the OEM rubbers, so getting the bracket back on was a pain; I have the 04/05 brackets and mounts.
