Thanks for the feedback

I'm not a fan of having HID's as high beams, because the only time I use them is to give cars/trucks signaling to move into the lane in front of me the right of way. Aside from that, I'll use them in a rare situation in a very dark corner or on ramp, just for more visibility. The problem is, HIDs require a few seconds to warm up, usually about 10-15 seconds until they are at full color/brightness. So if you're just using your high beams to flash once in a while, you're not using it's full potential. You'd have to keep your high beams on for about 20 seconds just so they can warm up to their color. I recommend the Hyper Yellow for the highs

 

i meant to say that i upgraded my lows to HID, but was looking for a better bulb for my highs. i'll look into those nokyas

 

Guys!!! Big News. Anyone who is interested in the Carbon Fiber Impreza WRX Sedan Trunk seen on my car, PM me. There's a low Intro Price Group Buy going on right now... It ends in 2 weeks.

 

Ditch the Cobb turbo heatshield. It is not a very functional piece. It's a blingy engine dress up part more than anything else and doesn't work near as well as a cut stocker.

 

or you can use both.

i guess the SPT can just fit over the stocker.

 

Somewhere in the middle of my endeavors, I reported that it was making too much of a rattling sound and replaced it. The SPT Heatshield I have it replaced with has been worry free and silent. Maybe you just checked out the first page of this thread? There's a lot that have changed along the way

I am using the SPT.

 

Coming Soon:

- Seibon CW Style Carbon Fiber Hood

- Custom Gloss Black Roof Vinyl Overlay

Picture of the Hood:




Rough Mock Up of how things should look after hood and roof are installed:

 

A quick initial review of the Falkens: I'm going to avoid judging the grip at this early stage as there's only about 100 miles on them. But there are a few things that definitely stand out. The Kumho Ecsta XS was said to have a tread pattern that made steering more immediate and snappy. While the tire was quick in changing directions, it had a negative impact during straight line, highway driving. Where the road would have cut recesses or gaps, the Kumho would get 'squirrely' and gently tug the wheel to one side or another. The Falkens track straight! Period. I've driven over recesses and gaps and even let go of the wheel at over 70 mph. I cannot make it pull one way or the other!! This is a HUGE plus. Stability at higher speeds feels far more confidence inducing than the Kumho's ever did. The Falken's are also a much quieter tire. I never considered the Kumho's loud or even notable as noisy. But with the absence of the noise, I now notice that the Falkens are very quiet, at least at this early stage. Below-boost pick up has increased notably! The car just rolls away from a stop with less drag and effort. However, I attribute this advantage to the smaller overall diameter, not necessarily a product of the tire design.

The only thing I can say that doesn't feel 'better' at this point is the overall compound stiffness. It feels harder and less forgiving. Smaller imperfections tremble through the chassis. It's not terrible, but it's there. For those who have BC Coilovers, imagine stepping up the stiffness by 2-3 clicks. It's that different! However, bear in mind, it does have a shorter sidewall than my previous tires, so that could be part of the reason.

I have yet to launch on these and am not prepared to comment on the grip. However, I'll definitely report back once I've put enough miles on them to break them in.

A few pics of the tires during install.

New shoes!


Sticker


Out with the old. 235/45-17 Kumho Ecsta XS on 17x8 Rota G-Force


In with the new. 255/40-17 Falken Azenis RT-615 on 17x8 Rota G-Force


Side by Side. 255/40 Azenis vs 235/45 XS



A shot from the front towards back at the rear fender rolled. Just enough clearance!


--

I'm scheduled to have the roof done in Gloss Black on Monday... I will definitely take some pictures soon showing off the new tires and roof. Hopefully hood will be installed shortly as well!

 

some one told me that you lose HP if you put on a cold air or aftermarket intake...?

 

There are a lot of myths and rumors out there regarding intakes. One needs to conduct his own research to find what's optimal for their specific car. In the older WRXs, it was almost pointless to change out the OEM unit. In the current cars, there exists a room for gains. If you look back a few pages in my thread you'll find when I was researching intakes and sharing information. You'll notice a bunch of intake diagram mockups I made on MS Paint

 

Got the roof wrapped in gloss black vinyl this morning. Dan of DownShift Custom Graphics came out and spent some time laying it on!! The dude's super patient and does incredibly meticulous work! Tucks every edge in perfectly and guarantees his work! The install is SEAMLESS and gorgeous! You'd think it's painted on.

One fear I had was that I would have a severe lack of patience to complete the look with a carbon hood. Well, I've changed my mind on the vented hood and will be getting an oem-style one tomorrow if we've got one at the warehouse!

PICS OF THE INSTALL. PLEASE PARDON HOW DIRTY THE CAR WAS DUE TO USE OF SOAPY WATER DURING INSTALL.

DAN DID A CLAY JOB ON THE ROOF BEFORE INSTALLING THE VINYL OVERLAY:



OVERLAY PLACED ROUGHLY ON THE ROOF:



STARTING TO TUCK EDGES:



EDGES TUCKED!:



FINISHED PRODUCT FROM FRONT 3/4 ANGLE:



FINISHED PRODUCT FROM REAR 3/4 ANGLE:



DRYING IN THE SHADE:



TOP VIEW DRIVER:



TOP VIEW PASSENGER:



TOP VIEW TO BACK:



REAR 3/4 LOW, DISPLAYING NEW TIRES, ROLLED FENDER, AND REAR SPOILER:



REAR VIEW:



CUSTOM REAR LIP SPOILER:

 

INSTALLED CARBON FIBER HOOD:

Got home late and was running out of sunlight. Install took about an hour. All pre-drilled holes for washer tube tabs needed additional filing to be large enough to work. Same issue with the washer nozzle area. Aside from that, all is good! Sorry for dark, dirty, crappy pictures.

HOODLESS:



INSTALLED!:



STANDING DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE CAR A FEW FEET BACK, YOU CAN SEE THE PERRIN INTERCOOLER PEERING THROUGH THE SCOOP LIKE YOU'D SEE A FRONT MOUNT PEERING THROUGH A GRILLE! LOOKS PRETTY SICK, IN MY OPINION! BPV IS ALSO VISIBLE!:



HIGHER ANGLE:



THERE GOES THAT INTERCOOLER, PEERING THROUGH AGAIN!:



REAR 3/4 LOW, NO FLASH:



REAR 3/4, WITH FLASH:



TILTED:



More pictures coming soon, once everything is washed and waxed!

 

Sweet! I thought the hood you were putting in had vents in front of the intercooler scoop, or is it just too dark to see? and are you not using the stock ducting to the intercooler?

 

I changed my mind on the vents as it would conflict with the lines of the body. And I left the stock ducting off to keep engine temps cooler overall, while the air isnt directly focused on the IC itself.

 

Great looking build!