dlouie87

iTrader: (5)

Would it be smart to get headers and down pipe first before cat-back...just to keep that low profile stock look? my sti is lowered.....

Wingless Wonder

iTrader: (7)

For power, the headers and downpipe makes more of a difference than an aftermarket catback. Tuning would really extract the potential of those parts after installation. Whether or not you get a cat back after the other exhaust components is up to you. There are a few cat backs out there that don't draw as much attention as others in both the sound and looks department. See what other STi owners have on their cars so you can listen to them at the same time.

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"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush

Boost Addict

engine management is the best place to start... or you arent really benefitting fully from the products you add on... A header is really not a common mod among these cars, unless you have HUGE plans, like over 500hp

Look into the Cobb Accessport... it has the ability to switch through maps, and you can also purchase a protune for it... which will allow you a custom tune at a licensed dyno

Another thing you can do is change your intercooler hoses to silicon ones that flow much better and get a lighter, but NOT UNDERDRIVEN, pulley (COBB, Perrin, etc)
These are little mods, but they help...

Then go to engine management, and then a turbo-back (downpipe + catback)

That way you are maximizing your benefits.

dlouie87

iTrader: (5)

i'm thinking about getting management after i get the basics......so i dont have to pay 2x for shipping. I'm getting the hks f-con pro v. And i'm trying to get it tuned by hks.

so just seeing what parts before the tune?

Wingless Wonder

iTrader: (7)

Yikes, why the HKS? For your level of mods, I'd recommend a Subaru-specific engine management. If you live anywhere near the Bay Area, there are experienced Subaru tuners that can tune and reflash your factory ECU and avoid any extraneous wiring using either EcuTek or Cobb Pro Tuner. These would also be custom tunes for your specific car, which is usually a much better tune than the off-the-shelf maps that are available.

You can have a look at the Reviews section on Engine Management and official i-Club vendors for engine management and customer reviews.

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0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush

Boost Addict

I concur.

dlouie87

iTrader: (5)

so wont be like till another year....can i posibly get a apexi avc controller or the blitz thing? until i mod the turbo...i'll have a catback , dp, and voltage cables, and headers.....as the mods.

VIBEELEVEN

iTrader: (2)

Get an AP or ecutek.

depdivr

if you are going to run a catback, dp, and headers you will need some sort of engine management to control boost creep and CEL issues you will encounter. If you ask anyone who is experienced here or Nas - they will tell you that engine management gives you the single biggest bang for your buck, than any other modification you can buy.

Reguardless, before you upgrade your turbo, you will have to do a fuel system upgrade (injectors, pump) - yes they do need tuning to work right. You don't have to follow our advice but it would pay to!

Boost Addict

I concur, yet again...

Out of curiousity, is this your first Subaru?

See I came originally from a civic... and was into the whole generic tuning scene, but with Subaru's its a whole different ball game... Hell, with a honda, a CAI was the single best bang for buck out there... but with WRX's 80% say its a waste, while 20% claim it helps... really, it doesnt, unless you are going for high hp applications and you have to be tuned for it via custom tune...

Truth is, as I mentioned Engine Management... don't think of it as a mod that you won't need until later... I believe the car needs to remain at its equilibrium to perform its best, dont you? If you start bolting on performance parts, you are throwing off the cars equilibrium, it breathes differently, the exhaust works differently, and your ecu is going to be spending time trying to learn that, and never fully give you the max potential that the product is capable of earning you. Thus, your call will not be running with good timing, chances are, it will automatically pull timing to prevent knock and what not... Just not a safe approach for the long run. An Accessport or other Subaru-spec EM does just that for you, and without adding a single part aside from it, they give you gains between 15-30 awhp... thats a hell of a lot of power for 600-650 bucks.

Then from that point any mod you add, according to its respective map, will allow you to SAFELY gain power and reap the benefits of that product, in full... for example; uppipe, downpipe, catback...

There will be more confusion going with Blitz or Apex'i, because these need to be CUSTOM tuned for your particular Subaru... and they aren't Subaru specific to start out with... Personally, I would stick to a reputable Subaru tuner, just do a little research... You have options... I just HIGHLY recommend you don't go generic on this car... They are VERY sensitive, because obviously its got it own issues, but these tuners know exactly what they are doing...

So as mentioned above, the best thing to do is find a local tuner, or play with COBBs accessport with their off-the-shelf maps... these are the best pre-set maps out there... tuned with reliability and power in mind... They also smooth out the driveability of your car... Really impressive stuff.. As Wingless mentioned, look through the reviews section... you will find great recommendations there.. But at the top of my list is cobbtuning.com.. or you can follow the upgrade paths of Vishnu, they also build power with reliability, and are very reputable, just a tad more costly, and upgrade with a SLIGHTLY different approach... I prefer the COBB route, but they are both equally respective, it really comes down to your own personal preference.

Good luck.

depdivr

amen... the car before this was a Volvo S80 (don't tell anyone)