Boost Addict's 08 WRX Project - 233whp/334wtq - Pics, Vids, Dyno
Thread Starter
VIP Member
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 846
From: Orange County, CA
Car Info: 08 WRX - 401whp/408wtq
yeah, the vf52 is installed and tuned, check page 4 for those updates.
NO DUDE!!! NONE! haha, it's so nice.
NO DUDE!!! NONE! haha, it's so nice.
Thread Starter
VIP Member
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 846
From: Orange County, CA
Car Info: 08 WRX - 401whp/408wtq
Alright, so these last 2 days have been a lot of fun with some of the detail mods I've added. These mods we're almost purely cosmetic, but I felt they were little details that could go a long way in providing the car with a more 'finished off' appearance. Mind you, the Perrin Shorty Antenna has not arrived yet, and neither has my COBB ****. So those changes are still pending...
So without further ado, I will post some pictures of the items installed along with a brief synopsis of my thoughts along with any notes I wanted to add.
SPT HEATSHIELD - The COBB unit did it's job I'm sure, but after a while it began to rattle. After tightening it down, the syndrome had apparently been cured, until one day... it again, reared its head. After another tightening, it refused to quite down. My best guess is that it was rattling against my wastegate actuator arm. Anyway, the SPT was more appealing to me as it has a little more stealth factor than the COBB. If you pop your hood for an officer, which do you think looks better? A heatshield that has the name COBB on it? Or would you rather it say SPT, which happens to match the tailpipes? Another thing that appealed to me was the thicker material of the SPT unit and it's mirrored finish. It's also nice that it has a 'do not touch with hand' picture. There is no actuator arm in the way with the new turbo, meaning the COBB may have worked just fine. But the other features of the SPT were great enough for me to swap over. Installation was very easy and everything fits and lines up perfectly. So yes, you can run the SPT Heatshield without the factory heatshield and with most likely any aftermarket DP. I love this piece.
SPT Heatshield & Invidia Catted Downpipe:
SPT Heatshield w/ PERRIN TMIC:
SUBARU FOOTWELL ILLUMINATION KIT - After back and forth debates in my own mind and inquiring with many others, I finally decided on which color to go with. Being that the STI's come stock with the red illumination kit, I went with blue. Another reason was because WRXs have a cubby in front of the shifter that has a blue LED glow in it. To keep with a 'red instruments on upper dash and blue glow below' theme, the choice was clear. Because the holes the LED brackets fit into were pre-drilled in my WRX, installation was theoretically easy. I, of course, couldn't find the right harness at first and took apart the entire face of my dash, haha. PM me for tips of this install, or I may just post up a write up. The glow is mellow and really gives the interior a nice added level of pizzaz without being overly flamboyant. It comes on with the cubby LED, which is anytime your light stalk is turned. I think it's a nice touch that brings things up to date and makes for another item that passengers will point out to with a grin.
Interior w/ flash:
Interior w/ illumination:
SUBARU SPLASH GUARDS - This is probably my favorite mod to date when paired with the STI spoiler. It does so much with so little. While many people run the rally armour mud flaps, my personal opinion is that they look a bit out of place on a street car. Now don't get me wrong, I've seen it work on some WRXs and hence felt I should go that route. The only thing that kept me from doing it was the fact that they stick out so far out, that they would visually overshadow the wheel/tire offset I so carefully planned out. Then I ran across the Subaru set. They are compact, OEM quality and follow the body's design. I often considered a skirt kit, or something to finish off the body work... These are it for me! They provide a nice little finishing touch to the edges of your body. Also, they are inexpensive (for an OEM and painted item) and the installation was such a blast! Just pop a couple fasteners out, set the splash guard in place, snap in and screw in. So easy. The front set does require light drill work on the OEM inner fender liner. But the sheet metal the specific fastener attaches to is pre-drilled. Again, easy work. Please ask for advice before you go paying a dealership to do this for you. A project this easy, is such a great way for a new tuner to start familiarizing themselves with the car. It's a small, yet rewarding task that will leave you satisfied, accomplished and with great results!
Splash Guards - Front view that shows how nicely they round off the fenders and frame the wheels and tires!
Splash Guards - Rear view giving the body more character without making the sheet metal look too tall
STI FRONT LIP SPOILER - I enjoy the front end of the car, but like the rocker panels and rear, it just looked a little short and unfinished. Paging through Subaru's offerings, I came across this front lip and fell in love. Such a subtle piece. So expensive for the seeming amount of material you get. But I'd buy it all over again when considering the overall effect it has on the vehicle. Installation was fairly straight forward but involved. Drilling is absolutely required for most of the fasteners, and lifting the car a bit on a jack will aid a lot in the install. Overall though, fitment was incredibly precise, the piece was delivered in a huge box, but wrapped nicely in some synthetic protective cloth. It has a great satin black finish that coincidentally compliments my satin black vinyls, and I truly think it adds a real purpose-minded emphasis to the front end of the car.
STI Front Lip effect:
STI Front Lip and Splash Guards:
So without further ado, I will post some pictures of the items installed along with a brief synopsis of my thoughts along with any notes I wanted to add.
SPT HEATSHIELD - The COBB unit did it's job I'm sure, but after a while it began to rattle. After tightening it down, the syndrome had apparently been cured, until one day... it again, reared its head. After another tightening, it refused to quite down. My best guess is that it was rattling against my wastegate actuator arm. Anyway, the SPT was more appealing to me as it has a little more stealth factor than the COBB. If you pop your hood for an officer, which do you think looks better? A heatshield that has the name COBB on it? Or would you rather it say SPT, which happens to match the tailpipes? Another thing that appealed to me was the thicker material of the SPT unit and it's mirrored finish. It's also nice that it has a 'do not touch with hand' picture. There is no actuator arm in the way with the new turbo, meaning the COBB may have worked just fine. But the other features of the SPT were great enough for me to swap over. Installation was very easy and everything fits and lines up perfectly. So yes, you can run the SPT Heatshield without the factory heatshield and with most likely any aftermarket DP. I love this piece.
SPT Heatshield & Invidia Catted Downpipe:
SPT Heatshield w/ PERRIN TMIC:
SUBARU FOOTWELL ILLUMINATION KIT - After back and forth debates in my own mind and inquiring with many others, I finally decided on which color to go with. Being that the STI's come stock with the red illumination kit, I went with blue. Another reason was because WRXs have a cubby in front of the shifter that has a blue LED glow in it. To keep with a 'red instruments on upper dash and blue glow below' theme, the choice was clear. Because the holes the LED brackets fit into were pre-drilled in my WRX, installation was theoretically easy. I, of course, couldn't find the right harness at first and took apart the entire face of my dash, haha. PM me for tips of this install, or I may just post up a write up. The glow is mellow and really gives the interior a nice added level of pizzaz without being overly flamboyant. It comes on with the cubby LED, which is anytime your light stalk is turned. I think it's a nice touch that brings things up to date and makes for another item that passengers will point out to with a grin.
Interior w/ flash:
Interior w/ illumination:
SUBARU SPLASH GUARDS - This is probably my favorite mod to date when paired with the STI spoiler. It does so much with so little. While many people run the rally armour mud flaps, my personal opinion is that they look a bit out of place on a street car. Now don't get me wrong, I've seen it work on some WRXs and hence felt I should go that route. The only thing that kept me from doing it was the fact that they stick out so far out, that they would visually overshadow the wheel/tire offset I so carefully planned out. Then I ran across the Subaru set. They are compact, OEM quality and follow the body's design. I often considered a skirt kit, or something to finish off the body work... These are it for me! They provide a nice little finishing touch to the edges of your body. Also, they are inexpensive (for an OEM and painted item) and the installation was such a blast! Just pop a couple fasteners out, set the splash guard in place, snap in and screw in. So easy. The front set does require light drill work on the OEM inner fender liner. But the sheet metal the specific fastener attaches to is pre-drilled. Again, easy work. Please ask for advice before you go paying a dealership to do this for you. A project this easy, is such a great way for a new tuner to start familiarizing themselves with the car. It's a small, yet rewarding task that will leave you satisfied, accomplished and with great results!
Splash Guards - Front view that shows how nicely they round off the fenders and frame the wheels and tires!
Splash Guards - Rear view giving the body more character without making the sheet metal look too tall
STI FRONT LIP SPOILER - I enjoy the front end of the car, but like the rocker panels and rear, it just looked a little short and unfinished. Paging through Subaru's offerings, I came across this front lip and fell in love. Such a subtle piece. So expensive for the seeming amount of material you get. But I'd buy it all over again when considering the overall effect it has on the vehicle. Installation was fairly straight forward but involved. Drilling is absolutely required for most of the fasteners, and lifting the car a bit on a jack will aid a lot in the install. Overall though, fitment was incredibly precise, the piece was delivered in a huge box, but wrapped nicely in some synthetic protective cloth. It has a great satin black finish that coincidentally compliments my satin black vinyls, and I truly think it adds a real purpose-minded emphasis to the front end of the car.
STI Front Lip effect:
STI Front Lip and Splash Guards:
Thread Starter
VIP Member
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 846
From: Orange County, CA
Car Info: 08 WRX - 401whp/408wtq
Thread Starter
VIP Member
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 846
From: Orange County, CA
Car Info: 08 WRX - 401whp/408wtq
Thread Starter
VIP Member
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 846
From: Orange County, CA
Car Info: 08 WRX - 401whp/408wtq
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Car Info: 2016 WRX, 2014 lifter forester XT, 2005 JDM207 WGN