EQ review
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From: Pleasanton, Ca
Car Info: 09 WRX Wagon, and 99 RS
EQ review
Hi all,
So I took my 2009 WRX wagon to EQ for install of a Invidia catted DP, a Perrin TMIC, a MBC, and of course...a tune by Ed. I am left with a very positive impression of the shop. Adam did the wrench work on the car, and handled the issues that came up with a new model year, and overtightened factory bolts very well...really overtightened...like fractured a matco socket right down the side overtightened. At no time was I worried that the guy didn't have it under control....which is saying a lot of an obsessive compulsive type like me!! Although I was planning on doing some bushing installs myself later, he also threw in my shifter bushings, tranny X-member bushings, and threw on some old STI engine mounts and tranny mounts they had laying around(which were better than the stock 09 WRX mounts by a long shot). Made pretty short work of the unplanned installs. Getting the DP and TMIC installed appeared to be a snap, and he did a great job on the MBC. Nice guy as well!
Chris helped cut the flange on on the DP to make sure that it didn't block the wastegate door, as has been reported by Boost Addict. Cut through it like "butter".
On to the tune. I will spare the qualitative proclamations about Ed being "the man", and just say that Ed is an intelligent guy, who really UNDERSTANDS what he is doing in the tuning process. He has a good technical background, so he knows his way around software and hardware....and has decided to apply his energies to tuning cars....because he appears to love doing it! I have only seen one other person tune a car, and while there are no doubt a lot of excellent tuners out there worthy of praise, I am pretty sure that Ed would have to be one of the best. He is a pretty friendly and humble guy as well...and his wife is very nice and friendly as well.
Oh...almost forgot. The car runs great. Pulls hard and really smooth all the way to the redline. Pulling ~250 WHP and ~270 ft-lbf of torque with a conservative boost level of ~16.5psi. Could have gone for more, but I requested a pretty conservative approach for my DD.....and 250 WHP is pretty good for my current driving skill level. To be fair, the car appears to pull almost 220 stock, which is insane. So I am above stock STI power for ~$2k. Oh, and I got about 29 mpg on my drive down to SF from Fairfield...although I was only going about 60 mph due to weather traffic. Still better than what I was getting before by about ~1.5 mpg.
So yeah...across the board a great impression of the shop and the skill of the EQ team. If you are considering getting the most out of your car from a tune, or like me just want a nice smooth safe tune, you should at the very least give Ed a call and talk about your goals.
So I took my 2009 WRX wagon to EQ for install of a Invidia catted DP, a Perrin TMIC, a MBC, and of course...a tune by Ed. I am left with a very positive impression of the shop. Adam did the wrench work on the car, and handled the issues that came up with a new model year, and overtightened factory bolts very well...really overtightened...like fractured a matco socket right down the side overtightened. At no time was I worried that the guy didn't have it under control....which is saying a lot of an obsessive compulsive type like me!! Although I was planning on doing some bushing installs myself later, he also threw in my shifter bushings, tranny X-member bushings, and threw on some old STI engine mounts and tranny mounts they had laying around(which were better than the stock 09 WRX mounts by a long shot). Made pretty short work of the unplanned installs. Getting the DP and TMIC installed appeared to be a snap, and he did a great job on the MBC. Nice guy as well!
Chris helped cut the flange on on the DP to make sure that it didn't block the wastegate door, as has been reported by Boost Addict. Cut through it like "butter".
On to the tune. I will spare the qualitative proclamations about Ed being "the man", and just say that Ed is an intelligent guy, who really UNDERSTANDS what he is doing in the tuning process. He has a good technical background, so he knows his way around software and hardware....and has decided to apply his energies to tuning cars....because he appears to love doing it! I have only seen one other person tune a car, and while there are no doubt a lot of excellent tuners out there worthy of praise, I am pretty sure that Ed would have to be one of the best. He is a pretty friendly and humble guy as well...and his wife is very nice and friendly as well.
Oh...almost forgot. The car runs great. Pulls hard and really smooth all the way to the redline. Pulling ~250 WHP and ~270 ft-lbf of torque with a conservative boost level of ~16.5psi. Could have gone for more, but I requested a pretty conservative approach for my DD.....and 250 WHP is pretty good for my current driving skill level. To be fair, the car appears to pull almost 220 stock, which is insane. So I am above stock STI power for ~$2k. Oh, and I got about 29 mpg on my drive down to SF from Fairfield...although I was only going about 60 mph due to weather traffic. Still better than what I was getting before by about ~1.5 mpg.
So yeah...across the board a great impression of the shop and the skill of the EQ team. If you are considering getting the most out of your car from a tune, or like me just want a nice smooth safe tune, you should at the very least give Ed a call and talk about your goals.
Last edited by doc_randy; Mar 22, 2009 at 01:38 AM.
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nice power out of few mods on your 09. Their shop is awesome and everyone is incredibly helpful and accommodating to you. Good write up and and best of luck to your car.
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From: on the way to lake tahoe to shread! turbo beast
Car Info: 2016 WRX, 2014 lifter forester XT, 2005 JDM207 WGN
Your car in stock form can keep up with a new stock Sti LOL now you can kill a Sti! GreT # for very little money! I would live to ride in that car in person!!
Thread Starter
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From: Pleasanton, Ca
Car Info: 09 WRX Wagon, and 99 RS
So I was thinking to myself....how could my car be putting down that much power? I know that Ed pulled the numbers for the gear ratio's off the web...so maybe they are wrong? Well I checked the reported gear ratio's based on the speed we were going at the end of our 3rd gear pulls.....and yeah....the numbers are right.
Last edited by doc_randy; Mar 22, 2009 at 05:12 PM.
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From: Pleasanton, Ca
Car Info: 09 WRX Wagon, and 99 RS
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Car Info: '04 PSM Sti
Last edited by crfsti; Apr 24, 2011 at 05:39 PM.
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Thanks for the nice review Randy! It was fun tuning something a bit different and the 09 WRX is proving to be a great car all around... except for that bubblegum tranny mount 
Thanks
-- Ed
Thanks
-- Ed
Thread Starter
Registered User
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 211
From: Pleasanton, Ca
Car Info: 09 WRX Wagon, and 99 RS
Hey EQ guys! Thanks again for the great work. The car is surprising to say the least. Yeah....that bubble gum tranny mount is pretty lame!!
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I totally forgot, but here is the final tuned chart for this car:
Remember this car only has:
Invidia Catted Downpipe
Perrin TMIC
Hallman MBC
EQ Custom Tune on 91 Octane.
The tune is running 16.5psi peak and the tune is very conservative per Randy's request. The car pulls very nicely and considering this isn't even a full stage 2 WRX, this power is awesome!
-- Ed
Remember this car only has:
Invidia Catted Downpipe
Perrin TMIC
Hallman MBC
EQ Custom Tune on 91 Octane.
The tune is running 16.5psi peak and the tune is very conservative per Randy's request. The car pulls very nicely and considering this isn't even a full stage 2 WRX, this power is awesome!
-- Ed
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