Not posted a new thread on here for yonks, so thought i would update Scoobynet users with info the 22b.com users are aware of.

Way back in Feb 2002 i bought my 3rd Subaru (2nd wagon), which was on a 51 plate, and the modding began, gently, as soon as the car was home with only 80 miles on the clock.

Then in June 2002, the bug got bigger, and by September it was running in excess of 330bhp and 320lbft, all with bolt on mods, installed by myself and David Wallis.

2003 saw me attending a drag racing event at Elvington, where my enjoyment of the car grew deeper and deeper. The year proved to be a good one, runing at quite a few events, with only a broken gearbox and worn clutch as downsides to the additional power and abuse.

The car in question
http://www.stevend.org/uploads/METWAGON1.jpg

2004 saw a positive start, having changed the headers to gruppe s and a rolling road day at prosport in manchester, power was recorded at circa 360bhp 340lbft.

However, the enjoyment didnt last long, after roughly 50000 miles of serious abuse in almost 2 years, the OEM uk engine said, stuff you, i'm off, whilst i was on my way to work. Leaving this as the outcome.

http://www.stevend.org/enginedeath/14theproblem.JPG

So, the high power ej257 build i had been collecting parts for, suddenly jumped forward rather quickly!

2 months later, i had my ej257 with PAR Rods and Omega pistons up and running, thanks to help from friends, and some hard work. That wasnt the only change, the link ecu was ditched for a motec m800, the avo suspension was replaced by AST's, rotated turbo, external wastegate, 6 speed, quaife rear diff, etc, etc, the engine bay ultimately looking like this.

http://www.stevend.org/uploads/eb2.jpg

Then after 4 months and 8000 milesof again hard use, and no real sensible mapping time, the headgaskets appeared to have let go, so out with the engine, but 1st i bought another car for the day to day grind.

What i saved in fuel costs paid for this
http://www.stevend.org/uploads/mgzr.jpg

more in a bit, beer calls.....

how much beer is calling?

Gerron' wi' it, lad ;)

Some more people spurred on in the projects section, keep it coming:D

Dan.

:D Sorry about that, went to get a beer, then mum and dad arrived, then Emma came home.

... so with the ej257 out and stripped down, i still wasnt convinced it was the head gaskets, but couldnt see anything else. Hey ho!

So whilst it was out, i thought i would do things right this time, instead of rushing things. After much discussion on 22b.com, i was convinced the chamber of the heads needed matching better to the bore of the ej257. So early December 2004, off the heads go to Cord for some machining work, and whilst there they got a good porting.

Between then and February, i dropped on a complete STi5 valvetrain setup, cheers Pat, so they went in, and the heads came back looking good.

Then things got silly at work, so time was limited, so i decided to not run the car in 2005, and just help others and enjoy watching events, and make slow progress on the car.

Come mid march, i went to Scoobyclinic with David Wallis, and whilst there i got chatting with Kev, and in the end decided i would bring the car down for them to respray pretty much the whole car, including the engine bay (making it the same colour as the exterior).

Time passed by, and i started to rebuild my ej257, on with the heads, the sump, and then progress halted, which wasnt a problem, as i was helping David with his car (as well as driving it on ocassion) and also helping Mark Aigin prepare his STi5.

During this time, i had also taken on the role of team captain for Team Subaru at TOTB4 on July 31st, so i had the organising of a team to do too.

Then on the 30th July, things changed slightly. Marks engine in his car died on the rollers, and TOTB was the next day. No problem, we can put my engine in. So after a bit of a party, at 10:30pm Saturday 30th we started finishing my engine build and installing it into Mark's car.

As the night went on, people drifted off, and before long it was just me and DW! At roughly some time between 6:30 and 8am the car drove off to be mapped. Right off to TOTB for some fun.

Now this is where the project took a major U-turn.

Having driven DW's 2.33 very hard on the strip and road, and then driven Mark's 2.33 very hard on the strip i knew what performance they had. To then drive Mark's car with my engine was an eye opener.

Granted it only had 2 hours mapping, and had an even sillier sized turbo on it than intended, and was only running 1.5bar, it felt slow in comparison, although an 11.8 second quarter and then 177mph at 1.25miles isnt that slow.

I then drove the car to work one day the next week, and it was for want of a better description, Stunning in an every day driver environment. However 100 miles later i was convinced, the ej257 had to go.

The reason, the car wont be my everyday car again, and i dont want to risk it at the level i now want to run at.

So i sold the ej257 short block, and after installing that in its new home, the new owner is very very pleased with his car, which quite frankly is superb to drive.

What now then?

Well, you proabably guessed it, if you dont know already, a 2.33 build. This one will be built from a 2.2cdb courtesy of Lateral Performance, and should have all the goodies to match.

The short block should be arriving within the next week, and then its build up time.

more later on gearbox, etc ...

http://www.stevend.org/uploads/eb2.jpg

That brings back memories.. seems like years ago.. oh it was.

Not to mention doing the house in between!

It does seem a while ago David!

A quick picture of the turbo setup off the car.
http://www.stevend.org/uploads/upturbodown.jpg

So gearbox ...

... where do i start. Well after killing the OEM uk 5 speed, i decided that the ej257 would destroy its replacement fairly quickly, so once the ej257 went in, so did a JDM Spec 6 speed box, mated to a 3.9 Quaife rear diff .

This didnt last long in the car, as i didnt like the ratios of 5 and 6 for the type of driving i was doing, so i sourced a UK 6 speed and swapped them over, at the same time i had to swap the transfer cases between the two 6 speeds, so that the quaife rear diff could remain.

The UK 6 speed suited my driving so much better.

However, come this year, and during the off road period, having decided that the car was no longer a daily runner, i decided a better ratio mix would suit me more. Especially having driven DW's (uk 6 speed) and the Lateral STi5 (PPG 5 Speed) i could compare the two (both similar power) and was confident the 5 speed was the way to go.

So i sourced a used 5 speed from www.scoobybits.co.uk and then agreed a deal with Lateral Performance on a PAR 1st and 2nd, and PPG 3rd and 4th. Whilst time was passing by, i began to think more about what else to go in the box, before Paul at www.zenperformance.co.uk could build the box up.

I managed to get a Modena front diff from Townend Garage, and then happened to drop on a DCCD centre diff courtesy of Tweenierob. So once the billet forks arrived, Paul could then set to building a pretty decent gearbox. Whilst he had the box, i asked him to clean the outside of it, and paint it silver, just so it looked good once it was in the car.

So, thats pretty much a rough summary of whats happened.

What now?

Well, i got the car back from www.scoobyclinic.com in September sometime, freshly resprayed and looking like new.

Its now sat in my garage on axle stands with the box waiting to go in. I have the rear diff carriers off at the moment, having the bushes pressed out. My short block is due to arrive some time within the next week, and then its a case of building the car up from there.

So watch this space.

Steven

Excellent write up Steven..

looking forward to this car running again in 2006..

Simon :D

PS: Some of those parts look familiar! ;)

Steven, could you please detail the 2.33 more?
I am trying to bring myself to build a 2.33 over 2006 for the Xmas gearbox etc for 2007 (forward planning), but need to know the basis in detail more, ie CDB is ok, but which crank/rod and pistons.
Is a 20g on a 2.33 a Good Thing or is it twisted/GT30 all the way.
I still want the car to be road drivable (that's aimed at the gearbox)

Graham.

How engine bay looks now.

http://www.stevend.org/uploads/PB101106.JPG

Graham, i will detail tomorrow. Its been a long day.

Steven

Graham,

I suggest you forget toy bolt on turbos when you go for a built engine.. why comprimise with a 'subaru' up-pipe and downpipe, when you dont bother with their engine..

If the opportunity ever arises your more than welcome to have a go in my car, and Im pretty sure steven will say the same (your more than welcome to have a go in my.. as in David's car! ;))

I wont clutter stevens thread with info, but your welcome to email me at davidwallis@gmail.com

David

Thankyou David, I will pester you on pm over the break while your MIG is cooling.
With nothing to do on the car I'm dead bored so this 2.33 thing is interesting and the search for parts is alway good fun too.
Thanks for the drive offer too, most generous to say the least!
Regards, Graham.

just noticed I took some pictures of it at TOTB3 along with anything else that moved that day.. lol

http://jollygreenmonster.fotopic.net/p6506245.html

http://jollygreenmonster.fotopic.net/p6506243.html

http://jollygreenmonster.fotopic.net/p6506246.html

http://jollygreenmonster.fotopic.net/p6506249.html

http://jollygreenmonster.fotopic.net/p6506250.html

About time it was running on that concrete again!

Simon :D

Thanks Simon:
Looking at the first snap, obviously lots to do there, not least the manifold turn..
Could be busy. ( :D )
Graham.

I blame the fooker that welded them pipes.

steven,

what are you planning to do with the dccd , run some sort of controller or in default , like iirc andyf did with the RA?

any plans to change from the sti heads or do you feel they are up to high 10 second passes if that is your goal?

I like the Baby gate sat with all the car stuff, perhaps thats the start of davids new roll cage? :D

Strikes me David will/can weld anything to anything....
Dread to think what he's doing to it today.
Graham.

I'm so bored I polished mine today...I need an engine project! :norty:

Pah, try being 120 miles from your car sitting around with nothing to do except eat, when you know you could be out in the garage putting the finishing touches to your car and getting it ready to run for the first time in nearly 2 years :(

Thats nothing, I ****ing hate doing body work..and I need to weld the roof on the new car :mad:
:D :)

120 miles!
Crazy!
David, passed some comments on your thread.
Apart from blocking down I like bodywork...its the finished results that always dissapoint me, but I've only painted cars in cellulose, so easy to correct.
I read somewhere yesterday that a multipoint cage weighs 50Kg!
The MSA demand a minimum of FIA quality 6 point, no more.
Unless it is all welded then a cage will add little stiffness to the shell imo.
Mine sits inside the car bolted to the floor only.

Been spending a lot of time reading 22B material, talk about another level to me!
An Axis Stage 2 2.5 sounds good...but need a box first.
Too much dreaming when there is nothing to do on the car except AST's Stage II in January :D

Keep at it.
Graham.

120 miles!

Tell me about it, so far I've done feckall this Christmas other than watch TV and eat...all because it was the other half's folks turn to have us for Christmas, fair enough, she hasn't seen her folks that much this past year compared to me seeing mine (seeing as I've been down there as often as possible to work on the car) but she's slept most of the time we've been here so hasn't seen them anyway :mad:

I could have been playing hockey yesterday and arsing about on the car in the afternoon :(

Done a bit more on my car.. the filler cap is done, and filled, Filled pretty good and its now got a guide coat on for final filling.. going to brave the snow ;) (ok the little thats left.. not enough for any fun!) and try and get some more wet and dry after lunch.

Graham, Cellulose is crap.. I used to like it.. 2 Pack is sooo much better.

But this should really be in general chat.. but as steven posts fook all :D

David

But 2 pack can put you 6 feet under, cellulose just sends you 1000 ft high...
Agree, far too delicate nowadays but so easy to handle. Never used 2 pack.
It's flatting the first thick coat of primer-filler that kills me.
Graham.

Will post when
a: I am not as tired
b: I am not as drunk
and c: when i have done something :p

John (t-uk) i no longer have the ported sti heads, i have a set of ported heads with slightly wilder cams than the dh22's and appropriate valves.

Will post more tomorrow or thursday. I brought my tools back from my dads yesterday so i could do something, so there is some progress :D

911.. isocynates (sp) are worse in the lacquer, an air fed mask helps though :)

All i have managed is to clean more junk out of the garage! Its so flipping cold, been below -6 all day :(

Looks like another wasted christmas holiday!

Stop filling it with ****. then you wont have to clean it out.

You try telling Emma that! Open roller door, ah theres a space, fill the space, close door!

What you doing tomorrow? Give us a ring when your alive.

Steven, are you using the stock STi 5 valves or upgrading?