Reshard1977

iTrader: (17)

Hi All,

Now on my 3rd WRX after 3 years! All three have been standard, which i modded then modded some more! Sometimes i think us snetters should be able to get phscological help on the NHS, it makes no sense how much time and money I've spent on the cars. But, if i had to do it again, i would, then some! :-)

Started off with a blue bug which i converted to a VF34, with STI TMIC and supporting mods, then converted to twinscroll, vf37 with supporting mods. This is my favourite of the 3, but was the most expensive by far!!



A high speed crash brought this one to an end, and I moved onto Scooby number 2! :-) Always wanted a blob, so took the plunge! Started modding, with Bremobos, prodrive exhaust, STI wheels, TD04 hybrid, STI TMIC and supporting mods.




But then sold it to make way for a baby, now 9 weeks old, and the best thing in the world (just about better than scoobies, but only just!).

Then onto Scooby number 3! A wagon! Perfect for the new born and all the crap i now have to ferry around!

Reshard1977

iTrader: (17)

After using the same local mechanic for my previous 2 scoobs, i thought i would go to FBTuning since his prices were almost the same as the local guy that didn't have anywhere near as much experience. Rich swapped a load of bits, and put a map on, and I have to say, his map is pretty damn good! I've had maps from JGM and RaceDynamix, and really rate Rich's map.

Rich did a compression test since i only just bought the car, and even though it had a full service history, he wanted to check the engine before fitting all the bits. Compression test done, all checked out :-) so modding began!

But, Rich did say that at some point in its life its had front end damage, but Rich was satisfied that the repair had been done well and wouldn't affect anything. Rich also said that the car had a bigger turbo and injectors on before, then was put back to std. I don't mind that, but would have liked to have known before buying the car. But, i was happy that the engine checked out as healthy. Rich said that the det cans are a bit loud, but that's to be expected with a car that has 104k on the clock.

Parts I've added so far!

Ported VF35
Blue hawk injectors
STI TMIC, scoop and undertray
Heat wrapped STI PPP sports cat
Genome back box
3 port boost solenoid
Cooler spark plugs (7's)
Harvey up pipe, matched for VF35's
Pipercross panel filter
Detangoed headlights
Blob rear bumper and lights
Twisted skirts



Out with the old!



In with the new!

modrich

iTrader: (2)

Looking good Reshard.

Interesting you have twisted side skirts fitted, I wasn't sure they fitted the wagon around the front wings due to being narrower so good to see they fit I have hawk wagon skirts on mine which are a variation on the twisted theme.

Interesting you are fitting blob parts to your bug, I'm about to fit bug mirrors to my blob!

Reshard1977

iTrader: (17)

Hi Modrich,

The side skirts went straight on, they were from a blob that was the same colour, so didn't need spraying or anything.

I've got a lot more plans for the car, its going back to Rich this weekend for some more engine and suspension tweaks Figuring suspension out for a wagon was a lot more difficult than i thought it was going to be!

Hahah, i'm going to be fitting blob folding mirrors to my bug soon! :-)

Reshard1977

iTrader: (17)

Just seen your Blob wagon in the members gallery. Looks SUPER clean. Very nice.

I did want a blob wagon, but there is quite a big jump in price between the bug wagon and the blob wagon. I thought i would save the money and put it into mods.

LOVE all the subtle changes you have made. Looks lovely.

In a year or 2 i would love to swap to a Hawk wagon.

modrich

iTrader: (2)

Cheers mate, I love 'subtle'. Yeah the paint work is very good and I've just been doing some more tidying-up on the interior so that's looking even better as well

bullawayo

Car looks good mate

You are another member local to myself!

I have just taken your recommendation and emailed Rich as hes only up the road from me. Thanks

Whats up next? Those upgraded rear light clusters really changed the rear end!

Reshard1977

iTrader: (17)

Your very lucky to live close to Rich, i drive for over an hour and half to get to him. Its worth it because his prices are really good, he has so much experience he can do jobs quicker than a regular mechanic and ends up saving you money, making him even better value for money.

I spent a lot of money with really good local mechanics that took a long time figuring out various mods, and of course, you end up paying for the extra time it takes them.

I think I'm finished with the body, I'd like to get it re-sprayed at some point. But think I'll leave as is, for now :-)

The STI Genome also made a difference to the back end look and sound. I REALLY like the sound, but drones a tiny bit on cruise speeds.

Love the look of it too!

Reshard1977

iTrader: (17)

All three of my scoobs have been fairly high mileage, and all three have had a slight misfire on tick over, that almost disappears as your drive. I did the normal thing of changing the spark plugs on all three, and each one still had a small misfire on tick over.

I've always been told that it wouldn't be the coilpacks as they hardly ever fail. This time i decided to try replacing the coilpacks with a second hand set from MB Developments(get most of my parts from him, his service, advice, speed of delivery and prices make him one of best if not the best breaker on here!).

Problem solved! No more misfire on tick over! :-) happy days!

Steve's Sti

iTrader: (2)

pic of the cooler yet?

Steve's Sti

iTrader: (2)

Tidy spout like

Reshard1977

iTrader: (17)

One of the first mods i did was to sound proof the car, i wanted to reduce road roar and cabin noise, in time for the arrival of the little one. So bought some new Goodyear asymmetric 2 tyres for all 4 corners, and made a big difference! The sidewalls also look nice and chunky! :-)

Not happy with that, i started to soundproof the boot and doors and fitted a nice 8" sub and new door speakers. While the door cards were off, i took the opportunity to install some chrome door handles too. Makes a big difference to the WRX interior, which is just too dark and black.








The soundproof has made the sound system sound much better, and cleaner, the doors also have a really satisfying weight and clunk when closing them.

The sound proofing has made a noticeable increase in weight, and actually only a small decrease in cabin noise. Would i do this mod again? Probably not for the gains in decreased cabin noise. If i was a die hard sound system man, then it would be worth it, but i'm not, so not the best mod I've ever done.

Reshard1977

iTrader: (17)

Hi Steve! :-)

I didn't end up using your cooler in the end. When the mechanic offered it up, it wouldn't line up with the brackets, and the mechanic had a bugeye TMIC that i bought and used.

I'm hoping to get a Hawk next year :-) so I've kept your TMIC for that project.

The car is going off to Rich at FBTuning this weekend :-) so i'll have a pic of the engine bay next week

Reshard1977

iTrader: (17)

Another update :-)

My car is currently with Rich at FBTuning, his knowledge really is impressive! Only wished his garage was a bit bloody closer!

Rich is currently installing/fitting:

rocker cover gaskets on both sides (my passenger side was weeping slightly, so thought it was a good opportunity to refresh both sides :-)

Oil change - AGAIN!

Exedy stage one anti judder clutch, and stainless steel clutch cable.

Cool running thermostat.

Cambelt kit - had a receipt for this being done when i bought the car, but wanted to be sure all is as should be.

Grimmspeed lightweight crank pulley - not as light as other pulleys. I read if you go too light you can run into problems. The Grimmspeed pulley has lots of good reviews from the guys in the USA.

CDF turbo blanket going on.

BC coilovers with 5kg springs at the front and 4kg at the back, being fitted. Bought from member on here!



Whiteline antiroll bars 24mm at the rear and 22mm at the front, with solid drop links.

SuperPro rear trailing arm bushes on both sides - only bushes that seemed to need. replacing, so thought i would upgrade to the poly type.

SuperPro steering rack bushes.

Steam clean arches, and spray with Hammerite and Waxoyl under body seal - good idea to protect the underside before the winter gets here!

Suspension/Geo set up

Last but not least, a map tweak to take advantage of some bits i did before dropping the car off with Rich :-)


CANT WAIT! to get my car back :-) do NOT want to spend anymore £££ on the car for a long time after this!!

Reshard1977

iTrader: (17)

Before i dropped the car off to FBTuning, i went to a local mechanic who has a bit of experience with classics, and lets me have a go and fitting the bits myself, using his tools, then checks everything over afterwards. Or bails me out if i get stuck! :-)

Car went on the ramp!


Had a go at fitting some STI Group N engine mounts and gear box mount.

Fitting these were a massive pain!! We pushed the engine up from below, old mounts came out easy enough, but getting new mounts in, and tightening the bolts was majorly hard. Would have been a piece of **** if my hands were 10 times smaller!
This is an EXCELLENT upgrade as a first step into creating a better driving car. The car felt tighter, accelerated and stopped better. But, did introduce a slight amount of extra exhaust noise into the cabin.

Also installed:

Silicone turbo inlet pipe.

STI inlet manifold with TGV deletes

Silicone turbo intake pipe and silicone pipe from the inlet to the airbox/filter

CDF engine pitch mount

Spec C aircon pump (MUCH lighter than the OEM pump)

Once i get the car back from Rich, the new map will take advantage of all of this :-) can NOT wait!!

Reshard1977

iTrader: (17)

Came across this at a BARGAIN basement price, and couldn't help myself :-)


Always wanted a Ninja, cant want wait to get it on!

M2RTXhawkeye

iTrader: (61)

Good progress Resh liking what you've done so far

Martin

bullawayo

Spotted today!



Went down to FBTuning myself. Wagon looks awesome mate, absolutely love the exhaust!

Richard really is very good! Mine will be going back in a couple of weeks once hes finished yours and done some other bits for a load of work

Reshard1977

iTrader: (17)

Ahhh there she is! Feel like i haven't seen the scoob in ages!

Just read your project thread! Nice clean example of blob you have. I REALLY wanted a blob again, but in wagon form. They just cost so much more than bugs, so i thought i would save some cash, get a bug and put the £££ towards mods

Mate, you will LOVE your map from Rich. I've had a few maps done in the past with some of the well known guys, and prefer Rich's map. The car felt silky smooth to drive low down and the power comes in exactly as i wanted it to, early, but rises smoothly through the revs and gears.

Reshard1977

iTrader: (17)

Cheers Martin

Cant wait to get the wagon back, and enjoy it. I've said to myself that i wont spend much more money or time on the car for bit now. Its taking over my life!!

The only thing I'm a little worried about is how the car will drive on the bumpy roads of London with the coilovers. I know you said it will be OK, but it does feel like i wont know if it actually is OK, until i get it back to where i live to see what its going to be like on a daily basis.

Last thing i want is for the car to be too stiff or harsh to drive to work with. Which is why I've gone with mainly SuperPro stuff, I understand they have a bit more give than the other brands.

I'll just have to wait and see what its like :-)

Reshard1977

iTrader: (17)

Just got a call from Rich, FBTuning, all bits went on without any major nightmares (thank God!). Only the cam belt and light weight pulley to go on. Rich mentioned a couple of bits that were not quite right, which he put back to what it should be. Nothing major, but worth doing while hes working on the car. Like the bracket that holds the pads in the calliper was upside down on one side!

Said he's done a map tweak to take advantage of more air getting into the engine :-) can NOT wait to get the car back on Saturday.

Reshard1977

iTrader: (17)

Got the car back from Rich, FBTuning and the car accelerates, brakes and handles MUCH better than before.

Rich set the BC coilovers, 24mm rear and 22 front anti roll bars, drop links and geo set up just right for me! I was scared it was going to be harsh, but its not at all, and is perfect for a daily driver, with a good improvement across the board.

Couldn't get any decent pics because it was so sunny, bloody good weather is always getting the way!!


These front 4 pots and nearly new (about 1.5 months old!) Godspeed disks and blue stuff pads will be for sale soon. I have a break upgrade on the way :-)



Pic of the engine bay, needs a good clean, still work in progress!


Had a lightweight crank pulley put in and remap to accommodate the TGV delete and silicone intake pipe.

Reshard1977

iTrader: (17)

I'm not sure, but i suspect that the silicone intake has affected low end torque, it feels like it has possible lost a bit of low end torque. Problem is its a massive PIA to change the pipe back!

Reshard1977

iTrader: (17)

Popped by M444GY's, AKA Ruislip Tyre Service LTD, R.T.S over the weekend too, for some new shoes, followed by a quick clean! :-)

M2RTXhawkeye

iTrader: (61)

Spot on Resh glad the Coilovers are good too... Some hate them I've had them on my daily for years and love them.. Nice wheels too done a great job there

Martin

Reshard1977

iTrader: (17)

Hi Martin,

I REALLY like the coilovers, you were right, they are fine on a daily driver! In fact, i'm thinking about stiffening things up.

I also had some SuperPro steering rack bushes fitted at the same time. The overall package together makes for a really good handling and comfortable wagon. How much each part plays though? I wouldn't have a clue, since it all went on together! Its a shame, i would like to have felt the difference each bit made.

I keep telling myself i wont spend anymore, or change anything else... But deep down i know i'll keep upgrading here and there :-). Already thinking about getting FBTuning to port my headers and tweak the map Most people get ported hearders and up pipe changed at the same time, so i'm not sure how much of a difference the ported headers alone will make.

Reshard1977

iTrader: (17)

Although i love my exhaust, i now REALLY want an angled exit back box, will have to keep an eye out!

M2RTXhawkeye

iTrader: (61)

Glad your happy with it mate... I did the same an uprated all suspension parts in one go on the bug. Makes a massive difference.
How do you find the genome? Mines seems really quiet in the foz not sure if it would sound louder on the bug...

Martin

Reshard1977

iTrader: (17)

I LOVE the sound of the Genome, but it is quiet, I have put my Windows down to appreciate it. I have a STI PPP sports cat down pipe with all other cats removed with the OEM centre pipe, and it's still fairly quiet. But that works for me, and the missus, and my 10 week old boy :-)

I'm going going to experiment with stainless steel centre pipes, maybe even a decat DP, to try and get the volume I want.

Not sure if the foz box will fit a Scooby, if it does and you want to sell your Genome, you'll find plenty of buyers on here. A lad has been PM'ing me trying to get me to sell my Genome. I can send him your way if you want?

M2RTXhawkeye

iTrader: (61)

I like the sound too just think its a little quiet... Have a decat down pipe, de res centre section. Maybe I'm used to the blitz nur spec on the bug lol.. Probably wouldt sell it anyway mate paid a lot more than you did for yours too. Wondering wether on a vf35 and more power may bring out more volume in the back box? We shall wait and see hopefully get it mapped soon

Martin