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The Something & Nothing Stealth Blobeye STI Thread...
After months of stalking threads on here I am starting my own so I can hopefully build some credit to cash in & get all my stupid questions answered
After 17 years or motorcycling, a having a couple of years in work transit vans & eventually getting rid of my last bike (a GSXR-1000 with 182BHP at the wheel) it was time to grow up & buy my first car:
... A 2003 Type UK WRX STI. I wanted something interesting so what else are you going to get...
I looked at 5 others before choosing this one. Very clean & unmolested, minimal rust, only 2 previous owners, every stamp in the service book up to its (at the time) current 95,654 miles. My favorite part its gone straight through the last 5 MOT's with no advisories
While I am all for old skool & minimalist, It very quickly became apparent that the stereo needed updating...
Nothing fancy but fits the factory fascia without modification & has Bluetooth. Add a USB port in the 12V socket & now it's modern & sophisticated (integrated voltmeter is a nice touch too)...
The head unit upped the sound quality massively but I'd already bought the speakers so F' it...
I specifically wanted a clean original car to keep clean so next up my CDO's coming out to play (CDO is like OCD but it's worse as it's in alphabetical order )...
Headlights out for De-Tanging & to show the grill some love...
There's this weird mark on the boot to polish out....
As well as few more here & there but nothing too major....
First it's a wash & then claybar though...
Not that I've ever done this before but the fact not much **** came off I am taking as good...?
Getting cleaner & the door still opens...
The boot emblem had to go though as it was faded....
Mission black grill has been aborted as back to black isn't blacking it. Pulled the emblem though as that was also faded...
Apart from enough detailing the until I am happy enough to wax it, the other thing on the hit list is that towbar...
About 15kg later
*First of the stupid questions: Someone had to remove the stock rear crash bar to fit the towbar, now I've removed the towbar. Have I compromised the structural rigidity of the car by not having anything back there, or is the stock bar solely for impact protection?
It feels fine & "just don't get done from behind" is a motto I live my life by
Apart from enough detailing the until I am happy enough to wax it, the other thing on the hit list is that towbar...
*First of the stupid questions: Someone had to remove the stock rear crash bar to fit the towbar, now I've removed the towbar. Have I compromised the structural rigidity of the car by not having anything back there, or is the stock bar solely for impact protection?
It feels fine & "just don't get done from behind" is a motto I live my life by
Welcome to the forum.
For a UK car there is no rear back beam . If the Haynes manual you have shows one that's because it's for the US market models.
I see, so in actual fact I've just put it back to standard.
Awesome, cheers
In case you can't see the diagrams I posted above (some can't view) http://opposedforces.com/parts/ (for whatever reason)
These are the same from a different source
Welcome.
Looks like a very wise buy and now in good hands.
And, yes, Wales is a great place to get your car washed.
Keep up the good work.
SWS
Thanks, I am very happy with it. The others I saw had a combination of very sketchy service records, de-cats & CEL on, lots of rust, lots of MOT advisories & 9+ owners (or all of the above).
That's the best car wash I've ever used & it's only £5 (on the outskirts of (Newtown ). Round here it's £7 minimum & they make a complete mess of it
Originally Posted by Don Clark
In case you can't see the diagrams I posted above (some can't view) http://opposedforces.com/parts/ (for whatever reason)
These are the same from a different source
Cheers, I have part numbers to hunt out (busy bank holiday weekend) so that helps greatly
Originally Posted by TECHNOPUG
The Dynamat should be applied directly to the metal not to the plastic membrane (assuming that's what you have done from the photos?).
Yeah looks like it, there's a layer on inside the doorskin & another on the plastic.
However any excuse to add more, what's the proper way to do a door (as I don't feel like pulling the carpet up yet).
Cheers
Originally Posted by sivo
Welcome mate.
car is looking good
Siv.
Cheers mate, just seen your spec list & the fact you have the same model as me. Congratulations on becoming my new best friend
Fast forward however long & my brief spell of having no fixed address is over & I've even sourced a new badge for the front grill (stealth obviously)...
And with another 1500ish miles on the clock it hit 97K & was treated to an oil change.
With the intention being that the next oil change will be due at 100K, at which point it'll go in for a monster service & another stamp in the book
So while it sat both on AutoTrader & in my the parking spot for my new place (I really need to cut that tree down), plan A was: "sell it, buy a cheaper car & free some cash up to tide me over" after forking out for the deposit etc...
But then Plan B which consisted of: "F' that, keep the car, get a credit card & live on that until further notice" came into effect
So originally the plan was keep it stock, detail, wax & seal it to preserve it, try & keep the mileage down & the maintenance up.
Sounds good in theory (I am also sure I probably said that about all my bikes too ), however now I am a couple of thousand miles into it a few things have become apparent
Body Roll - It's horrific. Granted this is my first car & before this I drove Transit's (different centre of gravity) so I may well not know what I am on about, however there's an aftermarket industry for stiffer bushes, braces & anti-roll bars etc to address this
Tyres - I had the back end come round on me in a couple of slow speed corners (I am sure it wouldn't if I was a gear lower), after a Google search a Piston Heads thread classes what's on there as "Ditch Finder Supreme's". They need to go.
Ride Height - It sits too high, needs to come down about an inch just to sweeten it up but also not to come down a massive amount that it noticeably looks slammed.
Front Lip Splitter - Every other one I looked at had one & this one doesn't. I think mine look wrong without one & as every other STI has one I am classing it as standard so fits with my stealth theme.
Rear Wing - When booting it I can see the wing vibrate like mad in the rear view mirror (which can't be good for stable downforce). While I don't like the look a couple of Perrin wing stabilizers would sort this.
Engine Insurance - An IAG air oil separator & Killer B oil pick up are on the shopping list.
Stealth - The wheels are very gold, while that's stock & original it's a bit "loud". I'll get them done black at some point.
More Stealth - My mates Audi has dark tint rear (back & side) windows & a very light tint on the front sides. Will add even more stealth & as it's stock on his car I'll class it as stock on mines so sits with the sleeper theme.
Subtle Stealth - I am painting the inlet manifold black, watch me
Power - I am sure it's a fast car & I know it's not a bike but it seems like a lot of effort to get it to 80mph, then once there it seems to bogs a bit. So obviously this can only mean it needs more power
For now though it's a 15 year old car so I am sure some things are past their best, so giving it a full service & major overhaul at 100K seems sensible
As excited as I was to apply the Killer B decal it wasn't meant to be...
After several attempts there's no way it was going on so before I resorted to grinding away at the plates in the sump for clearance I put the stock one back in & called it a day.
Turns out they sent me an EJ25 one, not an EJ20 so that was a massive waste of time
But why let something so trivial as spending about 7 hours messing about with your oil pick up for no reason spoil your weekend. Plenty more to get on with
While it's not that bad it needs a little love...
Blasted over with the wire brush drill attachment...
I am not an expert but I'd say that all wants to come apart & if the parts don't get replaced then have them sand blasted, powder-coated & then rebuilt with new bushes & hardware.
So that's what I'll do at some point, in the mean time this will stop it getting any worse (and I'll be able to admire how tidy it looks when it ends up on it's roof in a ditch)
That's 2 cans of underseal down I recon I can do the whole underside of the car with 3.
I also got a magnetic sump plug bolt, even though there's no oil in it yet as I am waiting on new o-rings for the dip stick tube (did I mention I wasted a day taking the sump on & off for nothing )...
For now cleaning up bits you can actually see is on the list, wiper mounts oxidized
Taking the rust off the bonnet stay...
As well as the radiator mounts & battery tie down...
So that brings us up to the present day, I am waiting on hardware to put the front bumper on & while I am at it the inner headlight bolts have both seized & the threads have snapped at some points so they'll be getting drilled & tapped...
As I don't like rusty bolts I've ordered this lot in stainless which should be arriving tomorrow
Still a few bits to sort but I am not far off getting this chapter closed with everything all tidied up & back together
i think most back ends look like that apart from the exclusive JDM boys. Certainly cracking on with it
Just because most look like that doesn't mean they all should (part of the whole keep it clean philosophy). At some point I'll do the rear anti-roll bar & suspension so that'll will be a prime opportunity to rip it all apart & have a proper go at it & then rebuild it all with new parts.
Currently I am just trying to finish off all the underside stuff as the novelty of crawling around under it & getting covered in rust & crap is beginning to wear thin (it also means it's that;'s all sorted then & I won't feel guilty driving it through winter),
The Something & Nothing Stealth Blobeye STI Thread...
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