Bright and early on Saturday morning I head over to tech/registration and begin prepping my car (ie. remove all the stuff I thought I might need). After the driver’s meeting and class session my instructor and I hit the track for the first session. The car performed flawlessly (except some higher EGT’s which I’ll talk of later), I was happy with the performance of the Dunlop Z1 Star Specs as they were the only thing on the car I was worried weren’t going to be up for the heavy track sessions in the Sebring heat.

Quick review on my setup for the track day.

Suspension
TiC AST SST’s Coilovers with 9k/8k Swift Springs
Vorshlag Camber Plates Front and Rear
Whiteline Plus Bushings (Lateral Link, Rear Trailing Arm, Front Control Arm)
Whiteline Offset Caster Bushing
STi Pink Trailing Arms
Custom Wales Garage/Penguin Garage Alignment
-3.8 front camber, -2.2 rear camber, ZERO toe

Wheels/Brakes
17×10 +38mm Enkei RPF1
245/40/17 Dunlop Z1 Star Spec
ARP Wheel Studs
Project Mu Lug Nuts
Hawk DTC-70′s
DBA 4000′s

Engine
APS 3″ TBE
Cobb AP v1
Pro Tune by Jarrad
Koyo Radiator
Samco Radiator hoses
Greddy Oil Cooler

The Suspension setup was amazing, even with the very bumpy nature of Sebring International Raceway the TiC AST SST’s did amazing. The car absorbed all of the bumps and the car always felt stable. There was only a few “clean laps” where I wasn’t held up by traffic. Being in the Novice group I did run into alot of traffic, it wasn’t a terrible thing as this allowed me to focus on my driving line and less about going full throttle or late braking.

With the addition of the Koyo Radiator my water temp never budged, my Greddy Oil Cooler kept my oil temps in check even with the searing Sebring heat. My EGT gauge was showing some rather high EGT temps so I wasn’t pushing it 100% on the straights, only about 50% throttle on both straightaways. They peaked at 980c or about 1800f if I remember correctly. I’m tempted to get a new tune, as it’s been a few years, just to make sure the car isn’t running too hot. Any thoughts on the high EGT temps don’t hesitate to comment.

I can’t wait to go out to the next Sebring event, I hope to be down for the Redline event in August to see Turn In Concepts tear it up in the Florida heat.

Enough with the chat, on to more photos! Huge thanks to a fellow WRX driver and owner of Colour Tech South Motorsports Photography, LLC. Henry.

Matt bought his 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Limited in October 2006, there hasn’t been a dull moment with this car. Matt bought STi Limited #657/800, and has had a wrench in his hand until present day. That’s nearing four years of differing phases and modifications. This isn’t Matt’s first modified car, nor his first Subaru.

Matt’s modding addiction began with a 2006 Audi A3 2.0T. The car was a ton of fun, had a bit of refinement and luxury, but it was missing one key ingredient: AWD. Matt did everything he could to that car aside from pull the engine, but it was still not as fun as an AWD Subaru that could put the power down. That said, Matt has a bit of a bias for Subaru’s based on his history with them – Matt’s first car was a ’96 Subaru Forester, he also a had a 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STI. The 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Limited featured here, and his 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI that he uses for daily driving duties are currently in his garage. Needless to say, he has a bit of a thing for Subaru’s.

So, with Matt’s background in professional sports and being competitive in everything he does, he set his sights on his newly acquired ’07 STI Limited and decided to make it as fast and well built as his bank account would allow. The original goal was to have a very fast, but reliable, street car. That goal changed as he got further into the build and realized how much fun tracking the car was. At this point, the ultimate goal is to have a very competitive Subaru track car, one that can hang with the big boys – the Z06s, 911’s, GT-R’s, and the like.

Once his final goals were established, he got in touch with Rocket Rally Racing ( www.rocketrally.com), one of the premier Subaru and rally shops in Canada. The owner of the shop, Pat Richard, is a multiple National and North American rally champion. With many titles under his belt, as well as countless rally builds, street car builds, and road race car builds, Matt was 100% confident that this was the guy, and the shop, to take his 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Limited to. He was 100% right, the end result is a car with a reliable 504WHP on the daily driving map (94 octane + 30:70 meth injection) and 573WHP on the race map (VP109 + meth).

The final build was completed late 2009. Matt only had time for one lapping event before the snow flew. He also hadn’t had time to get the suspension completely dialed in, nor were his alignment settings ideal. The end result was an extremely tail happy, loose, scary 500+WHP experience. Matt had some work to do over the winter break.

Current setup –
Fast forward to today, the work over the winter and spring has allowed Matt to get the car dialed in for the track. Here’s what has been done over the winter and spring:

Chassis prep:
Matt has done a large amount of weight reduction. Removing the entire A/C system, the OEM air pump is gone, the interior is gutted, the OEM subframe was swapped for an Oswald Performance lightweight subframe, a new lightweight battery replaced the heavy stock battery, and all sound deadening is removed. Matt also replaced his OEM hood and trunk with Seibon dry carbon fiber pieces. The dry carbon pieces are extremely lightweight, and very strong. All in all, pretty much anything else non-essential has been removed from the car.

To deal with downforce, Matt has a Voltex Type-2V, 1400mm wing. He also has an APR front splitter and diffuser about to go on.

Lastly, Matt had a 6-point roll cage welded in since he wasn’t allowed to compete without a cage and harness at his modification level.

Suspension:
Matt’s ride height is currently 13.5” in the front (hub to fender) and 13” in the rear. He’s running -3* camber up front, and -2.5* camber in the rear. Matt is going to be diallng in a little bit more front camber yet, to suit the R-compound tires.
Matt recently upgraded to Hyperco 12k/10k springs for his Ohlins Flag Series coilovers since the Eibach 8k/6k springs were absolutely not up to the task after installing the cage. With the incredible increase in chassis stiffness, those relatively soft springs were getting crushed in tight corners since the chassis was not absorbing or flexing at all. At this point, Matt has yet to try the 12/10’s on the track, but he has faith that it will definitely help his cornering stability.

Wheels/Tires:
Matt has two wheel/tire setups for a little function and a little form.
Street: For the street, Matt is running gunmetallic Advan RZ wheels in 18×9 +35mm offset. Mounted to those wheels are Yokohama Advan AD07 tires in 265/35R18.

Track: For the track, Matt needed a wheel that was stronger and lighter than the cast Advan’s, so Matt opted to go with a set of forged Volk Racing Wheels. The Volk Racing CE28n has always been one of his favorite wheels, so when the opportunity came up to buy a set of J-Spec (White with a Red Lip), 18×9 +35mm CE28n’s, He jumped all over it. Mounted to those wheels are Toyo R888’s in 255/35R18.

To get those wheels and tires to fit, Matt had to used my fender article as a guide to mutilate his rear fenders. I busted out the grinder, the ball peen and dead blow hammers, and took care of business.

So, at this point, everything should be set for the rest of the season of Solo Sprint. Matt’s next event is July 4th, so we all are looking forward to seeing how all the changes (suspension, aero, etc) work out since his last timed event.

On to the HUGE! Mod List

ENGINE
Heads/Cams:
1) Cosworth Big Valve, ported performance cylinder heads

Bottom end:
2) Crawford S3L-i with custom 8.2:1 billet pistons

Engine Management:
1) Autronic SM4
- SM4
- Prototype Knock Board
- Cable throttle conversion
2) Rocket Rally tune

Oiling:
1) Moroso Oil Pan and Pick-up tube assembly
2) Crawford A/O Separator
3) Shimmed OEM oil pump
4) Custom VTA breather system (more info to be posted later)

Fueling:
1) Deatschwerks 850cc injectors
2) Custom Rocket Rally motorsports fueling setup
- Custom surge tank
- All -AN fittings
- Aeromotive A1000
- Aeromotive fuel filter
- Aeromotive FPR
- Walbro in-tank Fuel Pump

Turbo:
1) APS TSR70 w/ 1.06A/R back housing (HPC 1600*F coating)

Intake:
1) APS TSR70 specific 80mm CAI

Exhaust manifold and UP:
1) APS Twinscroll Exhaust Manifold
2) APS Twinscroll Up-Pipe w/ Tial 44mm EWG

Exhaust:
1) APS R5 (3.5″) TBE

Intercooler:
1) APS DR725 FMIC w/ custom (reversed) I/C piping

Water Injection:
1) Aquamist HFS-5 w/ Spec C 12L tank

Intake manifold:
1) Flipped JDM Ver.9 manifold (no TGV’s) with custom I/C piping

BPV:
1) BOV block off plate (no BOV)

Radiator:
1) Koyo Racing Radiator
2) Samco Radiator hoses (black)

SUSPENSION
1) Q-Rack quick steering rack: 11.5:1 ratio
2) Ohlins Flag Series Coilovers
3) Hyperco 12k/10k springs
4) Whiteline 27-29mm Adjustable FSB
5) Whiteline 24mm RSB
6) Kartboy Front endlinks
7) Cobb Rear Endlinks

DRIVETRAIN
1) Group-A Subframe locking bolts
2) ACPT CarbonFiber Driveshaft
3) Cobb dual-adjustable STI short shifter
4a) Kartboy Front shifter bushings
4b) Kartboy Rear shifter stay bushings
4c) Kartboy shifter pivot bushings
4d) Kartboy shifter linkage bushings
5) TiC Tranny Crossmember bushings
6) Beatrush engine pitch stop mount
7) Group-N “Performance” hardened engine mounts
8 ) Group-N “Performance” hardened transmission mounts
9) Rocket Rally tuned Custom P-n-P DCCD controller
10) Oswald front subframe
11) 6-point MIG and TIG welded roll cage

Fluids:
1) Motul Competition FF 75W140 transmission oil
2) Motul Gear 75W90 rear differential fluid

WHEELS/TIRES
Track:
1) Volk Racing CE28N J-Spec (white/red) 18×9, +35mm. Toyo R888 255/35R18

Street:
1) Advan RZ, 18×9, +35mm. Yokohama Advan AD07 265/35R18

BRAKING
Calipers:
1) Stoptech 355mm 6-Pot BBK
2) OEM STI Brembo 2-pots

Rotors:
1) Stoptech 355mm slotted rotors
2) DBA 4000 slotted rotors

Pads:
Street:
1) Front – Ferodo 2500
2) Rear – Hawk HPS

Track:
1) Front – Hawk DTC70
2) Rear – Hawk DTC60

Fluid:
1) Motul RBF 660

Brake Lines:
1) Tecnafit stainless steel braided brake lines

EXTERIOR
1) Seibon Dry CF hood
2) Seibon Dry CF trunk
3) Voltex Type 2V 1400mm wing
4) APR front splitter
5) APR rear diffuser
6) Autospeed “STI” anodized black front licence plate filler
7) CF licence plate frame
8 ) 5-window tint
9) ’04/05 Tails
10) RavSpec CF exhaust shield (06/07 specific)
11) GrimmSpeed hood dampers
12) Painted headlight housings

INTERIOR
1) Mainly gutted
2) Bride Zeta III driver and passenger seat
3) G-Force 6-point harness
4) Gauges:
- Defi BF Amber 60mm gauges (OP, Boost, EGT)
- Defi clock pod, paint and texture matched
- Autometer Dual Gauge Pod Cluster bezel
- Innovate LC-1 WB02 + DB Gauge (red)
- Aquamist DDS3 Water injection gauge
5) Beatrush rear bulkhead division plate
6) Custom carbon fiber DIN-panel

WEIGHT REDUCTION
1) Estimated total weight reduction: 360.4lbs

Some Random Shots of Matt’s car over the years.

Above is a snapshot of Matt’s first set of Race Wheels, 18×8.5 +45mm Rays Engineering 57F.

Unloading @ Rocket Rally on his original BBS RE’s.

Matt’s Future Plans and Thank yous:
As weird as this sounds, I could see myself upgrading to a Full Race twinscroll 40R equivalent kit (but with the BW turbo). As if 500WHP isn’t enough. 600WHP+ would put a smile on anyone’s face!

Last but not least, a quick thank you –
The only company I’d really like to thank is Rocket Rally Racing. Through all the ups and downs of the various stages of my build (and believe me, there were some ugly downs), Pat Richard and Rocket Rally have stood behind their work 100%. The build itself, the tuning, the post-sales service, the customer support, and pretty much everything customer service related that you hope a company will offer, they do. I would and do suggest them to every person I talk to interested in major builds because they are truly a one stop shop.
www.rocketrally.com

As always any questions/comments don’t hesitate.

-T3h_Clap

Gram Lights 57 Ultimate SC

Gram Light 57 Ultimate and 57 Ultimate SC come in a lot of sizes. Not too many Subaru friendly wide ones but there are plenty to satisfy the guys wanting a lower offset.

Gram Light 57 Ultimate

Gram Light 57Ultimate

Here are the sizes for the 57 Ultimate

Gram Light 57 Ultimate Sizing

Gram Light 57 Ultimate SC

Gram Light 57Ultimate SC

Here are the sizes for the 57 Ultimate SC

Gram Light 57 Ultimate SC Sizing

Caliper Clearance and basic fitment.

The guys at Rays taking a little spin on a basic design.

They don’t list any of the 9.5″ wheels as clearing the STI Brembos. If they clear the EVO they’ll clear the STI brembos (at least they should). The 18×9.5 +30mm will be a nice “aggressive” fitment on either the GR or GD STi.

Aggressive STI fitment version 9.5″

How To: Properly Modify 05-07 GD STi Rear Fenders

A few of my articles on getting 9.5′s to fit.

Any questions on fitment don’t hesitate to comment or shoot us an email.

It took awhile for the Gram Light 57D to show up on an STI, I wonder how long it’ll take for someone to run these.

-T3h_:Clap:

Advan RG-D

Advan RZ-DF

Yokohama had their current wheel line on display at TAS. Everyone of us would love to have these displays in our living room.

Advan RS and RS-D

Advan RG2 and RG-D

Advan RC3 and Super Advan V2

Advan RZ and Advan RZ-DF Display at TAS

NEW! Advan RG-D

It seems Advan only gave out Black versions of their wheels for the cars on display, not my favorite wheel color but I have to post these.

Advan RG-D EVO X

Nissan 370z with New Advan RG-D

Yokohama Advan RG-D on a Nissan Silvia S15

Green GT3-RS on RZ-DF's, need I say more?

On to the close ups.

First off the Forged, yes I said FORGED, Advan RZ-DF. If you like lip, get ready for some Pr0n.

Advan RZ-DF

Advan RZ-DF Matte Black

RZ-DF close up on Display

Now on to the Advan RG-D, I didn’t think the RG2 could look better. I was wrong, very wrong.

Advan RG-D

Advan RG-D in Silver

Advan RG-D Matte Black

These wheels will start being available later this summer, who is going to be the first to slap a set on an STI or an EVO? Who is going to be the first to have a set on www.T3hclap.com?

Stay tuned for some fitment talk regarding the new Advan RG-D and RZ-DF wheels.

3 Magazines

What do these three magazines have in common?

1.) Awesome cars
2.) Subarus
3.) Excellent Wheel Selection
4.) All on T3hClap.com!

First is Performance Auto and Sound and Bill’s 06 STI.  He’s been on the blog more than once.

Want to be Aggressive? Are you willing to do what it takes?

How To Be Aggressive Version 2.0

Bill's 06 STI +22mm Volk Racing TE37s

Next is magazine #2 Modified Magazine and Logan’s Top Scoob winning GRB STI.

Logan’s Top Scoob Winning GR STi w/ 18×10’s!

Logan's Top Scoob STI

18x10.5 +22mm Prodrive GC010Gs

Magazine Number 3 is DSport. The article is about a Subaru Owner named Jamie, I putting together his feature this month.

Insane Jane

18x9.5 CCW C14's!

3 Magazines, 3 Features all of them on this one blog.

It’s awesome to see all of these cars on the newsstands!

Go pick them up TODAY!

-T3h_Clap

After the most recent post about the new tire rack website I got more than a few comments stating the following.

“Can we pick wheel size now?”

“Oh, it’s just a tire selection, no wheel selection?”

“Can we reverse search wheel size?”

unfortunately the answer to all of the above is no.

I, among many other enthusiasts want to be able to select and BUY wheels from tire rack that we know will work. LET US PICK A SIZE!

I don’t want to have to use a “big wheel STI” (aka 96 Toyota Supra) to search for anything wider than 8.5″ for my STI.

Everyone I’ve talked to is willing to give up their “return if doesn’t fit” ability to have this function.

I understand “WHY” tire rack doesn’t have this feature available to everyone, people go to tire rack for a no questions asked fitment. Well tire rack, I want to say that there are some of us that know we can make a setup work. Sure we can call in and talk to a select few of your amazing customer service/sales guys who know how to fight their way through the system, but we should be able to do it online!

Especially with Tire Rack now carrying some of the bigger names in the import market (Namely Rays, Weds) they are a great option for us not only to search but to also buy!

Is there anyone else out there that thinks Tire Rack needs wheel size selection?

Allow me to pick Bolt Pattern, Width Range, Offset Range and Diameter Range. Hell Tire Rack has the software to also know special factory brake clearance. *hint* *hint* although the last part isn’t a pre-requisite for us getting what we want.

Add your comments in support or against Tire Rack adding this functionality!

-t3h_Clap

Check it out! http://www.tirerack.com

The new functionality is really going to make things easier to navigate. Gotta love progress!

Comments on if you like or dislike the change?

265/35/18s….new street tires maybe?

-t3h_clap

Turn-In-Concept SST Coilovers

TiC’s Strut assemblies are made by AST to TiC SST specifications. TiC offers their coilovers with Swift Main Springs, Swift Helper Springs, and Swift Thrust Washers. I chose to go with the Vorshlag Camber Plates front and rear as well. They also come with a very detailed document on the assembly and care of your new suspension (rare to find that now-a-days).

This specific set of TiC SSTs runs the same setup as their Time Attack winning WRX with stiffer and shorter Swift Springs. I’ll be running 9k front and 8k rear, both front and rear are 6″ Springs. Once Clint & Tony knew the ride height and planned use for the suspension we custom tailored the spring choice to meet my needs.  Thank you again Clint and Tony!

Now More Pictures!

Below you’ll see some more snap shots of the 6″ 9k/8k Swift Main Springs, Swift Helper Springs, and Vorshlag Camber plates.

Vorshlag Camber plates were chosen because of their short stack height and additional caster. Along with the Whiteline offset caster bushings I should be able to maximize caster without having too much.

Still working out the final alignment and ride height settings.

Shooting for around -3.0 front and -1.7 to -1.8 rear camber and as much Caster as we get.

Car will be corner balanced so the ride height wont be exact but we’re shooting for about 14″ front 13.75″ rear + or – .25″

Everything is coming together, stay tuned!

I don’t normally post random “holy crap this is awesome” posts, but there is a first for everything.

The recently updated Rays Engineering site is really amazing. The functionality is increased along with speed and usability.

http://www.rayswheels.co.jp

Check it out and give me your thoughts.

This will make searching easier and should help expose some of the lesser known Rays brands.

More screen shots from the website, I love the brand selection filter and size filter.

I’ll be putting together a few articles with the build progress and parts accumulation.

The build is going to be a simple STU build. Suspension, Bushings, Wheels, Tires and Driver tuning.

Round 1: Bushings, Mounts, Shifter from Turn In Concepts

As you see we’ve got a nice little box of goodies going in.

Turn In Concepts sent out the first round of goodies, and I couldn’t be happier!

Thank you again Clint and Tony.

Looking forward to the day I can get the new bushings and mounts installed.

July 2nd 2009; Ordered a set of TiC SSTs with custom spring rates and more bushings from Turn In Concepts.

Also, just got off the Phone with the Earl @ Touge Factory and put down the deposit for the new Wheels.

Busy lunch hour. haha.

Stay tuned for more updates.

-t3h_clap

17x9.5 +44mm Enkei NT03+M 245/45/17

This STi was recently bought when Ben traded in Batscubie #4 aka. the Wraith. Ben had these 17×9.5 +44mm Enkei NT03+M’s on Batscubie #4 (08 STi) with some 275s. Ben wanted to compete in STU with the 2006 STI so he kept the 9.5 Enkei’s and bought some 245′s.

Ben Wales Batscubie #5 9.5 Enkeis 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI

Batscubie #5 is one of the luckiest GD Imprezas out there. Two days after picking it up from the dealership Ben had mounted up his new wheel/tire combo. Brand new 245/45/17 Bridgestone RE760 Sports mounted on to the 17×9.5 +44mm Enkei NT03+M’s. Batscubie #5 was rocking a set of Enkei NT03+M’s in 17×9.5 +44mm offset on a stock suspension STI!? You may ask, 245′s on a 9.5″ wheel? Well the answer to that question is simple, SCCA Solo2 STU requires a 245 tire max. 2nd question is why not RE-11′s? Well the answer to that question is simple too, Ben Wales from Wales Garage in Ft. Lauderdale loves any excuse to push Bridgestone’s best tires to the test. RE-11′s are coming later this year….errr. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to let that part out. Sorry Ben, secrets out.

2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI GD 17x9.5 Stock Suspension

Ben’s Batscubie #5 is a 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI with Stock STI Springs, Stock STI Struts, Stock STI Front and Rear Sway Bars, and Stock un-Molested Rear Fenders. You read that right, un-Molested Rear Fenders. The reason he isn’t rubbing in the rear is simple, +44mm offset and 245/45/17 tire. This combination allows the wide wheel/tire setup to stay clear of the rear fenders (even while autoxing).

245/45/17 Bridgestone RE760 9.5 Enkei STU STI

I’m not going to lie, the stock suspension’s height (aka. 4×4 status) does the Batscubie #5 a favor. With a lower suspension and still stock fenders this 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi would rub.

The is not alot of room inboard with this 17×9.5 +44mm and 245/45/17 setup. This is the same wheel seen on Jaimie’s Car (Seen Here). The offset requires careful calculation with inboard clearances, as there can be rubbing if the coilover is wider than the factory strut bodies, or too much camber is dialed in via camber bolts.

Ben Wales 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi 17x9.5 Stock Suspension

There you have it, 9.5″ wheels with a proper offset are capable of fitting on a 100% stock suspension when running a 245 tire. Any offset lower than a +40mm will most likely rub on the rear fenders, going any higher than +45mm will cause rubbing inboard.

Ben’s 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STi has alot instore for the up coming months, I can’t let everything out of the bag just yet so here’s the current mod-list.

Wheels/Tires:
Enkei NT03+M 17×9.5 +44mm
Bridgestone RE760 Sport 245/45/17

Suspension:
100% Stock

Power:
APS 3″ Turbo Back
Cobb AP

Interior:
Defi Amber BF Boost Gauge
Schroth Harness for Autox’s

Exterior:
Wingless WRX Trunk

Keep your eyes peeled for future Batscubie articles, and as always any questions/comments feel free to post or email.

Earlier this year I got a PM from a guy looking to compete in One Lap of America, he had some standard fitment questions that we helped figure out. Although he did have one criteria that I don’t normally consider when helping with a Race Car’s wheel/tire fitment.

The guys at Moroccan Gold Imports needed a tire that could be Streetable, Track Ready, perform on the Wet Skid Pad, AND still have tread 2/32nd’s of tread after it’s all said and done!! Talk about a feat, I let the guys worry about the rest of the car. R.J. set the requirements of what was needed and we bounced back and forth for a few weeks. He decided to run a sick tire setup. Kumho Ecsta XS in a 275/40 slapped on some 17×9 +42mm on some 17×9 +42mm wheels.

Yes this is the infamous car to get pulled over by the Florida Highway Patrol and get featured in Motortrend!!

http://wot.motortrend.com/6535014/one-lap-of-america/busted-florida-highway-patrol-1-team-moroccan-gold-imports-0/index.html

Photo Courtesy of Motortrend

For updates on the MGI One Lap of America team check out their Blog http://www.moroccangoldimports.com/

They’ve been updating it daily with plenty of videos and pics! Go MGI!!

The car looks great all stickered up. Keep taking down the competition!

Good luck guys!

-T3h_Clap

9.5 +22mm TE37

Getting an 18×9.5 +22mm TE37 with a 255 to fit on any Subaru takes considerable effort and planning. Bill, as always, was willing to do what it takes to have one of the most aggressive setups on an GD STi.

Bill’s fresh new Engine bay oozes goodness, from the custom powdercoated Valve Covers and Intake manifold (Flipped of course) to the Polished Compresser Housing on his GT30R. Cooling is handled by the Mishimoto Radiator and a Perrin Front Mount Intercooler with Custom Piping from Area 1320. The Stance GR+ coilovers and H Kansai Service Strut tower bar finish off the engine bay nicely.

Top Scoob

Bill took the prestigious award of “Top Scoob #013″ this past week, His well thought out and prepped Subaru went head to head with multiple other highly modified Subarus. I have an incling it was more than just this photo that won “Top Scoob #013″

TE37s 06 STI

 
Winning Top Scoob isn’t easy, the 18×9.5 +22mm Concave TE37s and the accompanying 255/35/18 Nitto Invo tires  didn’t simply bolt on. Getting this setup to fit required some extensive fender modifcations from the Bill and Vitale Collision. The stiffness and adjustability from the Stance GR+ coilovers helped significantly in getting the Massive Concave TE37′s to fit right. The coilovers allowed Bill to run a -3.0 front and -3.1 rear camber. The combination of the Coilovers, Fender Modifications and the Camber allowed Bill to run this crazy rarely seen aggressive setup.

18x9.5 +22mm TE37 Aggressive Fitment 06 STI

Floating around the internet I’ve seen Bill’s car pop up on Japanese, Australian, Hungarian, Malaysian, and other Forums all over the world, these new wheels will only further the spread of this amazing vehicle. I can’t wait to see more shots of Bill’s car (hopefully some action shots at an upcoming track event!).

Full Bride Interior

Below you’ll see the “short” list of modifications Bill has done to his car…ahaha “short”. 

Mod List:

Wheels/Tires/Alignment:

Volk TE37 18×9.5 +22 in Titanium Gunmetal
Nitto Invo 255/35/18
Volk Formula Floating Lugnuts
-3.0 Front Camber
-3.1 Rear Camber

Interior:

JDM Red Hazard Button
Bride Stradias in Hyper Red Gradation (2)
Black Suede Doorcards
Black Suede 02/03 Headliner
Black STi Limited Carpet
Works Bell Short Hub
Works Bell Red Quick Release 2.0
Works Bell Original Steering Wheel
Powdercoated STI Shifter Trim by LPC
JDM STi Type RA-R Shift Knob
ATI Gauge Pod
Defi Imperial BF Amber Boost Gauge
Defi Imperial BF Amber EGT Gauge
Defi Imperial BF Amber Oil Pressure Gauge
AEM Uego Wideband
Autometer Gauge pod
Painted Dash Trim
Pioneer AVIC-D3

Exterior:

Zero/Sports Front Bumper
Zero/Sports Rear Bumper
Zero/Sports Sideskirts
Zero/Sports Roof Vane
Zero/Sports CF Wing Garnish
TrueChoice Bumper Quick Releases
Autospeed STI License Plate Delete
04-05 Tail Light Swap
JDM Tail Light Mod
HKS Oil Filler Cap
Hella SuperTones powdercoated Super Chrome by LPC
Tein Bonnet Dampers
Red Lined Impreza Badge
JDM STi Radiator Cap x2
Mishimoto Temp Gauge Rad Cap
Perrin Black Radiator Shroud
JDM Subaru Rain Guards
Painted Headlights by Vitale Collision
Custom Red/Black STi Stickers by GraphicSTI
30% Tint by Ryan @ Shades of Gray
Roll Call and All Vinyls by Auditor Clothing

Performance:

ATP GT3076R .82 a/r w/ polished compressor housing and powdercoated turbine housing
TiAL 44mm EWG
TiAL Q BOV
Custom Downpipe by Area1320
Custom Up-pipe by Area1320
Tomei Expreme EL Headers
Reverse Intake Manifold powdercoated Lollipop Kandy Red over Black Frost by LPC
Grimmspeed 8mm Phenolic Spacers
TGV Deletes powdercoated Super Chrome by LPC
Custom Coolant Resevoir by Area1320
Dual Air/Oil Seperators
P&L Braided SS Power Steering line
P&L Braided SS AVCS lines
Agency Power Top Feed Fuel Rails
820cc Top Feed Injectors
Customer IC Piping by Area1320
NGK 1-Step-Colder Spark Plugs
Valve Covers powdercoated Lollipop Kandy Red over Black Frost by LPC
Honda Civic 51R Battery
Custom Cat-Back Exhaust powdercoated Lollipop Kandy Red by LPC
Customer Short Ram Intake
Perrin Signature Series FMIC
KartBoy Short Shifter
KartBoy Shifter Bushings

Suspension/Brakes:

Stance GR+ Pro Coilovers
Front and Rear Camber Plates
TIC Fender Braces
Whiteline Steering Rack Bushings
Perrin 25mm Adjustable Rear Sway Bar
Perrin Front Endlinks
Perrin Rear Endlinks
HKS Kansai Strut Tower Brace
DBA 4000XS Front Rotors
DBA 4000XS Rear Rotors
Powdercoated Stock Brembos
Hawk HPS Brake Pads
Goodridge Stainless Steel Brake Lines

Special thanks as always to:
Chaz Boyd photography
12Volt Perfection
Liquid Powder Coats
Area1320
Shades of Gray Tint
Turbo Tek Tuning
Auditor Clothing
Stance-USA
CVR Motorsports
Vitale Collision
EDO Performance
R/T Tuning
Mishimoto

I can’t wait to see these wheels on some cars stateside. Some 19×9.5 +45mm RS-D’s would look spectacular on an 08 STi for a mild street setup or some 18×10 +35mm’s slapped on a GD for the aggressive side.

JUN STI Advan RS-D

The New Advan RS-D is a 10 spoke similar to the RS with a small twist. These new wheels have a lip and a slightly different spoke shape. The spoke spacing is obviously derived from the RS instead of the RZ. The size options match the other Advan Racing wheels we’ve seen in previous years (for the most part).

Advan RS-D Black

The RS-D does come in 20″ sizing which hasn’t been seen in an Advan Racing wheel up until now, most likely to appeal to the new GT-R owners who still want to keep massive 20″ wheels.

Advan RS-D

Either way, here’s a nice fat list of the available sizes/offsets.

4×100

18×7.5 +42mm

5×100

18×8 +47mm

5×114.3

18×7.5 +48mm
18×8 +45mm, +37mm
18×8.5 +51mm, +31mm
18×9 +45mm, +35mm, +25mm
18×10 +35mm, +25mm
19×8.5 +45mm, +38mm
19×9 +35mm, +25mm
19×9.5 +45mm
19×10 +35mm, +25mm, +15mm
20×8.5 +38mm
20×9 +25mm
20×9.5 +40mm
20×10 +35mm ,+25mm
20×10.5 +20mm

This is looking like a good year for some new wheels. 

-T3h_Clap

Prodrive GC-05K

Who will be first?

Sizes available are as follows.

5×100
17×8 +45mm (Face 1)
18×8 +45mm (Face 1)
19×8 +50mm (Face 1)

5×114.3
17×8 +45mm (Face 1)
17×8.5 +34mm, +40mm, +44mm, +54mm (Face 1)
17×9.5 +34mm, +40mm, +44mm (Face 1)
18×8 +45mm (Face 1)
18×8.5 +34mm, +40mm, +50mm (Face 1)
18×8.5 +24mm, +30mm (Face 2)
18×9 +20mm (Face 2)
18×9.5 +15mm, +24mm, +30mm, +34mm, +40mm, +44mm (Face 2)
19×8 +40mm, +50mm (Face 1)
19×8.5 +25mm (Face 2)
19×8.5 +35mm, +45mm (Face 1)
19×9.5 +15mm, +25mm, +35mm, +40mm (Face 2)

Caliper clearance isn’t finalized yet but the 18×9.5 +44mm looks promising.

Additional Color

Black GC-05K's

Volk Racing

VR.G2 

New Volk Racing G2

VR.G7

New Volk Racing G7!

VR.G10

New Volk Racing G10!

All three of the wheels come in some great sizes. Although some will say they are too big.

19′s are going to be come standard here in the coming years with most cars coming factory with 18″ wheels, stepping up 1″ is standard operating procedure for a street wheel.

I’m looking forward to seeing some GRB Sti’s running the 19×9.5s. The G10 is going to look spectacular on a GRB. So, Who’s first?

Sizing as Follows for Subaru Impreza WRX STi Brembo Clearance

VR.G2

19×8.5 +43mm S1 5×114.3 

19×9.5 +42mm S1 5×114.3

VR.G7

18×8 +50mm 5×100

18×8 +50mm 5×114.3

18×8 +40mm 5×114.3

VR.G10

19×8.5 +43mm S1 5×114.3

19×9.5 +44mm S2 5×114.3

As always don’t hesitate to comment or email any questions.

Recently Rays decided to address the growing market of hybrids and Eco friendly automotive junkies.

The Eco Project released a few wheels designed specifically for increasing in fuel economy (doesn’t hurt the looks any either).

The wheels are CE28 ECO drive.

They come in a 15×6 +35mm, 16×6 +35mm, 16×6.5 +35mm. Specifically for the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid.

Who’s going to grab a set?

-t3h_clap

I have.

18×10 RPF1s are freaking amazing. The guys over at TopSpeed managed to wedge a set of them along with some 285 tires under the fenders of their red 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi.

TopSpeed has a few cars with 18×10 RPF1s. It was only a matter of time before they swapped a set from their crazy Flared TimeAttack GC for a test fit. Now it looks like they bought their new 08 its own pair of 18×10 RPF1s.

This setup with -3.0 front and -1.8 rear camber with stiff 8k/10k coilovers isn’t for the average street driver, but damn does it look amazing. Can’t wait to see this car at this years One Lap of America.

The wheels/tires are 18×10 +38mm RPF1s with 285/30/18 Advan AD07s.

With a good fender roll and some stiff coilovers the new GR chassis Subaru Impreza STi is able to squeeze some nice rubber.

Hopefully we’ll be able to get a more detailed article on both of the TopSpeed cars in the future.

Damn those wheels look awesome.

A: NO!

Do not run different Tire Sizes Front and Rear or Side to Side on a Street Driven Subaru. All 4 tires must match.

This includes all models of Impreza, Legacy, Forester, Tribeca, Outback, and Outback Sport with AWD.

Why you ask?

1.) Because Subaru Says so

click me

2.) Because your owners manual says so

if you’re not sure, or don’t believe me go read it.

3.) Because saving $200 or even $500 today is not worth the expense or Hassle to fix your center diff.

On a more technical side of things,

You can’t run a different rolling diameter front and rear on a street driven Subaru due to its AWD system. The center diff will try and compensate for the differing speeds between the front and rear tires and proceed to overheat and eventually fail.

This also applies to running different Model tires of the same size. EVERY aspect of your 4 tires should match when installed on a Subaru including;

Width

Profile

Diameter

Load index

Tread pattern

Tread compound

Brand

Model

This is the only time that it makes sense to buy crappy tires for an STi.

Also proper rotation is key to the longevity of both your tires and your differentials, rotate your tires consistently and often (i.e. Oil changes/after autox’s/after track days).

And Honestly I don’t care, this wheel looks awesome.

Even though the “unofficial” release for these was in January of this year, I figured it was about time to show it off to the Subaru world.

The D stands for “drift”, but I’m more concerned with the fact they cleaned up the lines for the popular 57Maximum and added some crazy new Colors.

The 18×9.5 +38mm that is available and closest to Subaru friendly offsets is not listed as clearing Brembos, but it shouldn’t require too much of a spacer to get it to clear up front.

Guess only time will tell if someone is crazy enough to run some Luminous Orange gramLight 57Ds on a Subaru

-T3h_Clap

Images from Rays Engineering Website

Imagine being able to make the wheel arches of a car wider simply at a push of a button no worries of paint cracking or having to mold in new body panels.

Simply Amazing

I’m waiting for a setup where I can make the car wider at an event for some large wheels/tires and then bring it back down to standard street setup and still look amazing doing both.

I guess the question is when will this hit the streets and will the smaller less luxury companies be able to make it a feasible option for new vehicles. Subaru for 2015? Where do I sign?

GINA Article

Video of GINA in action

More Details

Photo from http://www.carmagazine.co.uk

I stumbled upon the release of an 08 STi specific Volk Racing RE30 size.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the Wheel here’s a little photo.

The new Volk Racing RE30 size release for the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi takes advantage of both the added inboard clearance of the new GRB chassis and the new wider front and rear fenders.

This new size will be the standard for all 08s, the “basic” fitment if you will.

18×9 +50mm

Doesn’t that just sound wonderful!?

9″ as a “basic” fitment, I remember when it was big news for the Bugeyes to run wider than 7.5!! LOLs.

9″ wheel +50mm offset that will easily fit on the new 2008 STi with ZERO issues?!?!

Makes me want to go get an 08…

For a more aggressive setup, one only needs to go .5″ wider and 3mm lower offset to find another RE30 that clears the Brembos and has very attractive sizing. 18×9.5 +47mm, with the correct fender mods and suspension one could run a 275/35/18 on this setup with only minor hassles.

After scanning through the new Hyper Rev it is evident that there will be much more to come for the GRB Chassis. With the way the US and the Japanese tuners are diving in to tuning the new chassis it is only a matter of time before the guys with the big check books realize what’s possible to squeeze under those new Fender Flares.

Yes, I’m jealous, and Yes I’m looking for some 08s to tinker with.

Any South Florida takers? I’ve got a few wheels that need test fitting

Stay tuned for some more Volk Racing articles.

-t3h_Clap

First impressions are “Whoa, you grew” and “Yes please”.

The car as a whole appears larger than the earlier years.

As a good wheel whore the first thing I check was the rear Fender lip.

As Suspected there was a good 1″ or so of fender that could be rolled up and out of the way without much hassle.

This is amazing considering people are squeezing 275/35/18s on 9.5″ wheels with only a minor fender roll.

Imagine what can be done with a heavy roll and a slight pull of those fenders.

The Front fenders did not have nearly as much lip as the previous years, although the front is never really an issue due to the amount of negative camber we tend to run.

It’s very tempting to just bite the bullet and jump into an 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi and not look back, just go out and grab a set of 18×9.5s with a nice high 40 offset, slap on my 265s and be content until a set of coilovers show up.

I’ve needed a car to use my pretty new fender roller on……

Yes there are alot more thing to talk about on the new 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi, but honestly who cares, it wont be long before you see 08s rolling around with some T3h_Clap Approved 18x10s

Stay Tuned for more 2008 Impreza WRX STi Fitment Info and Photos as I either convince my girlfriend to let me get one, or I find someone on the street willing enough to let me do some test fitting.

-T3h_:Clap:

The BSP Mitsubishi EVO VIII’s and IX’s did very well this year at nationals in BSP. Neither of the STI or EVO as a whole have proven that they would be competitive in ASP on a national level.

If the bases of the change was due to the performance of the EVO and STI at nationals the S2000 and C4 Corvettes should also be bumped into the ASP arena.

Below is a link to the 2007 SCCA Solo Championship results, as seen here the EVO and STi did not dominate BSP, there is a strong mixture of vehicles in the top 10 of BSP competition. Don’t change that, keep the competition alive.

Read the new SCCA Solo FasTracks here.

They are asking for emails in agreement of disagreement with this change.

We need everyone to send an Email to seb@scca.com and voice our disagreement with this new class change.

Below is a Sample letter for you to send.

2007 SCCA Solo Championship Results can be downloaded here.

The Sample letter is Short and Sweet.

To: Seb@SCCA.com
I am against the change of moving the BSP STi to ASP. The results of the car do not show this to be required.

Sincerely,
Avid Autoxer

You read correctly, Pastelito Racing took home the Subaru Challenge bragging rights trophy for the 2nd year in a row! 

With our “Fab 4″ doing exceptionally well in their respective classes it would’ve taken a dream team to beat us. 

Kolin (aka: Rankink) got FTD and top Pax for the day and won the opportunity to drive in the National Subaru Run Off sometime in 2008 in a factory prepped MY08 STi!

I was only slightly off pace, but it was enough to bring in 2nd place in BSP and 6th overall Pax.  The 17×10 CCWs and 275/40 V710s did amazing.

JMS put up some strong competition this challenge along with Koby Subaru and Mastro Subaru putting together teams with their top drivers.  Next year is going to be intense and we’re all hoping it isn’t as hot!

Abby’s photography for the event was amazing even through the terrible heat and inclimate weather.  All photos from the event can be seen here.

 The evening ceremony hosted by Subaru and the Buccaneer Region SCCA went on without a hitch and some killer door prizes.

 Some specific setups that should be mentioned are

SOJax/JMS MY05 Impreza WRX STi running 17×9 +43mm 5zigen FN01R-Cs with 275/40 V710s.  Suspension: Megan Track coilovers.  Driven by Bill (Scooby South).  (1st Place BSP, 4th Pax)

Mastro/Wombat Impreza 2.5RS (DSP) running 17×8 +35mm 5zigen FN01R-Cs with 275/40 V710s.  Driven by Josh (Whiteghost). (1st Place DSP, 11th PAX)

Koby Subaru MY04 Impreza WRX (SM) running 17×10 CCW Classics with 295 Hoosier A6s.  Suspension: custom JIC Coilovers.  Driven by Jose (Pacobeagle).  (1st Place SM, 3rd PAX)

[Still looking for photo]  

Mastro/Wombat Impreza H6!! this thing was mean.

Crazy Cracker Racing/Pastelito Racing MY05 Impreza WRX STi (AS) running 17×8 +48mm “unknown” wheels and 275/40/17 V710s driven by Kolin (Rankink).  This is the car that got FTD and he’s STOCK!!  Pastelito Racing FTW!

Pastelito Racing MY05 Impreza WRX STi (BSP) running 17×8 +48mm “unknown” wheels R-comps Suspension: Penguin Garage Breakfast Blend Combo, Whiteline Sway Bars. 

Pastelito Racing MY05 Impreza WRX STi (BSP) running 17×8.5 +48mm “unknown” wheels 245/45/17 V710s. Suspension: STi Pink springs with Cobb Sway Bars (3rd place BSP, 10th Pax)

Wales Garage/Pastelito Racing MY05 Subaru Legacy GT (ESP) running 17×7.5 +53mm STi BBS wheels 245/40/17 Advan A032R.  Suspension: Swift Springs, Tockico Struts, Cusco Bracing and Bars.

Pith Brothers MY06 Impreza WRX STi (SM) running 17×10 +25mm 5zigen FN01R-Cs.

Dynasty Auto/Pastelito Racing MY04 Impreza WRX STi (SM) running 17×10 CCWs and Hoosiers.

There were many other Amazing Setups at this event, which I will explain in more detail later.

Hopefully t3h wheel33tist in me will subside long enough for me to create a few unbiased tech articles.

I’ve got a laundry list of articles that I will be compiling here for the masses.

The coming weeks I will start rolling them out, stay tuned.

If there are any specific questions on fitment or availability don’t hesitate to shoot me an email.