Days Gone By

I communicate pretty regularly with a number of veteran Subaru owners – guys who have been in the game for upwards of a decade. One thing we all seem to agree on is that the community is dead. It’s a harsh statement but one that’s undeniably true. I base my views primarily on the parts market or lack thereof. It’s become harder than ever to buy new parts for the various iterations of the Impreza, especially the GC and GD. If you’re trying to do the JDM thing, good luck.

As more Japanese companies pull out of the US, it’s a grim reminder that people have moved into other cars or out of the community entirely. The BRZ was a nice blip on the radar, especially for those seeking more aggressive wheel options for the unrelenting 5×100 bolt pattern. However the BRZ has in no way captured the market or the interests of Subaru aficionados, quite the same way the FR-S has.

The Impreza has become dated and with Subaru out of the WRC, it’s tuned variants are becoming increasingly irrelevant in this new era of paddle-shifters and energy recovery systems. Someday we can only hope that the Impreza will share a similar affinity to classics like the Hakosuka and S30 Z. In the meantime, I only see the car’s popularity dwindling.

It’s a grim outlook, but in many ways an optimistic one because I still love my WRX as much as I did the day I got it in 2005. It’s a car that’s gotten so far under my skin that I may never be able to part ways with it. In the meantime there are still exciting Imprezas out there – granted their harder to find, but they still exist. There’s also the exciting news of the WRX Concept and Subaru’s desire to continually produce AWD rally-inspired cars. Maybe someday we’ll see a return to the Impreza’s former glory in the WRC. For now we hold onto the memories.

Simplicity Is Beauty

Gus Dizon’s WRX is no stranger to this blog and has been spotted on more than one occasion. What I’ve always loved about this car was its simplicity.

While many aim to build the ultimate weekend warrior, Gus’ WRX is the car you’d want to drive everyday.

So many GDA owners strive to mimic the appearance of a JDM STi (myself included), however this is a WRX that’s comfortable in its own skin. It’s not trying too hard, it’s playing to its strengths.

The looks are aggressive, but in a more sensible way. Rather than bottoming out the suspension and running massive amounts of camber, Gus’ WRX maintains drivability. The subtle hints are still  there with Brembo brakes and meaty tires.

It wasn’t so long ago that automotive journalists panned the GDA for it’s looks. Opinions have shifted in more recent years and like a fine wine, the Bugeye has gotten better with age. Projector headlights should’ve come as standard on every GDA.

I was disappointed to hear that Gus decided to sell his WRX recently and hopefully it’s gone to a good home.

Some readers may wonder why I put such an emphasis on featuring daily driven Subarus and builds that weren’t created to grace the covers of tuning magazines. The reason is pretty simple: it’s about educating the current generation of Subaru owners on how the community has evolved. Hopefully some will use cars like Gus’ as inspiration for their own builds.

Photos courtesy of Gus Dizon.

Sentimental Value

You ever have those moments, where you’re just standing around with your friends, staring at each other’s cars? It’s usually an informal setting, like a parking lot after grabbing a bite to eat. Maybe it’s in someone’s driveway before you head inside the house. They’re cars you’ve seen hundreds of times, but there’s always something to look at and something to discuss. Those moments are what makes us car guys (or petrol heads).

Like most, I’ve been going back and forth with my WRX for years. I always want new and different cars, but the idea of selling the WRX never sounded right. In June I will have had the car for 7 years and it sounds cheesy, but we’ve been through a lot in that time. It’s taken me across California, more times than I can count and to my first internship and jobs to follow. It’s been there through girlfriends, all of college and 6 moves. It’s as much a part of me as anything else and the idea of parting ways, almost brings a tear to my eye.

People don’t understand the connections we have with our cars. They think it’s strange and childish. My coworkers think I’m weird when I look out the window to check on the WRX every so often. Maybe that is a little weird, but I’m cool with it.

Right now the WRX is just a commuter, but there’s always the knowledge, that some day it will be completed, once and for all. This car’s story line is far from over and I intend to see it through. It would be a disservice not to give it that, after all that it has given me; the friends, the memories, even the heartache.

There’s no doubt that most cars, develop their own unique personalities. If you drive a one long enough, it becomes an extension of yourself. You learn everything about it; the kinks in the gearbox, the squeaks from the suspension, even the smell of the interior (Air Spencer Squash in my case).

So go enjoy your cars as they should be. Go for a drive, give it a detail, change the oil, tie up those loose ends, you’ve put off for 2 years. Your car will thank you for it. They say everything has its price, but what kind of price can you put on sentiment?

180°

Love it or hate it, the hood scoop is what defines the look of a Subaru. It’s obviously not just a style thing and indeed serves a purpose. Traditionally, Subarus run top mount intercoolers. It allows for the least amount of turbo lag and is an efficient setup for the car, out of the factory. However, things become difficult when trying to run a larger turbo and in many cases, the TMIC won’t cut it.

Lots of Subaru owners (myself included) choose to run front mount intercoolers instead. While a larger core is hugely beneficial, there is a drawback: longer piping. The Blitz FMIC on my car features a maze of piping that runs up the left wheel well and underneath the block. This causes a lot of turbo lag and even my fairly small IHI VF34, doesn’t hit full boost until 4500rpm.

To combat this, many have chosen to run a rotated intake manifold.

For performance, it’s probably the most efficient setup with a FMIC and eliminates multiple feet of piping. This leaves more space in the engine bay and greatly reduces turbo lag. It’s a setup I’ve been considering for years and will eventually pursue, once my car is retired from daily duties.

It’s obviously not as easy as unbolting the intake manifold and rotating it. Custom piping will need to be fabricated and there will be fitment issues with the radiator. The Team Orange GDB (above) moved the car’s radiator to the trunk. So it’s not really the best solution for someone who’s concerned with reliability and ease of operation. But if you’re looking for the greatest amount of response coupled with the best cooling, it’s the only way to go.

For me aesthetics are also a consideration and you can’t deny that it greatly improves the look of the engine bay.

The Whip

Sometimes you just need to step back and enjoy something for what it is.

I take my car for granted. Sometimes it takes a photo, to remind me of how lucky I am. My Subaru isn’t perfect, not by a long shot, but it’s been around for a lot of good and bad times. I’ve owned the car over 6 years and enjoyed every drive since. Part of me never wants to sell it, part of me sees it’s flaws and why it should eventually be replaced. But who knows what’s around the corner? I guess only time will tell.

Photo courtesy of Edwin Pho.

Performance Minded GC8

One of my favorite things about A Class is that it gives me the opportunity to meet new people. Yesterday, Brandon e-mailed me some pictures of his 1999 GC8 Impreza.

What I appreciate most about this car, is the attention to performance. Brandon has focused on making his car quick with an ’04 EJ20 swap and a TD05 18G turbocharger.

The daily driven GC8 is putting down around 297whp and was tuned at COBB Tuning Plano. Considering this car is making about 50whp more than my WRX, I’d say it was pretty quick!

Brandon is currently serving in Iraq and I wish him a safe return home. Hopefully there is a lot more to come for this car! In the meantime, here’s his GC8 on the dyno at COBB Tuning Plano. You’ve got to love that external wastegate!

Photos courtesy of Brandon Carrender.

Fix One Problem, Find Two More

I spent some time working on the WRX earlier today. I installed a new set of spark plugs, which it desperately needed. Those who have done it know; changing the spark plugs on an EJ motor is one of the most tedious and frustrating procedures you’ll perform on an Impreza.

After I finished, I spent some time looking things over. It’s been a while since I poked around under the hood of my car. I have a bit of a battery leak, so I’m glad to be replacing that in the next week or so. It’s making a mess out of my engine bay. If I leave it in there too much longer, the acid buildup is going to start eating away at everything in sight.

I also discovered that my HKS air filter is completely broken. The plastic base, that attaches to the intake pipe, has essentially caved in. I’ve never seen anything like this happen before, but if the cracked plastic were to break off it would be heading right into my turbo. I’ll post some pictures once I take it off the car.

If you’re in the market for an air filter or intake kit, avoid HKS. I hate to say it, but they’re shit. Mine has never impressed me. The filters need to be replaced within months because they get dirty so fast and the build quality is pretty horrendous. I’m thinking of just getting a K&N filter for now, does anyone have any suggestions?

V-Mount Bays

More Subaru engine bays for your viewing pleasure. This time they’re all rocking v-mount intercooler setups.

All kinds of JDM goodies in the Kami Speed Impreza demo car.

If you read A Class daily, then you’re really sick of Bozz Speed. Good thing I’m not, here’s a snap of their Spec C’s engine bay.

One of Mr. Koyama’s greatest creations from JUN. The Super Lemon Impreza is one of the all-time greats, fully custom build and under a minute around Tsukuba. Koyama Racing Labo is his new shop in conjunction with Team Orange. They’ve already got one of the fastest Evo Xs around.

Last but not least, some Zero/Sports love. Their setup features an IHI turbine and Power Enterprises wastegate. They’ve got all kinds of one-off goodies on this time attack monster. It’s kind of strange Zero/Sports never built a new time attack car with the new GRB. I think they’re too busy building electric carts now.