Subaru WRC2007 Engine

How do you get a Subaru rally car through every terrain imaginable?

It’s a start.

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.

alcoolaid’s 2007 STi

It’s impossible not to be impressed by alcoolaid’s 2007 STi. It’s another build I’ve been following for a number and years and like so many Subarus on A Class, this car has seen quite an evolution.

For most the experience of modifying a street car can be plenty rewarding. However making the jump to building a track car is another level entirely. It’s a point when every detail truly comes into consideration, with function being of the upmost importance. Luckily what’s functional can also be beautiful and this STi is no exception.

To summarize this build into a few short sentences would be doing the car and its owner a disservice. If you’re interested in everything that’s gone into alcoolaid’s STi, be sure to check out his build thread.

There’s also a YouTube channel with plenty of videos of the car in action both on the street and at the track.

A special thanks to Matt Kwok, an automotive photographer based in Canada. I’ve featured his work with Subarus a number of times over the years and he’s certainly got a great eye for photography. Matt takes pictures of all kinds of cars, so make sure to check out his website.

While this STi looks fantastic, the best part about this car is the fact that it gets driven! I know so many car guys who build amazing creations, only to leave them in the protected confines of their garages. Cars like these are most definitely meant to be enjoyed.

Photos courtesy of Matt Kwok.

The 4th Worst Automotive Facelift

Jalopnik recently rated the Bugeye to Blobeye Impreza as the fourth worst automotive facelift of all time. I quite like the Blobeye, especially with fender flares and a V-Limited lip.

Great photo.

Alive & Well

It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen the Auto Produce BOSS Impreza.

The BOSS Impreza is one of my favorites and it’s good to see it on the track still. It’s crazy how so many of these demo cars from Japan just fall off the face of the earth, never to be seen again.

Apologies for the lack of updates but I’ve been spending the last couple of days making my way to Hong Kong. I’ll be doing my best to keep the blog updated from abroad however.

Photo courtesy of Varis.

TimeAtk

 

Clifford Sutrisno has been in the Subaru game for a while now. I’ve featured some of his photography in the past and it’s always top notch.

Pictured above is yet another fantastic looking STi on Enkeis. Subarus and Enkei wheels really are perfect match.

If you’re interested in contacting Cliff or seeing more of his portfolio, check out his website.

Photo courtesy of Clifford Sutrisno.

Flared

Some time ago there was a fork placed in the aggressive fitment road. Some folks went down the path of least resistance and achieved recognition in parking lots across the internet. Other folks went down the more enlightened path and paired their aggressive wheels with equally aggressive tires.

I’ve been seeing a lot of Subarus with over fenders lately. The GC and GD model Imprezas were always known for their aggressive fenders so the idea of getting over fenders wasn’t something that caught on right away. If I recall, one of the first cars I saw doing it was the LIC Motorsports STi.

It’ makes for a very aggressive look and in many cases works quite well.

Signs of driving abuse are indeed a good thing. With the proper meaty tires, the GC and GD Imprezas have the potential to look great with over fenders (rivets and all).

This car owned by jutes85 is a yet another Canadian build doing things proper. I’ve said it countless times, the scene up there is fast creeping up on the US. They may have already passed us.

Photo courtesy of jutes85.

Throwback Thursdays: Volk LE37K

The Volk SE37K has always had a loyal following. It’s long been one of my favorite wheel designs and it’s unfortunate that Rays Engineering decided to discontinue them. A decent used set of SE37Ks can be hard to come by and usually sell for the cost of new Volks. Even less common are the LE37Ks, which came with a gold or gunmetal face and polished lip.

Subarus have always worn the SE37K well.

This 18×8.5 set was for sale recently. I believe they were going for around $2200, but it could’ve been higher.

While there are so many great new wheel designs coming out every year, I wish manufacturers would go back an re-release some of the more sought-after, discontinued models. The SE37K would be a popular seller, if released again.

Garage Sale, Car Blogs & Team Orange

I’m doing a bit of a garage sale, to get rid of some used WRX parts. The list of things I’m selling can be found here. I’ve gotten a tone of flakers and low ballers, in the 2 weeks this post has been up. If you’re not seriously interested, please don’t waste your time sending e-mails. All of the parts are for local pickup, but I am willing to ship certain items domestically.

I’ve been kind of bummed to see how many car blogs have fallen off the map this year. Unfortunately, for every good blog that has shut it’s doors, a new fitment/stance blog has emerged. Why do we need so many fitment blogs? There will be a point, where there are no cars left to feature. The cross posting, on these flavor of the month blogs, is already bad enough. Instead of wasting time looking at people’s wheels, do yourself a favor and head over to Axis of Oversteer. It’s one of the few blogs I still actually read and focuses heavily on motor sports. Their Formula 1 banter is particularly entertaining and beats half witted car features any day.

I won’t leave things without a photo. A little engine bay porn from the folks at Team Orange.

Some people could look at certain cars all day long. I definitely have my favorites. But I could also stare at these JUN engine bays, on the Team Orange drift cars, all day long. I had the chance to see one in person, at D1GP USA a few years ago and it was a thing of beauty. I hope my WRX looks like this someday.

Throwback Thursdays and Spanish Grand Prix predictions tomorrow.

Just Buy Enkei

I hate these bitches, who cry about how expensive Rays and Advans are. They use it as their justification, for rocking Rotas and other shit wheels. Why not save the stress, of having to explain yourself all the time and pick up some Enkeis?

They’re relatively light, extremely well made and very affordable. The RPF1s and NT03s also look fucking amazing on Subarus. I’d love to get a set of RPF1s, so I can wrap them in R-Comps and do track days.

Enkei have been killing it lately, with their new wheel designs. They also supply multiple Formula 1 teams, including McLaren. So why are you still trying to justify your fakes? Get the real thing and be happy you did.

Photo courtesy of timeXlost.