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Bianca ('06 STi), A New Start

25K views 76 replies 20 participants last post by  vtsubiers 
#1 · (Edited)
Thread has been consolidated for the future updates. All the main info is in posts #1, #5, #7 and #9.

Some of y'all know me already, I'm the guy who had the (likely first) 3rd gen with a tube bumper. It was a good learning process, but the truth remained, the 3rd gens aren't as toughly built as the GD bodies. So I traded in Roxie (WRB '11 WRX) for Bianca (OBP '06 STi). This will be my build thread for the new iteration. This was Roxie's build: http://www.dirtyimpreza.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24372

So here's Roxie before:


Built for damage:


Some desert run vids (only one can be embedded):

Desert Run 27May2012 Part 2 of 4 - YouTube
Desert Run 27May2012 Part 3 of 4 - YouTube
Desert Run 27May2012 Part 4 of 4 - YouTube

And as she looked at trade in:

Now say goodbye to Roxie, and hello to Bianca.

As she rolled out of the dealership:



Next to my buddies WRB '04:


And just a few mods done over the first few days (Perrin Wing Stiffies, JDM style window visors, a Killer B shift knob, some vinyl decals to represent (DirtyImpreza & MNSubaru) and a partial debadge):



And here is one of the most current pics:


And, here is a mod list of what will be going in or has gone in Installed, Not Installed & Need to Buy:

Drivetrain:
COBB OTS Stage 1 tune – 91 Octane
QwikValve Part #F105S – Short Nipple - Engine Oil Pan
QwikValve Part #F108S 16mmx1.5 w/Clip – Tranny Oil Pan
QwikValve Part #T207 26mmx1.5 w/Clip – Tranny Oil Pan
GrimmSpeed P'n'P'ed Exhaust Manifold
Killer B Oil Pan/Baffle/Pickup Tube
Killer B 1/2NPT to 1/8PT Adapter
Tigwerks Engine Mounts (and OEM Engine Mount Plates) – 60A Stiffness Bushings
Upgraded Tranny Mount
Tigwerks Power Steering Reservoir
KartBoy Pitch Stop Mount
KartBoy 6MT Short Throw Shifter & Bushings
Borla Hush CBE (will be modified for higher exit, along with rear bumper)
Tigwerks Oil Return & Power Steering Fittings
60mm Defi BF Oil Temp., EGT, Boost & Fuel Pressure Gauges
Samco Hoses and Hose Clamps
3mm Phenolic Spacers
PTP Turbo Blanket - Lava
LightSpeed Ti Turbo Heat Shield
Perrin Turbo Heat Shield GD
Universal 5 Points HKS Grounding Kit

Suspension/Braking:
Braid Winrace TA – 15x6.5+45
Yokohama Geolander A/T-S – 215/70-15
Subaru 4/2 Pot Calipers & Rebuild Kits
DBA 4/2 pot Rotors for STi
Stoptech STR660 Brake Fluid DOT 4 .5L
Goodridge 01-07 Subaru WRX/STi Phantom G-Stop Brake Lines
Porterfield R4-S Brake Pads
King Lifting Springs
Grp N Front & Rear Strut Tophat/Mounts for GDs
2006 STi OEM Struts - Front & Back – For future Feal revalve
TSS Weld-on Strut Mounts - Front/Back
TSS Trailing Arms (stock - +1") & Trailing Arm Mounts (stock - +1") - Lime Green
2x 5mm Wheel Spacers
02-07 WRX 4 POINT PINK H-BRACE
Offensive Power Fender Braces
Cusco Strut Bar & Triangle Brace
Whiteline Rear Sub-frame Lockdown Bolts

Armor/Weight Loss:
Primitive Racing 3/16” Rear Diff Plate
Primitive Racing 3/16” Aluminum Skid Plate w/ Stinger Option
Stripped Interior (carpet, insulation, some trim, rear seat belts & mounts)
Aluminum Diamond-plate Floormats
Protection Installed over Fuel/Brake lines
Rally Armor Mud Flaps (Red Logo)
Trunk Separating Nets

Miscellaneous:
Clarion CX501 In-Dash CD/MP3/VMA Receiver
ATi Dual Steering Column 60mm Gauge Pod
Sullivan Racing Aluminum Pedals - Gold Grid
Killer B Shift Knob
JDM Style Window Visors
BLOX Racing Vortex Generator
5x Perrin Stiffies (3 Installed)
04-05 WRX/STi Sedan Tail Lamp Pair
Roof Vent
Roof Scoop Fiberglass Bolt-on Rally
JDM Style Window Visors
4 Hella Supertones
Billet Aluminum Glove-box Handle
Accessory Plug 4 Way Splitter/Extension
Grimmspeed High-Lift Hood Struts
JDM Hazard Light Switch
Rigid Industries Hybrid SR-Series 10" LED
Rigid Industries Dually Hybrid 2x2 LED - 2
Impreza/WRX/STi Armrest Extension
STi Aluminum Oil Filler Cap
Subaru Keyhole Plugs GD WRX STI Impreza
Black VW OEM Sunglasses Hand Grip Holder
2004 STi Owner’s Manual Case
 
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#38 ·
That happens all too often.

I'm sort of in the the shoe game with Jordans and Lebrons and stuff. Found a pair of Lebrons I really wanted...got them for a KILLER deal since it was a no-reserve auction. Got em for $115 where they were going for $160 or so in all other auctions. Kid messages me 2 days later saying, "Sorry...my roommate stole them, so I can't ship them" and refunded my money. Piece of ****.
 
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#41 · (Edited)
My wife got back to El Paso on the 1st, for anyone who follows along, since she'd been in VA since May or June (I left in April), to see friends and spend time with her Mom. I got her to open the boxes for the taillights (came in the OEM packaging, mostly), the one that was opened for pictures was missing any protection beyond the box for the lens, so there is scuffs all along the "corner" of the lens, but no cracks. The micro scratching should buff-out though, and I sure as hell am not sending them back at this point.

Also had the wife open up a few of my other packages to confirm lack of damage from shipping, but only made it about a quarter way through the stack (6 or 7 packages) before the internet here got crappy again. Maybe I'll just ask her to lay out all the boxes and open the rest for me, and then take pics of the items. Or maybe not, as she is rather pissed about the mass of packages that were waiting in the house when she got back (~30 packages overall). I just know that I'm going to have plenty of car stuff to keep me busy for a good while this summer, it'll just suck working in my garage closed (no auto work in the garages by housing rules, I say **** that, I got a garage baby!). Maybe I can get my buddy to let me come over and work there since he has no such rules, or didn't when I left.
 
#51 · (Edited)
I'll sell them for a fair price to you happily, just have to figure out what that is first.

FYI to all readers, both new and old, I consolidated the thread down to 4 main posts to clean up the thread a bit. Posts #1, #5, #7 and #9 hold the big update lists now. Knew I should have added some "Future use" posts when I started.
 
#53 · (Edited)
So, I have arrived back home. Got back on Wednesday but due to restrictions imposed by command I was not allowed to drive my car for 48 hours; essentially equated to not driving until Saturday when I got my Texas Safety Inspection and made the car fully legal. Picked up the new license plates on Friday with the wife. I suppose we should start with promised pics of the old which will be put in the applicable posts (read through the second progress post to see them) and a promised pic of the pile of boxes:


And now let the build commence. Started out slow with mods as I was just back (did these on Thursday and Friday while my wife was doing schoolwork); installed my JDM Hazard switch, the armrest extension and swapped out shift knobs for one that I won while I was away.


Swapped out my hood lift struts for the GrimmSpeed Hi-lift setup (very high, can barely reach the hood from the front) and swapped in the billet Aluminum oil cap.



Installed the ‘04/05 taillights and my new license plates on Saturday and the repainted fender braces on Sunday:



A comparison between stock and the Offensive Power fender braces:


And installed (passenger side was already finished, pictures sucked worse than this one):
 
#57 ·
I still LOL at the statement that the GRs aren't as "toughly" built as the GDs. Considering the GR chassis gained about a 40% increase in bending rigidity and even more torsional rigidity, I can safely say that statement is false. To me, that IS durability.
 
#62 · (Edited)
;) ^

Not too much progress this weekend, since I was feeling a little under-the-weather and lazy. So all I did today was install my mudflaps and do a little project I’d been thinking of for a while. Here’s the first project and the mudflaps, I replaced all the push pins in the front fender liners with rivnuts and some machine screws; this is also the same method I used to install the mudflaps:



The second project was to install some window nets (the type used to keep you in the car when racing) and replaced the panel that was behind the car seats. While I was at it I removed the seat belts and some of the other un-needed hardware back there; probably 10-15 net pounds dropped off.



Maybe during this week (supposed to be half-days at work) I’ll cut the roof and install the roof-vent and scoop and maybe finally decide whether I’m installing the last 2 Stiffis or just removing the center one and leaving it with 2; spacing looks off no matter which way I go.
 
#63 ·
Alright, some more progress. Tuesday (22nd) I started doing some things that I’d been waiting to do since they all involved pulling out the TMIC, and as anyone with a stock location IC on an STi knows, that thing is kind of a bitch to get back in quickly. (I’ll have to pull it back off to install the T-bolt clamps and the rest of the Samco hoses for the IC.)

So I started Tuesday by finally fixing my Defi gauge setup; the gauges weren’t lighting up unless the headlights were actually on (not just DRLs); turns out I just had the daisy chain of gauges in the spot for the plain, old Link-Meter gauges (spot 1) when they needed to be plugged into the jack for Link-Meter BF gauges (spot 2). As soon as I switched the connection and turned on the “Accessory” position with the key, they lit up. I followed this up by installing the white BF oil pressure gauge I found on Amazon (last one!!!) but had to wait for UPS to show up to install the sender as they were delivering the galley plug I needed to finish it up (made an extension for the sender using a grease gun hose, a couple 1/8 NPT female-1/8 BSPT fittings, one 1/8 BSPT female-female coupler, and the galley plug). Well I waited I took out the TMIC and started working my way to the galley plug location; all I can say is **** whoever decided installing those spring clips upside down was a good idea, took me a good hour to remove the other end of the hose connected to the BPV (big hose, not little) and the other end of the coolant hose connected to the throttle body. Got a bit of a coolant shower as I worked around here, mainly because I used canned air to try and push the coolant out of that TB coolant hose and it pushed back out with extra pressure when I stopped pushing air in. Got to a stopping point in this job (galley plug hadn’t arrived yet) so I switched lanes.

Next job I switched to was installing the KartBoy Pitch Stop Mount, easy install, however I didn’t realize the nut on the firewall side was welded in place so I ended up breaking it loose. No biggy, just need a 17 and a 14mm (IIRC) to do it if I ever have to disconnect it. Next task was installing the Turn-In-Concepts Master Cylinder Brace, relatively easy install on a car without an air-pump (stock that way) and with the TMIC out of the way. Took me all of about 20 minutes to do taking my time, could feel the difference in the pedal feel (not sure if I felt the pitch stop mount however, I was paying attention to the last thing installed more) when I finally drove her. Time for another part since I was still waiting, think I’ll finally install the turbo blanket (PTP Lava) and my Perrin Turbo Heat Shield. Somewhat of a pain getting the old heatshield off, mainly the bottom portion as it is designed to be removed only if the downpipe isn’t in the way. A little bit of bending later and some pushing and it is out of the way. Turbo blanket goes in with some headache (imagine it is easier if the car is even more disassembled) and the heat shield goes over it with little hassle (snapped the head off one of the 2 bolts on the driver’s side, no biggy).

Finally the galley plug has arrived!! Time to install the oil pressure sender. Relatively easy install (once you get the old plug out after dealing with those damned spring clips and coolant showers), hook it up to the cable, run it in to the car and connect to the control unit. Good to go. It’s getting late so I do one last thing and finish the install on my boost gauge (had sender set up, just never got it hooked into the BPV hose). And with this last part done it is bedtime. Here are pics of the progress, you can see the blanket, heat shield, oil pressure sender and the MCB (partially) in the first pic; second shows the MCB a bit better.



Wednesday (the 23rd) I wake up and decide it is time to finally install something long awaited, right after I get that damned TMIC back in, along with all the hoses underneath. Ended up installing the Samco hose for the connection from the Y-pipe to the turbo as it was easier to install the IC with the hose on the turbo, almost popped right in to place after an hour of struggling with other strategies (also removed the driver’s side bracket to make life easier, reinstalled once IC was in place). Hooked everything up and made sure the coolant was fine by running it to clear any air in the lines. Seemed to be good to go, so onto the next job, the roof vent.

So finally got this job started, unfortunately the compressor I bought from Harbor freight was unable to do this task adequately so it had to be returned as it would allow me about 15 seconds of grinding before it spent a minute refilling the tank. Ended up cutting the hole with an angle grinder with a cutoff wheel and no guard (not safe, and got hit with lots of sparks). Finally got the hole cut out the holes for mounting drilled but because the wife was at school I had to wait for her to come home to actually get the vent mounted. The sealant I used (outdoor rated, paintable silicone caulk) takes a while to cure so I let it cure overnight with some modification to the external seal.

Woke up this morning and cleaned up the garage a bit after I gave the heads of the rivets a quick coat of black paint. Allowed it to dry a bit and then removed the masking I had down. Cleaned up and then installed the roof scoop.

Took her for a drive afterwards, had to go return the compressor and some other bits to Harbor Freight, shipped off a return to a shop and got fuel for myself and for Bianca, and mainly just to go for a drive. I could feel the difference that the MCB gave to the brakes, they feel less spongy now. Didn’t really notice the pitch stop upgrade, but I kind of forgot about it when I was enjoying the fruits of the rest of my labor, pretty gauges that are actually doing their jobs (except the EGT gauge, I need to finally get that sender installed in the headers) and the wind getting pushed in with the windows shut. I do need something to direct the airflow more to the sides to make the vent even more useful, but it does get the air moving in the car, when I was moving the car wasn’t ridiculously hot with the windows up, with the car at rest though it’s a different story (for obvious reasons). Here’s some pics post drive.

 
#65 ·
Thanks. I'll post up some better pics later where the vent is actually visible (and maybe an internal view) but right today I'm considering how to possibly reinstall the headliner for a cleaner appearance inside (wife doesn't like the look of the more-and-more stripped interior, :lol: ). Just have to figure what I'm going to use for the trim around the hole I cut last night.

Hmm, now should I post up the DIY I wrote for it up on here (in its own thread) after I finish up?
 
#66 · (Edited)
I'm slowly getting an update together here, got some stuff going in slowly, but I'd rather wait to make a bigger post (seems more worthwhile). This will be more of a life update post.

Here's our dog, Cassie. She's a Weimaraner/Chocolate Lab mix (about 1.5 years old) that the wife and I rescued from the animal services shelter here the middle of July. She had been dropped off there by her previous family that claimed they couldn't take a Lab with to their next duty station (haven't heard of a single duty station that restricts Labs, so calling bull**** there, they couldn't deal with her energy is more likely).

Unfortunately she had developed kennel cough while in the shelter, when we went to get that treated we found out she also had heart-worm and based on the development she had had it (them?) a while, so before her previous family dumped her, a good while. My conjecture is that they found out about the heart-worm and cheaped out on treating her (much less vaccinating her) or putting her down and instead paid the small fee to drop her off at the shelter. (Plea for help is near the bottom, along with a link to the gofundme page for Cassie's treatment).

After some tests (to see how enlarged her heart and other organs were) we decided we would get her treated. This consists of 3 months of treatment, first month is HeartGuard to kill the eggs, second month is a shot to kill the adults (happened two Fridays ago) and the third step will be two more shots a month later seperated by 24 hours. We will have to keep her as inactive as possible during this time (the months after the shots) which is quite difficult with an energetic breed mix and one this young. The purpose of the inactivity (and keeping her heart-rate lower) is to prevent strokes or the lungs from getting clogged from dead worms.

Anyways, here's a couple pictures of this goofball (she thinks she's a lapdog, she's 60 lbs). She loves to run and jump around a lot so that makes this period even more difficult, but chew toys are helping.


Her being my wife's lapdog (she seriously just plops down in your lap):

And one of her and that giant, floppy tongue:


We started a gofundme page for her treatment too (it's going to cost us around a grand to hopefully save her life and hopefully get a full life out of her). Here's the link: Cassie May Heartworm Treatment if anyone wants to contribute at all. I'll also quote what my wife said in it, since she's a bit more eloquent in this case than I am.

I would like to introduce you to Cassie May! She is a gorgeous, affectionate, and goofy 1.5 year old lab mix my husband and I adopted from the local kill shelter. Her favorite thing in the world is to cuddle up in our lap, despite being 60 pounds, and give us tons of kisses! She likes to carry her toys and blanket in her mouth wherever she goes. She can usually be found right behind us as she doesn't let us out of her sight, not even for a minute! It makes for some interesting showers. :) Despite her background, she is a loving and happy dog and fits perfectly within our family. However, a couple days after adoption, we discovered she tested positive for heartworm. We were devastated as we had already fallen in love with her and her with us. She is our little shadow. <3 We decided we wanted to go ahead with the treatment and give her the best possible life because she deserves it. Unfortunately, we were not expecting a $1000 vet bill and a 4.5 month long treatment. My family and I are asking you from the bottom of our hearts if you could please help with her treatment. Any amount of money would be greatly appreciated and will help us immensely. We want our baby girl to be healthly and live a long wonderful life. Thank you. <3
And the update about a week ago:
Hi everyone! I wanted to say thank you again to everyone that has donated and shared Cassie's page. It means a great deal to myself and my family. I also wanted to update everyone on how Cassie has been doing. She has been enjoying life these past two months. Her favorite things in the world are to try and catch bugs in our backyard and then cuddle up in our lap once she is tired. However, the fun and play times have come to end. Cassie started the next part of her treatment yesterday. She received an injection in her back that will kill the worms. The side effects of the injection are an increased chance of stroke, heart attack, and lung blockages if her heart rate increases too much and the dead worms break off and enter her lungs. This means the baby girl is not allowed to play, take walks, or get super excited for two months. If you know this girl, you know that is going to be a challenge. She is full of so much spunk! Unfortunately, that means she will have to be crated for the majority of the time as per the veterinarians directions. She also will receive another two injections 24 hours apart in another month. Then a month later, hopefully all the worms are dead and the baby girl is in the clear! It is going to be a difficult and anxiety filled journey. I ask that you can keep Cassie and our family in your prayers. Thank you.
Anyways, sorry about the wall of text, but that's our pup that we love. Cheers.
-Greg


P.S. If anyone knows anyone with a 3rd gen WRX ('08-14), I have parts laying around for them. If I could sell the damned Spearco TMIC that would be a huge boon, as it's a $1000 part sitting around here and completely useless to me. Same deal with the seat covers, brake duct kit, GrimmSpeed heat shield, strut top spacers (all Impreza lines '08-14) and the other 3 Perrin Stiffis (for GDs) that won't be going on Bianca. Getting this stuff gone would also help an insane amount.
 
#67 ·
Wow sorry to hear about the pup...she's adorable though and will provide you with a life full of happiness. Worth every single penny. I'll see about sending a couple bucks your way when I get a chance. Best of luck with it!
 
#68 ·
That's what we're trying for, keep this furchild alive and give her a good life. Appreciate it, oh, and I don't know if you're still interested in them, but the Brembos should be coming off soon, slowly getting the 4/2 pots rebuilt, just waiting on some little pieces for it (retaining pins, spring clips, etc) so I can repaint them and reassemble.

Rather sell the old parts than get donations, matter of pride with me, the wife's the one who started that gofundme page and pushed me to post on the forums.
 
#70 ·
Oh, Zax, not reading again. Obviously I'm going to the 4/2 pots for a reason, and I'm not going to spend a couple grand on new calipers (if I did, I'd be going with a Wilwood gravel setup), especially not right now. Also, it's obviously not too much of a downgrade (with good fluid, lines and pads) considering how many rally guys run the same exact setup and have zero issues.
 
#71 ·
I forget what price you were offering, but I may be going for Zax's Prodrive setup...lemme know.
 
#73 ·
6SEP2014: So, it’s been about 5 months since I’ve done any real update, and there has been a bit of work done, but nothing much since the end of June due to always working and having not bought the remaining items for my lift (King springs and sending the struts to Feal for a revalve/rebuild). The biggest changes are the installation of the Killer-B oil pan/pick-up and baffle combo (with the Fumoto valve and the oil temperature sender installed), Tigwerks engine mounts, and the rest of the Samco TMIC hoses. Oil pan and engine mounts were both giant PITAs to install. Still need to decide on my choice of tranny mount upgrade to finish out the setup on that end. Didn’t remember to take any pics during this, and I’m trying to remember if I did any other additions or changes at this point beyond the oil change and swapping out the tranny/front & center differential fluid. Rear diff will get fresh fluid after my billet 6061 rear differential cover (for an R180) with 30% extra capacity arrives.

I changed the setup of the gauges a month or so ago with some permanently installed gauge pods, one on the bottom of the A-pillar (oil pressure) and one mounted up above the mirror (EGT, still just sitting there blinking until I get my headers swapped), the oil temp and boost gauges are still in the same places, mounted in the ATI steering-column pod. Changed up how my driving camera was mounted once again, used a few different parts from Ram mounts for the job; much more stable now and doesn’t restrict the movement of my rear-view mirror (at least not in a way that bothers me).

(INSERT PIC of camera and gauges)

The roof liner and everything else roof mounted (visors, oh-**** handles and lights) are all out until I redo the roof liner since it started sagging really badly. I attempted to start sewing it up by hand but that was turning out to be WAY too tedious for me. I will eventually pull the covering off again and redo the contact adhesive correctly, then it will all go back in, though I will need to figure out a solution for the visors (maybe dyeing the cloth part and vinyl wrapping the mirror lids). Once that is all back in I’ll have to figure out a solution for the air-flow from the roof-vent, namely to direct it more to the sides than backwards. Another interior thing to get updated were my seat covers, got some almost WRB colored Neoprene covers from Wet Akole, took some picture sending for them to finish, but the results are pretty good. Still need to install the passenger seat’s cover however.

(INSERT PIC of roof liner when it’s eventually back in)

Speaking of the roof vent, we had a bit of a rainy season here and I developed a leak from the vent install. I ended up pulling the scoop and scraping out all the silicone caulking I had used. The stuff was essentially worthless for the job it seems, as it started breaking down from the heat. After cleaning it out and doing a bit of sanding, I wiped it all down with alcohol and refilled it with my favorite adhesive out there, E6000. I know this stuff works fine as it is what I used to seal al the rivets holding down the diffuser on the rear edge of the roof. Everything is back in and same as before, but unfortunately I think I will have to do a full pull of the roof vent itself and reinstall with the E6000 on all connecting surfaces as well as on top. This time I’ll try and get some more substantial help than my wife, maybe I’ll use bolts and nuts to hold the vent in place (and get it in tightly) while I install the rivets, just have to figure out a method of holding up the washers on the bottom (maybe tape will be the best bet).

On to today (6SEP2014); I’ve had some issues with the reverse lights being a little finicky at times, based on the symptoms I assumed it was the switch acting up, so I ordered one to put in. Just in time too, since the switch had completely stopped working. This is a huge PITA to change on a 6-speed if you don’t want to truly remove the tranny, which is how I did it; removed the tranny sub-frame and split the drive shaft (rather than allowing fluid to leak out of the hole the DS goes into; this is all the easy stuff though. Fun part was trying to replace the actual switch which required a crowfoot wrench I didn’t have, locating one was a PITA too, wasted 2 hours of the day running out to the Sears (looked like the single piece tools had been ransacked, and not a single crowfoot other than a $50 dollar package of ones I already had), ended up having to go farther out to Harbor Freight and bought a set there; 19mm crowfoot is now in my kit, along with some other spare metric crowfeet. After the time-drain I get all the necessary pieces removed and separated (sub-frame removed, tranny sitting on my second jack, driveshaft split, etc.).

Alright, finally get the bad switch out (easy enough to remove, one good twist with a double extension on the crowfoot and it spins out with one finger moving it) and decide I want to check both old and new electrically before the install. Set up my multimeter (to resistance) and check the old switch, open with nub out (correct), with nub in I’m getting mega-ohms of resistance (think I found the problem); new switch is open with nub out, and 1 Ohm with the nub in, new one is good. Now to try and get the new one installed (this is where I was hating life), took me almost 2 hours of struggling to get the bastard to start screwing in straight (very difficult to do when you can barely reach it with one arm over the tranny (literally could only touch it with my fingertips) and the other hand can only get to the knuckles between the tranny and tunnel). Finally get the switch in, and get it tight after some more finagling with the crowfoot and extensions; check out the reverse lights, they work beautifully again.

Since I was already in the area, I finally installed the Kartboy shifter bushings that had been sitting around forever and then installed the matching short throw shifter too. Feels a good bit more accurate now, no wonder though, the rear bushing was almost dry-rotted out (quite cracked on the surface, and very stretchy). Going to be fun to go drive around with this setup tomorrow.
Next was getting to the installing of the Borla exhaust that has been hanging around waiting. The modifications I have planned for it will happen at a later date (after I get a MIG welder for the garage), along with the other metal work projects I have in mind. And it’s in, pretty simple install, though it was a little beat up from the previous owner, and the slip fittings took a little massaging to get together right, but I heard no leaks like the P/O stated. It sounds pretty good when cold though.

(INSERT PIC of exhaust)

Next things on the agenda are starting to do some maintenance upgrades, which for now will consist of tire rotation, replacing the axle nuts (eventually, one thing at a time), fresh ball joints and swapping the struts for the lower mileage set in the closet. Also, I purchased another ’06 STi steering wheel for a project I’ve been thinking of doing, for now I’ll remain relatively tight lipped about it though I need to find a shop that welds Magnesium. Other than this I have some other parts arrived for the brake swap (fresh rebuild kit, a fresh color to paint the brakes in and some speed bleeders), a switched set of plugs for the diagnostic wires, a switched set of plugs for the clutch position switch (since the switch is being finicky lately and I will have an option of turning it back on and requiring the clutch to be pushed in) and I am in the process of changing out (read as deciding the colors) for some changes to the boots (e-brake and shifter) and center console (adding a matching cover) inside the car (working with Redline Goods on this).
 
#74 · (Edited)
1-9NOV2014: Alright, went to a cruise today, had some really bad luck though. Nailed a chunk of rebar and concrete that was hanging out on an exit. Destroyed both wheels on the driver’s side, and the front tire received a hole almost large enough to fist. I didn’t have the worst luck however, Bianca’s “twin” (another OBP ’06 STi but with gold BBS’ instead of silver like mine) blew their engine. Couple of the guys on the cruise convinced the owner to let me borrow 2 of his wheels (read as a temporary swap) to get me home. So now I more or less have forced my own hand at starting the 4/2 pot swap so I can run the old rally rims (and A/T tires) I had on Roxxy. So I started the swap on Tuesday night (4NOV, had to work on Sunday and Monday and it interrupted my planned starts), and as all installs seem to go, there are other irritating hiccups in the job.

These pics are both sides of the front wheel, notice the bend in the inside end is visible from the outer-side pic (about 60* clockwise): DS Wheel Front by RooT1985, on Flickr

And this is the rear wheel, outside section looked fine, inside not so much:
DS Wheel Rear by RooT1985, on Flickr

Luckily I had already rebuilt the 4/2 pots (including a second rebuild of the front DS caliper after I snapped the bleeder off inside and the removal bit too, FML) and had them mostly ready to go in (other than rears, didn’t have them put back together yet). So I get the fronts off on Tuesday night, and Wednesday night I get the new DBA rotors, Porterfield pads, rebuilt caliper and the Goodridge lines all in on the front, but apparently stripped (discovered on Sunday (9NOV) night after getting everything buttoned up) the mounting holes on the DS caliper (yes, this caliper is the main gremlin on this job), so it’s time to use that Time-Sert kit I had waiting around (unfortunately I need to get another tool to use the taps, as the one I have isn’t correctly sized).

Thursday I get a good bit of the job done, get the calipers rebuilt, get most of the install done, fresh lines and rotors are in, but need to get the correct mounting bolts for the calipers (Brembos are M10x1.5m I needed M10x1.25 for the 2 pots) and longer bolts for the Grp N top hats on the struts I was swapping in. Bought all those bolts during lunch time on Friday so I could get hot on continuing the install after work. Friday night is spent getting the rear calipers completed and installed and starting on the strut swap in the rear. Start the swap to fresher struts with Grp N top hats and ½” spacers on the rear that night, get the most of the way through both sides.

Saturday I do the install of the front struts with Grp N top hats and ½” spacers, lose one of the nuts for the top hat in the black hole called an engine bay, need a replacement now. Installed Eibach camber bolts on all 4 struts, change my mind and remove them again. After this I do the install of the TSS trailing arms and trailing-arm-mounts, adjusted out about ¼” longer than stock (have the option to adjust them from stock - ~2” longer), whenever I snag and install the lifting King springs I’ll adjust them out longer. Lost about 5 hours of work time that day due to my boss’ birthday party/lunch at Olive Garden and the food baby I had thanks to their endless pasta bowl (bad enough I considered inducing vomiting). Once I finally get back to work (after I installed the second trailing arm) I decided to try refilling the brakes by myself and discover the bleeding system I bought requires a compressor (I don’t have one, not going to get one soon either) so on to researching how to build my own one man bleeder.

Sunday I go and pick up the parts to build my own bleeder (1 gal pump sprayer, some hose, some fittings and a fresh cap for the MC reservoir), get it built and do some fine tuning to get it to work correctly (mainly to get the cap to have a tighter seal). I refill the lines and get the wheels back on the car, and attempt to move the car, and it’s not moving, one of the calipers is inhibiting movement. I lift the car again and start doing some inspections and discover one of the bolts is stripped on the driver side front caliper, start working on it but the stripping gets worse. All the parts stores are closed by this point so I close up shop for the night as I have to work early on Monday morning.

11NOV2014: Install is complete, rebled the brakes again and did some adjustments on the brakes (like putting an extra washer on the mounting bolts for the front calipers to stop the touching between the bolt and the rotor’s face). After getting this all done I was able to finally take the car for a spin, fill the tires back up (two were sitting at ~20 PSI, one at ~10 PSI (went in the trunk as a full size spare) and the other two were sitting right below 30 PSI), and bed the brakes a bit. Unfortunately I have the symptoms of a CV joint that is on it’s way out on the front passenger side (grinding/scraping noise only on a left turn and only on one side with no evidence of rubbing anywhere). After going for a little drive I came home (inspected the front passenger side wheel at this time, again) and installed the DAMD steering wheel I had hanging out. It all looks pretty good now, love the feel of the wheel a lot.

Here are some pics of the car at the end of all of this and the steering wheel (and surrounding area).
Untitled by RooT1985, on Flickr
DADM Wheel by RooT1985, on Flickr
 
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