Draco-REX

Thanks. Can't wait to get back into the dirt.

Those are definitely on the list, fronts and rear.

Step 1: The Once-Over Gotta get the car fully checked out and the fluids changed. The transmission is getting Motul 300. I've used both this and Subaru Extra S before. While the Extra S made for smoother shifting, it only lasted about 1 season of racing before the notchiness returned. Motul survived two season. Rear diff gets Motul 90PA. Haven't used anything different, so I figure if it worked well for me in the past.... Amsoil for the engine. Love this stuff, but it's usually such a PITA to get. But, I just found out that the Andersons off Sawmill stocks Amsoil! Where the hell have I been? That made my day when I found out. Soon as the Fumoto valve arrives, off all this goes to ZB for a full check up. The coolant and brake fluid will be changed later when I do the radiator and brake swap.

Thought I'd try to make one of these project threads. I kind of missed the boat with the BRZ, but this should be a fun build. I'm not planning anything as extensive as the BRZ with this car, but I do have a specific goal in mind: SCCA RallyCross Modified AWD National Champion. Yup, I want to win it all with this car. While I believe my WRX was capable of claiming the title, I think it would have required a good day on my part and a bad day on my competitor's. Specifically, Warren Elliot in his EVO IX. He is a fast driver in a car built for this kind of competition. This past year he won by over 23 seconds. I need two things to beat him: 1. I need to be at the top of my game. After taking a year off of RallyX due to not having a suitable car, this will be a tough one. So I'm just shooting for a podium this year. Next year I want the gold. 2. I need a car that can step up to the EVO. Another EVO would seem to be the best choice. But I am MUCH more familiar with the GD Impreza platform. Additionally, the EVO, in my experience, has an Achilles heel. The intake hoses have a tendency to pop off when driving hard over rough surfaces. I'm sure that can be minimized, but it's a headache I don't need. So my plan calls for an STI. The choice of year came down to the transmission. 2004 was the first year for the STI in the US. While it has the DCCD center diff (which my old WRX lacked) it lacks a yaw rate sensor and the front diff is a Suretrac. 2005 saw the introduction of a yaw sensor and a change to a Torsen front diff. 2006 had no major changes to the driveline, but 2007 saw taller 2-4 gears. With my experience with the 6-speed I swapped into the WRX, I decided that I wanted the lower 2nd gear, so a 2007+ was out leaving the 2005 and 2006 STIs as the sweet spot. I much prefer the look of the 2006, but I wasn't able to locate one that fit my budget. I did, however, find a 2005. The starter for my build: Meet "Simo", the 2005 STI. (I bet at least one of you will figure out the name) A previous owner traded the rear wing away, unfortunately. I happen to like the big STI wing, so I'll be looking into finding another STI owner to trade with. Either that or I might look into getting an actual functional wing, or a WRC replica. Dunno yet, and that's way down the to-do list. The headlights are pretty foggy. But they shouldn't be too hard to clear up. This car is also covered in PERRIN logos. Those are all going away. The tail lights have silly blueish "white" reverse bulbs and cheap tint. The tint is flaking too. Also the car doesn't have a third brake light without the spoiler. I'll probably need to remedy that. The exhaust can is slated to get the axe once I can get the car to Mad Hatter. Janky looking intake and a full turbo-back exhaust. From what I gathered from the previous owner, I think Thorne did the tune on this car. It pulls hard and spools very fast. I'm happy with the tune. However, the intake needs to go. The air filter hangs too low for RallyX. I need to change it to a short ram which may require a re-tune. So I need to find another tuner to give it a once-over. The interior is in good condition. Short shifter, Yay! Perrin lozenge knob and lots of play in the lever, Boo! Got a new knob and lever extension coming. In this thread, I hope to keep track of my progress getting this car into fighting shape and my competition results as I head towards my goal of TOTAL DOMINATION!

..but you think the whole JDM thing has been done to death.

Does he pull the grill and put filters on the turbos? I can't see him driving around ingesting all the dirt and rocks that a car ahead would toss up.

That's good to know. I'll have to remember that when I start doing more track days.

Nice footwork. The left foot braking is interesting when he uses it on the straights. I can only think either the front end gets just a little bit light (it is a brick..) or he's keeping the revs under control without unbalancing the car.

The only thing to keep in mind is that the GTM does have head-room issues. If you're a big guy, you may end up having to do some creative seat mounting to wear a helmet inside.

When I get involved with something I enjoy, I often find myself trying to do more and more. After a while, I look back and realize that I've added a lot of extra complexity and stress to something that I used to enjoy. I say go ahead and grow. But stop every now and then and look back to make sure you're not leaving what you enjoy behind.

/thread

Hmm.. Wonder if the stock transmission can handle 5 Million Tq.

:megusta: I would love to have that done to the BRZ. 11,000rpm red line screamer. Not a crapton of torque, but who cares? 11,000 R. P. M. !!! It's also $26,000+. Might as well have two BRZs.

It's already on the truck for delivery. http://i.imgur.com/WMCbOQLh.jpg

2:00

I wouldn't consider it if it weren't for the Vorschlag LS swap kit they're developing now. Their swap kits are known for being very high quality and well developed. But it'd be years before I seriously consider a build like this.

That would be cool, and I even have a random engine stand just sitting around. But while I will gladly do any work on the chassis of a car, I don't trust myself to do internal engine work. And I don't think a high-strung, large displacement (for an 8k rpm), franken V8 is the best place to cut my teeth. Not to mention, the more I look into these builds, the more it looks like the devil is in the details. These aren't simple destrokes.

True. But he operates in different area of the Power/Price graph from the rest of humanity.

I hadn't known this was a thing until I saw that article. The builds you linked look simpler than the one in the article, and probably a lot cheaper. I'd keep it NA though. It'd be hard enough to keep traction without doubling the torque. The engine in the article looks like it'd be pretty expensive. Poking around Jegs, it looks like it'd be about $6K + long block + tune. But the engines above appear to be simpler builds which should bring the price down considerably. Add in the swap kit and it's a big chunk to drop on the car. If I were to do something like this to the BRZ, it'd be in place of trading it up into something else.

My girlfriend got me the same thing! I think mine is in May, and offers a choice between a Gallardo and a F430. Should be fun.

I have one at home that works great. It even has optical ports that pair with the HDMI. It's super simple to set up, has a remote, and has worked flawlessly for me for the past 8 years. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of it and I'm not home to find out what it is. But that doesn't matter because they stopped making it years ago. *sigh* I pray it never fails me.

Yeah.. If I were to ever LS swap my BRZ, I'd want this LS build with EFI. http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/4-8l-crank-ls3-block-how-to-build-an-8000-rpm-ls-stroker/ 450+lb-ft of torque is plenty for a 2850lb car. And a 8000rpm redline with 600+hp would make it scream. This is seriously making me think about the long-term plans for the car.

I haven't seen a 19F/20R stagger on a V Coupe yet, but with how large the tail end of these cars are, I think it will look great. Winter can't end soon enough.

From my experience, If you want a street tire that will do the occasional track day at Midnight Ohio and you want max grip at the expense of some turn in, get the Hankook RS3. If you want a street tire with tons of grip and excellent turn in that's great for AutoX, go with the Dunlop Direzza ZII. If you want a grippy street tire that's quiet but can still corner, and you're willing to give up turn in feel, get the Continental ExtremeContact DW or 5P. Michelin Pilot Super Sports will be going on the V next summer. It'll be interesting where they fit into my list.

No. The STI makes more power, 305ish to WRX's 268 I think. The confusion comes from the 5sp WRX's taller 2nd gear that lets it hit 60mph faster than the STI which loses time shifting to 3rd.