Highlanders MY03 STi Prodrive

IGOTASTi

System Operator
Staff member

Highlander395

New member
Thx CRZTRBO ;)

Today I replaced the OEM exhaust. The fully catless exhaust has been put back under the car. The only thing I didn't change was the back box. I wanted a nice and brutal sound of the boxer engine, not some screamy loud pipe that brings up a headache after 10min of driving :p I was happy to hear the Prodrive granted that wish! Inside the car you can hear the rumble and it's lovely when putting the pedal to the metal. Outside, it's discrete and 'silent'. I'm quit happy with the result :)


Now, my turbo heat shield had disappeared after the change of turbo (I guess, see previous owner), so I needed a new one. OEM wouldn't fit because of the bellmouth so I got myself a Grimmspeed. I did forget one thing dough, I have a RHD... so the shield wouldn't fit either :( It was already to late when I realised that and I decided to MAKE it fit :p


Original (nice & shiny):
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After modif:
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Installed:
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The 'amount' of heat I felt on top of the hood has decreased a lot now! This means the shield does what it is supposed to do and I believe it will have a positive influence on the TMIC temperature as well :)

I also wanted to install the Supertones today but my power steering cooler needs to be replaced/removed. I didn't have the time to do that, so the Hella's have to stay a little longer in their box..
 

Highlander395

New member
It's been a while again, some small updates now :D
Paperwork has been done, this weekend I can take the car for his first official spin on Belgian roads :D Me happy!!

In the mean time, I ordered some parts in Holland.
1) OEM STi V-limited-style front lip => previous owner trashed it and I think it looks lovely so I ordered a new one :) This time, it's made of PU, so bending, scraping,... it won't affect the lip.
Example:
IMG_2623.jpg



2) S204 shift knob. Wasn't really my intention to buy it, but it just looks a lot nicer than the original one :D

More to come!

Highlander out!
 

Highlander395

New member
** Blowing dust away ** :D


Long time no update, but we got back in action last week :)

First of all: the car is fully registered on Belgian license plates!! :tard:
Second: updates!!

- Front lip arrived day after I ordered it, but because I was afraid of it coming too low on the car (didn't want to play snow plow), I hadn't mounted it yet. Last week, perfect occasion:
IMG_0074Small.jpg



- 'Subaru' logo on the truck was already removed by previous owner (rather sloppy) so I decided the rest should go as well. Just kept the STi logo ;).
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- Testfit of the 17x8 trackwheels:
Photo9-12-11091750Small.jpg

Plenty of space in the wheel arches so I'll probably lower it a bit more (3/4")


- And last but not least, some goodies arrived as well:
1) Eibach swaybars:
DSC02868Small.jpg

2) Kartboy Endlinks and Subframe lock bolts:
DSC02853Small.jpg

3) Stoptech steel brake lines:
DSC02851Small.jpg



Next up:
- Fitting stuff mentioned above
- Mounting Hella's :?
- ...
 

IGOTASTi

System Operator
Staff member
Looking good. Keep it up. :tup:
 

Highlander395

New member
Here we are again!

Had some time of last couple of weeks so I decided to 'continue' the work on the STi.

First, I gave it another attempt to install the Hella Supertones which went pretty well :)
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Wiring harness was made from scratch but went easy and it's nicely tucked away as well. Bloody h*ll, they're loud!! :lol:

Next thing to do: interior works!
Managed to get almost every part needed to do a center console swap to the later MY05 version.
Before:
IMG_0206Small.jpg

During:
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After:
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Quite happy with the result. Looks newer, feels newer, works like a charm :) Only minor issue is the ebrake... I'll need the 05 version of that as well to make is fit like it should :roll:

Update to do next:
Turbo pressure controlled intercooler waterspray :cool:
IMG_0214Small.jpg
 

Grinder34

Track Monkey
Have you read this:

http://autospeed.com/cms/title_Intelligent-Intercooler-Water-Spray-Part-1/A_0527/article.html

If i remember correctly, its all about the best automatic intercooler spray setup. Interesting read, but I think the conclusion that they came to is that boost alone isn't the best method for automatically spraying the IC. They USED to sell a controller, but I think they stopped.

Anyways, looks good, and keep us posted on how your automatic sprayer comes out.
 
Last edited:

Highlander395

New member
@ Rek888v2: why do u want my car? :p It's just an ordinary blob :p

Small update this time :)

I recently bought an AFR meter but haven't installed it yet because I didn't know where to locate it :brickwall I didn't want to mess up my 'new' center console, nor did I want to tear up the meter for a smooth install somewhere.
After searching for ideas, i came across this gauge pod:
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After one week, it arrived and look stunning!
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My other gauge pod is a carbon fibre one, so i decided to give it a try and skinned this one al well :)
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After sanding it down, putting an extra 3 layers of epoxy, it looked something like this:
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Preparation for the hole:
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Testfit:
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Only thing left to do is sanding and clear coating. After that, the AFR can be installed :luxhello:
Switch will be installed as soon as the sun comes out.. Bloody rain prevents me from continuing :(


Highlander out!
 

Highlander395

New member
Finished the gauge pod last weekend :notworthy looks pretty awesome for a first time DIY Carbon Fibre usage :)
IMG_0261Small.jpg



My other gauges had some malfunctions every once in a while so i stripped the console again and connected the AFR as well:
IMG_0284Small.jpg



Installed & tested:
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Overview:
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Installed my Kartboy rear subframe lockbolts also.. Mixed feelings on this upgrade :confused: The rear is searching for tracks and I have a lot more vibrations on the shifter as well :wonder: I do love the feeling of having more 'feeling' with the rear end :)
 

Highlander395

New member
Alrighty, update time! :cool:

Last week, I installed the last missing piece of my center console swap: The handbrake.
Found one of a 2008 model which would fit like a glove, and it did :p

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3 days ago, a friend of mine broke down his modded WRX.. I only wanted 1 thing! And got it as well :D
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Damn, it's huge!! :shock:
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Next up the list: fuel rails, injectors and remap :)
 

Highlander395

New member
Alright, big update again :)


Couple weeks ago I did a Dynorun. It needed to be done so I have a reference once I get started on the engine (some day).


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325hp/377Nm was the result.


Next up was a little update to the exhaust. I saw some shots of scoobies who had no back box or silencers. Thought I'd give it a try and make some noise :D
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Result:
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I also ordered a new set of extended open lug nuts, had the wheels refurbished and put under the car for our anual meeting.


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Last week, the car started heating :( Found a 2-2.5" crack in the top of the radiator. Solution:
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Much better:
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Last issue I need to solve is the top water hose.. The OEM has been cut by the fan because the radiator sits closer to the engine :unamused:
 

Highlander395

New member
Pfieuw.. lots of duts on my topic but new life has been found :) Last week I made myself useful by installing nearly every piece I still had in the garage on my scooby.
- Lateral links US MY04
- Eibach sways front & rear
- Kartboy endlinks front & rear
- Whiteline ALK
- Whiteline steering rack bushings
While doing so, I also cleaned the underside, removed some rust, and painted the U-shaped brace. This way, underside of the car has been checked and prepped so no more worrying for a few years :)


The stuff:
IMG_1101Custom_zpsf3a4d12d.jpg

Old ones out:
IMG_1102Custom_zpsa825c42b.jpg

New ones in:
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Swaybar + Endlink:
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IMG_1116Custom_zps7b2e3cd8.jpg

Coated:
IMG_1120Custom_zpse5ffff25.jpg

Ori setup:
IMG_1113Custom_zps07e2299f.jpg

New setup:
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ALK:
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Before:
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After:
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Finished
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Still to come:
- Stoptech stainless steel brake lines
- New brake fluid + bleeding of the system
- Engine bay clean-up (driving during the winter hasn't done any good)
- Adjusting ride hide
To be continued tomorrow! I'm hoping to get it all done so I can do a decent suspension alignment next week :)
 

Alin

Diehard Car Enthusiast!
Ooooo lots of goodies! :tup:
 

Highlander395

New member
@ Grinder: doesn't that make the car less rigid?

She's ready!! Can't wait untill Sunday :)


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TBH, what a difference! Even on the street, there's much more feedback coming from the entire car than before :) Steering wheel is more direct, when hitting full throttle, the nose doesn't go up any more and there's a lot more 'feeling' with the road.
She may prove herself on Zolder next Sunday, but I bet I won't be coming home dissappointed :)
 

Grinder34

Track Monkey
That U-brace doesnt add much/any rigidity. It's a crash safety piece. How much safety does it add? I dunno. I still figure its a fairly safe car without it, so I decided to remove it.

There are aftermarket subframes that are actually trussed/triangulated (eg Oswald), but the OEM "U" shaped one possesses very little in the way of rigidity.
 

Highlander395

New member
Thx for the info :) I could only guess it was there to add some rigidity.. never thought of completely removing it from the car. Went to have a look to the Oswald site => DAYUM!!! Nice stuff!! To bad I live in Europe :( Shipping & taxes would kill my wallet....
 

Highlander395

New member
Early Christmas (or late Easter :p )! :)


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Got my hands on a Spec C 12L Intercooler water spray tank :) Will make it easier on track not having to stop every 5 laps for a refill :p
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Mounted and connected:
IMG_1277Custom_zpsc902a668.jpg



Next up: STi GeNomes!! :twisted:
 
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