Yesterday I took ownership of
this car. My reasoning?
The Bee is going to end up a garage queen and I'm going to need something to DD in winter. Obviously, I would have been happy to wait until next winter to buy a winter capable vehicle, but this one came up and after
losing the last one by a mere four minutes I couldn't pass up this opportunity.
I plan to drive this car and take care of it to keep it fun and roadworthy.
I don't plan to drop big dollar items into it, that's why I bought a winter car. Whelp, that turned out to be ullbayitshay.
It doesn't have to look pretty, but it does have to work reliably when I need it to. Hence, there are some maintenance items I'll need to take care of.
This is a
fun car to drive. It doesn't grab you by the throat and make you rage like
the STi does, but it does get up to the speed limit deceptively quickly and quietly. The suspension is fair for a car of its age, and the handling is decent enough to bring a smile to your face. The body shows dimples here and there, courtesy of its age, but there's no serious rust spots and we're not going to pose this car anyway.
2014-07-20 Test fit RPF1's
2014-03-16 First day of ownership photo shoot (post 5 hour rubdown with Tuna):
Current Mod ListBlack - Installed
Blue - Ordered/Waiting to InstallRed - I might consider this repair/upgradeEngine/Exhaust/DriveTrainAirboy Stage 2 tune
Invidia down pipe - catted, divorced waste gate (
207630 km)
Grimmspeed up pipe (DEI titanium wrapped)
STi exhaust (04)
Grimmspeed aftermarket DP->OEM exhaust adaptor
(website) (210830 km)
Higher flow rate OEM fuel pump (09 STi) (210830 km)
Unknown short shifter with unknown front bushing
TSK snout kit (208820 km)
Killer B oil pickup and baffle (208820 km)
Denso IK20 spark plugs (208820 km)
Exedy OEM replacement clutch (208820 km)
Koyo OEM replacement radiator (210830 km)
Fluids:
- engine oil = Rotella T6 5W40 (204240 km, 207630 km, 208820 km, 213275 km, 217543 km, 222116 km, 228551 km, 234326 km)
- transmission oil = Redline 75W90 (201740 km)
- rear diff oil = Motul Gear 300 (201500 km)
Handling/BrakesWinter Tires: Zeta Antarctica Ice 205/55R16 (224251 km)
Winter Rims: 16x6.5" +55 OEM
Summer Tires: 215/45R17 Bridgestone RE-71R's
Summer Rims: 17x7" +55 OEM JDM Legacy
RCE black springs on Koni inserts
Stock front top hats
Stock rear top hats (with saggy butt spacers)
Stock 20mm front sway bar (new bushings 222116 km), stock end-links (231600 km)
Whiteline 22mm adjustable rear sway bar
Kartboy rear end-links
Whiteline steering rack bushings
Kartboy rear diff outrigger bushings (212390 km)
Kartboy rear subframe lockdown bolts (212390 km)
TiC rear diff bushings (comfort) (212550 km)
Hawk HPS rear brake pads (225990 km)
Energy Suspension front LCA bushings (231600 km)
Interior/ExteriorAluminum under tray
Low beam bulbs - Osram Nightbreaker Unlimited - H1
High beam bulbs - Phillips 9011 Standard headlight bulb (modified to fit as 9005)
Back-up LED's - brighter than the sun (
XP80)
Interior LED's - e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.
Pioneer AVH-X8400BH DVD receiver
Rockford Fosgate Punch P200.2 Amplifier
Energy 10" Sub and box Combo
Rally Armor mud flaps
Weathertech DigiFit front floor mats
Weathertech regular rear floor mats
Subaru trunk liner
Cobb Access Port
Windshield (203780 km)
Tint - 30% fronts and 20% rears (210500 km)
-------------------------------------
Purchased at 200,450 km.
Things I have done to the car:
- tighten the front struts, which were rattling over big bumps
- dial in the Koni's which were wallowing as they warmed up
-
clean it and perform initial maintenance- install Weathertech Digitalfit floor mats in the front
-
Coolant flush/thermostat/block heater (201070 km)
-
LED the interior and back-up bulbs-
install silicone y-pipe-
install Kartboy rear end-links- change rear diff oil to Motul Gear 300 (201500 km)
-
full rebuild of power steering pump; being o-rings, bearings, shaft seals (201740 km)
- change transmission oil to Redline 75W90 (201740 km)
-
second rebuild of power steering pump, after blowing the first (201760 km)
-
replace PCV (201760 km)
-
install RallyArmor mud flaps (201760 km)
- replaced Koni's and RCE blacks with
ST coilovers (202005 km)
-
restore headlights with Crystal View kit-
installed new high beam bulbs-
Re-installed OEM headlights-
New AGM battery (202520 km)
- New summer tires (202530 km)
-
New KCA335 front top hats (202690 km)
-
Final ST ride height adjustment (202690 km)
- Greased and teflon taped FSB bushings
- New windshield (203780 km)
- New rear wheel bearings (203840 km)
- Aluminum undertray (204240 km)
- Oil & OEM filter change, Rotella T6 5W40 (204240 km)
- Oil & OEM filter change, Rotella T6 5W40 (207630 km)
- Coolant flush (207630 km)
- Replaced Coolant temp sensor (207630 km)
- Swapped stock turbo for a newer one (207630 km)
- Installed dent free DP (207630 km)
- Installed GTspec UEL headers and up pipe(207630 km)
-
Replaced oil cooler gasket and one of the nearby rubber elbows (207630 km)
- swap Whiteline KCA335 top hats out for stock STi top hats (207930 km)
- swap 108 kPa upper reservoir radiator cap out for 137 kPa cap (207930 km)
- grease and teflon tape RSB bushings (207930 km)
- install winter tires (207930 km)
- took her to VEX for the following (at 208820 km):
- OEM STi timing belt
- Timing belt hydraulic tensioner
- Timing belt idler pulleys
- Killer B oil pickup and baffle
- OEM timing cover (RH)
- Spark plug tube seals
- Valve cover washers
- Thermostat & gasket
- Water pipe o-ring
- Intake manifold gaskets
- Exhaust manifold gaskets (Permaseal MLS)
- Exhaust gaskets
- Valve cover gaskets
- Camshaft plugs
- Subaru cam gear bolts
- Dipstick o-ring
- Oil pan o-ring
- Denso IK20 spark plugs
- OEM metal head gaskets
- Exedy OEM replacement clutch
- Machined OEM flywheel
- Install TSK snout kit
- replace oil pump o-ring
- replace front crankshaft seal
- oil & OEM filter change, Rotella T6 5W40
- coolant flush (probably Motul)
-
fixed the keyless entry chirp which was intermittent and sounded more like a "mee-eerp" (210000 km)
-
POR15'd the rear strut housings- POR15'd the tow hitch (210500 km)
- Tinted the windows (210500 km)
- Removed ST coilovers (used for 8680 km) and re-installed the original RCE blacks/Koni inserts (210685 km)
- Removed 22mm Whiteline FSB and replaced with 20mm stock FSB (210685 km)
- another trip to VEX for the following (210830 km):
- install VF48 turbo
- install 565cc injectors
- install STi fuel pump
- install Koyo OEM replacement radiator
- install Grimmspeed DP->stock exhaust adaptor (them fumes, kaff kaff). Had to remove the hitch as the muffler now rattles on it
- another stage 2 tune from the master
- installed Kartboy rear subframe outrigger bushings (212390 km)
- installed Kartboy rear subframe lockdown bolts (212390 km)
- performed the following (213275 km):
- removed VF48 turbo and reinstalled TD04L (stock) turbo
- removed 565cc injectors and reinstalled stock injectors
- removed GTSpec UEL headers (with up pipe) and reinstalled stock exhaust manifold
- installed Grimmspeed up pipe (DEI wrapped)
- new OEM air filter
- oil & OEM filter change, Rotella T6 5W40
- re-loaded previous stage 2 Airboy tune
-
replaced drivers headlight bulb (H1) (215550 km)
- replaced drivers side marker bulb (168)
- replaced passengers headlight bulb (H1) (216500 km)
- Oil & OEM filter change, Rotella T6 5W40 (217543 km)
- Oil & OEM filter change, Rotella T6 5W40 (222116 km)
- replaced FSB bushings with OEM rubber (222116 km)
- fitted new studded winter tires (224251 km)
- installed new OEM air filter (225945 km)
- installed new Hawk HPS rear brake pads (225990 km)
- Oil & OEM filter change, Rotella T6 5W40 (228551 km)
- installed new OEM front end links and Energy Suspension 19.3101G Front LCA bushing kit on freshly powder coated LCA's (231600 km)
- Oil & OEM filter change, Rotella T6 5W40 (234326 km)
- serviced front struts (235411 km)