looking for opinions on mod path

[CHAOS]

looking for some opinions about my mod path...


ok there are 3 issues im having currently with the car...

1)the front lip is trashed, the front bumper could use a respray/refinish, and the fender is trash ... id like to get that taken care of so im not driving an ugly car (its really not that bad im just picky)

2) the current stereo set up doesnt have enough bang for me... its loud but its not clear enough nor does it have enough bass... the head unit i want costs about $3000 with all the accessories i want with it... and then the rest of the stuff needs an upgrade to go with that...

3) the PITA sti strut clunk... the only way i see to get rid of this and have it not come back is to get different struts... or coilovers... neither of which is cheap... the coilovers i want cost roughly 3 grand and take 6-8 weeks to get because they are special order...


let me get some thoughts...

[peteyturbo]

1. respray paint is never as good as factory, don't expect the clear to last as long.
2. break out the checkbook.
3.Usually aftermarket coilovers are noisier then stock because of the stiffer bushings.

Number 2 should remedy number 3:)

[CHAOS]

its not the road noise.. its the clunking of the strut... they are notorious for it. but good points nonetheless...

anyone else?

[CHAOS]

and when i say respray i mean... sanded down, refinished and then repainted by a professional...

[Renegade_]

the coilovers i want cost roughly 3 grand and take 6-8 weeks to get because they are special order...
:bigeek:

Are you getting custom rated bilsteins or something like that?

Personally I say get at least something done with the suspension before doing the exterior. Not necessarily an all out coilover but do something to keep a smile on your face while you save up to get the outside fixed (swaybars, ALK (if you don't want to autox), etc)

*edit*

You are talking about these aren't you?

http://www.poweraxel.com/sti/news/news2004/sti04001.jpg

[peteyturbo]

Aftermarket coils amost ALWAYS clunk like that, there is a tradeoff when going to performance suspension..And yes a professional respray with all the prep work is never as good as factory, keep in mind they have to try and blend the color to match no matter what paint you give them, then they spray clear on top of your original clear..its not the road noise.. its the clunking of the strut... they are notorious for it. but good points nonetheless...

anyone else?

[lagos]

i would upgrade the stereo over anything else on the list. why? because your front lip will just get damaged again over time and the clunk you hear from the struts will probably be worse with after market ones. if the car is still under factory warrenty, id would take it to subaru and see what they say about the clunk. normally its just the top strut mounts that need to be replaced for noises like that.

as for the stereo, get your self a basic 300$ alipine, clarion, etc.. head unit. then add a single 12in JL sub in the trunk. that will give you a pretty big boost in audio quality.

[RayArroyo]

i would upgrade the stereo over anything else on the list. why? because your front lip will just get damaged again over time and the clunk you hear from the struts will probably be worse with after market ones. if the car is still under factory warrenty, id would take it to subaru and see what they say about the clunk. normally its just the top strut mounts that need to be replaced for noises like that.

as for the stereo, get your self a basic 300$ alipine, clarion, etc.. head unit. then add a single 12in alpine sub in the trunk. that will give you a pretty big boost in audio quality.

plus by upgrading the stereo , he will no longer hear the clunks

[CHAOS]

if i upgrade the head unit im getting a avic z2 plus accessories to go with it.

and yes im talking about the sti coilovers

[ozthunder]

Jon, my man, we'll just get some eibach's and spray paint them pink ;)

I think if the front really bugs you..get that done. Once you can be perfectly fine with how the car is now, go about your business and start going nuts. For me, i'm an absolute nut with scratches and **** like that. It stays in my head far too long for me too like. I'd get that done. Obviously it won't be as good as factory unless you do a whole new thing, but...if you know where to go, it'll be 98%.

[DaveSTi]

the clunk is an inherent problem with the sti struts. you can repack them with grease for a short term fix.

coilovers are your best bet short of paying 2 grand for ohlins struts or you can wait for the bilstein fixed perch struts to be imported over here with the RB320 kit.

I'm going to be going with Bilstein PSS-9's or KW V3's myself. I'm not a fan of japanese valving at all and those sti offerings are way overpriced for what you get.

So my vote is for suspension.

[Honest_Bob]

I had my sti hoodscoop painted at a body shop and it matches the rest of the car. All I did was give them the paint code. Its only been on there for 6 months or so but still I think it would have faded or show some signs of not matching by now. CGM is probably an easier color to match unlike WRB. I'd get the fender fixed, but screw the bumper. Just wait for someone to rip it off in a parking lot or something. It gets sandblasted constantly on the highway anyways. :o

[ozthunder]

Go to Coatesville Auto Body/Pommerer's collision. My father took the side off of a Yellow Frontier 3 years ago and they matched an entire side and front absolutely flawlessly and perfectly. They are a bit more expensive than others, I won't lie, but i'll put them up against anyone in the area for quality.

I drop off the goat on Monday..woot.

[Verocious]

or...

4) GT32 Twinscroll :devil:

[teh DIRT]

or...

4) GT32 Twinscroll :devil:



please, sti's need nothing smaller than GT40

[CHAOS]

ill throw that turbo on there if i get a sponsorship from verocious.

[Verocious]

Fine then, Twinscroll GT40 it is

[CHAOS]

this is not easy for me...

im wondering if maybe i should go through insurance on the fender and bumper. i have the option to pick up another good condition CGM bumper from a tst member.. precut for a fmic... but i dunno if itll work with my fogs

[ozthunder]

Insurance is there for a reason, just make sure you don't plan on getting in any incidents or anything like that.

Like I said, my opinion is about anal perfection and OCD. lol

[sisforsurfing]

I think you have to ask yourself what's most important to you. If it were me I would probably get the parts that really need attention and are an eyesore fixed. My bumpers both have been scraped up in parking garages and I'm doing mine... just because it's important to me to not have it looking trashy. No one likes a lowered, modified car with trashed body parts.

What coilovers were you looking at? I'm guessing Bilsteins, KW's, or Ohlins? I've ridden in cars with the PSS9's and the ride is significantly better (less NVH) than any JDM coilovers without question. It's cool you want to spend that much on suspension though... I think it's crazy when people spend $1,500 on a turbo alone but think anything over that on suspension is too much.

[CleanNeon98]

Why would you get such an expensive headunit? Just get a cheaper one and good speakers/amp/sub. Headunit will just attract more negative attention from thieves

[CHAOS]

its a nav unit. i want navigation... its that simple. why bother with something that isnt 100% what i want? im willing pay for really nice things.

[CHAOS]

I think you have to ask yourself what's most important to you. If it were me I would probably get the parts that really need attention and are an eyesore fixed. My bumpers both have been scraped up in parking garages and I'm doing mine... just because it's important to me to not have it looking trashy. No one likes a lowered, modified car with trashed body parts.

What coilovers were you looking at? I'm guessing Bilsteins, KW's, or Ohlins? I've ridden in cars with the PSS9's and the ride is significantly better (less NVH) than any JDM coilovers without question. It's cool you want to spend that much on suspension though... I think it's crazy when people spend $1,500 on a turbo alone but think anything over that on suspension is too much.

i understand... im looking at the 05 sti coilovers like renegade posted... they are not cheap by any stretch... and being that they are an sti part... that makes them that much cooler in my eyes... ill have to find out if anyone uses them to find out about harshness tho...


as far as insurance goes... im not even sure theyd cover the fender because i primed it to prevent rust...

[DaveSTi]

I think you have to ask yourself what's most important to you. If it were me I would probably get the parts that really need attention and are an eyesore fixed. My bumpers both have been scraped up in parking garages and I'm doing mine... just because it's important to me to not have it looking trashy. No one likes a lowered, modified car with trashed body parts.

What coilovers were you looking at? I'm guessing Bilsteins, KW's, or Ohlins? I've ridden in cars with the PSS9's and the ride is significantly better (less NVH) than any JDM coilovers without question. It's cool you want to spend that much on suspension though... I think it's crazy when people spend $1,500 on a turbo alone but think anything over that on suspension is too much.

The problem with the 05+ STi is that there aren't any good, cheap suspension options. You can go with the budget $1k coilovers and get all the clunking and bad valving to go along with it, and thats fine for some people. Or you go with whats proven to work well and lasts. 04 STi and WRXers can easily opt for a killer Koni and GC setup with some modifications to the strut housings, but the hub knuckle on the 05+ makes this impossible up front.

Chaos- Those coilovers will ride better than stock to an extent, but run Arai tarmac spring rates, which are fairly low for a coilover. 346/280 IIRC. Are they the 4-way adjustables?

[CHAOS]

im not sure to be honest with you dave... id probably get them from either japanparts.com or gnvmotorsports.

ive also considered picking up the tuned by arai springs and getting different struts and avoiding the coilover all together.

[CarbonIS]

i am personally a big fan of the flexes on my car. The ride quality really isn't that bad and they perform very well. When I pair them with the sways on Friday, I'll let you know how well it improves the handling.

I do like the theme you are going with though with JDM OEM sti parts so far,
so going with the STi coilovers, IMO, would be a great option for you. Just
do me a favor and don't get the CF STi strut tower brace and s204 rear strut
tower damper before me, k? :)

[CHAOS]

im not going to completely stick with OEM parts... i may branch out with some carbing, arc, and other brands. :)

[CHAOS]

omfg i found spec ra-r brakes. :) and suspension :metal hand:

[sisforsurfing]

The problem with the 05+ STi is that there aren't any good, cheap suspension options. You can go with the budget $1k coilovers and get all the clunking and bad valving to go along with it, and thats fine for some people. Or you go with whats proven to work well and lasts. 04 STi and WRXers can easily opt for a killer Koni and GC setup with some modifications to the strut housings, but the hub knuckle on the 05+ makes this impossible up front.

Yeah I totally understand... the "budget" coilovers (MR, BC, cheap Teins) aren't my favorite... I don't see how a company can provide a good all-around product for that price, but they suit some people just fine.

I understand the allure of STi coilovers, but at that price you could get some pretty sick Ohlin Sportlines and still have money left... or Racecomp Engineering springs with Ohlins struts for even cheaper. Or just screw it and get Motons :mrgreen:

But regarding the original post, I think you'll chose whatever is most important to you and be happy. Your car will be really nice any way you chose.

[CarbonIS]

im not going to completely stick with OEM parts... i may branch out with some carbing, arc, and other brands. :)

i'm basically going a similar route. Sticking with oem parts and brands like
perrin, tein, cobb, carbing, etc.



where are the type ra-r brakes?

[CHAOS]

im not telling. plus they are over 5 grand.

[CarbonIS]

yuck.

[ToTheIX's]

i think ive told you this before....just swap in the 4g63t and go from there....choad

[CHAOS]

haha... very funny.

[DaveSTi]

im not sure to be honest with you dave... id probably get them from either japanparts.com or gnvmotorsports.

ive also considered picking up the tuned by arai springs and getting different struts and avoiding the coilover all together.

The Arai is the stiffest spring out there for our cars, last time I checked. You're going to want a good damper to control it. :)

Konis would be sweet, but for the time being, our only option are the Ohlins for a fixed perch strut solution.

Prodrive needs to hurry up with those RB320 Bilsteins. :lol:

[CHAOS]

whats good about the fixed perch solution?

[DaveSTi]

where are the type ra-r brakes?

Over in Japan. :lol:


They're BAMF's, but I won't spoil the surprise.

[TROLL]

I think a $3k head unit, $4k coilovers, and $5k brakes are all ridiculous. Thats my opinion of your mod path.

The Z1 is essentially the same as the Z2, and will be coming down in price very soon i'm sure, and there are also other very good head units for even cheaper.

The KW, Bilstein, or RCE coilovers are all between $1600-$2000 and are killer. I don't know for sure but I'd guess that they are much better than the STi coilovers.

The RA-R brakes... yeah its fun to dream, but stop there.

Hey, you wanted opinions. I've got lots of them :wink:.

[CHAOS]

thats what i was looking for honestly... honest opinions...

[CHAOS]

and the z1 is already 200 cheaper than the z2... but i love having the latest and greatest ... cause i like to waste my money haha

[DaveSTi]

whats good about the fixed perch solution?

set it and forget it. less rebuilds required over the life of the car (if any with the ohlins). easier to setup. "cheaper" than a quality coilover in theory for many cars (not reality for us). more strut travel which leads to better ride quality.

[TROLL]

yeah you do have some really nice parts on your car and if you've got tons of money feel free to continue on that route, but unless you're planning to spend a ton ($30k+?) and build a top notch show car, it just doesnt make sense to me personally to spend double just for the 'status'

[CHAOS]

i would love to have a show/magazine quality car. its going to be a long process but id eventually like to get there.

[DaveSTi]

I think a $3k head unit, $4k coilovers, and $5k brakes are all ridiculous. Thats my opinion of your mod path.

The Z1 is essentially the same as the Z2, and will be coming down in price very soon i'm sure, and there are also other very good head units for even cheaper.

The KW, Bilstein, or RCE coilovers are all between $1600-$2000 and are killer. I don't know for sure but I'd guess that they are much better than the STi coilovers.

The RA-R brakes... yeah its fun to dream, but stop there.

Hey, you wanted opinions. I've got lots of them :wink:.

The KW, Bilstein, or RCE coilovers...heck I'd throw in ASTs, Whiteline G4's as well, should all be superior to those STi coilovers in valving alone. At best, the STi offers 4-way single adjustability with lots of low speed rebound. It'll ride firmer than the stock STi setup, which will reduce the "bobblehead" to a degree, but it will still bounce over potholes and uneven pavement. For $3k, you're up in Ohlins Sportline territory with money to spare for an alignment and ALK, IMO. :cool:

[DaveSTi]

Here's a good discussion on what I've been referring to:

http://www.iwsti.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83309

[ToTheIX's]

and the z1 is already 200 cheaper than the z2... but i love having the latest and greatest ... cause i like to waste my money haha
yea but youll be pissed when the newer one comes out and yours isnt top dog anymore bc at that point its just another 600 ebay deal

[CHAOS]

i no longer desire the z2... thanks to fred.

[CHAOS]

so i called the insurance company to try and figure out what itll cost me to get my fender and bumper fixed.... they are trying to make me pay the deductable twice because it was two seperate incidents... im pissed... its $500 a pop... so $1000 dollars just for that... im almost better off getting my whole car painted. insurance is a ****ing rape.

[ozthunder]

Have you gotten an estimate yet from any auto bodies? I'd go that route now to see what the price is going to be. I mean you shouldn't have to replace any of the parts, therefore it should just be paint and prep.

[CHAOS]

the fender might need to be replaced because of where the dent was...

[ozthunder]

You'd be surprised what they can do with dents..is there a crease evident? usually if there is no crease you'll be alright.

[CHAOS]

its visible... ill just get the estimate and see what happens.

[ozthunder]

Yea. And get more than one too, and play people off of each other. It's economically advisable and quite entertaining too!

[CHAOS]

well either way im going to have to pay the $1000

[ozthunder]

Eh, I guess so. Still, worth it. I'd also fight the claim of 2 deductables. Do you have any documentation of either incident?

[CHAOS]

what do u mean?

[ozthunder]

Like..pics from the time...yadda yadda. I know the front is basically "general wear and scrapage" and the other time was you leaning on it, but still every bit helps. I would just fight like a ****ing rottweiler to be able to pay just one deductable.

[D Money]

i would love to have a show/magazine quality car. its going to be a long process but id eventually like to get there.

That takes time. It's hard to keep up with what kids are doing right now in the show scene.

BTW, I would never pay $1,000 to paint a bumper and fender, that's nuts!

[CHAOS]

exactly D... i dunno what to do... i might just save a bit to get the whole car painted.

[ozthunder]

That blue, eh?

[D Money]

I would do that, just save or key it. :wink:

Anyways, picking a color is HARD! I have been looking through color books for the past couple days now and I can't find **** that says "YESS!!!" yet.

Check out BAS-F carisma colors, Dupont Hot hues, or House of Kolor Kandy's. They all are 3-stage paint, which means you will lay either silver or gold on the car first before painting it. It will cost over $4,000 but the paint will be deep as ****!

Dude it's not only you, we all want stuff for our cars. If I had the money I would have an 06 front end with a voltex widebody, 18x10 +29 GTR face Advan RS, and a huge monster wing, but until I can afford it I will stick with what I have now.

[CHAOS]

ill look when ive got the money haha.... but im sure i already have a color picked... ill just have like 10 coats of clear on it. haha

[goodfella732]

This should be your next new mod...

http://www.westforthsports.com/ProductImages/signs/for-sale-sign.jpg

Then buy my car so I can snatch up that 07 from my brothers job.