Dave's 2005 STi *SOLD--Evo Time!* R.I.P. 10/4/05 to 10/19/09

[DaveSTi]

Originally Posted by TROLL

You're an animal! haha...
I always autoxed on -1.5 front and -1.0 rear camber and often had issues with understeer, but I felt it was my inexperienced driving that caused it. Probably some of both really...

haha yeah I've been buying up a lot lately! This month will be lighter than last, last month was in total prep to get the car ready for the autox.

Possibly, but you really want more grip than that on our cars. I had an instructor drive my car and he couldn't do anything with the car because of the lack of front end grip, and it just got worse once the lot got wet. It was a really weird feeling to have all the grip in the rear and ice skate in the front around cones.

[TROLL]

I've had serious understeer issues while autoxing on the harder turns, and when I get into slaloms I've had to be careful about getting a little tailhappy... it gets very loose feeling sometimes and I actually spun at the end of a slalom at about 70 mph at Warminster once... good times. All of my auto-xing has been on Bridgestone S-03s...
Ya know now that I think about it though, I auto-xed once after the STi engine swap on stock turbos (edit: haha i said turbos, still in supra world here) tuned to 330 whp and 350 ft lbs, making double the torque at 3k rpm as I was on the 2.0... and it was all power oversteer that day, haha. I was trying to be gentle but I think more than a few laps would have been needed to really adjust to that.

[DaveSTi]

haha you supra owners and your twin turbos :P yeah, i couldn't put my foot to the floor with my car either or it just went wide. fun times, gotta love the torque of the 2.5l you'll get it with time, just takes lots of practice and seat time to figure things out. i'm trying to get there myself.

About two years ago, I bought Street Tuner for my car due to changing the intake from a K&N Typhoon over to an APS 65mm CAI after I was PROtuned for the Typhoon. I did it because of heat soak and I've been happy with the APS ever since (with the exception of the rattling and bracket that doesn't line up to hold it secure).

I happened to be in Hagerstown, MD at the time due to a work assignment and as luck turns out, 30 minutes from WolfPlayer. A huge thanks to him and his contacts, he was able to secure the PROtuned maps from Doug at TopSpeed and have them converted to the Street Tuner format. He helped me through many PMs and IMs get setup with it on my laptop and my logging started.

It went over my head. I gave up and just ran with it after making tiny changes to the intake calibration table's idle settings during winter. I then had to change the software over from my work laptop onto something that I owned...so it went onto my desktop and was never used again until...

I bought a used Dell laptop. Then that sat...for...oh...another year....this is a terrible example of what happens when I lose interest in something, hah.

Anyway, about a week ago I finally swapped the software over onto the laptop and proceeded to pimp it out with stickers I had laying around. I took some quick WOT datalogs and it confirmed that my engine wasn't close to blowing up like I had figured all along, but some tweaks were in order, which are coming...soon. (tonight or tomorrow, pinkie swear).

[DaveSTi]

Tuned the intake over the weekend and got trims down to 5.88 under WOT. Spool time has decreased, but now I want to check for leaks since I'm seeing spikes in the trims for brief instances.

Got my eBay v-limited polyurethane lip in today. Fitment was like a C- with me putting it on on the ground. several bolts didn't line up and luckily I have a drill to make the pre-existing holes larger. I wanted to test fit it before I painted it and now I don't know if I want to go through the hassle of taking it back off! Here's the pics...II could only get 7 of the 10 bolt holes bolted up, some didn't even line up...more drilling is in order if I redo it.

looks good with the exception of the wave in the poluyurethane that makes it look off. If I had to do it all over again, I'd just buy the real thing and pray it didn't break.









the new O.Z.s are on in this pic, showing the matte black finish vs. the old gloss blacks I had on there in the original pictures.

[DaveSTi]

Wedge Engineering seat rails are here. Time to do the seat swap. STi seats are for sale after I install the Recaros.

[Goddabob]

Waiting on pics

[DaveSTi]

Originally Posted by Goddabob

Waiting on pics

so the seat rails arrived today...and i'm pretty sure they aren't the right kind??
how do i make this work?

[DaveSTi]

nevermind..thank god...didn't make any sense until i saw this pic:

[DaveSTi]

took off work today to install these. so worth it.

[RyanG]

Dave might I suggest something??


ditch the adapter they give you. and mount those puppys right to the base. You'll need to ditch the round bars on the base but you will be closer to the floor


oh and wtf no more short throw??

[Goddabob]

Looks like they belong in there. The interior looks clean, nice work.

[DaveSTi]

Originally Posted by AREA1320

Dave might I suggest something??


ditch the adapter they give you. and mount those puppys right to the base. You'll need to ditch the round bars on the base but you will be closer to the floor


oh and wtf no more short throw??

Thanks dude!

I set them at their highest height and its the equivalent of the stockers at their lowest height. I can go another 2 holes lower yet and I'm pretty sure that's over an inch. I'll give that a try first to save me some drill time

I need to get two 12mm x 1.25 bolts to secure the seats down at the rear where the tunnel is. The brackets are too thick to allow me to reuse the stock bolts, they won't feed in. I went to Home Depot and their metric selection was worthless. Anyone know a place that would carry this size? I need it to be about a half inch longer than the stock bolts are.

Still have the short throw. The Slobb can be adjusted to any height. It sucks for shortening the shifts, even with it at the lowest setting possible. I should probably just go back to the stocker and sell it. The bushings are all that really matter.

Thanks Steve! They really change how the car feels. Hard to explain, but a great fit!

[DaveSTi]

Mack plans restructuring to increase competitiveness, secure long-term leadership position




LEHIGH VALLEY, PA (August 14, 2008) – Mack Trucks, Inc. today announced a major restructuring plan designed to further improve the company’s competitiveness and position it for long-term industry leadership.
“Through hard work and substantial investment over the last seven years, Mack now has a completely revitalized vehicle line-up, an entirely new engine range, and a dealer network that’s stronger than ever,” said Dennis R. Slagle, Mack president and CEO. “But our focus is on long-term leadership in a very challenging market, regulatory and economic environment, and this demands that we continue to improve our profitability and competitiveness.”

Key components of the restructuring plan – which also involves other business units of the Volvo Group, of which Mack is a member – include:
• Moving the company’s administrative headquarters and most support functions from Allentown, PA, to Greensboro, NC, where many of these support functions – like Information Technology, Parts Logistics, Human Resources, Finance, etc. – are already headquartered, in order to improve organizational efficiency.
• Transferring assembly of all Mack highway vehicles from the plant in Virginia’s New River Valley (NRV) to the plant in Macungie, PA, (where Mack’s construction and refuse vehicles are currently assembled) to take advantage of efficiencies arising from consolidated assembly of the entire product line, and create a brand-unique environment for Mack customers. NRV will continue to produce all the vehicles in Volvo Trucks North America’s range.
• Consolidating product development and purchasing functions currently located in the Allentown Engineering Development & Test Center to the Technical Center in Greensboro, NC, to take advantage of synergies. The Allentown facility will be converted into a Customer Demonstration/Reception Center that will also house personnel supporting Macungie production.
• Restructuring the parts distribution network serving its dealers and customers – to include creating a new Volvo Group North America central warehouse in a location to be determined; closing the Columbus and Dallas warehouses; and downsizing facilities in Baltimore, Chicago, Jacksonville and Memphis – in order to improve the network’s competitiveness and aftermarket parts support.
In conjunction with this restructuring, an investment of approximately $20 million is planned to improve the Macungie plant’s paint operation. An investment of approximately $50 million is also planned to install a new engine block machining line in the Hagerstown, MD, powertrain facility, in order to complement the Volvo Group’s global capacity, and reduce both logistics costs and exposure to currency fluctuation.

“Taking these steps will make us a more efficient, agile, and cost-effective organization in almost every aspect of our business, from product development, to production, to aftermarket support,” Slagle said.

“We understand that these changes will be extremely difficult for many of our employees and their communities,” Slagle said. “While the additional investment and new positions at our Macungie plant and the conversion of our Allentown Test Center into a Customer Demonstration and Reception Center will mean a major continued Mack presence in the Lehigh Valley, we will do everything we can to facilitate this transition responsibly and sensitively for affected employees.”

Just over 1,500 people work in the three Lehigh Valley facilities affected by the restructuring: about 680 at the Allentown headquarters, about 540 at the Macungie plant, and about 300 at the Test Center. The NRV plant currently employs about 1,600 people.

The movement of Mack highway vehicle production to the Macungie plant is planned for the fourth quarter of 2008. This move is expected to create at least 200 new positions at the plant. The company also plans to move approximately 200 people from the headquarters to the Customer Demo/Reception Center to support production. The impact on employment in NRV will depend on the production rate at the time of the move.

The movement of Allentown-based administrative and support functions to Greensboro is planned for 2009, while those functions currently performed at the Allentown Test Center are scheduled to move in 2010. The restructuring of the parts network will begin in 2009 and be completed in 2010.

The impact on employees represented by the United Auto Workers will be subject to negotiation with the union, however, the company intends to offer all affected UAW members positions in other locations. Mack and the UAW have agreed that negotiations on a new labor contract will resume on September 2, 2008.

The company will offer all affected non-bargaining unit employees relocation opportunities; severance pay and outplacement assistance will be provided to any employee that stays through the transition but ultimately leaves the company.
Dedicated to quality, reliability, and total customer satisfaction, Mack Trucks, Inc. has provided its customers with innovative transportation solutions for more than a century. Today, Mack is one of North America's largest producers of heavy-duty trucks, and MACK® vehicles are sold and serviced in more than 45 countries worldwide. All Mack manufacturing locations are certified to the internationally recognized ISO 9001 standard for quality and ISO 14001 standard for environmental management systems. Mack is also a proud sponsor of Share the Road, an American Trucking Associations' public information campaign aimed at enhancing the safety of our nation's roadways.

Mack is a member of the Volvo Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks, buses and construction equipment, drive systems for marine and industrial applications, aerospace components and services, and is the world's leading producer of heavy-diesel engines (9-16 liter). The Group also provides complete solutions for financing and service. The Volvo Group, which employs about 100,000 people, has production facilities in 19 countries and sells its products in more than 180 markets. Annual sales of the Volvo Group amount to over $42 billion. The Volvo Group is a publicly-held company headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Shares are listed on OMX Nordic Exchange Stockholm and are traded OTC in the US.


Cliff notes: I'll be moving to Greensboro, NC sometime next year.

[Goddabob]

Wow, dropping the bomb. NC is nice, more money is better.

[DaveSTi]

Originally Posted by Goddabob

Wow, dropping the bomb. NC is nice, more money is better.

NC is nice, especially the G'boro area...it just sucks to see Mack leave Allentown. My family has ties to that building being there in the first place and now they're leaving. I'll be following them, but...it's hard.

[DaveSTi]

small purchase for the interior:


Thanks Chris!

[DaveSTi]

updated my plans. modding is done for the summer. heading to the track on the 7th to see what she'll run with all the weight taken off in the rotating places. 12.9 at 105 was my previous best 2 years ago before the car really had anything on it.

Still playing with the T2's to find a nice daily driver setting. I'm absolutely loving these things! Since I'm moving to Greensboro, I've decided to keep the 500/400 rates sinc ethe roads will be smoother down there.

Also, since I'm moving to Greensboro next spring, all my spare cash gets thrown into house downpayment savings, so no more buying blitzes This gives me enough time to really enjoy the car as is, which is what I'm doing. I want to hit a few more autocrosses before I leave the area too, even with the PS2's on the car. I'm hoping more neg camber up front will alleviate the understeer.

Oh, ordering a wideband kit for the car so I can log the AFRs in Street Tuner and not worry about tuning the car and it blowing up Should be an easy install.

I can't begin to tell everyone that if you really want your Subaru to handle and ride as good as it gets, get some decent seats and slap some T2's on it. Chassis bracing is key too. It's a totally different experience behind the wheel and I've never been more confident in a car's abilities. It also helps to know that the suspension used on the Viper ACR and its 7:22 Nurburbring run is made by KW.

Doubt I'll have many more updates to this, so signing off in the meantime. Thanks for all of your comments in this journal, it's been a very fun ride this summer.

[DaveSTi]

ah WTH...bump it up.

Just ordered a Perrin header and gaskets to add to the pile. I'll coat them with some VHT. Also made a deal for a Kartboy pitch stop mount. Planning on grabbing the Group N engine and trans mounts soon too to lock everything down.

Need to get the wideband installed too.

[LevittownMonster]

Dave how much power you think you are making?

[rodder]

wow this looks to be one of the most well-sorted STis I've seen yet. EXTREMELY nice mod choices. I'm following a similar build style but 2 new shortblocks in 3 months doesn't leave much cash left over for suspension and drivetrain mods. At least I was able to purchase and install my ohlins sportlines before the disaster started.