WRX track nugget

[womblesti]

Thought I would share a project that has been on going for the past few years. It started life as a Version 3 WRX Type RA.

Currently only used for sprints as I can't afford to bend it racing it properly (Not that it would fit into any recognised class anyway)

Modifications:
Cold air box and unifilter
Silicon intake pipe
AVO450L turbo
APS front mount intercooler
Wiseco forged pistons
Equal length extractors
ACL bearings throughout
Lightened crank
3” straight through exhaust
Extreme solid centre paddle clutch
PPG straight cut dog box
KAAZ front and rear plated diffs
Surge tank
800cc injectors
Custom fuel lines and rails
GFB BOV
Tein coilovers
Adjustable strut tops
Fully adjustable lower control arms
Whiteline front and rear roll bars
Rear diff cooler
Engine oil cooler
Power steering cooler
Shitty Jap bolt in cage (To be replaced very soon)
Alcon 4 pot front calipers
Liberty 17" wheels
Dunlop Direzza D03s
Motec M48pro
Martini 102 octane fuel


Performance:
Still 2L
265kw@w @21psi

Fastest times (running standard sway bars):

Winton: 135.43
Sandown: 122.32
Calder (Damp): 104.14

Pics: (Excuse the dirty interior, had been sitting around for a while )

[Sucker]

Looks like a fun ride.

How do you like the gearbox? Do you use the clutch on up shifts or lift the throttle a bit and slam it into the next gear?

[Euroboost]

Damm, I'd forgotten how scary those jap "cages" look! Please tell me they actually made them out of decent material.
Does the WRC wing make a difference over the standard one?

[TommO]

Awesome, very cool car. Any in car videos? I notice a video camera in there?

[profi]

Some very respectable times there, especially at winton.

[womblesti]

Looks like a fun ride.

How do you like the gearbox? Do you use the clutch on up shifts or lift the throttle a bit and slam it into the next gear?

Gearbox is OK. Only had it in for a couple of Winton practice days and it is very easy to use. On the second day it jammed in second which is a very common issue for PPG WRX boxes, so much so they have a part called an interlocker that stops it ($600 just for the parts) Haven't driven it again since but dont expect any problems now.

On the upshifts I just back off slightly and pull it through, unless I'm warming the car up when I double clutch. Downshifts I'm still working out the best method but double clutching at the moment.

Damm, I'd forgotten how scary those jap "cages" look! Please tell me they actually made them out of decent material.
Does the WRC wing make a difference over the standard one?

Cage scares me too. Only put it in because it was free but have regretted it ever since and I'm not driving it again until I get a proper cage put in. It is steel and quite heavy for its size so I assume its just mild steel.

Only had the wing on for the last Winton track day and I had noticably more understeer. Probably offset by more drag though!

Awesome, very cool car. Any in car videos? I notice a video camera in there?

Do have a couple but they aren't very good quality or very exciting. I'll try and get some better footage at the next track day.

Some very respectable times there, especially at winton.

Thanks. It only weighs about 1150kg so power to weight is pretty good. All times were with standard sway bars and mega understeer (especially at Winton's cleavage), hoping with the new setup to shave a few seconds.

[TJ]

Very tidy piece of kit there.

[evil_weevil]

Wow!
That looks pretty cool!!!

Awesome build mate!

[womblesti]

Bit of an update. I've been very busy at work lately but managed to strip the interior and have a cage installed. It's still at the fabricators but will get it back next weekend, give it a good clean up (can't believe how dirty the pics make it look) and it will then be off for a full respray inside and out.

The cage has gone from this:






To this:




Can't wait to have a drive to see how different it feels with a slightly stiffer chassis.

Once the painting is sorted I also need to repair the fabric on one of the seats. Does anyone know where to buy the fabric?

[Euroboost]

Cage looks decent.

[profi]

Yep cage looks heaps better, who did it for you?

[womblesti]

The cage was done by Rai Curry at Fabraications. It goes through the firewall to the front strut towers and comes with all of the CAMS documentation.

He's got a rally car out the front with one of his cages that turned itself into a ball. The passenger cell was all OK and they got out with a few strains and scratches, definately makes for great advertising!

I'll grab some pics of it when I go down there this weekend

[bagger]

What swaybar combo and spring rates are you running?

[womblesti]

Sorry, can't remember the specifics. I did the work over 12 months ago and have only driven it once since as I've had a hectic year at work and a new child.

All of the information is written down but I conveniently left that in the boot. I'll check on the weekend and post up the specifics.

[bagger]

bump for any info on your set up

[TRH510]

The cage was done by Rai Curry at Fabraications. It goes through the firewall to the front strut towers and comes with all of the CAMS documentation.

He's got a rally car out the front with one of his cages that turned itself into a ball. The passenger cell was all OK and they got out with a few strains and scratches, definately makes for great advertising!

I'll grab some pics of it when I go down there this weekend

Like to see those pics... i've got one of his cages.

[womblesti]

bump for any info on your set up

Spring rates are about 500lb. I did have much lighter ones in a couple of years ago, it handles much better with the heavier springs and the lap times at winton were a few seconds quicker.

Last time I had a run it was still running standard RA swaybars. I've got a 24mm and 27mm rear bar and a 22mm and 24mm front bar, all three way adjustable, to trial next time I go for a practice.

With the adjustable lower arms I also have much greater scope for camber and toe angles on the rear as well.

Like to see those pics... i've got one of his cages.

I'm an idiot and forgot to take my camera. Its in the car park out the front of his shop and looks like my car's shell but much rounder!

[womblesti]

bump for any info on your set up

What do you run?

[bagger]

What do you run?

Currently have Eibach springs with Koni inserts with a 22mm rsb

Just picked up a 22 fsb and 24 rsb both adj, fitting them up on the weekend.

Have been recommended the following combination by 2 different people:
24 F 25 R and
22 F 27 R (he did admit this was a bit twitchy in the rear)

Looking to upgrade to coilovers, hence the questions, trying to find out what works for other people.

[womblesti]

One of the ex GTP guys I was talking to recommended a 27mm front sway bar so everyone seems to have their own opinion.

I've found the front LSD helped a lot with the understeer and the ability to add a little toe in on the rear felt good.

I've picked up a performance box so my intention is to go to the track and try different combinations to see what works and what doesn't. I've even picked up a new bootlid to try it with the WRC wing and without.

I'm by no means an expert at setting it up so it will be largely hit and miss.

Happy to share the results but how relevant it is to cars with different setups is anyones guess.

[womblesti]

So, finally organised a week off work and have prepared the car for painting. Decided to go with Satin black inside and a green similar to Kawasaki green for the exterior, with black wheels and graphics.

Also replacing the turbo that has been a bit smokey lately. The turbo that is on it at the moment is a garrett GT30 based AVO turbo.

Anyone have any opinions on the sizing of the turbo if running a 36mm restrictor? I'm thinking a twist mount GT3088 but I'm hardly an expert on these things.

Also going with an external wastegate with V-band connections so I can easliy change turbos for unrestricted days.

Liam if you read this my understanding of the restrictor regs are within 50mm of the impeller wheel and for a minimum of 5mm. Is this correct? Anything else I need to factor in before getting one made?

Cheers

[womblesti]

Bit of un update, car is now very green. This is off the gun so will get a polish up next week then I'll get into it and clean up the dust out of the interior.

Next week order the turbo and restrictor then hopefully get it log booked before christmas.

[XAC15T]

I like this a lot

[profi]

looks good man, very good!!!!

[[ryan]]

That's a mad shade of green

[womblesti]

Thanks for the comments.

Its a Holden colour currently available on the SS. Was going to go non metallic being a track car and all but I reckoned this would look much better.

[Guido]

Looks good. How will you get it log booked for IPRA with that wing though?

[Kaiser]

Looks good. How will you get it log booked for IPRA with that wing though?

Pretty sure all the Subaru stuff was listed as optional equipment on the road cars to allow this sort of shit to happen. I dunno exactly how they got around it though.

[profi]

Dont think its for ipra guys....

[Turbo 351]

Once the painting is sorted I also need to repair the fabric on one of the seats. Does anyone know where to buy the fabric?

Try Ideal seat company in vic, they are the recaro distributors. I purchased 3 mtrs for about $180 i think.