What did you do to your subaru today?

Installed a 08 - 10 STI quad tip Q300 on a WRX (single exhaust). Exhaust is a bit trickier when you don't have an extra set of hands to hold and lift stuff. I ended up using some cardboard tubes from my packing to assist me with getting the mid pipe bolted up. It's pretty eye opening when you take metal clippers and a file to your bumper


But the exhaust looks good and sounds better. The low end is a lot more present vs the SPT exhaust. After a trip around the block I jacked it back up and check for leaks. I was certain I had a leak.... nope... just a louder low end. Top end sounds a lot cleaner than the SPT. The exhaust is louder but it isn't too loud. I am happy with it.... also I am glad Ben and Nuke suggested going Quad Tip vs Single.

 

Oh... issues.

I was a bit worried about the hangers. I couldn't twist the exhaust and get the rear hangers on. After 15 minutes of twisting and turning I solved the problem. I took the drivers side hangers off the car. I hooked them to the exhaust. I hooked the passenger side of the exhaust to the car. Then I was able to mount the drivers side hangers back on the car with the exhaust attached.

 

Crap. I should have stopped over. I've had mine on/off at least half a dozen times now. I'm pretty pro at doing it by myself. Getting the hangers all on with one person and the catback already assembled can be a bit of a trick, but once you've done it a couple times it's not bad. Just make sure you don't drop it on your face, lol.

Glad you got it worked out though. The quad tip Q300 is pretty loud. Louder than any of the previous Q300's (single tip or the older model versions) or the sedan versions (including the quad tip). I think you'll like it. The giant tips look great.

 

Do you have any pictures of the final product on the car?

 

spray a little knock it loose penetrating lube on them and they will slip right on and off till it drys. Works like a charm.

 

Had mine weighed by Jeff the alignment guy.

With driver and approx ~1/2 tank of gas:

Front Left: 941
Front Right: 824
Rear Left: 764
Rear Right: 722

Front: 1765, Rear: 1486, 54.3%/45.7

It's a 01 Impreza RS 5sp manual. I've got some weight changes, mostly in the rear - big rear sway, towing hitch, large sub box in the trunk (two 12's), lots of dynamat especially in the back but also in all the doors.

Surprisingly, it was very close to what I estimated (1800/1500, 54.5%/45.5%). The only odd thing is that I've got a bunch of weight jacked over the front left side... it makes sense that my front right hub-to-fender distance is more than the rest. I'll be ripping the suspension apart here next week and resetting all the corner heights, probably going another 1/2" or so lower all around.

 

Not yet. I ran out of daylight. Almost took a pic at the gas station ... but decided to wait. I think i am going to take my bumper off and clean it up a bit.more. I'll have pics tomorrow

 

captain particular got what he wanted, good. I drove it today, without it overheating... so my ghetto fix apparently worked. yay to the gold rtv, lol.

 

Here are the pics. I ran out of sunlight, I am going to pull the bumper and file down the lines more. The close ups are from a low angles, but I wanted to show the trimmed diffuser.

 

last week installed a srs type-re cat-back exhaust and threw on some bronze 17x7 wheels with some 225/45 bridgstone potenzas

 

I'm planning to load the e85 map for the summer & full up with corn juice.

 

Added New mesh grille and some carbon fiber sidemarkers

 

Pics?

 

I will upload one tomorrow, been up since 2 in the am

 

Cleaned out all my stuff out of the WRX before I part with it tomorrow.

 

Sedan I predicted it pretty good when I was playing with suspension calculators 3 years ago: http://mnsubaru.com/threads/suspension-theory-vs-my-experience-math-turbation-warning.27479/


Also, today I installed my OBX Catback. Next up, HID conversion - to be followed soon after by camber/caster plates and a bit more drop.

 

Exhaust looks good. When are you going to get those lights fixed? They are too clear

 

Where did you get the tires? I've been waiting on back order for the same tires for quite a few weeks now through Discount Tire.

 

I was going to paint them red but the clear is a weight reduction. And since I live my life a quarter mile at a time it seems legitimate not to paint them.

 

I think I have a can of that red tinting paint if you want to try it.

 

Nah, if i was going to do it I would pay Chris.

 

I liked my overlays, and they are not that heavy. Your quad tip exhaust gained more weight then overlays. Just get another NF sticker for the other side and you should get some extra power to compensate the weight gain +1 for Chris

 

Love the quad tip!

Got a new idler pulley installed... and boy did that make a difference on some of the recent noise! Also cleaned all battery terminals, and was let down by a headlight refurbishing kit I used about 3 1/2 weeks ago... Maybe the day for new headlights is drawing closer...

 

Did you use the 3M kit? I had used that on two of our previous cars and had good luck. Is it because your headlights are cracked somewhere and the dirt is on the inside of the headlight?

 

I used a straight line 18 gauge metal clipper + a file to clean up the edges. It is about 90% done. I could put in another 20 - 30 minutes cleaning up my lines on the bumper. It looks great from eye level, but when you get down to bumper level you can see that I need to do a bit more work to make it look "clean".


Personal preference/opinions about the two exhuasts.

Q300 - very clean sound. Louder than the SPT and a full 3" exhaust. I noticed the low tones a lot more. The Q300 lets you know it is there. Under 2k it has a very clean deep sound. When I get on the gas (above 4k) the exhaust puts out a really clean note.

SPT - very low profile, will not attract the cops. Only is loud when you really get on it (and it isn't too loud). Not a full 3" exhaust, the mid pipe is smaller than 3". Has a more raspy sound to it.

 

I've heard both exhausts online but you know how that can be. I really liked one clip I heard of the SPT with a cobb catted dpipe (what I have on my current car) I've yet to hear the Q300 in person and have only barely heard the SPT a couple times passing on the street.

I would assume that the smaller than 3" midpipe section of the SPT would slow flow a bit and inhibit some performance the Q300 possesses ? What, if any dpipe are u running with ur setup? I'd love to hear it as well as some others as I daydream of the future - perhaps at some meet up.

 

I am running a cat-less TubroXS Stealthback DP.


I am happy to meet up sometime.

 

Do you have any knowledge of or input on whether or not the "smaller than 3" midpipe section of the SPT affects any performance comparitely?

Cool, thanks. Praps at a Calhoun meet up or something of the sort.

 

no, I don't have any actual data or facts to back anything up.

However, I feel like my car pulls harder with my new exhaust setup. It feels different when I get on it. I noticed it right away. Now I am not sure if this is mental or real.... but I wasn't expecting to feel any difference in performance, so I don't think it is mental.

 

Unfortunately, I didn't use the 3M version. I tried the McGuire's... It looked great that first week, but has not held at all. I think I will have to try the 3M version. There are no cracks, but there is some pretty deep stains...

 

Let me know if you need help. I am no expert but I have used the 3M kit a few times.

 

I went from the Q300 to the stock cat back and didn't lose any power. I do have an EWG though.

Headlight repair kits usually are just polish that takes any protective coating off the lights along with it and leaves the base plastic exposed. Different car's headlights will hold up better than others after polishing.

 

The 3M kit uses sand paper and polish. IIRC, it is a 3 or 4 step process. I think there were 3 sand papers and 1 polisher attachment... but I could be wrong.

Side note. The guy who invented the 3M kit, I teach his son snowboarding 2 times a week @ Afton on the D-team. Small world.



EDIT: Click here for review and details

 

From that link. This is the step just about everyone misses:

1. To protect your lenses from future oxidation, use Wolfgang Plastik Surface Sealant. The clear coating will guard against UV rays, moisture, and dirt.

Without some kind of clear coat the light will probably just go to crap again very quickly (way quicker than when it had the factory protection on it).

 

Interesting... I felt like my car certainly had more power back when I went from just having a dpipe and accessport map to adding an aftermarket catback (borla hush) from stock... contradictory to what a Cobb representative told me and some ppl have posted online. I too, thought it might have been in my head but I'm pretty convinced it wasn't.

 

All in your head. Car got louder. Seemed faster.

 

You have an accessport?

 

"had" an accessport ... got jacked with some other things when I accidently left my car open on accident for a bit. I doubt the theif had a clue what it was! He or she also stole my work planner probably thinking it was a cd case. Found it on a neighbors roof but would rather have found the Accessport obviously

 

Nah. I am going with our cars are faster. skeet and I are the exception to the rule. It wasn't a stock exhaust (SPT) but the new exhaust does flow better. I would like to think it did something.



Speaking of exhaust.... my mid-pipe was hitting a bolt on the under body of my car. It was hung with the flex pipe up (pictured) ....



I stopped by Nuke's on my way home for something else. We were talking and I told him I was trying to figure out the noise while sitting in traffic on 36. We went for a ride, he suggested the exhaust. I jacked it up and noticed the pipe close to the bolt. I was able to move it and get it to bump/rub. So i called Lor, had him check his exhaust and realized I had to flip mine. Took 3 minutes to do... I'll test it out tomorrow.

 

Flowing more doesn't matter if it isn't a restriction I'm sure it's possible that it does help in some cases though. And it sounds cooler.

I did install my (now Lor's) midpipe upside down from that. Seemed like the only way it would fit my car. Kind of stupid because then it becomes the lowest point on the entire car. I don't know why that section isn't just straight.

 

BTW, holy crap your car is really high off the ground. I hope the front is jacked up for that photo...

 

Nope. That is just the rear side jacked up.


I agree. That design is stupid. I am now wondering if it should be flipped? Maybe swap the resonator to the front? I wonder what the bend would look like.... might unbolt it this weekend and check it out.