Simon's STI Wagon: Many Mods Spoil The Subaru

By the time Simon started tracking at age 33, go-karting was out of the question. His body hadn’t been calloused properly from driving those cost-effective but physically draining machines during his teens and twenties. Plus, being a proud Northerner, Simon wasn’t ever too eager to drive in hot temperatures, and not only does a kart puts its driver right in the middle of a heat sink, it requires them to wear a racing suit. He sought out something a little more comfortable to get his jollies with.

Always fond of the Subaru’s rally-inspired road cars, he grabbed an ‘06 WRX sedan and started autocrossing. Fearing the five-speed would shatter under the strain, he decided to upgrade to a new STI a few years later. This time, he’d have a stout six-speed, a little more power, and a fifth door. This wagon, with its softer lines and extra storage space, represented the best drive-to-the-track car for Simon.

His honeymoon phase was bliss. However, after learning a little more about the EJ257’s ringland issues, he had a little irritating voice to contend with every time he took his wagon to the track. Still, he made a few modifications, kept power outputs reasonably close to factory, and learned how to get the most out of this surprisingly swift and nimble hatchback.

Of course, his plan to remain conserative with power outputs was, well, a little idealistic. Even keeping power under the 400-whp-mark, he found that the engines kept popping. After a worrying but relatively ineffective fire during an autocross, he decided to splurge and get a fully built engine courtesy of IAG Performance.

This special lump included a parts list four pages long and a price tag not far from the cost of a stock STI. Clearly, he was committed to seeing just what the EJ257 could do when he threw everything at it. The big ticket items that might raise an eyebrow are an IAG Stage 3 Magnum EJ257 Subaru Closed Deck Short Block, IAG pistons and rods, a Supertech valvetrain, ID1300cc injectors, and a custom GTX2971R turbo that fattens the powerband sufficiently for the road course. The total power output: roughly 450 horsepower at all four wheels.

Oiling and cooling proved to be the biggest problem for this engine, regardless of its level of modification. To keep the motor lubricated at high g-loading, he ran KillerB’s larger oil pan, baffle, and pickups; as well as Crawford’s air-to-oil separator. Adding a vented hood helped extract some of the heat from the bay, and a PTP Lava turbo blanket, Koyo radiator, custom 19-row Setrab oil cooler did the rest. Though he didn’t test the car in truly scorching temperatures, it proved to stay chilly in Laguna Seca’s dry heat.

“It’s a fun car when it works. I’ve had some thoughts about returning it to stock and just enjoying it for what it’s meant to be, but I feel I’m past the point of no return,” he laughed.

Of course, it wasn’t meant to excel only on straightaways. The biggest modification he made—one of hundreds—was surprisingly simple: chassis stiffening. Between the TC four-point rollbar and the CUSCO chassis bracing—mounted mostly on the underbody, gave the once doughy wagon a much more athletic character. “It wasn’t the motor or power that surprised me most—it was the CUSCO bracing. I had to relearn everything; it’d become so tail-happy overnight!”

That edginess was dialed out for a more Massive AP six-pistons clamp the front rotors and give the 3,200-pound wagon strong braking performance and repeatable trail-braking—a must in a middleweight four-wheel drive. The platform’s inherent understeer is mitigated somewhat by getting the most offered by the KW V3 two-ways and camber plates, but it’s something he prefers; the softer edges of a push-prone quell his nerves.

Thank Christ the footwork was sorted as well as it was, because now he’s dealing with a power downgrade and the wagon’s sharp handling is now its greatest strength. Why the downgrade? It’s recently been made smog-friendly and the only real power adder is a COBB tune. “It’s a little on the slow side, but at least I’m not going to worry about another engine bill anytime soon,” he said with a smirk.

If the lengths Simon went to trying to find the most this platform can provide taught him much, it’s that there’s some sense in staying stock. “Too much worrying detracts from the driving experience, and the more modified the car is, the more I worry,” he admitted.

For now, he’ll have to learn how to enjoy a machine with grip that vastly outweighs its power output—though it’s tough calling a 300+ horsepower turbo car a momentum car. For comfortable commutes and spirited backroad driving, he’s got an EVO X on hand that he’s committed to keep near-stock. He learned his lesson with this bewitching but fickle wagon that will undoubtedly remain the focus of his excessive side for years to come.

ENGINE
IAG Stage 3 Magnum EJ257 Subaru Closed Deck Short Block
Closed Deck Block Halves
Machined for Fire Lock Ring
Machined for 14mm Head Studs
IAG Spec JE FSR 99.75mm 2618 Forged Pistons
IAG Spec H-Tuff Connecting Rods with 625+ Rod Bolts
ACL Race or King Main and Rod Bearings
STI Nitride Crankshaft

Supertech Titanium Spring Retainers and Spring Seats
Supertech Valve Spring Kit (Exhaust and Intake)
OEM Valve Guides
R&R all Intake and Exhaust Valve Guides, 5 Angle Valve Job, Head Resurfacing
Grind and Polishing Spring Ends for titanium retainers
Bowl Blend EJ Heads
IAG 14mm Head Stud Kit for EJ

Subaru JDM 12mm Oil Pump Part# 15010AA310
Gates Racing Timing Belt
RPS MAX Series Clutch with Street Disc
ACT Streetlight Flywheel

KillerB Oil Pickup
KillerB Oil Baffle
KillerB Larger Oil Pan
Miltek Catback Exhaust (with custom Laguna Seca turn away tips)
Agency Power aluminum 3" Turbo inlet (with 3"->2.4" silicon adapter). DEI wrapped
Stock VF48 turbo
Cobb FPR
Cobb Flex Fuel Kit (fully installed but unplugged from the ECU)
DW300 Fuel Pump

Koyo Racing Radiator
Custom oil Cooller (19 row Setrab core, Mocal 200F Thermostatic Sandwich Adapter)
Crawford v2 Air-Oil-Separator
KillerB Radiator Shroud
Stock rear differential with Perrin cooling cover (holds more fluid as well)
COBB OTS Stage1 ACN91 NWG map (COBB AP v3 is included)

INTERIOR
OMP HTE-R Racing Halo Seat
OMP 6-point Racing Harness
OMP Seat Side Mounts
Sparco Seat Sliders
Planted seat base (customized by TC Design)
4 Point Weld-in Rollbar (Half Cage) by TC Design
Partially stripped in the back
Small leather FactionFab steering wheel
5v USB hardwired plug for the windshield mounted camera (under the rear-view mirror).
Strong (3 point) Rollbar mounted camera mount.

EXTERIOR
VIS VRS Style Vented Carbon Fiber Hood
Cusco Front And Rear Tow Hooks
Aerocatch hood latches

SUSPENSION AND CHASSIS
RCE Tarmac T2 Coilovers with 500/500lb Springs (9k/9k)
Whiteline Front adjustable 22mm rollbar
Whiteline Rear adjustable 22mm rollbar
Whiteline Adjustable (Front) Ball Endlinks
SuperPro Rear Endlinks
Vorshlag Camber Plates (front)
2011+ STI Front Lower Control Arms (LCA)
SuperPro Front LCA Front Bushings
SuperPro Front LCA Rear (no Caster ALK) bushings
SuperPro Roll Center Adjuster (RCA)
2015+ STI Fast Steering Rack (13:1 ratio)
SuperPro steering rack bushings
Cusco Steering Rack Bracket
SPT Steering Cooler
Super Pro Rear Trailing Arm Front Bushing
Super Pro Rear Trailing Arm Rear Bushing
Super Pro Rear Upper Control Arm Inner Bushings (non-adjustable)
Super Pro Differential Pinion Bracket Bushing replacement
Super Pro Toe Arms
Cusco Rear Adjustable Lower Control Arms (Links)
Whiteline Rear Subframe Bushing Inserts
Whiteline Differencial Bushing Inserts
Kartboy Pitch Stop
Kartboy Front Shifter Bushing
Kartboy Rear Shifter Bushing
Cusco Front Lower Arm Bar Type II (H-Brace)
Cusco Power Brace Floor Center
Cusco Power Brace Crossmember
Cusco Power Brace Rear Member Side
Cusco Power Brace Rear Lower
Tanabe Front Strut Tower Brace
IAG Competition Series Engine Mounts
GroupN Transmission Mounts
Whiteline Gearbox Mount Bushings (positive shift kit)

BRAKES
Essex AP Racing RadiCal 6-piston Front BBK (Ferodo DS UNO pads)
Custom Front Brake ducts with fog light covers as duct inlets.
OEM size rear Ferodo DS UNO brake pads
OEM size rear Stoptech Powerslot Rotors
Stoptech Rear Stainless Steel Braided Brake Lines
GrimmSpeed Master Cylinder Brace

WHEELS AND TIRES
Enkei PF01 18x10 ET35 wheels (no TPMS sensors!)
Motorsport-tech custom (wheel and hub centric) 3mm front spacers for better strut clearance
Yokohamas A052 (265/35-18)
APR Wheel studs all around