Consistency
Since the last update the GC8 WRX has been through A LOT, project cars are a true test of patience, will power and financial wizardry.
In my last article, I mentioned the next step for the car would be getting some work done on the engine, and I did. It was way worse than anyone expected. The valve stem seals were worn and that's the reason the engine would smoke on cold starts.
The rod in the third cylinder was discoloured and extra toasty. The bearings were worn and pitted and there were oil leaks everywhere, I have no idea how this thing didn't blow up, maybe it was Subaru reliability? Now that the engine was rebuilt with new seals and bearings it runs like new.
My goal with this car has always been to get it back to stock form and keep it reliable and fun. I think I've achieved that, but I've wanted to have some fun with it. When I got the car back I decided to give drag racing a try. It's fun and challenging on its own but I'm more interested in something a little more technical and better suited to my car. Plus, I'm scared of blowing up my 5-speed during a 6k rpm launch.
What I've always been the most interested in was Autocross, we've covered a few autocross events and it's always been fun, the competition is friendly and healthy, it's a good group of people. So back in 2019, I decided to compete. I was a complete novice to this motorsport, I've never really pushed the car so I didn't know its limits. It was exciting. To this day (2021) I've done 9 events or 1 and 1/2 seasons. For my first event, I replaced the brake pads and just sent it, crappy tires and all. It was fun but the car was everywhere a N/A Toyota starlet with coil-overs beat me by two seconds, granted he is a good driver, but I knew my car could do better, even in stock form.
In an effort to make the car more suitable for the second event, I got new tires 205/45/16s just road tires. Competition tires weren't in the budget yet but maybe further down the line I'll get a set. I've also gotten a Cusco front and rear strut brace, which has really helped with the handling. The front of the car feels much stiffer now.
The more events I entered, the more I realized that the drivers skill is more important than the mods. Granted, good tires are probably the best mod you can make for this event but they're useless if you can't drive. Our autocross group held a training session recently and I let two of the previous champions drive my car and it felt completely different, I didn't know it could perform like that. I've decided to focus more on improving my driving skills rather than mod my car. All in all, the car performs amazingly, there's a lot of body roll because the suspension is still stock and my bushings are as old as time, but I'll get to that. I really need to become a better driver for now.
I’m looking forward to seeing what my mostly stock WRX can do.
I’m not that great, I was just more consistent than the other rookies.
More to come - Keep Motoring Along
It's still stock
Nothing major, it's still stock. The car is pushing 19 years or so of age, it just needs some sprucing up. The first quality of life mod I did was install some GlowShift gauges I got from Chris at Redline Barbados who is, by the way, building an amazing 280Z, check out the article we posted a little while ago.
Since we last left off my Subaru GC8 WRX has been through quite a bit of what I would call...quality of life mods.
Nothing major, it's still stock. The car is pushing 19 years or so of age, it just needs some sprucing up. The first quality of life mod I did was install some GlowShift gauges I got from Chris at Redline Barbados who is, by the way, building an amazing 280Z, check out the article we posted a little while ago.
I got a Boost Gauge, an Air/Fuel wide band gauge and an oil temperature gauge, maybe I'll get one or two more but I got these to monitor the health of my car. The gauge pod I got from eBay, it didn't fit right though, so I got it sanded down a bit.
Old car problems.
Now I can maybe wrench a bit but I'm completely lost when it comes to electrical work on cars. So I gave a man a call who is probably one of the best automotive electricians on the island, Randy Brewster, he owns a little company called BossTech Auto, he does amazing work. As the car is old though while installing the gauges and the pod, the centre console piece just shattered on us. Nothing a little super glue can't fix.
Fixed.
She Lives.
While I was there I did an oil change as well, since we installed an oil filter sandwitch plate so we could get an oil temperature reading. An oil change I can do.
The next mod to the car was upgrading the cooling system. I first upgraded the cooling hoses with silicone hoses because they were old and looked like they were about to burst. I assume the radiator was that old because not long after that it actually gave out on me, so I decided to get a decent Mishimoto radiator. It dropped right in, factory fans bolted right on. I just had to bend the housing of the left fan back a bit so it wouldn't foul on the power steering belt. Good stuff.
As is my luck sometime between doing all of this my hood scoop decided to detach itself and blew away on the highway. So i found this company called RPG Carbon, they make fiberglass and carbon fibre parts for a bunch of different cars. So i ordered a new scoop from them and here's how the car sits now.
CHAPTER 2
Working on a car takes some time. It's been a while since this happened, and my parts came. A few were to just fix the problems with the car, things that broke when we worked on her putting in the cluster, the time for another oil change came around as well, and she's been running like a dream.
I started using LIQUI MOLY 10W-40 supplied by the guys at TDK Auto Supplies. Works really well with my engine and turbo charger.
Project Ford in the rear
Some external mods were needed too. JDM yellow fog lights just bring the nostalgia back from the 90's. You probably spotted the change of the indicators to the amber ones as well, really just bringing together the feel of the car.
New center console came as well, fresh from E bay, feels good to have it coming together slowly but surely. I did a small induction Mod solely for the sound, I removed the factory snorkel which up through the side fender, I am pretty satisfied with the sound it makes now when I'm driving.
The next step will be some engine work, big things to come guys. - Maurice
Deliciously Stock
The stars aligned and I saw this baby for sale. A completely stock 1999 Subaru GC8 WRX. Sold my Starlet, never looked back.
Ah Subaru, the Sub, the Sub Dog, Subbie, Scobby, Rex, Rexy all names we call Subarus but I can finally call this one mine. From as far back as I can remember I always wanted a Subaru. When I was growing up I remember watching Colin McCrae tear up rally stages in his 2 door 22b STI GC8,I always wanted one after seeing him race. Also, I just love that boxer burble.
I don't have a very long or interesting car history got my first car when I was 21 or so, a 2 door 1999 Toyota Starlet Reflect, I spent the next 2 years or so converting that car to look like a Glanza V, my god it was clean.
The plan was to eventually swap the 4efe for a 4efte engine into it and boost it to hell and back but it was my daily and I couldn't really afford to have in a shop for long periods.
Then the stars aligned and I saw this baby for sale. A completely stock 1999 Subaru GC8 WRX. Sold my Starlet, never looked back.
It was perfect for a daily, it's stock so it's reliable, 4 doors and trunk space so it's practical and fast enough so i can still have a little, "responsible" fun.
I inherited a couple of issues with it though, some rear damage, nothing major and a massive boost leak from the top mount inter-cooler y-pipe. Once I got all that fixed, worked like a charm.
I do have plans to eventually modify it once I restore it to stock condition but right now I'm just enjoying it before I make the fuel economy worse.
I really enjoy the look of a stock car. I was never really a fan of ricing, when it comes to the exterior of the car I don't have any plans for it, maybe a front lip and a bigger hood scoop but that's a big maybe.
Delicious 4pot stock brakes. Just enough. For now.
Someone once described my engine bay as "Full" I can understand what they're talking about, not much room left in there. The space taken up is put to good use, according to my research from factory the turbo charged engine puts out around 214hp-220hp at 6400rpm and 250 lb·ft at 4000rpm though that was years ago, probably way less now (I would love to put it on a dyno). It is said to achieve 0-100 Km/h in 5.99s and a 1/4 mile in 14.27s. All this while the little turbo pushes out about 13.5psi of boost.
It has Subaru’s symmetrical All Wheel Drive System which causes it to tear my face off when it accelerates sometimes, you get a lot of grip surprisingly. It gives you a feeling of invincibility when cornering which has caused me to spin my car around a couple times.
“There is nothing more terrifying than losing control of a 4 wheel drive car. . . the horror.”
A triple gauge pod in the centre of the dash is planned.
When it comes to the interior of the car it's nothing special. It's very 90's JDM, hard plastics everywhere, function over form. Subaru added a few extra bits with the WRX and the WRX STI versions of the Impreza. A MOMO wheel, which feels great, a shift knob and boot with red detailing, along with the red and black bucket seats and the white background of the gauge cluster it really gives everything a nice look.
Vroom
I really love my WRX. I've had the pleasure of owning it since February 2017 and it hasn't let me down yet. I even met some really cool people in the Car Community, the Barbados Subaru Owners Club for example, maybe I'll get to do a feature with their cars sometime soon, they have some awesome cars.
Till next time.
-Maurice
