Newbie needs some advice

ratfink · 10-23-2008, 11:51 PM

Just bought an 08 WRX last night. It's primarily my wife's car (who is likely to get out of the many tickets she will undoubtedly deserve) but I'd like to mod it a bit for my own weekend flogging. I picked up a K&N on the way home from the DMV and tossed that in, but it's stock otherwise.

All my searching and research on this site has given me mixed conclusions. I read my intake is crap and that moding it yields high results, but also read moding it nets a lean condition and requires tuning. Doesn't a lean condition indicate that the stock intake is suffecient with stock tuning? Also, why is Cobb the only programer out, and why is it so freaking much? I've modded Audis and BMWs before, and reflashes and maps were half the price.

So if I want to get the best out of the stock exhaust and maybe swap the intake, is flashing with open source my only option under $800? Thanks for your help.

newtothegame · 10-24-2008, 04:37 PM

Either opensource or some type of porfessional tune be it on a dyno or on the road.

WReXd · 10-25-2008, 08:35 AM

First of all, why are you so set on getting an intake? I'll be making 320-350 whp soon and I haven't even considered getting an intake yet. Whether or not it's safe or beneficial is really irrelivant. There are better ways to make power, especially if you're starting from scratch. Not to mention cops will most likely look for an intake when they ask you to pop your hood... that's all they know (many of them, at least). Engine management and a downpipe are great firsts. Consider those.

Secondly, what don't you like about open source? It's easily the best bang-per-buck mod I can think of. No matter what you do you will almost always find that having a tactrix cable will be convenient and helpful to you for years to come.

ratfink · 10-25-2008, 12:06 PM

I'm not set on getting an intake. It was just after reading that it was a good first mod on a 2008 (which is completely different then previous models), I started looking at it. I think I'll stick with just a drop in at this point.

I orderd the Tactrix 2.0 last night and have downloaded the opensource programs. What maps are you guys using for a basically stock 08? I'd like to try a few free maps before I commit to paying for one I have no experience with.

newtothegame · 10-27-2008, 10:50 PM

What you need to do is find maps (paying attention to the notes) that has the mods (or lack there of) to what you have installed on your car. Also paying attention to the altitude, temps (if they are posted or shown) relative to you. I have no experience for opensource so cant be of too much help, just relative notes of general tuning.