Subaru WRX Forum banner

wanna take out STIs

5K views 43 replies 15 participants last post by  sleepr 
#1 ·
i wanna be able to take out STIs wit my bone stock '02 WRX. any suggestions?? atleast a cheap way. i heard cat back n headers will do the job but it's sorta hard to believe it's that easy. help please? thnx
 
#2 ·
What do you mean by "take out"? Picking up chicks, straight line, or corners?... well cat back and headers won't be able to do the job for any of those(maybe except for the picking up chicks). You got a lot more to learn and need to be more specific.

Let's say you want to be faster than a bone stock STi in a straight line(1/4), a 16G with supporting mods will help.

Let's say you want to be faster than a bone stock STi around corners, the most important is the driver but bigger sways and a good set of performance springs will help.

BTW, power is nothing without control.
 
#15 ·
mostly going for straight line.
Ok, this is the line that I missed

You have some great places to start, but it all depends on where this guy wants to go with his car. There is so much information on this site, so he should get cracking and read read read.
Thanks for adding more info:) I missed the line ''mostly going for straight line'' so I threw out bunch of stuffs that do not relate to ''go fast'' mods lol
 
#20 ·
If the information is accurate, then there is no problem. I do it myself a lot.


With an 02, you'll gain little from headers unless you're going to be heavily modded. With headers, you're going to lose a lot of good mid end for a little top end power. With a TBE, uppipe, EM, and a good tune, you'll be comparable to an STi in a straight line. Typically, the next step after that is bigger turbo, injectors, fuel pump, and intercooler. Unfortunately as you can imagine, it can get very pricey.
 
#8 ·
Forgot to answer the cat back and headers lol, a cat back probably going to gain next to nothing. Headers, ya sure equal length headers is going to gain some power but you are likely to lose the boxer rumble.

Here is something that I'd start with:
1) Forget about taking out the STi.
2) Tires are something people usually don't mention as an mod but a good set of tires can improve the handling and acceleration.
3) I'd like to start with suspensions first: Sway bars(ex. Whiteline) and springs( ex. Prodrive, Swift, Eibech).
4) SS brake lines.
5) Brake pads
6) Engine management(ex. Cobb AccessPort)
7) Downpipe and Up-pipe (and cat back if you want)
8) Short throw shifter
These are just my personal opinion but that should be a good fun start!

Cheers!
 
#13 ·
Here is something that I'd start with:
1) Forget about taking out the STi. It can be done, but it is not cheap
2) Tires are something people usually don't mention as an mod but a good set of tires can improve the handling and acceleration. This is often overlooked, but should not be
3) I'd like to start with suspensions first: Sway bars(ex. Whiteline) and springs( ex. Prodrive, Swift, Eibech). It depends on what his goals are. I suspect that he is just looking for power adders to get grins and go. He doesnt care about going around corners or stopping. (Correct me if I am wrong, and I hope I am)
4) SS brake lines. Not going to do a dang thing.
5) Brake pads He has a lot of reading to do. He can start here.
6) Engine management(ex. Cobb AccessPort) This is usually the first mod that anyone who is looking for power adders should look into/do.
7) Downpipe and Up-pipe (and cat back if you want) EM will probably come before this to optimize the effects of this.
8) Short throw shifter This is not going to do anything for performance.
These are just my personal opinion but that should be a good fun start!

Cheers!
You have some great places to start, but it all depends on where this guy wants to go with his car. There is so much information on this site, so he should get cracking and read read read.
 
#9 ·
Starting with minor thing might be best starting out.... Learning how the car reacts w/every modification you do...... Putting a bunch of crap on your car and then going out on the town and rolling it doesn't sound like a smart route. I do agree w/tires. Pads and lines aren't needed unless you auto-x or something of that nature.
 
#12 ·
Hmmmmmm, buy a BMW 135i,
or copy my mod list! LOL ;)
But really man, the above post about the 16G will help, in a straight line as mentioned earlier, but around corners, you will need some new rubber, more beef in the area of sway bars, endlinks, adjustable camber(camber bolts? and coilovers?). Sti's are not cheap cars, therefore, "beating one" will not be cheap. Remember bro, there are the key elements to build your car(as taken from a signature on another forum) Choose TWO: Cheap, Fast, Reliable.
 
#18 ·
thanx a lot to all +reps so ok, if i get headers and uppipe as well as a full TBE, what else would be needed? atleast anything other than swapping turbos. tires are a must i know that i'm already looking some recomendations would be great 1 cuzz i kno nothing about them and 2 cuzz i really kno nothing about them. thnx
 
#19 ·
With your exhaust mods you need a good tune first and for most. That will put you up to about 280hp at the crank give or take. Next upgrade really past that is turbo, fuel delivery and of course intercooler upgrade with that. Keep in mind our weakest link, the tranny is going to hold you back most of all beyond your exhaust and tune. You can see how expensive this is going to get and quick (Reason for my smart ass comment above). Trust me, we will be glad to spend your money and get you there, but its going to take a few duckets, eh? Cheers!
 
#21 ·
The STi has a 2.5L engine, you have a 2.0L engine. The STi has a VF39 turbo, you have a TD04 turbo. It also has smaller advantages due to a larger intercooler and injectors.

If you really want to have more power than an STi, you should address those things. They're more costly though.

The cheapest way to make more power in a WRX is a downpipe and some engine management. Period. Those two mods. Anything else does not give any substantial gains. Headers and an uppipe? I thought you said you were on a budget. Downpipes can be found used for <$200 and you can buy a $50 cable to flash an open source stage 2 map on your car. Should put down close to the same WHP as a stock STi.
 
#22 ·
Wow, after reading this, of course all the great knowledge came out. But not a single person told the OP to read, learn and search first. Everything he asked for has been BEAT TO DEATH. I was very new to these cars also. Take time, search on here and other forums, and even google. Everything you want to do to your car has already been done, several times,several different ways. Im not trying to be hard, but search and learn sme before.
 
#24 ·
em is engine management. You can have EM but not be TUNED. Take the cobb accessport for example. Its a device that flashes a software based map onto your ECU with different parameters of boost, fuel, timing, etc. Now they have developed safe base maps for each year/model that could can run on your car, BUT it's very generic. Having your car PROTUNED is when a professional is in your car (in most cases) either on the road or on the dyno tweaking all those parameters to best fit how your car responds to whatever modifications are installed. It usually takes from few to many revisions of the software, like trial and error, to get the best possible map scaling for your car. A protune is absolutely the best mod you could ever do, whether your at stock power levels or a built engine. Does that make sense?
 
#26 ·
Not quite. The difference is engine management is the means through which a tune is performed. Using a form of EM (cobb AP, opensource, UTEC, etc) you can flash a software map onto your ECU with different parameters (higher boost etc) ultimately making your car run stronger just through software. A tune (if you're skilled enough) can be done by anyone. It does not need to be performed by a Pro if you yourself have the ability. Tuning a car is basically altering the parameters on the piece of software to best cater to your individual car.
 
#27 ·
Rooster - Flashing a software map through EM is usually a generic file that is a more conservative that what you would get from a tune. A tune is custom to your car specifically and usually a bit more aggressive.
 
#29 ·
Sorry, I guess I should have explained. When I speak of EM, I do mean engine management. Of course, I assume you already know that the car needs to be tuned after installing EM, but I guess the term is used semi-loosely.
 
#34 ·
OMG U GUYS ARE KILLING ME LOL just when i thought i was getting it u had to say a tune is required AFTER i load a map. from what i read i thought loading a map is ## own tune but a protune is that professional bullshit. so loading ## own map is engine management?? and let me c what is the point of getting a tune after u load a map isn't that like...the same thing but not as proffesionaly?? because i got to start thinking loading a map is like a substitue for a tune. once again sooo sorry but it's just killing me i have to get it lol really sorry
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top