Hi Perth WRX,
So a bit of a summary, my name is Travis and I joined Perth WRX after buying a modified MY00 GC8 WRX back in August 2014. I would have been more involve within the club, however after track day with friends in October 2014, the engine shat itself and I had to wait 6 months until the car engine was rebuilt and a few more months after that for a run in and tune. With the car running well (with help from the Doug & Damien from STechnic), will be looking to go out for a few cruises and track days starting in 2016 and trying to learn as much as I can progressing forward.
BTW, I got my username from a guy at school that lost a bet that he couldnt say the alphabet. He made it to W before slipping in an extra R before the X.
So the history of my cars and driving experiences;
My interest in cars started on PlayStation 1 with a lent copy of Gran Turismo from my father's friend. Our weapon of choice was the Mitsi Gallant modified to the max. We then progressed to GT2 with Mk3 supra. Then the next generation of console was PS2 with games like V8 supercars, GT3, GT4, NFS Underground. I think GT3 is the best game that has been released at its time, however I may be biased as I sunk days into that game completing each race.
During the GT4 tenure as the current game, I received my driver's learning permit on my birthday in 2005. Armed in a XF falcon tank (auto), my first drive was in the middle of winter at night, pissing down in rain. Our family later bought a 80 series Landcruiser (manual) which was a blast to drive due to the novelty of gears, however the turbo diesel lacked real power. I did the majority of driving in the country with the occasional trip to the city.
I got my provisional license on my birthday the following year in 2006 and had use of a family owned EB falcon (auto), then eventually had my own ED falcon (auto). I moved to Perth for university, then eventually bought a manual AU falcon ute in 2008 (couldn't afford a Holden VU). I still have the falcon at the end of 2015, but it has seen better days.
My friends recently bought an Evo 7 & S15 Silvia and was looking to track their vehicles. Getting swept up in the excitement, I wanted to a new car. I test drove a 86/BRZ sports car however it was one random day I saw a modified blue GC8, with forgies and an upgraded turbo spitting out 270kW@18psi, I thought this car had more bang for your buck than the 86/BRZ. With an additional 2 doors that could fit more people inside, more power and about the 3rd of the price of the 86/BRZ, I bought the car.
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Known mods at time of purchase;
2.5L conversion (later found out open deck, but strengthened by welding bars to make a "semi-closed" deck)
Microtech
ECU (near impossible to tune in WA)
Blitz EBC
Argo Rods & Pistons
GT 3040 Turbo
6 speed STi gearbox
NOS (every boy likes NOS due to F&F and NFS underground)
Rays WRP10s
Kenwood sound system with subs
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The car was a blast to drive in particular when the giant turbo spools up at 5000rpm. A few friends went for a blat to Canning Dam and as we are pulling up, a radiator hose blows and dumps all the water from the cooling system to the ground. Lucky enough, it was in the carpark and we switched it off immediately and fix the problem the following day. A few weeks later after the hose blowing, I blew a radiator on my way to work. Not ideal, but it was bloody handy signing up for RAC roadside assistance. With a RAC track day coming up with friends, STechnic replaced the blown radiator with a genuine Subaru radiator and got me going again, however it wasnt the end to that saga.
Somewhere in between blowing radiator parts, I bought a set of MCA Red coilovers (10kg Front / 8kg Rear) to sharpen up the handling. I was planning to fit these prior to the RAC trackday, however the order was delayed due to an influx of orders.
So excited about my first track day, I was having a ball out on the track. On some cheap Nankang tyres and near stock suspension, the car understeered like crazy and had no grip. I was being caught in the corners (my driving probably doesnt help), however on the straights, it went like stink. After a few laps, the water temperature sky rocketed whilst on the track and I headed back into the pits. We topped up the coolant and have a quick look over the car and headed back onto the track sometime later. The same issue showed itself, so I retired the car for the day and was hoping there wasnt significant damage to my new toy.
I booked the car into STechnic to have a look over the car and see what the damage was. It was my worst nightmare, with a hairline crack in the cylinder which we suspect was pressurising the cooling system blowing hoses and radiators. Further assessment identified the cams were flogged out and a new short block would be needed. We had a couple of options, either stick with the 2.5L or revert back to the 2.0L engine and either rebuild with completely new parts or use a combination of reconditioned and new parts. Damien from STechnic and I spoke about the purpose of the build and decided on making it a torque monster as it would be my daily and use at the RAC track. We stuck with the 2.5L because of more torque and the coilovers I bought were suited for a 2.5L conversion.
We ran the motor in, but it need a tune to ensure longevity of the engine and be able to make the maximum (safe) power possible. With no tuners in Perth keen to tune a microtech GC8, STechnic pulled out the existing
ECU and replaced it with a Link. While we were at this stage, I thought it was a good idea to swap the existing 3040 turbo with a more responsive Garrett GTX3067.
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Current mods as of the end of 2015;
Second hand EJ257
Scat Racing Connecting Rods
CP Racing forged pistons
King Racing bearings
Kelford Cams & Valve Springs
Garrett GTX3067
Link
ECU
6 speed STi gearbox
Rays WRP10s wrapped in AD08 215/45R17
New Alpine head unit & Hertz front speakers (& removed the sub box from the car)
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Allstar Garage completed the tune, however it only made about 300hp@13psi before the clutch started slipping. Now I am researching and saving up for a new clutch.
Things I have learnt;
Buying a modified car will always be a risk. I bought it with my heart instead of my head and probably should have bought a STi and have an engine built.
I assumed the drivetrain could handle the power, however I will be needing a new clutch to be able to use the full potential of the engine.
Coilovers make a huge difference to handling of the vehicle and would recommend this is the first mod anyone does.