Had my 2003 wrx for about a month and loving it! Car is standard with the exception of prodrive back box and some pretty naff lowering springs. Looking to improve its performance but don't have a whole load of wonga to get it all done now. What is the best sequence to upgrade performance - air induction, exhaust then remap? Would be appreciated if someone could point me in the right direction.

 

Collect all your parts together. Panel filter(no induction kit needed),exhaust and a fuel pump. Fit them all in one go and get remapped. Should see 270/280 bhp on a wrx

 

Cheers. Any recommendations on brands?

 

Where's that 'rolling eyes' emoticon when you need it lol

 

Why would you need this he asked a question and got given an answer he only just bought the car so might not no the order of tuning a Subaru you have 11 posts and are judging people all ready not helpful is it really !

 

My thoughts...

Firstly, brakes:
Minimum of good fast road pads all round, such as Ferodo DS2500. If the discs are marginal then replace these too, and also ensure that all pistons run freely as the WRX calipers are bad for seizing.

Secondly, suspension:
Use good dampers such as KYB Ultra SR and Prodrive springs etc, not cheap and nasty coilovers, possibly an ALK, and offset top mounts to maximise caster, as well as getting a proper camber/caster/toe alignment done by someone who knows what they're doing.

Finally, engine:
Get your bits together as and when you can afford them and find deals; fuel pump, plugs, filter, decat (full or partial), backbox too if you're still running the ridiculously restrictive WRX one. Then, get it booked in for a map and get the bits fitted a few days before the map due date. You really don't want to driving around with the bits fitted (plugs/pump aside) without a map as it risks damage to the engine (some would disagree). Parts aren't expensive and neither is a map and, in my opinion, if you're going to do it you should do it properly.

SWRD fuel pump can be had for £50-60, Walbro about a tenner more.
K&N Filter can be had for £30 or so on Amazon/ebay
NGK PFR7B plugs are about £30-35 on ebay
Decats can be had for £50-100 for all three pieces if you keep an eye out for ebay. No need for 3", stick with 2.5". A prodrive backbox is a reasonable option if you're looking to replace a WRX one and isn't too loud, even with a total decat. Expect another £50-75 on ebay dependent on condition (I just noticed you already have this, but worth mentioning).
It's also worth replacing the restrictive intercooler pipework with an STI item (£30 or so on ebay).

You could possibly go for an STI intercooler too (£150 or so) although you could add this later without need for a map as you're only improving charge cooling rather than improving flow. All of those bits should see you 280-300bhp.

I've mentioned the suspension/brakes as the biggest difference to cross country pace on real roads (B & C's) comes from these rather than the power as they allow you to hold greater cornering speed and therefore are relying less on the power, or lack of it, as stock. But that comes down to your choice, and how you see yourself using the car. I know that I was cooking the standard brakes even with standard power on uprated pads when you were able to get 10mins plus of hard driving in one stint, and for that reason I ended up with AP's. Similarly, the ALK totally transforms the turn in of the car and really allows you to lean on the front end in corners.

 

Thanks for the download it's really appreciated. I get your logic, i will get my head around the finer details and start scouring internet for good deals. Thanks again. Time to enjoy 50 mile commute

 

Yes, you are absolutely right Scoobyjunky....11 posts, what could I possibly know Guess that explains the OP question. Apologies Slowmow

 

Have a read through this-
https://www.scoobynet.com/projects-4...test-mule.html

 

No problem at all, I was there myself at the start of the year having had the car twelve months. For what it's worth I got 297lb/ft and 287bhp from that setup of parts and all for less than £600 (DIY fitting). It can be done, and if you're not going for crazy figures then it can be done for a reasonable outlay. Before opensource mapping came along you'd be spending your £600 on just the map. The up pipe is worth doing as it keeps smooth flow to the turbo, as well as removing the risk of your cat element grenading itself through your turbo. It is a bit of a ball-buster to swap over though and while it can be done on axle stands I was glad of having the lift to use!

Another point is that some people recommend a 3-port boost solenoid but on speaking to Andy Forrest up here before he did the map he said it simply wasn't necessary for c300bhp (ie anything the stock TD04 turbo can give you).

 

Looks like its just what I'm after as I would like to get bhp near the 300 mark . Sorry I thought £600 was a "starting price" for typical mapping. What is opensource mapping and are there any risks?

 

I agree with the guy about the brakes my WRX blob runs 320bhp and 360ft torque and the brakes are lethal! Couple of high accelerations = awful brake fade, does keep my speed down down before corners lol

 

In order I would do Tyres, Brakes, Suspension, Power!!

Tyres and Brakes will save your life one day, so best to pay good money and attention to these parts of the car as they seem to get over looked by a lot of people when modifying there cars(done it myself).

You will be surprised what a good set of brakes will do to the car, in my eyes a set of AP's can transform a car, as it gives you confidence, maybe sometimes a bit to much confidence.

 

ECUTek has a little more functionality in the likes of higher power cars and STI's where there's anti-lag etc (that may also be on O/S but I don't think so), and as it's a large(r) company there's a little more confidence to be had that the person mapping your car is good. But if you get a good open source (think Linux) map from a respected mapper such as Andy Forrest you are getting that anyway. O/S gives anyone the opportunity to map a car, done well or badly, but I'd have no issue with any of the good guys doing it. At c300bhp on the stock turbo you're not pushing the capabilities of the mapper or the software and you don't really need any fancy add on's like launch control or anti lag etc. There are other things, such as switcheable boost but when I realised that all it did was reduce peak boost rather than act as a true twin map I decided it wasn't worth the extra £250 when my right foot is already a stock boost controller! If it was a magical second map that could get you 40mpg on the motorway then I'd have gone for it, but as it isn't I didn't.

Basically, as far as I'm concerned an Open Source map is just as good as EcuTek for lower power targets, and probably as good at higher power too just without some of the available 'add ons'.

 

I recognise that car

As mentioned above and how I do it upgrade sequence (roughly) should be brakes --> handling --> power

 

My front disks have a deep groove around the outside edge so i'm wondering whether its worth upgrading the disks and pads on the front and just pads on the rear . Would this be a sensible. I've looked at the Ferodo DS2500 pads based on recommendation above - a bit pricey but I suppose you get what you pay for. Any advise on suitable upgrade on front disks would be appreciated.

 

If you're looking to stick with OEM brakes then I'd just go for Godspeed 6 groove discs and then use the DS2500 pads. They're definitely worth the money. You could also look at performance friction as they have a great reputation although you'd need to wait for the likes of Godspeed or AS Performance to confirm which ones would be best for you. Either way, I'd not recommend EBC as even the Bluestuffs struggle to keep up with more than fifteen minutes of sustained hard driving!

 

Iirc Andy Forrest's website has a good guide to the stages of enhancement.
They don't quote figures (for the parts etc) because they ask you to source them and get them fitted (I believe there's also a list of 'approved' garages).

You can use that as a model and price the bits yourself.

Sorry - a bit lazy !

Here's the link: http://www.andyforrestperformance.co.uk/58601.html

Happy enhancing

 

Thanks for your comments guys. I'll look to get my brakes soon. Demon tweaks look to have pads forsale cheaper than Godspeed. Does anyone know of any other companies offering better deals / discounts for these discs and pads?

 

Do I take it you're looking for the lowest price?

Imo value for money is the proper option.
That means after-sales etc. included.

I've never used either of them, so no axe to grind.
But I do look on here a lot, and I've only ever heard really good things about Godspeed.
Can I suggest you ask for feedback re. the other one?

 

Hi
Any feedback on demon tweaks? The look to be about £20 cheaper than Godspeed on front pads. Thanks

 

https://www.scoobynet.com/scoobynet-...-any-good.html

Not sure I've heard anything about Demon Tweaks OWN brand brake pads honey.....

 

I would say Tyres --> Brakes --> Handling --> Power.

I know so many people that have bought wheel / tyre packages that come with ditchfinders and say I'll put more expensive tyres on when I have worn these out , or my other pet hate is people who will spend a fortune on a respray / sticker kit / dump valve / under bonnet bling but will then try and get a set of tyres for £150 fitted and genuinely think they have got a bargain.

A poor set of tyres completely ruins the handling of even the best set up of cars.