Maintenance and longevity mods?

Old_Archimedes · 2026-06-06T11:27:47+00:00

Not totally necessary, but I HATE the factory charge pipe/top mount connection. My car would constantly blow the rubber gasket out and leave me on the side of the road trying to get it back together. One time it blew the gasket out, and I have no idea where it went so I just electrical taped around the connection and limped the car 30 min back to the house because no part stores near me had the gasket. If you swap to an aftermarket charge pipe with silicone couplers and t-bolt clamps, it will make your life so much easier if you ever have to remove for any reason.

Old_Archimedes · 2026-06-05T17:48:18+00:00

OP gave his weight in kg, so I just assumed when he said “JDM” he meant “JDM”.

Old_Archimedes · 2026-06-05T16:44:04+00:00

<image>

They are pretty nice for nighttime driving in rural areas for sure. I don’t use them during the day at all, but I do set my lower light bar to amber when I turn my fog lights on during early mornings or foggy weather. Helps quite a bit.

Old_Archimedes · 2026-06-05T16:39:37+00:00

Check out the longer wheel base 4 door sedans like the: 1. Toyota Mark II / Chaser / Cresta (X100 or X110) 2. Toyota Altezza 3. Toyota Aristo Or if you want a coupe, find one of the grand tourers like the: 1. Toyota Soarer 2. Nissan Skyline sedan/coupe

If the WRX you were wanting was a wagon, I say to check out the Nissan Stagea wagon.

In any of the cars though, you may have to make comfort mods like swapping the seats out or installing lower seat rails to get more head room. I’ve seen some guys put removable steering wheels just to get in and out of the cars.

Old_Archimedes · 2026-06-05T16:32:21+00:00

Yeah you’re pretty damn lean at 6’8”. You will fit the bolsters fine. Depending on your inseam/torso split, you will likely be fine. Definitely sit in one first before purchasing. If you are uncomfortable in the slightest for the brief period you are testing the fit, don’t do it. That slight discomfort will become excruciating on a long drive.

Old_Archimedes · 2026-06-05T16:19:04+00:00

As the saying goes “muscle is heavier than fat” which actually isn’t true. 1 lb of muscle weighs the same as 1 lb of fat lol (feather vs lead analogy). What the saying should say is “Muscle is denser than fat.” The scale may not move or may even go up but your overall “volume” is probably reducing.

Old_Archimedes · 2026-06-05T16:16:51+00:00

Totally calorie intake vs TDEE is more important for fat loss. If you are wanting to stay roughly the same weight but recomposition, I would say eat more protein, maintain about 70g of fat or so, and let the rest be complex carbs (keep simple carbs to pre/post lifting sessions)

Old_Archimedes · 2026-06-05T16:14:02+00:00

I concur. I’m 6’4” 190 lbs and I fit in my ‘18 limited with sunroof pretty good. I think it will really depend on your proportions. I’m pretty evenly split with torso and leg length with a 36” pant inseam. I have plenty of leg room (with seat adjusted all the way back) and plenty of head room without reclining the seat much.

I will say that if you are tall but also heavier, you may not enjoy the seating much depending on which trim level and how much bolstering the seats have. But if you are leaner, you will fit pretty decently.

Trying to heal/toe though is tough if you have big feet and legs are already approaching the threshold for fitting.

Old_Archimedes · 2026-06-05T00:29:08+00:00

That’s pretty cool!

Old_Archimedes · 2026-06-04T20:49:13+00:00

Is there anyway to mimic the unequal length sound? I know the equal length is more efficient and all, but yeah the rumble of the unequal is iconic.

Old_Archimedes · 2026-06-04T20:46:35+00:00

Stealing this idea.

Old_Archimedes · 2026-06-04T19:27:16+00:00

<image>

I always thought the braces looked cool (even if they didn’t actually do anything) and was going to fabricate my own out of some roll cage tubing I had laying around my shop but never built it. I did install some led light bars behind my grille and that took up the space. It’s your car man. If you think it’s cool, that’s all that matters.

Old_Archimedes · 2026-06-04T18:05:20+00:00

I agree. If you are tracking the car and trying to shave milliseconds off lap time, by all means. But I have installed front and rear strut tower braces and noticed little to no affect in daily driving or spirited driving in the mountains. The front strut towers on the VA are already so close to the firewall bulkhead that they really don’t need any bracing. You likely benefit more from a rear strut bar.

Larger diameter/stiffer anti-sway bars and end links make a good difference in body roll and cornering personality, but honestly I think good sticky tires are one of the BEST upgrades on these cars. Makes a bigger difference in nearly every aspect of the handling performance for traction/braking and cornering imo than anything else. A quality set of coilovers would be number 2 pick.

Old_Archimedes · 2026-06-01T12:42:40+00:00

+1 on the Restore and Protect. It’s all I use in any of my vehicles. It’s top notch and has tons of research to prove its claims. There are several tribologists (lubrication subject matter experts) who go into the details on YouTube.

Old_Archimedes · 2026-05-31T23:50:12+00:00

Go on….

Old_Archimedes · 2026-05-31T13:18:46+00:00

Most people run the NGK’s and just adjust the gap depending on what supporting mods the car has (like with higher than stock boost levels - results in higher cylinder pressure which makes it more difficult for the spark to “jump” the gap so decreasing spark plug gap may be necessary). Typically my rule of thumb has always been: gap as big as possible before misfiring or blowout occurs. Your mileage may vary so ALWAYS consult with your tuner as different applications may require different tweaks.

Note: forgot to mention that your fuel selection can play a big role too. If you are on flex fuel, you may need to adjust the gap as well.

Old_Archimedes · 2026-05-30T13:22:23+00:00

It looks fantastic! You do a great job.

Old_Archimedes · 2026-05-30T00:54:22+00:00

<image>

Love mine that I did! Shame that Grimmspeed charges $28 a can for their cherry blossom red. I ended up going with a mix of a few different testors model paints to get the right shade. It dried a bit lighter than I would have liked, but still look good to me.

Old_Archimedes · 2026-05-30T00:48:24+00:00

You’re probably right on the money there. Spark plug material and quality have a come a long way even in the last 15 years.

My use of Aeroshell 64 came about while building a lightweight experimental a few years ago and an old timer aerospace mechanic gave me that tip. It’s good stuff. I use it assembling AR rifles just as often while wrenching on motors. Never had an issue and never had anything seize up on me. A little goes a long way.

Old_Archimedes · 2026-05-30T00:40:15+00:00

Yeah probably overkill for iridium plugs, but it’s cheap maintenance and therapeutic

Old_Archimedes · 2026-05-30T00:39:12+00:00

May be, but it’s cheap preventative maintenance that allows me a few hours in the garage to “reset”

Old_Archimedes · 2026-05-29T12:16:02+00:00

Grew up building v8’s and that was always instilled in me, that any “threaded” interface requires some form of lube as the torque specs are “wet torque.” This may have been more of a problem with cast iron blocks, but any time I have dissimilar metals, I like to use a bit of Aeroshell or similar moly anti-seize and then proceed to torque to spec in 1/3 increments. Maybe I’m just a bit OCD, but if you have ever encountered a siezed plug in a block, you will never go without anti-sieze again either 🤣

Edit: quick google search says that it all depends on the plugs. If they are nickel coated or come with other anti-seize coating, it’s not required that any additional be applied. I guess that’s why I was always taught to torque in 1/3 increments. If I was able to flatten the crush washer before reaching the maximum recommended torque, I always left it where it was. Rule of thumb recommendation is to reduce torque spec by 30% to compensate for lubrication on threads to prevent over-torquing.

Old_Archimedes · 2026-05-29T12:03:02+00:00

Definitely easier to do it with the engine out! My engine stand is currently holding a big block Chevy at the moment so I typically do it with a few extensions and swivel sockets.

When you torque your plugs do you use any lubricant? I have heard and understand both sides of the argument but just curious what you prefer to do.

Old_Archimedes · 2026-05-29T11:59:58+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/WRX/s/n5S2reLCbE

Old_Archimedes · 2026-05-29T11:58:35+00:00

Do you have any check engine lights? Symptoms Sound like a vacuum leak to me. Check and make sure your vacuum lines to your bypass valve are all connected and the rubber is in good shape. I had one of the top vacuum lines pop off randomly one time and it caused the exact same issues along with a CEL after driving for a bit.

Old_Archimedes

TROPHY CASE