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Just gonna tag @A_J_T here, as he's done a ST conversion on REV-D, and currently doing one also (again). He might be of some help.

And the lines above and below. One of the other Whangarei members has that on his Lancaster. Looks nice

They're alloy calipers right? You could just remove the paint from the "SUBARU" Just an idea...

Only way would to have someone with a FlexFuel sensor run some, and then pop up the laptop, and see what the sensor reads. Or lab test it. I'd also be curious to know if the E85 that Gull sells at a few stations varies in Ethanol content like it does in America through the seasons.

Arrived today. Of course I had to fit it right away. Couldn't stand it rattling anymore. Edit: wish I had gone silver. The black doesn't look right to me. Probably just need a new leather shift boot lol

That's the spirit! Mighty Car Mods always seem to be putting Honda lips on their stuff lol

Mazda make some of the best new cars on the market imo. My father is very good friends with the local Mazda salesperson - so I always get a chance to check out the newest stuff. Checked out the new Mazda 6 Takami the other day. It's VERY nice. Has the 2.5 Turbo petrol from the CX9. @lunchie maybe add a Mazda 3 SP25/SP22 (the current shape) to your list. Not the sportiest, or fastest car in that group. But very fun to drive. And Mazda have excellent after sale support. The only thing to be aware of is that the infotainment system is VERY dated. But there will be an update later this year which will bring in AndroidAuto/Apple CarPlay/etc. Fuel economy wise, I think you'll be very happy with a Mazda's fuel economy. Easily under 10L/100km.

That sounds like a stone or something is caught somewhere between the caliper/rotor and backing plate. Sadly, to make it easiest, the wheel will have to come off. And be great full you're only dealing with STEEL calipers. Not alloy Brembos etc. Low chance of stripping threads

If you're car is tuned, Coppers are better, due to their ability to take more of a beating compared to the other types. And also their wider heat range. (Copper) Anti Seize. I alway put some on my plugs. Same with wheel nuts. Definitely a must if something comes in and out of alloy often. The heat cycles can cause them to seize together. Anti Seize helps a ton for that in my experience. You can also get other types of Anti Seize (e.g: Nickel). Copper Anti Seize is just what I have on hand.

I did mine without pulling the battery out. Makes it a little more awkward yes, but worth it for not losing all my settings etc. You can also use Platinum (Double or not) plugs with coil on plug. I can't recall what the life of those are. IIRC, about 40,000-50,000km?

Ah. I got your idea of "hollow shaft wrong" Mine is like the Impreza STI, with the 2 shafts welded together - as shown on Raceseng's website. 35011 Don't have a photo of my shifter in my car - I'm at work. But I know mine is like that, from when I did the bushings on the lever (35035A as above). So I should be sweet with Raceseng's one. YAY!!

@Andy_Mac - made a new thread, as to not thread jack that Forester thread. Just checked my car - it does have a hollow shaft, where the lockout cable comes up. Also looking at partsouq, my S401 has exactly the same shifter rod to a 2001 GDB V7 Impreza STI (Dad's old STI) - 35011. They used that rod up until the end of 07, when the GD chassis ended. The Raceseng one says it's for a 04-17 STI (Handle and Base). Being USDM, they only got the STI in 2004, which I believe is the V9? So still a GD chassis, and should be the same as what I have (no factory VIN available to confirm this). So going off partsouq - I should have a Impreza STI shifter etc, and should be sweet with Raceseng's one? I was gonna ask @mtbtimr if he would make me one up, for a price of course. Would happily pay a premium for one from him, over an internet bought one.

My wishlist of Milwaukee tools is soooo long! I've used their stuff before, and it's amazing. No offence to MCM and Ryobi - but I like how the smaller Milwaukee stuff uses their M12 batteries - not large 18V batteries. Makes getting their tools into tight places easier. And also seeing Milwaukee stuff on YT a lot, and my mechanic swearing by their tools. For hand tools - I use Toptul, pretty much exclusively. I got a topbox and chest from them when I was mechanic'ing. I'd rate them better than SnapOn myself - lifetime warranty, and good quality, without that price tag. Only had my 1/2" impact universal replaced on warranty (I didn't break it). The boys at the local Partmaster got it all sorted in under a week for me! Plan on adding a side cabinet, to house all the Milwaukee stuff I want to buy.

Those shifter bushings from Corgiwerx are amazing. Had mine in for a week. Hella amazing! MRW after I fitted them: Edit: suggestion @Andy_Mac - should someone start a Tools thread, so we can all drool, and talk too much about tools? Just seeing 1randomkiwi's post about his new Ryobi stuff

I'd imagine you'd be sweet fitting one up. I recommend GFB myself. You SHOULD recirculate some of it (50:50 at least recommeneded) due to the EJ208 (and other EJ turbo cars) having a MAF (Mass Air Flow Sensor). You can vent it all to atmosphere, but your performance won't be exactly the same, due to when the BOV is triggered, it vents all the air out. And when you accelerate again, it has to build up all that pressure again (more vacuum in the intake of the turbo). Basically your car won't run 100%. FYI - written from the perspective of a manual owner. So I'd imagine with an auto, when you lift off the throttle, it's for a corner or something where you're not going to be going on the throttle again (i.e: when accelerating in a manual).

I'll be in Auckland this weekend, so I might do something to contribute. Was just wondering what the boundaries were (and how far I could stretch them).

Question - does this include the greater Auckland region? As in, to just north of Te Hana (Wellsford), and to Bombay?

He does reply to his emails! Definitely will be remembering them for future reference. HELL OF A LOT cheaper than Subaru NZ. Came to just under NZ$100. Beats the price Subaru quoted me (at least $500). Very thankful for the tip Andy_Mac!

Adding a question to this - Would an underseat sub be an alternative, if you're not able to find a suitable 6x9 sub? Not looking for LOTS of bass. Just enough so my sound system doesn't sound so flat.

As well with Iridium plugs - they operate within a much more specific heat range compared to a Copper plug. So Coppers are better when the car is tuned.

Adding my 2 cents... If it's just a stock car, with no plans to tune it, I'd go Iridium, with a .8 gap. Be careful when checking and gapping Iridium plugs, as the electrode is VERY small, and can break. You'll need Double Platinum plugs with Wasted Spark ignition. Coppers are fine if you don't mind changing em often. The electrode is larger than a Iridium plug. But still be careful when gapping. I went Iridium (NGK BKR6EIX 6418) mainly cos they were on special ($100 for all 4), and my Subaru is my daily. So having something that I know isn't gonna stop working on me one day soon, puts me at rest.

Cheers for that. Definitely will give him a buzz! Does he reply to his emails? I don't use Facebook (I forgot my password, and cbf to reset it). I got his email from my Mum's Facebook 😅

I've been trying to find some new shifter linkage bushings for my Legacy S401 STI, which has the 6 speed, not the 5 speed like a normal B4 RSK. I've tried my local Subaru mechanic (SubLab Whangarei), and they gave me a price, at $107 +GST each (I need 4, so $428 +GST). They even checked out Impreza/Forester/later Legacy listings, and they all came back with different numbers (and probably different sizes they said). They said that before about 07/08 STI didn't actually catalogue anything they put on the cars they made/modified (with the 07/08 hatch STI, it became a factory built car, so stuff is catalogued). It's a bit easier with Impreza stuff, since they were made in large numbers. But for my S401, they simply said "Good Luck." My current (temorary) solution is electrical tape on the crush tubes, and I refitted them. It works, but won't last forever. So I'd like to find some new bushes in the near future. I've been looking abroad in the US and UK for stuff, and they only have vague listings, where it just mentions the model, and year. No measurements or anything listed anywhere. The measurements I have: 19mm OD on bushing, 12mm OD on crush tube (if it's larger, it's no biggie; I can have new crush tubes made). The best listing I have found, and what looks to be closest in terms of the photos, has been from Torque Solutions on rallysportdirect.com Click here for listing - it says it's for an 04-05 USDM Impreza STI (V9 Blob eye in our market). The shifter support bushing, which is just a rod that goes straight to the back of the box, is fine. No play. But I'll probably replace it at the same time. I've found a listing for it. Gonna buy it at the same time. Also gonna buy some other stuff off of the site if that is the right (or close enough) bushing kit, to make the shipping less painful. Added for reference.

I recently had this problem with my Legacy. Just couldn't get my rocker cover to seal. RTV, or not. Took it to my local mechanic, after failing 3 times myself (lol). They used an original Subaru gasket (not the Permaseal ones from Partmaster), and RTV in the normal places (plastic half moon cam seals, and in the 90° corners over the front cam caps), and it seals mint. Apparently, original Subaru ones are like 1mm thicker, which makes all the difference. Went to Owens Suspension & Brakes Specialists in Whangarei. They've been forever excellent to me.