Best major upgrades for V2 STi?

[Ryan]

I'm completely stripping my 1996 WRX STi and rebuilding the engine. What's the best bang-for-buck upgrades I can do performance-wise? Are the injectors on the V3 STi 380cc or 440cc?

I'll be putting in a complete new exhaust system, 3" straight thru'. Obviosuly an aftermarket ECU would make a big difference, any particular brand/model recommended?

Cheers, Ryan.

[Koom]

More info would help. i.e. how much are you willing to spend? How much power are you realistically after? Is it to just inhance the performance a bit or aiming for a track racer, drag racer, clubsport racer????

V3 STI are yellow 440cc injectors.

Best bang for buck: buy some really good tyres.

[Ryan]

Just to enhance performance really, not going to race it except to try it out at Meremere perhaps. Willing to spend around 4g on the engine.

Guess I won't need to upgrade the injectors then!

[BC5RA]

4g won't buy you a rebuild.

 Koom said:

Best bang for buck: buy some really good tyres.

+1

2.5 (roughly) Will buy you an ECU setup + tune, but i would concentrate on Handling modification.

[Ryan]

The 4g is only for the engine, tyres cosmetics etc are separate. Yeah I'm keen on the ECU idea, but have no idea which would be best suited for the V3?

[BC5RA]

EVERYBODY will have an opinion on this, not any one suits it better than the other but there are certainly popular choices.

Best to see what Koom says.

[Guest]

Stroker kit! ;D

[Guest]

Yellows max out at 220Kw atw

Start with brakes , suspension, go fast bits, and then cosmetics

[Koom]

 BC5RA said:

EVERYBODY will have an opinion on this, not any one suits it better than the other but there are certainly popular choices.

Best to see what Koom says.

uumm ok...

Motec M800

I dunno aye. Still depends on alot of things. The Link range is generally good value for money and made here so have good support.

4g will get spent real quick. Especially if drag racing is your thing.

If its gonna be a quick road car, there's lots of different ways to go about it. You don't need all the power in the world to be fast. If you can't drive round corners then you will need lots of power, and brakes to match (and again tyres to do anything with big brakes). You can spend 4g pretty quick on handling mods that'll change the car completely and make it feel like a big go-kart. But you'll also need really good tyres to make the most of that.

Spend 4g on tyres

If you're rebuilding, you could buy an EJ207 from a dealer pretty cheap, or an EJ257 if you then want to put a bigger turbo on and an ecu (plus everything else that will come up) but your 4g engine budget will be long gone when going down the bigger motor path.

Can also make the 4g go a hell of alot further if you do most of the work yourself but that depends on how confident you are with that side of things.

Just buy some tyres, strip everything out of it, and then see who you can beat

p.s. everyone has different things they want to get from their cars and that really is what your modifications should be based on. What you want. Hey, if you want an external and rwd, then do it, cause if its what you want, then you'll love it.

[Ryan]

Thanks for the comments so far, sorry I forgot to mention that I'm doing it all myself, as I work at a engine reconditioners so have facilities available, hence why I have a budget of 4g. I would have thought 4g on parts would be a decent emount without doing anything drastic?

My thoughts thus far is new turbo, new a/m ECU, new seals/gaskets/waterpump etc, alloy radiator, a/m manifold and straight thru 3" exhaust, perhaps forged pistons and/or rods? Plus the little things like BOV, wastegate, front mount. I was thinking about a lightened a/m crankshaft but at $1200 + GST I think not at this stage!

When I say around 4g it is AROUND 4g, the more I spend on the engine the less I have to spend on cosmetics but thats sweet. Any ideas where to buy a a/m ECU online?

[BC5RA]

 Koom']

uumm ok...

Motec M800

Lol

[quote name='Ryan said:

Thanks for the comments so far, sorry I forgot to mention that I'm doing it all myself, as I work at a engine reconditioners so have facilities available, hence why I have a budget of 4g. I would have thought 4g on parts would be a decent emount without doing anything drastic?

My thoughts thus far is new turbo, new a/m ECU, new seals/gaskets/waterpump etc, alloy radiator, a/m manifold and straight thru 3" exhaust, perhaps forged pistons and/or rods? Plus the little things like BOV, wastegate, front mount. I was thinking about a lightened a/m crankshaft but at $1200 + GST I think not at this stage!

When I say around 4g it is AROUND 4g, the more I spend on the engine the less I have to spend on cosmetics but thats sweet. Any ideas where to buy a a/m ECU online?

Post up in the wanted section. I wouldn't go for a link that was made at the time of your car, go for the latest Gen or slightly earlier.

Wouldn't bother with an Aftermarket crankshaft save yourself $1200

[Ryan]

Sweet will do..

[Ryan]

What about these two?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Car-parts-accessories/Performance/Electronics/auction-205245070.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Car-parts-accessories/Subaru/ECUs/auction-206268808.htm

[Koom]

http://www.linkecu.com/products

or one of their agents around the country could prob do online sales.

places like www.nzperformance.co.nz sell Microtech's (I think) and can purchase online.

Search around for Vipec, Autronic, Microtech, Link, Motec etc online and most can be purchased online.

There's often second hand units for sale on Tardme aswell.

[Koom]

 Ryan said:

What about these two?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Car-parts-accessories/Performance/Electronics/auction-205245070.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Car-parts-accessories/Subaru/ECUs/auction-206268808.htm

The first link is all good, get Dave from DTech to tune it too He knows what he's talking about.

The second one is an older one and the adapter is for the older Legacy/V1/V2 WRX's.

[Ryan]

CHeers mate will do more research when I get home from work tonight.

[QRAF]

First off write a list of the mods you want and get all the supporting mods as well don't skimp on the oil or filter.

why do you have the engine out anyway did you run the big end bearing by chance?

Can't get much more out of the sti engine without big money 4g just won't cut it for drag racing.

build it with overkill in on your mind as things break with more hp and heavy launches.

Personally i'm looking at doing a engine transplant to a v7 sti engine with a link as i've only heard good things about that version motor.

[BC5RA]

Do any of you guys actually take time to read through the thread?

He's not going to race it except benchmark it at Meremere.

[QRAF]

sorry when you go to the track do you take it easy?

and i bet he's not going to be easy on it just because he's on the public road either.

build it once build it right, 4g is a lot of money to spend to have it blow on you.

[WRXER]

And dont forget, budget what u will think it will cost... Then double it..... Never fails this theory trust me. Haven't met anyone who has done a build exactly on budget or even near to it lol

4g is pretty cheap, let alone taking into account tuning and all the other bits. Which if u hit problems during tune, like unforseeable ones ie fueling issues, detonation and blah blah. It's always the little things that u don't see coming that stings u, trust me I've been thru and still going thru it lol.

Like last tune, came up with a fuelling issue. Still have a good tune, but now gotta look as to why Im having it as in theory it shouldn't be occuring with the setup I have lol.

[funkytown]

 WRXER said:

And dont forget, budget what u will think it will cost... Then double it..... Never fails this theory trust me.

this man speaks truth...

my round of minor modding has cost me near double what i thought.. and i thought i had budgetted well...

second point i think WRXER missed is that you find little things along the way that you go "oh i mind as well do that while you have easy access to do so mind as well, or little things you discover and its still an "i mind as well while engine is out or in bits or what ever"

heed his advice is all i can say ;D

[QRAF]

So should not leaving things to theory also be added to build

I've seen people just rebuilding there sti's having it cost close to 7g and that was just standard mind you they didn't do it themselves as i got my cambelt and everything done for $378 all genuine subaru as i just had to pay for parts as someone did it for me took two nights as we got the wrong seals. Wingers said $2000 for everything i got replaced.

So 4g on parts just for your engine these are just my prices at a guess i'm no mechanic so you should be able to get it cheaper hopefully.

new turbo, $400 - 800

new a/m ECU, $1000 - $1200 then $300 - $400 for each tune

new seals/gaskets/waterpump etc, $350

alloy radiator, $300

a/m manifold $250 - %500

and straight thru 3" exhaust, $800 -$1000

perhaps forged pistons and/or rods $800 - $2000

I hope i'm wrong on a lot of those prices as i'm just leaving it down to assumption which is the mother of all ......s

[BC5RA]

I ask again do you guys actually read through the thread? or do you just get all excited and prematurely ejaculate all over the keyboard.

Some class advice in the above replys :

It begs the question QRAF that if you hope your wrong on those prices then why even post them up?

Here is some advice for free Ryan. Kick about the site for awhile and get a feel for who is an Informed Enthusiast and/or a Professional and who are the Scatologists.

[Jammasta]

 BC5RA said:

It begs the question QRAF that if you hope your wrong on those prices then why even post them up?

Here is some advice for free Ryan. Kick about the site for awhile and get a feel for who is an Informed Enthusiast, a Professional and who are the Scatologists.

^^^^ the truth.

Q RAF, your prices are all over the place like a drunken root.

IF your not sure on something, please don't write it down. Misinformation (not assumption) truley is the mother of all fuckups.

[QRAF]

;D ;D ;D how are we expected to learn if we aren't allowed to express ourselves without being singled out.

like i said before i'm no mechanic if don't like it i expect you to have a talk to me about it at the mega meet.