Any advice on my 1.8 Coupe? More power, more suspension? [Archive]

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Sububoy09

09-30-2009, 09:04 PM

Okay, i've been working on my 1.8 Impreza for quite some time and i'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts. What should i do to my car to be more successful in rally? Good set ups? Engine? Suspension?

What's currently done:

Hankook 15" competition tires
Stripped interior
Carbon Fiber Hood & Trunk
WRX brake swap
WRX Seats and harnesses

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs151.snc1/5611_150685066437_553301437_3916233_7334273_n.jpgh ttp://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs131.snc1/5611_150685086437_553301437_3916236_7034368_n.jpg

subydrift

10-01-2009, 08:37 AM

Well since you have enough mods to put you in prepared all-wheel drive for the rallyx's you should seriously look into a motor swap before you waste any money on mods for the 1.8. I have a 96' Brighton with the 1.8 and I have an intake and cat-back done (only cause they were near free) and I felt a little better pep out of it but my buddies auto 2.2 impreza still pulls better than I do. You can find a pretty cheap 2.2 longblock everywhere and they bolt right up to the 1.8 manifolds. Think of it this way, you could spend $400+ for an intake and exhaust and get maybe 5hp that you won't even really feel or you could search around and find a used 2.2 for around the same price and get an instant 30-35 hp and torque and have a motor that will better react to mods. Something to look into...

For suspension you could start upgrading bushings in your rear trailing and lateral arms along with some body bracing to stiffen things up (fender braces, strut baraces, H-brace, etc.) and maybe upgrade your struts to some AGX's. These will handle a little better in the rough stuff than the stockers. Alot of people use Ground Control coilovers with AGX's and are very happy with the handling in the dirt. I've also seen and heard of good results with using Stock USDM STI springs for the higher spring rate and a little more ground clearance.

kturner

10-01-2009, 06:35 PM

If you are talking about SCCA rallyX you have already placed yourself into modified 4 by swapping your hood and stripping the interior.

I was using GR-2's w/ wrx springs and that worked pretty good. don't spend the extra $ for agx's, you can look around and the verdict seems that they aren't much different than a good set of GR-2s. w/o a motor swap the 1.8 doesn't have that much grunt and will have a hard time spinning 15in rally tires. smaller 14's might help with gearing but I don't know if they will fit over the wrx brakes. the stock brakes with better pads are more than enough for rallyX.
a light weight underdrive pulley would be legal and will help with parasitic loss to the ps and alternator.

also think about how you are driving. this car is not the throw into the corner, huge rooster tail, digging four holes type. keep it clean, learn how to carry momentum through the turns and try not to slow down. keep the gas down, brake appropriately, and use as little steering input as needed. learn how to do this and you will be even faster once you power up.

A1337STI

10-11-2009, 02:51 PM

I'de do suspension. Ksport coilovers are cheap and have held up so far for me over 4 rallies and many rally crosses. make sure to specify your own spring rates though or they'll send you something way to high. and they are a bit bouncy on streets as they don't like to move on very small bumps causing your tires to deflect and bounce. with rally tires that doesn't happen at all though.

or buy springs to mate with AGXs i think someone made an adjustable collar for them ?!?

nization

10-11-2009, 03:36 PM

Drive it.

Maybe differential(s). Springs, struts and bushings will do you good, but don't go crazy either. The 2.2L swap doesn't sound like a bad idea if you must have more power, but not what I would look to do for a while unless you blow up the 1.8L.... I like the idea of smaller wheels, loose the WRX brakes, but I run larger tires and can spin just fine...so I am only typing form theory, not practice...

Sububoy09

10-14-2009, 07:15 AM

Jard

10-14-2009, 07:22 AM

I'm thinking about going all motor. Maybe an SOHC EJ25 with 4.10 gears, performance cam, and upgrading the fuel and electrical systems. You'd think that would deliver the best immediate power (which is much needed in rally x). What do you guys think?
Sure! Just try to buy a full 2000 - 2001 RS motor, transmission, diff from someone that did a swap.

You can buy a reflashed ECU to run it with or without cams after you put a full exhaust on it.

nkx

10-14-2009, 03:05 PM

motor swap is going to be your biggest, cheapest power gain. as far as suspension, im running rs springs (which may or may not be stiffer than the springs that came on my brighton, all i know is they dont sag) on agx's, and im very pleased.

Qman

10-15-2009, 08:49 AM

I'm thinking about going all motor. Maybe an SOHC EJ25 with 4.10 gears, performance cam, and upgrading the fuel and electrical systems. You'd think that would deliver the best immediate power (which is much needed in rally x). What do you guys think?

Sure! Just try to buy a full 2000 - 2001 RS motor, transmission, diff from someone that did a swap.

You can buy a reflashed ECU to run it with or without cams after you put a full exhaust on it.

My set up! I ran a 96 Brighton with a full RS swap. Cams, LWFW, SPT intake, PP6 on a 98 RS ecu. Won M4 2 yrs in a row.

Rally OBXT

10-15-2009, 11:04 AM

Power?? Good luck. Just swap it when you have the $$$ and skill to control it.

Suspension? DOOOOOOOOOOOOOO IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!

morbid

10-16-2009, 10:02 AM

Sububoy09

10-18-2009, 06:31 PM

Thanks for all your replies guys!

My buddy that gave me the WRX brakes is adding some new parts to to his Subie so he's giving me...

WRX Turbo Back Exhaust
WRX Shocks and Struts
WRX Sway Bars
Stock Turbo, intercooler and others.

FO FREE!!!

So... on to my next question. Would you advise adding a stock WRX turbo set up to an NA EJ22 -OR- EJ25? (or ej18 :lol2:)