Back in Winning Blue. Our 'new' Project Blue!

[Brian]

The factory radiator is tiny, certainly not designed for the heat load of track work or any forced induction. When we installed the very first NC supercharger kit here we found the factory radiator actually worked okay when used in combo with the MazdaSpeed nose which had many inches of additional opening for air to hit the radiator.....but numerous customers with the normal factory nose reported heat issues. Thus, this upgrade will be our suggestion for track users....and any customer with any boost upgrade.

[Brian]

Okay, Project Blue going to get some fun mods in the next few weeks.

Coilovers.... I have a set of Ohlins here and that's the choice I keep coming back to, but happy to hear any arguments to consider another choice.

Wheels, with boost on the way we need more rubber on this project. The natural first choices are 17x8 or 17x9 RPF1 or PFO1. Any preferences between these two choices?

[91 IMPULSE RS]

I vote for 17x9 PF01's, RPF1's are great rims but been done to death.

[Brian]

While we think about the wheels we do have lots of BIG changes for Project Blue this week.

NEW COILOVERS! This one is a surprise that has been in the works.... by a company well known for affordable coilovers and awesome customer service....in the Subaru WRX market. Anybody want to guess?

Also going in this week is our Carbon/Carbon Clutch....in preparation for BOOST.

[Chuck H]

NEW COILOVERS! This one is a surprise that has been in the works.... by a company well known for affordable coilovers and awesome customer service....in the Subaru WRX market. Anybody want to guess?

Coming from the Subaru WRX market myself, I'm going to guess Feal Suspension. They do a great business in re-building OEM STi struts, and also making a high quality, reasonably priced coilover.

[Brian]

Great guess, but not FEAL this time.

[OttoW026]

....in preparation for BOOST.

That must be the new supercharger we're getting whispers of. Any new tidbits of information?

[Chuck H]

Great guess, but not FEAL this time.

Hmmm. That makes it a little tougher.

Turn In Concepts is kind of the go-to vendor for WRX/STi suspension stuff if you don't have an infinite budget, but they don't make their own coilovers, and they're not particularly cheap.

Racecomp Engineering designs and sells pretty high end stuff, mostly for STi track cars, but they're not even close to being cheap. And again, I don't think they actually make their own coilovers.

So my next guess would have to be BC Racing. Just like on every enthusiast board, there are haters on the Subaru boards that bash them, but they're easily the most popular entry-level coilover and most customers seem to be quite happy with the performance and thrilled with the price.

[Brian]

Did our MOTOEAST ECUTEK REFLASH and all I can say is WOW, though peak horsepower is up by 5 in fourth gear (broke the 170 at the wheels mark, that's about 200 crank hp), it is the big jump in 2nd gear performance that you feel pulling away from every intersection. Super busy but will try and get the dyno posted next week.

[honestobob]

Brian you have tried lots of stuff on this project car. Besides the reflash, what other power modifications did you have in place to get to the 170 whp mark?