Adam393

The parts kit included is super legit, but I'm unsure of whether it includes UP bolts or not. It does at least include new, very high quality gaskets. Let us know how the install goes! (I'd recommend deleting TGVs as getting rid of the sensors is one less failure point and gives a bunch more clearance for the turbo) I will be picking up my car this weekend, and my buddy who is doing the work on the car is extremely impressed with how the turbo feels. He has a billet Kinugawa, a TD006 SL2 18G 8cm, on his STi

I'm not aware of any vendors on here, or large ones like Autoplicity, carrying Kinugawa

That's just a vent, so you do not have to plug it

No, they are separate options. You can get billet, minus STS, or vice versa (I think)

Dunno. That's between him and the buyer, as I have no bearing on anything. I can only assure you that my situation was quite unique, and cannot be replicated by anyone else

Is that on an LGT (sorry if it says it somewhere, but I'm on a cell)? If so, can you give some more info on your setup, like headers used, etc?

Nice! Looks a tiny bit laggy for my tastes, though. Is it standard cast wheels, or did you get a billet upgrade?

You can certainly add upgrades to the turbo, which is awesome, but you are not given the ability on their store front. I guess you'd have to contact someone there, but I have read many things where people said their communication is quite lacking. I hope that this is not the case anymore, since aside from a distributer, I don't know how to directly contact someone outside of their web page or eBay storefront...

Ah, touche, didn't see that you don't have a US LGT. Certainly can't hurt to ask for a discount in return for a review, but at least make it an honest one

One would think. But like I said, I will try to find info to substantiate that claim. I am hoping to receiving something from them that will go into further detail... As for the options, I want to say billet and STS were each $150 options for a normal purchaser. As for the final price though, I apologize, I cannot disclose that. I have some personal dealings with my friend outside of this purchase which influenced the price, and I was asked not to speak of it. Thanks for understanding That sounds like it would be a ton of fun! I'd miss the Subaru rumble too much, myself. There are two guys in our local community who are wanting to get the twin scroll later this year, as well. Please feel free to post your thoughts in this thread when you receive it!

While the brand may not have much of a foothold in the US, many overseas tuners love them and have great things to say about Kamak/Kinugawa They are actually produced in Taiwan, but the headquarters may be Japan, I'm not certain. I can only pass along what my friend and I have been told from them. They claim they are OEM suppliers for a lot of companies, as well as in their catalogues. I wouldn't doubt it, since Kamak seems to be a large company. I am trying to track down something more concreate, but I'm not sure that that is something that is outside of proprietary information between companies. In retrospect, I should have posted something for that, as I am simply taking their word for it.... My friend who distributes them bought a Tomei turbo a few years ago, and said the Kinugawas that people have received have identical packaging and hardware. He noted that the branding seems to be the only thing different. He has a suspicion that his Tomei is rebranded from this company, which would is something that only makes me feel more confident about it's quality. Regardless, everything seems to be of exceptional quality, and it only took 7 days from order to arrive at my place, all the way from Taiwan! Will do! Needless to say, I cannot wait to get this installed!

I just wanted to start a thread to bring light to Kinugawa and my eventual review of the turbo. Now to preface, I am only doing this to spread awareness to users by saying there are reliable options out there for us. By posting this, I mean no offense or disrespect to BNR, as I never see anything but glowing reviews for him and his service . I am not trying to step on anyone's toes by providing this information. To start, here is some more info on Kinugawa/Kamak: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1824302 Long story short, there is much misinformation out there about this company. Kamak is THE manufacturer of OEM MHI and IHI turbos, and Kinugawa is a sub-brand of them. Here you can view some of the stress tests that they do for their turbos: http://www.youtube.com/user/PowerByKAMAK/videos Kinugawa has an eBay store, but IS NOT an "eBay turbo". Those are two completely different designations. My buddy is a distributor for HSWorks, who carries the Kamak and Kinugawa line of turbos. Many people in the local area are starting to run them, and loving the results, hence why I decided to go Kinugawa. (I know that this info might throw up a red flag for some, but I promise that I am trying to be as objective as possible). For my turbo, I decided to go with the billet TD05 18G 8cm^2 with the inconel "STS" turbine (T518Z style). I will post some pictures that I took of the turbo, in a moment. I did not take any of the hardware included, but it comes with a new oil feed line, DP and two UP gaskets, a spacer for those still running TGVs, DP studs, and some other odds and ends. My other friend, who is a Master Tech at Toyota and works on a lot of our Subarus, has told me he is very impressed with the quality of the hardware, and the turbos overall. He believes that the hardware is on par with OEM-spec parts. Some eagle-eyed viewers might notice the '070' marking on the turbine housing, indicating 7cm^2. There was a clerical error, and it is currently being handled as we speak. I will have the 8cm^2 housing soon. Onto the pics! http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7293/8739153705_9a9183455e_b.jpg If you look closely on the blade reflection, you can see the machining grooves on the backside of the blades http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7289/8739154959_94cdeb522e_b.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7286/8740274654_4374aac143_b.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7292/8739158005_1bcc3c3d3f_b.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7281/8740277850_1bfc6a5a1e_b.jpg Here is the "STS" turbine. It uses 9 blades instead of the conventional 12 or 13 (I forget which) that standard ones have. Inconel is lighter and stronger than the cast, so in theory, it should allow there to be less lag and less top-end power loss. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7294/8739160993_618f271dbe_b.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7294/8739162419_dd55789540_b.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7281/8739164033_0663406b0c_b.jpg I am having some work done mid-June, including this install, so I will post my impressions once the car is tuned.

Downtown will bleed you dry, take it from me. Not to mention in any housing area around CofC there is a decent amount of crime b/c of people praying on the students. I'm a block away from campus and my house even got broken into, in the middle of the day of all times... Also, due to historic housing legislation, most of the houses are very drafty and energy inefficient since they can't be modernized. Unless you are a student, I would highly recommend one of the surrounding islands instead of downtown... Oh, and rent is extremely high downtown, unless you live in an undesirable area (ie the ghetto)

I'm in Charleston, though only until I graduate in May

Just picked up #57 in Charleston! My first Subaru and I'm in love:wub: (put me as Cincinnati, OH since I'll be living back there starting in May)