Underdog's '06 GRP Sedan 5MT

[Underdog]

No apparent problem with the AVCS - both banks sitting right at 0 degrees during idle while misfiring. No change in symptoms since the other day - cyl #1 near constant at anything under 1500rpm and random intermittent strings on cyl #2. I did sit in the car and watch the O2 and WBO2 while slowly raising and lowering the engine speed - below 1500rpm it stops holding at 14.7 AFR and drops to low 13 before the stumbles start. So right now all I can think is injectors, by process of elimination as well as it making some sense due to the car sitting for long periods of time in between drives.

It’s going to be sitting for a couple weeks more while I wait for cheeseenlo’s injectors to get serviced at ID and make their way to me, so I washed it and put it up on stands for an oil change. Sure tugs at the heart strings when it’s all cleaned up .

[Enlight]

Just immaculate

[seanyb505]

I have that same shift knob, and to my knowledge a kartboy short shifter. But your knob sits much further down. How much did you have to thread yours down? I went until it felt snug and wouldn't loosen during normal driving. I didn't want to strip it. 

[Underdog]

@seanyb505 I have the Cobb double adjustable STS from wayyyy back. There was a throw adjustment between the pivot and the arm, and then the threaded stem the knob screws onto was also adjustable. I ordered the boot -2.5” from RedlineGoods so that’s probably the rough change from stock. I also took the pic from above the headrest so that might make it look shorter. 

[BoozeRS05]

I have a Cobb adjustable sts and my redline boot is way too baggy. Wish I’d have gotten a shortened version as well. Car looks great bud!

[KZJonny]

That is a sweet lookin’ car dude.

I don’t think I’ve seen one in that colour in person.

[Underdog]

Decided to change the oil & filter, so pulled off the undertray and gave it a quick visual once-over. Everything looks pretty good - definitely would refresh the brakes in the near future and maybe send the Bilsteins in since they are 10y/o now. They still ride great but could use some TLC cosmetically. 

Warmed up the car - same misfire symptoms although it did idle very nicely for a good 10 minutes once warm, which had me hopeful the B12 had worked through and confirmed a sticky injector. However the misfire returned. Frustrating!

Drained the oil and cut open the old filter - pristine. Put on a new Tokyo Roki and filled it up with Rotella T6. 

Cleaned up the GTspec tray and reinstalled. Now it waits for the injectors and a new OEM O2 sensor. Fingers crossed one of those resolves it because I’m running out of ideas short of pinning out the harness or replacing the ECU.

Since I still have the Cobb SF intake box out I decided to look at some ways to seal it up better. It draws a lot of hot air from the engine bay and fender well (the GTspec tray doesn’t seal like OEM). Nothing obvious jumped out so now I’m looking for an OEM STI airbox to try fitting in there. Can’t use an LGT airbox because of the STI MAF. Womp womp!

[Tehnation]

I'm curious about that oil filter tool and that undertray. Ive long lost my plastic undertray and run headers now and I need something to keep it from getting wet and steaming everytime it rains/snows, that looks nice and simple and easy to remove and install. How much you pay for it if you don't mind me asking. 

Figured I would check amazon, they got those oil filter cutters for like 30 bucks or so.

https://www.amazon.com/SAVYSPEDY-Filter-Cutting-Replace-77750/dp/B09XJVBKSM

[Underdog]

Yup that oil filter cutter looks the same as my Longacre branded one. I cut open all my filters - cars, generator, lawnmower, etc. I have a large aluminum pan to empty it into so I can “pan for gold”… the one time you want to come up empty handed!

I got the GTspec undertray back in ~2010 with the JDM bumper swap I bought off of @Aczwild. I forget what they went for new but probably in the $250-300 range. It’s much easier to remove/install than the stock undertray, and far more durable obviously. 

[Underdog]

Happy to report the car now has a clean bill of health. It also turns out I may need glasses.

While going through my parts pile I found a new set of plugs (22401AA670) - figured it couldn't hurt to throw one in cylinder #1 before diving into the injectors later this week. Sure enough, that cylinder stopped misfiring completely. I looked closely at the old plug under my bench light and they definitely look more fouled than I thought they did the other day. Not the first time I've noticed my eyesight not being what it used to be.

 

I suspect the fouling/varnish is from the multiple short drives the car did from January to July while I was working at a shop 10 minutes from my house. After that the car sat for months while I've been building a new 20'x24' greenhouse/shed.

 

I swapped the rest of the plugs and took the car out for a 10mi drive, stopped back home for lunch, and then went out for another drive. The car is running great! Happy to eat crow on this one, and put the newly serviced ID1000s in the spare parts pile for now.

 

Next up I will be taking the car for an inspection, test fitting the 08-14 OEM STI airbox, and getting new tires (and possibly wheels). I start a new job this coming Monday and am looking forward to some extra cash.

P.S. I’ve gone back and fixed all the broken image links in this thread, and added a bunch more pics and background information on many of the modifications (pages 3-5 are my favorite). I updated the first post with a clickable index, and tried to add links to jump around to related posts more easily, since the thread now spans such a long time. 

[BoozeRS05]

Damn, that shed/greenhouse is gonna be sweet. Gives me an idea for some wasted space in my yard

Car looks spectacular too

[Underdog]

Thanks man. It’s in the home stretch now - putting the siding and trim on that upper middle wall with the transom windows next, so I can put the greenhouse roof on it. I used the same polycarbonate, but with a 30% tint, on the shed side roof so there is tons of light. All the yard equipment currently in my garage will be moving out there. Might treat the car to a set of MaxJax when it’s all done!

[KZJonny]

Second those thought on both car and shed. That also gives me some ideas on how To use the ‘wasted’ space on the side of my garage build!

Please keep us updated on the progress of both.

[BoozeRS05]

I like those tinted polycarbonate panels! Might look into those for a carport I wanna build

[Underdog]

Incredibly satisfying when both the registration sticker and inspection sticker match the car. 
 

[Underdog]

Looking at a few wheel options... The current setup is 18x7.5 e48 with a 225/40-18 tire, handling is sharp and the tire looks good on the wheel (squared off). I think it would look better with another 10mm of poke, just so it isn't quite so tucked.

The next wheels will be 8" wide with a 45-48mm offset, I just haven't decided if they'll be 17" or 18". I am tempted to run either a 245/40 or 245/35 tire, respectively. 225 just doesn't seem like enough tire on an 8" and with 235 you either need to go with a slightly shorter tire, or one that's much taller. I can always adjust the coilovers and camber bolts/bushings, or roll the fenders, but I don't think this setup is that extreme. What's your bet - will it rub?

On to the candidates... RPF1 - timeless or boring? It definitely is period-correct, and an iconic design that looks at home on any Subaru. Also you cannot beat the low weight at 16.05lbs for the 17x8 and 17.95 for the 18x8, especially at their price-point. The silver paint is okay but I prefer something like the bright silver OZ below, or the storm grey Enkeis. Not really up for gold, bronze, black, or chrome.

 

Another classic design from the same era but has aged more gracefully. Always liked the way this wheel looked on the Legacy in pics shared here on the forum. At 17.4lbs for 17x8 and 18.4 for 18x8 it is another very lightweight option and comparable in price to the RPF1.

 

Kinda been feeling like the car needs a little exterior refresh. This is the Enkei TSR-X which is available in 18x8 e45 and weighs 19.3lbs. I like the sharper look and feel like it modernize the car a bit, especially over freshened up Brembos. Will it look out of place on a 17y/o car? The storm grey has kind of a hypersilver look to it that I think will pick up the chrome on Underdog pretty nicely.

 

Another throwback design - the TMS gives off snowflake vibes from the 3rd gen that I always liked. Definitely the wrong direction in terms of easiness to keep clean. Weight is not superb at 20.5lbs and 20.85 lbs for the 17x8 and 18x8, but not terrible either. Same storm grey color as the TSR-X above.

 

The T6R is an uncluttered design that looks good and would be easy to clean. I like the tapered spokes more than the straight spoke of the T6S, and I prefer the 6-spokes to the 5's. Going to be at the heavier end of the spectrum around 22lbs for the 17x8 or 18x8. The gloss gunmetal is a little dark for my tastes but it looks like it will throw light when shined up.

[seanyb505]

Not to clutter up your thread; here's a wheel option I don't see many people go for but feels about perfect to me: oz leggera hlt 17x8 I think 48 offset. Tires are 245/40/17 Michelin as4s in these shots. 245 felt and looked just a teensy too wide for the 8 inch wheel. Since the wheels also were a little darker than I really wanted, I've got them waiting to be painted likely gold. Tires will probably be 225, just because 235/40 are mostly 200tw options. 245/40/17 was also identical to stock 215/45/17 height. 

 

18s will fill the well better for sure, I just wanted the beefier sidewalls and lower price for both wheels and tires in the long run. The brakes look nicer in the 17s as well. 

[Underdog]

Thanks for the feedback @seanyb505. The Leggera HLT is definitely a contender as well, and looks great on your car. In what way did the 245 feel too wide for the 8”? It doesn’t look squished on there. Did you have any rubbing?

I had 225/45-17 on an 8” wide wheel before and they were a little more stretched than I’d prefer. See quoted pics below  

I’m all about sticking with a 17” for more sidewall as well as filling up the wheel with brakes. The only upside to 18” for me is that it’s easier to clean the barrel of the wheel. 
 

On 9/9/2011 at 9:13 PM, Underdog said:

[seanyb505]

On tired 245k suspension, the fronts rubbed as I would go through decent lateral loaded bumps. Turning through intersections at more than 15mph would be enough to rub for example. I measured the suspension and learned the suspension had enough sag to mimic about a 1" drop. 

A decent fender roll took care of most of the rubbing with stock suspension. 

With coilovers (probably 1.25 drop now) and minor camber increase, no rubbing at all in normal spirited driving. The rears (not rolled) do rub if there's significant weight, which is probably harder to achieve with a sedan than wagon. 

I'll look for a decent picture that illustrates 245 on 8" wheel. It wasn't completely a balloon, but it was definitely fluffier than a good square fitting tire. 

Edit (stock height):

Edited February 11, 2023 by seanyb505

[Underdog]

I see what you mean. It looks like it fits the wheel well nicely at stock height, but does look chonky. Those are the as4s? I’ll look up the section width. Most of these wheels have an 8.5 wide option in 17 and/or 18 so I could go that route. I just go back to what I said about the 225 and 235 - might as well stay on the 7.5 wide wheel with 225 at that point  

I was thinking about getting a Bilstein fixed perch strut and OEM Spec.B spring combo so I could send the Bilstein coils for rebuild and still drive the car. I think I might like it and raise the car a bit after I get the coils back. 

[seanyb505]

This is a lot of work and money for a car you're thinking of selling lol!

Those are the as4s. 

Somewhere I probably have a super comparable pic of the same stock set up and Oz wheels, but with 225/45 Michelin super sports if that's of interest to you. 

[Underdog]

Yeah I kinda realized that I might as well maintain & modify it as if I’m going to keep it, and if the right buyer comes along then I’m sure we’ll work out the particulars. 

If you come across the pic of the 225/45 yeah post it up. It all helps. 

[Febreze Mee]

@Underdogmaybe I missed this somewhere, but are you still selling this car?

[Underdog]

50 minutes ago, Febreze Mee said:

@Underdogmaybe I missed this somewhere, but are you still selling this car?

Well yes and no. I’ve been getting the car ready for sale, but decided not to list it on BaT and haven’t posted up a sale thread yet. I’ve exchanged PMs with a few interested parties but the timing hasn’t been right. When BRZ orders open up I might feel a different sense of urgency, but right now I’m just enjoying wrenching on the car and driving it. 

[cheeseenlo]

@UnderdogI vote for 18s! I'm with you on ease of cleaning, which was definitely part of my decision with my latest wheels. Coming from Rota Gravels, I wanted to reduce the number of spokes I had to agitate with a brush during cleaning. Wider areas between each spoke meant I could fit my hand or wheel brush inside to reach within the wheel barrels and between the calipers. 

Michelin AS4's 235/40 is almost square on an 18x8 wheel with a slight bit of an edge guard. I can take better photos if you need but hopefully you can see what I'm talking about. My previous Hankook's had less of the protrusion than these tires on the same size.