Kenton's PW build (VARIS/TommyK/Fujimura/etc)

dislimn

Hey guys, I'm Kenton.

I picked up my 2014 Sport 6MT back in April. I previously had a 2012 Mustang GT 5.0 (6MT) that I had broken the transmission twice under warranty and decided it was time to let that car go. It was a lot of fun in a straight line, and I'm sure if I was a better driver it would have been more "fun" to drive than the Z, but as it is I can drive the Z a lot easier near the limits than a ox-cart SRA suspension car.


Anyways, I'm almost done with this build.


Finished:

Exterior:
- VARIS Japan CF front lip w/ partial PW paint (Thanks carbonFZ)
- Evo-R CF side blades
- Fujimura CF rear diffuser
- Shine Auto FRP rear spats painted PW
- Aerojacket Mine's Replica rear spoiler add-on
- JDM rear fog (wired to parking lights)
- JDM NISMO CF B-pillar covers (discontinued!)

Interior:

- Tommy Kaira heavy baby knob (Thanks DE)
- GT-R start button
- GT-R clear light covers

Engine:

- GReddy dual long tube intakes, power coated "OEM black"
- Fast Intentions Resonated HFC
- Fast Intentions Non-Resonated CF-cans exhaust

Have but yet to be installed:
- Eibach Prokit
- SPC rear camber kit

Wanted/In Process:

- Sunline CF roof cover
- FD shorter than 4.0
- Torsen based rear diff
- UpRev tuning by AWDTuning
- Crack open headlights and custom paint (who does this professionally?)
- Black emblems
- Some player JDM wheels (VOLK/WORK/SSR/etc)



I really love this car. I bought a 2005 Acura RSX-S new off the lot when I had turned 21 and when I sold that car (possible family expansion that never happened) I felt like I'd never get another car like it. I went through (2) VW GTIs (one DSG, one 6MT) and a Mustang 5.0 before I finally found another car that felt like the Acura.

I spent way more on the body than I thought I would, especially since the carbon pieces all needed to be wet sanded and recleared. The "best" looking piece out of the box was the EVO-R side skirts, I could've probably not sanded and cleared them, but I did anyways. The "worst" looking piece out of the box, oddly enough, was the Fujimura, despite perfect fitment (like 101% perfect) the cleat coat sucked donkey and really needed some work.

My daily driver is a 2015 Subaru WRX Limited (6MT) so I'm about to put this away for the winter and hopefully I can get the headlights, emblems and some other small stuff done this winter on the cheap. Modding two cars and your girlfriend's car gets expensive!

konsta

looking good !

DEpointfive0

God damn finally... Drug dealer...

Where'd you get that TK knob from? I heard they were discontinued

__________________
Do YOU want to know what/where I got my username from?

P's_Z

Nice progress!

Staying tune for pics with springs

__________________
Zeta

dislimn

.

TerribleONE

Looks good man. Lovin the Varis lip

__________________

tonythetiger

love the rear diffuser and shift knob, i heard they stop making those knobs?

__________________

KWV3/Eibach/StillenG3/FI CBE+LTH+34Row/Uprev/SPL/SouthBendSS/QuaifeLSD/4.08/TommyKaira/Status/VolkZE40/AP Radical BBK/Seibon/Amuse/VIS/Sparco/WorksBellGTC/RJM/Nismo

dislimn

DEpointfive0 might have a few left. He was able to get 10 in about a month or so ago. But yeah, they're discontinued and now out of production.

Amuse370z

Can I see the WRX too? Im kinda considering one for a DD.

It sucks this time of the year when the Z is put away.

__________________

dislimn

For sure.











Factory options:

- Limited Model; Harmon Kardon audio; Nav; Push button start
- STI exhaust
- STI short throw / shift knob
- STI carbon fiber trunk trim
- STI full lip kit
- Rain visors

Mods:

- WORK Emotion D9R on Goodyear Eagle F1 (18x8.5), currently on winter stock wheels 17x8 with Hanhook Winter ICEPT tires
- JDM Fog Light
- JDM STI battery bar
- JDM STI strut tower bar
- JDM Front Grille (toothless)
- JDM leather top hat cover (boost gauge area cover)
- LED fog lamps (2100L/3000K)



This time last year my only car was a 2012 Mustang GT 5.0 making about 450whp and it was awful in the winter. So happy to have split up my nice weather car and my **** weather car. Most fun thing about the WRX is doing 1st gear rolls in the rain. No loss of traction. It's crazy.

DEpointfive0

I got the first batch of 8 in 6 days and the last batch of 22 in 7 days.

I have 17 left

__________________
Do YOU want to know what/where I got my username from?

Amuse370z

How does it compare to the Z? Acceleration, RWD vs AWd, etc.

I have a PW too and I'm thinking of a blue WRX. Haha, good taste.

__________________

dislimn

I've got CAI/HFC/E for the Z and no engine mods for the WRX, the "STI Exhaust" is just an appearance/sound package it seems, offers no real gains but I'm dead scared of modifying the Subaru only for a ring land to crack. There haven't been many repots of engine problems with the new FA20DIT (vs EJ25 08-14 WRX/STI) engines but it's still a worrying thought, especially how SoA is known to deny warranties for the slightest things.

Anyways, the stock tune is crap so it's a Subaru all right. There's a dip of power around 4500RPM for a few hundred RPM and then it picks back up only to fall on its face at about 6000RPM (700RPM short of redline) and there's noticable rev hang between 1st and 2nd where the RPMs have to drop from 6700RPM to 3500RPM. It's quite a drop between those two gears.

My two local friends have COBB software, one is Protune Stage II and one is just COBB OTS Stage 1 and the revhang is instantly fixed so don't let that worry you it can be tuned out. The power dip is also tuned out. My Stage II buddy is making 280/330 with only a J-pipe (downpipe) and catback. Stock intake. He's doing TVG deletes and an intake soon and I'll travel back to Dallas with him to AWDTuning to get his WRX retuned and get my Z UpRev tuned, probably February or March.


Acceleration: The torque kick in the midrange is nice. It's a GREAT city/daily/stop-n-go kinda car.

RWD vs. AWD: Grip for days. You HONESTLY have to give it some ABUSIVE steering inputs to get it to lose traction.


I really like it but never forget its in the same class as a Civic, Carolla, Mazda 3 because it feels a little "cheap" in areas but Subaru was never Volkswagen.


Would I buy it again? Absolutely. No regrets.

Fly1 Motorsports

Nice review