This vehicle started as a Covid Project. Purchased for $3,500 with as usual blown engine. ya-know Subaru things. As a profession I teach Automotive Technology at a local high school. During Covid I only had about 5 in person students, the rest at home on computers. So to build some moral brought the car in and made it our Senior project. Told the students Il buy the parts, you guys assemble the engine and install it. If it runs, you get an A in class. Students loved the idea, got to work right away and had the motor out in 1 hour 30 minutes, and this was their first time pulling an engine, I was amazed. So after purchasing a short block from Teter Performance, with STI crank, forged internals, king bearings and a 500-hp limit we began. Students installed the ARP head studs, multilayer head gasket, Gates timing belt, Asaian oil pump, and got the long block assembled. Students at home on computers would look up torque values, torque sequence patterns, and steps. Then feed the directions to the students in the shop over zoom call. Once completed it was hooked up to the engine hoist and ready to go. They dropped the engine in, hooked up the Perrin intercooler, added injectors and just before graduation. Students then graduated on a Saturday in May and returned the Monday after to finish and hear it run and say their goodbyes.
A few years later after all testing and break-in was done stage 2 was ready. A new group of students started disassembling a damaged, title-less STI donor car I purchased from Marketplace. They took off all the good stuff and cleaned it all up and painted for transplanting. A group of underclassmen installed the Twin disc X-clutch, and flywheel. Then hoisted the STI 6-speed and hung the R-180 differential and swapped to a one piece aluminum drive shaft. Upperclassmen changed all subframe bushings to urethan, STI control arms, STI struts, larger sway bars, STI bearings and knuckles, STI axles and completed with Brembo 4 piston caliper and rotor swap. New Enkei rims and Continental Dsw06+ tires installed by students as well. Final stage was Just this past year and involved just engine mods being completed by me. Started by Custom welding new up and down pipes to build a home built rotated turbo set up. Used a Blouch 2.5 Polka Pickle turbo with billet wheel, and heavy porting and opened up the waste gate to 25mm. Reverse mounted Perrin front mount intercooler and welded all aluminum intercooler piping plumbed to a AMS rear facing intake. Mounted a GFB Deceptor II pro hybrid bypass valve, with custom bypass tubing and in cab adjustable controller. Then custom bent stainless 3/8" fuel lines, -6 AN fittings, Aeromotive regulator, rails, and Injector dynamics 1300cc injectors. fuel was rounded off with Radium hanger, single Hellcat 525 pump, and Iwire high amperage pump wiring kit. Exhaust is equal length Tomei header, SPT exhaust and 3" electric cut out. Tuned on EcuTek by CSTuned Chicago. Instrumentation is 5 AEM digital gauges, and Injen pedal sensitivity adjuster.
Exterior is highlighted by my own home built Aero package made from EPDM plastic sheeting. Included in my design is front splitter with fencing and end plates, side skirts, and Wheel arch end plate. Rear diffuser and rear spats. Finished with GT style adjustable rear wing. Interior has some custom embroidered symbols on the armrest and gauge pod done by my wife. Steering wheel is a performance d-style leather wrapped, Billetworks door pulls, and shifter knob. Finished off with all STI interior pieces and badging. Another form of support came from a former student who graduated from my program some years ago who opened up a detail shop and wanted to be involved in the build. So he was hired to do a complete paint correction, machine buff, dent removal and chip repairs. One fun story is my tuner Clint Summerfield loved the story of the students doing the work on the car and invited them to his shop to see a live dyno tuning. They were instructed on all steps of a dyno tune and even each one got to ride in the car during tuning and hit the upload button on the computer. They were thrilled with the opportunity and glad to see the efforts of their work make some power. Finally the car was given the markings of Toothless , from How to Train your Dragon Franchise. Being an all black car seemed ideal, then topped off with a vanity plate. I originally got involved with the Subaru brand just out of curiosity, but now genuinely addicted to EJ power, when put together and running great they are a wonderful platform due to all the combinations and mods you can do at home, or in a Automotive Classroom like our build took place. Look for it at Midwest-Subifest, or other upcoming local far west suburbs of Chicago shows.
