Karen K's "Stompette" : 2006 WRX for SCCA ESP autocross

[CamaroWRX]

The nightmare that is an ESP-prepped WRX... remind me why I did this instead of prepping one of my Camaros...

This car was created in 2009 from D-stock scratch after Subaru pulled the SCCA Solo contingency monies, and I've been running it in close-to-full ESP trim since. It's similar to, but different than, Greg McCance's car (which is a bug-eye), and Greg, Joel Fehrman and Billy Brooks (COBB Tuning and MODE Racing) have all helped me with setup.

IAG Performance (http://www.iagperformance.com) has helped a ton with this car, from the installation of all the goodies, to the fixing of those goodies when they decided to go bad. There is a summary of all the parts currently on the car (http://www.iagperformance.com/SPONSORED_06_WRX.html) on their site. Also, Vorshlag Motorsports (http://www.vorshlag.com) accepted me into their Test Pilot program for 2009, as I was one of the first with a GD chassis car to install the AST 5200 strut setup on my car, though I switched in 2011 to a ZZYZX/Koni coilover setup. Lastly, MODE Racing (http://www.moderacing.com) has also been giving setup advice, as well as helping out with some parts.

After three years of running the car in ESP, an ESPL National Championship, and what seemed like constant changes to the setup, I'm starting to tweak the last few things. The latest additions to the setup (as of 1/1/2012) are asterisked below :

Engine :
COBB V2 AccessPORT / Pro Tuned by Jorge (http://www.iagperformance.com/protuning.html)
Invidia G200 Catback Exhaust with Kartboy PINK exhaust hangers
COBB cold air intake
STi TMIC
APS Catted Down Pipe
Cusco Turbo Heat Shield
COBB Uppipe
Kartboy oil filler cap

Driveline :
ACT Heavy-Duty Clutch & Streetlite Flywheel
MFactory Helical Front Differential
'02/'03 front axles and axle stubs
Cusco Type RS 1.5 Way Rear Differential
MODE Racing double adjustable short shifter
TurnInConcepts shift lever bushings
Kartboy shifter bushings (front and rear)
Kartboy Delrin shift knob
Kartboy rear differential outrigger bushings (hard black)
Kartboy transmission cross member bushings
Whiteline steering rack bushings
TurnInConcepts rear differential mount bushings

Suspension :
Stock front sway bar with solid Kartboy endlinks
Whiteline 22mm rear sway bar with Kartboy endlinks
ZZYZX coilovers (w/ Koni 8611 inserts)
Swift 120 front springs (~650#) and Hypercoil rears (600#) w/ tenders
Custom Front Camber Plates and Cusco rears
TurnInConcepts rearward front control arm bushings
TurnInConcepts forward and rear trailing arm bushings

Wheels & Tires :
18x9.5" Rota Torques/Grids
285/30ZR18 Hoosier A6 DOT Radials
ARP wheel studs

Brakes :
Ferodo Brake Pads (front and rear)
stainless steel brake lines

Interior :
Sparco Evo2 Plus driver seat
Sparco Evo passenger seat
Stri DSD 52mm smoke/white boost, oil pressure and EGT gauges

Exterior :
'05 WRX taillights
IAG Fender Rolling & Pulling
STi Rear Fender Flares
Custom Paint
*Prosport Carbon Fiber Hood Dampers

http://www.iagperformance.com/images/sponsored_cars/karen/image_09_635.jpg
Photo by Perry Bennett Photography, Atlanta Region June 2009 event
http://www.iagperformance.com/images/sponsored_cars/karen/image_11_635.jpg
Photo by Danny Kao, DC ProSolo 2009

Some video from the 2009 Solo Nationals in Lincoln, Nebraska.

My best West course run :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbZfmhzXx6k

My best East course run :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C23XF6N11d0

My 2010 DC ProSolo runs from Sunday morning :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2EAvylkF6c

What's up next?

Not sure what else right now. I have some ideas for the winter.

Ask questions if you have them!

[Lperkins88]

niceee!!

[xxthat girlxx]

Awesome, Karen!!

[djmatao]

Car looks awesome in action!!! Those Torques are a good look for the car!

[GreenMarine]

Hey Karen, what are the dimensions of those wheels? I've got two sets I'm looking to sell to eventually get a new set of Enkei PF01's... Problem is that the Enkei RP03's I have now have INSANE offset... But I like the way those seem to come alot closer to fitting in the wheel wells than mine do :)

~ Chris

[CamaroWRX]

Hey Karen, what are the dimensions of those wheels? I've got two sets I'm looking to sell to eventually get a new set of Enkei PF01's... Problem is that the Enkei RP03's I have now have INSANE offset... But I like the way those seem to come alot closer to fitting in the wheel wells than mine do :)
Well, the fenders are flared so that the tires don't stick out... ;) This is what it looked like before the fenders were pulled (and before the ride height was set) :
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Q6X2X_0tTXo/ShhkaLSG14I/AAAAAAAAHnU/CyeWIDrOByQ/s800/esp%20wrx%20002.jpg

They are the 18x9.5" Rota Torques. I think the offset is +35 (I'd have to get that verified).

[GreenMarine]

Well, the fenders are flared so that the tires don't stick out... ;) This is what it looked like before the fenders were pulled (and before the ride height was set) :
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Q6X2X_0tTXo/ShhkaLSG14I/AAAAAAAAHnU/CyeWIDrOByQ/s800/esp%20wrx%20002.jpg

They are the 18x9.5" Rota Torques. I think the offset is +35 (I'd have to get that verified).

Awesome!... Yeah the wto sets of wheels I have at the moment have INSANE offsets... They are:

Enkei RP03 (18x10; +20mm) 285/35/18 Continental ContiSportContact3's

Axis Reverb (18x9.5; +28mm) 265/35/18 Continental ContiSportContact3's

BOTH of which are for sale at the moment incase you were looking for a larger wheel ;)

~ Chris

[CamaroWRX]

Awesome!... Yeah the wto sets of wheels I have at the moment have INSANE offsets... They are:

Enkei RP03 (18x10; +20mm) 285/35/18 Continental ContiSportContact3's

Axis Reverb (18x9.5; +28mm) 265/35/18 Continental ContiSportContact3's

BOTH of which are for sale at the moment incase you were looking for a larger wheel ;)
Well, I just got a set of Rota SVNs in silver, but they are only 18x8.5. For a street tire, I really don't need anything super wide.

The tires will be Continental ExtremeContact DSWs (245/40R18). I should have them on the car Wednesday or Thursday -- just in time to drive out to Nationals. :)

[xxthat girlxx]

Good luck!

[gizzmo]

Have fun in Lincoln! I wish I could make it but all "extra" funds go into getting my SM beast back out in the cones :D

[CamaroWRX]

Literally just put the Rota SVNs on. Haven't driven on the new tires yet, but the car looks 1000% better without the stock rims.
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs435.snc4/47828_426694971636_662741636_5571977_21641_n.jpg

[xxthat girlxx]

^Looks good!

[gizzmo]

^Looks good!

+eleventy! :love:

[snowman87]

Very nice! I'm curious why you aren't running a Front Sway though.

[CamaroWRX]

Very nice! I'm curious why you aren't running a Front Sway though.
Spring rates deal with it. From Joel Fehrman's post on my NASIOC build thread :
Given that Karen can run whatever spring rate she wants in SP, a front bar would only reduce front end grip and increase rear grip. That's not what we need from a Subie. Also, swaybars add weight. I don't run any on Stompy after experimenting with a few options. At one point I was running a huge front bar so that the inside rear tire wouldn't lift. Given that Karen and I both run real diffs in the rear now and have adequate droop travel in the struts, there is no need for a front bar.

The spring rates were chosen to give a slightly higher rear suspension frequency than the front frequency. When you consider how much lower the rear cornerweights are than the front, you can see how you end up with a higher rear suspension frequency than the front despite the difference in spring rate.

As for Nationals, I'll write about it later. It's still upsetting. As a teaser, here's my best run on the East Course.
oq3U2DMEfUI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq3U2DMEfUI)

[xxthat girlxx]

Sorry you're upset about Nationals. I'm anxious to read what's up!

[CamaroWRX]

My second-best West Course run.

zKE1Bgje7vE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKE1Bgje7vE)

[MissVenezuela85]

I see the IAG Stickers on your car. Will you be at the IAG Open house 10/30? My husband and I are probably going :)

[CamaroWRX]

I see the IAG Stickers on your car. Will you be at the IAG Open house 10/30? My husband and I are probably going :)
I should be there. I just dropped the car off today to have them replace the slipping clutch and to try to diagnose the misfire issue.

[CamaroWRX]

Sorry you're upset about Nationals. I'm anxious to read what's up!
I've been trying to write my blog (http://camarowrx.blogspot.com) about Nationals, and haven't been able to muster the energy to do so.

A lot of it revolves around the pressure I put on myself to do well when I run open class. I have two National Championships (DSL and ESPL) and one ProSolo Championship (L1). My friends will, on one hand, tell me what a great driver I am, and how I drove awesome at those events, but on the other hand disparage Ladies Class competition as "weak" and "unecessary." It's a tough pill to swallow.

Additionally, for literally years, I ran FS open class with my Camaro. And with the exception of 2005, with the rain crap going on, I routinely finished one or two positions out of the trophies, by mere tenths and several times by less than a tenth. Every year, I heard the same thing after the first and second days -- "You'll do it tomorrow" followed by, "You'll do it next year."

Needless to say, after three years of "hiding" in the ladies classes and then doing half-way decently at the DC ProSolo this past summer, I thought I could finally get an open class trophy at Nationals this year. After the first day, I was 0.019s out of trophies.

And then I heard the hated words. "You'll do it tomorrow." After several people told me that, I finally broke into tears, because I'd heard that just too many times in the past, only to have it not happen.

Then on the second day, after a mediocre first run, I'm trying to get my head together for the second attempt, and to try not to let any of the BS affect me. Then the car's dash lights up just as I'm about to pull out of my grid space. I call a mechanical, and no one can figure out why it's suddenly throwing misfire codes. I ended up taking my last two runs anyway, but I don't know how that may have affected my ability to concentrate on the course rather than on my ability to get the car home.

I finished 10th in class, 0.270 behind Drew Little ('04 WRX), and .289 out of trophies. When my boyfriend (who was announcing for ESP) came over to grid, I just broke down, I was so disappointed. And, of course, people were already telling me the other hated phrase : "You'll do it next year." :(

There's just no way to convey my disappointment in how I did. Watching my videos, I know exactly where I was losing time, and I just didn't make the improvements I needed to make. Whether it's a subconscious sabotage on my part or something else, I just don't know.

:(

[xxthat girlxx]

Karen, I completely understand your anxiousness going into this event.

Women's classes are a tough pill to swallow (both in races and shows). One one hand I feel that a strong woman will compete with the guys and drive/stand aside them. On the other hand I feel that women's classes create their own comradery/competition and allows women to get started comfortably in the sport.

I think the fact that you are even able to compete at nationals should show that you ARE a strong driver.

Anyway to not psyche yourself out next time around?

[CamaroWRX]

Anyway to not psyche yourself out next time around?
Probably, but I don't think they want me driving under the influence.

[xxthat girlxx]

Probably, but I don't think they want me driving under the influence.

:cheers:

[gizzmo]

Karen, you are in one hell of a competitive class with a lot of good drivers and cars. What you did was absolutely amazing! I applaud you for running open class and not spanking Hillary in the L class. I understand the self psych out stuff, I ran my first big 2 day event this year and was about to puke from being so nervous. We run a street tire class in out local region for SM and me and my co-driver showed up thinkin we were the only 2 SM competitors so not worried aboot the Dunlops. Saturday mornin there's an 08 STi on coilovers and Hoosiers. He procedded to spank me by aboot 4 seconds overall. I won't give you the "next year" speech but I will be out there in Lincoln to help ya however I can and cheer you on between getting spanked in SM :lol: Kudos again Karen! My only advice for next year is to have fun and don't beat yourself up, I've been beating myself up all year and finishing mid-pack in class doing it. Yesterday I went out and had fun and finished 2nd in SM :D

Keep your head up!

[CamaroWRX]

I still haven't decided what I'm doing next year. But, when Greg McCance decided to have a fire sale and sell off pretty much everything on his ESP beast, I was fortunate enough to be able to snag his zzyzx/Koni suspension and his set of Rota Grids (18x9.5, like my own Torques).

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1160.snc4/150211_455670426636_662741636_6120153_4672244_n.jp g
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1197.snc4/154995_455767036636_662741636_6121397_1421507_n.jp g

I picked up the stuff from Toledo this past weekend (good excuse for a road trip and to just hang out with some friends in Cleveland and Toledo, even if it did cost more money than to have them shipped), and dropped the zzyzx stuff off at IAG this afternoon.

Greg asked me why I was buying it if I wasn't 100% committed to autocrossing next year. I told him that my car was initially built with the zzyzx suspension in mind, and it was one of those things -- I could buy it and resell it if I decided not to use it, or I could let it slip away and possibly regret the opportunity (since zzyzx housings are next to impossible to find any more). Same with the rims, which surprisingly came with a set of 18 run Hoosiers (he told me he just didn't feel like having them dismounted).

So, now I just need to decide if I'm autocrossing at all next year, or taking a hiatus to try to find the fun in it again.

[xxthat girlxx]

Nice snag on the parts! I like the color on the wheels.

Karen... Anyway teaching other women to autocross would be fun for you?

[CamaroWRX]

Nice snag on the parts! I like the color on the wheels.
:lol: I'm told it will "look good" on my car, but I'm not sold on it. Greg spray painted them (I think these were the ones that were previously painted white) when he put the orange vinyl on his car, and it's chipped up and stuff. I guess it'll match the lavender ghost flames. :dunno:

Anyway teaching other women to autocross would be fun for you?
I've taught at a couple of local autocross schools, but haven't been asked to do so for a while. It's fun, sometimes. Depends on how receptive the student is -- are they there to learn? Or because they are essentially being forced to go? People who don't really want to be there aren't as receptive to learning as those who are there because they want to be.

[gizzmo]

Keep me in mind if you decide to not autocross :lol: I've taken the novice coordinator position this year to try to encourage the n00bs. I was getting burnt out as worker chief/novice guy. It was becoming another day going to work. I'm hoping the whole having my work assignment out of the way before run work order is announced can make it fun again. With the car being essentially all new next spring I'm gonna need to be able to focus.

[CamaroWRX]

Well, just got the car back today. Turned out that the brake issues I've been fighting all summer may have been partly due to a bad wheel bearing that wasn't noticeable through the normal "pull on the wheel" method of checking.

The zzyzx suspension is on the car, and my first impression is that 650/600 springs are a lot less harsh on the street than 800/650 ones are. :lol:

[xxthat girlxx]

Sooo did you take care of said bad wheel bearing?

Also, yay for a more comfortable daily drive?

[CamaroWRX]

Sooo did you take care of said bad wheel bearing?
Yeah, that's what took the extra three days to get taken care of. The tech that was supposed to be wrapping things up on the car was sick on Monday, and then Tuesday was when it dawned on everyone that maybe, just maybe, there was a wheel bearing issue contributing to the braking problem. Parts (which included a hub :( ) didn't come in until Thursday.

Also, yay for a more comfortable daily drive?
<shrug> None of my cars is what "normal" people call "comfortable" anyway. At least it doesn't jar my teeth so badly when I hit bumps any more. ;)

[xxthat girlxx]

Ah. Good thing they found the phantom though.

I said more comfortable as in by comparison to the old suspension, not compared to normal people comfortable. ;) thankfully my current suspension set up isn't as rough as the coilovers that were on the car when I bought it. I probably would have had to invested in a "special support bra" to daily drive it. :rolleyes:

[weathergrl]

The zzyzx suspension is on the car, and my first impression is that 650/600 springs are a lot less harsh on the street than 800/650 ones are. :lol:

lol no doubt! I didn't realize you were running basically the same spring setup as I was on the STI. Yeah driving on those springs to events 10 hours away was.. well... intereeeesting. I hope you'll be there next year and we need to get together and chat more at events. I'll be running open next year for the Pro's.

[CamaroWRX]

Well, looks like the WRX will be at the DC Auto Show for the third year straight at the end of the month. I just need to decide if I'm putting the "regular" rims on it, or the new-to-me purple rims I got from McCance. :lol:

[gizzmo]

Purples!!! Those things are sick! I can't believe that's Hilalry's car now, just blows my mind.

[MissVenezuela85]

Well, looks like the WRX will be at the DC Auto Show for the third year straight at the end of the month. I just need to decide if I'm putting the "regular" rims on it, or the new-to-me purple rims I got from McCance. :lol:

I know my husband wants to attend this so we shall see you there :)

[CamaroWRX]

Purples!!! Those things are sick!
Eh, they are the same dimensions as my gunmetal Torques, and the paint isn't all that great on them. However, my left front fender isn't all that great either since the control arm failure last year, so I guess I shouldn't be thinking "show car."
I can't believe that's Hilalry's car now, just blows my mind.
If you know Greg, it's believable. Plus, the "car" was essentially just a shell. What else would he do with it? Tow it to the scrap yard? It literally had no suspension or even wheels (when I bought the zzyzx stuff, the car was sitting, wheel-less and suspension-less on jackstands in the garage), and he had to borrow stuff to push it onto a trailer. All of the "go-fast" bits were gone, including the diffs and the extra, non-broken transmissions.

I doubt anyone will ever see the car again, because I doubt Hilary will be able to come up with the funds to get it on the road, much less in a mild ESP state. It's a shame, really, but Greg had tried to sell the car as a package in previous years (when it was STX trim, and again last winter in ESP trim, before the E85 tune), so he knew he wasn't going to sell it for what he wanted. It was probably easier and more profitable for him to sell the pieces he sold, and then scrap/give away the rest.

[xxthat girlxx]

His loss is your gain? Too bad he couldn't sell as a pkg. though.

[CamaroWRX]

His loss is your gain?
I don't know if it's really a "loss" on his part. He seems pretty happy to be out of Toledo, and honestly, I can't imagine continuing to autocross after the season he had last year. Mine was bad enough with the constant issues, and his was even more time and money consuming.

[gizzmo]

I don't know if it's really a "loss" on his part. He seems pretty happy to be out of Toledo, and honestly, I can't imagine continuing to autocross after the season he had last year. Mine was bad enough with the constant issues, and his was even more time and money consuming.

his was pure hell last year. I agree that he seems much happier lately. I guess I didn't know he had taken it down that far.

[Sugarpie]

Mmmm love those wheels!

[CamaroWRX]

As I walk outside earlier, I find a box on the doorstep with a return address from California. A special delivery from Kartboy! :D
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Q6X2X_0tTXo/TTtgTdF5KgI/AAAAAAAANU8/NqS8eVxV6I0/s400/kartboy%20care%20package.jpg
A Delrin shift knob, an oil filler cap, some drivetrain bushings, exhaust hangers (and they are bright), and lots of little stickers (the regular die-cutter computer is bustificated).

So, I installed the easy stuff already (well, the oil cap would have been easy if the hood release wasn't sticking due to the sub-freezing temps).
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Q6X2X_0tTXo/TTtgTQ1Yh5I/AAAAAAAANVA/xUcGW8jfUpE/s400/kartboy%20knob.jpg

The car is cleaned up, and almost ready to head to the Convention Center tomorrow. I still need to figure out which rims are going on -- my "regular" gunmetal ones, or the purple ones I got from McCance -- and I need to drive it around to get the gas level to an acceptably low amount. I'm just praying I don't end up driving a Camaro in snow and ice over the next two weeks. :)

Karen

[CamaroWRX]

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Q6X2X_0tTXo/TTyD7Ub4gPI/AAAAAAAANVU/bX0aZhFd3OE/s400/purple%20rims.jpg
A6s and ice. Eesh.

[CamaroWRX]

And, it's at the Convention Center now.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Q6X2X_0tTXo/TTyzjVQQySI/AAAAAAAANVk/-LfwsMwYDnQ/s400/setup%202011.jpg
The show opens to the public next Friday (1/28), and runs through Sunday, February 6th.

[xxthat girlxx]

Looks good. And what a nice selection of kartboy items! :D

I picked up a delrin knob I'll be doing a little arts/crafts project with.

[CamaroWRX]

I made a Facebook "fan page" for the WRX and the Camaro, if you're so inclined to "like" such things.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Triskelion-Racing/183661595000821?v=wall

[MissVenezuela85]

We will be at the Auto Show. See you there!

[MissVenezuela85]

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m232/kittychick2003/Karen/ANN_0784flfb.png
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m232/kittychick2003/Karen/ANN_0777flfb.png

[CamaroWRX]

Anna, when did you stop by? I was there from about 3 until just after 5PM.

I did notice a lot more people around this year than last; I guess this means the economy is finally improving?
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_Q6X2X_0tTXo/TUX51v6OsMI/AAAAAAAANWg/aM8IhstYf98/s640/autoshow%202011%20002.jpg
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_Q6X2X_0tTXo/TUX52Ay3yZI/AAAAAAAANWk/xKwpoaxD_UM/s640/autoshow%202011%20003.jpg
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs034.snc6/166439_184484261585221_183661595000821_453856_7357 561_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs781.ash1/167107_184487068251607_183661595000821_453874_4326 838_n.jpg
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs046.snc6/167649_184488384918142_183661595000821_453880_1128 936_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs014.snc6/166487_184488738251440_183661595000821_453881_2900 71_n.jpg

[MissVenezuela85]

I think we walked by your car around 2;30 or so. We left around 4pm

[gizzmo]

Is that the Strano's Mustang you're parked next to? You're gonna be uber fast now if it is :lol:

[xxthat girlxx]

Karen! I love that you have a bender quote on your trunk. Heh heh heh.

[CamaroWRX]

Is that the Strano's Mustang you're parked next to? You're gonna be uber fast now if it is :lol:
:lol: Actually, it's Mike Snyder's car, but yeah, it's the one Sammy has driven the last couple of years.

Karen! I love that you have a bender quote on your trunk. Heh heh heh.
:) McCance used to have a matching one for his car. :(

[gizzmo]

I'm requesting no more mention of McCance's car. Henceforth, you ended up with wheels and suspension that you found on your porch one morning. :lol:

[McCance]

:) McCance used to have a matching one for his car. :(

I still have it :) Good luck with your season. :)

I'm requesting no more mention of McCance's car. Henceforth, you ended up with wheels and suspension that you found on your porch one morning. :lol:

McCance's car, McCance's car, McCance's car....... :lol:

[gizzmo]

I still have it :) Good luck with your season. :)



McCance's car, McCance's car, McCance's car....... :lol:


I miss you and your pwning <3 :lol:


Hope all is well for ya Greg!

[CamaroWRX]

I still have it :) Good luck with your season. :)
Thanks! Never imagined seeing you on this forum! :lol:

[CamaroWRX]

The Evo fairy stopped by this morning in his new-to-him Evo and dropped off a Sparco Evo seat for the passenger side.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_Q6X2X_0tTXo/TWE5icGFdcI/AAAAAAAANXw/gRLmvTApbNI/s640/seat.jpg

I also wrote up a mini-review of the Kartboy bushings (http://camarowrx.blogspot.com/2011/02/review-kartboy-driveline-bushings.html) after driving 400+ miles in the car this past week.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Q6X2X_0tTXo/TWE6_GsgH1I/AAAAAAAANYA/Yez2euqj4rc/s640/exhaust%20hangers%20001.jpg

[xxthat girlxx]

I wish fairies left me parts!

[CamaroWRX]

Got my order from TurnInConcepts.
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/200809_10150099460421637_662741636_6922468_5710383 _n.jpg
I don't know what's up with the little green army men, but I laughed my ass off when I opened up the box and they fell out.

I'll probably go up to IAG and get the adjustable WL rear bar and some endlinks this weekend. Not sure which endlinks to go with just yet.

[StripesRX]

Lol! The TiC guys do have a sense of humor! :lol:

Whiteline or Kartboy Endlinks FTW!

[CamaroWRX]

Whiteline or Kartboy Endlinks FTW!
Yeah, just need to decide if there's a benefit the Whiteline rear endlink design versus the Kartboy rears.

[CamaroWRX]

Well, I went up to IAG today and ended up getting the Kartboy front and rear endlinks, plus a Whiteline 22mm adjustable rear sway bar.

Then, I figured I'd put the Sparco in before the rain came.

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/183428_192953250738322_183661595000821_503991_8193 043_n.jpg
Evidently, John had the 500 series "tabbed" brackets, which are only good for the '02-'03 WRX, and not the '06. I can get two of the four bolts in.

So, the seat is only halfway installed until IAG can get the proper bracket in stock. <sigh>

[xxthat girlxx]

At least it's only a bracket that you need and then the seat will be fine!

[xxthat girlxx]

Also, I feel like when I bought my clutch from TIC I got army men as well? Maybe I'm still just half asleep.

[CamaroWRX]

Mental note. Do not do a front swaybar install without dropping the subframe. It really is easier.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Q6X2X_0tTXo/TXbhH0onFMI/AAAAAAAANZw/4BQd0COm9cA/s640/endlinks%202.jpg

I put the stock front swaybar back on tonight, and topped it with the solid Kartboy endlinks. The spacers don't seem necessary for the stock bar, but I still have them in case I decide to put the Whiteline back on... yeah, right, like I'm gonna mess with another front swaybar any time soon. :mad:

Hopefully, it'll be nice enough on Saturday to do the rear swaybar.

[CamaroWRX]

So, I've been driving the WRX around for the last 2-3 weeks, leaving both Camaros in the garage (since Pat's Camaro has been "vacationing" in Virginia Beach for some ECU modifications and dyno-tuning). Since I've installed some stuff like the Whiteline steering rack bushings and now just put the front swaybar back on with the Kartboy endlinks, people have been asking how the car feels, and I've been pretty "meh" about any changes.

Then I drove my black Camaro to work yesterday. Uh, yeah... it feels like a wallowing pig. And it's on double-adjustable Konis and has a big front swaybar (no spring upgrade on the black car), and while it has a ton of torque... it feels... slow. Yeah, maybe my WRX does handle pretty decently, even on street tires. :lol:

[CamaroWRX]

Decided to do the rear swaybar before it got too late. Started at 2:30ish and finished close to 5PM. :( You'd think the rear should be a lot easier. Unless the person who owned the car before you had some kind of minor accident with it and so the bolt holding the driver's side endlink in the lateral link is kind of locked into place by a tweak to the link.... <scowl>

Well, a breaker bar, a piece of pipe and a hammer finally got it loose, and I was able to get the rear 22mm Whiteline adjustable bar with the Kartboy endlinks installed this afternoon.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_Q6X2X_0tTXo/TXv8ejeyM8I/AAAAAAAANbA/EUJAF-AWuWg/s640/rear%20swaybar%20install%20005.jpg
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_Q6X2X_0tTXo/TXv7njAE6XI/AAAAAAAANa8/I3SjWfWPkWQ/s640/rear%20swaybar%20install%20004.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_Q6X2X_0tTXo/TXv9mqRFJSI/AAAAAAAANbU/PZhHXmk-uls/s640/rear%20swaybar%20install%20009.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_Q6X2X_0tTXo/TXv9wPRXi8I/AAAAAAAANbg/-YLhlzAiKwA/s640/rear%20swaybar%20install%20010.jpg

[xxthat girlxx]

At least you were able to get the bolt out and new bar in. :)

[CamaroWRX]

Car is back in my possession, with the TiC rear differential mount bushings in, and the pre-season shakedown complete. Now, I have to decide if I'm going to try to go to the Autocrossers, Inc even on Saturday before heading downtown to the Caps game. Decisions, decisions...

[CamaroWRX]

Well, Pat's Camaro wasn't ready for the autocross, so I offered the WRX for him to drive and he actually took me up on it. I wasn't really committed to going until I woke up abruptly at 4AM and couldn't go back to sleep, so I figured, "what the hell, I'll just go." I drove my black Camaro down so that I could go to the Caps game directly afterwards.

It was kinda wet in the morning, but it was drying quickly by the time we ran (second of two heats, since the stadium had scheduled a baseball game for later in the day). Through three runs, Pat was first in Pro class and I was second. I wasn't too upset, since I haven't autocrossed since last September, and the car was completely different from the last time I competed with it. On our last runs, Pat didn't go any quicker (he was sitting on a 40.2), and I got down to a 40.8 (I think... maybe it was a 40.6). But Sam Strano finally got a little bit a traction in his ESP Mustang, and nipped me by 0.105 for second in Pro class. Pat also took the overall PAX index win, Sam was third and I was fourth (a non Pro-class guy in a GS ACR Neon was second).

The car behaved well, though it's difficult to say anything about it with the moist pavement. Pat said he got some good oversteer on his last run, which is what I'm shooting for, but I know I was a bit too tentative to drive it hard enough for any real assessment. I wish we'd had time for fun runs, especially with the improving conditions, but oh well.

I only got two videos out of the attempted seven. I hadn't used the GoPro camera before, so I need to make sure I know how to set it to record versus just taking a picture.

This video is from Pat's last run, which was a 40.4. I'm still working on uploading the single video I got of my own driving.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rmir5o4vQFc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rmir5o4vQFc)

[CamaroWRX]

And this is what happens when you look too far ahead :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXeAJ-Z8U1Y (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXeAJ-Z8U1Y)

Oh well. I guess I didn't do too awful for not autocrossing in seven months.

[xxthat girlxx]

I'm horrible at looking a head at all.

I like your choice of tunes btw. :)

[CamaroWRX]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/223310_205495066150807_183661595000821_583698_5635 086_n.jpg
A picture someone got from the day. :)

[CamaroWRX]

I broke out the purple wheels again this past weekend for the NJ ProSolo. I'll mess around with a write up later (maybe tonight if I have energy before my hockey game or maybe tomorrow afternoon), but the short story is that Sam Krauss can drive, I can't, and I really, really hate cold tires.

In the meantime, here's my bonus challenge footage, where I get to play "catch the car" heading into the slalom on my left side (first side) run.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBZ-_9MVfjk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBZ-_9MVfjk)

Results : http://www.scca.com/documents/resultfiles/NJ%20RESULTS5.pdf

[ayanooo]

you and your car... awesome on so many levels.

[CamaroWRX]

The WRX went to the OC meet this weekend without me. I'm not much of a beach person, but it wanted to go, so I figured IAG would make a good chaperone. ;)
http://carshowcoverage.com/photos/events/2011/ocawdmeet/saturday/images/IMG_1589.jpg

[xxthat girlxx]

Glad the wrx had fun!

[CamaroWRX]

Getting ready to drive out to Packwood, Washington for the ProSolo next weekend. I was supposed to go to the event in Colorado Springs instead, but due to a comedy of errors (okay, not really a comedy, as it wasn't funny at all...), the car ended up languishing at the shop until this past Friday. I haven't competed with the car since the New Jersey ProSolo back in May, so this should be... interesting. Doesn't look like there are any other ESP cars entered either, so I'm debating whether I should switch to run L2 if I'm just going to be driving in an indexed class anyway.

[CamaroWRX]

Well, the car felt amazingly good at Packwood. Saturday afternoon runs really clicked.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHRxbmhOnYo

I was sitting in second heading into this morning, and I knew I still had time out there. Unfortunately, I got too greedy, and the car responded poorly to the overdriving. I didn't improve, but Tom Kotzian did, and so he got by me by just a bit. He's kind of a good driver, so I guess I'm okay with it. ;)

The site is amazing. Indoor paddock, covered impound/tech, surrounded by incredible mountains, including Mt. Rainier in the background. The locals are very friendly and supportive. While the drive from the east coast is kind of a bitch (40 hours for me, from Baltimore), I might see about flying in and getting a ride with someone else next year.

Thank you to my friend Andy for the invite to go hiking the Boundary Trail at Mt. St. Helens and the hospitality all weekend! It was a blast. :)

[CamaroWRX]

Yep, I went to Wendover just to take some pictures...
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/251558_10150243148666637_662741636_7998527_6187150 _n.jpg

[CamaroWRX]

Did the Northeast Divisionals at the Seneca Army Depot in the Finger Lakes area of New York this weekend. I've never been up there before. Knowing it was a "runway" type of site, I wasn't particularly looking forward to it, but it exceeded my expectations. Strano set up some non-runwayesque type courses, and the car continued to work better than it has in a long time, even though I went to the "old" tires (the ones on the purple rims that I last used at the NJ ProSolo).

Still getting used to how the car is handling, and trying to trust it more in the slaloms/offsets. It sucked that I had no one else in ESP to gauge off of (much less to push me). Dave Newman was gridded next to me, and we discussed our runs during the downtime on Saturday, and that helped a bit, I think. I was dead tired on Sunday (had been up 23+ hours the day before), and actually fell asleep in the back seat between my last two runs. I didn't do as well PAX-wise on Sunday, and my exhaustion likely was part of the reason why.

Saturday :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewPXk-RWDtA

Sunday :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Zul1r7Sp0Y

Results are at : http://autox4u.com/nedivsolo/index.htm

[CamaroWRX]

So, I've been working on a writeup of the epic road trip to and from Packwood. I've got parts 1-3 done, and will be working on part 4 (the conclusion) either tonight or tomorrow. Maybe I'll do a quick NEDivs one afterwards. :)

Part I : http://camarowrx.blogspot.com/2011/08/road-trip.html
Part II : http://camarowrx.blogspot.com/2011/08/and-i-shall-call-it-mini-cone.html
Part III : http://camarowrx.blogspot.com/2011/08/high-anxiety.html

[CamaroWRX]

Finally did Part IV (http://camarowrx.blogspot.com/2011/08/add-dash-of-salt.html) last night. Now, to work on the NEDivs and last weekend's local nastiness (it rained right before my second run... so we all stood on our first runs, which meant my slow clean run was only good for second, and my boyfriend's not-as-slow, clean run was good for 1st).

my best : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRK3cOPXuhM
Pat's best : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWjCpScw5X4&NR=1

[CamaroWRX]

Well, I got to go to Lincoln despite what I thought.

http://camarowrx.blogspot.com/2011/09/you-always-remember.html

No video, due to double fale on my part, but hopefully more pictures as they become available. :)

Congrats to SubieGirls Brianne Corn (BM winner!!) and Christy Carlson (STUL winner!!) too. :)

[xxthat girlxx]

Karen!! I'm so behind on your thread - dammit! But I hope you took some pics at Wendover with you to submit to the calendar contest next year!

[CamaroWRX]

Karen!! I'm so behind on your thread - dammit! But I hope you took some pics at Wendover with you to submit to the calendar contest next year!

I wish I could have gotten myself in the pics... I was by myself though. :(

[xxthat girlxx]

I wish I could have gotten myself in the pics... I was by myself though. :(

Next time you will need to take someone with you!! But you do have time before the next contest. Don't let me know down!

[CamaroWRX]

Took the car up to IAG for a new gauge cluster today.
https://playfoursquare.s3.amazonaws.com/pix/QJ04YFQLH3XR1LLH33AV3WKEF3GIHPBHRZ1YUKMMAMAIILG1.j pg
Had the Stri DSD 52mm oil pressure, boost and EGT gauges installed.

As for "other pics" from Nationals, I got a few from Perry Bennett (http://www.perrybennett.com).
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/296548_263740783659568_183661595000821_817905_1747 851050_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/321677_263739713659675_183661595000821_817901_1947 530468_n.jpg

Trying to decide what else to do to the car over the winter to keep up with the American pony cars. I drove Pat's purple third gen Camaro (which had the times to finish just behind Madarash at Nationals, if he hadn't coned) at the last Autocrossers, Inc event, and even driving like crap, I PAXed 15th. My car needs to be moar faster!

My best run in the purple third gen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HprBj5sVZrQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HprBj5sVZrQ)

Compare to Pat's best (he finished 4th on PAX)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuR4NF3h1HQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuR4NF3h1HQ)

[xxthat girlxx]

We all need moar fast, Karen. ;)

[CamaroWRX]

We all need moar fast, Karen. ;)
That, we do. Of course, I know I can improve on my driving, which is why I'm trying to get someone new in the car for next year. Gabe hasn't driven the car for almost a year anyway, and I need someone who is going to push me to go faster.

[CamaroWRX]

New TurnInConcepts bushings -- I'll be testing a set of their collaboration control arm bushings (TiC/MSI rearward front control arm bushings) this weekend.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sJKLBDbyhs0/Tp9nyO0ZQjI/AAAAAAAAN-8/ZIiq4LToFN4/s640/DSC_2204.jpg

I just got this set of the rear trailing arm bushings too.

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/311944_10150328725936637_662741636_8632835_1620822 378_n.jpg

Looks like I might have to do at least a few events this fall!

[CamaroWRX]

The review of the TiC/MSI bushings, along with a writeup of the last AI event : http://camarowrx.blogspot.com/2011/10/review-turn-in-conceptsmsi.html.

[CamaroWRX]

Starting to feel the itch to take the car around the cones again. Of course, this means plotting the changes to be made.

So far, looking at headers, intake manifolds and going wingless. Maybe a brake upgrade while I'm at it too...

[xxthat girlxx]

Starting to feel the itch to take the car around the cones again. Of course, this means plotting the changes to be made.

So far, looking at headers, intake manifolds and going wingless. Maybe a brake upgrade while I'm at it too...

:like:

[CamaroWRX]

Oh, and a KillerB oil pickup, though that's not really performance related -- though, I guess the point could be argued that keeping the engine oiled and not blown-up is "performance." :lol:

[Boston Motorsports]

Killer B oil pickup= awesome idea! :)

[CamaroWRX]

So, it looks like the following will be going on the car in the next month

KillerB oil pickup
Perrin equal length headers
TGV delete
TiC lateral link bushings
Whiteline front control arm, front bushings

The guy I'd been talking to about doing a wingless trunk swap has evidently flaked. So, I might just wait to see if IAG comes across a wingless trunk they can spray CGM ...and then maybe work up a rear spoiler. :)

[CamaroWRX]

TiC lateral link bushings
Whiteline front control arm, front bushings
Ordered these, along with the Group N motor and transmission mounts, from TiC (http://www.turninconcepts.com) today, and I should have the headers in hand tomorrow. It's scary how early I am getting ready...

[StripesRX]

Getting ready early is a good thing! :lol:

Bushings are good stuffs! Also, I have a set of JDM side feed TGVs that are just sitting around. If you can use em(I forget if the 06 WRX has top or side feeds...)PM me if you want them for cheap, as they're just collecting dust. :D

[CamaroWRX]

Also, I have a set of JDM side feed TGVs that are just sitting around. If you can use em(I forget if the 06 WRX has top or side feeds...)PM me if you want them for cheap, as they're just collecting dust. :D
Thanks, but IAG will be CnCing a new TGV delete plate for me; they love their new CnC machine, and it seems like JJ will use any excuse to make something new. :lol:

I appreciate the offer though!

As for new info.... the WRX will be making it's fourth consecutive appearance at the Washington Auto Show again this year! Yeah, the DC show is nothing compared to LA, Detroit or whatever, but in lieu of a BRZ unveiling, you get my car. :lol: :)

[StripesRX]

Lol! Boys and their new toys :lol:

[CamaroWRX]

Well, it's bright and early Sunday morning (okay, it's only "early" for me), and I'm about to go wash the WRX in 30 degree temps. That can only mean one thing :

Washington DC Auto Show time!!

I think I'm going to change to the Hoosier A6s on site though... too much snow/ice still on the roads to drive down on them.

The funny thing is that the WRX has always been shown as an "ESP" car, even back in 2009 before anything had been done to it. Every year, it's had more stuff done to it, and it's also had stuff waiting to be done. This year is no different. I will drop it off at IAG the week after the auto show for install of the following, with a new tune coming on the heels of the installs :

Perrin Performance equal length headers
IAG TGV delete plate
KillerB oil pickup
Whiteline front control arm, front bushings
TurnIn Concepts lateral link bushings
Group N motor mounts
Group N transmission mount
Kartboy upper transmission mount (pitchstop)

I'll also be swapping out the old-and-crusty Koni 8611-1259s in the rear with some new ones.

I can't believe the Maryland Pro is just three months away.

[WhtRexGrl]

amazing WRX!

[fallenone121]

That, we do. Of course, I know I can improve on my driving, which is why I'm trying to get someone new in the car for next year. Gabe hasn't driven the car for almost a year anyway, and I need someone who is going to push me to go faster.

I would offer to try to push you to go moar fasterer...but i've never even tried to do what you do... :huh:

Looks like I have something to focus on this spring!

Learning how to drive more betterer xD

I showed my mother one of your videos...she was like "You want to do that???"

I was like "I want to do something like that...but I lack that skill..." :love:

So she started getting me to look up professional driving schools that I can look into going to later in the year or next year...I weel push yewwwww! :eek: