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Old 04-10-2014, 05:12 PM   #1
JSC Speed
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Default JSC Speed's Project 2015 WRX

We just got back from taking delivery of our base base base (the sales rep said he's never seen a WRX come through with absolutely zero options before) Lightning Red 2015 WRX. We will be building it up as a 100% street legal autocross and track day toy all from parts in our regular catalog.

We will be swapping parts on and off to see what works and what doesn't, so stay tuned to this thread for our insight.



Many more and better photos are in the works...hope to have a good shoot this weekend. Plus I will have this out on track on Sunday at NJMP, if anyone wants to check it out or wants a ride.

Initial impressions: It had nine miles on the clock when I left the dealership and only has 22 miles on it now, so these are very early first impressions. The WRX is not as soft and rolly as the outgoing version, but not as firm as it could be and still be comfortable. Ride height is way too high, but typical for a Subaru. The seats are too cushy for me, but have decent bolstering....will get a truer sense of their comfort after logging some highway and track miles at NJMP this weekend.

The steering wheel is perfect...just slightly flat bottomed and thick enough to be sporty...buttons are in good locations and not bothersome at all.

Exhaust note is pleasantly throaty...I was surprised that it retained a little bit of the boxer rumble even with the smaller displacement and ELH. I felt a bit of a torque dip after changing a 2-3 gear change...I am sure a tune will help tremendously.

Shifter is good, not S2K good, but better than many other cars. The cable actuation is slightly odd (I track and daily an E36M3 [seen in the background of the pic]) but it's still pretty good. It's going to take a while to get used to using 6th gear.

Brake pedal is decently responsive...but I didn't get on the binders hard enough to really feel them out. Pedal placement is good, will take some getting used to for the H-T, especially compared to the M3.

Dash layout is weird, but will likely grow on me...carbon fiber dash accents are standard and look decent not as out of place as I expected. All of the plasticy bits are very cheap feeling, disappointingly so. My 2005 tC interior has a better feel to it.

The side mirror placement is by far my favorite thing about the ergonomics and styling. It's really an amazing difference it makes.

New 17x9 Enkei T6Ss in Continental DW rollers are going on tonight and once we get coilovers on the car we have a set of Gram Lights 57Xtreme 18x9.5s with Dunlop ZII rubber to go on.

Links to our update posts
First Wheel and Tire Package
Day Four of Ownership: First Track Day
Cusco Zero-A Coilover Install
Perrin Cat Back Exhaust Install
First Dyno Pulls and Mishimoto CAI Test Mule
First Oil Change and UOA from Blackstone Labs
GTSPEC Suspension Delivery
Perrin Shifter Bushing and Shift Knob Install
AP Racing Front Brake Caliper Install
Mishimoto Oil Cooler Install
Cusco Limited Slip Diff and Perrin Diff Cover Install
USCA Race in Pittsburgh
AVO TMIC, Perrin Pitch Stop, and Perrin TMIC-TB Coupler Install
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Last edited by JSC Speed; 01-08-2015 at 02:50 PM.
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Old 04-10-2014, 05:12 PM   #2
JSC Speed
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Now with the Enkei T6S and Conti DW rubber.

Last edited by JSC Speed; 04-11-2014 at 08:44 AM.
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Old 04-10-2014, 05:12 PM   #3
JSC Speed
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I spent a few days just putting some miles on the motor so it would be decently broken in before the JSC Speed WRX got shaken down on New Jersey Motorsports Park Lightning Circuit on April 13th....our target was 500 break-in miles....I rolled out on to the track on what was a perfect Sunday morning with 497 miles on the odometer...pretty much nailed it.



I have an E36M3 that has been my street legal track toy for a couple of years logging 15+ days on Lightning last year plus a few more days where I just instructed and didn't drive...I know every inch of that track, the turn in points, the braking zones, shift points, the run offs...I can drive it with my eyes closed. My HPDE pace is 1:19s all day long with my M3 but I knew I would have to dial it back a considerable amount to make sure the WRX didn't meet an untimely demise on it's first outing. We kept the WRX completely stock for this event with the exception of wheels and tires--as previously mentioned, we put 17x9 +45 Enkei T6S wrapped in 245/40-17 Continental DW tires on to just cruise around on.



The first session I thought I was taking it easy...braking very early, lifting, rolling through corners I normally would be accelerating through...just feeling out the car and tires. After four or five laps of 1:32-34 laps I noticed the brakes were not as responsive so I ended the session--which was fine since I had to go and jump in my student's car for his first session. An hour later I went out for my second session...upped the pace a little and ran some 1:28s but again, the brakes were the weakest point and started to fade after five laps. I skipped the third session to help another driver on track and went out for a few more laps in the last instructor group. The brakes came back enough for me to turn another handful of mid-1:3Xs in the last session. Total track miles: 55.



I never wound the motor out past 5500 rpm and probably only saw 110mph at the end of the front straight. Oil temps climbed to 230dF during every session. I am pretty sure on a hotter day (it was 75dF ambient) those temps would be higher, especially if I had been really flogging the motor and turbo. Besides the oil cooling the biggest weakness are the brakes. Better pads and fluids will certainly help, so that and stainless lines will be installed this week. The next track day is scheduled for mid May by which time I will have had a couple autocrosses including Boxerfest on May 3 and will have been able to get some suspension and exhaust sorted on the car. With any luck it'll have a tune too.

I'll say this: For a stock car, the suspension is very well sorted. A little bit of body roll, a little soft, but overall, a really nice job by Subaru. The seats are adequate for what they are, though the seating position is a little high for my liking...we can fix that eventually. The shifter needs some help for track use, it's just a little to sloppy...we have a solution for that that will be available shortly. I also discovered the gas pedal is a little short/small and combining that with how close it is the center tunnel, heel-toe shifts in anger were a bit tricky...I think I finally got it figured out, but I have to change the way I position my foot on the brake compared to how I do it in the M3.

[email protected]

Last edited by JSC Speed; 04-14-2014 at 04:00 PM.
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Old 04-10-2014, 05:14 PM   #4
JSC Speed
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Subaru did a very good job with the 2015 WRX's suspension. Ride quality is excellent on the highway. Firm enough to feel sporty, but not rattle your kidneys stiff. They have beafier anti-sway/roll bars, stiffer springs, and better valving in the dampers, all in an effort to make the most of the improved chassis. And, while this is an all new chassis, most of the suspension components are from other platform's parts bins. We quickly found out that coilovers from the 08-14 STI would pretty much just bolt on to the 2015 WRX, with only one very minor modification required. We plan to try out a few different coilovers to see which we prefer, but we got started with the Cusco Zero-A coilovers.



The Cusco 692 60N CP Zero-As are intended for the 08-14 STI and come outfitted with adjustable front and fixed rear pillowballs and have 7kg/6kg (392lb/336lb) springs. These aren't a huge amount stiffer than the stock rates. They aren't crazy, race car stiff, so they will make a decent street-car-that-goes-to-the-track suspension. The front adjustable pillowballs mean you can easily adjust the front camber and should be able to get -2.5-3.0deg depending on ride height.

The Cusco dampers are a claimed 40-way adjustable, though that is single adjustable and anyone that knows anything about single adjustable dampers will tell you that you will never notice a difference from one click to the next on something that adjustable. You may feel a difference from one extreme to the other, and maybe from one end to the middle, but only if you are very in tune with your car.

Install on this car is very straight forward and the same as on the 08-14 cars so we aren't going to go into the step by step. There is a minor modification needed in regards to how the ABS sensor attaches to the front struts. On the 08-14 cars there was an ABS sensor wire guide that screwed into the strut, and all 08-14 coilovers have a place for that guide to screw in to. On the 15 WRX Subaru changed from a screw to a plastic clip.



Most coilover manufacturers will undoubtedly come out with new part numbers that have the clip in bracket for 2015+ cars, but you can make the 08-14 components work by removing the clip and using a zip tie to hold the sensor wire in place. Race car engineering at its finest.

One last word of warning: The rear suspension components are covered in sealant. It is a black, sticky, tar. Wear disposable rubber gloves when working on the car. Have a rag to wipe off your tools.



Once you are all set on your ride height make sure you go get an alignment. Your camber and toe will be wonky. While -2.0 to -3.0 degrees of camber won't hurt good performance tires, any significant amount of toe will. Bad toe settings also make for a darty, twitchy, and an unpredictable car.


As it sits now we are 1.4" lower than stock all around. -2.5d camber on every corner. With the big wheels and tires we got a very small amount of rub on the rear when we hit a tall joint between the highway and a bridge (it was a lot of compression at 80mph with three people in the car). Just enough to transfer paint from the fender lip to the edge of the tires. We are taking the JSCRedWRX to LIP Collision on Thursday to get the rear fenders rolled.

Last edited by JSC Speed; 04-29-2014 at 03:15 PM.
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Old 04-14-2014, 03:00 PM   #5
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Subscribed.
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Old 04-14-2014, 04:00 PM   #6
JSC Speed
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Old 04-14-2014, 06:13 PM   #7
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What kind of fluids are you thinking about?
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Old 04-14-2014, 07:10 PM   #8
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Are you putting it on an alignment rack soon? Curious if the new car can get -2° or more of camber up front like the previous model.
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Old 04-14-2014, 07:51 PM   #9
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This is really good stuff. Looking forward to see what you can do with it. What brand of brake pads are you going to use for track use? Here's a tip, the guys at Xtreme Xperience run their cars all day long on tracks 3 days a week (some weeks) and use Giro pads and discs with just about zero fade.
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Old 04-14-2014, 08:44 PM   #10
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Pioneering the new generation.
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Old 04-14-2014, 08:51 PM   #11
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hmm the 17s look good. I was waiting for someone to post a pic of aftermarket 17s. i thought they might look too small for this body style.. hmm hmm. more decisions.
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Old 04-15-2014, 12:01 AM   #12
rexster
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Can we get a side profile shot with the wheels? I want to check the poke factor. Any idea how much inner clearance do you have? I'm guessing lots...

Last edited by rexster; 04-16-2014 at 08:06 AM.
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Old 04-15-2014, 09:17 AM   #13
subielife
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Mid May, are you coming to our event. Car looks great. Thinking about getting one for a DD since the BRZ is becoming too track focused.
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Old 04-15-2014, 10:19 AM   #14
JSC Speed
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pgh88 View Post
What kind of fluids are you thinking about?
Most likely will run StopTech STR-600 brake fluid, Motul 300V 5w-30 motor oil, and Motul gear oils. I've been running these same fluids in the M3 and have been very happy with the performance.

Quote:
Originally Posted by tuskenraider View Post
Are you putting it on an alignment rack soon? Curious if the new car can get -2° or more of camber up front like the previous model.
The front should be able to do that. Not much is different suspension wise from the 11-14 cars. Same cam bolts, same top hats. We will align it once we get coilovers on it in a few weeks.

Quote:
Originally Posted by wrxmike09 View Post
This is really good stuff. Looking forward to see what you can do with it. What brand of brake pads are you going to use for track use? Here's a tip, the guys at Xtreme Xperience run their cars all day long on tracks 3 days a week (some weeks) and use Giro pads and discs with just about zero fade.
I will probably try the StopTech Performance pads, the Hawk HP+, and Ferodo 2500s to see which works best. The STPs will be in first and will get used at the Boxerfest autocross.

Quote:
Originally Posted by gunny11218 View Post
Pioneering the new generation.
Yup, that's exactly it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rexster View Post
Can we get a side prfe shot with the wheels? I want to check the poke factor. Any idea how much inner clearance do you have? I'm guessing lots...
Here are few shots from at NJMP...The T6S has a bit of contoured spoke shape that protrudes a little bit, but not much. There isn't any real poke to speak of though. Tons of room on the inside. I'll be putting 18x9.5 +40 Gram Light 57Xtremes with 255/35-18 Dunlop ZIIs tomorrow night. There should be enough room at the strut to clear--during a conversation with Jeff Perrin yesterday he said he fit the same size wheel with 265s on their otherwise stock WRX.





Quote:
Originally Posted by subielife View Post
Mid May, are you coming to our event. Car looks great. Thinking about getting one for a DD since the BRZ is becoming too track focused.
Which event is that?
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Old 04-15-2014, 12:22 PM   #15
subielife
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NASA NE at NJMP May 16-18
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Old 04-15-2014, 12:47 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JSC Speed View Post
Now with the Enkei T6S and Conti DW rubber.
I take it by the next picture of the instrument cluster, showing the low tire pressure light, the base 2015 WRX has TPMS in the wheels? Parts guy at the dealer was trying to say they no longer have the sensors in the wheels.
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Old 04-15-2014, 12:55 PM   #17
JSC Speed
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It would certainly appear they are in the wheels, but we didn't dismount the oe tires and wheels to check.
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Old 04-15-2014, 12:56 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by subielife View Post
NASA NE at NJMP May 16-18
Not going to make that one...that's my 15th wedding anniversary weekend. If it were at WGI my wife would be ok with it, but she isn't going to spend the weekend in Millville.
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Old 04-15-2014, 12:58 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JSC Speed View Post
It would certainly appear they are in the wheels, but we didn't dismount the oe tires and wheels to check.
That's what I thought. You are running the same size tire though?
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Old 04-15-2014, 01:13 PM   #20
JSC Speed
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Stock tires are 235/45 and the ones on there now are 245/40 so there is a .7" diameter difference.
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Old 04-15-2014, 01:14 PM   #21
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Nice thread, Justin. Looking forward to seeing what you guys do with the New WRX!
I remember you mentioning to me on the phone that you were getting it soon when you were helping me with the lug nut clearances for my Forgestars.

I ran a 1:23.73 at lightning and 1:41.30 at thunderbolt with my 2013 wrx hatch with eibach sways, TP stage 2 and 4 pistons from the 06-07 wrx. I killed the HP+ (1/2 thickness left) up front and destroyed the stock rear pad down to no more pad material for the 2 day track weekend. Interested to see how the newer brakes (bigger I heard) handle the abuse. I feel like my car's rotors were just too small and can't take the heat.

Good luck with the new platform!!

Jeff
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Old 04-15-2014, 01:19 PM   #22
JSC Speed
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The owner's manual says there are wheel mounted sensors....though that could still be wrong too.
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Old 04-15-2014, 01:49 PM   #23
subielife
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JSC Speed View Post
Not going to make that one...that's my 15th wedding anniversary weekend. If it were at WGI my wife would be ok with it, but she isn't going to spend the weekend in Millville.
I think Millville is on par with WG. If you can swing it come up to the Glen on April 28 and 29th. I'll excuse you from instructing for a few laps?
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Old 04-15-2014, 02:28 PM   #24
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Subscribed.
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Old 04-15-2014, 05:41 PM   #25
JSC Speed
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Quote:
Originally Posted by subielife View Post
I think Millville is on par with WG. If you can swing it come up to the Glen on April 28 and 29th. I'll excuse you from instructing for a few laps?
As a driver I like NJMP and Millville just fine, but if I was just hanging around...WGI wins everytime...at least in WGI my wife can keep herself occupied at wineries and the falls. If I didn't have a company to run and bills to pay...and an already overbooked schedule I would come up.

In other news we just got some good news from one of our favorite suspension brands, ISC Suspension that they have confirmed fitment and will have a part number available this evening...so I will have coilovers on early next week.

Last edited by JSC Speed; 04-15-2014 at 06:09 PM.
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