Wagon Nation Chat

Blob05 · 10-17-2020, 07:47 PM

Just wanted to have an open ended conversation about current mods ya'll are in the process of or recommend doing. I'm 3 months into my first Subaru, an 05 wrx wagon, and couldn't be happier.

Bought it totally stock at roughly 120xxx miles. Since then its received:
Kartboy short shifter
Catted TBE
Grimmspeed Uppipe
Access port with stage II ots

Things I need to do immediately is:
Get a snowboard wrack (any recommendations?)
Fix cv boots, both sides of the front are shot and likely will just get remanf axles for it
Flush coolant
Investigate a possible rear diff leak

Longer term (within 6 months)
Clutch replacement. Releases pretty high and just hoping it'll make it through the winter.
Wheels and tires
Window tint (darker)

Any other recommended items to check on for maintenance or performance upgrades etc. feel free to chime in. Again I'm new not only to owning a Subaru (loved them for decades tho) and my knowledge with working on vehicles is honestly mediocre at best.

Would love to hear from you guys what you're working on or looking forward to purchasing. Any pictures, concerns ideas etc.

ALSO friend told me there used to be a location specific forum. I live in Northern Nevada and would love to meet up here and there to see some of your cars in person. Get some ideas from ya'll and just share the mutual passion for these epic cars.

* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

snow_bound26 · 10-17-2020, 07:58 PM

I have worked in shops and have sold every rack you can think of. I recommend Thule. They have always been good to the retail shops and the customers equally. They fit great and I know people with racks that are 20+ years old.

As for mods, those really depend on what your overall goals are. Once you have taken care of all the routine maintenance and replacing things like vacuum lines, turbo inlet, etc, that get brittle with age, start looking at suspension, bushings, brake pads and quality fluid. These items will make the car more fun driving daily.

For power mods, make sure you get a compression and leak down test to make sure the engine is healthy. Some will say this is overkill, but talk to a local tuner and ask what they would charge for a few pills on the dyno so you can set a baseline and have the tuner look for specific that may need to be addressed before you start adding power.

Blob05 · 10-18-2020, 02:22 AM

I appreciate your response and will certainly research the rack you recommended

As for power goals nothing crazy. It's my commuter/weekend car when I'm not driving my giant 7.3 truck for work. Just trying to turn up my wagon from stock to somewhere around the 280hp range. Seems beyond that you have to start really being concerned about the transmission, pistons, upgraded clutch etc.

For now like you mentioned I'm extremely happy with current mods and am diving into maintenance and potential issues before going any further. Already started replacing vacuum and coolant lines. The turbo inlet from every angle I can see it from appears in good condition thankfully as I hear thats a real pita to do. Once all that is done, compression test checks out etc then come spring it'll be on to fuel pump, injectors and turbo/pro tune.

snow_bound26 · 10-18-2020, 08:57 AM

It's easy to miss a tear on the turbo inlet with a visual inspection. Yes they are a pain to install, but the piece of mind is worth it. Typically they tear at the turbo.

Not really sure why everyone with an EJ20 lately thinks they have piston issues. EJ255/257 have ringland issues. EJ205 has weak rods. Your 05 has the better crank and is less likely to spin a bearing but the crap oil pan makes it easier to starve the engine of oil. Most any single scroll VF turbo will get you into that power range. A 16g will get you on the higher side of it. Just need to decide on journal bearing (doesn't spool quite as fast, more tolerant to changes in oil pressure) or ball bearing (faster spool, less tolerant to changes in oil pressure).

Transmission is a crap shoot. 05 had the stronger trans from that era but still had issues. There are people with 350wtq with no issues and people who grenaded then at stock power levels. It really comes down to how you drive.

knesek · 10-19-2020, 11:19 AM

Glad to see another wagon

I would definitely recommend also looking into sway bars, steel brake lines, and a catch cans/aos. Also, get a protune when you can.

If you're looking at wheels soon, I would 100% recommend Konig. Great prices for rotary forged and super well made. If you're curious about what sizes fit wagons, I have a square 17x8 +40 and 225/45R17. The rears rub on big bumps because I'm on sti springs, but if you cut the inside of the fenders they fit perfectly.

Blob05 · 10-19-2020, 09:22 PM

Ya sorry I didn’t clarify in stating piston problems, meant to say the ringland failure. Would like to get a wide band afr gauge in the future. The access port shows 11.04 in wot which seems like a good range but I’ve heard they aren’t super accurate.

Far as transmission goes just going to hope for the best lol

How long have you had your wagon for Knesek? Any plans or anything you’ve done to it thus far? Assuming its a Hawkeye if its in the 07 genre? Jealous of the white pearl color! Had a 98 Nissan Maxima that had pearl white and loooooved it!
Thanks for the insight on the wheel setup. Seems that’s about the best size setup without having to roll fenders and such. I also drive in snow frequently so dont want anything much wider than 8/8.5 anyway. Like get some snow tires for my stock rims and swap out come spring when I can afford new wheel and tire setup.

I’ll look into sway bar, steel brake lines like you mentioned. Assuming the steel lines to replace the plastic ones that wear out over time. In the middle of learning about catch cans and such, kind of leaning towards doing a killer bee oil pan instead and doing catch can down the road.

Pro tune is something I’d love to do but probably won’t until next summer when I have all the components for a new turbo, along with said turbo. For now just content with no knock and a conservative ots tune from Cobb. MIGHT do an etune but again unsure.

Thanks again for any input ya’ll have and enjoy hearing about work you guys are doing also or want to do.

10-17-2020, 07:47 PM	#1
Blob05 Scooby Newbie Member#: 516808 Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: Northern Nevada Vehicle: 2005 Impreza wrx Silver	Wagon Nation Chat Just wanted to have an open ended conversation about current mods ya'll are in the process of or recommend doing. I'm 3 months into my first Subaru, an 05 wrx wagon, and couldn't be happier. Bought it totally stock at roughly 120xxx miles. Since then its received: Kartboy short shifter Catted TBE Grimmspeed Uppipe Access port with stage II ots Things I need to do immediately is: Get a snowboard wrack (any recommendations?) Fix cv boots, both sides of the front are shot and likely will just get remanf axles for it Flush coolant Investigate a possible rear diff leak Longer term (within 6 months) Clutch replacement. Releases pretty high and just hoping it'll make it through the winter. Wheels and tires Window tint (darker) Any other recommended items to check on for maintenance or performance upgrades etc. feel free to chime in. Again I'm new not only to owning a Subaru (loved them for decades tho) and my knowledge with working on vehicles is honestly mediocre at best. Would love to hear from you guys what you're working on or looking forward to purchasing. Any pictures, concerns ideas etc. ALSO friend told me there used to be a location specific forum. I live in Northern Nevada and would love to meet up here and there to see some of your cars in person. Get some ideas from ya'll and just share the mutual passion for these epic cars. * Registered users of the site do not see these ads. Last edited by Blob05; 10-17-2020 at 07:49 PM. Reason: Forgot to add

10-18-2020, 02:22 AM	#3
Blob05 Scooby Newbie Member#: 516808 Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: Northern Nevada Vehicle: 2005 Impreza wrx Silver	I appreciate your response and will certainly research the rack you recommended As for power goals nothing crazy. It's my commuter/weekend car when I'm not driving my giant 7.3 truck for work. Just trying to turn up my wagon from stock to somewhere around the 280hp range. Seems beyond that you have to start really being concerned about the transmission, pistons, upgraded clutch etc. For now like you mentioned I'm extremely happy with current mods and am diving into maintenance and potential issues before going any further. Already started replacing vacuum and coolant lines. The turbo inlet from every angle I can see it from appears in good condition thankfully as I hear thats a real pita to do. Once all that is done, compression test checks out etc then come spring it'll be on to fuel pump, injectors and turbo/pro tune. Last edited by Blob05; 10-18-2020 at 02:23 AM. Reason: Typos

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10-17-2020, 07:58 PM	#2
snow_bound26 Scooby Specialist Member#: 395793 Join Date: Jul 2014 Chapter/Region: AKIC Location: Split time between SLC and Lak Vehicle: 2005 92x Aero Beige	I have worked in shops and have sold every rack you can think of. I recommend Thule. They have always been good to the retail shops and the customers equally. They fit great and I know people with racks that are 20+ years old. As for mods, those really depend on what your overall goals are. Once you have taken care of all the routine maintenance and replacing things like vacuum lines, turbo inlet, etc, that get brittle with age, start looking at suspension, bushings, brake pads and quality fluid. These items will make the car more fun driving daily. For power mods, make sure you get a compression and leak down test to make sure the engine is healthy. Some will say this is overkill, but talk to a local tuner and ask what they would charge for a few pills on the dyno so you can set a baseline and have the tuner look for specific that may need to be addressed before you start adding power.

10-18-2020, 08:57 AM	#4
snow_bound26 Scooby Specialist Member#: 395793 Join Date: Jul 2014 Chapter/Region: AKIC Location: Split time between SLC and Lak Vehicle: 2005 92x Aero Beige	It's easy to miss a tear on the turbo inlet with a visual inspection. Yes they are a pain to install, but the piece of mind is worth it. Typically they tear at the turbo. Not really sure why everyone with an EJ20 lately thinks they have piston issues. EJ255/257 have ringland issues. EJ205 has weak rods. Your 05 has the better crank and is less likely to spin a bearing but the crap oil pan makes it easier to starve the engine of oil. Most any single scroll VF turbo will get you into that power range. A 16g will get you on the higher side of it. Just need to decide on journal bearing (doesn't spool quite as fast, more tolerant to changes in oil pressure) or ball bearing (faster spool, less tolerant to changes in oil pressure). Transmission is a crap shoot. 05 had the stronger trans from that era but still had issues. There are people with 350wtq with no issues and people who grenaded then at stock power levels. It really comes down to how you drive.

10-19-2020, 11:19 AM	#5
knesek Scooby Newbie Member#: 508145 Join Date: Nov 2019 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Vehicle: 2007 WRX Wagon Satin White Pearl	Glad to see another wagon I would definitely recommend also looking into sway bars, steel brake lines, and a catch cans/aos. Also, get a protune when you can. If you're looking at wheels soon, I would 100% recommend Konig. Great prices for rotary forged and super well made. If you're curious about what sizes fit wagons, I have a square 17x8 +40 and 225/45R17. The rears rub on big bumps because I'm on sti springs, but if you cut the inside of the fenders they fit perfectly.

10-19-2020, 09:22 PM	#6
Blob05 Scooby Newbie Member#: 516808 Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: Northern Nevada Vehicle: 2005 Impreza wrx Silver	Ya sorry I didn’t clarify in stating piston problems, meant to say the ringland failure. Would like to get a wide band afr gauge in the future. The access port shows 11.04 in wot which seems like a good range but I’ve heard they aren’t super accurate. Far as transmission goes just going to hope for the best lol How long have you had your wagon for Knesek? Any plans or anything you’ve done to it thus far? Assuming its a Hawkeye if its in the 07 genre? Jealous of the white pearl color! Had a 98 Nissan Maxima that had pearl white and loooooved it! Thanks for the insight on the wheel setup. Seems that’s about the best size setup without having to roll fenders and such. I also drive in snow frequently so dont want anything much wider than 8/8.5 anyway. Like get some snow tires for my stock rims and swap out come spring when I can afford new wheel and tire setup. I’ll look into sway bar, steel brake lines like you mentioned. Assuming the steel lines to replace the plastic ones that wear out over time. In the middle of learning about catch cans and such, kind of leaning towards doing a killer bee oil pan instead and doing catch can down the road. Pro tune is something I’d love to do but probably won’t until next summer when I have all the components for a new turbo, along with said turbo. For now just content with no knock and a conservative ots tune from Cobb. MIGHT do an etune but again unsure. Thanks again for any input ya’ll have and enjoy hearing about work you guys are doing also or want to do.