carfreak85

Hmmmm, sounds like the OEM, long-style bar is the beefyer of the two options. That is what I would go with. Function over form ftw! As for fitment, it will fit any EA81 from 1980-89, assuming it is the same basic front end as the car you are working on. Brat, wagon, hatch, coupe and sedan share sheetmetal from the a-pillars forward. No idea what other "makes" this bar might fit, but excluding the actual mounting points, anything with the same general dimensions should be close. Vw golf/rabbit comes to mind... I really like the stuff you've done for bugeyes, I would have a wonch bar on my WRX, but can't justify the added weight...

Hahaha, well now you've got me curious! And I forgot to even talk about IR thermometers, one of which I've just bought! GD, on the backpressure topic, I have my #3 cylinder tapped for an EGT probe. The gauge isn't working, and I've been meaning to pull the probe out and test it. While I'm doing this, I will test the backpressure of my mostly stock WRX exhaust. On the IR topic, I bought a Craftsman 1:6 IR thermometer. It reads from -4 to 500*F, +/- 3*F from -4 to 20*F and +/- 3% or 7.5*F from 20 to 500*F. Not a wide enough range to take external readings of a hot turbocharger, but plenty good enough to read tires, exhaust, intercoolers, etc.

I'm sure if you started reproducing the factory A-bars (Long or short style) you'd be able to sell a decent number of them, but demand would probably be limited...

Sorry, but I must respectively disagree. On an OEM exhaust system, if you are measuring exhaust pressure before the muffler, cat, turbo, etc. can be anywhere from 15-45psi from the factory. It just depends on the construction chosen by the engineers. Even on a cat-less, muffler-less racing exhaust system, 2psi is really, really good, if it reaches back to the rear bumper... That is why fitting a large diameter, high-flow exhaust system to a turbocharged car can produce such significant power gains on its own, you are creating a large pressure drop across the turbine, encouraging the hot exhaust gasses through the turbo as quickly as possible. One way to check to see if the cat has plugged up, besides GD's pressure test, is to remove the pipe that has the cat in it and shine a light down one end and look down the other end. If you can't see the light reflecting down that short length of tube, your cat is probably toast. If you can see some light, or a lot of light, your cat is probably still in good shape structurally.

I used to own a set of the Scorros and in terms of availability, they are harder to find versus the Enkei rims. That said, I prefer the Enkeis.

Honestly, any aftermarket wheel for these cars is going to be tough to find. The Enkei Compe-8 (the ones in your post) are more common than you might think, but only a handfull of sets go up for sale each year. If you really want a set, especially a nice set with center caps, be willing to fork out some dough...

Very cool! Thought about buying that when it was up for sale last time. Please let the USMB know if it does ever go back up for sale!

They include more standard features on the BRZ like HIDs and Navigation. Also, there are about 12-15,000 Scions imported this year compared to 7,000 BRZs. It's not demand, per se, but the market is being manipulated in Toyota's favor. Personally, I would never buy the Scion version. Not because I don't think it is a worthy car, for the simple reason that Subaru did the leg work on this vehicle. When I sat for the first time in a pre-production BRZ, my immediate thought was, "There is no way Toyota designed this car, this is truly a Subaru." If you've sat in any Subaru built in the last 10 years, everything will be familiar. Compare that to my mom's 2011 Camry, and, well, not so much. Even in watching the interviews and "behind the scenes" engineering videos, the Subaru half of the operation seems to have a much more in depth, passionate knowledge of the car vs. Toyota, who are touting the styling and heritage of the car. Scion might be easier to get into, but in my mind at least, it is a fraud. BRZ: Scion: Watch these videos and decide for yourself.

Yeah, I decided to pass this morning too. The brake fluid warning light was begging for attention on the WRX so I decided to bite the bullet and replace the three-year-old fluid. Plus, the t-wagon isn't on insurance right now... Maybe next time.

I'm not really in the market for a new fuel tank per say, but if I were, I would want a larger tank.

I'd love to join, but I need to see what else I have planned for that weekend.

Boy, you really didn't do any reasearch on the old thread, or at the VRi about this car before buying it did you? The engine is NOT NOS... The short block is original to the chassis, AFAIK, circa 2004. I don't remember anything about the cracked block, but we never had it running well enough to diagnose much. Those heads were found in the "Stupid Storage" at WWU and were never original to QS. If you're going for originality, pull them. Being that they are a student's project, I would be dubious as to their strength and longevity. A nice shelf/conversation piece, but that is about it. Also, that turbo will need a rebuild. It is DUMPING oil into the engine and was smoking out the exhaust something fierce when we did have it on the road. That "data aquisition" box on the fire wall is from Arkay Turbos, it is a detination control box, if memory serves me. The engine is NOT NOS... The short block is original to the chassis, AFAIK, circa 2004. You should go back and read some of the articles about this car before you dig any deeper. Some of the parts are one offs (seats, sunroof, heads, fuel, etc.) and will be impossible to replace if you can't save them. BTW "quatro" has two Ts, as in Quattro San.

I'm pretty sure that most of the MSD boxes also have a multiple-spark event, where you get several quick sparks as opposed to one from the factory system. It only works up to like 3000rpm, but could help in some cases.

WRX rear diff ratio will not match the front diff's ratio if you go back to stock, IIRC it is 3.54 vs 3.90.

Well, I'll probably never find one of those Mitsus... Maybe we can work something out on the wheel. Perhaps trade decal(s) for another rim?

What is the status of this project?

What brand is it? Vehicle? Compe-8 is the eight spoke Enkei wheel.

Uhhhhh, rust sucks.... I feel for you buddy. I'm terrified of what I might find when I crack open my '75 to start the resto.

Cool! Where did you find that guy? [HIJACK]What happened w/ that Compe-8?[/HIJACK]

Yeeessss! :burnout:Subscribed.

Use a larger hammer? Try pounding it out from the other side?

Hope to see it restored, not turned into a racecar, but you bought it, not me. Good luck, and make sure to have at least one pic in all future posts! hahahah

My old gen 1 brat loved its weber, just make sure you re-jet it for the smaller engine. Don't remember the numbers, sorry...

Snooze... Sounds like an AutoWeek review. Not only that, but this guy can't edit worth a darn. Engine and wind noise in almost every shot drew my attention more than what he was saying and his camera movement was uber distracting. Love the car though and can't wait until UK Top Gear get their hands on one!

Different car.