STI TRIATHLETE
Confident on his high-compression mill, English established lofty aspirations for his STi. The new objective was to make this STi an all around performer on the street, strip and circuit. In the power department, the EJ257 would benefit from a Full-Race Motorsports manifold feeding a Garrett GTX3576R turbocharger. Scott from Mofab welded up the custom piping and intercooler with diversion plates to direct the frontal airflow through the intercooler core. A custom charge pipe pressurizes a Cosworth intake manifold that distributed the incoming air to the combustion chambers. Composite tumble generator valve deletes replace the factory aluminum pieces to reduce the heat soak transferred from the cylinder head to the intake manifold.
With E85 as the liquid of choice, the fuel delivery was enhanced with a Magna Fuel 625 fuel pump and Radium fuel surge tank to supply a quartet of Injector Dynamics ID2000 injectors. It was at this point that English realized that it was time to make his STi complete. He swapped out the WRX chassis harness for the STi unit, and plugged in an AEM EMS V2 to manage and data log the engine activities. By employing the STi harness, the AVCS feature became functional again. In the hands of Harvey at The Boost Creep Ltd., the boost pressure was progressively dialed up to 31psi. Soon the STi checked in at 633.4 horsepower and 510 lb-ft torque on a Dyno Dynamics Dynamometer.
To be well rounded, the driveline and suspension needed to be improved to keep up with the new engine setup. To this end, an Exedy triple-disc clutch took its place at the cranksha . This new clutch transferred torque from the crank to a newer 2007 STi transmission. With the return of the STi harness and electronics, English also re-enabled the use of the DCCD.
FINALLY ON TRACK
[pullquote]ENGLISH MADE NUMEROUS PASSES DOWN THE 1320, HIS BEST SLIP READING 10.67 SECONDS AT 141 MPH[/pullquote]This build has been trying and expensive, yet a fruitful learning experience for English nonetheless. He cites frustration with the downtime that took away precious driving time that he could have been enjoying while racing the car. Still, he’s managed to get out on the track and lay down some numbers. At Bandimere Speedway, which sits 5,800 feet above sea level, English made numerous passes down the 1320, his best slip reading 10.67 seconds at 141 mph. With density altitude equivalent to 8,504 feet above sea level, his elevation corrected time slip would be in the neighborhood of 10.17 seconds at 147 mph. He also took first place in the Street Sport Compact class at the 2013 Coy’s Wheels Street Machine Showdown, a local car show and drag racing event.
English concluded of his STi build, “This experience has been extremely frustrating, expensive and educational, yet it’s an experience I would never change. This car has been a big part of my life, and my family and friends know how much blood, sweat and tears I poured into it. I’m planning to enjoy the car for a little while longer before I part ways with my STi to fund my new project, an R35 GT-R.” No education is free, and English takes with him the knowledge and wisdom gained over the years as he graduates to his next project platform.
