GrimmSpeed Project L
 

So i finally got bored with the wrx and parted it out and now its in its stock form getting ready to be sold....of course i couldnt go to long without a project going on so i picked up a 96 L. Plans are to turn this light car into a time attack beast. Of course, to get there is a long road. One of the main reasons i want to do this is to have a car i can learn in(to become a better track driver) but not be overly expensive incase an accident happens. I picked the L because it takes a lot more work to get it up to the level of the newer subaru models.

Plans are something like this:

ej20 swap
aps fmic - so i dont have to get a scoop'd hood
reverse intake manifold
slot wrx brakes
wrx calipers
ss brake lines
take steps with turbos..first td04, then vf30, then build block and slap on a monster turbo
roll cage
wrx seats front/rear, then something better
front strut bar
rear strut bar
FHI 20mm rear sway, then bigger
Optima battery relocation to trunk
STi i/c tank used for windshield washer moved to trunk
misc grimmspeed parts



those are the things i can think of so far. if you have any opinions on some of the stuff please speak up because i consider myself a complete noob when it comes to these older models.



http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/stock_l_1.jpg

http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/stock_l_2.jpg

http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/stock_l_3.jpg


Justin
www.grimmspeed.com

got the cryo treated brakes on with wrx calipers and hawk hps pads. everything went smoothly. the bolts were rusted all to hell but nothing a torch couldnt take care of.

oh..and threw on some stainless lines too.

http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/brakes_1.jpg

http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/brakes_2.jpg

http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/brakes_3.jpg

Awesome, can't wait to hear more!

Those look nice!

if you're ever bored dont say "i think i shall take the tar and sound deadening material out of my car"


shaved 6.5lbs by taking a portion of the bumper beam off to help fit the fmic
http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/...eam_weight.jpg

saved 1.5lbs by take the bottom seatbelts out :)
http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/...elt_weight.jpg

and of course the fun tar removal
http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/tar_removal_1.jpg
http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/tar_removal_2.jpg

save another 6.5lbs from the tar/sound deadening
http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/tar_removal_3.jpg

so i was able to take off 14.5lbs today..not to bad.

Justin
www.grimmspeed.com

I added, probably, 40lb of dynamat extreme to my front doors when the car was still fairly new. :eek:

That is extreme.

tried to get those fenders wider so i can fit the wide r-compounds underneath. didnt turn out as well as i wanted but my buddy(pictured) is coming back to help redo them.


http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/fender_roll_1.JPG

http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/fender_roll_2.jpg

http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/fender_roll_3.jpg

http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/fender_roll_4.jpg

Cut the fenders back and go with plastic flares!..

This man speaks the truth!

jun 240sx fender flares are already on order ! :)




for the love of keeping the outside as stock as possible i needed to fit the front mount underneath the stock L bumper. it went ok, there was definitely ALOT more cutting to do to the L bumper cover than the wrx bumper cover. i was able to salvage about 2/3s of the bumper beam(see cut pieces above). i'm very happy with the turn out....looks sooo sleeperish. i do wish i was able to keep the fogs but i couldnt manage to do that...i'll have to think of a way to mount some hellas somewhere.

http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/fmic_1.JPG

http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/fmic_2.JPG

http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/fmic_4.jpg

http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/fmic_5.jpg

Damn, that thing's practically invisible. Who fabbed the front mount? That might be the first time I've ever seen endtanks on a frontmount IC that actually look like someone who has an iota of an idea of how air flows worked on them. :lol:

thats what i was going for :cool:

the fmic is the old arse APS type R...not very many of them around any more these days. i agree with you...the endtanks are positioned perfectly.




got the dash completely out including all the wiring. also basically got everything out of the engine bay including the brake lines so i can begin running the new lines.


http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/dash_removal.jpg

http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/gutted_engine_2.jpg



Justin
www.grimmspeed.com

I feel special because I know what the semi finished product looks like :)

I love this L i will not lie you do a great job Justin.

you shush you!! :lol:

thanks for the props wrxkidid. i cant wait to beat the piss out of some of our parts in this beast.


Justin

finally starting to get some cool stuff to put on the car vs the last 2 months of taking stuff out of the car.

first thing in...

http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/...tion_valve.jpg

No ABS I take it?

master cylinder?

No, that's a brake proportioning valve so you can adjust brake bias. The problem is that I don't think you can use 'em with the ABS on the car.

exactly...no abs in the car. overrated :)




got the stuff from the donor car.

how it arrived
http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/wrx_pallet.jpg

hope this baby is strong
http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/wrx_engine_1.jpg

same to this...
http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/wrx_tranny_1.jpg


glad i'm not the one doing the wiring splice
http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/wrx_wiring_1.jpg

started to rattle can the engine bay white...
http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/...gine_bay_1.jpg

I'll agree that Subaru ABS is overrated in a race car, but I'd much rather have it on a street car. The only thing Subaru ABS is good for at the track is protecting expensive race tires from flat spots when you miss a braking point and run too deep into a corner... other than that, the programming is too touchy in the ABS controller to make it actually useful for threshold braking.

It's not a night and day difference, but the updated ABS ECU that Subaru offered as a "Customer Satisfaction Program" for my 03 made a noticeable difference. The ABS isn't as overly-touchy and it disengages much quicker once it's no longer needed. Before the ABS ECU update, I had to let completely off the brake to disengage ABS. That shit was scary.

Yeah, they wouldn't update my car due to the StopTechs. :mad:

I read that and made sure to schedule my SS line install for after the ABS ECU. Timing was on my side for once.

lets just say that if i get rear ended its not going to be pretty lol


need to take out the rear tail lights
http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/..._removed_2.jpg

http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/..._removed_1.jpg


stock beam removed
http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/...am_removed.jpg


jdm vs. stock beam
http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/...m_vs_stock.jpg


actual jdm beam weight...4.5lbs!!!
http://www.grimmspeed.com/project_l/...eam_weight.jpg


Overall install wasnt to bad. You cant take the bumper cover off while its on the car, you need to take the whole cover/beam off at the same time then you can take the cover off.

The jdm beam is nothing more than a bracket for the cover to snap onto to hold it in place...no crash protection whatsoever.