Located on the western edge of North Carolina/eastern edge of Tennessee in Deals Gap, the Tail of the Dragon contains 318 turns in only 11 miles. No intersecting roads, minimal turn-offs, minimal room for error. For someone who has grown up in the mountainous Pacific Northwest, I was no stranger to hard, twisty ascents and descents in adverse weather. It is common practice for myself to go out alone and hit my local driving spots as hard as I can in my cars without falling off the road, regardless of the conditions. I prepared myself months in advance to be able to build up the confidence to take the unfamiliar terrain with an aggressive excitement. Though as prepared as I was; I was not prepared for what was going to come of this adventure. Several months pass and it finally came time for this PNW boy to take off for the east coast.

Waking up Wednesday morning to pack my belongings for an early non-stop flight, I said goodbye to my mom & girlfriend, as this would be the first time I traveled long distance alone, let alone flying by myself for the first time as well. From there, a fairly smooth 5 hour flight from Seattle-Tacoma International to Tampa International Airport proceeded. Never traveling to the east coast, nor to a very hot & humid climate, I was ecstatic for a new surrounding. I arrived in Tampa in the mid-afternoon excited for my chauffeurs to pick me up. The fun had officially begun as I heard a loud rumble flow though the airport loading area, as Ethan & Zach picked me up in Ethan’s WRX Wagon. We quickly packed up the car and exchanged greetings, excited to finally meet in person. 

We headed back to the MFortyFive headquarters, where we found CJ doing some finishing touches on his STi hatch. Not only was I meeting almost everyone for the first time, but this was my first time seeing all of the guys’ Subarus that I have been drooling on social media over all together for the first time. Between Zach’s Impreza 2.5RS, Ethan’s WRX wagon and CJ’s STi hatch, I planned on getting very familiar with these machines in the coming days along with our shop friends Keith, Chris & Mack, with Project Priime’s beefed up Euro rides.

Rested and ready to rock-n-roll, we woke up at the crack of dawn on Thursday to get the whole fleet together. This would include the MFortyFive Subarus, past-Limelight-feature Bruno Rivera & his WRX, Project Priime’s BMW 335i, MK6 Volkswagen GTI and Fiat 500 Abarth, (and later on in the week, North Carolina native and Instagram-friend Wes joined us in Fontana Village.) Once we all had coffee in our systems, we began our 10 hour drive from Bradenton, FL to Fontana Village, NC. One goal I had was to practice performing rolling shots on this trip. Since we would have an enormous amount of highway driving to do, I went to work at getting the goods over the course of the day.

After several stops to either eat, fill up or stretch some legs, we made it to Fontana Village close to around 11pm. Exhausted from the drive, but eager to get out and play on roads that simply do not exist in flat Florida, the boys and I went out for a little quick midnight blast down a leading road called the Moonshiner 28; a piece of road that led to the start of Tail of the Dragon where it intersects with US129. This was going to be my first taste of what these Subarus were capable of. I was not disappointed in the glimpse of the handling capabilities of the cars and the people driving them, however I was vastly surprised.

Waking up early Friday morning, we filled up with some good ole’ homemade breakfast food and began to get the cars ready for a driving filled day – however after breakfast, things got off to a somewhat rough start. Chris’s BMW was having a bit of a runaround with the transmission not wanting to shift gears until it was all warmed up. Along with CJ narrowly avoiding a drainage ditch, the STi did a 2-wheel motion and managed to pop some of the bumper mounts. Like many long distance trips with highly modified cars, we would have some stumbles, yet none would get in the way of us doing what we came to do.

A short time later, we headed off onto the Moonshiner 28 to get to the start of the Dragon, where we were bombarded with a spew of tree leaves freshly cleared off the side of the road; now brought onto the road from park workers. We reached the Killboy shop, the designated beginning of this insane 318-turn highway, and took a moment to get some goodies, take some group photos and make sure everyone was good to go before we embarked of the first of several runs. On my first run I had rode passenger with CJ and his wife, Ashleigh, in the STi. It was time for the boys to put their money where their mouth is.

We crossed the Tennessee line and everyone let it rip. CJ was leading the pack, and immediately I was astonished at how planted the STi was. I drive a GD Impreza, which most know is not really a large car, and to me the GR Imprezas feel much bigger. You could tell the car had a tendency to want to swing a little more weight around, but it wasn’t by any means going anywhere CJ didn’t want it to. Between the massive 275/35R18 Bridgestone RE71Rs on 18×10″ Volk TE37SLs, Fortune Auto coilovers and a plethora of other suspension bits; the STi was super predicable even from a passenger’s perspective. You don’t really get a good idea of just how intense this highway is until you’re carving corners and when precise driving cues scoot you down Tail of the Dragon quite quickly. Though I live in the Pacific Northwest, this road was a whole different beast.

After making it down to the end, we pulled off near the river to take a break, snap some more pictures and enjoy each others’ company. I was able to fill the boys in on my thoughts and how excited I was to get right back out there. On the way back up, I rode with Ethan & his girlfriend, Marybeth, in the WRX wagon. We kept it fairly calm due to other imposing traffic and law enforcement respectfully doing their duty to make sure people are staying safe and having fun reasonably. When we stopped for lunch at Tapoco Lodge I was quite ready for a warm meal. I usually don’t get car sick, but the Dragon definitely tested that; however I was victorious in keeping myself collected and rewarded myself with a tasty burger.

Once back on the road, we headed towards a more scenic route called the Cherohala Skyway. With some rain showers & cloud cover moving into the mountains, visibility became increasingly difficult, yet had a slight edge of fun while adding a challenge. We reached a vantage point closer to the highest point of the Skyway, where we got more awesome photos and some great views – however there was a problem. Over the course of the day, Ethan’s WRX had been starting to leak oil. The guys took some time to look over the wagon and found that the turbo oil feed hard line had cracked at the banjo bolt end, thus dripping oil every few seconds onto the turbo and uppipe. Keeping that in mind but not ready to slow it down, the group headed up the Skyway a little further until we found another vantage point where we rechecked the cars before blasting down the mountainside. This part of the trip came to be one of my favorite parts. CJ, Ethan and Zach were dead-set of sending it down without holding back, so I jumped in shotgun with Keith (one of the Project Priime cinematographers). Rocking his modified VW Golf GTI, he was ready to follow the boys right on down and keep it close. Since I had the camera out; I was able to capture some of my favorite shots I have ever taken in the time I have been doing photography. Keith and I were right behind CJ & Zach and it was nothing short of incredible. CJ’s STi may be turbocharged, newer, and had a massive amount of traction, and Zach’s RS being RWD, lightweight and dialed for cornering and momentum, they surprisingly stayed tight-knit. I watched and photographed the two embracing in the spirit of a mountain battle known as touge, keeping the tension all the way back to the Killboy shop & the beginning of the Moonshiner 28.

The run on the Moonshiner that night was the drive that separated the men from the boys. I was still riding in the GTI with Keith, while Chris & his 400+ whp 335i stepped up to the plate with CJ to duke it out all the way back to Fontana Village, where we were staying. This drive was some of the most precise & close driving I have ever seen up front. This was that next-level driving I didn’t realize the Florida boys had in them, I ended up recording the entire drive and looking back on that video. It was a “you had to be there to get the full experience” type of memory. I looked forward to the next couple days even more after seeing the the action that took place that Thursday.

We knew that outside of all the car action that we would take at least one day to do some sightseeing around North Carolina. The group packed up for the day and we drove a little over two hours east to Asheville. During that time on the drive there, I got to spend some much needed seat time in CJ’s STi. I never had driven a GR chassis Impreza up until that point, and I can gladly say that I am glad I can say CJ’s was my first. It’s a crazy fun car to drive with a whole lot of maneuverability. Meanwhile, remember that oil leak I mentioned earlier that Ethan’s WRX was suffering? We were now at the point of needing to address that issue along the way. Stopping in at a local Advanced Auto Parts; we grabbed rubber cement & exhaust patching, trying to see if we could temporarily stop the oil from seeping out of the turbo feed line. Alas, the quick-fix was not looking too solid. Fortunately for Ethan, he would be able to get into contact with a Subaru shop outside of Asheville that had by some unbelievably lucky chance, one single non-cracked turbo feed line laying around that was pulled off of another Subaru. This job needed to be done ASAP, considering we were on a trip within a trip 500+ miles from home. Yet before the shop visit would conspire, The guys were quite insistent on visiting a wild biscuits & gravy shop known as Biscuit Head – an Asheville delicacy. Hands-down the absolute best meal I had while visiting the east coast by far. I highly recommend this place for anyone visiting the area – they have a plethora of unique biscuit-based meals with all kinds of twists, but I need to remember this is an article about our trip and not our food. Continuing on, we spent the day visiting a couple of different tourist spots along with general sightseeing. Two places we visited highly worth talking about were the Sierra-Nevada brewery and the Wicked Weed Brewery. Up until this point, I never been to a brewery of any sort, so to see how they produce & refine all sorts of beer in the Sierra-Nevada facility was pretty sweet. However, if you love a great hangout spot, Wicked Weed Brewery is an absolute must! Great outdoor ambiance, games and drinks. After a few hours there, we stopped in at a local burger joint downtown where we ate dinner before the drive back to Fontana Village.

Sunday was filled with a whole lot more sightseeing & intense driving near the Tail Of The Dragon. We managed to drive the entire Skyway route this time around, being the fact it was a sunny Saturday versus a dark, rainy scenario like Thursday turned out to be up there. While we drove the Skyway, Ethan let me cruise the wagon. I will fully admit, I was not sure how I was going to like Ethan’s WRX. Between the aggressive fitment of -4 degrees of camber, 265/35R18 Firestone Indy 500 tires, and 18×9.5 Work CR Kiwamis on a stock-body wagon, I was quite unsure how it would handle. However, once I was in and driving; all of that changed. I felt completely at home & in-control. Since my own WRX has an almost identical interior, the car & I didn’t skip a beat. It was comfy and maneuverable like CJ’s STi, but didn’t feel so overbearing and intense, which kept it pleasant for the type of car it is. For me, Ethan’s WRX wagon was my “just-right” car. As Saturday began coming to a close, nearly comparable to the feeling of heading back to work on a Monday morning, it was a subtle reminder that we would be making the 10+ hour drive Sunday morning back to Bradenton, FL. After another Dragon Run; we stopped by the river to get some amazing sunset shots before we went back to the cabins.

After our last dinner of the trip, we were ready to go back out & drive the cars as much as we could before heading in for the night. At this point, all the driving I had done in the cars was on pretty mild roads. I was ready to hit the dragon, this was my time to shine & frankly one of the last possible chances for quite a while. Zach offered to let me ride with him up the Dragon and I would get the chance to drive the RS back down. I may drive a GD Impreza Sedan like Zach, however Zach’s car was nothing like my own WRX back home. I mentioned before that Zach managed to keep right on CJ when we drove the Skyway & the car’s setup explains it all. The RS is only powered by a 165HP 2.5L EJ253; the same one that can be commonly found in the Legacy, Outback & Forester, but this was not the point. Fortune Auto coilovers, rear-wheel-drive converted, sticky 255/40R17 Federal 595 RS-RRs mounted on 17×9 Rays GramLights 57DRs, rocking -3.8 degrees of camber up front and -2 degrees in the rear. These are only some of the modifications on the most modified RS I have ever driven, and definitely one of the most responsive GD chassis Imprezas I have driven as well. We reached an overlook up on the Dragon where, at almost midnight, we could see a sky full of stars that lit up the autumn night. The overlook was packed full of parked touge-ers fascinated by the view, while every few minutes a car went flying by into the dark on a risky night run. We took a little while to admire the view too – it also gave me the chance to reflect on the trip. Time was just about up & we were ready to go back down the Dragon for the last time on this amazing journey.

Zach handed me the keys and I hunkered down into the RS & got myself into a touge mindset. I followed the guys in the back of the pack & gave the Dragon all I had. Immediately I noticed the steering on the RS was much lighter than to the steering in my WRX, mainly due to the lack of CV axles to increase steering resistance. The car went exactly where I wanted to go, yet I couldn’t get over the fact that it felt much more lively from the RWD conversion than I thought it would, (just like Zach commonly mentions). The tight twists and turns had me working constantly. This was a big reason as to why I love this car so much – it kept my attention the entire time. The RS felt uncensored and raw, just how I believe the best mountain cars should feel. They should keep you on the edge of your seat all the way to the bottom of that mountain. By the time we made it to the hypothetical finish line, my adrenaline was pumping at a million miles per hour – I drove the Tail of the Dragon. I hadn’t felt this accomplished after a mountain drive in quite a while, and it was nothing short of refreshing and exhilarating.

Sunday morning came quicker than many of us would have liked it to. It was time to leave this mountainous driver’s paradise to venture back to the southeast corner of the US. We spent some time at the actual Fontana Dam to get some group photos, enjoy nature and to say our goodbyes to the amazing people we were able to visit with before we embarked on the long drive ahead of us. Throughout the drive back to Florida, we encountered getting split up by traffic, weather and mismatched directions, but eventually around 11:30pm we had safely arrived back in Bradenton.

Monday arrived and it was the bittersweet time for myself to finish out the journey home to Washington. The four of us had joined for one last brunch to look back on the trip, what we want to accomplish next trip around, and how the cars would improve before they would meet the North Carolina/Tennessee hills yet again in the Spring. My first trip to the east coast was a experience for the books, and I am absolutely blessed and extremely thankful for the people who made this trip fun, exciting, hilarious and special. Words cannot describe how much fun I had and I cannot wait to come back. I look forward to many more trips with MFortyFive, and hopefully one day soon, maybe the Florida boys and I will take some time to explore & see what the best coast has to offer.

For a truly awesome video recap of the trip, check out what Project Priime made here:

Thank you to everyone who came on the trip and made it as fun as it was! New friends and old, it was a great experience to say the least.

Words by Anthony Yastrum – @stiish_tony

Give everyone a follow on Instagram if you don’t already!

• @m.fortyfive
• CJ – @tryhardsti
• Ethan – @supwagon
• Zach – @momentum.rs
• Tony – @stiish_tony
• Chris, Keith & Mack – @projectpriime
• Bruno – @bruno_wrx
• Wes – @wesg713

The post A PNW Perspective: Tail Of The Dragon 2018 appeared first on MFortyFive.

Many of us to a certain extent know what it is like to put a car (I actually mean project car) together slowly & somewhat steadily. First, you start thinking about what to buy. Next thing you know, your buddy tells you about a car his other buddy has that you might be interested in, however the hook is that you didn’t know what to expect. Then, from there you go buy a car you didn’t plan on buying in the first place, until you start thinking of what it could turn into. To keep the ball rolling, you put a game plan together of what you want to do and you start hunting down parts, doing research, finding some more parts, doing some more research, so on and so forth. All in all, you dive into the build process and from there; the car constantly evolves one piece at a time.

This example I have written out is almost the exact scenario that Miss Aislinn has experienced with her 1995 Subaru Legacy sedan. Looking to replace her 1992 Subaru Loyale, she wasn’t quite sure what was to come next. Low and behold, her friend Clinton-Dale had told her about his friend (along with Aislinn’s future fiancé, Trevor,) was selling a multi-colored, rear-wheel-drive converted Legacy project car with bad headgaskets. Despite the car’s rough features & hurting engine, she fell in love with the second-gen Legacy chassis and went to take a handle on this hot mess (no pun intended.)

Not having a lot to work with after buying the car, in order to drive it somewhat around town, Aislinn popped out the thermostat and ran the original motor for a short period of time. However, that move would be the final nail in the the engine’s coffin. From there, the car had a couple different motor configurations in it before reaching the current power plant. The first engine to tap in was a high compression EJ25/22E for roughly 6 months, then a “hilarious” EJ18/22T Hybrid turbo build for a year and now reaching its current incarnation, a high-compression closed-deck EJ22T block with EJ20R heads.

There was a little more effort that went into the motor this time around. Focusing on a balance between reliability & power, this engine was put together with a jubilee of OEM and aftermarket parts. The shortblock internals consist of the OEM EJ22T crankshaft, STi connecting rods, EJ22E pistons, ACL race bearings, coupled with a Killer B oil pickup system that utilizes an OEM STi oil pan. Keeping the EJ20R heads stock, ARP head studs hold it all together. With the engine’s internal setup being taken care of, a common queue of STi bolt-ons were used for the turbocharger system. IHI VF48 turbocharger & STi top-mount intercooler supply the PSIs and cooling, along with 440cc injectors and Deatschworks DW300C fuel pump, that supplies the fuel needed to make all the witchcraft work together. Packing a full catless exhaust system, air induction goodies and a trick EJ20K STi ECU; this Legacy can bang out it’s rev range all the way out to 8,500RPM – a territory not usually charted for Subaru owners. This advantage can make for good use on the track or for some spirited driving.

I remember having my second-gen Legacies and spending hours figuring out wheel & tire sizes I could run. Whether one size was too small or too big, it was something I constantly critiqued. However, I thought having a 245 wide all-season tire on my wagons was wide; that doesn’t even come close to shoving some beefy 255/40R17 BFGoodrich G-Force Sport Comp-2 summer tires on 17×9 Enkei TFRs with a +45 offset into the somewhat narrow wheel wells of these Legacies. Aislinn wanted to have as much traction as she could get for her car, so the aggressive summer tires with a lightweight wheel was the right choice. Thanks to the Tien Flex Z coilovers and some body bracing throughout the car, it stays completely planted. Now bringing that all to a stop is a set of JDM WRX 4-piston front calipers, slotted front rotors and Legacy SS vented rear brakes.

Just by looking, you’d think this was a Legacy GT – at least that was my first thought. Believe it or not, the car is actually a base model L that had a red front end on it when Aislinn first purchased it. Having some help from a couple good friends, the car received a GT front bumper, GT rear wing, GD STi roof spoiler and an Outback SUS rear bumper. The SUS rear bumper has extra cladding near the bottom to give it a diffuser feel to it – a simple but effective touch. A rare piece Aislinn was able to acquire was the slick big-scooped carbon fiber hood to help capture a little bit more air, not to mention the sheer cool-factor by being a very uncommon part for Legacies here in the states. What pleases me about this car’s exterior is that there have been many subtle additions added on, yet the car retains a somewhat OEM+ look with a few add-ons.

Moving inside, a JDM Subaru Nardi steering wheel mounted to a quick-release system & bucket seats help Aislinn stay in control of the Legacy when driving aggressively. Along with adding her own personal flare to the interior by painting some of the trim a nice silver finish; Aislinn acquired a JDM Legacy center shifter bezel cubby, which in it’s own peculiar way, is one of her favorite pieces on the car. Mr. Wall-E here is just along for the ride.

It’s quite impressive what these cars are able to achieve with the right combination of parts and some backyard mechanics. Pulling several pieces all together to create a fun & functional street car that can put in some serious work at the track all while being, in a way, unsuspecting. Aislinn had mentioned to me that the Legacy has a way of sneaking up on people. “It’s a car that people don’t expect to be fast, but that is half the fun,” she says. I can confidently agree with that statement, one hundred percent. I was given a chance to drive this Legacy, and it is an out-of-body experience being able to rev out so high and to carry that hybrid motor power all the way through. There is still more to be done in all aspects of this Legacy, but as far as I’m concerned, putting together your project one piece at a time and the accumulation of those pieces can one day create something very special.

By Anthony Yastrum – @stiish_tony

A big thank you to Aislinn for letting us cover her Legacy! Check out her full build list below.

Engine/Drivetrain:
EJ22T short block
STi rods
ACL Race bearings
EJ22E pistons
EJ20R heads
ARP head studs
Killer B oil pickup
Killer B windage tray
STi oil pan
EJ20K (6s) STi ECU w/ ESL daughter board and custom patch harness from ECU to stock Legacy harness
440cc injectors
Deatschworks DW300C fuel pump
TurboSmart BOV, full VTA
STi top mount intercooler
IHI VF48 turbo
UPGR8 silicone turbo inlet
Invidia catless up pipe
Cobb catted bellmouth down pipe
Custom 3″ straight pipe exhaust w/ Cherry Bomb
’00 2.5RS 4.11 manual transmission
4.11 LSD rear differential
Spec Stage 3 6-puck clutch & pressure plate
Kartboy Short Shifter
Group N Trans mount

Suspension/Steering/Braking:
Tein Flex Z coilovers
Enkei TFR wheels 17×9″ +45
BFGoodrich Sport Comp 2’s 255/40r17
’05 STi steering rack
Lightweight power steering pulley
Cusco adjustable rear seat bar
Cusco BD rear strut brace
Kartboy subframe lock down bolts 
WRX 4-pot front brakes
Slotted front rotors
Legacy SS vented rear brakes

Interior:
Nardi Gara 4 steering wheel
NRG quick release hub
Lamco STi boost gauge
Blitz turbo timer
Cobb shift knob
Corbeau A4 front seats
EUDM shifter surround w/ push button storage
18% Tint
JVC head unit
Infinity Reference speakers w/ tweeters
Custom painted graphite trim pieces 
JDM Legacy stainless door sills
WRX pedal covers
Blue LED cluster bulbs
Custom Jersey wrapped door canards and rear deck lid

Exterior:
JDM projector headlights
6000k HIDs
JDM taillights, tinted
JDM clear side markers
Meister R carbon fiber hood
STi roof vane replica
Legacy SUS rear bumper
Legacy GT front bumper w/ fog lights
Zerosports radiator shroud
Zerosports intercooler splitter

The post One Piece at a Time: Aislinn Misener’s 1995 Subaru Legacy Sedan appeared first on MFortyFive.

We arrived at the Vancouver, WA Airbnb around five o’clock in the afternoon. A driveway full of Subarus and a house full of friends; we kicked back, relaxed for a bit before we washed up the cars and went on the search for food. After a big meal graciously paid for by an unknown guest at a local Red Robin, we headed back to settle in for the night. Minimal sleep & a lack of coffee lead to a snoozy morning. Nonetheless, we were all pumped to get to the show early at 7:00am. Like many years before, Big Northwest Subaru Meet is held at Portland International Raceway. The majority of us had entered into the car show, so getting in was fairly quick for the most part. This year around, the car show participants were placed down the drag strip, making for a nice backdrop for the massive amount of Subarus to arrive. From there, we were staging up and preparing for the all-day party to begin.

For some, BNW is the show where all the long-term projects, race cars and show cars come out of the woodwork. This is the type of show where you are bound to see something you really love – this year was not about to disappoint. A multitude of heavy-hitter companies came out to join the fun and show off what they had to offer. After my friends & I parked for the show and cleaned up, we went ahead to go look at some of the booths. One of my favorites is the Perrin Performance booth. Between sweet engine displays and showroom cars; they do a fantastic job at showing off their products. One of their cars was easily my favorite BRZ at the show! On top of the licence plate reading out “PEAR-N” (clever, right?), these Volk-Rays TE37SL’s with highlighter yellow decals really completed this car for me! Clean and simple, to the point.

Over at the Grimmspeed booth, along with previous Limelight feature Justin Chapman and the big-winged Crosstrek, is another show favorite for me; a built 2004 Blobeye STi decked-out with Grimmspeed goodies and many other track-ready bits. Seeing this monster motivates me beyond belief to clean up the Impreza that much more, along with finish up my STi headlights I have sitting in my garage. On top of that, the meaty track tires and wing hanging out in the back establish that this car means buisness!

IAG Performance had also made an appearance with a wild-colored 2016 WRX rocking a MASSIVE front mount intercooler hiding behind the front bumper. Next over, a full STi-swapped & bagged 2004 Forester XT that floats between form & function while still keeping clean.

Cobb Tuning & Surgeline packed some heat on their lineup. Fully converted Sedan-body and built to the nines, a 2005 WRX wagon with a full Surgeline vinyl wrap sits proud next to an insanely well-put-together WRX Hatch, with some awesome red accents to compliment the red big brake kit and flat grey metallic vinyl wrap.

On the other side of the Cobb Tuning & Surgeline booths, Oregon Subaru Club had a GC Impreza track car as well as other end of the spectrum; a lifted Forester on all-terrain tires, Anderson Design & Fabrication lift and had an entire camping tent that pops out off the roof! It makes me wish I would have had one of those when I owned my lifted Outback.

Subaru of America had put out an announcement a little while ago saying that they were going to bring out a Subaru even more rare then the 22B that would be at BNW. With what has to be the longest model name; the Subaru Impreza WRX STi Spec-C Type RA-R has come out to show its stuff. Well-equipped from the factory with Brembo 6-piston calipers, white 18″ Enkei’s, a special interior including Recaro bucket seats, body additions with lips, along with a spoiler and roof vent, and every STi suspension upgrade in the catalog; this Impreza is the full package. Right next to the RA-R, the iconic widebody WRC street car that is the gem of the brand for many enthusiasts; the Subaru Impreza STi 22B. Kept in prime condition by Subaru Technica International, the car looks as good as it did back in 1998. It is a car to commemorate a rally legend and Subaru’s back to back wins in the mid 90’s in the World Rally Championship.

After I picked up my jaw from the Subaru Technica International booth, I walked over to the other side of the event where some more local tuning, performance and service shop booths were located. One car I have been dying to see in person is Horizontal Motorsports Steve Hamann’s Legacy SS drag car. Big turbo, drag slicks, a bottle of NOS in the back and ready to hurt some feelings. One thing I enjoy about this car is in the interior, the old square dashboard has been swapped out for a more modern GD STi dashboard. This car holds a certain presence just parked, I can only imagine what its like when it is ramped up and ready to go.

I took some more time looking around, spotting a blobeye STi track car that Colonel Red Racing brought to BNW. Another local group, Mountain Roo, brought a lifted Forester on what looked to be 33″ to 35″ tall tires propped up on some boulders, showing off just how much flex this off-road rig had! Quite badass, if I say so myself.

After having some time for the car show to fill in, I headed back over to see who had arrived and was representing their builds. You look down the rows and see all sorts of various builds, leveling in track, show, off-road, classic, you name it!

When my friends and I were heading into the show originally, I had spotted a build that wasn’t like anything I had seen in person before. I came across what was a Colin McRae WRC Tribute Car build and it left me absolutely speechless; especially seeing on the display boards that this beefed-up Impreza started out as a crunched-up 1997 Impreza L! I had talked to the owner, Jordan Shaw, for a brief moment and learned that this car had a Compound Bi-Turbo engine setup that gave it an immense amount of power all the way through the rev range. Making somewhere in the area of 425-450 whp, I had scooped up his info to be able to look more into this beast later. I couldn’t possibly get all the details then and there, but this will surely not be the last we see of this car.

Making my way down the show, I took some time to visit with Chris Porter and his wildly-bright and show-ready 2003 WRX. I remember meeting Chris back in 2016 at BNW when the WRX had recently finished up getting its bodywork redone with a freshly painted Sonic Yellow body and fitted flares. Needless to say, the car has had some serious changes since the last time I saw it two years before.

After I had some walk around time looking at the rest of the amazing car show entrees, I was able to check out the autocross event they had going as well and was able to snap a couple action shots of Subies dodging some cones!

All in all, Big Northwest Subaru Meet was a success in my eyes. Between all the awesome cars, talking with various owners and enveloping in the community; it’s these times that I will remember and look back on for years to come. I look forward to what is to come next year, as with time, cars and other builds will evolve to the next level. I have faith that the next BNW will be even better and that the Pacific Northwest will continue to show why it is the Subaru Wonderland.

By Anthony Yastrum – @stiish_tony

The post Big Northwest Subaru Meet 2018 – Subaru Wonderland appeared first on MFortyFive.

In the N/A Subaru world, turbochargers are the go-to option of the forced induction category. Only the few and brave have decided to dabble in supercharging a Subaru. “There are plenty of turbocharged Subarus out there. If you want to have a fast Subaru, just snag a WRX or STi! Why would you even bother supercharging?” Why? It goes against the grain, the norm, the typical! From my perspective, there isn’t anything wrong with a little bit of supercharger whine, especially coming out of a car you’d least expect.

In 2014, Miss Staci Towne was in the market for some new wheels. Driving an Acura Integra that had been on it’s last leg for quite some time, she figured it was time for something more “grown-up“. Exploring her options and with the help of her niece, they looked between a couple different sedans. After doing research into her picks; the Legacy 3.6R was the winning car. Packing Subaru’s signature Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and a beefy 3.6L Flat 6-Cylinder, Staci was sure to have a car ready for any weather the Pacific Northwest would throw at her, along with having the power of a WRX without all the hassles that came with a turbocharged Subaru. However, it was only a matter of time before the Legacy started receiving modifications.

Like I mentioned earlier, Subarus are no stranger to turbochargers. On the contrary, with superchargers, they are. Very few owners have dabbled with them – and Staci is one of those owners. Up until the past few months, the Legacy had some very mild mods throughout her ownership. 19″ x 8″ TSW Nurburgrings on some 225/40R19 Bridgestone tires fill the wheel wells while the car sits on some nicely seated lowering springs, along with a set of classic UR Rally Armor flaps to help protect the paint. Local wrap & vinyl specialists, Wu Wraps, added on some well-placed carbon fiber wrap & clear smoked tint on various trim pieces throughout the Legacy. These include window trim, grille, tail lights and fog light bezels. The exhaust had been modified as well with Kooks high-flow racing cats, a Magnaflow 30″ resonator and Nameless axle-back muffler deletes to give the Legacy some grunt. For a long time, that is how the car rolled. Then Staci was bitten with the mod bug once again, this time in search for more power.

Comparing all the options, she noticed many had traveled down the turbocharger road. This was a very doable option, but Staci was not ready to settle just yet. She had come across a built 5th gen Legacy packing the same 3.6L Flat 6-Cylinder engine her car has – this build in particular was different from the rest. This Legacy was gripping onto a supercharger system specifically designed for the 5th gen Legacies (also know as Liberties in Australia & New Zealand) by Australian-based company, Raptor Superchargers. This is what the car had been missing, but it would not be an easy road to getting the system in the car and running properly. It was now on to finding a local shop that would take on this special project.

Running into the obstacle of convincing a performance shop to shove a supercharger system into a car that looks like only your parents would drive was a feat in itself. Staci was now accustomed to being questioned as to why she was even wanting to do this project in the first place. Being told countless times to go buy a WRX or STi if she was wanting to make power, she trudged through the Negative Nellies and had found success with teaming up with Xtreme Racing Tuning to get the forced induction project underway. Starting out, the Legacy ran the Raptor supercharger with upgraded STi 565cc injectors, a Takeda air intake and Raptor H6 headers. Several tunes were done on the Legacy to dial in all the power just right, however the car was running just a tad too hot for their liking. a fully custom front-mount intercooler system was built for the Legacy and resides right behind the front bumper lower opening. A Greddy blow-off valve was added onto the intercooler piping to allow any extra boost to exit from the system, in turn also adding the sweet chirp when you let off the throttle. Through various setbacks ranging from small tweaks to necessary modifications to ensure the car’s longevity (like adding an external transmission cooler along with a real-time data logger in the form of a tablet to keep an eye on the engine management) the Legacy is now running better than ever, thanks to the continuous support of Xtreme Racing Tuning and Raptor Superchargers. While making small improvements over time, Staci is able to enjoy the sweet and instantaneous power that the supercharger has to offer, while remaining low-key to any others passing by; unless you’re sitting still at idle listening to the car’s noticeable whine.

The Legacy has not set tire on a dyno just yet, but given the countless bits of information given by data logging and multiple tuning adjustments, along with the classic butt dyno, the car has a projected power output of somewhere around 310-320 horsepower running on only a mere 3lbs of boost. Very true does it stand that you could make that number, if not more, in horsepower with a turbocharger system, or even the highly suggested WRX & STi route. Ultimately, those options held no weight for Staci. She told me: “I could have went down any of those routes. My only complaint I had with those ideas was the fact that it was the typical thing to do, but I wanted something different, even if it was gonna be a ton of work!” This build wasn’t about making a ton of power or going the easy way. It was taking an interesting twist on a car that is too often overlooked. Nowadays, it’s hard not to take a peek if you get the chance. The supercharger isn’t the only thing that draws people’s attention. Raptor Superchargers has only sold two 5th gen Legacy 3.6R kits in the world. Staci is one of two in the world to own a supercharged 5th gen Legacy 3.6R. As if that title alone wasn’t enough; Staci drives the only lady-driven and owned supercharged Legacy 3.6R in the world. An honorable title to hold that has been well earned and fought for. The Legacy continues to be daily driven everyday, bringing a smile to Staci’s face and utter confusion to the drivers that are politely shocked as this sleeper sedan pulls away and continually solidifies the car’s nickname The Lead-foot Legacy: Supercharged.

By Anthony Yastrum – @stiish_tony

Staci’s Full Build List:

Engine/Performance

C-Mod grill
Anzo headlights
RallyArmor mud flaps
Chrome delete w/CF wrap
TSW Nurburgring wheels in 19″ x 8″
Quad Hella horns; Super and Sharptones

Interior

Wood trim wrapped to graphite grey
Brushed aluminum trim wrapped to CF
Tablet to run gauges

The post Sleeping Beauty – Staci Towne’s 2014 Legacy 3.6R appeared first on MFortyFive.

Caleb Wilson discovered his Ebony Mica Black 1994 SVX in 100% original condition with the exception of wheels. At the time, he was not planning on even buying a second car. “I knew I wanted to eventually pick up a second car to work on, I just wasn’t sure what or when that would be.” Caleb says. Going through a phase that many car enthusiasts know, he was sifting through car sale listings when he found the SVX, and after contacting the seller and learning more about the car, it was a done deal. Once the car made it home, Caleb took care of some of the maintenance items that the car lacked. After a couple hiccups with old coolant lines blowing, plus some oil leaks here & there, the flat 6-cylinder sports car was rocking & rolling!

There were many things that made the SVX stand out from the Boxer four-cylinder crowd. Unlike most of its family members, the SVX was powered by a 3.3L flat six-cylinder engine that produced 230 horsepower – more than the Japanese-market WRX was pumping out in it’s time. With this engine choice, the car has a vast amount of torque that you could use in just about any area in the RPM range. Many high-performance styling cues of the 90’s were incorporated into the car’s design. One of the key features the SVX’s have are Giugiaro-styled half windows – originally designed to assist in lowering the aerodynamic drag. When you initially get into the car, it takes some time getting used to the window design, but after a while you can start to see the appeal they have. These differences from the traditional Subaru made the car unique, however these same items steered many away. The SVX can be described as an “acquired taste,” yet when properly modified can appeal to anyone willing to take a second look. When looking at the car in its stock form, you don’t think much about it looking good lowered with some wheels, but once you start to put more thought into it, the possibilities become endless for a truly unique build.

Slowly but surely, Caleb has been chipping away at the SVX with it’s modifications. TSP coilovers and sway bar endlinks help even out the handling a bit, and also help bring the car down to fill some of the wheel gap. Doing away with the tacky aftermarket wheels, 17×8 Enkei RPF1s and 215/45R17 tires take their place along with 25mm spacers to give the Enkeis just the right offset.

A few subtle body parts have been switched and modified; one in particular being the relocation of the rear spoiler an inch & a half back from the stock location. A subtle, yet effective touch to keep the back end clean cut.

One of my favorite features about the SVX is the modified exhaust. Caleb got in touch with Art Welding (local to the PNW) to make a fully custom cat-back exhaust with a Carven muffler and polished Flowmaster quad tips. It is unbelievable how many crackles and pops come out, but I can assure you it leaves nothing but smiles all day long as you blast through town.

As far as the interior goes, not much has changed. An NRG steering wheel & hub give you something nicer to hang on to, as well as a nice touchscreen radio so he can jam out to all his favorite music on night drives with his friends. Other visual changes include window tint, aftermarket mesh grille to replace the stock bar grille, and a nice front lip to make the car that much more aggressive driving down the road.

Like I mentioned earlier, the SVX is not the normal Subaru choice, however for Caleb, that was part of the appeal. “Even though I own one of the most popular Subaru Chassis available, the SVX is in its own class. It isn’t the most popular but it is unique and that is what makes it awesome to own.” For Caleb, it’s the car’s own personal style that makes it a thrill to own. Simply put, it doesn’t look like anything on the road from it’s time. While many dabble in Imprezas, Legacies, and other Subaru models, I hope that there are the few that will keep these interesting cars on the road for all of us to see. It isn’t the conventional Subaru, but that is what makes it so special.

By Anthony Yastrum – @stiish_tony

Caleb’s Full Mod List

Engine/Performance:

Custom Exhaust with Carven Performance Muffler

Suspension/Wheels:

TSP Coilovers

TSP Swaybar Endlinks

Enkei RPF1 wheels with 25mm spacers

Bridgestone Potenza 215/45/R17 Tires

Exterior:

Small Car SVX Grill

’01 Mustang Front Lip

Interior:

NRG Steering Wheel/Hub

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