My big mod day

[gtman]

arpypat - Do you think $150 for the two side pieces is worth it? The plastic Ebay OEM knockoffs are like $30. I mean I get it, the aluminum ones are more custom, nicer (but much smaller). The exact Subaru metal ones are like $69 a pair. Just my opinion that the 27Wons are priced much higher than most people expected.

Edit: I went ahead and just ordered the plastic OEM knockoffs for $28.

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[arpypat]

arpypat - Do you think $150 for the two side pieces is worth it? The plastic Ebay OEM knockoffs are like $30. I mean I get it, the aluminum ones are more custom, nicer (but much smaller). The exact Subaru metal ones are like $69 a pair. Just my opinion that the 27Wons are priced much higher than most people expected.

Edit: I went ahead and just ordered the plastic OEM knockoffs for $28.

I had the plastic knock-off ones for a little while and ended up removing them.

Had to trim them and it looked tacky. The HW that comes with it usually doesn't work either...

 

[gtman]

I figure I may as well add this pic to this thread. The best my car has ever looked I think. Props to the new wheels and to my overworked forearms getting it to shine like that.

 

[Austin@Wunderladen Racing]

I'm digging the look of those wheels! The spoke design compliments the body lines of the car well IMO

 

[Civics4Ever]

Car is beautiful, man. You must have Popeye forearms!

 

[gtman]

After a month and a half with the additions of the new wheels, tires and UR rear subframe brace I wanted to post some detailed driving impressions for anyone interested in those upgrades and how it affects day to day driveability.

The basics. Before the new mods, I've was rocking these performance mods: a Phearable 1.5R tune - Stage 1 intake - Si rear sway bar and a DC Sports front strut bar. Riding on the OEM 17's with stock Firestone rubber. Stock springs.

Honestly it made for a pretty nice daily commuter. The weak link was definitely those LRR Firestone tires. They were OK overall with decent dry grip but were loud and horrible in the rain.

With the change to lighter 18's and DWS06 tires and the new UR rear bar, things are much better now. My observations:

Positives
1. It's amazing what reducing unsprung weight by 25 pounds and the lower rotational mass has done. It literally takes noticeably less braking power to stop the car. That shocked me and was a huge wow. Of course the better tires help too.

2. My car definitely accelerates quicker. Nothing scientific but I've definitely noticed it takes less throttle to get up to speed. Could easily be a couple tenths quicker to 60.

3. The UR bar really tightens up the back. There's a section of grooved road I drive on. Before the bar was added, the rear suspension of the car was creaky/noisy. That noise is now gone.

4. The car is slightly quieter and smoother with the new wheels/tires. Considering I went from grand touring to ultra high performance tires, it was a bit of a surprise.

5. Overall handling is better especially in the wet. So much better feeling grip now in the rain compared to the OEM tires sloppy feel.

Gas mileage
I knew my mpgs would drop going to a much grippier tire but it's interesting how it's worked out. With highway driving, mpgs are almost the same. I saw as high as 43 mpg the other day while granny driving. On the other hand, in stop and go or when I drive more aggressively, there's a bigger than expected drop off. I'm averaging 31-32 mpg or so per tank now compared to the 35+ I was getting before. Of course, I'm definitely driving harder "testing" the new setup.

Negatives
For the most part none other than the small mpg hit and the cost of buying new wheels. The car looks, drives and handles better now.

 

[gtman]

Next mods up:

Carbon fiber door handle accents (installed 1 already but it started to rain lol). Carbon fiber defroster vent trim. OEM knockoff engine bay side panels. Black titanium interior door trim.

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