Blake's V50 2.4i Progression Thread by Blake_from_Texas

4 minute(s) of a 19 minute read

I've had a couple of days to drive around with the Elevate Torque Mount Installed. Here's what I think;

Pro's

-more direct engine control

-faster shifts

-car feels noticeably more torquey at the bottom of any gear

-whole car feels more firmly connected to the engine

-more direct-feeling engine braking

Con's

-vibration at idle

I'm liking it so far, the car delivers power and shifts in a much more spirited fashion.

The only thing is, at idle, the interior vibration is a bit noticeable, it's a very low-frequency vibration, it almost sound like a subwoofer at a very low tone. But as the mount is getting broken in I am noticing it less and less.

On another subject; I've been hearing a constant metal on metal friction noise when driving, braking or not, my first thought was a rubbing brake rotor shield, I was right, left front! Fixed it with a quick wheel removal and hand adjustment of the shield. Nice and quiet now!!

At this point in time I'm really loving how the car is coming together. Next mod up Wheels and Tires!

3-16-2014

Clicked past the 2,000 mile mark on the new suspension yesterday while on the way back from Austin. I'll be posting a full review of the Koni/Eibach combo soon. The springs have settled and she's definitely looking lower than stock.

3-27-2014

You guys might hate me for this; but I came into some money recently and decided to make a purchase earlier this week.. 

2014 WRX Sti Limited.

I'm keeping my V50 as my daily driver, simply because it is in fact a nicer car to drive every day. From a performance standpoint however, theres not much of a comparison between the 2.4i and and Sti.

4-30-2014

Okay guys. A few updates;

I decided to remove the Flowmaster muffler from the EST System. Using the extra front section provided by EST, and lengthening it with some straight pipe. There is a definite sound difference, I think for the better, however it is still very civilized, considering there are still 2 remaining baffles in the system.

Here is the original EST system, showing the Flowmaster muffler directly after the cat. 

And here is the final product with the muffler removed.

I will post a sound clip shortly, is very reminiscent of a V10.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now for some not-so-good news;

Had the V50 parked outside of a residential address while visiting a friend and had an Ford E450 Super-Duty bus back into me. Here's the damage;

Dropped off the car yesterday at collision repair. Part's being replaced are; Fender, Bumper, Bumper Shield, and Fender well. Should have the car back a week from today. Not very upset, consider I'm going to have a brand new front bumper with no chips or rock damage. But still, a big pain in the ass to deal with.

And the short sound clip, whatcha think? Will post a more thorough and higher quality video when i get the car back.