What's loud, green and makes wheezing noises under high pressure? Besides your green phlegm-filled sneezes, this mean '04 Subaru WRX STI.
While the body of this bad boy looks stock, don't let it fool you. Under the lean, custom BASF booger-colored skin is an estimated 850 horses. Let that sink in. And why would Nick DiBlasi, the owner of this WRX, need that many ponies? To whoop ass down the quarter-mile when the Christmas tree turns green, of course-all 1,320 glorious feet of it.
A technical sales rep under the sport compact division of JE Pistons, Nick's been obsessed with drag racing imports since the age of 15. He's been through numerous Honda's during the FF heyday, but when Subaru finally introduced the WRX its flat-four turbocharged power skidding all-wheel drive was all he could think of.
"I first got into Subaru's in June of '01 and ever since then, I've pushed every limit I could with them. It was my dream to build one of the fastest, most powerful street class cars out there," says Nick. And build he did.
Starting with a new EJ25 block machined by Darton with fat 14mm headstuds, Nick accrued an industrial-sized Costco cart full of parts. Near-indestructible high compression 11.0:1 JE pistons and Pro Seal rings (naturally), and Carillo H-beam rods and a K1 Technologies billet 79mm stroke crankshaft were ordered to beef up the bottom end. For the head, a set of Ferrea 1mm oversized valves, valve springs and retainers were matched to BDL cam gears, custom Cobb Tuning camshafts (lift: 0.428-inch intake, 0.412-inch exhaust; duration: 280 intake, 274 exhaust), and Cobb's stage 2 head. Cart brimming, Nick shipped everything to Cobb Tuning where Jeremy Anderson assembled the motor in record time, a sign of things to come.
Once the long block was completed, Nick went to work on a custom-made intake manifold paired to a 72mm BDL throttle body, which took no less than three times to engineer the proper volume. Third time, inexplicably, is always the charm. Afterward, Nick designed a fuel system consisting of two Walbro fuel pumps, an Aeromotive fuel regulator, a set of 1680cc Bosch injectors, a BDL Industries fuel rail, and reels of -10 braided lines all juicy enough to quench the hungry needs of the most voracious turbo.
And a very gluttonous turbo it is. A huge Garrett GT4202 with the appetite of an off-Lent obese brontosaurus devours exhaust gasses emitted from Nick's very own manifold. Bridled by an AEM EMS and ignition, Turbosmart wastegate, boost controller and TiAL blow-off valve, the excessive yet controlled charge temperatures are chilled via a Spearco intercooler. A custom C&R radiator keeps the high-boosting engine cool and a slew of STRI Electronic Stepper gauges spit out important turbo parameters during drag strip duty.
While we tend to giggle hysterically like a bunch of Japanese school girls when we see automatic-modified (ie, autofied) rides, the Subaru 4EAT automatic transmission is a different story. The cryo-treated gears, beefier valve body, Level 10 Performance torque converter, plus the longer length of the four gears is no less than the perfect setup to run passes down the dragstrip all day long. That, and Nick will never ever have to worry about stalling in front of an audience (reason enough for us).
Keeping the STI pointed down the track straighter than a female-lovin' hetero arrow is a set of D2 Racing coilovers, Cobb Tuning bushings and 25mm sway bars. Cobra Monaco seats and a custom 12-point chromoly rollcage approved for 7.5-second E.T.s also keeps the WRX on point while adding an important layer of jimmy hat-like protection. Tenuous prophylactic references aside, ultra-sticky and slicky Hoosier DOT rubbers are pinched at the tip and rolled over 17-inch thick-like-a-can-of-Pepsi Enkei RP-F1 Kroms. And in case things get a little out of control, Nick calls on DBA rotors, JDM four-piston calipers and custom Hawk pads and lines for the oh-so-important safety words to stop all the action. Much easier on the tongue than fluggen-kliggin-kien!