- Member - Arith
Vehicle - MY07 Liberty GT Spec B Tuned By STi
Colour - Obsidian Black Pearl
Rego - NY00MI
have been scattered here and there, so there's never been an overall picture of what's been done to my Liberty.
I mod because I'm not happy with something, and not to be different or for the sake of it. If I'm not happy with something,
I'll mod it to something else. Here's a list of what's been done so far (with pictures in case people are curious), which
doesn't include the upgrades from Spec B to STi. I hope others will follow suit and post a profile about themselves as I'm
always keen to know what others are up to.
My philosophy has always been about balance, and I think my mods reflect that. Not too hard core on performance, and
vice versa for appearances. Although still a way to go to catch up with some of the more established members on here,
as I've only just started since December 2007 (Edit: As Of March 2011 it's been a long journey but I think I've pretty much all I could possibly do without going hardcore into some of the areas. Thus, my mod journey takes a break for the time being). But almost there. A big thanks to Phat for getting me most of it!
- Accessories
- Subaru USDM centre & side cargo nets [Picture 1, Picture 2]
- Zero/Sports carbon fibre engine cover set [Picture 1, Picture 2, Picture 3, Picture 4]
- Zero/Sports Special Edition blue radiator caps
- Zero/Sports Special Edition blue oil cap
Audio
- JBL 12" Subwoofer
- Focal Solid 1 600W amplifier
- Dynamat lining
Braking
- Brembo calipers (4-pot, 2-pot)
- Cusco cyclinder brake stopper [Picture]
- Dixcel slotted rotors (front & rear) [Picture]
- Dixcel Z-Series Pads (front)
- Dixcel M-Series Pads (rear)
- STi stainless steel brake lines
Engine
- AVO Turbo Inlet Pipe
- Blitz carbon suction intake kit [Picture 1, Picture 2, Picture 3]
- Pulse Performance custom tuned
- Go Fast Bits Respons blow-off valve [Picture]
- GReddy Front Mount Intercooler [Picture 1, Picture 2
- HKS EVC Boost Controller [Picture]
- HKS Twin Spark Ignition Amplifier
- Phat Performance custom piping
- Prova air intake guide [Picture]- Prova Fly-By-Wire Throttle Controller
- Samco Silicone Radiator Hoses
- SARD fuel pump
- Stainless Steel Braided turbo oil supply line
- Subaru IHI VF52 Turbo
- Zero/Sports Cool Action II [Picture]
- Zero/Sports Cool Radiator [Picture]
Exhaust
- K2 Gear Dual Resonator Centre Pipe [Picture]
- K2 Gear Titanium Tips [Picture 1, Picture 2, Picture 3]
- Phat Performance mufflers [Picture]
- Phat Performance dump pipe [Picture 1, Picture 2, Picture 3]
Exterior
- Delta Speed rear bumper lower lip
- Delta Speed side skirts
- Headlight Armor taillight tint overlay (30%)
- K2 Gear eyelids [Picture]
- K2 Gear rear window spoiler[Picture 1, Picture 2]
- Liberal vented front fenders [Picture, Picture 2, Picture 3]
- Painted taillight chrome strip [Picture]
- STi chrome badge (Engine Cover) [Picture]
- STi deck lid spoiler
- Subaru GT front bumper conversion [Picture]
- Subaru JDM Legacy badge in shadow chrome
- Zero/Sports front lip [Picture]
- Zero/Sports mesh grille [Picture 1, Picture 2]
Interior
- Albero Carbon Fiber Handbrake Cover
- Blitz cabin air filter
- Corazon Sliding Arm Console [Picture 1, Picture 2]
- Momo Combat EVO Carbon Fiber shift knob [Picture 1, Picture 2]
- Prova SI-Drive Dial Cap
- STi mirror shield cover [Picture]
- STi sill plate covers [Picture 1, Picture 2]
- Subaru JDM coin holder
- Subaru JDM clear door light lens
Lighting
- MiTek 6000K HID Bulbs [Picture]
- LED Foglights [Picture 1, Picture 2]
- Liberal Interior LED Dome Light [Picture]
- Liberal LED parkers
- LED replacement for parkers/reverse/rego [Picture 1, Picture 2, Picture 3, Picture 4]
Suspension
- Cusco lower brace
- Cusco heavy duty rear sway bar mounts
- Cusco front & rear sway bars
- Cusco end links
- J-Speed control arm bushings
- STi front strut tower brace
- STi lower strut brace
- STi lateral links
- Tein Type Flex coilovers [Picture]
- Zero/Sports roll centre adjustors [Picture]
Wheels
- Advan Connoisseur 151C wheels (19x8.5 gun metal) [Picture]
- Project Kics 10mm spacer kit (rear)
- Marangoni Mythos tires (225/35-19)
- STi security wheel nuts (gun metal) [Picture]
Attire
- Club Liberty.Asn.Au T-Shirt [Picture]
Misc
- Bryant alarm system upgrade
- Subaru auxilary jack
More Pics - 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09
Suspension
Springs - This is my first mod, which was due to the rather jittery ride from the STi springs/Bilstein shocks. Not only did I find the factory STi ride a bit unsettled, but the car still looked stock in terms of height! So I got a set of Tein S.Tech lower springs and it did wonders! Ride is much more settled, and yet still quite comfortable despite lowering 25mm front & rear (for sedans). You don't lurch back upon acceleration and don't lurch forward when braking. I thought ride clearance may be an issue but 25mm is not that low, so I never scraped nor bottomed out. And with the lowered centre of gravity, cornering and handling was improved to a certain degree. This is a highly recommended mod for anyone wanting a more aggressive appearance and ride stability.
Coilovers - Unfortunately I'm extremely picky when it comes to appearance. I had to have the car sit a certain height, and have always been disappointed with every single lowering spring I've tried. So in the end I opted to invest in a set of Tein Type Flex coilovers. What held me back was my perception of what the ride quality would be like. Was I ever wrong! Ride quality and comfort is excellent! Much better than I ever thought. In fact, I like the ride quality better than the springs alone. I am now able to set the ride height to whatever I want. The main issue with any springs is that the front will always have a larger gap then the rear. This annoyed me to no end. But this is no longer an issue. Front and rear gap is now virtually the same. And the other great thing about coilovers? The flexibility to adjust them. Need to raise the car? No problem! Want to go nuts and lower the car even more? Can do! So anyone who is picky about their ride height and front & rear gap, this is for you.
Swaybars - Without a doubt, swaybars are one of the top three mods you can do that makes a substantial difference from stock. Instead of the more expensive Japanese brands, I just got a set of Whiteline swaybars for both front and rear. If on a budget, you can probably get away with just the rear sways like most people, but try to front and rear whenever possible. But handling is much improved, and cornering is now much more precise and can be done much more aggressively. The car just glides around the corner instead of feeling like it's being dragged. A highly recommended mod for those who enjoy spirited driving.
Performance
Boost Controller - I picked up the HKS EVC 6 to control turbo boost. HKS allows for 2 preconfigured settings. A Boost and B Boost. My A Boost is set at 1.0 bar (14.50 psi), which is close to factory (13.50 psi), while B Boost is set to 1.2 bar (17.40 psi). I like the flexibility of being able to change the boost according to the driving mood I'm in. Stuck in traffic or going no where in particular, A Boost works well. But if I want to get aggro, B Boost helps to give a more spirited drive in terms of power and torque. For anyone looking to get both the boost controller and a tune, I recommend the tune first, to see if you're happy with the results. Then if you require more power, to get the boost controller. Otherwise the boost controller on it's own is okay at producing more power.
Top Mount Intercooler - The bigger the intercooler, the cooler the temperature of the air being sucked in. The factory top mount sits on top of the engine, creating for a very hot environment. I got the AVO Top Mount Intercooler which is thicker than the factory unit. After getting it installed, I didn't notice anything at first. But once the ECU adjusted itself to the lower inlet temperatures, I noticed a bit more power at the mid and high end. This mod is probably not the greatest on its own, but should be combined with other mods to produce the best results.
Exhaust - While the STi quad tips are nice, they don't provide enough sound when you punch it. Silence is nice, but you want the car to have a bit of bark when you gun it. My first exhaust upgrade I went with HiTech. These retain the quad tips, while providing one of the best sounds available (very close to a Rex). While I only got the mufflers, they were enough to quicken response when I accelerated. My next set I went with K2 Gear Spec-Neo Dual. These are fairly quiet (noise levels fall between the STi and the HiTech), with killer looks, especially the titanium looking quad tips. But give it a bit of of a hit, and they growl louder than the STi. And with the twin pipe configuring from the catback to the mufflers, response was increased very nicely.
Dump Pipe - Along with the swaybars, I consider the dump pipe to be the most noticeable difference from the factory standard. I had the previlege to get a hold of Phat GT Designed Dump Pipe, which was meant for the manual transmission (I have an auto), and had to be modified a bit to fit. But boy was I smiling after this was fitted. Turbo spooling was much quicker, making for a quicker response in power when I stepped on it. This mod doesn't produce a major increase in power per-se, but quicker responsiveness. Unfortunately it comes at a cost. Increased noise. Again, this was another mod I took a long time deciding because I did not want the extra noise. Unless you have the right exhaust system, the increase in internal noise levels may drive you nuts. Luckily for me the K2 Gear exhaust is fairly quiet, and so the increase noise from the dump pipe made for the perfect balance. This mod is highly recommended for anyone who can tolerate the increased noise levels.
ECU - In order to make the best out of the mods, getting a tune is the only way to go. Upgrading parts is one thing, but getting them all to work together effeciently is another. I opted for the Haltech Interceptor, which is a piggy back system. This retains the factory ECU plus allows for the Haltech unit to be removed when you sell the car. After the initial installation, I was not too impressed with how the car felt. At that point the car only had the exhaust and boost controller installed. I then got a re-tune since installing a TMIC and dump pipe. The car runs beautifully now. Feels fantastic! I asked the tuner to give me street setup, where all the power is up front at the low end. I got my wish as the car just attacks like an angry beast at the low end. Even without mods most people net about 20-30 kw from only the tune itself.
Intake - There are quite a few intake systems available for the Liberty, with large variations in price. In the end, I opted for the best money can buy. The Blitz Carbon Suction Kit, which comes with a cover and all the necessary brackets (making it legal in NSW). Ok, first things first. The intake is noisy! I'm used to a more growling noise with the NA engines, but on a turbo it's a hissing and sucking noise. It took me a while to accept this, as I'm not one for such noises emanating from the car. If you're not a big fan of noise and this is the only mod you do, it's probably not a good idea. But this is a highly recommended if you do other mods like the exhaust, dump pipe, etc. Because once you do the other mods, the factory intake will become a major bottleneck. I left this mod for last (again, due to the noise), and it made a pretty good difference in performance after installing it. Car seems to breath a lot easier now, and appears more eager and aggressive.
Wheels & Tires
Tires - I used to run a set of Dunlop DZ-101 in 225/35-19, and they were one of the most comfortable tires I've come across. The DZ-101's have the rim guards, which makes it look even thinner than they are. I'm currently running Marongoni Mythos in 225/35-19, and they are a very good tire for the price. A bit of road noise at high speeds, but otherwise a very comfortable tire with loads of grip.
Brakes
Rotors - Although I'm not planning to track the car, and slotted rotors are probably not necessary, I wanted a more aggressive appearance behind the wheels. So I went with Dixcel SD Series slotted rotors. These are a nice nickel colour and look more aggressive than the plain stock ones. Unfortunately I did both the rotors and pads at the same time, so I don't know whether these would have made any difference in braking. From what I understand the slots allow the rotors to dissipate the heat more quickly so as to resist brake fade.
Pads - It's always recommended to break in new pads to go with new rotors. So I got a set of Dixcel M Series metallic brake pads. These provided excellent grip compared to the original STi setup. It took me a while to get used to the grip these pads provided. Unfortunately after 2 months of use, they started to squeal at each and every stop. I didn't have the time to investigate the issue, so I swapped over to the Hawk High Performance Ceramic pads. Not as much grip as the Dixcel's, but quieter. Both brands produce little to no brake dust, so I don't have to clean my wheels as often. So this is a good mod for anyone tired of cleaning their wheels all the time! Oh, and for those who want better gripping brakes.
Brake Stopper - Brake pedal feel tends to fade during heavy braking due to the flex in the area where the master brake cylinder is located. The brake stopper is meant to keep the master cylinder from moving during heavy braking. While this is great for the track, on a day to day drive on the streets, I didn't feel much difference after installing the Cusco Brake Cylinder Stopper.
Attire
T-Shirt - I love my Liberty.Asn.Au T-shirt! Highly recommended! Not only will this gain you respect from other members, but the quality of the shirt itself is excellent with thick soft cotton. The fit is perfect and is well designed front and back.
