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2021 is the year for Pepper to switch from a tripoding G Street player and become a Street Touring Hatchback weapon. Here is the faithful steed as last seen in 2020 before going into winter storage.
My plan from a couple years ago was to upgrade Pepper in September 2021, after her second trip to Nationals. Unfortunately COVID-19 cancelled half of last year's season, the 2020 Nationals that would have been her first Nationals, and most likely affect the start of the 2021 season. Rather than mope about what can't be changed, I'm pulling the trigger now.
I wanted to do the build in one fell swoop, however the timing of the upgrade dictated budget constraints, so I'll begin with an "STH Light" build. Scheduled for January, the first phase consists of installing a Quaiffe limited slip differential, JBR front swaybar, front strut brace, and re-installing the stock front struts temporarily while the double adjustable Konis have the spring seats cut off for a Ground Control coilover conversion. The GC coilovers get installed soon after, hopefully before the first scheduled event (which may or may not occur at the end of February... current Oregon COVID restrictions put a maximum of 50 attendees on outdoor events, but if conditions improve, that can become 75 or even 150 attendees). Maybe I'll install the Vortech(*) intercooler I stashed away last year if winter steelhead fishing doesn't distract me.
Later in the year, I'll get more serious about the build, adding two sets of 18x9 rims, a tune, and substituting YCW, Fortune Auto, or Feal coilovers for the GC coilover conversion,.
So, I hear you ask, why the GC coilover conversion if it just gets replaced in a few months? Well, taking lessons from @freakin_elrod, I learned it's worth having a second set of coilovers to use when the primary set is being revalved or sent for servicing every year or two. Plus I already have the Konis, so this is a cheap, reliable, & quick entry to STH, even if it's not going to have the high spring rates one expects of a national-level STH car.
(*) The Vortech intercooler is the only off-the-shelf intercooler that fits with the dreaded active grill shutters in place and the STH rules do not allow them to be removed. Meh, such is life.
Current Build
My plan from a couple years ago was to upgrade Pepper in September 2021, after her second trip to Nationals. Unfortunately COVID-19 cancelled half of last year's season, the 2020 Nationals that would have been her first Nationals, and most likely affect the start of the 2021 season. Rather than mope about what can't be changed, I'm pulling the trigger now.
I wanted to do the build in one fell swoop, however the timing of the upgrade dictated budget constraints, so I'll begin with an "STH Light" build. Scheduled for January, the first phase consists of installing a Quaiffe limited slip differential, JBR front swaybar, front strut brace, and re-installing the stock front struts temporarily while the double adjustable Konis have the spring seats cut off for a Ground Control coilover conversion. The GC coilovers get installed soon after, hopefully before the first scheduled event (which may or may not occur at the end of February... current Oregon COVID restrictions put a maximum of 50 attendees on outdoor events, but if conditions improve, that can become 75 or even 150 attendees). Maybe I'll install the Vortech(*) intercooler I stashed away last year if winter steelhead fishing doesn't distract me.
Later in the year, I'll get more serious about the build, adding two sets of 18x9 rims, a tune, and substituting YCW, Fortune Auto, or Feal coilovers for the GC coilover conversion,.
So, I hear you ask, why the GC coilover conversion if it just gets replaced in a few months? Well, taking lessons from @freakin_elrod, I learned it's worth having a second set of coilovers to use when the primary set is being revalved or sent for servicing every year or two. Plus I already have the Konis, so this is a cheap, reliable, & quick entry to STH, even if it's not going to have the high spring rates one expects of a national-level STH car.
(*) The Vortech intercooler is the only off-the-shelf intercooler that fits with the dreaded active grill shutters in place and the STH rules do not allow them to be removed. Meh, such is life.
Current Build
- 26 Dec 2020 - G Street: Borla cat-back exhaust, Suspension Techniques 2-position rear swaybar, rebound adjustable yellow Koni shocks in rear, custom built double adjustable Koni front struts, 2 sets of Enkei RPF1 17x8 +48 rims, one set of Bridgestone RE-71R 255/40-17 & one set of Yokohama A052 255/40-17 tires.
- 15 Jan 2021 - STH: added upper front strut bar by Massive.
- 21 Jan 2021 - STH: added Eibach front swaybar.
- 6 Feb 2021 - STH: added Quaife.
- 8 Feb 2021 - STH: added race seat.
- 25 Feb 2021 - STH: added Ground Control coilover kit with camber plates (finally!). Have 525 lb/in front & 700 lb/in rear, Eibach front swaybar, ST rear swaybar on stiff. Race wheels are 18x9 Titan 7 +38mm wearing 265/35-18 RE-71R. Street wheels are 18x9 Ground Force +40mm wearing 245/40-18 PS4S.
- 2 Mar 2021 - STH: spring swap to 525 lb/in front & 750 lb/in rear, Eibach front swaybar, ST rear swaybar on soft.
- 15 Mar 2021 - STH: added Wilwood front brakes.
- 25 Mar 2021 - STH: upgraded intercooler to Vortech.
- 6 Apr 2021 - STH: Adapt-X tune by Monster Tuned.
- 16 Apr 2021 - STH: Set ST rear swaybar on stiff.
- 12 May 2021 - STH: removed Ground Control coilovers and replaced with Fortune Auto 510 series. 10k front & 14k rear springs. Swaybars remain same, with rear on stiff. Ride height dropped 3/4" from stock. The 265/35-18 tires on +38mm rims require 5mm spacers to clear spring adjuster on the front struts... long term solution is 6" springs instead of the 7" that were shipped.
- 17 Jun 2021 - STH: switched to soft setting of ST rear swaybar. Now using additional rear tire pressure to control rotation on corner entry, 35 psi F/35 psi R for initial pressure and bleeding fronts back each run while allowing rear tire pressure to rise naturally.
- 20 Aug 2021 - STH: Setting Yokohama A052 265/35-18 tire pressures at 37F/39R after first run and then only bleeding fronts. First run is probably more like 36.5F/38R. The Yoks were tested against setting Kuhmo V730 255/40-17 tire pressures at 34F/35R and then only bleeding fronts.
- 11 Jan 2022 - STH: Swapped out Eibach front sway bar for Steeda front sway bar, installed 6-7mm longer wheel studs in front, and installed Massive adjustable camber rear arms using STH-legal rod ends in place of the supplied heim joints.
- 17 Apr 2022 - STH: Replaced ST 2-hole rear swaybar with Strano 3-hole rear swaybar.
- 4 May 2022 - STH: Changed springs to 11k front & 15k rear springs.
- 14 Oct 2022 - STH: Mountune triple pass radiator installed.