modifications for 200o gt forrester

[2000forrestergt]

im the happy owner of a forrester gt 2000. im toying with the idea of modifying it a bit for of road duties. im thinking lift, tyres, performance. cruise control for long highway miles. any suggestions, im keen for feedback.
also, is it possible even worthwhile looking at high low range in the turbo model?

 

[mr turbo]

A lift & tyres would be a good start, but I would also suggest getting a sump guard / bash plate aswell

Regards
Mr Turbo

 

[El_Freddo]

Low range in the turbo has not been an issue if you don't go dropping the clutch or treating it roughly - like anything the more you abuse it the more likely it'll fail.

There are plenty of guys running around in EJt's with dual range in older libertys etc. Not a problem.

As for lift, try out Crossbred Performance - I've seen Jeff's work it looks awesome and goes well offroad. Venom's running a complete 2 inch lift in his Gen2 liberty from CBP. He'll be able to talk to you about what you're wanting to achieve and getting something sorted for you.

Any other questions don't hesitate to ask

Cheers

Bennie

 

[Rally]

Sump guard and bigger turbo. Cruise control is very good thing to have. I run standard height and road tyres and I haven't been stopped- yet. (Compared to other Forries) Depends on how keen you are. If you're doing a Kevin then you will need to lift it and throw off road tyres at it. I see it it as a bit like driving on the race track. All the mods in the world are all well and good but the cheapest, most effective improvement to any car is better driving. Kevin has both the skills and the mods

 

[my04tone]

I would go AT tyres and a bash plate to start with. I run stock height and Yoko ATS tyres but i am putting heavy duty springs in next Monday mainly for towing but this will give me about 30mm+ extra. I havent been stopped with the stock 200mm clearance in 8yrs but its good to have an inch or 2 up your sleeve, just ask my bash plate. My next mod after tyres and a plate would be a front bar, mine has saved me a few times with a run off the track and an animal strike. I havent needed a snorkel and i have done alot of river crossings but its something to contemplate.

 

[taza]

I agree with Rally and my04tone AT tyres and a bash plate to start with. Then start working on your skills, a Subaru is pretty capable without any lift and it mkaes you a better driver.
Although I have found having 2.5" (70mm) over stock clearance does make a big difference, I find I don't hold my breath as much when passing over big rocks. Plus it has helped the approach and departure angle heaps which is a bonus. The raised heavy duty springs are the best though because it means when i tow a trailer or load up the car, sometimes with a trailer too it barely sags at the back if at all

Taza

 

[mr turbo]

Very good points guys & so very true.
Picking the right line & good wheel placement is the key :iconwink:

Regards
Mr Turbo

 

[2000forrestergt]

thanks for all the responses, the sube is going in next week to make sure everything is mechanically ok. then the fun will begin!
ill keep the updates coming about all the additions and mods that will be made.

 

[El_Freddo]

bigger turbo.

I'd be careful going a bigger turbo in a 4wd'n application. I realise you're experience with turbos etc Rally, but my thought was that you want to pick a turbo that spooled up quickly for early boost that fitted the rev range that you want to be operating in.

A bigger turbo can mean more lag time, which is not what you want with an offroader as your torque will suffer...

I'd like to hear your opinion though as I know little about turbos only that bigger generally means more lag time before they come on boost. Smaller turbos spool up quickly but run out of puff later in the rev range. Pretty basic

Cheers

Bennie

 

[Rally]

Generally yes, but technology thankfully keeps moving forward. I'm soon to upgrade the turbo in my WRX. It will be a bigger turbo, but with the billet compressor wheel, will give me similar spool up to what I have now. That is important to me because spool up and torque are more important than power not just off road, but on the road and the track. Horsepower figures are there to impress people- torque gets results

The turbo in the GT Forester is apparently really small- smaller even than the TD04 that was standard in most 2 litre WRX's. So if you can get a billet wheel for say a TD04 or similar sized turbo, you will have quicker spool up than a TD04- maybe the same as what you have now and also be able to run more boost. You could also look at twin scroll turbos and while they work well you do lose the boxer note which is a price I am not willing to pay for a road car.

Of course, then you may have to look at injectors but there is good news there as well. Newer technology and finer tolerances all make up to noticeably improved performance. A new fuel pump- say a Walbro and of course a re-tune would all be part of the deal. Cheap it won't be.

Finally, as always it will come down to a compromise between on road and off road performance. Having been on many trips with Damo and seeing how his car handles the conditions , it seems turbos will always be more of an issue than non turbos. It does not stop him normally- but it has been an issue which has surfaced from time to time.

 

[lefty]

you're thinking of boost threshold elfreddo which is different to lag. A bigger turbo will have a higher boost threshold in the rpm range which is not necessarily a bad thing offroad. Full boost too early will have you spinning your wheels and frying your clutch (I'm speaking from experience )
Changing from a topmount intercooler to a front mount with longer piping will produce more lag as exhaust gases have to travel further before reaching the desired pressure.

 

[El_Freddo]

Changing from a topmount intercooler to a front mount with longer piping will produce more lag as exhaust gases have to travel further before reaching the desired pressure.

You mean that there's more intake area between the turbo and the cylinders to fill before boost is achieved - meaning you need more exhaust gas to spin the turbo before boost is achieved...

I'm pretty sure it's not the exhaust gases that have to travel further as front mount is intake related, not an exhaust modification.

Cheers

Bennie