Matt's Levorg (Photo Heavy!)

[lerroy]

Awesome bro so much better, bummer about harness, quick replacement though.

My mfd seems to be in limbo with ebay shipping not even sure if it's left usa yet

 

[Supafly_NZ]

Awesome bro so much better, bummer about harness, quick replacement though.

My mfd seems to be in limbo with ebay shipping not even sure if it's left usa yet

Annoying about the shipping, I have a few components for the STi build that are held up in the USA also via Ebay's global shipping program.
I find that's always the case though, while it's convenient to have that available for US sellers, it usually means a 3-4 week longer than usual shipping delay.

Progress on the Levorg will now slow down for 2024, outside of the projects I have started.
I still have a fair bit of work to do ahead of me on the STi as far as getting it legal and back on the road then hoping to enter into some local events and then take it from there. A lot of this is quite expensive since it includes LVVT recertification, an engine re-tune as well as a bunch of safety/race equipment to be purchased.

2024 projects:
- Drivers STi Guard + Sideskirt conversion (Waiting on the guard to arrive next month, then paint and fit)

- WRX Speedo Cluster conversion (I will order an EEPROM clamp via AliExpress as they're cheap)



- Black interior conversion. Aim here is to convert the rest of the interior roof to black.
I will look to grab as many black WRX components as possible (sun visors, grab handles, middle B pillar trim).
The rear C-pillar trims will need to be painted since no model (AFAIK) shares the same trim and is offered in black.
Then that leaves the roof lining itself to be removed and dyed black.

- In-cabin road noise elimination / sound improvement. I still have yet to peel back the wheel liners and apply foam to the top side of these.
Really happy with how well this has gone throughout the rest of the car already.

- Lowering Springs : I have decided to go for RSR Ti2000 springs here.
I haven't started this project but since I have to tear off the wheel liners for the sound deadening project, it will be much easier to do this at the same time as having the suspension out.
Am on the fence about doing this as I may look to sell the car next year.

 

[Supafly_NZ]

Small update. I have the red WRX instrument cluster in the car.



No real accomplishment here yet though, I am still to re-code the odometer.



Had a bit of fun looking at the various chips on the board. I had a play around with trying to bring some of the Eyesight features that are present on the Levorg cluster across to the WRX one. It didn't work out as planned so quickly re-flashed the original binary.



This is the teeny tiny 93C76 chip that contains the odometer information (it is 7mm wide):



Unfortunately I don't have the tools to remove the tiny chip, nor do I have anything that will let me flash it so I am thinking of alternative options.

Currently I am leaning towards a cheap ($10) PWM signal generator, which I will hook up to the cluster on a test bench, and send a 300kph signal at the cluster for approximately a week, to get the odometer up to where it needs to be. It sounds funny but it's a much simpler solution than potentially making a mess of desoldering the odometer chips.

 

[Supafly_NZ]

Progress update on the reprogramming.

I've found a local spot in NZ (Barttech Computers and Microsoldering) that has lifted the 93C76 Eeprom chip from the board and have sent me the .bin file from the chip.
Odometer is stored in miles so initially I thought it was a bad read but have since converted, validated with the reading I took before I started the work, then I've modified and returned the new binary file to have flashed and re-soldered.

They advised the EEPROM had bad solder point/s so this is likely what happened as I was trying to remove the conformal coating before soldering to the chip.

 

[Supafly_NZ]

Another update. I bought a Perrin intake kit second-hand. It's advertised by Perrin as a "no tune required" part.

I've always been super wary of which parts require tuning and err'ing on the side of caution but was impressed at what I found when I did some digging. User reviews have been positive and those with wideband O2's have confirmed that A/F ratios are unaffected by installing the part.

Anyway, it sounds fantastic and I am now leaning towards purchasing the turbo pipe that compliments this (again a no-tune Perrin part).



I'm on the edge of a slippery slope of wanting to mod the car a little further

 

[charlie_ching]

Nice! I installed a mishimoto intake, same story, no tune required, meant to maintain similar dimensions of the old intake. Sounds soo good. And when I took it out at night I actually thought it sounded too loud at first haha. Just booked in for a service so going to see if I can get a quick flash tune for it as well.

 

[lucavolta]

Hi man, I want to replace my instrument cluster with a WRX one. I have a 1.6L Levorg GT-S. Do you think it is not possible to do the same as you do with your car?

Thanks so much

 

[tom397]

Next up was the exhaust. I have early starts (4.30AM) and live in a relatively quiet neighbourhood so goal here was to have something that had a nice tone but didn't lower eyebrows.

I opted to try out an STi system since these OEM exhausts are a dime-a-dozen on Facebook marketplace here in NZ:

Of course, the rear STi tips would not fit under the factory bumper (and important to note here: they also don't extend out anywhere near as far as the single-tip Levorg one does).
Cue the "Quattlo Muffler Garnish" from Shining Speed Japan and a bit of work with the angle grinder and dremel:

Now, these garnishes are originally designed to go together with a "single to dual", sleeved exhaust tip conversion which is unfortunately discontinued and I was wanting to use the STi tips anyway for the extra sound, so end result meant that the tips sit a little inside the rear bumper since the OEM tips are non-adjustable.

I also scored a genuine STi Levorg rear diffuser so that went on at same time:

Back under we go with the angle grinder:

The chrome tips come off nicely, as they are only spot welded in a couple of places, leaving a metal sleeve which will later house a clamp-on style exhaust tip (4x) from AliExpress:

I took sound clips with a few variations of the exhaust :
- OEM Levorg midpipe / Levorg tailpipes (The levorg as we all know it, quiet)
- STi midpipe / Levorg tailpipes (Extremely mild increase in exhaust note, barely noticable)
- STi midpipe / STi tailpipes (Marginal increase in sound, however brings a very annoying "booming" drone from 1,200-1,500 RPM with the CVT transmission, purely because the pipes sit right under the rear bumper (EDIT: Confirmed after removing stock tip garnishes and replacing with longer ones above: 30/11/23)

I believe the drone is partly to do with the fact the tail pipes are currently 50-60mm short of where they should ideally be on the bumper.
But also the rear sound-deadening in the Levorg is awful. A trip to Jaycar saw me with some butyl, foam and mass loaded vinyl to help reduce some of this drone coming into the cabin. A work-in-progress pic:

This is currently where I've left things. The two side, flat panels just with butyl have helped TREMENDOUSLY. If you remove your rear trim and give these a tap (I have a video of mine) you will notice how these sound like the side of a tin shed. Why Subaru left these un-deadened is beyond me.

I will get back in soon and update this post with the foam added and finally the mass-loaded vinyl over top.
Of course, once the exhaust tips arrive from AliExpress and move the exit back another 50mm, this will also help.

Hey mate, just on the garnish from shining speed is yours the matt black option or the unpainted?

Got myself a STI exhaust too!
Cheers!

 

[Supafly_NZ]

Hey mate, just on the garnish from shining speed is yours the matt black option or the unpainted?

Got myself a STI exhaust too!
Cheers!

I went with the matte black ! Cheers