2002 Subaru WRX Wagon - Wagon Slayer

The rear seats were deemed unnecessary and replaced with a flat Bride fabric-covered floor. Bride also supplied the Zeta II Type L racing buckets. Step over the STi doorsills and you'll slip behind the Nardi Competition steering wheel fitted on a Rapfix quick release and a Splash boss steering wheel hub. Slip on the Takata harnesses from the Speedware harness bar, and you'll feel black tweed all around and above you. A press of the Zerosports ignition button and a stomp of the STi aluminum pedal sets this wagon on its way. Once started, monitoring is taken care of by a STi gauge cluster and HKS Chrono DB oil temperature, water temperature, and boost pressure gauges fitted inside a Defi dash pod. If you look closely, you can see the HKS EVC-5 boost controller. It was custom cut to fit below the steering wheel, and it replaced an A/C vent.

Hauling all this around is one of the cleanest, most dressed-up engine compartments around. The stock top-mount intercooler was removed in favor of a JDM HKS GT intercooler top mount fitted with a HKS SSQV blow-off valve and a complete Samco silicone hose kit. A JDM HKS Racing Suction intake feeds the turbo, while the exit path is smoothed out with a PDE up-pipe, TOMEI downpipe and exhaust manifold, and a HKS Carbon-Ti exhaust. Covering the mechanical side of things is a Zerosports polished crank pulley and AEM harmonic pulley fitted with a Power Enterprise timing belt. Spark and fuel were streamlined by a Walbro fuel pump, HKS Twin Power ignition system, HKS Super Fire spark plugs, and a Top Fuel Power NEO. With no catalytic converters, a loud exhaust note, and a very noticeable exterior, Bryan is no friend of the local authorities.

The Zerosports radiator shroud tops the list of parts that are as beautiful as they are useful. A Fluidyne radiator was fitted to the Subaru and hosts an A.R.C. radiator cap. It is fed by a STi silicone radiator hose kit maintained by an A.R.C. thermostat. The finishing touches on the EJ20 come courtesy of the Zerosports oil cap, Cusco polished oil catch can, an Optima battery, which provides the juice, and a Prodrive tie-down, which holds the power pack in its place.

Will all these mods, did you really think the suspension would remain untouched? Fully adjustable HKS Hipermax II coil-overs were installed with full pillow ball JIC rear trailing links. A complete alignment and corner-balancing took place at Westend Alignment in Gardena, Calif. The front and rear Cusco adjustable sway bars, which work in conjunction with stronger MRT rear and Noltec front links, fine-tune the wagon's behavior. Since stronger is the key word with this Subaru, a Cusco cross-member brace, rear carbon strut brace, JDM STi front carbon strut brace, J Speed fender brace, and a Do-Luck RXB rear cross bar were bolted in to tighten up the chassis. Topping it off is the STi Group N-spec transmission mount, engine mounts and pitch mount. Harder than the stock rubber compound, the Group N mounts help reduce engine and transmission movement under harsh driving.

Bryan thanks Endless USA, Race Technologies, Autolink Motorworks, Jerry Tai and Stan Chen, Garage Life, Art 'n' Motion, all the suby nerds on NASIOC.com, Creative Audio, all the import teams out there, his family, and his father. With a job this well done though, WRX wagon owners everywhere should thank Bryan for the inspiration. Just give them time.