Fuelics > Car Stories > Tim’s Widebody 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX Racecar

Tim’s Widebody 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX Racecar:

When did you buy your car and what sort of condition was it in when you bought it?

I purchased it in 2016 from Pickles Salvage Auctions as a flood damaged vehicle.

Did you look at any other types of cars before you bought this car, how did it compare to the others? What made you pick this one?

No not really. I had a GC8 WRX race car and this model was an upgrade to a newer shape.

Tim's Widebody 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX Racecar #2

What inspired you to start modifying your car, did you always plan to modify it from the get go? How did you decide on the specific changes you’ve made?

Yes, the vehicle was always purchased with the intention to build a race car out of it.

Can you walk us through the process of your build? What were the most challenging and rewarding parts of it?

It has been a long process. The vehicle was originally built as an improved production car. Needed handling, so obviously Coilovers, Sway Bars, Strut Braces etc were fitted. It needed a strong engine so I had the engine built by Deshelle Performance, who I consider to be one of the best in the business. A complete STI JDM driveline was fitted for strength and performance over the 5 speed equipped WRX.

Car was built for racing, therefore the interior was stripped and had a full roll cage fitted as per requirements for racing. We dominated for several years in Improved Production Class at NSW, QLD and Australian Titles, winning numerous titles. We then decided to step the vehicle up to Sport Sedan Class. This class allowed a few more freedoms, such as: wide body kit fitted, bigger rear wing and fibreglass doors and polycarbonate windows.

A larger turbo was fitted for more power, now the vehicle wasn’t required to be fitted with a turbo restrictor as it was in Improved Production Class. The biggest challenges were, due to the car morphing in modifications over time, some items on the car weren’t up to the task, such as driveline components, engine cooling & oil cooling also had to be modified, to handle more power and stress being put through the vehicle.

Tim's Widebody 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX Racecar #3

What modifications have been done to the car?

Engine:

Closed Deck EJ255 Built By Deshelle Performance Making 450KW/603HP At The Wheels
14mm Head Studs
272 Brian Crower Camshafts
Forged Pistons & Con Rods
Fire Ringed Engine Block & Cylinder Head
EFR 7163 Turbocharger
Custom Exhaust Manifold & Up Pipe
Process West Reverse Intake
Haltech Elite 1500 ECU
Haltech IQ3 Dash Display
Process West V-Mount Radiator & Intercooler

Drivetrain:

Direct Clutch Twin Plate Clutch
STI 6 Speed Gearbox
Cusco 1.5 Way Rear Differential
Billet Axles
STI Hubs & Brakes
EBC Brake Rotors & EBC Red Brake Pads

Fuel:

2200cc Fuel Injectors
38L Fuel Cell
3L Surge Tank
1x Bosch 044 Fuel Pump (Feeds Surge Tank)
2x Bosch 044 Fuel Pumps (Feed Engine)

Suspension & Wheels:

BC Racing Coilovers With Custom Springs & Valves
22mm Rear Sway Bar
Custom Made JR 18X10.5 ET25 Wheels
295/35/R18 Yokohama Advan A050 Tyres

Exterior:

ABW Wide Body Kit
Front Bar
Front Mud Guards
Headlight Deletes
Rear Wheel Arch Flares
Fibreglass Doors
ACW Polycarbonate Doors & Rear Windows

Interior:

AGI National Spec Roll Cage
Cobra Race Seats
Stripped Interior

Tim's Widebody 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX Racecar #4

How much power and torque does the car make?

The car makes these power figures at the wheels:

Low Boost 14psi = 255KW/342HP
Medium Boost 19psi = 325KW/436HP
High Boost 24psi = 365KW/489HP

Have you had to modify or upgrade supporting systems to handle the extra power? Any major breakages?

Yes, the entire drive line has slowly been upgraded down the line as they break, I.E clutch, gearbox, centre differential and axles. The entire cooling system is a custom build v mount setup with a custom radiator, intercooler and oil coolers.

Do you run different tunes for certain situations? How does it cope with traction?

I just run the one tune, however do have 3 different boost settings. Most Hillclimb tracks are tight so generally the car only gets used in low boost, some tracks in medium boost. High boost gets used on Mt Panorama Bathurst and Mountain Straight Hillclimb. Also in the wet, I run the low boost setting.

How do you manage the balance between power and reliability?

The car is generally pretty reliable. When first built, there was a lot of headaches with reliability but over time, systems were upgraded and strengthened up. Most of the time the car now is great, put it away in the shed after an event and forget about it until the next event, throw some fuel in it and off you go.

Tim's Widebody 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX Racecar #5

You said you upgraded the suspension, why and how has it changed the way the car handles?

The car handles great on tighter tracks or hill climbs as that is what it is setup for. It is a little sift in setup on high-speed tracks like Sydney Motorsport Park and can be a bit of a handful.

Are there any aesthetic changes you’re particularly proud of? How do these align with the overall style or vision for your car?

I really like the colour Silver and Black on the car. I think the widebody kit and wheels look pretty tough.

Tim's Widebody 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX Racecar #6

How do the wheels and tires complement the modifications you’ve made? Did you opt for any specific brands or types for performance reasons?

The vehicle is fitted with 5×100 stud pattern yet uses, a 10.5 inch wide wheel. Unfortunately you cannot buy these so i have to have them custom made by a company in England so don’t have much of a choice for wheel size.

Tyres for Hillclimbing I use Avon Tyres however these are unavailable at present. Michelin Pilot Sport tyres are great however also unavailable at the moment so reverting back to Yokohama Advan A050 tyres as its pretty much the only available one at present.

Tim's Widebody 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX Racecar #7

Do you take the car to the track or car shows? How does it perform or get received in those environments?

I take it to the Track and Hillclimbs. I’ve won 7x NSW Hillclimb titles, 3x QLD Hillclimb titles and 4x Australian titles with 2x runner ups at the Australian title. I do the odd Tarmac Rallysprint event at Sydney Dragway. Contested the entire 2021-22 Tarmac Rallysprint season coming away with a second place outright for the series.

Were there any specific influences that inspired certain aspects of your car?

Not specifically, I did look at what others were doing, and pick bits and pieces from what they were doing, but certainly not any one thing I could put it down to.

What’s the most memorable drive or experience you’ve had with the car?

Winning the 2022 Australian Hillclimb Championship. I was fastest in class and the fastest Tin Top (roofed vehicle, not a Formula style open wheeled vehicle) in the country. I had to work for the win, with the lead bouncing back and forth between a couple of us competitors, including a good friend of mine, (also in a WRX) pushing each other harder and harder, to a point we were both getting worried about it all ending very badly with some smashed up cars.

What’s your favourite part about driving the car?

I love it, with the rear Cusco diff, if you get on the gas hard, it will power oversteer even in 4th gear. For events like this, I like to have a bit of a play so you will see the car often sideways, with me having a big laugh. It’s not the fastest around the track, but makes me smile and hopefully a few people watching on.

Are there any future modifications you’re planning or dreaming about? What’s next for your build?

Not really, just drive it a bit more, Subinats is the first time the car has been out in almost 12months. We have the Australian Hillclimb Championships on next month in Victoria so hoping for a good showing down there.

Tim's Widebody 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX Racecar #8

If you could start over and modify another car, which one would it be and why?

Mazda RX7. I have always loved them and had a few many years ago when they were affordable. When we got into racing cars, (use to race motorbikes until a career ending crash, so decided to get something with a bit a protection around me) the price of RX7’s had skyrocketed and was out of my reach. The WRX was a logical decision, due to availability of vehicles, spares and modifications.

Do you work on the car yourself, or do you work with shops and experts?

Yes I work on the car myself, I do have help from friends and then for specialist work such as tunes and engine builds, use shops. DVS Tuning for the tunes and Deshelle Performance for the engine build.

Anything else you would like to add that readers may find interesting?

Not that I can think of unless someone would like to sponsor me a sequential gearbox or Bosch Motorsport ABS that would be great, LOL.

Thanks for your time Tim and thank you for giving us the opportunity to do a car story on your pride and joy.

Note for readers: If you or someone you know owns a cool or unique car that you would like to have a car story done on please email us at contact@fuelics.com.au to get started.

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