A WRX with 424whp is a Fun Financial Regret

I was tired of not getting the full power out of my turbo so I upgraded to a front mount intercooler. I can’t stress it enough, none of this is worth spending your hard earned money on unless you really have a lot of it to throw around. This video is more of a channel update to let everyone know I’m still alive. Stay tuned for some new videos coming up down the line.
Part List:
Manley Pistons/Rods
Killer B Ultimate Oil Pickup
Forced Performance Blue Turbo
Grimmspeed External Wastegate Up Pipe
Grimmspeed Downpipe
Invidia Down Pipe
Injector Dynamics ID1050x Fuel Injectors
AEM High Flow Fuel Pump
TiAL MVS-A / AR External Wastegate
Omni 4 Bar Map Sensor
Company 23 Boost Controller
Cobb SS Exhaust
Cobb Front Mount Intercooler
Cobb Accessport
Perrin Cold Air Intake
Kartboy Short Throw Shifter
Torque Solutions Engine Mounts
IAG Top Feed TGV Deletes
IAG Air Oil Seperator
Motul X-Clean 8100 5W-30
-------------------------------------------------------------
“Altek” intro animation by Gary Doodles.
“Altek” intro music by Tommy Sica
Thanks to DDA Tuned in Newburgh, NY for the great work once again
Equipment Used:
Video - Nikon D5600, GoPro 3+/7
Audio - Zoom H4N Pro
Video Editing Software - Adobe Premiere CC
Who am I?
I’ve been an IT guy for the last 15 years with a serious passion for tech and all things automotive. From motherboards to combustion engines, I find happiness in anything that powers on or throws you back in your seat with the fierceness of a Greek god.

[@MrQcSkateboarding]

when buying a subaru i wanted a wrx hatch but didn't want to play for crazy expensive repairs so i got a legacy and had crazy expensive repairs :)

[@Altek1]

Haha, comments like this make me feel better since I'm not the only one who got Screwbaru'd. I hope yours is running good at this point and it didn't take $15k to get there.

[@TickyTack23]

My Subaru is becoming my midlife crisis car. Thanks for the ideas on how to blow up my credit!

[@Altek1]

Haha, I want to say it's my midlife crisis car as well, but I'm only 36 and I do hope to live past 70. If you're going to do it, do it right, do a built motor before you push it since you'll probably blow it otherwise. I can't stress that it's too much money to justify, in case my video didn't make that clear. But if you got $20k burning a whole in your pocket, get on it bud! Thanks for watching!

[@TurboSqu1d]

"having said that, this is totally worth it" You just justified your reasoning to any car person ever

[@Altek1]

Hah, you get it! I know it's not a smart financial choice at all, but once you spend it, ya got to justify it. While not entirely worth it, I don't regret it.

[@TurboSqu1d]

@@Altek1 I purchased the same car as my first in my early 20's this year. Though I got it for a good price, the average fuel efficiency and fuel prices make it pretty uneconomical for my wages but goddam do I love driving the thing.

[@FitLabb]

Just what we all were waiting for!!! And have to do a follow-up video with my other Viper this Spring/Summer. 🏎💨

[@Altek1]

It's not the video I wanted to post but it's all I got. A video on your "slow" Viper would be a great addition to my channel, let's do it buddy!

[@FitLabb]

@@Altek1 Count me in brother! Looking forward to filming that one with you. 🏎💨

[@Smurph789]

Sounds good. Looks fun as well!

[@Altek1]

Oh it's fun alright. The best is when the windows are down and I'm next to a dividing wall on the highway. The sound reflects and is SO INTENSE.

[@Camilo19832001]

Goood daaaamn... bout time you showed up!!!

[@Altek1]

Haha, I'll try to be a bit more consistent, no promises but i do promise

[@briantran8703]

Love the hatch

[@g65_]

Long time no see, good to have you back on YT

[@Altek1]

Thanks bud! And thanks for always chiming in on the comments!

[@abbysapples1225]

I like the crazy rumble but also like the way you have it now too. I have a modified exhaust on my 1998 Legacy 2.2 5 speed. And depending on the atmospheric conditions specially if it's foggy or raining my car is kind of loud and I feel my nerves driving through residential areas late at night. And it's nothing like your car man. So I totally understand and respect what he made it quieter. 🙂👍❤️

[@Bu3law]

Welcome Back

[@Altek1]

Thanks bud!

[@svtwrc]

Oh my that build Is nuts! That’s a lot of torque for the street car. I’m going down to DDA to talk to them about when my 04 w 125k stock internals starts to go . Every drive I take I think it’s the last on this motor. Datalog says it’s still good ,DAM is 1 , air fuel is 14.7 , feedback is 0.0 to -0.2 -0.4 it’s just the rule of the universe that nothings forever. Your WRX is beast man!

[@Altek1]

Thanks bro! It's finally a lot of fun to drive but it did take a while to get to this point. Remy will take care of you for sure at DDA. I know the feeling of constantly thinking the motor is on its way out. What are your plans for it? I'm actually considering selling mine now sadly due to some life changes that are coming up but I'm trying everything in my power to keep it. Thanks for watching!

[@svtwrc]

Altek hope everything works out for you! Build wise I’m thinking of mild overbuild so nothing is being stressed with a conservative tune. My occupation demand i be out on the roads in state of emergency so it’s super fun to drive it around in those conditions. The STi sees the worst of winter so it doesn’t need to be anymore than 325WtQ is probably around 365-375crank a little more than the OTS tunes I run on a decent built internal motor stock block nothing fancy just reliable fun.

[@Altek1]

I like your plan, overbuild and undertune. Reliable fun is the way to go. I'm pushing my tranny too hard and I'm afraid for the worst, I keep saying to myself "just don't launch it and it will last" but too much power is just too much power. It's awesome that you have a reason to drive in the snow. I normally garage mine if I can during a snow storm, once it's nice and clean, it's hard to justify getting it all salty for 30 minutes of fun. But that is the most fun you can have with snow tires on. Hope it turns out well for you bud.

[@joshpinchuk7061]

Definitely more walken

[@Altek1]

Haha, deal.

[@natanaelonate5193]

I got my wrx hatch a day after finding out you had one and its been great, 300whp 100k miles stock block and has survived track days and back roads

[@Altek1]

Welcome to the Soobie family! I'd say you got a success story on your hands. I'm guessing intake, exhaust and tune to get to 300whp? Just be careful, the stock blocks don't love the abuse, but then again, you're proving that statement to be untrue.

[@natanaelonate5193]

@@Altek1 yea intake turboback exhaust and cobb fmic for power mods along with protune, but also a few other stuff to help like oil pan and radiator, and yea im honestly surprised i did a 100degree track day at thunderhill this summer and i was surprised it handled it, btw love your vids man keep it up💪🏽

[@theskipper9718]

14 wrx hatch owner here and i've spent wayyyyy more money on this damn car/house of mine. The pain and headache this car gives you is not worth it. BUT, when driving it it all goes away and it's just an awesome car to drive. I've dropped a stage 2 iag short block with other mods and ive maxed out the stock turbo and I want to go bigger. But as well all know, going bigger means more money and more money means buying a new transmission. This investment is definitely a money pit .

[@Altek1]

Oh man this comment gave me a proper laugh. You and me are sinking in the same boat buddy. Best worst decision I've ever made, or is it the worst best decision? Either way, it's hard to justify until you're behind the wheel enjoying it and even then you're thinking of what else you'd like to do to it and even though you don't want to, you still do it. Just be careful when touching the turbo. I didn't give the stock one much credit but it really is versatile compared to a larger option. The turbo lag on mine took a while to get used and while I really do like it now, it also took another $3k in upgrades to get me there. It's still nice to know I'm not the only one going through this process. Oh and as my father would say, it's not an investment since you've only lost money in this scenario, but I also tell him it's an investment in my happiness, and that I do believe.

[@theskipper9718]

@@Altek1 lol haha you definitely hit the nail on that. I find comfort Knowing that someone else out there is in the same boat as me. Thanks for the tip on the turbo. This will be my second rebuild ported/polish on the stock turbo and I’ve been eyeing the fp blue or green for some time now. But the fact that you dropped another 3k and the turbo lag you mentioned is definitely a consideration that I will not take lightly. I hope you put out more content on your build because it’s definitely rare to find someone on KZbin to express the roller coaster of emotions whether the upgrade was worth or not.

[@Craiggg12345]

lol. Not an investment.

[@SoulsSave]

You should do reactions with folks in the car. That be a good one

[@Altek1]

Not a bad idea but I already feel bad doing the amount of pulls i do in my videos alone. I'm just waiting for the gears to explode I tell ya!

[@nokoolaid]

I'll never forget that guy you had with the Mitsubishi. That car was nuts. The guy with the charger from LI was something else too. The WRX seems tame by comparison. That's probably a good thing...I hope you're doing well. I haven't been by in a while...I'll try not to wait so long.

[@Altek1]

You probably wait as long as I take to post a video or respond to a comment so don't feel too bad. The Mitsubishi guy and I did a vid on his Mini with a kswap, my WRX is a joke compared to his build. Check it out if you haven't. Hell, maybe you even commented on it, I've just been so busy. He just got another MR2, and it's already in pieces, hoping to do a vid on that sometime soon. Thanks for watching James!

[@nokoolaid]

@@Altek1 I am so behind in my video watching. Posting too. I subscribe to too many channels I guess. I am about 3-4 weeks behind now.

[@natemathewson5200]

God I can only imagine how fun pulling out of corners in that thing is. Money well spent! Though, a Rio is sounding good to me now...

[@ComeOnPelican91]

Find an old one, they discontinued standard transmission

[@natemathewson5200]

@@ComeOnPelican91 oh no no don’t worry about it. It’s already too late, I’ve got a Focus St 😂

[@Altek1]

Doing pulls is a stupid amount of fun. With the warm weather and the windows rolled down, it's even crazier. It's like sensory overload once the wastegate starts making its noises.

[@natemathewson5200]

@@Altek1 you’re making me want to do bad bad things to my wallet... exhaust and blow off valve are up next I guess...

[@quinnperrine9319]

I did not expect that blow off sound, great shit man.

[@Altek1]

Thanks bud. With the exhaust toned down, I can really hear everything else work and it's such a treat. I smirk at every gear change because of that sound.

[@quinnperrine9319]

@@Altek1 that whole setup sounds like a completely different car then my Bugeye. Its crazy how fragile our 5 speeds are one launch and the gears turn to a bag of rocks

[@torreyinnewyorkcity334]

I can not believe you been gone so long. 🥲. Welcome back!!! ❤️.

[@Altek1]

I promise not to let you wait too long again in the future 😃

[@moisesr7840]

Ok you better come up with a wrap up video how you got to 424 hp SAFELY. And go specific on internals. What an awesome sound

[@Altek1]

It's funny, I took out the long winded explanation of the internals since I thought I'd bore people. I've put a few other videos together explaining most of the parts I had installed if you want to check those out. I also just edited the description to add the parts list I have documented. I'll look into putting another video together after some more miles, at least then I can prove it's reliable. Thanks for watching and digging the sound of my beast!

[@moisesr7840]

@@Altek1 ok, I'll check your channel. Keep updating good stuff

[@henryclark180]

@@Altek1 na the boring parts of a build are the best parts cause you can learn so much from them, great video though.

[@normls8615]

My bugeye wagon only has a stainless muffler, but that was taken off a standard impreza and had a smaller pipe. Also seems like WRX prices are on the rise, if not at least holding. So if you know your car and it's done the way you want it, you won't loose out down the track.

[@Altek1]

Before my engine initially died, hatches like mine with low mileage were going for low to mid 20's. How stupid of me not to sell at that point, I could have driven the car for 5 years and got most of my money back. Nobody will pay me the proper amount for the work I did, so my best bet is to just enjoy it while I can and see how the value holds up down the line. Your bugeye has definitely gone up in value, I'm actually shocked how much some are going for these days.

[@iHaveTheDocuments]

Im from NY so it's funny that I feel like you have an accent, considering I sound exactly like you. Maybe it's cause I'm not used to hearing it in videos if that makes sense.

[@Altek1]

That makes sense. I do accentuate my New York accent at times to the point of where I say to myself "do i talk like that". By the way, every time I see your KZbin name, I crack up and I scream in my head "I HAVE THE DOCUMENTS!".

[@nokoolaid]

I feel the same way.

[@nokoolaid]

I sound a little like that too. I am from Long Island. It gets real bad if I visit for a week(I live in AZ now). It was much worse for me when I lived in Iowa. I actually had someone ask me if I had family in the mafia.

[@tomlima7890]

I'm currently running about 330whp on my 11' hatch, built engine, but still on stock turbo and top mount, near maxing out that VF52 with 19 psi on pure Ethanol (E100, not a single drop of gas). eehh.. I kinda wanted to move to a bigger turbo with a FMIC but the transmission really worries me... considering a 6 speed costs half of the car price on my country, would be a nice financial regret for sure.

[@Altek1]

I will say that I definitely underestimated the stock turbo. While it doesn't blow your mind, it does offer a great power curve. The FP Blue took me a bit to get used to but the lag is seriously worse compared to stock. It's a very bursty feeling once it kicks in where the stock had a better gradual feel throughout. Still fun but it took me a while to figure out how to drive it properly. Either way, you're right to be scared about destroying the tranny but so far so good on my side. I'm just very gentle on when i want to bring the power on since I just know I'm asking for trouble. I was quoted $7k for an STI tranny and I'm sorry, but I'd rather have a used Lexus LS400 for that price. Also, I was thinking about ethanol but my bank account told me no 😊

[@tomlima7890]

@@Altek1 On my case actually my bank account was begging for the ethanol conversion, since 95 oct costs 2.5x as much as ethanol per gallon... (we only have 87 or 95, nothing in between). So the fuel savings can return your injectors/pump investment in a few tanks.. haha.

[@Altek1]

Now that's the type of justification I can get on board with! I'll definitely need a new tranny if I decide to go that way.

[@bryanribey]

That thing sounds insane.

[@Altek1]

Doesn't it! The external wastegate is just the best sound ever.

[@ErectkyleDysfunction]

Just get a regular Imprezza hood. They look great on them.

[@Altek1]

I was thinking about that but, even though it's not functional, I do love the hood scoop look. I'll check it out, see if I can find a hood that's already painted. Thanks bud.

[@kenk4158]

All I could think about when I clicked on this video was the Subaru transmissions I've witnessed explode at autocross events. And they weren't even monsters.

[@Altek1]

Don't jinx me bro! This is exactly why I haven't autocross'd the car, I know it's going to happen. It's embarrassing enough to hit a cone, but leaving a transmission on the track would be way worse. I'll just keep babying it from a standstill and hope it stays put.

[@tresanus6387]

@@Altek1 I have a similar build on my 2012 but stopped at 340hp because of the trans. God speed friend

[@Altek1]

Smart move. I'm not gonna lie, I'm worried about shifting into a ghost gear while I watch my tranny bounce around in my rear view mirror but I'm very catious with my shifting. Let's hope shoddy driving technique is the reason why most fail.

[@tresanus6387]

@@Altek1 haha you are I are very similar. I just hope my poor exedy clutch goes up before the trans. I am also still on the process west TMIC so haven't made the move to front mount yet. And I think I'm near 20k into this rebuild thanks to a good ol ringland failure

[@AJx7]

Not sure if you still check comments but I’m looking to buy a fully stock 2012 wrx with 96k miles. They are asking 16k. I know the car market is nuts right now, but in terms of reliability thoughts on it lasting for awhile? Love your build!

[@Altek1]

I check in from time to time my good man. I think that's both a bit steep for the amount of miles yet right on par considering the current market. WRX's do tend to hold their value rather well but for that price, I'd like to see around 60-70k miles. I also don't trust the motor considering what happened to mine unless it was addressed already. You can check out my previous Subaru videos that explain my situation a bit more. On that note, I'm considering selling mine since the market is so hot right now but I'll never recoup nearly as much as I spent.

[@AJx7]

@@Altek1 that’s a bummer to hear! I’ll for sure check out your video! I bought a truck like 6 months ago, but no longer need it so I sold it for a huge profit. I’m just trying to figure out what I want to replace it with. Thanks for the advice!

[@tjspaulding5600]

Whats your cam duration?

[@anthonyj8843]

on pump or e? sweet car

[@Altek1]

Pump, not sure I'm ready for that e life. Thanks bud.

[@ALKATRAZ99]

what the new exhaust called? link?

[@Altek1]

It's a Cobb SS, here's the link bud: www.cobbtuning.com/products/exhaust/subaru-ss-3-cat-back-exhaust-wrx-hatch-2011-2014-sti-hatch-2008-2014?gclid=CjwKCAjwzOqKBhAWEiwArQGwaG2aWnYhaf952qQWTNFS9cmjKsBTY8ugHW9HgLIy1VGOd24hqvB2XhoCHQ8QAvD_BwE

[@mustafamohammad1821]

How much did the Subaru cost with mods and how long did it take?

[@Altek1]

I bought the car new for $32k. The built motor with bolt-ons was $13k, the most recent work I did was around $10k. That's a rough with some parts sold along the way, call it $20k on top of the purchase price, so $50k all in. In other words, not worth it (but still fun).

[@kclove86]

Lol just saying the walken is awesome

[@Altek1]

Haha I'll put some Walken Easter eggs into future vids then

[@732ajay]

Y u no show mileage

[@Altek1]

Mileage is kinda irrelevant since the new motor. The car has 76k on it, the motor about 15-20k.

[@732ajay]

@@Altek1 oh yeah I forgot you mentioned the rebuild on one of the videos, just got one actually just hit 42k I’m hoping against hope she last in the 100k… maybe over that

[@Altek1]

Welcome to the soobie family. Same year as mine? WRX or STI? It's a mixed bag, I've heard of a lot people with rod knock on certain year ej255 motors, and with low mileage like in my case. Then I see some for sale with 150k and no mention of a rebuilt motor.

[@732ajay]

@@Altek1 it’s a 2014 hatch always wanted one since high school, just did the cooling mod and aos. Hope this makes the car happy.

[@Altek1]

Nice. I assume that's the cylinder 4 cooling mod? I honestly can't say I have that done to mine but wish I knew to ask about it when getting it modded. I'd say keep it as stock as possible, while I love the speed I have now, the stock formation had a lot more driveability to it. Happy driving bro!

[@bhadz100]

How much have you spent on it if you don’t mind? Really curious

[@Altek1]

Ooph, so let's see, the car new was $32k with taxes. Bolt-ons were about $5k, engine build and labor was around $8k, and the most recent work was around $4500. Having done things twice, like the exhaust and intercooler only jacked it up higher. Realistically, the build to get to where I am now would have been around $13-17k on top of the cost of the car, which is why i stress that it isn't worth the money.

[@bhadz100]

@@Altek1 thanks for being honest. I feel you and dropping that much money stings

[@howies3770]

Should have gone just STi, then build the motor 2x and upgrade everything, then sell it for 1/3 of the money you paid. Would have made you way more miserable.

[@Altek1]

Hahah I find it funny how when I bought the car new I said to myself I ain't paying close to $40k for a Subaru. I'm sitting at $50k all in with a non sti and pretty pissed I don't have a center diff. Hope your good Howie!