Against the Grain
Words: Gabriel Ronquillo
Snaps: Anthony Furlong
The Impreza WRX and STi have been well received by the US buyers, with the fourth generation of the WRX out alongside the third generation STi. Because of its popularity, it’s somewhat hard to stand out in the sea of WRX’s. Finding a bone stock WRX is like finding a needle in a hay stack; damn near impossible. Just do a quick search in your Craigslist or Autotrader. You will quickly find out that almost every listing of a WRX has some sort of modification. So what can you do to set yourself apart? Rancho Cucamonga’s Anthony Furlong seems to have the right stuff .
Anthony’s car immediately stands out from all the other WRXs on the road. Whereas 48 offset is the standard, his 04 WRX is sitting on a set of 18×9.5 Rota Torques…with a 35 offset! The end result is something that screams aggressive. The everyday, seemingly mundane look that 48 offset can bring shows that this Subaru means business. Bringing the fender gap to a minimum, the car is held to the ground with JIC FLTA-2 coilovers, which Anthony says does the job quite well.
When asked about his ideal day with the car, Anthony simply replied, “I like to take my friends around town to places to hang out at…I love driving it to where ever it’s seen.”
With the look of the car as mean as it is, it packs a mean punch. Under the hood of this WRX is the heart of an STi. The EJ20 was ditched for an EJ257 swap mated to a JDM STi 6speed transmission.
The combination of suspension, motor work, and wheel combination really set the car off. A quick look at the pictures and it is easy to see why Anthony cannot be labeled as a Nasioc sheep. Anthony said it best himself, “If I had one word to describe this car, it would be sexy.” I can’t help but agree with him myself.
Wrap sheet:
Owner - Anthony Furlong
Hometown - Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Daily Grind - Working at a skateboard company warehouse
Bragging Rights - 265 whp/ 280tq @ 19psi on (Dyno Dynamics)
Under the hood
-EJ257 swap
-2.0 heads, ported and polished
-Titanium valve springs / retainers
-Crower 264 cams
-JDM V8 intake manifold (TGVless)
-STi V8 TMIC (with I/C spray kit fully working! Rear installed OEM I/C tank w/ OEM interior switch!)
-STi 565cc “pink” injectors
-Walbro 255lph fuel pump
-VF34 turbo
-Injen V2 CAI
-Cusco oil catch can
-HKS circle earth grounding kit
-oSUNo auto hyper voltage grounding kit
-Helix catless bellmouth DP
-M2 catless UP
-Tanabe hyper medallion catback exhaust
Drivetrain
-JDM STi 6speed transmission
-R180 rear end
-1.5 way LSD
-DCCD controlled via Neetronics center controller
-Brembo 4pot front/ 2pot rear
-Brembo slotted front rotors
Control -
-JIC FLTA-2 coilovers
-Whiteline F/R swaybars
-Perrin endlinks
-Cusco rear strut tower bar
Rollers -
-Rota torque-R 18″ x 9.5″ et 35mm
-Falken FK452 235/40/18
Outside -
-Syms limited trunk lip
-Rear Aprons
-V-limted replica front lip
-Cusco rear diffuser
Inside -
-Aftermarket Panosonic dvd player(with i pod connection)
-1-12” sub
-Upgraded speakers all around
-2005 STi shiftknob
-2004 STi shift trim surround
-DEFI link gauges (52mm, green backlit)
+BOOST, OIL PRESSURE, E.G.T.
-Hks stage 1 turbo timer
Props -
Special thanks to Justin Reyes for all the amazing work he has done.
More Pictures; click here for more!!
Here’s Anthony’s setup; 18×9.5 Rota Torque R +35, which you can purchase here.
