you've found my projects page. topics you can expect to find here include: my daily JDM car, video game and hardware mods, some general electronics tinkering, and smaller tech projects.
rivet
// impreza wrx
this is rivet, my first generation subaru impreza wrx. since buying her in december 2025, she's been my pride and joy. since she doubles as a daily and a project, hijinks often ensue. this section contains both modifications and more general maintenance, as it is serving as a personal log of work i've done to her.
i'm late to report this one, but i managed to partially resolve the boost leak issue with a new bypass/blowoff valve. yes, this was mostly just an excuse for blow off noises, but it did help! the vacuum lines all seem fine, so at this point i'm just expecting the leak to be a matter of age with this OEM TD04. anyway, i went with the GFB T9200 for the sake of period accuracy and options, and she's been configured for half-recirc since i installed it. the sound was genuinely such a surprise. here's video of me scaring the shit out of a friend on a tiny pull.
this was a mercifully easy fix. a single vacuum line had come loose from the intake manifold. securing that back on immediately made the engine idle happier. she's running like a dream ever since.
i regret it took me this long to source a filter for this job, because the fresh oil was absolutely warranted. she was running on half capacity and the oil was black as could be, so it's a big relief to know she's fully cycled now. despite all of that, there was no metal whatsoever in the sump, so she seems like she's managing just fine. the head gasket gods have been kind to me.
to my distaste, i did have to buy a filter wrench for the job. whoever put the last one on fastened it way too tight. if you don't know - oil filters should only be tightened to hand tension! they can leak if over-tightened, i'm surprised this one didn't. for the sake of documentation, 10W-40; OEM filter.
i originally bought rivet with no mounting hardware for a head unit, and a previous owner had wrapped the center dash lid with an, in my opinion, rather gaudy red and black spartan warrior decal. since then, i've been able to source a replacement dash lid, the mounting hardware for a head unit from a local seller parting out his GC8 along with the stock single din pocket, and nabbed a nice deal on a modern CD receiver.
finally having the fit and finish of the interior dialed in has been super satisfying. i'm especially proud of the head unit. i've had fancy double-din touch screen receivers before, but it felt much more authentic to have a single din unit for this. it hasn't meant compromising on quality, either. this is a great modern unit with bluetooth and options for my CD collection as well as radio for my local scene. the extra storage is also certainly appreciated. being a 90s JDM car, space very much comes at a premium here.
first time swapping out a headlight bulb. the left high/low bulb went out not long after i got her, but the swap was a five minute fix. for posterity, 12V 60/55W. halogen, always. i find LED headlights deeply obnoxious.
