Removing STI Tail Fin...

I doubt the fin does much at all. Sounds like a lot of people who don't like the fin do a trunk swap with a standard WRX.

Steve

Steve Jones wrote in news:jones948- snipped-for-privacy@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu:

I suspect it shouldn't be hard to find someone willing to swap and you might even make a few bucks on the deal!

The Dealer has agreed to do the swap at no charge.... I'm just wondering if it has any effect on the car...

NONE, ZILCH, NADA All for looks, kinda the Ricerboy image.

Don't forget to add the rear shelf tail light!

snipped-for-privacy@netburner.com scribbled:

It's there for a reason. One has to wonder why anyone would buy a STI, only to start switching it back to a standard WRX. Why the hell not just buy a standard WRX in the first place?

Plenty it would seem. If anyone wants to switch, I'm willing to trade my WRX for your STI any time. And I'll keep the fin.

I had an STI, I traded it in at 75K miles for a new STI.

I want the added power, better suspension, stronger tranny etc...

What I don't want is to get out of the car and hear someone saying

"God Damm ricers...." (actually happened first time I took the STI out to breakfast.)

I want a sleeper, not a show car.

Paul (I'm the OP on a different mail account home vs work)

I have no idea what is fitted to US models, but in Europe the STI does not have a 'fin', it has a wing. This aeodynamic device provides additional rear downforce contributing to improved stability. It is obviously at its most effective at higher speeds, but will make a noticeable contribution to directional stability at speeds in excess of 60 mph - particularly in cross-wind conditions when passing high-sided vehicles. On the other hand, the car won't be uncontrollable without out it.....like a 911, for instance.

David Betts snipped-for-privacy@motorsport.org.uk

Mmmm, they still have it on for the professional racing, so you can be sure it has some worthwhile effect, otherwise it'd just be extra weight (and maybe drag too?). My guess was that, especially as the car is AWD, at high speed it pushes down the back a bit to help the rear wheels keep traction. Still, I'd be very interested to learn more about how much effect the wing has.

(snip)

(snip)

Wow. I've never overheard anything like that. Every fortnight or so I hear "nice car!", either overheard or directly spoken to me. Maybe I'm just lucky. (Okay, once it was "you have a sweet ride", but the sentiment remains the same.)

Mind you, the dealer I bought it from told me that the previous owner loved the car but sold it because he could no longer take the teasing.

The friendly reaction I've had from people has been something of a relief, to be honest. I had been looking at things like the VW Passat W8 4motion, nothing anywhere as conspicuous as the STi. Like you, I had been looking for a sleeper; I bought the STi because the performance-per-buck was just so outstanding out of non-2WD cars, and it only took me a few weeks to get used to standing out like a sore thumb. Mind you, police at speed traps seem to take more of an interest in me than the cars around me.

-- Mark

It's a done deal. The wing/fin is gone. The STI decals are gone,the car looks 100% better. It's a stealth STI ;-)

We have a long road trip planned for this weekend. We might even finish the 1000mi break in !

Yeah, those World Rally Championship guys are such ricers!

Seriously, there is an oft-quoted claim that the wing produces little or no downforce. I have read that the main function is cancel out rear-end lift.

I suppose the wing is of limited utility for those who only like to cruise the main drag and pose. Try taking a spirited drive on some dusty dirty roads, then check out the dust patterns on the wing. It's obviously doing *something* aerodynamic.

...Ron

I live in an area where there is a lot of wind. The car is more stable with the wing and it does cancel out the lift forces on the rear end at anything above 80 KPH (50MPH)

According to Subaru, it produces 10 KG of downforce at 100 KPH (22lbs at 60 MPH) and about 45 KG at 200 KPH. But its primary job is to balance lift forces rather than create downforce. It does, however, stabilize the car in crosswinds; something we have a lot of in my area.

Lots of people have either removed it entirely (by doing a trunk lid swap with a normal Impreza) or toned it down by replacing it with a normal WRX fin.

I've heard claims (I believe from Subaru actually) that insist that the fin creates turbulence even at the lower speeds and thus decreases lift as a result on the tail end, which apparently improves traction very slightly--this, even when it's not acting as a bona-fide wing.

It's up to you, though: I personally would hate to screw around so dramatically with the tested aerodynamics of a car that goes 165mph+.

Agreed: it's cheaper to buy a standard WRX and fit it with aftermarket parts to get the STi-like performance than it is to buy the STi--so why buy the STi at all?

The worst I've heard is someone asking me, "What cartoon did you drive that thing out of?"

The worse I've seen is three University kids in a ratty old Honda beater behind me pointing at it and laughing. I was amused.

The last time I was stopped, the cop commented on the "intake" and the "fin" and said that with those "modifications" that he was considering nailing me for street racing. He shut up pretty quick when I told him they were stock. That part of the ticket, at least, was very satisfying.

How much is that center diff in the STi worth?

It's a toy: unless you're a godlike driver, it won't improve your driving ability any to be able to turn off the automatic mechanism. It just helps you break the rear free when zipping around corners, or gives you a locked

The STi also has a limited-slip front differential as well, which the WRX doesn't have. This is something that dials up understeer in a big way when booting around corners--over and above what the WRX has.

Aside from these pieces, you can jack up the power of a WRX engine with a stage 3 Cobb's for.. what is it these days? $8k? And that's for APS designs tested for safety and reliability straight from Australia. Suping up the STi isn't nearly so easy.