Subie & YOU! Apr 13, 2026

S&YE226 - CWP STI20

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116:18

Company

Ascentric Designs

Ascentric Designs is a small business that makes custom vinyl and decals for Subaru cars. It’s the kind of company that helps owners personalize their cars without major modifications.

Concept

Overland Expo West

Overland Expo West is a big show for people who drive out into remote places and camp. You can walk around, talk to vendors, and see lots of gear and vehicle setups.

Brand

Subaru is the automaker behind the event and the merchandise being promoted in this segment. The podcast is centered on Subaru ownership and community, so Subaru branding and Subaru-specific parts/gear are a recurring theme.

Term

SUBIENU2026

SUBIENU2026 is a coupon code you can type in at checkout. It gives you 20% off your whole order.

Term

free shipping

Free shipping means you don’t pay for delivery. In this promo, it kicks in automatically once your discounted total goes over $50.

Company

Melee Design Firm

Melee Design Firm is the company making the parts the host is showing off. They’re mostly focused on making the engine bay look better with add-on accessories.

Part

engine bay caps

Engine bay caps are covers that make parts of the engine compartment look nicer. They’re mostly about style and making the bay stand out.

Concept

lift kits

A lift kit is a set of parts that raises your car so it sits higher. It’s commonly used to help with rough roads and to fit bigger tires.

Concept

all wheel drive (AWD)

All-wheel drive means the car can send power to more than one set of wheels. That helps you grip the road better in snow, so it’s less likely to get stuck.

Term

summer tires

Summer tires work best in warm weather. In snow, they don’t grip as well, so it’s notable they still felt confident with AWD.

Term

winter tires

Winter tires are made to work better in cold weather. They grip the road more safely when it’s snowy or icy.

Concept

fell asleep at the wheel

This means the driver got so tired that they dozed off while driving. When that happens, the car can drift or leave the road before anyone can stop it.

Concept

safety for families

They’re basically saying people buy certain cars because they feel safer for their kids and family. It’s about how well a car protects you if something goes wrong.

Term

never lifted it

“Never lifted it” means the car was not raised with a suspension lift kit. That’s notable because many off-road builds rely on increased ground clearance, so doing it without a lift highlights how much tires and driving technique can still help.

Car

foresters

They’re talking about the Subaru Forester. It’s a taller Subaru that’s often used for off-road-ish driving because it has good traction and clearance.

Car

Jeep Wrangler

The Wrangler is one of the most famous off-road Jeeps. The point of the story is that even a Wrangler can get stuck if the conditions or the route are tough enough.

Concept

mild off-roading

Mild off-roading means easier trails, not hardcore rock crawling. The point is that you don’t need a super specialized vehicle to do casual dirt-road or beach driving safely.

Term

CVTs

CVT means “continuously variable transmission.” It’s a type of automatic that doesn’t shift like a normal gearbox—it smoothly changes ratios as you drive.

Part

shocks and springs

Shocks (dampers) and springs are the core suspension components that control ride height, comfort, and how the car responds over bumps. Upgrading them is a common way to improve both handling feel and the lifted look.

Company

Bilsteins

Bilstein makes suspension parts like shocks. The “yellow” is a recognizable style, and it helps the car look more rugged.

Car

2020

They’re saying their Subaru STI is a 2020 model year. The year matters because cars can change a bit from one year to the next.

Part

muffler delete

A muffler delete removes part of the exhaust that quiets the sound. The car usually gets louder and sounds more aggressive.

Concept

JDM parts

JDM parts are car parts made for the Japanese market. People import them because they can be different or better than what you can easily buy locally.

Part

front bumper

The front bumper is the front cover of the car. When people swap it for an aftermarket one, it’s usually for a different look and sometimes better airflow.

Part

side skirts

Side skirts are the panels along the bottom of the doors. They’re usually added to make the car look lower and more complete when you change the body kit.

Term

OEM

OEM just means the factory-made parts that were on the car when it was new. People talk about OEM versus aftermarket when they’re trying to change the look or performance.

Term

wheels

Wheels are a major part of how a car looks. Changing wheel style or color can make the whole car look different, even if everything else stays the same.

Concept

stock

“Stock” means the car is basically as the factory made it, not heavily modified. The point here is that people at meets don’t only want cars with lots of mods—they’re happy to see stock cars too.

Company

Subi mods

“Subi mods” sounds like a shop that helps you buy aftermarket Subaru parts. They don’t necessarily make the parts themselves—they usually sell parts from other companies.

Concept

daily drive

A “daily driver” is the car you use every day. If someone stops daily driving a car, it usually means they’re trying to keep it cleaner and in better shape.

Term

ground clearance

Ground clearance is how much space the car has between the bottom and the road. Less clearance means you’re more likely to hit curbs, speed bumps, or uneven driveways.

LIVE

My name is Matt, also known as CWP-STI-20 on Instagram, and you are listening to episode

226 of Subi and You.

Hey, welcome to another episode of the Subi and You podcast.

As you heard, I have Matt on the episode today, and Matt has an STI.

So we're doing things a little bit different today.

We're mixing it up and going the tuner scene route, which is really cool because it's

nice to do something different and go a different route for a change.

So it was great to have Matt on.

It was great that he took the time to come record with me and share his Subru journey

and talk about his STI and of course the community because that's what so much of

this is all about.

So it was great to get into a good conversation with him.

But before we get into that conversation, let's hear from one of our sponsors.

Shall we?

The Subi and You podcast is brought to you by Ascentric Designs.

For those of you who don't know, Ascentric Designs is a small, community driven business

that offers custom fit vinyl overlays for most Subaru models.

This includes various designs for the rear reflectors, tail lights and side tail lights.

I also offer fun decal designs like the popular fender stripes and stickers.

To find designs for your Subi, head on over to eccentricdesigns.com.

There's always more projects in the works, so be sure to follow at eccentric.designs on Instagram.

Thank you so much, Accentric Designs, for sponsoring the Subi and You podcast.

Just as a reminder, if you were on the podcast previously and you would like a decal with

your podcast episode number on there, you can go to eccentricdesigns.com and type in

podcast episode and it'll come up with that specific decal that you can customize for

your podcast number.

So that's pretty cool.

So go check it out.

All right, we are just about a month out from Overland Expo West in Flagstaff, Arizona.

So if you're going to be going out there, come by the booth, check it out, say hello.

And if you are not sure yet and you can make it, get your tickets, come by.

See Overland Expo and see the Subaru booth.

If you've never been to an Overland Expo, I highly recommend it.

It is really cool.

There's so many vendors there.

So there's so much to see and there's so many products to go check out.

So go check it out.

Just do it.

This episode is also brought to you by, you know it, Subaru Gear.

If you have not checked out Subaru Gear yet, go check it out.

There's so many great products there.

Subaru branded merchandise as well as Subaru Motorsports USA.

They've got several collections.

They've got something for everybody.

You can use the code SUBIENU2026 at checkout to get 20% off your entire purchase.

So go fill up your cart because when your total is over $50 after the 20% discount,

you'll automatically get free shipping.

And I think that is a really great deal.

So go check it out.

SubaruGear.com.

Explore the site, see what they have to offer and get some great merch.

Thank you so much Subaru Gear for sponsoring the SUBIENU podcast.

If you follow my car account, Pearl, the Crosstrek, you might have seen that I have

some pretty cool stuff under the hood.

I have some Melee products, which I'm very proud of.

I am so happy to be working with Melee Design Firm.

And they've been on the podcast and I've met him in person.

He's such a great guy and he has a lot of really great products like the battery boxes.

Also the engine bay caps.

That's like such an easy way to dress up your engine compartment.

They also have the front strut tower brace and then I have a pitch stop as well.

But and some Melee decals on my car because I just I love Melee and I love him.

And just they're just such a great brand, such a great company and people to work with.

And you can save 10 percent on just about anything site wide for your Subaru.

So when you use the code SUBIENU at checkout, you can get 10 percent off your purchase.

So go check out the engine bay caps, especially like I said, that's such such

an easy way to dress up your engine compartment and make it stand out.

Especially if you're going to be like showing your car.

It definitely adds a lot to the engine bay.

And I thank you so much Melee Design Firm for sponsoring the SUBIENU podcast.

So we will get into this conversation soon.

But before we do, be sure to go check out my buddy Ben's podcast.

He hosts the Sturt SUBIES podcast.

He's had a lot of really great guests on there.

And one of the things that I really like about his podcast, his podcast

is a different style than mine, but he gets very technical.

So every time I listen to his episodes, I learn something new because people are

on there talking about all sorts of like very technical things that most of the

time I don't know anything about.

So it's very educational and I highly recommend that podcast.

It's so good.

Again, he's got a lot of great guests and he's getting pretty deep into the episodes.

So go check it out.

Dirt SUBIES podcast.

Another great podcast is the Wave podcast.

I was a guest on their podcast not too long ago.

They are Subaru technicians, mechanics, and theirs is also very educational.

It's also funny.

Those guys are really cool to listen to.

So go check out the Wave podcast and definitely learn some stuff about your

Subaru's. They have a Baja that they are running on canola oil right now.

And they're trying to see how far they can get it.

So be sure to go follow along with that.

If you go find them on Instagram, it's the Wave podcast 555.

So go give them a follow there.

Check out the podcast.

They're a couple of great guys.

And thank you all so much for having me on your podcast.

But now we will get into this episode with Matt and hear all about his STI and

his Subaru journey.

So let's get it done.

I just really want to thank you again for this opportunity.

You know, I'm really, really excited, you know, to have this interview podcast with

you and, you know, go into detail and a lot of talks about the Subaru community.

So yeah.

Yeah, no, definitely.

It's it's nice to get connected with you.

And, you know, it's it's been a long time since I've had somebody in the

tuner scene on the podcast.

So this is really exciting.

And, you know, it's just fun to hear something different and because most of

the audience and most of my guests have been in the off-road community.

So it's nice to get something different on here.

Yeah, no, I can definitely understand.

And, you know, I feel like with Subarus because of course you have the

cross tracks and everything outback that are, you know, naturally kind of the

overlanding cars, even though STIs and everything came from like that rally, you

know, lifted type of, you know, scenarios and vibes.

I feel like it's still hard to find that.

Not a lot of people are really into that anymore.

You know, it's it's very hard to come by people with WXs and STIs that want to

lift them and, you know, really do stuff like that.

So it's it's very niche, I would say, you know, and there's a

lot of people who really, really only care about, you know, WXs, STIs, you know,

being low and, you know, fast and cool.

And then there's, you know, the other side where it's like, nope, we only

really like our overlanding stuff, which I understand, you know, there's not

really many people who have experienced both and, you know, or who care enough

to experience both.

Yeah, though.

So there's a couple of people out in the PNW, this guy, Milton and

Kerry, and they he has a first gen cross track that he's done.

There's like insane stuff with she has an outback that she's done a lot of

stuff to modifications, and she's actually competed with it in the

rebel rally.

And then now they have a forest or hybrid that they've been using.

They she drove it in the rebel rally, but they they want to take the new WRX

and they want to lift it and take it off road and do some fun stuff with it.

So maybe we'll get to see that at some point.

Yeah, I mean, that would be cool.

I think it's a great platform.

You know, I feel like there's a lot more companies out there that are trying

to push for that and, you know, just do off road type of, you know, parts

and lift kits and everything.

So it'd be cool to see, you know, it's it's weird, you know, like I said,

STIs were meant for that and everything, but I'm one of those people

where it's like, no, I like to, you know, have a lowered STI, make it fast,

make it loud and, you know, sound good, look good and all that.

But I'm also willing to, you know, go back and have a cross track or an outback

and then do that overlanding camping type of stuff.

Yeah, because we'll get into that a little bit later, but you do have

experience with that, which is really cool.

Yeah, yeah, you know, I loved my cross track.

It was it was amazing.

I still wish I had it to this day, but, you know, my cross track got me into my

STI, so, you know, I'm thankful for that.

Yeah.

So before we go too much further into anything else, I have to ask you one

of the most important questions and that's whether you prefer waffles or pancakes.

Oh, so yeah, that's it's, it's a tricky one because I really do like both.

And I'm one of those people where I'll tell you I like something more, but I'll

go to say a different restaurant or something and I'll prefer the other items.

So I think if it's homemade, I prefer pancakes.

But if I go to a diner or a brunch spot, I nine times out of ten, I'll get waffles.

Yeah.

That's actually a really good point because there's like, for me, I like my

homemade pancakes, but there's just one particular restaurant in Fort Worth that

I go to sometimes when I'm up there.

Well, I go every time I'm up there, I go have to go because it's so good, but

they have really, really good pancakes with crispy edges and like the pancakes

are perfect, but, you know, waffles have their place too.

Like I, I've made like a burger with waffles.

I've made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with waffles, you know,

using that as the bread.

So they definitely have their place, but as far as just like straight up eating

something for a breakfast meal, pancakes are my go-to.

Yeah.

A hundred percent.

I feel like most places that you go to when you order pancakes, they're not really

cooked like that well or they're on the lighter side.

And I'm the same way.

I want mine.

You know, a little bit toasted on the top, crispy edges, very, very nice.

But then waffles, you know, you can make things out of it, you know, chicken

and waffles, you make a chicken and waffle, you know, sandwich that is awesome.

And, you know, I don't know.

It's definitely weird, but I don't, you know, I love breakfast foods, you know,

that's, that's definitely my top thing that I can always eat, you know, to the

day, like we're very big on, you know, breakfast for dinner here.

So it's always, it's always so nice to have that.

But yeah, if I'm at home, a hundred percent pancakes.

And then if I'm out waffles all day.

Yeah.

I actually had breakfast for dinner the other night.

So it was nice.

Yeah.

So like, I guess, why do you own a Subaru?

Like why drive a Subaru and not some other car?

So, I mean, there's a lot of reasons pretty much it started back in high school

when me and my friends really, really started to get into cars.

I was very big on, well, me and my friends were very big on watching a lot

of videos of, you know, YouTube and like cars and JDM cars back then.

And there was always videos that crossed.

And it was like, oh, WX STI best, you know, sounding, you know, videos.

And it's just like a bunch of videos put together of WX's and STI's.

And I was just so drawn to it.

So I always said to myself, you know, I'm gonna, I'm gonna own an STI one day.

And then my first Subaru was a 2008 Devereux hatchback, which was in 2016.

I miss those hatchbacks.

Yeah, man, it was awesome.

It was had no miles on it.

But, you know, unfortunately, it did give me a bunch of issues.

Nothing, you know, engine wise, you know, there was a problem with the

spot welds on the firewall and the previous owner tried fixing it himself.

It went to Subaru for like seven months.

I got it back.

It re-broke the same day.

So then I, yeah, yeah, two weeks later, I sold it.

And then that's how I got into my cross track.

But yeah, I mean, Subaru's, they, they have such a good reputation, you know,

of obviously the all wheel drive up here in New York, you really need it.

Oh, yeah.

I've never, ever have gotten stuck in the snow, even when I was on summer tires.

You know, it's definitely not ideal.

Yeah, there's, there was some times where, you know, I would drive to work

and I was still on my summer wheels and I didn't change over to my winter tires

yet and, you know, it's sketchy, but it worked.

They look good, you know, I, I'm not very a materialistic type of person.

I like basic kind of stuff.

So my, you know, my WX, the interior was cheap plastic.

It was, it was boring, but it was so simple at the same time.

And it was perfect for it.

Sometimes that's the best though, you know, and it's just simple and you don't

have all these, everything's electronic and you have more analog stuff

that that's what I like about my Cross Trek, because I have a 21

and it's a base model and it's a manual and it still has a lot of, you know,

analog stuff like the screen, the infotainment screen isn't that big.

You know, it's not anything fancy, but, you know, I like the car for what it is.

Just, you know, a driving experience.

Exactly, you know, my same thing with my Cross Trek.

It was, you know, 2018 premium, but it was a manual, you know, had the heated

seats, but it was still very, very basic and I couldn't complain at all.

And even with my STI, when I used to daily drive it, when I first got it,

it was same thing.

It was simple.

It had everything I needed on the interior, you know, heated seats.

They had Apple CarPlay and I just, I was so comfortable.

And also, like, you know, overall, Supras are, you know, they're super,

super safe cars.

I, I 100% feel like I do not have to ever, ever worry if, you know, one day,

if I ever got into a car accident, I know I would 100% walk away with it, you know,

no matter how severe it is.

And, you know, that was, that was one thing that was always on my mind,

especially, you know, growing up and then my parents are like, well, you know,

we need to save car and I was like, oh, but like, you know, WX and STI,

like it's a cool car, but it's still really, really safe.

So, you know, it was a lot of, you know, convincing to do, but I mean,

and personally, I think they're very reliable.

You know, I, I know there's a lot of speculation on the internet with people

who say WXs and STIs are not reliable.

My STI, you know, I've been, you know, full bolt on for a little over two

years now and not a single issue.

And I've never had any issues, you know, mechanical wise with any of my

Subaru's, but you know, like my WX, yeah, that was, that was a different type

of issue, but still, you know, I, I know I can get into my car every single

time and it's going to turn on.

It's going to do it, you know, what I built it to do, even when it was stock,

you know, I, I really am just so happy.

And the brand itself, you know, I think I love how they promote

and they make you feel welcomed.

I feel like there's a lot of brands out there who try to do that, but they

don't do a good job or they kind of pretend to act that way, to get you

in as a customer.

But every Subaru event I've been to, um, every Subaru, like adoption event

also, you know, I've gone to like, it's so nice to see a brand that does things

like that and really is like, okay, this is a good brand, even outside

of their products that, that want you around.

So there's a, there's a lot of connections of, you know, like that product

itself and then the people that, you know, work for Subaru and, you know, what

they do, it just really makes me feel at home.

Yeah, definitely.

And it's just, uh, I mean, it's such a good community that, you know, among

the people, but then yeah, having the support from Subaru of America and the

people there, because like everybody I've dealt with there has been like really,

really great.

And then like you said, with the events, you know, I mean, there's just,

there's so many different events that they do to get people involved with the

community and, you know, they like embrace the community that has been

created by, you know, from Subaru owners.

And then they, you know, they support all these athletes, these drivers and stuff

and include everybody in that too, which is really, really cool.

Yeah.

It's, it's nice.

And, you know, even though we don't really have the ambassador program

anymore, and I hope one day that comes back around, that was really nice because

there was always events, you know, on the, on the Subaru ambassador app that you

can look at, go to.

And so you can definitely tell that it was a brand that was really, really

trying to stay connected with their customers or, you know, potential

customers.

And yeah, like I said, I just, I always felt at home, you know, I always felt

like this is natural, you know, this is so, so loving, so giving, so caring.

And honestly, like I don't really see myself going to any other brands.

Yeah.

And then you mentioned safety earlier and it was just, it made me think of this

episode that I recorded with this guy way, way back early in the early days of

the podcast, but he had a forester and I think he had been working like, he

worked at a hospital and worked at a really late shift and he was driving

home and he was just like really tired and fell asleep.

I think, I think that's what happened.

He fell asleep at the wheel and he launched his forester off this like

small cliff and tumbled over end to end, like, I think like five times or

something like that.

And he survived it.

Like, I think he was actually mostly okay.

And his wife was like, okay, that's it.

You're not getting any other car.

You're getting another Subaru, you're getting another forester.

Like you don't have any options.

You don't have any say in it.

And, but, but yeah, I mean, so many, unfortunately you see accidents that

people are posting on online, but they're all okay.

Yeah.

I mean, that, that's really unfortunate.

And, you know, thankfully he walked away and, but that, that really is, you

know, a staple for a lot of people, especially if you have a family, you

have kids and, you know, you want to keep them safe.

That actually also reminds me there is this girl I saw on Instagram about a

year or so ago and she made a big post because she had a cross track and she

lived in New Jersey, I believe it was.

And she got into a really, really bad accident.

Her, her cross track was literally mangled.

It was twisted.

I forget exactly what happened.

And she posted pictures of herself and she was perfectly fine.

And she made this whole like, you know, thank you post, you know, I love you

Subaru, like all this and that for keeping me safe.

And, you know, I understand maybe Subaru's aren't for everyone.

And maybe a lot of people don't find them appealing.

But, you know, I think there's a lot of other pieces to it that should make it

stand out, you know, as to why you should get one.

And, you know, Subaru, I feel like their reliability has, you know, as well as

continuing to go up over the years, you know, and I feel like it's not really a

wrong choice anymore, you know.

Yeah.

And yeah, I think a lot of people, yeah, like people like them for various

reasons for, you know, for the people that do like them.

And, you know, one thing is kind of that they're, they're funky looking, you

know, they're not like other cars.

I think that's part of the appeal to them.

But then I know safety really is a big part of it.

And, and it's like, for me, I didn't even buy it because like, I didn't buy

my cross track because I was like, oh, I really want a safe car.

I didn't really know that much about Subaru's at all.

I bought my cross track because I thought it looked cool and it was a manual.

And I wanted the ability to go off road.

Like that would, those were the three reasons I bought mine.

So for me, safety didn't even come into it because I didn't really know about

that at the time.

It wasn't until I started doing the podcast and, you know, and just getting

more into the community that I found out, like, oh, these cars are actually

safe and really good.

Yeah, no.

And I ended up in my cross track.

I wasn't even supposed to have my cross track.

I was, I put a down payment on a 2018 World Rally Blue Dept.

Rex and unfortunately, I kind of got screwed over at that deal and I

somehow got pushed into a cross track and I wasn't happy at all.

Honestly.

So was it like the salesperson that was like, hey, well, we've got this cross

track instead?

Yeah.

It was, it was very shady.

I was very, like, not happy at the time.

And, you know, I really didn't get any clear answers as to why it happened.

And, you know, I, we already went through the process.

They bought my WX, so I couldn't like really go backwards.

And so, yeah, it was, it was not, it was not a good situation.

And I guess that I really wasn't happy at all, but I did enjoy my cross track.

I did a lot of things with it, a lot of adventures.

And it still got me to my STI, you know, four years later.

So, yeah, at the end, I, you know, I upgraded and I got something that I

really, really wanted.

So, you know, it definitely paid off in the end.

Yeah, because I was, you know, when you mentioned earlier that you'd gotten

into a cross track, I was thinking like, how did you go from a WRX wagon

into a cross track because it's like two completely different camps.

But I guess it's like, you weren't looking for a cross track, but you were

kind of pushed into one, but then you ended up enjoying it.

So like, what kind of things were you doing with your cross track that made

it enjoyable for you other than it being a manual, which is really cool.

So I, up here in New York, you can get the beach permit.

So I got the beach permit and I did that frequently, pretty much every weekend

in the summer, I was on the beach and, you know, it's technically quote-unquote

for fishing, but I didn't do any fishing.

It was more so just hanging out on the beach, which was an awesome experience.

There was a couple of groups up here that I don't think they're together anymore,

but we always went off-roading a lot of trails.

We would go very deep out east on the island and they showed me a bunch of,

you know, random spots and it was cool, you know, it was different.

That was, you know, very much I was in two and then I started to, you know,

buy a lot more of the overlanding stuff, you know, I did really big tires

and, you know, method wheels and I made the car look really aggressive.

I never lifted it and I wish I did because it would have been awesome.

Yeah.

And, but yeah, I, it was just so many off-roading adventures.

You know, it really showed me there's so many other things that you can do

that, you know, a WX or SCI can't really do.

And a lot of that I was doing when the car was stopped, you know,

before I even did the tires, I was, I was pushing this car off-roading

with stock tires and I have a bunch of, bunch of pictures from when I was doing

that because no one ever believes me.

I was like, yeah, like I had the, you know, I forget what tires that came on it,

but they were, I think they were Yokohamas and they were like, not great,

Geolander, you know, yeah, yeah, those, the Geolanders.

And it did everything.

I kept up with people that had, you know, lifted outbacks, cross tracks,

foresters and I was just like, whatever, you know, it was, it was great.

It was, it was just a different experience than, you know, coming from a WX

and of course now seeing, you know, STI side of things.

Yeah.

And I mean, like the, the Subaru's that are built to be able to go off-road,

like they're way more capable than people realize a lot of times,

especially if you're, if you're a first time owner or if you're not in the

Subaru community, you know, you own some other type of off-road vehicle and you

see, you know, a Subaru going in some spots that maybe you think they

shouldn't be going or that they're not going to make it.

And then you see them at the end of the trail and like, how did you get here?

That's a Subaru.

It's so funny.

I remember the, one of the first times I took my cross track on the beach and

one of the beaches that I went to, um, that it was like a, kind of like a one

way entrance exit.

It was very narrow and, um, I was with my friend and we were leaving and there

was a Jeep Wrangler and the Jeep Wrangler, it just like, it got stuck.

And I remember it was like looking up and I was, you know, I was gone and I was

like pretty much out the beach and I was laughing.

So I'm like, everyone, you know, praises Jeeps for being amazing and, you know,

off-roading and I'm like, eh, I don't think so.

And sing with my, uh, my brother-in-law.

They're, they're very big into Jeeps and, and everything.

I'm like, eh, I don't really have a great opinion on Jeeps.

And, you know, I know there's definitely a lot of people who love them.

And, you know, they do like the rock crawling and everything.

So there's definitely a little bit of advantage to like Wranglers and

everything versus a cross-track, but people really do underestimate, you know,

like cross-tracks, outbacks, foresters, you know, I understand with the CBT,

that's definitely a big worry for a lot of people.

And, you know, but if you, if you do like mild off-roading or even just going

on the beach to, you know, hang out, you're, you can, you can do it, you know, no problem.

Yeah.

There's a lot of people up in the, uh, P and W and Colorado and California and

other places that have CVTs and they end up getting like this, the, uh, coolers to,

you know, check their temperatures and stuff like that.

But, I mean, even with the CVTs, there's a lot of people that are pushing

them pretty hard and doing some pretty crazy things.

And, uh, but, you know, it's just the, the fact that you can do those things.

And in a Subaru where other people think that you probably shouldn't or wouldn't

be able to, it's pretty cool to see that going on out there.

Yeah.

And, and it's off-roading.

There's always going to be a risk, right?

You're, there's always going to be a risk of you getting, you know, breaking

something or getting stuck.

So, you know, I feel like people look at Subaru's and yeah, maybe they don't

have the highest ground clearance, but if you do wheels, tires in a small lift,

you're like, you're solid, you can go anywhere.

You know, of course, if you're going to do anything extreme, make sure you have

the skid plates underneath so you don't damage, you know, your oil pan, your

transmission or the differ or whatever, but they, they can really, really do a

lot and it's, it's very, very fascinating.

There was so many people that I went off-roading with that had CVTs and they

were, they were perfectly fine and they hadn't, you know, 150 plus thousand

miles on their cars.

Yeah.

You mentioned earlier, um, the, you know, wanting to get a lift and like, I

don't have a lift with mine either just mainly because I don't need one where I'm

at and, you know, there's no justification to spend the money, but a lifted

cross-track just looks so good.

So, oh yeah, one of these days, one of these days, if I just have like excess

money that I don't, you know, I need to figure out what to do with, I might get

a lift, but, uh, yeah, they look, they look so good.

Yeah.

Even if you don't do anything crazy, you know, you do new shocks and springs and

like the top hat spacer, Carl is going to look a lot better and it gives you

you know, just a little bit of extra peace of mind of like, okay, I can, I can

push it a little bit more.

I don't have to really worry.

And like I said, I didn't have a lift on mine and I did fantastic.

I think I really wanted the lift just to say I lifted a car and, you know, it's

in like overall, it just, it looks cool, you know, yeah, especially if you do

like the yellow Bilsteins and you see the yellow shock behind the wheel, like it

just, it looks so cool.

That is definitely nice.

Uh, so what brought you from being in your cross track to now getting into your

STI, because you said you had the cross track for four years and then, yeah, and

then you got into the STI and I know you mentioned earlier that, you know, when

you were a teenager, like, you're like, Oh, one of these days, I'm going to own

an STI is that, is that like part of what got you into one?

Cause it's like, now I can get this dream car.

Yeah.

I mean, pretty much so when I, you know, I kind of got pushed into the cross

track and I told myself, I'm going to continue to save up and I'm going to make

sure I can do the right thing over the next couple of years.

So I can, I can know I can actually get an STI because I always, always wanted one.

And there was a lot of back and forth of, okay, I'm going to get rid of this cross

track.

Let me get an older STI, but I was like, man, I don't know if I really want to do

that.

I don't really want someone's headache.

You know, so like I said, I just kept saving and I kept it for the next couple

of years and then 2020 rolled around and I got my STI April of 2020.

So right before COVID hit and perfect.

I know it's been, yeah, it's been almost six years.

So, you know, I'm never getting rid of it.

And then so like, what year is it?

It's a 2020.

Oh, it is a 2020.

Okay.

Yeah.

I couldn't remember when they stopped making the STI as well as asking.

Yeah, it was 2021 was the last year.

Gotcha.

Yeah.

So, so what was that feeling like, you know, you're, you're finally getting your

STI, of course you have to say goodbye to the cross track, which I know you said

that you miss it to this day.

But yeah, what was that feeling like going from, you know, your cross track and

then into the STI and being like, okay, now, now I have it.

So it was, it was a weird day.

So like I said, it was right before COVID and everyone was very, very like scared

to be around people.

I remember the, you know, the STI, it was in the parking lot, the sales guy came over.

He had all the paperwork already done and we did it in a trunk of my cross track.

He was like, just sign a couple of things.

He was like, read over whatever you want to read over to make sure you're good.

You know, and that was it.

And it literally was a 30 second transaction.

You know, so I was with my sister and I remember I was driving home.

And I just remember I kept saying, I was like, this doesn't feel real.

You know, it didn't feel real at all.

And it was, it was such an, like, it was an insane experience.

Even to this day, sometimes it doesn't feel real.

And like, I can't believe I have, you know, a car that I always wanted.

And granted, I never really wanted like a specific year or like, you know, body style.

So I'm pretty happy, you know, with whatever or what, what I could have

gotten, I should say, but you just wanted an SDI.

Yeah, I was like, I need to have an SDI.

And I did want another hatchback outside.

I do really love the hatchbacks.

Dude, yeah, that's so nice.

They're perfect, you know, but I was like, I already did it.

You know, why, why would I go back and do it again?

You know, I was like, sure, maybe I can find something that's nicer and cleaner.

But again, I didn't really want that.

And especially with COVID, you know, around and I was working so much.

I needed, you know, a brand new car.

And, you know, it was kind of, it was kind of a nice treat to myself anyway.

Yeah.

So what was that feeling like to getting into a car again that has more power

than a cross track?

Oh, man, it was, it was a world of a difference.

So, you know, for the first thousand miles, I didn't get on and I broke it in.

And then once I broke it in, I did the first oil change.

And by then I had a muffler delete.

That was like the first mod I ever did to that car.

So it completely changed the whole experience of that car.

I'm like, wow, I can really, you know, like see how this car feels, you know.

And at the time it felt so fast, you know, I was like, this is, this is crazy.

This is the fastest car I've ever owned.

And, you know, like it was just, it's so, it was so different.

And, you know, that feeling has last, well, it lasted for many years, you know,

like just having it and it like feeling that power, like, you know, like you said,

from the cross track, literally double the power is, you know, it's insane.

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

It's I've driven some, some faster cars than my cross track.

I've driven an STI that's boosted.

I drove a WRX that was boosted.

And like that when I drove the STI, I was with this guy, his name's Jay.

He goes by audio file on Instagram.

And where we were at, there was a lot of cars on the road.

So I wasn't able to get on it too much, but there's a guy here in Houston

that he, he now has a cross track wilderness, but he had the WRX that was boosted.

And I drove it once and it was pretty fast.

And he did some more stuff to it to make it even faster.

And he's like, you got to come drive it whenever it's whenever it's faster.

I'm like, OK, so I did.

And man, that thing was like so nice.

And I'm glad I got to drive it again before we got the cross track.

And then I've driven a, I think it was a legacy wagon GT.

And that was really nice too.

But again, on streets where there was a lot of traffic, so I didn't really,

I wasn't really able, wasn't really able to get on it too much, but still fun.

Yeah, that's, you know, you don't really get to experience it.

But even just the initial driving experience, you can tell, you know,

the power band and even to the state, like I said, I went full bolt on and,

you know, bigger turbo with my STI, I really still haven't pushed the car,

you know, to the full potential of the power that we made with the car.

So, you know, I know there's there's definitely more for me to experience with it.

But they're great cars.

If you, you know, you take care of them and, you know, you do what you're supposed to do.

I think it's their hands down, one of the, you know, the best cars that you can own.

Yeah. So with my limited knowledge and their people listening,

especially on the off road side may may not know it either.

But I know a lot of people do.

But what do you mean by full bolt on?

So full bolt on is pretty much anything that you can, you know, you can do.

So, you know, bigger turbo, you know, change the intercooler intake, the turbo inlet,

you know, all your fueling mods.

So it's just it's just like a term people use thing.

Oh, I went full bolt on.

So you're everything that you can touch that's bolt on,

but you can change without really like pulling the motor.

That's got to pretty much what you mean.

Okay. Yeah.

I figured that's probably what it was, but I didn't want to, you know,

you know, you always be like, this may be a stupid question, but

a stupid question.

So like, you know, looking at your account,

you can see that you've done quite a bit to it.

You said that the first mod you did was a muffler delete.

Yeah. But like, did you when you bought it,

were you intending initially to do modifications?

And did you have any idea that you would be where you're at now,

you know, when you first got it?

So when I first bought it, I knew I wanted to mod it.

I knew I was going to lower it through wheels and tires.

I've had multiple sets of wheels over the years.

And then I started doing, you know, the OEM plus.

So I was buying a lot of the JDM parts that we can't get here in America.

And that lasted from, I would say, 2021, probably up until

end of 24, when I knew I was going to start

piecing up the Varis kit, which is the front bumper, the fenders

and the side skirts that I have currently on the car.

I'm just missing the rear bumper.

And if you want to do the wing in the hood, but no, it was the car

was never supposed to be what it is today.

And even, even power wise, I never had, you know, the intentions

to do this type of stuff.

And there was things that I want to do.

Like it was tuned pretty much since the first, like first, when I broke it in,

I remember I bought an Axis port and, you know, I got my first e-tune with the car.

So it's been pretty much tuned for five, six years now.

OK. But overall, like everything else yet.

No, like I didn't expect it to to look that way and, you know, really

change it up. And the main reason why I started changing up like

aesthetics wise is because I, like I said, I was doing all the OEM plus

stuff and I really loved it.

I loved how it looked, but I just, I wanted something different.

And I'm very, I'm a very, you know, like indecisive, picky type of person.

And I get bored easily.

So so I, as much as I love something or how something looks, I'm like, meh,

like I don't like it anymore.

And this is like, I need to do something and it keeps me busy anyway.

You know, just constantly changing things or how to make things better.

And, you know, like I said, just changing it up.

And like it feels like a new car every time.

Yeah. Is that why you've had several sets of wheels?

Yeah. Yeah.

So I, I, I just get bored.

I changed up the wheels so many times.

I changed the stance on the car, you know, I just kept going lower and lower.

And I just, I wanted to change it up, you know, it really wheels.

I feel like it's the biggest thing that really, really changes how a car looks.

Oh, yeah.

You can do the same wheel with different colors and the car looks nothing

the same anymore.

Yeah. So I got, so when I bought my car, of course, I had the OEM wheels

and then I ended up buying some, like off-road wheels.

And then I got sponsored by Ryka.

They sponsored the podcast.

They gave me a set of wheels and for the first, I would say for like the first week

or so whenever I would walk out to my car, I was always like surprised

seeing the new wheels on my car because I was so used to seeing the other ones

that like, it's like I knew I had the new wheels, but every time I would walk up

to my car, I'm like, oh, yeah, I have these wheels now and they look so good.

And, you know, like for me with the wheels that I have now, though, like one,

because they were gifted to me by the brand, I'm going to keep them.

But two, I just, I love the way they look so much that it would be hard

to change them up and go away from what I have.

But, but yeah, I mean, wheels can definitely and it's, it's crazy

that just something like that can totally change the look of your car.

Yeah. And, you know, I totally understand, you know, if you're given something,

one, of course, you really appreciate it.

So you kind of feel bad if you got rid of it, you kind of get something

and then you completely fall in love with it.

If you're happy, you're happy and that's all that matters.

And maybe one day you'll just get a random thought and it's like,

like maybe I'll change this up, you know, and maybe, and if I don't like it,

I don't like it, then you sell it.

But a lot of people are like that.

You know, I know a lot of my friends are like that too.

But for me, you know, I'm just, you know, I'm just like I said, I'm very,

very picky and, you know, I just, I just like to change things.

And, you know, there's things that I've always regretted.

It's like, oh, I wish I never did this or that.

But, you know, it's just part of the process, you know.

Yeah. The other thing too is like each of these builds are all our own.

So whatever we decide to do is, you know, our decision and it's, you know,

it's whatever makes us happy.

And it's these cars are also really a good way for us to express ourselves.

Cause like for me, I've never really liked attention much.

But with my car, I'm like, if I'm driving through somewhere and people

are looking at it, I'm like, yeah, you can look at it.

It's okay. I know it looks.

Yeah. I'm the same way, you know, I, I really don't like attention.

And it's kind of, it doesn't make sense because if you're like, oh, well,

you know, you have a large following, you know, you, you, you talk to so many people,

it doesn't make sense.

I'm like, well, it's cause it's kind of different, you know, I don't like attention,

but I, I like to inspire people, you know, I like to help out people.

If you, if you want your car to look a certain way or, you know,

or just be an influence, I guess you can say, but yeah, your car definitely

expresses yourself and, you know, who you are as a person.

And sometimes it grabs a, you know, a lot of attention and, you know,

there's, there's really nothing you can do about that because people,

whether it's a positive or negative thing they like to say, you know,

you're, you're going to get feedback and, and how you take it is, well,

that, you know, that's kind of on you. Yeah. That's, that's you and your personality.

You know, if you, if you, if someone says something positive and you're like,

oh, thank you. And it's like, well, that guy wasn't really too nice about it.

Well, sometimes people are just very quiet and shy, you know,

doesn't mean they don't appreciate it,

but sometimes they just don't really know how to like respond.

Yeah. With the tuner community, is there a lot of support as far as like,

let's say you're wanting to do something to your car and then, you know,

are there people that you can reach out to that are very willing to help you

and support you and help you along the journey of building out your,

your car the way that you want it to be?

So I'm going to say yes to note to that.

There, there definitely is a lot of people who are super nice and they will have

endless conversations with you and guide you,

but then there's also a lot of people who do not care and they're like

figure it out yourself. And, you know,

it's like it's hard to say because that kind of just shows how

they are as a person as a whole. Yeah. And, you know,

I've been very, you know,

thankful and lucky that I've met some really good people who have really,

really helped me. And, you know,

even when I started doing the build on my car, you know,

consistently asking them questions to make sure I was doing things right.

And, you know, I also learned myself, you know,

going on with the process, but, you know,

I'm sure you've seen on Facebook groups,

there's people who are not so nice and, you know,

they'll always rag on you and, you know, saving things. And again,

that kind of circles back to what we just said, you know, it's just, it's,

it's like, you know, people, people are like that.

And there's nothing you can do that's going to change them.

And, you know, exactly, you know, it's the internet is a huge place.

You're, you're going to talk to thousands and thousands and thousands of people.

And, you know, you're going to get comments that you don't like. But yeah,

I mean, overall, I guess I can say I've,

I've had a pretty good experience. I definitely have had some sour apples.

But overall, you know, like I said,

I've been thankful and lucky of the people who've,

who've helped me with, you know, a lot of things on my car.

And I try to do the same thing back, you know, a lot of people,

like I'll get messages on Instagram and sometimes I don't see them because they

go into my requests and people like get mad at that and I'll respond.

I'm like, I'm sorry. I'm like, it went into my request. I didn't get a notification.

You know, I didn't mean to not answer you. And then, you know,

especially if you do that and you end up being mean, I'm like, well,

I really don't want to help, you know, because you weren't, you weren't so nice.

Like I'm trying to apologize, but, you know, I'm like, I'm sorry, you know,

it's not my, my intentions. So I try to, you know,

take what I know and pass it down to a lot of people to like, Hey, like,

yeah, like no, I'm not the biggest, I don't have the biggest Instagram page,

but you know, I have a good following and I definitely want to take what I know

and the help I've gotten over the years and do the same for you guys.

Yeah. And I think as long as you can find people that are willing to help,

you know, that's, that's the important part because if you come across some

people that are like, no, I don't know, you can figure it out yourself.

I'm not going to help you out.

You are going to find people that are willing to help out. And, and I know it's

like that, you know, on both sides, it's on the, on the off-road and

overlanding side of things. It's, you don't come across that as much.

You get more, the majority of people are very, very willing to help and

are very excited to just for the fact that you even own a Subaru,

because there's been so many people that have been on a podcast that bought a

Subaru and got invited to a meet and they have no mods and they're very

nervous and anxious and kind of scared to go to a meet up with people that have a

ton of mods on their cars and they get there and everybody's just,

they find out that people are excited that they're just there.

Hey, what do you want to do with it? What are your plans with it and stuff like

that? And so there's a lot of support in, in that aspect.

And I think that's really, really nice.

Yeah, I don't, I remember really much from like those days, like I, like I said,

there was a few groups on Long Island that I was involved with and they were

pretty cool people. You know, I wasn't like, they weren't like my best friends,

but they were very good people that I loved hanging out with. And, you know,

I did Subaru things with and you'll have to, people have to remember that you

were also that person that had a brand new car with nothing to it.

Like when I first got my STI, even though COVID was happening and everything,

I still went to meet and everything. I was like, I don't care, you know,

if it's stock, I was like, I got my, one of my dream cars and I'm going to

enjoy it. And that's really it. And, you know, people don't like that.

They're like, oh, like look at this stock STI is like, dude, like your car one day,

like I said, it was stock. It was also, you know, nothing.

So, you know, just let, just let someone enjoy their time. You know,

if you don't like it, whatever, just, just move on. Like we're all adults here.

Yeah. So looking at your car, especially on the exterior,

because that's the most obvious part, like what all have you switched out?

Because I'm looking at it on Instagram right now and there's obviously some

body parts that have gone on to it. So like,

what all have you done to it that's, that's not stock anymore?

So pretty much all of it.

The whole new car.

Yeah. So like I was saying, the, the front bumper, the fenders, the side skirts,

and then the rear diffuser, that's all the, the various rising two kit.

So the only thing I'm missing from that kit, like I said, is the rear bumper.

And then if I decided to do the hood and the wing, so I have that the mirrors are

the OEM JDM Chevy red mirrors that I've had for, I don't know,

probably five years now when I started doing the OEM plus build.

I have the JDM side view camera.

I'm trying to think what else I have the STI trunk garnish, the APR

backing plate, the OEM Garni flap on the wing.

And it's pretty much, pretty much it, it definitely looked or sounded like a lot

more when I had the stock bumper.

So I was like, oh, I had the STI lip, the STI cherry skirt lip, the STI canard.

So there's definitely more.

And then of course, the various parts, you know, they're kind of their own thing.

So there's, there's still a tie of the OEM parts first and now the various parts.

So I kind of kept it and, you know, I tried my best to, you know,

tie it into the other.

Yeah. Yeah.

Do you still have the original doors?

Yes. Yes.

No, it looks really good.

And I like the red and white and black theme that looks really nice too.

Because it looks, it looks clean.

You know, there's not like a lot of distracting things with it.

You know, it's, and like, I think like a car that just kind of has a clean look

is just really nice because it's not like overbearing, you know, it's kind of,

you know, like the front is definitely different, but it looks really nice.

It's just like it's a very sporty stuff.

Yeah, you're welcome.

But it's so like with all of these exterior body parts and stuff, are these

things that you put on yourself?

Or is it something you had like a friend help out with or shop?

How did that process go?

So I'm, I'm very good friends with a body shop up here.

So they did all the work.

They did the paint, they did the fitting, and they did all the, you know,

exterior, like the fiberglass pieces.

So the front bumper, the fenders, the side skirts and, you know, when they painted,

they, they blended from the driver's side and passenger side front doors forward.

And, you know, they blended everything in together.

So that's, that's pretty much it.

But, you know, my friends, I was, you know, very thankful.

They helped me with a lot of stuff.

And I started doing all the mods in the, you know, the engine bay.

And of course, there was a lot of things that, you know, I did myself, but I've had

a lot of helping hands on this build, which, you know, I'm very thankful for.

Yeah.

So as far as like the interior, like not the engine compartment, but like the cabin,

what have you done inside or have you done anything in there?

Yeah.

So, I mean, it's, it's pretty much stock.

The only thing I have is, you know, of course, the access port on the dashboard.

I have the eye doing head unit.

I have the OEM S209 cherry red interior term on the dash.

I have, you know, the Alcatara shift boot and e-brake.

I have the stock seats and then, you know, my AFR gauge, my oil pressure and oil

tap gauge, and that's it.

I really want to do seats, but, you know, the OEM seats are Rikaros and they're heated.

So it's kind of like, do I really want to get rid of that right now?

Yeah, it's pretty nice.

Yeah.

So it's, it's, it's pretty, you know, simple and stock in there.

In the backseat, I have about seven or eight, maybe nine of the JDM STI teddy bears

that they release every year.

Oh, that's cool.

And they're all buckled in.

That's cool.

It's so funny every time I see them.

Nice.

So what all have you done under the hood?

Cause I'm looking at some pictures and there's obvious modifications and upgrades,

which look really nice.

I like the, the hot pink or whatever on there.

It looks good.

So that's the OEM cherry pink STI color that I did on the, on the intercooler piping,

which I also did on my suspension underneath the car.

But I, so I'm, I'm very close with Grim Speed and they helped me with that build.

So about 99% of it is Grim Speed parts.

So I did their front mount, their JB 400 turbo, their intake, their boost controller.

I have their V2 Jesse downpipe.

I have the killer B hard inlet, cob injectors, cob fuel pressure regulator.

Um, I have a tile external waste gate, tile blow off valve, the PLM uppipe.

And, and, and I think I said the, yeah, the Grim Speed front now.

So it's, it's a pretty simple setup, you know, nothing crazy.

It looks like a lot, but it's not, you know, it's not, it's not too much.

I kept it, yeah, very, very simple and it's been like that for about two years now.

Are you planning to do more to that?

Yeah.

So I'm, I'm hoping, you know, this year I'll finish up.

Cause I want to start piecing together all the extra fuel parts so I can do a flex

fuel tune, you know, I need to get bigger injectors.

Um, and I, the flex, the whole flex fuel center kit, which is not, not cheap, I should

say, um, and then I have to retune.

So I'm hoping to do that.

But as of right now, I kind of want to keep it as is, you know, in the future, I

definitely want to pull the motor and aim for about 650, 700, um, horsepower on a

rotated kit.

So, but that's, yes, it's going to be, it's going to be sick, but you know, the

block alone is going to be $14,000, $15,000, you know?

Yeah.

So on top of the turbo kit and then, you know, any fabrication work and, and what

not, so that's the, you know, a future plan, you know, right now the car is flawless.

There is no issues with it.

Um, you know, knock on wood and I'm just, I'm still really enjoying it.

So I don't want to push myself there yet.

Like I need to, I need to do this.

I need to aim for that, you know, that higher number, but, you know, like I said,

that's definitely a place where I want to be eventually.

Yeah.

And one of the things that's really cool about your car too, is that it was featured

in the Subi mods mod report number four.

And so Subi mods has been a sponsor of the podcast for a while.

And I've got a really good relationship with Nick and Ryan.

And, uh, so they kind of, they got me connected with you, told me that you were

in the mod report.

And so, uh, what has been your experience like working with Subi mods?

Cause I know that you've gotten some parts from them.

I know that they don't make any parts.

They're just a distributor for parts.

So like, how did you get connected with them?

And then like, what has been your experience, you know, working with them

and like, what, what parts have you gotten from them?

So I've, I've known Subi mods for a long time now.

And, you know, just over the years, I've, you know, I've bought a bunch of things

from them and it was either, it was either January or December of the following year.

Um, though probably I should say, I got a message on the Instagram and it was like,

Hey, dot, dot, dot.

And I was, I was like, um, I'm like really nervous to, to open this.

And then I opened it and I was like, Hey, what's up?

And then I believe it was Ryan who messaged me.

He was like, we, you know, we love your car.

We would love for you to come out and, you know, we can plan something and you

could be a future, a feature in our mod report magazine.

And I was like, okay, like this, this is really cool.

Like, that is an awesome, awesome, you know, experience and, you know, for them

to ask me, um, Brian's amazing.

You know, I actually love Ryan.

I've, I've met him, you know, quite a few times prior to that, you know, my friend

James up here with his Subaru dealership, uh, we do a show every year and Nick

and Ryan them or actually came down and then they had a booth there.

So that's when I kind of like the first time I met Ryan personally and I knew

Nick for, you know, a little while prior to that.

But, um, yeah, no, it was a great experience.

It really, really was to, to even have that opportunity.

Like I said, at first I was, I was really nervous because it was super random.

And I was like, this is going to go one of two ways.

Like they, like something either happens and they like, I don't know.

Like, I don't know.

Like it was just super weird.

But overall, you know, I think Sui mods is, you know, it's a great company.

Of course.

Yeah.

Like you said, they don't manufacture their own parts and they just sell.

But, you know, the, the people there are, are fantastic.

And of course they are one of the sponsors of, you know, Sui Fest and

Wicked Big Meet and everything.

So they're very involved in the community.

So I've, I've known them, you know, even just from that, even prior when I, before

I even physically met them.

So I know they have a very, very good, you know, reputation in the Subaru community.

Yeah.

And you can, if you've been to any of the Sui events in the past couple of years or

so, they've got a huge display there and a big presence and they've got like the

all Subaru car show.

And so they have, like you said, a really big presence in the community and

they've done a lot of really great things.

And yeah, they're just, they're great guys.

It's been, it's been nice to be able to work with them and just, you know, get to

know them more.

So you, you said you've been dealing with them for a while.

So like, were you dealing with them before your STI or since you bought your STI?

Yeah.

So I've pretty much before my STI, I remember, you know, I bought a few things

for, from them for my WX, not a whole lot for my cross track.

Cause honestly, I didn't do much for my cross track, but my cross track, it was,

was actually my first ever award that I won from them at the, at the Wicked

Big Meet for their Suviman show.

So that, that was really cool.

And that's when I kind of, you know, got like my first really experience with

them, you know, when they gave me my certificate in the trophy and, you know,

they introduced themselves to me.

But, you know, I've always seen them pretty much every year because the day

before Wicked Big Meet, they, they host their own, you know, like pre-meet.

So I was always around them.

But then when I really got onto like a more personal level, like I said, is

when they came down here and they had a booth at my, you know, my friend's

dealership for their show.

And then of course, when I spent the whole day with Ryan, when we did pictures

for the mod report.

So where did you all do those photos?

And what was that experience like, you know, having your, your car photographed

for their mod report?

So it was up in Connecticut.

I don't know the exact town we were in.

I remember we met up and, you know, he was telling me, Oh, like,

there's a bunch of spots that I, you know, I'm going to try to go to because,

you know, of course he wanted to do it legit.

He was reaching out to these, you know, these places.

Hey, can we use your property for pictures, blah, blah, blah, this and that.

You know, we'll, we'll hide anything that you guys don't want to want in the pictures.

So we ended up, I believe it was an axe company up in Connecticut.

I don't remember the exact town, like I said, but it was awesome.

It was such a cool experience.

It was, it was really cold and it was like on and off raining that day,

but it really set the mood for the photo shoot.

I don't know if you've ever seen the pictures from it.

Yeah, that building or whatever is in the background looks really cool.

It's like such a perfect backdrop to your, your car since it's white.

Yeah, he was real that it worked out.

He was, you know, he was showing me the pictures and he was like, dude,

like this looks amazing.

I was like, I can't, I can't wait to see.

And, um, yeah, no, it was an awesome day.

And then to have that opportunity of, you know, putting your,

having someone put your car in a magazine, I feel like it's everyone's dream.

Yeah.

You know, it's like, like one day, like I want to be there.

And, you know, it's something that even to this day, when I talk to people,

I'm like, it doesn't, it doesn't feel real or doesn't sound real.

I'm like, no, like my car really was in a magazine.

And, you know, that, that really makes me feel like, okay, you know, I did a good

job, you know, I'm very proud of myself and, you know, things I've done.

And, you know, just, even just the influence to even get there and be recognized,

you know, and there's, there's, you know, dozens and dozens of cars out there

that definitely deserve it.

But, you know, when, when you have, you know, like recognition, it feels amazing.

And, you know, like Ryan made, you know, he made me feel, you know, like so, you

know, so good about the situation and, you know, how nice he was and, you know,

the conversations we had and, and whatnot, it was awesome.

So if anyone ever had the opportunity to, you know, do it or supermodel beach

it out or whatever, like, do not say, no, I remember because that was like, I was

like, oh my God, like I have so much to do.

Like I have to now really be on a time crunch to get my car ready to be exactly

how I want it to be for the pictures.

I remember I ordered like a bunch of new parts.

So everything was fresh and, and looked good.

And I mean, you know, that was when my car just got painted.

So I was like, you guys need to like make sure it's 110% like perfect.

Yeah, it's, it's going into magazine guys.

It's got to look good.

Yeah.

I remember I brought a copy of the magazine to the, to the body shop.

They're like, wow, you weren't kidding.

I was like, no, guys, like I was so serious.

Like, okay, I was not lying.

Yeah.

And I know that from what I've heard, I don't know that they're going to continue

with the paper copy of the mod report, but I think it's just going to be online

from now on, potentially.

But yeah, I remember Ryan was saying that.

And, you know, even, even so, if you, you know, if it's online only you can still

print it, you know, you can, you can have your own physical copy, which is, you know,

still cool, but either way, it's, it's a great experience.

Yeah, it's absolutely awesome.

And I don't think anyone should say no to it, you know, and to really be out there

showcasing, you know, your car and, you know, just be really proud of it.

Yeah.

And then Subi mods too, like they're, I know they have an actual physical shop,

which is really cool.

And they have like so many great products after market products for cars.

So if you need to like build it out, you know, Subi mods is definitely a great

place to go.

And then they have their, I can't remember exactly what it's called, but they have

like a rewards program that you can join.

And, you know, that's got a lot of really great benefits.

But I think that with any company, any business, any brand or service or whatever,

I think the people really, really make it and customer service is also huge.

And, you know, because sometimes it's just dealing with the people themselves is

what makes the whole experience worth it, because you can have like the greatest

product in the world and really crappy people behind it and that are working

there and you don't want to deal with them.

But like everybody is Subi mods.

They're just, I know they work really, really hard.

They, they love what they do.

They're in the community and they do a lot of things for the community and

they're just like such great people.

So, you know, if you're looking for parts for your car, a great place to go.

Yeah.

A hundred percent, you know, they, they, they offer great deals, great customer

service, you know, I'd never had a bad experience with any, any of the guys.

And, you know, this goes, you know, like back before anyone even really knew me

and I was just, you know, I was just mad, you know, I, they didn't know who I

was and whatnot.

I was never treated with disrespect and or felt like, you know, they kind of

brushed me off or they were just trying to make money off a sale.

So, you know, a hundred percent.

I always recommend people, especially, you know, if you are local in Connecticut

or you're an hour or so, I'm going to take the drive.

I'm like, it's a beautiful drive up there.

Anyway, there was so many times even from New York that I went up there and just,

you know, for a weekend and hung out and I went there to the shop and it's,

it's beautiful up there.

It really is.

There's, you know, a lot of, a lot of it that goes into it, you know, with the

people, besides the people, I should say that make the experience, you know,

so much better.

Yeah.

You said you were a booth car that dealership event that one time.

Have you, have your car been in a booth at like any of the Subi events?

Yeah.

So 2023, I think was my first time.

My, my friend who is friends of a shop that's local to me, Crown Speed Levin in

Queens, they're very big with Raze and Yokohama and all them and Mac

Industries.

So they're like, he needs a booth car for Raze.

And I was like, oh, okay, cool.

So that was my first time ever being a booth car, which was an unreal experience.

Honestly, it really was to, to have that opportunity to be on display with a

brand that, you know, I've been running for a few years was awesome.

And, you know, the people from Raze Japan and then Mac Industries in

California meeting them, you know, was awesome.

They were amazing people.

And of course, you know, my friends at Crown Speed Lab, they are also awesome too.

And then that was when I started getting my like more involved with

GrimSpeed, I should say, and we kind of were setting up like, okay, we're going

to help you with your build for the next year.

So then that you can be a booth car and display the GrimSpeed products at the

booth.

Very nice.

So that was 2024.

Now it was a booth car for them.

Which event was this at?

Wicked Big Meet.

Okay, gotcha.

Yeah.

So then it was 2024.

I was with them.

And then again, last year, 2025.

And then again, this year, I'll be with them at the booth.

Very nice.

Have you.

Yes.

So it's a good experience.

Have you been to any of the other Subi events or just Wicked Big Meet?

Just Wicked Big Meet.

I was supposed to go to Boxer Fest last year, but unfortunately I couldn't make

it, which I was really upset because I was pushing so hard to go because I

really want, I always want to go.

And I said that to Ryan, I was like, I'd never, I'd never been.

And I know it's a smaller event, but it was like the vibes are, you know,

different, just like everything about is different.

So even though it just is smaller, it feels completely different, which

makes up for it.

So, um, no, I've never been to any of the other events, but I definitely would

like to go to Boxer Fest this year.

And I have a couple of friends who live in California and I would love to fly out

there and, you know, hang out with Grimspeed at Subi Fest over there.

I've been to Boxer Fest.

I went to Boxer Fest in 2021 because SOA invited me out there.

And I've been to Subi Fest, California, but I have not been to Wicked Big Meet.

And so many people have been wanting me to come up there.

So I'm hoping some year I'm going to make it happen.

Like the first, I think like the first three years of me doing the podcast,

the Wicked Big Meet fell on the weekend of my girlfriend's birthday.

So I'm like, I should probably go to my girlfriend's house.

I mean, that was like my priority anyway.

It wasn't like her saying like, you can't go because it's my birthday.

Like that was my choice to go spend time with her.

But yeah, just being her alone is fine.

Yeah. But at some point I would like to make it up there

because I've heard it's it's a really cool event.

It is awesome.

It really, really is.

A lot of people who, you know, I've been going since 2017 every single year.

And a lot of people are like, oh, it's boring, it's repetitive.

I was like, yeah, but you can sit up for any other car show.

Like if you go to a car show every year, yeah, you're going to a Subaru specific

car show. Yeah, you're going to see a lot of technically the same stuff.

But I was like, there's a lot of things that they do that, you know,

you can get involved with and entertain yourself, you know.

And it also isn't really the same because there's always different booth cars

and, you know, different cars in the car show.

And I love it.

Like I look forward to it every single year because like one is something to do.

Two, I love it, you know, and seeing a bunch of people that I know.

And three, the drive, it is beautiful.

Yeah, it's also one of those things, too, where even if the the majority

of the things are the same at the event, it's one of those things, too,

where it might be one of the only times that you get to see a lot of people

that you've connected with online, you know, because and then because you're

going to have people come in from all over the place there, you know,

come into the event, but just being there with people is like one of the best

parts of it, you know, in addition to seeing all the really cool cars.

Yeah, 100%.

And that I kind of felt that way, like really interacting and meeting people

about, I would say 2024 when my Instagram page started to really grow.

And I, you know, since then I've had a lot of people come up to me and like,

oh my God, like, you know, I'm so and so we've talked on Instagram,

like it's awesome to meet you.

And like that alone is a really, really cool experience to have.

Like these people that follow you and, you know, really admire, you know,

your build and your page and everything.

And then to actually like introduce who they are, it's like, sure, like,

I know you online, but to actually physically meet you is awesome.

And then you can really dive into a lot of things and talk about things.

And, you know, maybe I can't see their car because it's not in the car show

or wherever they don't have it, but still, you know, they, they show me

pictures or they can actually, you know, having that face-to-face

conversation about anything like their car or, you know, wherever it is,

it's, it's, it's so awesome that, you know, that connection is, is, is,

it's just so great.

Yeah.

Going to events and like meeting people in person or, I mean, it doesn't

have to be an event, you know, you can just go to like a local car meetup

or something, but I've said it almost every episode.

So if you're hearing me say this again for people who listen to every episode,

too bad, but meeting people in person for the first time that you've

connected with online is whether it's like you said, somebody that's been

following you that maybe you don't really, you know, maybe you haven't talked

to them or something, but they're excited to meet you, or if it's somebody

that you've been talking to for two weeks or two years, when you get to meet

that person or when you get to meet them in person, it's just such a cool

experience because you, you own Subaru's, you're excited about the community,

you're excited about your car.

And I don't know, it's just something about that experience, you know,

cause like, especially if it's somebody that you have kind of grown close to

online, you know, you, you meet them for the first time, you give each other a

big hug and it's just like such a cool, awesome experience.

And then you get to talk and, and it, you know, I don't know.

That's just, that's one of my favorite things about this whole, this whole

community.

Yeah.

Honestly, same, like I've, I've really have built so many friendships and

connections with, you know, just because of things that like, like that, you

know, there's so many people that I talk to every single day who are literally

now like my internet best friend and a lot of them know I haven't met, but a

lot of them I have met and even when I've met them in person, you know, it

it feels so natural.

The interactions are so genuine and, you know, you can, you can feel the

appreciation that, okay, like, you know, it goes both ways, but like, you know,

all okay, like he's a good person or, you know, they're a good person.

And, you know, I really do admire them and, you know, what they build.

And then it makes them, that person really admire, you know, your car even more

because like, okay, like that person is nice, you know, and it makes it stand

out even more.

So I think if, you know, if there's anyone out there who has, you know,

interactions like that or has built, you know, friendships over the internet,

I always say meet your internet friends.

I know a lot of people who don't like to do that, but your internet friends are

like, they're so different than people you meet in real life and you can

build such great friendships off the internet.

Even though people would say it's sketchy, but I've met a lot of people

that I'm friends with on the internet and it's always been a good experience.

Yeah.

And it's also really cool whenever you see somebody's build for the first time

in person, you know, it's like, because you can see it online all you want.

But then when you see it in person, it's such a different experience.

It's like, oh, okay, that looks really, really cool in person.

And cause I've had that happen so many times when I've met up with people and

like I was telling you earlier, the guy Ryan that has the W or used to have

the WRX here in Houston and I met up with him because we were like

exchanging some stuff and like I had some stickers and he had some

stickers and some other stuff and he shows up and I'm like, oh my gosh,

like his car just, he looks awesome.

And he had kind of like a, he did a lot of camping and so his car

wasn't lifted or anything, but he had a rooftop basket and then he had like

a box up there where he had his tent and he had, you know, camp chairs

and all this other camping gear and stuff.

And so it was a little bit of a non-typical WRX setup, but just seeing

it in person, man, it was so cool.

But yeah, it's, it's yeah.

And it is funny, like, you know, meeting internet friends or meeting

people that you've met online in person.

And it's like, cause there's, there's, I've heard so many people, they'll

be like, oh yeah, I met up with this person by myself at a random gas station

and it was dark and you know, and but like you're there for, you're there

to meet each other on purpose and go wherever.

But there's some funny stories out there.

But yeah, it's, it's really, really cool.

Yeah, no.

And, and, you know, back to what you said, when you, when you see someone's

car in person, in Instagram or just pictures in general, never do justice.

There's so many things that pictures can like hide, you know, details

or, you know, imperfections or just, you know, of course you see it in person.

You can really see how the car, you know, sits and, you know, the stance on

the car and it just really makes you like appreciate and fall in love even more.

And, you know, there's a lot of cars that I've seen on Instagram pictures.

I'm like, I don't think it's that nice, but then I've seen them in person.

Like, wow, like this is a car that, you know, pictures will never, ever

be able to capture.

And, you know, I think a lot of people take that as an insult, but it's like,

it's not an insult.

It's like, I still love your car.

It's beautiful, but there's just certain things that were cars.

They just, they don't look great on camera.

You know, like, I don't know if you're into BMWs at all, but, you know,

a lot of people don't like the new, you know, M3 and M4s.

Like they look hideous in pictures, but you see it in person.

I'm like, it looks so aggressive.

It looks beautiful on how it should be.

Yeah.

And it's a lot of that too comes with the color of a car, because sometimes

it's hard to capture the true color of a car because like my daughter has a

2024 cross track and it's a sun blaze pearl, which in pictures, it kind of

looks red, but it's more of like a, I don't know, it's like an orangeish red

color and it's like such a unique looking color.

Like it's so nice, but in pictures, it's really hard to capture that, but like

in person, you see it and it's like, oh man, it's like such a beautiful color.

But yeah, it's, I think that's really true.

What you said about like certain details about a car, you can't really capture

that in a photo, but then you see it in person.

Cause there might be like, I don't know, lines of the car that don't really come

up in photos or just like, you know, some curves or whatever it may be, but just,

I mean, seeing things in person is just the best anyway.

Yeah.

You get that first hand experience and you can really, you know, just overall

appreciate the car because you're physically now seeing it.

So, you know, but yeah, a hundred percent photos always hide, you know, details

and curves and just everything.

And, you know, there's, sometimes I take pictures of my car.

I'm like, does not look like this in person, you know, like it just did not,

like not at all.

Like, and it always bothers me because I'm like, I don't like the picture.

Like sure, maybe it's a good picture, but like, I just don't like it because I

don't like how the car is.

But then, you know, I take a different angle or, or whatever.

I'm like, oh, like that's, that's, that's better.

I like that more.

That represents the car literally in real life.

Yeah.

Well, so you said that whenever you used to daily drive your car, so do you

not daily drive it anymore?

I mean, do you still drive it?

You don't daily drive it?

Yeah, it's, it's no, it's no longer my daily.

So it hasn't been my daily since 22, 23, I believe that you drive it to the

events and stuff, right?

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

All events, I, you know, I take it out when it is nice out.

It hasn't seen rain or snow in like four years, which is nice, which is nice.

So it's, it's definitely a garage queen.

But yeah, I definitely still do really appreciate the car.

And that kind of makes me appreciate it even more because if there becomes a day

where it's like, okay, I'm going to tell myself I'm going to drive it.

And, you know, I don't, the weather is not good outside.

I'm sure, yes, I can drive it in the rain, whatever, but I don't.

I, it pushes it back and then I'm like, okay, I miss it even more.

And then when I do get to drive it, I enjoy it so much more.

And like, I really, you know, I usually will take it out and, you know, I'll spend

the whole day and I'll go places and I'll take a bunch of pictures, make a bunch

of content and I'll be happy, you know, and a lot of people will get me flack for

that.

They're like, oh, you should drive your car.

It's like, look, I drove my car, you know, it's a

2020, it has 38,000 miles on it.

So yes, it's low miles, but it was a daily of one point.

I took it everywhere.

I did everything with it, you know, one of my ex-girlfriend, she lived an hour,

an hour away and I was doing that multiple times a week, you know.

So I definitely, you know, drove the car.

Yeah.

And, but I mean, keeping it with low miles, not driving it all the time, that

just means you get to keep it longer and enjoy it longer.

Yeah, I actually saw a post not too long ago and it was this, you know,

this Instagram page and like, we need to start making fun of people who don't

drive the car because you're saving it for the next person.

I was like, I don't drive my car because it's my dream car and God forbid

something happens to it and I can't replace it.

I'm going to be devastated.

And I know if I got another one, it's never going to be the same.

It's never going to be happy.

Yes, you should drive your cars and yes, you should enjoy your cars and especially

if you built it and you put so much money into it, appreciate it.

And every dollar that you've put into it, appreciate it, but some people are

different, you know, I'm a, I'm a very OCD type of person.

So I like my car looking perfect a hundred percent of time.

Yeah.

And when I take it out, I would freak out, you know, but like, I, I like

when my car is clean, it's, it's home and I can just like me personally, I

can admire what I built and that, that makes me so happy.

And yes, the car sounds great.

It's fast.

It looks good.

And when I do take it out, it's an awesome experience, but there's

sometimes when it's nights out in the summer, like I'll wash it and then I'll

just, I'll sit in front of the house for a little while and I'll just look at

the car and I'll enjoy it, you know, because that car, you know, I've

made so many memories with and I really do appreciate it so much.

And I love it so much.

And like I said, if something ever happened to it, you know, it would be

over.

I wouldn't honestly really would want another one.

I would, I would completely change platforms.

Yeah.

So you said that, you know, you missed your cross track.

Do you see yourself getting another like off-road type of vehicle to go explore

off-road again, like in a, of course, in addition to this one?

Yeah, a hundred percent.

So it's funny, actually, when I, it was, I actually, maybe about a year or so ago

now, for about two, three years, I had a 2003 Mitsubishi Montero.

And that was my daily, it was awesome.

That thing was a freaking tank.

It was, I loved it so much.

But unfortunately I had to get rid of it because, you know, I got it from my

neighbor and they didn't really take care of it.

So eventually a lot of problems caught up with it.

And it just wasn't worth it to, you know, to dump money into.

And so I got rid of it, but I do really want another like off-road type of car.

I really do want an outback wilderness.

I probably won't do a cross track again, just because, like I said, I already had it.

I don't really want the same car again.

I don't really want a four-ster just because of the size.

I like the outback because I like how big it is.

And especially because I had my Montero, I've really fell in love with like how

big and like how spacious cars can be.

I do want a forerunner, but new forerunners are like ridiculously

expensive for no reason.

Oh my gosh.

Yeah.

So I will not be getting a new, yeah, they're beautiful.

But it's not, it's not worth the money.

You know, I understand it's a great car.

People love them, but I'm not doing that.

Like my brother-in-law about, it's probably about a year or so now too.

He, he bought a 2005 or 2006 Lexus GX470.

And that has a really big lift on it.

And I went all the way up to Massachusetts, I believe it was, and I

picked up wheels and tires from him.

And he's like, you should really get a GX with me.

I'm like, I don't want another huge car.

I was like, I want a brand new, you know, probably a Subaru and I'll

lift it and I'll do wheels and tires on that and I'll be happy.

But I definitely always get that itch to be back in that, you know,

that overlanding scene, just because, you know, it's fun.

Oh, it's so much fun.

I love going off-road.

I miss it so much.

It was end of, end of the summer, my brother-in-law got the beach permit

and we were taking his Lexus on the beach.

I'm like, dude, I'm like, I've missed this like a lot.

And, you know, so I'm hoping I can get one, whatever it is, you know,

I'm going to do the same thing and, you know, be back out there because it's

different, you know, especially when up here on Long Island, when you have

a nice summer night and you can take your car on the beach, like the pictures

I have of my cross-track on the beach with the sunset, it's an amazing

experience and, you know, hanging out with all these people, you know, of

course, is really nice too, but it's different.

You know, I get to do something different and, you know, I can, you know,

take time away from my SPI and, you know, just experience something else

for a little bit and then come back to it, you know, and of course, there,

you know, any outback or whatever, it would be a great daily driver too.

So that's, you know, something else that, you know, I really want to look for.

Yeah, and the outback wilderness, I mean, any of the wilderness

trims are really nice, but it's like, for me, I love having a cross-track

because it's smaller and, I mean, I love having a hatchback and I don't think

I could ever have my only car that I'm driving, like my daily driver, or if I

had an only car, I don't think I could have something with a trunk just

because I love being able to put more stuff in, you know, in a hatch and

having all that space.

But so, like, I've driven an outback before and it was, I don't know,

it just felt too big to me.

However, I would get a wilderness outback because they just look so cool.

And they're just like, they're really nice.

Now, which because you, if you were to get one, you would have to get a new one

or you, you say you want to get a new one, but what are your thoughts on

the brand new outback?

It's beautiful.

Oh, OK.

I absolutely love it.

I, you know, I'm the first time I saw it was last year at the New York

Auto Show and they had the wilderness on display.

They had a green X, limited XT, whatever the top model is with the brown interior.

And I was like, that's what I want.

That's exactly what I want.

So I really do want a wilderness, but I'm probably going to lean towards, you

know, like a higher trim model just because I really want the brown leather.

I feel like I'm becoming such an old man.

But my, my friend James with the Subaru dealership up here over the winter,

he was like, hey, like come by, you know, we have a black one with brown interior.

Like I want you to see it.

I fell in love with it then.

And then they also had like a, like a debut kind of party for it.

And there was, I think it's Sapphire blue with brown interior that someone bought.

Oh my God.

I was like, this is, this is perfect.

And I understand, you know, a lot of people aren't happy with the decision

that's Subaru made with that new Outback.

I can maybe agree a little bit with the wilderness because of the front bumper.

Definitely looks a little bulky, I would say.

But again, I think it's one of those cars that you need to see in person.

And like, okay, you know, I can appreciate it more.

And, you know, I understand the Outback always had a certain look to it.

And that's why people like them.

It was more of a wagon.

And they feel like they're going to an SUV now.

And, and just the body shape is more squared off.

And yeah, I was like, I agree.

Yeah, but I think it's, I think it's beautiful.

And, you know, I see myself in that.

And I feel like it's the same thing with like every generation WX that came out.

People hated the VA when it came out.

People hated the VB, but now people are starting to like the VB.

It's eventually going to grow on you.

And, you know, of course, there's people who are still not going to like it.

And then people are like, oh, like this is actually kind of nice.

And then, you know, you sit inside, the interior is awesome.

You know, with the new unit and everything, it's perfect.

And so that's what I really would aim for.

You know, I, like I said in the beginning, I really don't see myself going to other brands,

you know, unless it's, you know, Toyota, you know, if I can get a forerunner or something.

But even then, I feel like I'm going to be upset.

And I'm like, no, I miss my Subaru's, you know, yeah.

Yeah, I was actually out to, I think it was me and my daughter and my son and all.

We were just having coffee, like maybe a week ago or something.

And we were talking about the new Outback and just how we hadn't seen any.

And I left and when I left, I was driving around and a new Outback wilderness drove by.

And I was like, oh my gosh, they knew we were talking about it.

And then since then, I've seen two other out new Outbacks, not the wilderness trim,

but just two other ones.

So I've seen three total around here where I'm at.

And I, you know, it is different.

I mean, I've, like I said, the Outback has always been too big for me.

And not saying that I don't like the Outback, I don't like the way it looks.

But I've never, like an Outback hasn't been my thing, you know, I've never,

it hasn't appealed to me the way that a Crosstrek does.

So for them to change the Outback, I don't really have like strong opinions on it.

Because it's not something that I was like, oh my gosh, I love the Outback so much.

And then they changed it.

But it's going to appeal to somebody.

And, you know, I've said this before that like,

Subaru's have always been kind of funky and different looking.

And it's very funky and different looking.

I agree, you know, and, you know, same thing.

I definitely think the Outback has always been a weird type of car for them.

And, you know, if you like it, you like it, you don't like it, you don't like it.

But I'm very, I'm very open to Subaru's.

And I think all their cars are very nice, honestly.

I don't really have, you know, any complaints about them.

Maybe I like a previous generation or something better.

But I can always find myself looking at it like, oh, this is really nice.

So, you know, same thing when the VBWX came out, I was like, I love it.

And like people are like, why do you like it?

Look at all the plastic.

I'm like, well, I have a Crosstrek.

I'm used to the plastic.

Like I look right past that and I see everything else.

And I'm like, you guys have to drive them.

That's a great driving experience.

That's what I've heard.

You handle great, you know, they're decently quick stock.

And if you're, you know, if you do modify them, they power it very easily, very reliable.

So, you know, there's a lot of things that I feel like people aren't willing to look past.

And they just look at a car and it's like, oh, it's ugly.

Oh, it's nice.

You don't buy a car only just because of how it looks.

You know, there's a lot of other things that you should consider, you know, hopefully.

Unlike me, I bought the Crosstrek because it looked cool and it was a manual.

But I mean, it also had the ability to go off-road because,

so we have a family reunion up in East Texas and there was a time I was driving my previous car

up this county road and the road had like some divots in it.

It was uneven and there's no way I would have been able to make it.

But I was literally, like that was when I knew that I wanted a Crosstrek and I was sitting there

looking at the road ahead that I couldn't get up and I was thinking, if I had a Crosstrek,

I could continue up this road.

And so that was the appeal to me for a Crosstrek or just a Subaru, you know, but for me specifically,

the Crosstrek.

Yeah, and, you know, it totally makes sense if you live in an area where you need something

with more ground clearance.

Yeah, of course, there's other cars out there, but, you know, you kind of have to

figure out or, you know, think about what you do on your day-to-day basis, where you work

and everything.

But my STI, like, I can't daily drive it now.

Like, it's a pain in the ass.

Like, it is ridiculous.

You know, it's low and everything, so I can't take it to a lot of places.

But of course, that was my own fault.

You know, I did that.

When it was stock, you know, it was, I couldn't do anything.

You know, I can go anywhere with it.

Of course, there were certain limitations, but overall, like, not really.

So, you know, if you don't have any, you know, serious worries or, you know, places that you

go, you know, then you start narrowing down, like, okay, like, I can get something a little

bit more sportier, or do I need the extra ground clearance in the room in a, you know,

a bigger car?

Or do I have kids and all this and that, and, you know, same thing with, like, you know,

my dad, when he was getting a new car, you know, he had achieved grand Cherokee,

and I was like, you need to get rid of that thing.

And I was trying to really push him to get it out back.

And he's like, that thing is so ugly.

I'm like, it's really not.

It's not ugly at all.

And I'm like, literally, and I was like, we can get two wheels and tires.

The thing will look sick.

You'll be so happy.

And, you know, he didn't do that.

But, you know, he's, you know, my dad is my dad.

He's very set on his ways and whatnot.

But a lot of people are like that.

And again, supers are weird.

They're for quirky people.

You know, it's a very niche type of car.

Yeah, definitely.

So, like, speaking of your STI, like, what about it brings you the most joy?

Obviously, you've put a lot of work into it.

You've put a lot of money into it.

You've built it up the way that you want it.

And, of course, you still have some other things to go.

And, you know, you like to, I mean, they say that if you don't look back at your car when

you're walking away, you bought the wrong car.

But so it obviously appeals to you visually.

But like, what about it overall brings you the most joy?

A lot of things.

I mean, I think it's mainly just the driving experience I get from the car.

The car handles so well.

You know, I mean, of course, yes, I put a lot of money into the suspension, but usually

when you lower your car and everything, the cars ride a lot stiffer.

And yes, it does.

But the driving experience with this car, I feel so connected to the road.

And of course, you know, I love how it sounds, especially now when I went bigger turbo and

everything, the noises it makes is ridiculous.

I don't know if you saw my page, but there's a couple of videos I have of how it sounds.

And it's just when I drive it, there is so much joy.

And it's like, yeah, visually, I love how it looks, but there's a lot of other things that

kind of like tie in and piece it together that make it like one whole piece.

Yeah.

How would you say that your STI best matches your personality?

It doesn't match at all.

I'm a very shy person.

I'm very quiet.

It takes a lot in me to really get comfortable with someone and then very become very open and,

you know, like talkative.

And my STI just, you don't think.

Screams look at me.

Yeah.

You would think a 15 year old kid owns it.

And so it's like, it's complete opposites.

And that's probably why I'm so attracted to it, you know, because it's my car kind of represents

what I could be as a person.

Yeah.

No, I totally get that.

If you could describe it in one word, what would that be?

Oh man, one word.

I know that's tough.

That's very tough.

I mean, I would, Jesus, I don't know.

That's right.

It's very, very hard.

I was going to be like, oh cool, but like cool is a very basic word.

I feel like entertaining could be a good word, you know, just because the way it looks,

the way it sounds, the way it drives, it kind of takes off a lot of boxes that provides entertainment

for somebody and, you know, entertainment because, you know, I can take nice pictures

and videos, you know, entertainment because I love how it sounds and, you know, just like,

I think that's a pretty decent word, you know, it's kind of, it's definitely kind of hard to

think on a whim, but, you know, I feel like I could use that.

No, that's a good one.

How would you say they're owning Subaru's because since you've had multiple, how would

you say owning Subaru's has changed your life?

It's definitely changed my life in a way of, you know, it's helped me

build a lot of knowledge and, you know, I was always a car person, but when I started

pretty much like digging deeper and deeper into building, you know, my Subaru's,

especially my STI, I learned so much and it's also taught me a lot of people skills and that's

kind of more on the social media side because, you know, you grow up following, you meet people

and, you know, like I said, I'm a very shy, quiet kind of person, so it's kind of, it's kind of

helped me, you know, in that kind of way of communication and, you know, expressing and,

you know, just being more of myself of what I can be.

If you're at a Subaru meetup, at least there's something that you can start talking about

whenever you, you know, going up to somebody or somebody comes up to you,

you know, then you can at least like engage in conversation.

Yeah, no, 100% and, you know, I definitely agree where being at like a Subaru meet or

whatever it is, it gives you something to talk about, even though I definitely know there's

people out there who, you know, you have something to base your conversations off of,

you're still very shy because maybe they don't know a lot about cars or something,

you know, just because you have a WX or STI, you know, you're still learning, you know,

like when I first, I had my first WX, I really didn't know much about, you know,

Subaru's or cars. I was young and now, you know, I was still learning, I was just fortunate enough to

be able to own a car that I wanted and, you know, I just learned over the years, but yeah,

it's also kind of nice because it can be used as something that makes you forget that you are,

you know, shy or, you know, you're introvert and, you know, you kind of feel comfortable

and relaxed and then you can actually just start like rambling on and talking and there's a lot of

times even at, you know, meets and whatnot, I don't, I try my best to talk, but sometimes I'm like,

you know, I kind of have to like read the room first, you know, because maybe I want to say

something to you, but that person might give off a vibe where they're kind of like me and they

don't want me bothered. So then it's kind of like, you know, two negatives like poking at each other,

it's like, you want to say something, but you know, like, I'm not going to do it, but he's not

going to do it. So it's definitely weird. But that's, that's the one big thing, like I said,

has helped me. It's, it's, it's helping me communicate and talk more because when you,

when you start building something in a following people, like they look up to you and they,

they kind of rely on you to want to ask questions. And then you kind of have to get out your own

bubble and talk to these people in, you know, so it's, it's, it's a weird boundary. And, you know,

I had to do that too, because I used to work at a hospital. And when I first started working there,

I hated talking to everybody. You got to talk to people. Yeah, I had no choices, but they

go up to the nurses and other staff and communicate. And, you know, that, that was probably when I

started, you know, really becoming more, you know, comfortable, you know, like, okay, I can't be

so shy. Yeah, we'll go ahead and get into this last segment where we get to know you a little

bit better, but who is Matt as, and do you go by Matt mostly? Yeah, so I go by Matt unless

you're my mom or my sister or I'm in trouble. And they call me Matthew. So yeah, Matt, Matt is,

you know, what all my friends call me and everyone calls me, but yeah, I'm 27. I grew up,

I was born and raised in Long Island. I'm currently in school for healthcare administration,

you know, I've been in healthcare since 2016. So that's, that's pretty much me, you know, I'm,

I'm a very laid back, basically chilled type of person. You know, I love spending time with,

you know, my sister and my nephew, my niece, you know, my family and friends. I don't, you know,

I don't really do anything else. You know, I feel like my life is not boring, but I'm just a very,

you know, simple person. Yeah, no, that's good. So you work in the hospital system right now?

So I've been out since 2023, because I've been on a work injury, unfortunately. And yeah, which

kind of stinks, but you know, I'm hoping once I'm cleared and everything, it's, it's, it's the most

annoying process ever, but I can't wait to go back, but I'll be done with school after the summer.

And then I'm going to transfer out for my master's and then hopefully I can go back, you know,

sometime soon. Nice. So like you said, you want to get into administration. Is that like your

dream job? No. What is your dream job then? Like what would be your dream job? Like if you could

just make anything that you wanted, like this is, this would be it. I don't really have a dream job,

honestly. I was, I was planning to do nursing, but unfortunately with my injury, I can't do

like anything super physical like that anymore. So that's why I went into administration and

not that I'm not excited, but I was never a business type of person. But I had to, you know,

really sit back and think about like, okay, what can I do in my life that I know that's not going

to hurt me, you know, physically and, you know, of course still have a good job. So I, you know,

I am excited. It is definitely interesting and also depending on like which way you go, you know,

you can go into like the insurance realm or, you know, more like the medical side. I want to stick

to the medical side and, you know, be that way because that's what I know. I was, you know,

I've been around medical staff for six, seven years. So that's what I'm really used to. But I

really wanted to do nursing and then, you know, go back and become an MP. But unfortunately, that's,

that's out of the picture. But at high school when I graduated in 2016, I worked at my uncle's

shop for a little while and I was supposed to go to school for automotive and then I remember,

I took the test and then I met with the advisor and she was super rude and I was turned off and

then that's when my sister got me the job. Yeah, I was, I was like, come on, because I remember

I passed the test and then she was like, is this something that you really want to do? And I was

like, honestly, I don't know. And she said, well, there's people who you actually know what they

want to do. And I just like got up and I left and, and my dad was like, what happened? Oh,

I'm not doing this. I was like, I'm leaving. And then yeah, my sister got me the job at the hospital

and then I was there and then I applied for a nursing school, but then it was COVID time. So I

couldn't, you know, work. I mean, I couldn't go to school, I should say. I was swamped at the

hospital. So I like school just went out to pitch here. And then, you know, a couple years later

when I had my injury that that's when I applied for administration, you know, school for administration.

Okay, yeah, well, you're on a good path. It seems like

Yeah, yeah, I mean, I love healthcare. You know, I think it's the way to go. It's, you know,

you meet so many people and, you know, there's just so many things to do.

Yeah. So what is something that makes you want to get out of bed every day?

Just to get out of bed every day, honestly, is like, just knowing that like life, you know,

gets better. And I know kind of maybe doesn't make sense. But like, just like to motivate yourself

that, you know, there's if you keep working every day, you know, you're, you're doing the right

things. And, you know, you're, you're bettering your life and moving forward that I feel like

that's such good motivation to want to get up and get out of bed and get ready for the day so you

can, you know, continue to, you know, do what you have to do to move on. Yeah, no, that's definitely

good stuff. Good, good wisdom there. But what is something that makes you want to stay in bed?

Rainy days. Yeah, rainy days, you know, those are nice. I mean, I feel like things that make

me want to stay in bed is, you know, when you get like rainy days and, and like literally like a rainy

day, if you're having a bad day, you know, I feel like a lot of people don't take time to themselves

and they don't relax if they're having a bad day or that, you know, they don't feel great.

So I always, not that I'd look forward to that, but, you know, it's always nice when you, when

you know, you, you don't have to get up and do something. Oh yeah, that is definitely a good

feeling. What is something that really scares you? Life, honestly, life is scary, you know, especially

yeah, the last few years, you know, everything I've been through like personal issues, you know,

life can change so fast. And, you know, a lot of things can be taken away from you

before you even know it. And, you know, it leaves you kind of stranded because you're like, well,

now I have to start over and, you know, change paths or, you know, whatever the case may be.

So I feel like life is scary, you know, as, as good as life is, it's definitely something that,

you know, you shouldn't, you have to take very serious. Yeah, definitely. And what is

something that really excites you? Something that really excites me, honestly, is when I come home

and I see my cat, he makes my days better. And, you know, like coming home to him,

if he's sitting there and he's waiting for me, you know, that is such a great feeling.

Yeah, no, I don't own any pets. I don't have any pets, but like I love cats. And

they're just like, I did when I was a kid. But right, my thing is like, I just don't want anything

to take care of. It's not that I don't like them. I just, I just don't want to have to take care of

fun. Definitely a lot. You know, we, this is my third cat. We grew up a tube and my sister,

and we had a dog. And, you know, cats are definitely easier, you know, obviously,

so to take care of them, but they do a lot of things by themselves.

Yeah, they're definitely, they can be chill or they can be like a pain, but they're cool.

He's a pain. He's a great guy. I love him.

That's good. Yeah. What would be your best bit of advice to give to someone about anything?

Best advice is honestly just, you know, no matter what happens in life, whether it's good or bad,

just always continue to work and, you know, move on and no matter what happens. And there's going

to be things that are, that's going to suck. And there's going to be a lot of things in life that

are awesome. And even though things in life suck, it doesn't mean that it's the end. And, you know,

you can always start over. You can always, you know, redo things if you're not happy.

You know, you just, you have one life, but, you know, you can pretty much do whatever you want.

You can have a job. And if you're not happy with a job, well, you can quit and, you know,

start something tomorrow. If you really want to say, start your own business or something,

you know, don't ever feel like you're, you're tied down or you're held back.

Yeah. And because, you know, a lot of times feel like people feel like they don't have any other

options. And you do, you just have to explore a minute. And that's, that can be scary right there.

You know, when you talk about life being scary is if you're in a situation where it's like you've

been working a job for so long and you feel like there's nothing else you can do and then you're

just stuck there. There are other options, but it is scary to think about like trying to go figure

something else out. But yeah, it's good advice. I mean, there's, there's, there's going to be

good days and there's going to be bad days. And hopefully people have way more good days than

bad days. But I think having friends and having good people in your life is, is a huge thing.

So I think that's like a really big deal is if you have good people in your life and you're

not doing well to reach out to them because people are going to want to help you.

Yeah. And you, you know, unfortunately, you might think that you have good friends, but they may

not really show that they're a good, you know, friend to you and, you know, end up hurting you

and screwing you over. So that's part of life, you know, you're, you, you meet people who,

you know, who come and go, you know, I've had friends that I was friends with for 10,

12 years and we're no longer friends. Yeah, but it doesn't mean anything. You know,

there's, there's always going to be someone you'll meet tomorrow. You're going to,

you're going to have a job to go to. There's going to be a new person starting at your job and that

new person can be your best friend. So, you know, it doesn't mean, you know, like you said, things,

things are, you know, always over, you know, people get comfortable and people do feel like

there's stuff, but you're like, you're really not. And, and maybe it is harder because say,

like, you want to go to school, but like, you can't afford school, you know, money lies and

time lies because if whatever is going on in your life, then I can understand, but, you know,

you can always, you know, get out of situations. Yep. Thank you so much for hopping on and taking

some time to record with me and, you know, sharing your Subaru journey. And I think it's

really cool that you've been in both camps, you know, the off-road and the tuner scene. So,

it's really cool to get that because it's not too often that I have somebody on the podcast.

It's been in both. And, you know, thank you for having me and, you know, Ryan, if you're listening,

you know, thank you for introducing me to Raf and everything. You know, this is, this is awesome

to have this. And yeah, no, it's, it's cool to experience multiple things. And, you know,

like we, well, I was saying to you during the podcast, there's a lot of people who don't want

to do that. And they kind of, you know, see a brand, they see one car from a brand and they kind

of stick with it. And I don't think you should do that. You know, you should really venture out

and try other things. And, you know, especially overlanding, it is, it is such a different

experience. You know, it is, you know, you can really get out there and, you know, just, just,

I don't know, nature is nice. And it's just completely different. And you can meet a ton of

different people that really, you know, introduce you to things and, you know, just to switch it up.

You know, as much as I love my STI, it is cool to like fall back on other types of platforms,

knowing that, you know, I'm interested in a bunch of other things. So it keeps me very interested

in everything. And even, you know, just knowledge and learning, you know, you learn so many other

things because, you know, you know, other brands. So there's definitely a, you know, I feel like

it's a, it's a win-win situation. There's really no downside to it. Yeah, no, definitely. Well,

well, thanks again. And I hope you have a good day and a good rest of your week.

Thank you. You as well. This was a lot of fun, you know. I'm really excited to listen to it.

Yeah, good. Well, talk to you later and we'll keep in touch.

Yes, sir. Have a good day.

You too. Thank you so much for tuning in to another episode of the Subian New Podcast. And

thank you, Matt, so much for sharing your story about your STI and about your Subaru journey.

It's so cool that you had a cross-track and that it was a manual. Whenever we were talking before

we actually picked a date and I learned that about you, that was like really cool. So it made

it more exciting for me that you have been in the off-road community as well. So that's really

super cool. Again, thank you so much. Thank you so much, Ryan, for getting me connected with Matt.

I really appreciate it. And we had a great conversation. So thanks again, Ryan. Thanks,

SubiMods. You are such great guys. And I really appreciate you. So if you're not following

Matt, go give him a follow. It's CWP underscore STI 20. And of course, go give SubiMods a follow.

But we'll see you again next Monday for SubiScoop. And I hope you all have a wonderful week.

Thanks for tuning in. Much SubiLove, graph.

About this episode

Matt (CWP_STI_20) shares his Subaru path from a problematic 2008 Impreza hatch to a manual Crosstrek he used for beach days and off-roading, then into his dream 2020 STI. The conversation blends tuner culture and overlanding, debating why people pigeonhole Subarus into “low and fast” or “lifted and off-road.” Matt explains his build philosophy (OEM+ to Varis kit, Grimmspeed full bolt-on), future plans (flex fuel, bigger goals), and why the Subaru community and brand support keep him engaged—plus a lot of stories about events, friendships, and safety.

all-wheel drive (AWD) Ascentric Designs Bilsteins CVTs daily drive engine bay caps fell asleep at the wheel free shipping front bumper ground clearance

Jeep Wrangler Subaru Forester Subaru WRX

Original notes

Send us Fan Mail

We had another tuner car on the podcast! Matt joins us to talk about his STI, his Subaru journey, the community, and his relationship with the guys at Subimods.

Links from the show, links to sponsors and discount partners, and ways to support the podcast:

CWP STI20

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