Interior

The interior of your Subaru can be interpreted in a few different ways. For those of you with a race car, the interior may be viewed as a cockpit. And for those enthusiasts with a daily driver, you may spend a significant part of your day in the car commuting to work with lunch breaks in between. And it is hard to believe that the WRX is now 20+ years old with earlier models. With that being said, we have a large variety of interior components to enhance, update, renew, and modify all aspects of your interior. If you have a race car, we have all of the gauges to allow you to view all of the major parameters of your engine, and we have race seats that will support your body during the lateral forces of high-speed cornering. If you have a 2008 STI that you've had since new, you would be surprised on how something as simple as a new OEM shift knob can renew the overall interior. And if you have just bought your 2022+ WRX, you can further protect the overall good condition of your interior with a new set of all-weather floor mats. So many options are available to make your overall driving experience safer on the track, and more enjoyable on the road. 

 

 

GAUGES: If you have a high-performance vehicle, if you have modifications, and especially if you drive on weekend track days where your engine spends prolonged times in the upper RPM range, you need to monitor the major parameters of your engine. Here, we have gauges brought to you by the most familiar brands in the aftermarket industry to allow you to make sure the major quadrants of your engine are within the strike zone. You can choose from Wideband O2 gauges, boost gauges, oil pressure gauges, and water temp gauges just to name a few to relay back to you the overall welfare of your engine. 

 

AIR FUEL RATIO GAUGES: If you have a modified vehicle, this is one of the most important gauges if not the most important gauge to have in your vehicle. If you have a highly modified turbocharged Subaru or a highly modified naturally-aspirated Ford Mustang, you need the right amount of air/fuel mixture to get optimal power results without the risk of blowing your engine. Tuners utilize the air/fuel ratio to know what fuel trims, timing, boost levels, as well as your octane levels to get within the right strike zone of your tune. If you are running too lean under boost the air/fuel gauge will present the ratio and this will let you know to stay off boost until you can figure out why you're lean. It can be a fuel-related issue or too much boost. If you're too rich then it can be a vacuum leak or a loose coupler. This means that a proper air/fuel ratio gauge aka Wideband O2 gauge is also used as a tool. If you decide to get the new WRX or any turbo car for that matter, and you install an aftermarket intake and turbo-back exhaust without a proper tune and start running the car hard off the bad and go lean, your cylinders will get hot enough to melt the pistons. A proper Wideband O2 (air/fuel ratio) gauge is a smart investment, and much cheaper than a new engine. 

 

BOOST GAUGES: Another example of a useful tool and gauge that is required in your turbocharged or supercharged vehicle. We all love boost, but too much boost outside of your threshold can result in needing a new engine or turbo. The more boost you run, you will need to have the supporting mods to support the boost. More boost means the turbo will move more air therefore, you will need more fuel, and if you have enough fuel, then you need an engine strong enough in terms of forged internals to support those boost levels. Now depending on the make and model, it's okay to run a few more PSI if you have an upgraded fuel pump and a colder spark plug. Anytime you replace the stock downpipe in just about anything, you will see more boost. But generally, a tune is needed because your factory MAP sensor may see boost levels outside of OEM parameters and this is why you will hit fuel cut and your car will buckle, misfire, or go into limp mode. A proper boost gauge will let you know that you are within the right boost levels, and if you are over boosting you may have a leaking vacuum line. If you are not hitting your market boost levels, then you may have a boost leak such as a loose coupler or your turbo could be damaged. Either way, a good way a boost gauge can be used to help diagnose why you're not at the right levels, and when you are hitting boost at the right levels. 

 

EGT GAUGES: Exhaust Gas Temperature Gauges monitor how hot your exhaust gas temperatures are reaching in your cylinders. Some of you may have seen videos of an engine dyno, and when the engine is revved all the way to the top and you notice the exhaust manifold glowing red. This is a high exhaust gas temperature. So you could have a proper amount of fuel going into the cylinder and with a good tune, but if your exhaust gas temperatures get too hot then you could risk hurting the engine. But how do exhaust gas temperatures raise? This would be due to prolonged levels of full boost and full throttle. If you are racing on a hill climb and are going on a steep incline with a full load on the engine for a prolonged amount of time, your EGTs will skyrocket. If you have a clogged catalytic converter your EGTs will raise as well because the exhaust gases are going back into the exhaust manifold. In racing, bouts of deceleration can lower your EGTs and the same applies to regular driving. And an aftermarket exhaust that flows better than OEM can lower EGTs to a degree, but they can also raise due to making more horsepower. A proper EGT gauge will let you know when to back off the throttle, or shut the engine down, and inspect any blockages within your exhaust or ways to improve the cooling efficiency. 

 

PRESSURE GAUGES: Fuel pressure or oil pressure. If you are low on either and continue to drive your car and continue to drive your car harder, that is bye-bye engine. So if you regularly watch your favorite car Youtube stars who regularly race their vehicle, you will notice the one parameter they pay attention to the most, and that is oil pressure. This is even from people that have unlimited resources to fund and fix their race cars. For the average enthusiast, they look at the Wideband O2 gauge first because if you are running lean, you can immediately get off the throttle and figure out the tune, or a potential fueling issue. Running too long on a leaned-out tune will spin a bearing, then you will lose oil pressure. So on your engine bearings, specifically your rod bearings, there is a fine film of oil that sits between your rod bearing and the crankshaft journal. This creates oil pressure. If the clearances get wide enough between the rod bearing and crank journal on any of the cylinders, you will lose oil pressure. If the clearance between the rod bearing and the crank journal gets wide enough to lose oil pressure, you will experience rod knock. And additionally, if you have scratched bearings from dirty oil and debris, you can lose oil pressure. Another way you can lose an engine is due to a bad oil pump, and sometimes you can get away with replacing the pump to restore the overall pressure. But how do you lose a motor due to low oil pressure at the bearings? So when you lose lubrication at the bearings due to wide clearances, the bearing will rotate inside of the rod journal. Eventually, the heat buildup gets so hot that the bearing will weld itself to the crankshaft journal, and the moving force of the engine and drivetrain will shoot the rod out of the engine. Hence the term, "windowed the block". With fuel pressure, it's much simpler than oil pressure. You lose fuel pressure, you check at the regulator to see where your static pressure is, then you can inspect for a dirty fuel filter, dirty injectors, or a failing fuel pump. With a modified engine, running hard on low fuel pressure puts you in a lean condition which will destroy your engine. Make sure you have a proper oil, and fuel pressure gauge to make sure you're within a safe range. 

 

TEMPERATURE GAUGES: Also highly important. Mainly for oil and water. Now if you race your Subaru where your oil temps could get close to peaking, or if you live in a warmer climate, your oil could get so hot that it loses its viscosity. When the oil loses viscosity, it loses lubricating properties. When the oil fails to lubricate the engine you will be shopping for a new engine. You can fight the heat by adding additional aftermarket oil coolers. With coolant, if your engine overheats then substantial damage can happen. Worst-case scenario to scare you enough to get a proper water temperature gauge? If you develop a coolant leak while on the road and your engine overheats enough to where steam is billowing out of the engine bay, your heads could warp which would make you lose compression and head gaskets, And this is an engine-out job for all Subarus. If you notice that your coolant temps are above range on your water temp gauge, pull over check your coolant overflow levels when the engine has cooled enough, and make sure you check your oil to make sure it still looks like oil on the dipstick, and not like chocolate milk which is an indicator of a blown head gasket. 

 

VOLT GAUGES: Now out of all gauges you have to choose from, volt gauges are generally overlooked. However, this is why they are very important in terms of the overall welfare of your engine. The volt meter tells you how much voltage your vehicle is making. Generally, 12+ volts is a healthy range, and anything below that is an indicator of a bad battery or alternator. However, depending on what type of vehicle you have, a bad alternator can cause all sorts of issues. If your vehicle is misfiring, naturally, you go after spark plugs, then the coil packs. If that doesn't solve the problem, then you start looking at fueling issues and start checking injectors, and the fuel pump, while replacing the fuel filter. And if that doesn't solve the issue then you start looking at the wiring. But know that if your alternator is weak, then you are not sending the correct voltage to major components such as your coil packs, injectors, or fuel pump and this will cause a misfire. A good volt gauge will tell you that either your battery or alternator is bad so that you don't have to chase other problems when it was a voltage problem the main culprit. 

 

MULTI GAUGES: Multi gauges offer more than one function and parameter for those of you who do not want multiple gauges because maybe you have a modern interior that won't allow for multiple gauges without drilling extra holes or for a custom gauge pod. You can choose from gauges that display parameters such as temperature and volts, there are gauges that can do boost and vacuum, and there are full display units that read all parameters and are customizable for those of you with race cars or with stand-alone engine management systems. These are even model-specific vent gauges that will have a seamless installation in your interior that provides a factory look. Many options to choose from that are all available by the most trusted brands in the industry. 

 

GAUGE PODS: These are available in model-specific trim and in universal examples to allow you to integrate your aftermarket gauges in an area of your interior that is easy to view, with a clean installation. We have options that will host both 52mm and 60mm gauges, and we have options that can support your COBB Accessport. You can choose steering column pods, pillar pods, and dash pods that will place your gauges within a safe viewing place so you can quickly glance at your parameters and to make sure your major parameters are where they need to be. 

 

 

INTERIOR TRIM AND ACCESSORIES: You would be surprised at how the simplest interior replacements can really renew the overall look and feel of your interior. For example, if you have a 2011 Subaru STI and you've kept the car tasteful with a quality set of wheels, you've taken care of the paint. You have a quality cat-back exhaust, and you want to start enhancing the interior but where do you start? For example, a brand new Subaru OEM STI Leather Shift Knob would do so much to the interior of your Subaru in terms of looks and feel. The shift knob is a high-wear item and if your existing OEM shift knob has separated seams, and is faded, it can be an eye sore. The same can be said about your shift boot. And if your carpets are still in great shape, new floor mats can also bring new life to your interior while adding the protection you need from everyday use and the everyday elements. All of the items in the Interior Trim and Accessories will not restore your entire interior, but these components will certainly renew and bring more life, comfort, and style to your daily driving needs. 

 

SHIFT KNOBS: Probably the most popular interior upgrade or enhancement. Now unfortunately we don't have those giant baseball-bat-sized shift knobs, and hopefully, you've moved on from that phase. However, all of the examples we carry have been designed to provide you with comfort while improving the shifting feel and function to improve your driving experience whether on the commute or on the race track. This section is not narrowed down to just shift knobs, you will find sites that include