If you ever find yourself driving through
the suburbs of Portland you might be so lucky to catch a glimpse of James
Pepion’s daily driven beauty of an STI. From its slammed-out stance to the
flashy white Work XD9’s in 18x10 +18, it is sure to lay claim to your
attention. Upon further investigation, you start to notice subtle features like
the factory sunroof, leather seats, and black Brembo brake calipers. Then you
realize this is not your ordinary “Street Sweeper Gang” style STI. This happens
to be a rare 1 of 800 total made STI “Limiteds”. Of this total, 400 were made
in Urban Metallic paint and 400 in Satin White Pearl. White was his first
choice, but with a car this rare you can’t always be picky. This did not stop
James from getting a custom show-quality paintjob in the OEM color and adding
White Pearl in mix. By the time you get this far, all you will likely see is a
carbon-fiber Voltex rear diffuser, GTSpec carbon-fiber exhaust shield, and a
set of taillights. This all-wheel-drive beast not only has the looks that kill
but it also has enough power to get through the gears faster than Charlie Sheen
can say “strippers”!
2007
Subaru Impreza WRX STI front
Being into cars for only the past five
years, James man-aged to own six different cars before settling on the flagship
Subaru. Testing everything from a ’92 Intergra to a ’02 Corvette, you can say
James is definitely not partial to any specific type of car. As a sneaker head
and business owner James needed something fresh that would represent his
company, Swag Supply. Swag Supply is a clothing company that supports fellow
sneaker heads and car enthusiasts with fresh and fashionable gear. Originally
having an NSX in mind for the build, James canned that idea and went with the
STI since he wanted something to display what the Northwest was all about.
Having help from friends, such as Wrong Fitment Crew and Lower Class Men, James
was able to form the show car that it is today. One of the biggest issues
during this build as expected was fitting what is considered to be enormous
wheels under the STI fenders. No easy task on this type of car, the fender in
the back don’t leave much material to roll out. Staying true to the legitimate
game, James is a firm believer that stanced and fitted cars should only be
static. This means absolutely under no circumstance do you ever use an air-ride
suspension. James pulled out all the stops to make this work, using a set of BC
BR coilovers coupled with front and rear camber plates, and adding camber bolts
for even more adjustability. Not ending there, James still needed to stretch a
225/40-18 Firestone Indy 500 tire on the 10-inch-wide wheel. Even still, James
had to shave down the rear quarter-panel lips and roll them out as much as
possible. This is the type of dedication necessary to complete a legit fitted
setup, and we are glad James took the time to do it.
2007
Subaru Impreza WRX STI side
To ensure this car will require an E85
station every 15 miles or so, this EJ25 engine is fueled by a 340lph Aeromotive
Stealth fuel pump that is tamed by Turbosmart regulator feeding through Perrin
fuel rails into massive 1,300cc DeatshWerks injectors. Making sure that you
keep all 10 digits on your hands, James added the HKS Super Induction intaken
system with Samco inlet to feed the Element Tuning GT52 turbocharger. This is
then run through a TurboXS intercooler and bypass valve system for the fadies.
Keeping the engine together internally so he doesn’t blow it on his hot date is
a set of Element Tuning rods couple with Forge CP Pistons and Cosworth 278
cams. The turbo is powered by an equal-length Tomei Expreme exhaust manifold,
regulated by a Tial 38mm wastegate. Finally, the engine is exhausted by a
3-inch Invidia open bell-mouth downpipe and pacified using a Cobb 3-inch
after-cat system (so your date doesn’t wake up when you sneak out in the middle
of the night). The power is put to the ground via an ACT XTSS clutch system.
Obviously being a turbo car, it’s bound to be subject to some heating issues. These
issues have been addressed by adding a catalog of parts using a large Koyo
aluminum radiator, lower temp thermostat, Carbing cooling plate, and a
higher-pressure HKS radiator cap. The ever-so-rare carbon-fiber ARC hoodscoop,
ARC alternator cover, and COBB turbo heat shield have cured the external
radiant heat issues. Just when you think James has all his bases covered, he
goes the extra mile and has a custom slim fan shroud made. I think it is safe
to say James does not want to have an overheating issue while he is parking lop
pimping on the weekend.
2007
Subaru Impreza WRX STI back
Doing most of the work on the car himself,
James left some of the real tedious work to the experts. One of these experts
was a man named Bobby at PRE (Performance Race Engineering). Bobby was
contracted by James to build the internals of the engine before working his
tuning magic utilizing AEM’s latest Version 2 stand-alone system and a host of
Defi BF gauges (oil temp, boost, EGT) sitting in a carbon-fiber triple gauge
pod above the dash. Bobby was able to squeeze out 426 whp and 450 lb-ft of
torque from the 2.5L boxer engine.
James stays pretty busy running his
company, Swag Supply, and organizing car meets with his club, Proper Attire.
When he isn’t busy with that you can find him hanging around the local Portland
cars and coffee meets, The Rock Vancouner Meet, and Pats Acres Drift Events.
Thanks for building this beauty right, James; we love it.
