Michael Anthony
Michael decided it was necessary to become an active car enthusiast at the age of 15.
He had spent most of his free time between fifteen and sixteen restoring his first car, a 1968 Ford Mustang 302.
Upon completing this effort, Michael then purchased a 1966 Mustang 289;
a restoration which would prove more challenging as he began to put into action more of what he was learning.
He has always enjoyed restoring and working on cars as a hobby.
The reward for this work is clear in that you have improved something of value and beauty, and then you get a chance to take it out after the restoration is completed.
Soon a more particular interest in cars began to take shape, and Michael began researching the Performance Market.
What would offer both straight line performance as well as decent handling? He settled on a 1991 Chevrolet Camaro Z28. It was here that Michael quickly developed an interest in drag racing, and started becoming a regular at the drag strip. Visiting there was now an imperative at least three times a month.
As time went by, the addiction for more performance soon became apparent. Intrigued by the new LT1 V8, Michael decided to purchase a 1995 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 automatic. Now as Stock, the ?95 Z28 was able to compete very well with many cars at the drag strip,
but not against other modified LT1's. So Michael started modifying the Z28 to compete with a variety of faster cars at the drag strip.
While the acceleration was satisfying, some of the factory components
refused to withstand the enormous amount of horsepower and torque the custom nitrous kit was producing.
The car began to experience massive parts failure with transmissions and the rear end.
During the last year of drag racing the ?95 Z28, Michael began attending many of the local autocross and track days with fellow Camaro owners. But the car was not capable of competing as a result of its transmission modifications.
Since he had now nurtured a keen interest in these types of events and wanted to run his car, Michael began to explore other automotive choices; one that would allow him to participate in these autocross and track event days.
So, he took a new track and decided to purchase a 2002 GTI 337.
Even though he really enjoyed the GTI 337, Michael soon realized its shortcomings. The FWD platform was less than ideal for track use, and the experiences with FWD only fueled his desire to get back to a RWD car.
So, he purchased a 2003 Mazda Miata Club Sport. Before he took delivery Of the Miata, a BRP Supercharger, Air to Air intercooler and supporting modifications were ordered and waited to be installed. The Miata proved to be a great car to drive and the overall performance of it being Supercharged allowed for thoroughly enjoyable on the road and track event experiences.
Yet, as priorities started to change, the Miata was becoming too small for daily use. Once again, Michael was on the hunt for a new car.
He had noticed two cars which had competed very well on the road courses - the Subaru WRX STi and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.
After careful consideration Michael decided to buy the 2005 Subaru WRX STi. It seemed to offer everything he was looking for. Four-door convenience, AWD, horsepower, torque, 6spd manual, handling, looks, reliability, and quality.
He knew that the STi was track-ready from the factory and the performance could be relished immediately.
And so it is, Michael considers himself to be a true automotive enthusiast and has an ever-expanding passion for competitive automotive sports and cars.
He is currently attending track events and modifying the STi to continually improve its performance.
His passion does not stop with Subaru?s, however, and he enjoys many different types of cars from foreign to domestic.
Michael has now been purchasing and installing aftermarket performance parts on his cars for the past thirteen years.
He has developed a true interest in researching and testing performance parts which actually work for both the street and the track.
He has always enjoyed the knowledge gained from research and hands-on modifications, and desires to continue to share these worthy goals with his fellow enthusiasts?
Validating the performance benefits of installing a lightweight one-piece Driveshaft in my STi.
Most STi enthusiasts do not look into purchasing a lightweight
Driveshaft as a performance modification.
This is fairly understandable as aftermarket Driveshafts are not widely
advertised performance products. They are not featured in magazines,
performance-oriented TV programs, videos or on the Internet.
Since these lightweight Driveshafts are not advertised and thus readily in the public view, only a small portion of the Subaru performance community even considers buying one.
Most look into more popular ways of increasing their cars performance, such as adding a cat-back exhaust, intake, downpipe, header, turbo, larger intercooler, and engine management, etc...
Although perhaps another reason is because they are not aware of the performance gains that can be made with merely a lightweight Driveshaft
Swap?
Naturally, the STi comes from the factory with a two-piece Driveshaft.
Knowing full well that a lightweight one-piece unit would have greater performance benefits compared to a heavier two-piece, the miserable factory Driveshaft would have to go!
It was imperative that I find an excellent and lightweight ONE-piece Driveshaft for my STi.
Now, the heavy two-piece Driveshaft has two steel shafts joined together by a center bearing. This center bearing is bolted to the floorboard between the two steels shafts.
One steel shaft is bolted to the rear differential while the other slides into the rear of the STi’s slick shifting six-speed transmission.
Really, there is nothing terribly wrong with the two-piece Driveshaft design. However, research has proven that a well designed one-piece Driveshaft can deliver more performance and less weight.
I began to research the one-piece Driveshaft options.
Utilizing the Search Function on the Subaru based forums I scanned for any information regarding lightweight one-piece Driveshafts.
Amazingly enough, the vast knowledge of the forums fell short.
Luckily though (through some old threads), I found information on a few Companies that offered “bolt on” one-piece Driveshafts for the WRX. Plus, I learned the vast difference in materials that aftermarket performance Driveshafts were constructed from –
Aluminum and Carbon Fiber.
Knowing that I would have to communicate with both manufacturers and vendors directly in order to narrow the search for a lightweight one-piece Driveshaft, I came up with the following List:
Driveshaft Shop - www.thedriveshaftshop.com - One-piece Aluminum construction - 12.6 lbs. claimed weight - Retail price $449.00 - Modification to the floorboard is required for installation
Torqline - www.torqline.com - One-piece Carbon Fiber construction - 10.5 lbs. claimed weight - Retail price $2,950.00 - Modification to the floorboard is required for installation
A.C.P.T. - www.acpt.com - One-piece Carbon Fiber construction - 13.25 lbs. claimed weight - Retail price $1,250.00 - No modifications required for installation
Which Driveshaft Would Better Suit my Needs?:
Needless to say, I was not terribly pleased when I found out that two of the three Driveshafts would require me to modify the STi’s floorboard.
So, what exactly does a floorboard modification mean?
I phoned the two vendors to get the details about the installation requirements and they informed me that I would need to use a Hammer to SMASH my flawless floorboard so that their overly sized shaft design would clear and barely fit into place.
Yeah, right, I thought without saying a word to their representative.
I was concerned, because now I had but one choice, the A.C.P.T. Carbon Fiber one-piece Driveshaft.
But this Driveshaft required ZERO modifications to the floorboard or any other component for installation.
Being prudent though, I did want to do some Due Diligence on A.C.P.T.
before I made the decision to purchase their product.
I found that A.C.P.T. (Advanced Composite Products and Technology) has been making composite components for aerospace, Government agencies, and commercial institutions for over twenty eight years and they have established an outstanding reputation in their industry.
This was good news.
Then I learned that building carbon fiber one piece Driveshafts is a very small part of A.C.P.T.’s business.
In fact, the only reason they even bother to manufacture automotive Driveshafts is because they are car enthusiasts like us.
I was now quite pleased with the research results and felt extremely
comfortable in purchasing their product for the STi.
What performance benefits can one expect after installing the A.C.P.T. carbon fiber one-piece Driveshaft, specifically in an STi?
Benefits of the A.C.P.T. driveshaft are as follows:
*weighs only 13.25 Pounds.
*More Power to the Ground.
Gains of over 5% are common due to the reduction of rotating mass.
*Minimizing Power Loss due to Vibration.
The carbon fiber has much better dampening characteristics than other materials and helps improve power in the higher RPM range where vibrations are common.
*Faster Acceleration.
The reduction in rotating mass will improve the STi’s ability to accelerate.
*Carbon Fiber Driveshaft is Safer in case of Failure.
Carbon fiber will break up or shatter on impact. This Driveshaft will not break through and enter the passenger compartment like other materials can.
*Better Power to Weight Ratio.
*The A.C.P.T. carbon fiber Diveshaft is capable of handling 1,500
Horsepower.
Making the Decision:
With all of the exhausting research out of the way, I ordered the A.C.P.T. carbon fiber Driveshaft.
Now be advised, that each newly ordered one-piece Driveshaft is crafted after the order is placed.
I was told to expect three weeks for delivery.
The Driveshaft Arrives:
As you can imagine, I was eagerly anticipating the arrival of my beautiful, rare, lightweight, carbon fiber Driveshaft.
Three weeks finally passed, and then it arrived, on time as scheduled.
As I normally do, I inspected the box for signs of damage, but everything looked good. I opened the long cardboard box and
began pulling and thrashing away at the annoying, but I suppose necessary bubble wrap.
When I was finally finished, there it was… a very nice, made-to-order carbon fiber Driveshaft in my wondering hands.
The Driveshaft has menacing flat black yokes at each end and in the center is a thick resin-covered dark carbon fiber.
So dark and so thick, the only way to see the weaves of carbon fiber is to actually place the driveshaft in direct sunlight.
The Driveshaft was screaming to be installed on my STi.
I made plans with a friend at a local shop to complete the
installation. With the A.C.P.T. carbon fiber Driveshaft as my passenger, I made my way over to the service facility.
Installation Process:
We put my STi up on a lift and methodically planned the installation
procedure.
The mid-pipe section of the exhaust was removed first, followed by the
Driveshaft protection plate.
With this removed, we then unbolted the shaft and the center bearing. With all the bolts removed, we carefully slid the clumsy heavy steel two-piece Driveshaft out of the STi’s transmission.
Before the one-piece carbon fiber Driveshaft was installed we verified
the actual weights of the Driveshafts.
The factory Driveshaft weighed 24.5 lbs. and the A.C.P.T. one-piece shaft weighed 13.5 lbs.
We ended up with an 11 lb. savings through the center of the STi
We positioned the carbon fiber Driveshaft in its new home. After a
little bit of twisting and turning the Driveshaft was carefully massaged into the STi’s transmission.
We then bolted the new one-piece Driveshaft to the differential and installed the Driveshaft protection plate.
With the Driveshaft firmly in place we checked the clearances between the Driveshaft and the floorboard. All the clearances checked out okay.
The mid-pipe was finally reinstalled to complete the installation.
The A.C.P.T. carbon fiber one-piece Driveshaft is truly a bolt
on. No modifications to the floorboard or any other component are necessary for fitment. The total install took a whole twenty minutes.
With the new carbon fiber Driveshaft installed, it was now time for a road test.
I pulled my STi out on the road and rolled into the throttle in first
gear, and the turbo spool seems instantaneous. My heart began to beat faster, the tach needle raced, the red light in the tachometer ignited, and I heard the audible “beep, beep, beep” muffled by the roar of the engine; 7,000 RPM already?
I instinctly grabbed second visiously fast, too late! My STi had hit the Rev-limiter faster than I could imagine.
Pressing the throttle further, my heart raced with the turbo engine.
Blinking red light again? I immediately grabbed third, had I hit the Rev-limiter? Impossible!
With the Go pedal pressed to the floor, I prepped for the three/four up-shift, the needle fired past 6,800,
So I grabbed fourth, and the STi rocketed forward violently.
The acceleration was phenomenal! I was grinning from ear to ear.
Absolutely awesome! I quickly applied the omnipotent Brembos to haul me down without incident.
The acceleration was intoxicating - Wow -
The STi’s 2.5 boxer turbo now bolted to it’s redline without any hesitation. I could not believe how quickly the car accelerated and how fast it could reach redline.
The car now bounces off the Rev-limiter in each gear like a Honda V-Tec, preparing to launch at “Battle of the Imports”.
The Verdict:
With the dampening characteristics of the carbon fiber Driveshaft, I
now have confidence in the STi’s powerful boxer engines RPM limits. The car no longer feels like it looses power in the high RPM.
I could feel the enormous acceleration improvement both at takeoff and
through each gear; even when the car is cruising on the highway in sixth gear.
The throttle is more responsive to every input that your right foot can
muster.
Plus, the STi feels like it has picked up more horsepower and torque
across the entire RPM range.
This carbon fiber Driveshaft offers an extremely noticeable improvement in the cars performance. My STi is now more athletic, powerful, responsive, eager and lighter than before.
Selecting each gear feels smoother, more accurate and more positive
with this one-piece carbon fiber unit.
Rolling through the gears is not a chore, but an absolute joy
This carbon fiber Driveshaft will bring out the sports car
hidden within the STi sedan.
It is a natural modification to the STi as it compliments many of the STi’s abilities and makes them better.
The car behaves like stock, only faster and much more enjoyable.
Not only will the Driveshaft please your desires for speed, it will
also please the environment, for the one-piece carbon fiber Driveshaft has improved my gas mileage by 2MPG on the average.
Conclusion:
By now it should be clear.
The A.C.P.T. carbon fiber one-piece Driveshaft is one of the best
modifications that can be made to the STi.
For the money, I received faster acceleration, smoother shifting, better high RPM stability, better throttle response, reduction of weight, improved gas mileage, and the Driveshaft is safer in case of failure.
What more could you ask for out of one easy-to-install modification?
I have been more than happy with the results and performance gains which I have encountered with this one-piece carbon fiber Driveshaft swap.
In the past, carbon fiber Driveshafts have been reserved to the extreme performance enthusiast.
But now for the STi, I think that all enthusiasts should look at the A.C.P.T. carbon fiber one-piece Driveshaft as a performance option.
More can be gained out of this simple Driveshaft swap, than off-the-shelf engine management or a turbo back-exhaust.
Michael Anthony