You often hear that the best things in life are worth waiting for.  Wonderful things like fine wine, whiskey and food cooked in a slow-cooker (I love Crock Pots).  Sometimes, the longer you wait the better the final product turns out.  Even 50 Cent patiently waited for his track to explode.  Germantown, MD’s Archie Bustamante — the owner of this STi — is well acquainted with the concept of patience.

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His wait began in 1998 when he fell in love with the GC8-chassis 22B Impreza; the turbo WRXs were yet another vehicle that the United States went without during this era.  Due to his financial situation he was forced to wait.  His interest was refreshed with the debut of the first stateside WRX in 2002 — though this time his wait was self-inflicted.  He post-poned the purchase of his own Subaru and decided to hold out for an STi version.  Finally, Archie made this Aspen White WRX STi his own in 2005, over 7 years ago.

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The overall build would prove to be a slow, arduous task.  Many of the components, especially the aero, are quite rare and Bustamante waited months for his parts to arrive.  Beautiful body additions from renowned Japanese aero tuner Varis adorns the bulging ends of the STi.  The highly sought-after Do Luck deck lid pairs well with the HKS Kansai diffuser in the rear.  I am personally very fond of the KS Tech hood scoop delete panel — it just flows with the sleeker Varis bodywork.

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Comfortable Recaro seats were pulled from the STi’s arch-nemesis — a Mitsubishi EVO IV.  Oddly the seats look right at home, matching the Japanese-market STi rear seats perfectly.  The driving experience is controlled by the race-inspired D-shaped Prova steering wheel, as occupants happily cruise along with healthy audio revisions.  Further interior upgrades are in the works.

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A thorough dose of power modifications ensure that while Archie is patient, he can always get somewhere in a hurry.  The EJ25 benefits from an upgraded Deadbolt S249 turbo, regulated via a TiAL 38mm external wastegate.  The intercooler is a front-mounted unit from Process West, who also supplied the intake setup.  Signature lumpy Subaru sounds emit from the JIC Spartan Type-1 exhaust.  A conservative tune from the UTEC Delta controls the maps and 850cc Deatschwerks injectors to a healthy 360whp/360lb.ft.  ARC accessories keep the bay tidy and create a tough, performance-oriented aesthetic.

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A comprehensive digital air suspension setup from Airlift Performance keeps the aero pieces Archie waited so patiently for intact.  The bags are mounted over Japanese market adjustable Subaru S204 dampers; Autopilot V2 management runs the show while a ViAir 380 compressor fills the 5-gallon AccuAir tank.  Cusco provided the chassis braces to make sure everything stays in line.  Air suspension allows him to tuck the Complete Custom Wheel LM5Ts on demand.  Sized 18×10″ the polished wheels look amazing on the white Subaru, especially with gold ARP hardware.

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Like a roast in a Crock Pot, Archie’s STi project has slowly simmered to perfection over the past seven years.  Javier Santiago captures the elegant essence of the Subaru in a beautiful manner, displaying Bustamante’s affinity for quality and attentiveness to detail.  The verdict is in — patience has certainly paid off.  Of course there are always more improvements to follow — as time goes by.

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Archie has had many people stand by him and assist him during his journey.  He thanks his wife for supporting and letting him go through with this every year, his friends who lent a hand installing parts on their driveways (Matt, Cesar, Nhat especially) and friends who gave input and ideas on things to add onto the car, IAG Performance (JJ, Rick, Drew, Mike, Fred, and Evan), D$ Motorsports, Jermaine at TurboXS, and the entire crew from Xclusiv:Alliance.

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3531

CCW LM5T 18×10
Full polish lips and centers, gold arp wheel bolts
Federal SS-595 215/35/18
Project Kics R40 Neo-Chrome lugs

Suspension:

Airlift Performance Digital Combo Kit
Autopilot V2 Management
Vlair 380 Compressor
Accuair 5 Gallon Tank
1/4′ Lines
Subaru JDM S204 Front Performance Damper
SubaruJDM S204 Rear Performance Damper
Cusco 22mm front sway bar
Cusco 22mm adjustable rear sway bar
Cusco Titanium front strut tower bar

Lightwerkz S2000 Retrofit with quad angel eyes
Craft Square carbon fiber side view mirrors
Do Luck carbon fiber trunk paint matched aspen white w/ carbon fade
HKS Kansai Rear Diffuser
Varis Rear Vortex Generators
Varis front lip
Varis sideskirts
Varis carbon fiber B-pillar overlay
Subaru JDM Ion foglights
Subaru JDM rainguards
Subaru JDM rear spats
Kakumei Window Spoiler
KS Tech Hood Scoop Delete
Hella Supertones[/toggle_item]
[toggle_item title=”Interior” active=”false”]Evo IX Recaro Seats
JDM WRX Rear Seats w/ pass through
Prova D-Shaped Steering wheel
ARC Titanium shift knob
JDM Red hazard button
Alpine IVA-W505 Head-Unit
MB Quart DSG-216 6.5″ front component speakers
Kicker KS400 4″ Rear Speakers
Soundstream Picasso 4-channel amp

360hp/360tq, conservative tune
ARC Catch Can
ARC Titanium Alternator cover
ARC Radiator Shroud
ARC Oil Cap
ARC Radiator Caps
Syms Racing Hood Damper
Deadbolt SZ49 EWG Turbo
Helix catted downpipe
JIC Spartan DE Type-1 Full Titanium Exhaust
Process West FMIC Version 2
Process West CAI
Forge BPV
IAG Performance Up-pipe
Tial 38mm V-band Wastegate
Grimspeed 3-port boost solenoid
DeatschWerks 850cc side feed injectors
Sun Auto Hypervoltage System
Sun Auto Hyperforce Ignition System
Walbro fuel pump
TGV Deletes
APS Turbo Inlet
3mm Phelonic Spacers

Drivetrain:

ACT Heavy Duty Street Clutch
ACT Streetlight Flywheel
Kartboy Short Shifter with bushings
Cusco Motor Mounts
Cusco Transmission mounts
Cusco master cylinder brace
Beatrush Pitch stop

Engine Management/Electronics

Utec Delta
AEM UEGO Wideband
Defi BF Amber Boost (mounted in ac vent)/Oil Pressure/EGT Imperial Gauges
Defi Control Unit II