Chargespeeding Ahead!

After having the new brakes fitted at Sportech, the daunting task of fitting the Chargespeed Wide Body Kit needs to begin for the Castrol Edge Auto Makeover. The incredible body kit, made from both fiberglass and carbon fiber, was sponsored by the Japanese-based Chargespeed and imported by their distributor: Creative Rides. Sportech, where the car is currently at, will be responsible for the pre-fitting, prepping and actual fitment of the body kit - but before this can begin, the car is quickly stripped of its exterior...


The Chargespeed front fenders are bolted on so that they can be aligned correctly with the front door and the new carbon fiber bonnet. The side skirt is held in position for the team to see if any adjustments will be required before sending the parts into the spray booth.


The rear lights need to be removed to replace the OE bumper with the Chargespeed version. As you can see, it is substantially wider and clearly indicated that a larger Bosal exhaust tip will be needed to make any sort of impression.


The most difficult part of the wide body kit fitment is the rear section consisting of the door panels and rear fenders - these body parts are placed over the original panels and need to fit precisely in order for the car to look professional and sleek. Sportech will use fiber glass fillers to ensure that the panels fit together snug. Once this process is completed, the parts will be primered for spray painting.


The last major step of the wide body kit process it the cutting of the Subaru rear wheels arches. A red line is marked on the vehicle to guide the electric hack-saw. The cut panel will be sealed and rust-proofed once it is removed from the car. This step needs to be taken in order for the custom widened wheels to sit flush with the outer edge of the new Chargespeed rear wheel arch.


More to come as the Subaru is visually transformed into a wide body one-of-a-kind STi...

Video Timelapse: Unpacking Chargespeed Body Kit at Creative Rides

This video was recorded at Creative Rides when the Chargespeed Wide Body Kit originally arrived. We unpacked it to make sure all the parts had arrived in good order before they are sent to to be prepped, painted and fitted to the Subaru.

Prepping Chargespeed Wide Body Kit for Prepping

The Chargespeed Wide Body Kit, imported by Creative Rides, was delivered to Sportech in Modderfontein today for paint and fitment preparation.


I unpacked the kit from the shipping boxes and laid them out in the workshop for the second time - I removed the protective padding so I could see the parts in all their glory this time round.


The front fenders are wider than I expected them to be. The indicator hole matches the stock Subaru fender, but the three air vents really set this panel apart - these will be visible from the rear angle in front of the driver and passenger doors.


After unpacking the front bumper and the side skirt I was able to balance the front fender in place to give me an idea of how aggressive the Chargespeed conversion is. The panels fit together beautifully, forming the new shape of the STi.


I positioned the rear door panel and the rear fender together to get an idea of how the Subaru will flair out towards the rear - it's dramatic! The standard wheel arches will need to be cut with a plasma cutter for these parts to fit into place properly and allow sufficient room for the custom 19" wheels.


The two-piece rear bumper, which most drivers will be seeing, gives the Subaru a bulky and sporty look with its carbon fiber diffuser. Like the boot lid, its quality is exceptional!


The Chargespeed fiber glass (FRP) rear wing completes the kit with a carbon fiber top segment. The wing (which is synonymous with Subaru) is fitted further back than the standard wing, it will hang over the boot lid to give the car a GT appearance.


I was handed a wrench by a busy Sportech employee and told I would need to dissemble the carbon fiber parts from the ARP before prepping could begin. I got to work on the four-piece front bumper, removing the bottom segment which is made up of two side pieces and a central carbon fiber lip.


The carbon fiber lip on the Chargespeed wide body kit has a beautiful "Chargespeed" emblem embedded into the black weave.


Next I removed the rear diffuser (which also features the "Chargespeed" emblem) from the rear bumper as well as the top beam of the rear wing, separating all the fiberglass pieces from the carbon fiber so Sportech can proceed with prepping the FRP for paintwork and fitment.


Lastly I laid out all the parts of the Chargespeed wide body kit to show you exactly how many parts will be fitted to the Subaru STi - there are 22 pieces - the bonnet, front scoop and boot lid brings the total to 25 pieces of Japanese beauty!

Is it a Bird? Is it a Plane? No! It's a Chargespeed Wide Body Kit! And it's Landed at Creative Rides!

I was very excited to get a call from Bryce Roberts at Creative Rides to say that the Chargespeed Wide Body Kit had arrived and cleared customs without any delays. I immediately made my way to the importer, Creative Rides, to unpack and take a closer look at the parts that were sponsored to us by Chargespeed in Japan.


We gathered the five large boxes into an area in the Creative Rides warehouse, unpacked them and layed out all the parts of the 18-piece wide body kit on the workshop floor. We were in awe!


The first parts were the front fender replacements. Almost two inches wider on either side, these are going to give the STi its mean aggressive look! See the hole for the side indicators.


Next we found the rear door add-on panels. These have a lovely line running across them into a 'fake' vent where the new hidden rear door handles will be.


The door panels flair out to meet these widened rear fenders. The original Subaru rear wheel arches will need to be cut out in order to fit this part and make room for the large wheels.


The carbon fiber boot lid was next - it has the best carbon weave I have personally seen. The rear bumper is laid behind that and features a beautiful carbon fiber diffuser at the bottom that will hug the exhaust pipe. At the very back is the new wing which was produced shorter than the standard wing - it is made of an FRP base with a carbon fiber wing top. Its extended base positions the wing against the very rear of the boot lid so that it overhangs and protrudes off the back of the Subaru in a "GT" style.


The Chargespeed Wide Body Kit parts will remain at Creative Rides, sealed in their protective packaging until the STi is back in JHB and ready for pre-fitting, spraying and fitment. I will post more images of the products when they are fully unpacked.