WRX platform build guide · WRX & WRX STI · 2008–2026

The WRX build guide. Staged the right way.

Few platforms reward smart modding like the Subaru WRX — and few punish random parts lists as hard. Whether you drive a 2022+ VB, a 2015–21 VA, or an EJ-powered 2008–14 WRX or STI, this is our opinionated stage 1, 2 and 3 parts list: real parts we stock, chosen to work together, installed and aligned in-house in Coral Springs.

White Subaru WRX on gold RAYS TE37 wheels photographed on a tree-lined trail by Velocity Factor
Every generationVB, VA, GR/GV — WRX and STI alike
Staged, not randomParts chosen to work together at each level
Installed in-houseLift work, fabrication and Hunter alignment

Stage 1 · WRX stage 1 parts list

The daily-plus foundation.

Stage 1 on a WRX is about waking the car up without complicating it: induction noise that lets you hear the turbo work, an exhaust that gives the boxer its voice back, and springs that fix the factory fender gap on an AWD chassis that deserves better. No tune required, and everything here supports the next stage instead of getting replaced by it.

View the full Stage 1 parts list →

Stage 2 · WRX stage 2 parts list

Tune plus supporting mods, in the right order.

A real WRX stage 2 is a tune plus the hardware that lets it work: a high-flow J-pipe on FA cars (or up-pipe and downpipe on EJ cars) so the turbo can breathe, an upgraded top-mount intercooler because a TMIC sitting over a hot boxer heat-soaks fast in Florida, charge pipes to replace failure-prone factory plastic on the VB, and fuel delivery that keeps headroom for the boost. Do these before chasing numbers and the power repeats all day.

View the full Stage 2 parts list →

Stage 3 · track prep parts list

Track prep: control before power.

AWD makes a WRX quick out of any corner. What decides your track day is whether it stops, turns and keeps oil and brake temps in check on lap eight the way it did on lap one. Our stage 3 list is suspension you can align properly, brakes that survive repeat heavy stops, and the oil cooling every hard-driven boxer eventually begs for. Big-turbo and built-block work beyond this is a custom conversation with the shop.

View the full Stage 3 parts list →

Show & stance

Fitment that photographs as well as it drives.

Gold TE37s on a WRX is a whole culture, and we’ve been part of it in South Florida for years. Every 2015+ WRX and 2005+ STI runs 5x114.3, which opens the door to RAYS, Volk Racing, Advan, Kansei and the rest of the premium JDM catalog. We spec wheels, tires, drop and alignment as one package, mounted on scratch-free equipment and Road Force balanced in-house.

  • Wheel and tire packages spec’d for WRX and STI fitments
  • Springs or coilovers matched to the wheel setup
  • Hunter Road Force balancing and expert alignment
  • TPMS sensors in stock, cloned to your car

Browse all WRX suspension →

Black 2022+ Subaru WRX VB with rear wing and red accents photographed at dusk by Velocity Factor
Customer VB WRX at dusk, VF plate frame and all
White Subaru WRX sedan on red Volk Racing TE37 wheels parked lakeside with a BMW M3 and Nissan 370Z
The shop crew’s WRX on red TE37s
Subaru WRX STI engine bay with carbon fiber Tuned by Velocity Factor airbox and COBB hardware
Tuned by Velocity Factor: STI with carbon airbox and COBB hardware
Volk Racing TE37 wheel over a red Brembo caliper on a gray Subaru WRX STI at Velocity Factor
TE37 over red Brembo on a customer STI

Installed in-house

Parts are half the build. Installation is the other half.

Everything on this page can be installed, fabricated around and aligned in our own shop. J-pipes and turbo-back exhausts go on with proper hardware and heat management, intercooler and oil cooler installs get pressure-checked, and every suspension change ends on our Hunter alignment system so the car drives the way the parts list promised.

  • Lift work, exhaust and cooling installs done in-house
  • Custom fabrication when off-the-shelf doesn’t fit the build
  • Hunter alignment for lowered and coilover cars
  • Road-checked before the car goes back to you

Talk to the shop

Tell us the car and the outcome.

Send the year, model and trim, what’s already done to the car, and which path above fits how you drive. We’ll come back with a concrete parts list and installation plan, in the right order for your budget.

  • WRX or WRX STI — VB, VA or GR/GV
  • Current mods, if any
  • Daily+, street performance, track or show
  • Rough budget and timeline

Request a WRX build plan

No generic answers. We review the details first.

WRX questions

Before you order parts.

What’s actually in a WRX stage 2 parts list?

A tune plus the supporting mods that let it work: a high-flow J-pipe on 2015+ FA-powered cars (up-pipe and downpipe on 2008–14 EJ cars), an upgraded top-mount intercooler because the factory TMIC heat-soaks quickly over a hot boxer, charge pipes on the VB to replace the failure-prone factory plastic, and fuel delivery with real headroom. A cat-back behind it is optional for power but most owners do it for sound.

Do the WRX and WRX STI share parts?

Less than you’d think. From 2015 on they use different engines — FA20DIT (then FA24DIT) in the WRX, the EJ257 in the STI — so intakes, J-pipes and tuning paths differ, while plenty of chassis parts interchange. That’s why our lists above call out which cars each part fits. Send us your exact car and we’ll map the list to it.

Do I need a tune for stage 1?

No. Our stage 1 list is intake, cat-back exhaust and springs — all of it works on the stock calibration, and none of it gets thrown away when you move to stage 2 later.

What about big turbo and built-block builds?

We install them, but past bolt-on stage 2 the right answer depends on fuel, the block you’re starting from, cooling and how you actually use the car — EJ history has taught everyone that lesson. That’s a conversation with the shop, not an add-to-cart decision. Our stage 3 list focuses on what every fast WRX needs regardless: suspension, brakes and oil temps.

Can you install and align everything here?

Yes. Every part on this page can be installed in our Coral Springs shop, and suspension work is finished on our Hunter alignment system. We serve enthusiasts across South Florida, from Boca Raton and Parkland to Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

WRX parts

Which car are you building?

Older bugeye, blobeye or hawkeye WRX? Those live under Impreza in our catalog — open the full catalog and set your exact vehicle there.