Using the WRX crossmember for a five speed swap

[RoughSilver92]

Just thought I'd show what I am doing for my crossmember in case it might help someone in the future. I am using the stock auto crossmember, cut and drilled to accept the front 2 pieces of the WRX crossmember. All I've managed so far is to cut the auto crossmember, but I'll keep this updated as I go.

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/976...0304091955.jpg
The beginning of the cutting.

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/262...0304092007.jpg
Cut enough for the WRX pieces to fit.

http://img23.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0304092015.jpg
http://img21.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0304092013.jpg
http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/714...304092013a.jpg
It fits!

That's as far as I got. I left my measurements of where the tranny needs to sit at home, so I had to stop. Now waiting for my filled mount to dry will put me back about a week, but then there will be more.

[RoughSilver92]

Haven't updated this for a while, so here it is:
Skip the WRX Crossmember!!!
The pictures in the first post are the easy part, from there you need to grind the hell out of the wrx pieces to make the exhaust clear, then you need to fab up brackets to secure the front member to the chassis. After a few hours of grinding and bending steel, Toms crossmember design was starting to make a lot of sense! A couple hours of cutting, drilling, and welding and now I've got a crossmember I can be proud of. Do yourself a favor and get one from Tom, or at least look at his pics and make one like it, it's really much easier than trying to modify one from a wrx.

[LetItSnow]

A valid purpose for altering from stock would be to actually legitimately meet SM's rules in Solo. With a full-on custom piece, if you really wanted to play by the rules, it puts a trans-swapped SVX into FP. It's kind of ridiculous, considering the company it keeps there!

[RoughSilver92]

I guess it depends on how you want to split the hairs. You need to add brackets to the wrx crossmember to make it work, or you can add the 2 lengths of tubing and a piece of angle iron to the svx crossmember and brace like Toms. Both are modified stock pieces. I've never competed so I don't know how they would classify it.

[LetItSnow]

It's not like an SVX with a reasonably stock engine is going to walk with anyone's trophy at an event where they'd pick at the bracket enough. Still, if someone is a stickler for themself, you'd need a modified OEM piece.