Project JDM STi – Part 4

Roads and especially parking spots in Japan are very narrow. Consider that half the cars are Kei class, Japan’s sub compact sized car which is barely wider than a smart car., and the STi feels wide and large. Because of this door dings and dents are common on cars yet Japanese manufacturers love the clean bare doors with no protection as it gives the mirrored impression of a larger car.  There was no way I was going to let my new STi get dinged on the doors so I found out that North America Subaru offered body side mouldings as an option for the STi, an option that Japan surprisingly does not have.  So when my brother visited from Toronto last week I asked him to bring a set for my STi which he picked up at Willowdale Subaru at Yonge and Finch.

The install is quite straight forward and only took about 10 minutes. You just have to make sure the doors are very clean and the kit actually includes alcohol wipes too “sterilize” your doors before install. For aligning the mouldings, the kit includes templates for front and back doors that are attached to the doors. You then simply line up the mouldings with the template and attach to the car.

I originally had my concerns that the side mouldings would ruin the look of the car but after installing them, I actually like the lines they create with the side STi emblem. Without the side mouldings, the doors look so vulnerable and now with the 1cm+ thick cushion the mouldings provide, I feel a little more secure parking in tight spaces (though I usually try and stay clear of heavily congested areas). A quick and easy 10 minute install!