Five Perrin parts under sixty dollars each clean up common annoyances on a WRX or STI without touching engine or suspension tuning: a battery tie down, a pulley cover, a trunk handle, a wing stabilizer, and a license plate relocation kit. Two of the five carry fitment restrictions worth knowing before ordering, one fits STI only and one fits only the 2018 to 2021 model years. None of these parts make more power. They fix small, specific annoyances that show up during daily ownership rather than on a dyno sheet.
Perrin has built a reputation on this exact category of part, small, well engineered pieces that solve a specific factory shortcoming rather than chasing a big power number. This list rounds up five of the cheapest, most straightforward options in their WRX and STI lineup, all things that dress up the car or fix a minor annoyance without requiring any tuning knowledge or major mechanical work. Every part here bolts on without touching the engine, tune, or suspension setup, which makes this a low risk starting point compared to anything involving forced induction or drivetrain hardware.
Battery Tie Down: Replacing a Factory Piece That Cracks
The factory battery hold down on a WRX or STI is a plastic piece that becomes brittle with age and heat cycling, and a cracked or missing hold down means the battery can shift under hard cornering or braking, which is not just an annoyance but a real safety and reliability concern over time.
The Perrin Battery Tie Down replaces that factory plastic piece with a billet aluminum bracket that will not crack or degrade the way the factory piece does. It fits WRX, STI, Impreza, and Forester XT, making it one of the more broadly compatible parts on this list.
This is a cheap insurance policy more than a cosmetic upgrade, though the red anodized finish does add a small pop of color in the engine bay for anyone who cares about that detail. Owners who have never actually checked their factory battery hold down for cracks are often surprised by what they find once they look.
Pulley Cover: A Simple Engine Bay Cleanup
The factory crank pulley area on a WRX or STI looks unfinished compared to the rest of the engine bay, an open, exposed area that stands out visually once an owner starts noticing engine bay details. This is a purely cosmetic annoyance rather than a functional one, but it is a common complaint among owners who spend time detailing or showing their car.
The Perrin Pulley Cover bolts over that exposed area, giving the engine bay a cleaner, more finished look without touching anything functional underneath it. It fits WRX, STI, and Impreza.
This is purely a cosmetic part, and it belongs on this list precisely because that is the entire point. Not every upgrade needs to change how the car drives, and a cleaner looking engine bay is a legitimate reason to spend forty dollars on a build.
Trunk Handle: Replacing a Weak Factory Plastic Piece
The factory trunk handle on a WRX or STI sedan is a plastic piece that many owners find flimsy and prone to breaking, particularly after repeated use over several years of ownership. Once it breaks, the factory replacement part is often back ordered or expensive relative to how small the part actually is.
The Perrin Trunk Handle replaces that weak factory piece with a more durable aluminum handle in red, fitting both WRX and STI sedan body styles.
Owners who have already dealt with a broken factory trunk handle know exactly how annoying it is to lose easy trunk access over such a small part. Replacing it proactively, before it fails, is a cheap way to avoid that annoyance entirely.
Wing Stabilizer: STI Only, and Here Is Why
This part carries a fitment restriction that matters for anyone reading this list as a WRX and STI roundup. The Perrin Wing Stabilizer fits STI only, since the WRX does not come with the factory wing this part is designed to reinforce.
The factory STI wing mounts with less rigidity than owners expect given how large and aerodynamically active it is at highway speed, and that flex becomes noticeable to anyone who watches it in a rearview mirror on the highway. This stabilizer reduces that flex directly, a small, inexpensive fix for something that is purely cosmetic in effect but genuinely bothers a lot of STI owners once they notice it.
License Plate Relocation Kit: A Specific Model Year Range Only
This is the second fitment restriction worth flagging clearly. The Perrin License Plate Relocation Kit fits the 2018 to 2021 WRX and STI specifically, tied to the front bumper design used on that generation. Owners outside that year range should confirm fitment before ordering rather than assuming broad WRX and STI compatibility.
Moving the front plate mount off the bumper opens up airflow to the intercooler and front mounted radiator or oil cooler setups some owners run, in addition to the purely cosmetic benefit of a cleaner front bumper look for anyone who does not want a plate drilled into it at all. This is a common first cosmetic mod on this specific generation for exactly that reason.
Why These Five Work as a Roundup Rather Than Standalone Posts
Each of these five parts is individually too small to justify its own dedicated post or to outrank bigger retailers on its exact product name alone. Bundled together as a single Perrin focused roundup, the combined page has more substance and more reason for an owner to actually spend time reading it, while each part still gets its own explanation and its own path to purchase.
Owners already working through a broader cosmetic pass on their car, including the parts covered in the best exterior upgrades guide or the best OLM upgrades roundup, tend to be the same owners who appreciate small, well made details like these five Perrin parts. None of them require the mechanical commitment of a turbo upgrade or a clutch job, which makes this list a reasonable starting point for anyone newer to modifying their WRX or STI.
This category of small, well made parts also complements the drivetrain focused list covered in what drivetrain movement actually costs under power, since both lists share the same underlying idea, small parts solving specific, real annoyances rather than chasing a bigger, more expensive upgrade first. Builds following the perfect street STI build plan or a bolt on power upgrade path often circle back to small detail parts like these once the bigger ticket items are already checked off the list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the wing stabilizer fit the WRX?
No. This part is STI only, since the WRX does not come with the factory wing the stabilizer is designed to reinforce.
Does the license plate relocation kit fit every WRX and STI year?
No. This kit is designed specifically for the 2018 to 2021 model years and their particular front bumper design. Owners with a different model year should confirm fitment before ordering.
Are any of these five parts functional rather than cosmetic?
A battery tie down is the most functional of the five, replacing a factory piece that can crack and allow the battery to shift. The other four are primarily cosmetic or convenience focused, though a trunk handle replacement also addresses a real durability weak point in the factory part rather than just changing appearance.
Can I install all five of these myself?
Yes. All five parts are straightforward bolt on installs that most owners can complete with basic hand tools in well under an hour each, no special equipment or mechanical experience required.
Do these parts come in colors other than red and black?
Availability varies by part and by Perrin’s current production run. The colors listed here reflect what is currently in stock, and owners looking for a different color option should check with Wrench Masters directly before ordering.
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