The Official Fchat Subaru Thread...

First, thanks, Rob for making a place for the rest of us to go with our 'import' cars... even if it was just to get the GT-Rs out of the other sub-forums!
I'll start this thread as a place for those of us with Fuji Heavy Industries finest...

I love my Subies.
I do most of the wrenching myself.
It starts without fail, every day.
And besides the obviously costly mods, has cost me less than a grand in total maintenance (chewed up and spit out wheel bearings/knuckles) over ~50,000 miles.

Heavily modified Platinum Silver Metallic 2003 Subaru WRX 'Turbo S' AWD sleeperwagon
VF34 Japan-market turbo (from JDM Spec-C Type RA)
STi injectors (also Type RA)
Walbro fuel pump
Unichip engine management with Sean Logan tune
GPMoto catless turboback
GPMoto ceramic coated equal-length headers
STi TMIC
Perrin intake/turbo inlet/hoses
Baer brakes (330mm, C5 corvette calipers)
Volk GTP 2-piece forged wheels
Cusco front and rear bars (front AL, rear carbon)
Japan market body parts- scoop, grille, foglight covers, corner markers
'Koji' modded headlights
NW Power Products 175A alternator
Sony MEX-1HD hard drive head unit
Phoenix Gold Octane Limited Edition carbon fiber amplifier (1 of 200)
Phoenix Gold Titanium Elite 9"/5"/1" three-ways with passive crossovers
Dual PG equalizers (TEQp4 and TEQ6)
PG 1/0g power, ground & associated distro
Alpine navigation
Custom install with trunk buildout for amps
Factory carbon interior kit
20/15/5 tint
Boost gauge
Escort GT2 performance meter
LNR Carbon fiber front lip
CompuStar remote start alarm system
FCA sticker (see first pic, windshield, driver's side lower) (adds at least 25 hp on the butt dyno)

Haven't had an opportunity to dyno, but tuner estimates should be ~350hp or so (227 stock), or 175hp/liter (2.0T).
***Gravel driven DAILY... no pavement queen rally car here!

I roll with a crew local to PDX, and here are a few pics:

So... any more Ferrari enthusiasts also Subaristi? Let's see 'em!

-Tad
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Thanks! I, too, prefer the lines of the hatch to the much boxier sedan, and built this one this way because I wanted a sleeper, and they didn't import the STi wagon that Japan and Europe got. I haven't liked the style of the WRX much at all since the bugeye went away. I bought the car new in late '02 and even though that was the first year of WRX import, was surprised that plate was available. Many don't get it.

Yeah. I know it isn't as 'pretty' as most of the cars 'native' to this site (though there are exceptions, I don't want to step on any toes)...
In fact, for another site, I coined the 'backronym' "Sorta Ugly But All Racecar Underneath" to describe the love/hate.

The mods haven't been that bad, although the turbo swap was a serious knuckle basher- those japanese must have some mighty tiny hands- and when I got the old one out, there was a moment of panic where I wasn't sure I'd be able to either put it back together, or drive it to a competent shop to finish what I had started. That was 25k+ miles ago, so I guess it worked out alright.

Nice Murcie, but what are you driving?

Post 'em up!

-Tad

 

That 99 is sweet! I have those wheels on my backup subaru (Forester)...

Earlier US cars, '02 and '03 specifically, are generally regarded as 'better looking' (called the 'bugeyes' for their round, Porsche-like headlights) and are therefore more desirable to the cognoscenti. They also feature the 2.0 liter engine as opposed to the 2.5 liter engine found in the more recent WRXs and STis. The newer cars have better torque at lower rpms, the older cars are more fuel efficient, and more true to the rally class the cars come from (2.0L, AWD). If reliability is your chief concern, I'd recommend a car that has been modified as little as possible, as modded cars tend to be driven rather hard (ask me how I know!) but also, be careful buying a car that has been modded and subsequently returned to stock (one way to maximize ROI on the $$$ spent on mods) as this is common practice.

Many of them do end up in fender benders, as it is a whole lot more car than most people expect it to be. These cars can be modified to produce in excess of 400 hp for less than $10k additional, and at 3200 lbs, that yields an 1:8 power-to-weight ratio... comparable to some much more expensive and sporty cars. Unknowing parents buy these 'cheap' cars for their high schoolers as first cars, and the results are, sadly, predictable.

Try to find a private party, one owner car with little to no mods. An 02 or 03 should run $10-12k without mods, and if you're willing to gamble a bit, you can find a nicely modified car for less than $15k. Maintenance is minimal, but some things, like transmissions, can be pricey...$3k or more. STi 6-speed tranny swaps, or JDM RA or PPG gearsets are common upgrades to the stock transmission- called by some the 'glass' transmission owing to the ease with which some have been able to break them. That said, I throw my car around like nobody's business, and have had no problems in 50k miles (of course, I match rpms pretty well, and rely on the brakes at least as much as downshifting.).

Anyhow, if you enter into the relationship with the understanding that these are simply high powered economy cars, you won't be disappointed by plastic in the interior, cloth seats, poor panel gaps or bad paint. The underpinnings are remarkably well developed and make these cars a hoot to drive. You have to spend an awful lot more money with any other carmaker to get anything near as fun to toss about.

Good luck in your search, and enjoy the all wheel drive!

-Tad

 

Nice rally car pic, 09 and SVX above... love the Giugiaro lines of the 'funky' windows, and if it didn't weigh so much, I'd do an SVX/STi swap in a heartbeat.

Speaking of SVX's- Why *are* there no two door Subarus anymore?

As for the other comment above, the Cobalt SS is the new SRT-4. Fast@r. Better recognize.

-Tad

 

Well, you left out some considerations like budget, etc. and looks are subjective, but IMHO, the best looking Subie (besides mine, of course) is the current Legacy 2.5GT Sedan. It's really gotten very refined and elegant compared to the other cars in the lineup, and even compared to the Legacys of just a few years ago. The best looking earlier cars would be an older (pre-2002) 2.5RS coupe (which is probably the most desirable of the mainstream Subarus, so prices will be higher than comparables).

None of the turbo models (WRX, STi, GT, etc.) will provide "good" gas mileage, but I get ~20-22 in everyday use (with plenty of time in boost) and 28 as a high water mark, all highway, from PDX-Seattle and back.

Looking cool isn't really on the agenda for Subes, with the emphasis on AWD performance and reliability... as the backronym goes, "Sorta Ugly But All Racecar Underneath".

-Tad