by "Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
Published 10/16/2017 at 11:19
by "Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
Published 10/16/2017 at 11:19
No Tags
STARS: 16
I’ve wanted a turbo Subaru for over a decade, since before I had my license. The WRX is 900lbs lighter than my old Q45 with the same exact horsepower and three pedals, so needless to say this is VERY exciting! It’s been a long time coming. I even saved and swapped in the shift knob from the long gone 2001 Outback I learned to drive stick on as a teenager.
Over the past week I’ve been hunting for twisty roads all around MA, VT, and NH. This morning, I’m checking out a few interesting state forest roads. The power delivery, transmission, and handling are all dramatically different from the torquey, slush box laden, 4000LB yacht I’m used to. At 75k miles and only two owners including me, the car still feels fresh and looks fantastic. I’m addicted to boost already and can’t wait for winter, this thing will be a beast with studded snows. The turbo Subaru waves from other WRX drivers are also pretty amusing, I had no idea that was a thing.
"DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back" (karsonkinja)
10/16/2017 at 11:29, STARS: 3
Welcome to the family! Subaru wave is a huge thing. You’ll even feel bad if you don’t wave back.
Obligatory: all you need now is a vape pen and a COBB sticker somewhere on the car and you’re set.
"AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC" (addictedtom3s)
10/16/2017 at 11:30, STARS: 1
Congrats! Looks like you picked up a pretty clean example. The waves are amusing like you said. I had never had that happen until I got a Subaru.
"Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap" (ddadragon)
10/16/2017 at 11:34, STARS: 1
Looks awesome. I love just how subtle these cars are.
"m-b-w loves his SUBAROO" (m-b-w)
10/16/2017 at 12:01, STARS: 1
Nice little WRX dude! Btw, the subie wave applies to all Subies!!
"OPPOsaurus WRX" (opposaurus)
10/16/2017 at 12:04, STARS: 2
the ghost of OPPOsaurusWRX has a sad. enjoy.
"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
10/16/2017 at 12:06, STARS: 0
Thanks! Yeah I’ve missed the wave and felt bad already. There will definitely be a 93 octane Accessport tune in the future but no sticker haha.
"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
10/16/2017 at 12:07, STARS: 0
Thanks! I’m just hoping its as reliable as it is fun. It sounds exactly like that old Outback from the inside which is amusing.
"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
10/16/2017 at 12:08, STARS: 0
Thanks! I’m hoping its condition will correlate with many trouble free miles. The original owner seemed like a meticulous person judging by the service records.
"WRXforScience" (WRXforScience)
10/16/2017 at 12:08, STARS: 1
Check your oil level often, especially after any type of hard driving. I had a 2010 develop rod knock after it burned through 3+ quarts of oil in a day. The good news was that the dealership had replacement engines in stock, the bad news is that the dealership thought it was a good idea to have replacement engines in stock.
I loved my 2010 WRX sedan and catastrophic engine failure was the only thing that got me out of mine.
If you decide to do any autox or track stuff, I’d highly recommend some reliability mods like an oil cooler, air oil separator (or catch can), and an upgraded radiator and/or intercooler. You’ll also have to upgrade the brakes, the stock setup won’t cut it on the track.
The only power mods worth doing are a downpipe and tune (unless you want to go e85, but that’s a bit of a commitment). Suspension mods will make a bigger difference. You definitely need some stiffer swaybars, and a good set of coilovers can transform the car into a competent handling road car (you’re going to be fighting under-steer forever, there is no way around it, unless you sacrifice overall grip for tail wagging shenanigans).
"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
10/16/2017 at 12:10, STARS: 1
I will definitely wave at any and all interesting Subies! Don’t want to discriminate (although most are Outbacks and Imprezas driven by sensible parents around here).
"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
10/16/2017 at 12:10, STARS: 0
Thanks! Me too, the STI wing is a total judgement/radar gun magnet
"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
10/16/2017 at 12:14, STARS: 0
Awesome, this is the kind of reply I was hoping for. Username checks out! I’ll make oil level checks a habit, I’ve already done a couple spirited drives. Reliability mods are definitely on the to do list before I hit HPDE events, which I hope to do in the Spring so thanks for the list. I’m definitely going for an accessport tune after I do a couple supporting mods, like the brakes you mentioned. They definitely wouldn’t cut it for very long.
"Ihaswrxandfiero" (gmssaabssvolvossubarus)
10/16/2017 at 12:17, STARS: 1
When I got my 04 a few months back I too was incredibly surprised by the turbo Subaru waves.
"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
10/16/2017 at 12:20, STARS: 1
Yeah you don’t really notice just how many WRXs are around until they wave at you constantly haha
"Ihaswrxandfiero" (gmssaabssvolvossubarus)
10/16/2017 at 12:22, STARS: 1
What’s even funnier is the random thumbs up I get by random dudes on the road. I got another friend who has a 15 and he doesn’t get crap but the complimentary wave from other WRXs and stuff.
"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
10/16/2017 at 12:27, STARS: 0
I bet if you have obvious mods like coils, wheels, exhaust the attention goes up another level.
"Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap" (ddadragon)
10/16/2017 at 13:13, STARS: 1
The newest STI without a wing looks how a proper sports sedan should.
"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
10/16/2017 at 13:57, STARS: 0
Agreed. Nice and discrete, instead of obviously a hooligan car
"Doge_Supreme drives a BRZ" (doge-supreme)
10/16/2017 at 14:34, STARS: 0
These non wide-body WRX’s make great sleepers. Just need to switch to a well hidden FMIC, get a standard Impreza hood, and delete the spoiler.
"Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap" (ddadragon)
10/16/2017 at 15:04, STARS: 1
And they’re really practical cars as well. I rode in the newest generation and was super impressed by the interior space and ride quality.
"Ihaswrxandfiero" (gmssaabssvolvossubarus)
10/16/2017 at 15:09, STARS: 0
Yeah, previous owner put a 3 inch cat back on it which makes it... a bit loud.
"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
10/16/2017 at 15:51, STARS: 1
I’m all about that stupid noise! Invidia Q300 for me, ASAP
"uofime-2" (uofime-2)
10/16/2017 at 16:18, STARS: 0
Definitely put 5w40 in it if you plan to drive it hard, an oil temp gauge and real water temp gauge is a good idea as well. Some years of these narrow bodies didn’t have the OEM oil to coolant heat exchanger that every other year has and it can cause issues when the cars are pushed.
If you plan to do HPDE you you’ll do fine with serious track pads, this means Hawk DTC 60/Carbotech XP12/10 ( don’t even try HP+, DS2500, ebc yellow or other “combo” pads plus upgraded, fresh fluid.
If you read through my old posts, I’ve written a bunch about getting into tracking my WRX
"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
10/16/2017 at 19:09, STARS: 0
Cool I will have to creep those posts, and look up oil recommendations. For now I’ll be cautious, it rarely sees mountain roads since they’re kinda far but that can be taxing. Just checked the oil per your previous comment too haha. My friends and I do all our own maintainence so maybe that late model cooler can be slapped on?
"ZHP Sparky, the 5th" (e30s2k)
10/16/2017 at 20:11, STARS: 1
The waves are fun…until you encounter somebody who just gives you a cold stare instead of waving back and makes you feel like an idiot. Don’t be that guy! I hadn’t experienced that until I had my S2000, funny how little things like that can bring so much happiness.
I always wondered why someone would get the generation you
have – when the versions before/after look much more aggressive. But then I had
a Legacy GT wagon and totally understood it – all the fun and thrills, but very
little of the attention (and the ability to blow the doors off other cars on
the road with what looks like an economobile to regular people). Except from
people who actually know what it is, which makes it that much nicer.
Miss my turbo wagon – especially living in a much wetter/snowier place now. That thing would’ve been the ultimate PNW all-rounder.
"AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC" (addictedtom3s)
10/16/2017 at 20:32, STARS: 0
You’ll be fine. As long as it isn’t riddled with mods then these things are like tanks. The only reason people on the internet complain so much is they don’t tune it correctly after mods and/or they don’t perform other mods that are needed as a result of their first mod.
"shimmergloom" (shimmergloom)
10/16/2017 at 22:01, STARS: 1
Congrats man!
Slightly different car, 2011 hatch STI. Absolute best mods for the dollar and fun were in this order....
- Sway bars
- Sway bars
- Track day
- Tune... Whomever forced the poor engineers at Subaru to release the STI with the stock tune should be whipped with wet noodles, its a travesty. I get emissions, ect... but w/no mods just having a reputable tuner clean up the ecu is a godsend. No more dead spots, pulls clean and linear under boost.
I did a downpipe, EQ headers and intake. Looking back the tune is what matters, although I like the sound of the headers.
- Carbon fiber drive shaft. Stupid $ I know but it totally killed the driveline clunking and made the car so smooth to drive, its a mechanical empathy thing, most of my friends don’t get it.
-Coilovers... fun but pricey. Kwv3
Have fun man!
-
"shimmergloom" (shimmergloom)
10/16/2017 at 22:02, STARS: 1
don’t forget power steering cooler =)
"uofime-2" (uofime-2)
10/17/2017 at 10:54, STARS: 1
You can, but I think you might need a different waterpump housing (or some other creative plumbing) as well, because they deleted the fittings for the exchanger.
"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
10/17/2017 at 14:30, STARS: 0
Yeah I’ve always been into fast sedans, its a fun category. Non enthusiasts don’t really understand the concept of a sports sedan so you are soooo undercover.
"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
10/17/2017 at 14:32, STARS: 0
I’m going to stay very conservative with the power mods, I don’t want it too loud and its quite fast by my standards already. Probably just a 93 tune via the cobb accessport and an invidia Q300 exhaust.
"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
10/17/2017 at 14:34, STARS: 0
Thanks! I’m looking at very similar upgrades. coilovers/18s but not too low,invidia Q300, plus a 93 accessport tune. The sway bar is a good tip, I’ll check that out
"AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC" (addictedtom3s)
10/17/2017 at 14:44, STARS: 0
That’s all you need really. The q300 is great for the money.
"Michael Woyahn" (michaelwoyahn)
10/17/2017 at 14:48, STARS: 1
Congratulations man! As others have said, I love how discrete this is in comparison to the facelifted wide body WRX’s. Sad to see the Infiniti go, but this looks like quite an upgrade! It looks pristine, and AWD is the best in the snow. I’m glad that shift knob found a new home, too!
"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
10/27/2017 at 11:27, STARS: 1
Thanks! Yeah the Q was a lot of fun, but hey 2 years is actually the perfect amount of time to own a car like that IMO. I’ll miss it, but I definitely “get it” at this point. Time for something new.
"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg)
10/27/2017 at 11:41, STARS: 0
Very nice! Love the silver with dark grey wheels!
"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
10/27/2017 at 11:47, STARS: 1
Thanks! Its a discrete color combo, yours too. Hopefully that’ll help with tickets...