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syphon posted:Regarding EJ25 head gaskets... both the phase 1's (DOHC, '95-99 I think) and phase 2 (SOHC, '99-03 I think) had problems. Sure, the phase 1's had a worse problem, but you're not avoiding any issues by getting a 2000. At this age, I wouldn't recommend buying ANY '95-'03 Subaru without making sure the head gasket has been replaced (unless it only has 20k or something absurdly low). Either your expressing yourself poorly, or you're nuts. "I wouldn't recommend buying ANY '95-'03 Subaru without making sure the head gasket has been replaced" ...sure, it's an expensive service, and it's almost certainly necessary, but the phase 2 motor isn't going to be damaged from the failed head gasket unless you let it overheat... I'd say that it's (at most) a factor to use in considering what a reasonable price is, not a dealbreaker, which is what I'm reading from you. Worst case scenario, you have to replace the head gasket yourself instead of the previous owner doing it. Big deal. It's some money, it's some time, but it's not worth passing over a good car for. P.S., have you seen my new 2000 Impreza RS? It's beautiful. I have no idea when the head gasket was done. If it starts leaking, I'll replace it.
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Oct 2, 2010 03:20
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syphon posted:but do make sure that any car you buy older than '03 or so has had it's HG replaced. Or buy it cheap enough that a new motor/replacement can be worked in.
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Oct 2, 2010 05:11
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One of the reasons I was looking in 00-03 year was price of the car along with insurance quotes. I was a little worried about the phase 2 one but if I could get the car cheap enough I wouldn't mind replacing it. So I looked at the car and I wasn't blown away with just inspecting it. The owner is a talker and was trying to talk the car up. He seems to know more about cars than I do (which isn't saying much) and his tone kept changing every time I'd inspect what you guys advised. The motor sounded amazing, I found the lever on the engine and revved it up and didn't hear any clunking sounds. Then he revved it up to 5k rpms and I still didnt hear anything. The CV joints looked ok as far as I could see but when I looked under there was something leaking by the passenger front tire. I dipped my finger in it and it was clear and felt like water. That kinda concerns me cause it hasn't rained and why would it be leaking. The owner said he has only had it for 5 months and put 8,000 miles on it. That raised many concerns to me. The "slight damage" on the passenger door was in no way slight. Was a hole that I could fit 2 to 3 fingers in. He said its no concern cause Subaru puts a primer coating on the inside of their doors. Is that true? My dad joined along and mentioned price because the guy has it for 3,000 more than what the KBB value has it at. He said he'd be open to discussing price but that was the end of that. This car worth looking further into? Any other thoughts are highly welcome  . You guys have been really helpful so, Thank you.To fix the door the guy said it would only cost $250, and I find that kinda hard to believe Fixit fucked around with this message at 06:50 on Oct 2, 2010 |
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Oct 2, 2010 06:35
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What's the exact details on the car? For a decent condition, low miles RS, you're definitely going to pay over KBB from any seller who knows what the car's worth. I've seen one with 50k miles go for $9k, and I got a great deal on mine with 98k for $6k at a dealership. If you're looking for the less expensive car, a 2002-3 will probably be less expensive compared to a 2000-1 RS.
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Oct 2, 2010 06:57
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Its a 2000 Impreza GC8 or 2.5RS sedan I guess; 93,000 miles on it. The car is "ok" except for the passenger door. It looks like someone wasn't paying attention and side swiped and punctured the passenger door. The puncture would need to be fixed imo cause it rains a lot here and would like to not have water leaking or water damage. There is some paint chipping on the rear bumper also. He has it priced at 7,800 and I think that is way too high. 95,000 on it. not 93,000
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Oct 2, 2010 07:16
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Fixit posted:Its a 2000 Impreza GC8 or 2.5RS sedan I guess; 93,000 miles on it. The car is "ok" except for the passenger door. It looks like someone wasn't paying attention and side swiped and punctured the passenger door. The puncture would need to be fixed imo cause it rains a lot here and would like to not have water leaking or water damage. There is some paint chipping on the rear bumper also. He has it priced at 7,800 and I think that is way too high. $7,800 is money that will get you a reasonably nice 2.5RS _Coupe_ without major body damage. 5 months, 8k miles is heavy driving but plausibly highway miles. The real question is why he is flipping the car after such a short time of ownership. Most 2.5RS's of those years seem to be cars that you set out to buy for yourself, people just looking for a beater Subaru would probably end up in a plain Impreza L instead. Don't know enough about the GC8's engine layout to even guess about a watery leak near the passenger tire - paging c355n4. All in all, it sounds well overpriced for a sale I'd be very, very skeptical about. Just for hilarious reference: http://www.rs25.com/forums/f171/t143693-1999-2-5rs-black-coupe.html - Beautiful 2.5RS Coupe with a young motor in it for $6800 in WA state. In fact, looks like it's still for sale. It puts that sedan you looked at into perspective. Cuntpunch fucked around with this message at 09:04 on Oct 2, 2010 |
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Oct 2, 2010 08:59
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Amandyke posted:Sweet! Got the intercooler I won off of ebay today! guess what you just bought.
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Oct 2, 2010 09:06
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Fixit posted:when I looked under there was something leaking by the passenger front tire. I dipped my finger in it and it was clear and felt like water. That kinda concerns me cause it hasn't rained and why would it be leaking. Was the A/C running?
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Oct 2, 2010 11:40
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I'm not sure why there are the continuous posts about head gaskets and subaru motors. If it isn't a closed dock motor it is going to blow a head gasket, its the way the motors are designed. And even if it is closed dock you will more then likely have a blown head gasket in 150 thou. If you have ever seen an EJ series motor you would understand.
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Oct 2, 2010 15:15
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CharlesM posted:Was the A/C running? ^ this, I'm pretty sure the A/C dumps water there. And that guy's price is insane by a few thousand.
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Oct 2, 2010 17:47
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kaws! posted:I'm not sure why there are the continuous posts about head gaskets and subaru motors. If it isn't a closed dock motor it is going to blow a head gasket, its the way the motors are designed. And even if it is closed dock you will more then likely have a blown head gasket in 150 thou. If you have ever seen an EJ series motor you would understand. Because the dude wanted to know about major issues to look out for and the head gaskets on that era EJ25 are a major issue to look out for?
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Oct 2, 2010 18:44
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Cuntpunch posted:$7,800 is money that will get you a reasonably nice 2.5RS _Coupe_ without major body damage. 5 months, 8k miles is heavy driving but plausibly highway miles. The real question is why he is flipping the car after such a short time of ownership. Most 2.5RS's of those years seem to be cars that you set out to buy for yourself, people just looking for a beater Subaru would probably end up in a plain Impreza L instead. Just wow, I sent the guy a PM and hoping to hear from him soon. That is one slick looking 2.5rs and thank you so much for posting that! I'm telling the guy who's car I looked at last night that I'm no longer interested. Talked it over with a couple buddies and my folks and all agree the guy is trying to pull something. Also just want to say thank you so much for helping me out, I'm sure if I can buy that RS that was posted I'll have a ton of more questions (after I read all 136 pages :P).
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Oct 2, 2010 19:21
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jamal posted:guess what you just bought. You're the best Jamal!
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Oct 2, 2010 22:51
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Not to jump on the bandwagon, but that guy's price is insane. I got a very similar car from a dealer for $6,000. 5k more miles, but no body damage. At that price, I wouldn't touch anything except for an almost perfect coupe. Based on how you're describing that hole, I'd say the value is realistically somewhere between $4,500 and $5,000, depending on the options and overall condition. You can get a lightly body-damaged 2.5RS for $4,500 all day on NASIOC or RS25.
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Oct 2, 2010 23:17
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Well, one week into owning an '11 and I've had no less than 5 souped up Volkswagens try to race me on the highway. As I'm old and boring I ignore them until they leave but it's quite a change from my '02.
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Oct 2, 2010 23:28
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I have a 2008 WRX and when I am accelerating, it seems like I have to wait for the RPM's to drop between 1st to 2nd gear or it will shift roughly.. It's like the flywheel is too heavy??!?!! Does anyone have opinions on this? I'm going from like 5k in 1st to 2-3k in 2nd, depending on how long I wait. I guess if this isn't enough detail I will take the car out again!
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Oct 3, 2010 03:54
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AquaDame posted:I have a 2008 WRX and when I am accelerating, it seems like I have to wait for the RPM's to drop between 1st to 2nd gear or it will shift roughly.. It's like the flywheel is too heavy??!?!! Does anyone have opinions on this? I'm going from like 5k in 1st to 2-3k in 2nd, depending on how long I wait. I guess if this isn't enough detail I will take the car out again! Sounds like the syncro to me. Check your transmission fluid. How many miles on the car?
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Oct 3, 2010 04:31
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AquaDame posted:I have a 2008 WRX and when I am accelerating, it seems like I have to wait for the RPM's to drop between 1st to 2nd gear or it will shift roughly.. It's like the flywheel is too heavy??!?!! Does anyone have opinions on this? I'm going from like 5k in 1st to 2-3k in 2nd, depending on how long I wait. I guess if this isn't enough detail I will take the car out again! Can you define rough? Does it go "thunk" and jump down to the new RPM very suddenly? Can you clutch-less shift okay? I might think your pressure plate or clutch is having personal issues if so. Is it recurring in all other gears, save reverse?
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Oct 3, 2010 04:34
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The drive by wire throttle hangs a bit, plus it's the stock flywheel. Good tuners re-map the throttle when they're at it.
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Oct 3, 2010 04:41
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Hm. My '09 WRX needs new tires. After having made a great idea to move from San Diego to Chicago, looks like I'm going to be buying two sets of tires very soon. For summer performance, seeing as the temperature is hovering around 62º to 41º and not looking to go below for another few months, I think I will be ordering a set of Dunlo Direzza DZ101s in 225/45R17 to match my stock '09 WRX rims. For winter performance, I think I will be purchasing a set of 4 Blizzak LM-60 winter tires, and trying to find a set of used 16" 200x (where x 03-07) OEM rims to match. But that won't happen until mid-November, when temperatures plunge below 40ºF. What do you guys think, do you recommend purchasing tires elsewhere, or have any specials you know about? Thanks!
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Oct 4, 2010 23:12
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Just Another XY posted:Dunlo Direzza DZ101s in 225/45R17 I really have to advocate to get the Z1 Star specs instead of the Z101's, I can understand not spending the extra money on the Z1's. I feel that the Z1's are a way better tire overall including tire wear. I got a good 10k onto my Z1's before I sold them off and they still had another 10k in them easily.
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Oct 4, 2010 23:42
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Do you guys know if there are any differences between the WRX and STI seat belt buckles? I was looking at some STI take-off seats and for some reason my rear seat belt won't buckle into the holster of the STI seat (I figured out after I left that the rear seat belt might actually be different from the front seat belt for some reason - so will go back and test that as well). If not I guess I can just switch the buckles over.
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Oct 4, 2010 23:55
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Where can I find something simple like this to cover the drat intercooler hole? (lol FMIC & rotated turbo). I always feel like my car is missing something there.
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Oct 5, 2010 02:10
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Bob Log posted:I really have to advocate to get the Z1 Star specs instead of the Z101's, I can understand not spending the extra money on the Z1's. I feel that the Z1's are a way better tire overall including tire wear. I got a good 10k onto my Z1's before I sold them off and they still had another 10k in them easily. That's interesting, the Z1 Stars are actually cheaper at tirerack than the Z101s. I'll check that out, thanks. Apart from lurking NASIOC, where else should I be looking to find some older 16" stock WRX rims?
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Oct 5, 2010 02:45
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Kageneko posted:Where can I find something simple like this to cover the drat intercooler hole? (lol FMIC & rotated turbo). I always feel like my car is missing something there. If you're honestly looking for cheap, I would suggest making your own. Cut out a template with cardboard and use some tools to cut out some mesh/metal to cover the spot. Mesh available here: http://www.mcmaster.com http://www.mcnichols.com/products/ http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productselection.asp?Product=3640 I like working with tools or my hands and making stuff like that. If you want it premade you can easily spend hundreds of dollars. Just Another XY posted:where else should I find some older 16" stock WRX rims? Check craigslist, there's always ones on there and on ebay. If that's too much work you can check the other subaru sites listed in the OP. Iwsti, i-club, etc... Bob Log fucked around with this message at 02:58 on Oct 5, 2010 |
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Oct 5, 2010 02:54
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Seat Safety Switch posted:Do you guys know if there are any differences between the WRX and STI seat belt buckles? I was looking at some STI take-off seats and for some reason my rear seat belt won't buckle into the holster of the STI seat (I figured out after I left that the rear seat belt might actually be different from the front seat belt for some reason - so will go back and test that as well). I might check SGP or something for an extra set of buckles so at least I can work on the seat without having to park the car for an extended period of time as well.
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Oct 5, 2010 03:00
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Sigh. I take my car in to get the passenger side axle replaced. I get it back and I notice pulling into my driveway that I have a squeaking/rubbing sound when I have my wheel at or near full lock to the left. Wouldn't you think the first thing you would do after replacing an axle would be to drive it in tight turns to see if there's any noise?
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Oct 5, 2010 03:50
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Can I join the club? Just bought this a few days ago:  A bone stock 2003 WRX. Wife and I took it for a rip along the coastal twisty highway this weekend and it was such an awesome experience. My previous winter vehicle was a '93 Toyota 4x4 pickup (350k km, 3.slow, and 33" tires) and in the summer car it was a 1998 Toyota Corolla. Sold them both and got the WRX. So I'm sure you could all imagine how wide my grin was.
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Oct 5, 2010 05:44
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Kageneko posted:Where can I find something simple like this to cover the drat intercooler hole? (lol FMIC & rotated turbo). I always feel like my car is missing something there. I think grillcraft makes those or some just like that.
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Oct 5, 2010 05:48
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Oh, and 08+ wrx guys: Just had a guy come in to have Bilsteins and Racecomp Engineering yellow springs installed. loving fantastic setup. Can't wait to get my RCE blacks this week.
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Oct 5, 2010 06:00
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jamal posted:Oh, and 08+ wrx guys:
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Oct 5, 2010 14:54
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Moruitelda posted:The SOHC EJ25s from the later GCs had problems with external leaking - oil seeping out of the heads. While that's an annoyance, it's not the potential catastrophic problem that the earlier engines had. I believed this as well and it seems like its not always true. For a good example go see Sockington's project thread. I just kept putting more coolant into mine and I think that some of that was going into the oil creating a massive sludge problem. And yes, I did change the oil every 5000km 
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Oct 5, 2010 15:44
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8ender posted:I believed this as well and it seems like its not always true. For a good example go see Sockington's project thread. I just kept putting more coolant into mine and I think that some of that was going into the oil creating a massive sludge problem. There are no absolutes. I was talking about tendencies, but yeah... I've seen the inside of yours/Sock's EJ25 and it's ugly.
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Oct 5, 2010 15:50
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Moruitelda posted:I've seen the inside of yours/Sock's EJ25 and it's ugly. Our EJ25 is special. Only a face a mother could love. I have the cylinder heads boxed up and I'm awaiting $400 to ship them to Outfront Motorsports to be cleaned and mailed back.
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Oct 5, 2010 15:52
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Moruitelda posted:There are no absolutes. I was talking about tendencies, but yeah... I've seen the inside of yours/Sock's EJ25 and it's ugly. Understood. I just don't want anyone putting off a head gasket job like I did thinking its just some harmless coolant on your garage floor. Sockington posted:Our EJ25 is special. Only a face a mother could love. Does it still have that cute dent with the surface rust on the front fender? 
8ender fucked around with this message at 16:02 on Oct 5, 2010 |
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Oct 5, 2010 15:59
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8ender posted:Does it still have that cute dent with the surface rust on the front fender? I was looking at some WRX style fender replacements, but the rear is WAY too involved for my tastes. If all goes well, there shouldn't be any vehicle replacements in the Sock household for a while. 2002 Impreza Wagon - Sock's reliable EJ25 N/A daily driver that hopefully won't break down a lot since it has a reman shortblock and cleaned up cylinder heads with STi gaskets to replace the lovely OEM ones. 2003 Focus 4dr - Wife daily 1991 323 - FWD turbo project car that will probably break down a bit 1985 MR2 hardtop - RWD turbo project car that will probably break down a bit The only things I'd like to change (JAMAL!) is the brakes/hubs/control arms on my wagon. Jamal, if you happen to have this/can get this, I think we need to get the PMs rocking again. For the 02' TS Wagon (which has GC control arms, Subaru  )- Front WRX brakes/hubs/spindles - Front LCA for a 02+ Wagon or a GC - Rear WRX brakes/hubs/spindles That would be AWESOME, but I'm not sure how much stock crap you have piled around the shop/available. I don't need it immediately as I still have to finish the motor, but sometime in the near future.
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Oct 5, 2010 16:27
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You shouldn't just swap the front fenders on a wagon, either. One of the "STI wagons" at my local Subaru club looks a hell of a lot like a penis. You gotta do widebody all around or not at all. If you're doing an 06 WRX brake caliper swap you may have to get new wheels. That's okay, because the steelies that come with the TS are awful looking and should be immediately replaced with whatever JDM ver 7 wheels you can get ahold of from your local crime syndicate front/JDM shop. I need a new RF LCA for my 06 wagon as well, if jamal has extras lying around. Seat Safety Switch fucked around with this message at 16:43 on Oct 5, 2010 |
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Oct 5, 2010 16:41
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jamal posted:Oh, and 08+ wrx guys: Would they be an improvement on an '11? I would appreciate the chance to lower my 5-door, however I don't want to f with things and all...
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Oct 5, 2010 17:30
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Seat Safety Switch posted:You shouldn't just swap the front fenders on a wagon, either. One of the "STI wagons" at my local Subaru club looks a hell of a lot like a penis. You gotta do widebody all around or not at all. I said "was" for that exact reason. All the way or nothing.
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Oct 5, 2010 18:05
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Sockington, your TS uprights/hubs/control arms etc are the same as a WRX wagon. To change the brakes you just need new caliper brackets and rotors. In the rear if you have drums it is better to swap the whole upright though because the hub needs to come out to change the backing plate.thealphabetsez posted:Would they be an improvement on an '11? I would appreciate the chance to lower my 5-door, however I don't want to f with things and all... yeah. way way better than stock struts, and the springs are still a good amount stiffer.
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Oct 5, 2010 18:50
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