Subaru Impreza WRX

twrx

Juice: My wife has a '98 rs. No leaks or squeaks with the roof....However....

AH: don't know if the '98 rs had the ring reinforcement but it sure has only a slit for a sunroof. worse still, my wife decided that too much air was coming in at speed and got the smoked black plastic deflector. There is a slot of maybe 5" max of sky you can see. this is one reason why I'm not too sad about my wrx wagon being devoid of one. (And I'm one that really loves open air cars--former Delsol owner.)

Hey guys, hope it really snows 5" here in Indiana tonight!

TWRX

paisan

And the RS roof is about 2x as big as the WRX OEM one.

-mike

eyeball2452

hi, I bought a new WRX in a 5 speed standard. I've never had a standard before and was wondering if it was normal for the first and second gears to stick sometimes during break-in.

I've had problems shifting into 1st about 20% of the time and 2nd about 10% of the time. It's driving me crazy. I do have about 1000 miles both on the highway and in town on the car.

Otherwise, the car's been really good to me. It may be I'm used to an automatic, but this is just really annoying.

hunter001

I have had a moonroof in pretty much every car I have ever owned but considering the stiffness of the body structure of this car and its rigidity (which is what has impressed me), I would not want anything whatsoever to compromise it in any way. I can certainly live without a moonroof, especially one that would cut into one of the key structural elements of the car. I simply want the handling to be retained as it is now, moonroof or not and unless someone brings data to prove otherwise (or Subaru themselves clarify officially), I would tend to assume that any weakening of a key structural element would compromise handling in a big way, especially in high-G activities.

Here, in VA, it is supposed to snow (good) and then develop into a wintry mix (bad).

Later...AH

mgreene1

Big words like "scavenging effect" confuse the hell out of me, but if you like this stuff you might want to check this link. I don't have a clue what they're talking about (which is okay because most of them don't either).

http://forums.audiworld.com/s4/msgs/38480.phtml

Anyway, if you put a less restrictive exhaust on an otherwise stock WRX, expect to lose some off idle response.

bedabi

As I've said, driving a WRX with a less restrictive exhaust that retained the stock inner diameter of 2.5", I noticed BETTER off idle response. But this was not the case in exhausts that were bigger than stock, though once the turbo kicked in, it definitely revved better than stock. It's a comrimise game.
What makes you conclude otherwise? Were you in a turbo car recently with plumbed exhaust pipes with 2.5" or 3" or larger pipes? Are you relying on a post in Audiworld? Has this been the experience in your own car?

hazdaz

I am glad to wake up this morning... opps, I mean afternoon, and see that 25 people posted messages. I DEFINITLY want to replace the stock exhuast on my WRX, and will keep in mind about the info you buys posted.
BEDADI: you specifically mention the Stromung exhaust. Now is this in YOUR car or one that you have just driven on occasion? I have seen in Mags the GReddy one, and wondering if anyone had experience with it?
For someone that have very little experience driving a 5-speed (SUCH AS MYSELF), I think losing some low-end torque would not be a good idea. Also, i would NEED to have mine be totaly legal. Replacing the last CAT doesn't sound emmisions legal.
If I can't find a system that is legal AND keep from losing low-end torque, I might just go the cheesy route, and just get a slightly louder/more mellow sounding muffler, and just leave it at that. The extra power a nice exhaust system might give me is cool and all, but if its not goign to be legal, then count me out - ill then just go for the sound (as lame as that is). But either way I gotta do SOMETHING, cuz I still hear my sister's comment that the car looks "cute" ringing in my head - I know that a louder exhaust note would help change that.

OK, now a question for you all. I have put about 700+ miles on my WRX from last saturday (one week aniversary - woohoo!), and am getting the handle of driving a 5-speed (even had to suffer though stop & go traffic yesterday - ugh!). NOW the question is, how the heck do you drive a standard car FAST? I have yet to pass the break-in period, so I am not talking about reving it, Iam talking about going from a dead stop in 1st, to actualy GOING. Seems no matter how fast i try to let up on the clutch, while hitting a little gas, I am always lagging behind cars with automatics that all ya gotta do is hit the gas and go. i KNOW i must be missing something here, cuz it just seems like the only way I can keep from slowing traffic down at a light is to start letting up on the clutch/tapping the gas BEFORE the light even turns green. I KNOW standards are faster than automantics in general, but not while I'm driving them ;( atleast not yet. The only thing I can think of, is hitting the gas more, while still having the clutch in, and THEN letting off the clutch. Is that the way? Wouldn't that put ALOT of undue wear on the clutch????

mgreene1

Keeping in mind my rudimentary understanding of all this, "common sense" says that faster flow rates will enable the turbo to spool up faster.
My former car was a 2000 S4 with catback exhaust with larger diameter. Off idle torque was less. I seriously considered a true dual exhaust with smaller diameter pipes which allowed increased flow rates. My local tuner extensively tested both versions on his own S4. Off idle response was hurt using both systems but, to your point, it wasn't hurt *nearly as much* with the smaller diameter pipes. By far the biggest problem with the dual setup was the less restrictive muffler (they used just one instead of two). It was a lot louder. There was also more droning. Based on my limited experience and my research, I think the best one can hope for is to *not lose* any off idle torque and to *not lose* your hearing. That's mainly because a well tuned factory turbo car (like a WRX or S4) will have a pretty good exhaust for the stock configuration. Maybe the quicker spool up of the turbo fooled your butt dyno into believing that off idle response was improved when it really wasn't.

hunter001

I just got back from a drive in and around un-plowed parking lots in our area, with about 4"-5" of snow (with stock RE92 tires). The Auto-WRX simply plowed through all that. I kept on making decreasing radius "8" turns and 90 degree rights and lefts (basically to get a feel of this car and its AWD), all around the snow and the car was simply un-flappable. It simply plowed through all that was dished out to it, and challenged for more. Lot of ABS activity however, when stopping (maybe with better tires, it would not happen as much). But stopping was straight and without any drama (inspite of the ABS vibrations/hum). I am totally impressed with this car. This was our first real snow during this season.

Enough typing, now let me go out and have some more fun...

Later...AH

esqknight

I'd like to say that I'm really in a funk now. The silver auto sedan I ordered December 8 was supposed to come in with the January allocation and the manager of the dealership just told me that the car did not arrive and probably would in February. He said that the diffuclt was that there weren't that many auto sedans being built. I'd like to know if anyone has had this happen, or anyone knows enough about the allocation process to know if they are being straight to me.

Thanks,
Eric

WarpDrive

I was supposed to get an early December delivery and Subaru then sent out a list showing end of January! Boy was I angry! But it did show up as promised. Other people weren't as lucky, a whole bunch of TS wagons were delayed.

My dealer said that since they order manual WRX's more than any other car, ones like a automatics and TS wagons are actually harder to get.

hunter001

You will be lucky to get the Auto-WRX in the color you want, since they do not come along very frequently. When they do come along however, they are snapped up within a day or so at most. They do not remain on the lot at all (at least in our area). So keep following up with your dealer or else, they might resell your car to someone else at a higher price than was agreed with you.

When I purchased my car, there were 2 silver Auto-WRX-Sportwagons that came in during a late evening. I agreed on a price over the phone the next morning and by evening when we went to sign our papers, the other Auto-WRX-Sportwagon was already prepped, sold and gone. The silver Auto-WRX-sportwagon that I bought (with 5 miles on it), is a fantastic vehicle and is worth every penny I paid for it and more. Today I really worked my sport-wagon out in the snow. It was fabulous to say the least.

Later...AH

bedabi

mgreene: My uncalibered butt-dyno has nothing to do with it. I experience less to no bogging in my WRX with the Stromung exhaust (yes, I have one), and better low RPM response. I know when the turbo kicks in because I have a boost guage. Don't take my word for it, take a look at the Nov. '01 issue of Sport Compact Car magazine, in which they dyno and road tested a bunch of tuned WRXs. One of the ones was a Subaru factory backed Group N car. The ONLY engine modifications, down to the stock ECU, were straight pipes used to take all three cats off the car. They dyno'd the car and compared it to a baseline dyno chart of a stock WRX. The power graph looks nearly identical.. just moved to the left and a little higher. That is, more power in lower RPMs and slightly higher peak power. My point is, what you're missing from the muffler mumbo jumbo is that lower RPM (pre-turbo) torque will not be reduced and will even be enhanced by cleaning out the pipes, as long as the pipes aren't too wide. I can email you a picture of the dyno chart, if you like.

Hazdaz: You oughta come to NYC where each redlight, especially in Manhattan is a drag race with yellow cabs for road domination worthy of a "Mad Max" out take. First of all, you're gonna just have to let the others go faster till your car is broken in, because our cars won't do much outside of the 3500 to 6000 RPM powerband. Go on a roadtrip, then you'll be ready.
That being said, here's how you can do it. 1) Just leave from a light slowly like you normally do, but don't shift till you're at about 6k RPM. Even the Kia wagon will start to pass you initially, but after the turbo kicks in, and you shift into the boost range into second gear, EVERYONE, including the cocky teen in a Mustang GT, will be in your rearview by the time you hit the 45 mph speed limit. This is best for our transmission.
2) Just before the light turns green, take a split second to hold your RPMs at least at 3500. Then quickly release your clutch (a quick slip then release). You will do an AWD slingshot that will instantaneously put you a car's length ahead of anyone else. 3500 RPMs is actually a low start (when quoting the sub 0-60 times, most mags launch from 5000 RPMs!) This will take a lot of practice if you are new. Otherwise you will be placed in the humiliating situation of appearing to rev your engine before the light turns and then stalling out. Definitely NOT cool. Also, bad for your transmission.
3) While your right foot is on the brake, twist your foot and dip the gas pedal with the heel of your right foot, as you would while to-heel shifting, just before the light turns green. This way, your car is revved as the light changes and you move your right foot to the throttle. Now that your engine is already revved, release the clutch and you slingshot out. Again, it takes a lot of practice. You're probably gonna bog a lot, but it's better than stalling, and not quite as humiliating. This is also wearing on your transmission.
Personally, I rarely do high RPM launches on the street anymore. It was fun when I first got the car, but I'm concerned about keeping my transmission in good order. Besides, with my new muffler (not a cat-back), I love the way the car sounds nearly stock till the turbo kicks in and screams, "Get out of the way!" But really, those high RPM launches are the only way to get those magazine times. With a friends G-tech meter last night, I tried a few differenct launches and found varying times. For the # 3 type launch above (dip and go), I got 0-60 in 6.3 secs. For the #2 type launch (stand and go), from about 4200-4500 RPMs, I got 5.8 secs. For the 1/4 mile time... I got a speeding ticket. :-{

hazdaz

Hey, thanks for the tips there. I am at almost 800miles on the odo, so not too long before i can try any of these techniques.
By the way, Im not too far from NYC, but no way in hell would I drive MY car there. You guys are nuts down there - I think I would have taxis nailing their horns at me at like EVERY light - just seems like going from a dead stop to actually GOING takes forever.
OK, now, how punishing is revving the car and launching it from there on a tranny (specifically #2 and 3, since just revving an engine close to redline should put any undo wear on it)? After all, I have heard that clutches "usually" last like 70,000 miles. Would I be droppping that number bigtime if I start launching the car? I honestly can't imagine (at least I HOPE not) that doing that would put THAT much wear on a clutch, since with an automatic you can nail it at a light all the time, and not do THAT much wear and tear - I couldn't imagine a standard being THAT much weaker. [Ofcourse, mind you I am not talking about racing the car 24/7 at EVERY light, but getting up to speed before the Yugo next to me does would be nice, ya know?] What is a "safe" rev to start letting up on the clutch if you are just driving leasurely? I have always tried keeping it below 1500 - am I being needlessly cautious? I think I have stalled out like once in the past couple of days, so I would say that I am getting used to driving a standard, and the only thing that still bugs me is the startting-to-go part.

Also, I got that issue of Sport Compact Car - sweet issue. Now, on the exhaust that you have - how legal are we talking about here? You guys blow too much of your polluted NYC air our way as it is (CT), I rather not add to it?

hunter001

One of the i-clubbers asked Subaru about the difference between the RS and WRX suspensions, and this was their answer:

----------------------------------

Suspension comparison between 2002 Impreza 2.5 RS and WRX.
**********************************************RS**************WRX
Stabilizer bar diameter (mm)****F:********20**************20
Stabilizer bar diameter (mm)****R:********13**************20
Travel (mm)*********Front Jounce*********100**************80
********************Rebound****************100*************110
***********************Rear Jounce*********115*************110
*************************Rebound************90**************95
Spring Rates (N/mm)******Front(MT,AT)26,27.7**********28.5
*****************************Rear(MT, AT)20.5,22.6*******20.9,23.1

Roll center height is the same for both models.

Information is taken from the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Specifications.
I hope that this helps with your research. Best wishes!!

John J. Mergen
Subaru of America, Inc.
-----------------------------------

Interestingly, the Auto-WRX/Auto-RS have stiffer springs than their Manual counterparts. I would have assumed the opposite to be the case !!!

Later...AH

bedabi

I only have the Stromung muffler. That's it. I had a cat back, but put back the stock pipe between the last cat and muffler to reduce a little interior noise. It's 2.5" in diameter, so there's not much restriction in that pipe. In other words, it's perfectly legal. Taking out a cat is not.
The exhaust comes in five parts: after the exhaust manifold, there is the 1) up-pipe with first cat before the turbo; 2) downpipe with second cat after the turbo; 3) front midpipe with thrid cat; 4) second mid-pipe with resonator; and finally 5) the muffler. If you're interested, e-mail me and I can send you a schematic diagram.
As for high RPM launches, I don't think any one can really say with certainty how bad it is for our cars. But Subaru does have a reputation for its transmission being the weakest link in its reliability (think high HP SVX). After all, the WRX hasn't been here a year yet. But anyone will tell you that high RPM launches do cause more wear on a clutch. How much, I can't say.
You can't compare it with an auto tranny, since it simply doesn't allow for high RPM launches. I think I read that 0-60 times for the auto were like 7.5 secs, and this was while standing on the brake while revving the engine!
I usually slip into first gear at around 2000 RPMs or less. If you're stalling getting into first gear, give it a little more gas before you engage the clutch. Release it halfway for a split second until you fell it catch then release it quickly but smoothly all the way.
You should come to one of our i-club meets in Queens sometime. It's a great way to compare and contrast different mods.

mgreene1

You're exhaust is probably "technically" illegal unless you have it in writing that it's emissions-certified. Still, my guess is that you shouldn't have any problems passing emissions testing if you haven't messed with the catalytic converters and if you haven't done any other mods.

The times you posted are what could easily be extracted from a bone stock WRX 5-speed sedan. Despite being louder and raising warranty and emissions concerns, your exhaust evidently doesn't do much to help performance. Dyno charts should be taken with a grain of salt especially when it comes to measuring small differences. The same exact car can test differently from one dyno run to another on the same day. It would be interesting to see some rolling start times from 0-60 bone stock and then bone stock with an aftermarket exhaust setup you described. If your point is valid, there should be a measurable improvement in the times. Have you seen any such testing? You'd think that SCC, being the pillar of credibility that it is, would have done this. Just provide some hard performance numbers to back up your claims and I'll gladly retract my skepticism and become a true believer.

Off-topic: Sorry about your speeding ticket. The last thing you want is a speeding ticket on your driving record in NY. The state insurance law allows an insurance company to increase premiums for two speeding tickets within a given timeframe regardless of points (unless that law has been changed since I've last read it). You may want to hire an attorney ($75 or so) to see if this could be changed to a no point, non-moving violation, e.g., parking on the highway. That has a fairly steep fine so the municipality gets the same (or more) revenue but you keep the moving violation off your driving record. Of course, this is my (perhaps misinformed) personal opinion, not legal advice per se.

hazdaz, if the aftermarket exhaust provider doesn't explicitly state it's emissions-legal *in writing* then it probably isn't. I wouldn't worry about the clutch unless you smell something awful. Starting below 2000 rpms shouldn't pose any problem unless you are riding the clutch. Occassionally, I'll use a little too much clutch at lower rpms and smell something but it's not that big of a deal and I don't sweat it. However, if you see smoke and there's a God-awful smell that doesn't go away then that's pretty bad news.

ateixeira

AH: the stiffer spring rates are probably due to the higher curb weight of the automatic models. But you love a conspiracy theory as much as anyone, so go ahead and call the automatic sportier! ;-)

ASC and the shop that installed my roof offer a liftime warranty for leaks and squeeks/rattles. So I guess any structural creak would have to be audible for them to have to address it.

-juice

elec3

It's generally the price you pay for driving a car with a large turbo. It has two personalities, mom's station wagon, and top fuel dragster. I played around with a silver WRX sedan one time and learned a few things. My car is an auto Mazda Protege5 which is quick if you really wring it out but simply not in the same class as a WRX when it comes to speed. With my whopping 135ft-lbs of torque and an automatic, I was able to blow the WRX off the line. Not even close. If I run my Protege up to redline I can hit 40-45 miles an hour in first gear, let off the gas, and be right in the middle of the powerband in second. I was up about a carlength or two when the WRX driver got his revs in the right spot and the turbo kicked in. At that point we were around 35 or so miles an hour and he took off like the car was shot out of a cannon. He blew way way way past me and, even though the Protege5 is usually at its quickest from 40 to 60 miles an hour, I couldn't begin to compete with the extra 100 horses his turbo was providing. Getting a quick start with a manual WRX seems to simply be a matter of finding a way to get your revs up soon enough for the turbo to do its job. Peak power and torque in this car are at comparatively high rpms and that is what you are noticing when you take off from an idle at a stoplight.

PS: It's very difficult to drive an automatic transmission car fast. It can certainly be done but it takes a lot of practice and a good degree of "feel" for the engine and transmission. You have to be able to feel and recognize what gear you are in and correctly guess whether stomping on the accelerator at that moment will keep you in your current gear and send you zipping forward or cause a downshift which will make your revs zoom towards the redline and you zoom...nowhere Forcing gear changes in an automatic is really more of an art than a skill, but it's a fun challenge for those times you want to get off the "all shifts at 2800rpm autopilot" feeling.

bedabi

First of all, the times I posted was in no way referring to any power gains. I only mentioned them for Hazdaz' benefit in attempting to explain how to launch. I'm no professional driver, and I doubt I could recreate launches well enough to provide an accurate "before and after" analysis.
Second, if you read any of my prior posts, you'd realize that I not only expressed doubt that any cat-back produces additional power gains, but that I never claimed to get any power gains. What I did claim was that in my own car, I've experienced no loss of power in the low RPM range and no bogging with my replacement muffler as you've only predicted. I don't see how you can dispute my first hand experience in my own car.
Third, SCC printed dyno results of the difference between a stock car and the Subaru N-class road racing car without catalytic converters. My point was that the simple notion of requiring any kind of backpressure for more low-end torque is dubious. And yes, acceleration times were notably better (unfortunately, I don't have the magazine handy to post them - e-mail me and I'll send them to you when I get home). If you are able to cite other published dyno or track measurements from more reliable sources other than general skepticism, I invite you to do so.
Fourth, I AM a lawyer. I'll be going to court to work a deal. Thanks for your advice though. Being a trial attorney myself, I'll vouch that you were pretty much right on.

paisan

I know the manager at your dealership personally. He wouldn't jerk you around. E-mail me off line if you want to discuss it further.

-mike

hunter001

AH: the stiffer spring rates are probably due to the higher curb weight of the automatic models. But you love a conspiracy theory as much as anyone, so go ahead and call the automatic sportier! ;-)

The difference in curb weight between the manual/automatic is 55lbs....not enough to justify your theory. I think there are a lot of other variables in this equation than what meets the eye. A Subaru engineer can maybe throw light on why the Autos are setup with a sportier setup than the manuals. The exact opposite of what the Lexus IS300 has done. They have higher spring rates in the manual vehicles (even though IS300 manuals are about 50lbs lighter than the IS300 Automatics, again disproving your theory). Does the better AWD/more efficient power/torque transfer characteristics in the Auto-WRX (a difference present in the Subaru cars but not in the IS300) have anything to do with this ??

I would never have guessed that Subaru had provided stiffer springs in the Automatics, if I had not seen these specs. Such a lot of these differences do not come up in the regular specs, does it?

Later...AH

cinosweive

Is it me or the car?

I seem to have problems finding 1st and reverse about 20 to 50 percent of the time. The shifter just doesn't seem to want to go in either gear - I either have to "re-clutch" it or fish around for a bit. Once I am rolling, the shifter is great.

Has anyone else experienced this?

rezo00

Subaru and nissan auto trans are pretty crappy for accileration. Mercedes, BMW , Lexus, Acura, honda,Audi, and GM all have much faster shifting auto trans for one reason or another...though the G35 might be different...no one knows yet.

paisan

My XT6 AT shifts great for auto-x

-mike

ppek

I have a 5-speed WRX with the short throw shifter. I definitely experience difficulty getting into reverse (I often have to "re-clutch") to get it to pop in. I also experience that every now and then when going into first, but only if I'm moving (<= 10mph). Other than that, the shifter seems to work great.

Paul

wrxguy

My experience is that first from a dead stop is "notchy." It seems to be a process as I was conditioned from driving my simple Mazda truck for the past 8 years plus. With that thing you can just slam and requires less "feel" to drive the tranny. I remember a review of the WRX stating that it "takes more user particpation from the driver to access its performance." So my definitive answer to your specific question is that its YOU! But you ask an either/or and maybe its a driver and car difficulty. Maybe being an AWD drive train brings something else to the equation. I dunno, I'm no authority on the subject.

hunter001

Subaru and nissan auto trans are pretty crappy for accileration. Mercedes, BMW , Lexus, Acura, honda,Audi, and GM all have much faster shifting auto trans for one reason or another...though the G35 might be different...no one knows yet.

Hmmmmm...I have both an Acura 3.2TL and the Auto-WRX, and I have found no evidence that would provide any credence to what you have mentioned above. The Auto-WRX shifts as quick or maybe even quicker than my Acura, and the Acura is no slouch in the shifting department. I also drive my in-laws' 2000 Mercedes S500 and their Range Rover and neither of them shift faster than the Auto-WRX - maybe smoother but definitely not faster. Did you base your statements on factual matter or did you conjure this BS out of thin air ?

Later...AH

paisan

What is faster? Are you talking the shift RPMs? The time between disengagement and engagment? I would think a slower engagement would be on a more luxo car. The Subie AT is quite abrubt. Some people think there is something wrong with it at first.

-mike

hunter001

Basically, automakers can smoothen out the shift which makes the shifts themselves slower. All Lexus models have smooth shifting transmissions, which basically means that those Automatics transition between the various gears (shifts) slower. A "smooth" shifting Auto-transmission is slower shifting than the abruptly shifting transmission. The WRX shifts abruptly, because Subaru has not smoothened out the shift - thus the shifting itself is faster. It does not take any extra time in transitioning between the gears (which is what happens when the Automaker tries to make the shifting "smooth") before the shift happens, due to which it appears abrupt.

From someone who has driven the BMW SMGII, the lower Auto modes are slower and smoother. The more aggressive automatic modes are faster and shift abruptly.

Later...AH

paisan

Yep I knew that, just was curious what the original poster was refering to as "faster" My trooper is similar in it's abrubt shifts, this also helps lead to a longer tranny life or torque converter IIRC.

-mike

esqknight

I went to the dealership today, and the manager was very straight forward in showing me all the order paperwork. Basically, the car just didn't make the January boat and will be on the one in February. If a similar car can't be gotten in a dealership swap, I guess I'll just wait (not very patiently though) until January.

Thanks Mike, the manager does seem like a good guy.

Eric

paisan

I'll try to give Ira a call and see what I can do to get him to swap one out for you.

-mike

twrx

same as the other posters on this subject. I have the 5 mt with the short throw. reverse is often difficult to engage. This is most evident when the engine is off.

BH

hazdaz

I'd complain about getting into 1st, but now after 800miles, it is getting easier - yet still quite a bit more difficult if its not from a total dead stop (I am guessing that is kinda 'on purpose'). [ofcourse my experience with any 5-speed is all of a week old, so take my comment there with a grain of salt].

OK, now, question on bras... I mean CAR-bras - geez.
OK, on a silver car, "regular" black vinyl bras look homely. Those wind-deflector ones look slightly better (since they are smaller), but I think I want to get one of those clear plastic-film ones. Anyone put one on yet? I found a pre-cut one for about $100, which isn't too bad, but I might try just buying a roll of the 3M film and doing it myself - depends on how much cheeper the roll is. I fear that by the time its nice enough outside to put one on, I will have already suffered a few chips.

-HAZDAZ

rex_ruthor

I know what you are referring to, but I haven't noticed getting reverse to be any more or less difficult than with other car makes. Reverse often requires some movement of the car to obtain, because reverse has no synchro. Thats for any manual transmission, not just Subaru.

bedabi

Hazdaz,
I have a clear bra on my car. Cost about $359 for a precut kit with many intricate parts. Just take a look at your front bumper with the holes on the side. It looked pretty intimidating so I took it to a tinter to install it. Took the guy about 4 hours to put on (and he wasn't screwing around - I watched). Cost a bunch. Works real well though. 16,000 miles and no front end nicks.
The service dept. af the dealership I go to for service told me that Subaru recommends customers do NOT use vinyl bras, especially ones that have the ittle air dam. Apparently they impede the flow of air into the hood scoop, rendering the intercooler less effective.

barresa62

Yes...exactly, that's what I posted about the vinyl bras earlier on one of the Subaru discussions. Plus, the vinyl will not allow the paint to age like the exposed paint on the car. You're forever doomed to keep the bra on or go for a repaint anyhow, despite the fact you saved the paint from chips. Kind of perverse, really. :-)

Stephen

cinosweive

Quick - check out the picture of the VW Passat on epinions.com - is that the best looking car you have ever seen?

http://www.epinions.com/auto_Make-2002_Volkswagen_Passat

paisan

Wish it had 227hp though and AWD and was built in Japan!

-mike

cinosweive

I think THAT Passat has all of the above.

bedabi

I've got a silver Passat.

dop50

That one's almost good enough to send in to Jay Leno for his "Headlines" segment.

sarny

Hi,
Does anyone have an idea if I were to get aftermarket leather seats if they affect the side airbags?

paisan

Check with the aftermarket shop. Make sure they will certify in writing that they are side-airbag compatible. I'm sure some are and some aren't.

-mike

bedabi

I considered it a while ago, so I checked it out, but decided against it in the end.

According to Leatherseats.com, the side airbags remain functional. (http://leatherseats.com/)

There's a group buy on i-club now:

http://i-club.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=101189

From the reviews I've read, WRX owners who got them seem pretty happy with them.

I'm looking into neoprene (wetsuit material) covers. http://wetokole.com/

Or maybe just shave the dog.

ateixeira

That Passat is gorgeous!

AH: I was half-way kidding, hardly coming up with a theory (I did say "probably"). More like a thought. But I knew I'd get you started! :-)

-juice

hazdaz

OK, i KNOW NYC is expensive as hell and all, but DAMN! I saw the pre-cut clear bra for the WRX sedan at about $100 (does NOT cover the bumper however - but since that is plastic anyways, I am not THAT concerned about it). I am definitly not afraid of doing it myself, just slightly afraid of how easily the film comes off after it is installed. I just got this image of me slipping, and putting the bra on at an angle, and then pulling the film off alittle to straighten it out, and WAMMO, it pulls up on the car's clear-coat, or leaves nasty adhesive on the hood or some other nightmare. I know 3M makes some great stuff, and I am sure that this film is no exception, just slightly concerned anyways.
Now how visible is the clear bra on you car (BEDABI)? What color is your WRX? Is it as shiny as the rest of the paint?
Well I think that some things are coming together now... $100 for the bra... saw a nice aluminum wing for about $250... and can't wait to put in my larger rims. Yup, its starting to ACTUALLY FEAL like MY car now.

bedabi

Actually, I bought my Stongard kit via an i-club group buy, so I saved about $75! The pieces covers the front of my hood, the front bumper, nicely thick pieces for the headlights and foglights, the wells behind all the door handles, the front of the rearviews, and a strip just behind the trunk. Tell me how it goes when you apply yours.
Yes, it's invisible to the eye till you get right up on it. You really can't tell it's on there till you're carefully looking for the edge of the plastic film from about 3-4 feet away. My car is silver, and it gloss is the same as on the rest of the car. Like I said, try to come to a meet in Queens on Feb 2nd. You can see everything first hand.

thecat

Sorry, I just wanted to have post 4700.

- hutch