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Comments
-mike
5 Golden....rims!
There you go.
-juice
on a stock 98-01 2.5RS, they will rub the rear fenders. the problem goes away with firmer suspension, but again they're so large that suspension clearance could be a question for some.
they fit a 2002 Impreza of any kind with no problems.
-Colin
-juice
So, what about the 2002 Impreza lets these tires fit without rubbing?
Ken
-Colin
I was thinking of getting rid of my '99 L sedan, but I don't think I can part with it (and I don't want a car payment). But, I'm tired of it looking like an "old-people car". Since I do more with it than than go to the grocery store, travel to bingo night, and venture to Church every Sunday, I want to make it look a bit more youthful. Is there anything that you guys recommend?
My first thought was the wheels. Next, I was thinking about tinting the windows, but I can't think of anything beyond that. Any ideas? I don't want to spend a ton of money, but realize that I have to shell out a little if I want it to look good.
Also, does anyone know if K+N makes an air filter for a the 2.2L engine?
Thanks!
Rich
-mike
Then you could have the mirrors and the lower cowl painted the body color, that latter visually lowers the car. It'll look like a GT, basically.
Tint looks good and is functional (helps A/C, cuts glare, adds privacy), go 20 or 35% with that. I paid $170 for 7 windows, 35%, SolarGard film, installed.
A big brake kit would look nice, peeking through those new rims. Get coated discs that also won't rust.
I like visual improvements, but to me it also has to have some functional benefit. I think the above mods have both.
-juice
src=http://www.photoloft.com/view/exportImage.asp?s=fshp&i=8587680&w=600&h=400>
This is my Gt wagon maybe it will give some ideas.
Cheers Pat.
Very nice work on the front mud guard. Looks totally custom. You had to shape it, right?
-juice
Nice pics. It's been a while since we've seen a lot of photos since Photopoint died.
Which rotors are you using? How much and how do they perform?
A buddy of mine with a 2000 Forester S recently installed the larger rotors and pads for a WRX. After a day of normal commute driving, he couldn't feel a major difference.
Ken
And a SS Brullen cat-back is on the way! 2.25" Quiet with a 4" tip. Should fill the GT cutaway nicely without looking tuber-ready. Seats are done, wheels are done (although I still like the look of 17"s on Legacys...too much$$$), and I don't see myself lowering this car any.
Here's a link to some pics. The wheels worked out to about $269 each. My priorities were light weight, strong , and reasonably priced (oh yeah, and they should look good) :-)
http://www.i-club.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=152992
BTW, wouldn't ya know as soon as I order the wheels/tires it threatens to snow in Seattle. Go figure....
Anxiously awaiting in Seattle,
Stephen
Stephen
Nice, Stephen. What color?
-juice
Stephen
-juice
personally I'd nix those decals and blue valve stems, but that's me. oh and btw, the white RS with gold gram lites was awesome.
-Colin
Colin: Yeah, I'm not so sure about the Gram Lite decal. As I understand it, it comes already on the wheel. Hopefully it won't be too much effort to remove w/o scratching the wheel. I could live w/the blue valve stems, if nothing else. I also inquired about the center caps. They should be available for purchase in about 4 weeks. Yeah, I really liked the gold wheels on the white GC-08 body style. I pretty much like gold wheels on the WRX too. Normally, I'm not a fan of gold wheels on street cars.
Stephen
-Colin
These are the stock rotors which I took off and left in to KVR. performance and had them crossdrilled.
Also had them cad plated silver, to tell the truth I have never noticed much of a difference but I also did it for the appearance factor with the rims being wide open.
Cheers Pat.
Good deal, Loosh. SS will last forever.
-juice
I think I will start with the wheels and K+N filter, and go from there. I already have had a Panasonic CD deck and four new speakers put in and I absolutely love it. I don't know why I waited so long to do it.
Mike, I did check out Whiteknight's Legacy. That's a nice looking car. Mine's white as well, so it really gave me an idea as to what mine may look like with some time, money, and effort. That definitely gave me some ideas. However, I haven't had a chance to e-mail him yet, but I do intend to.
Juice, I think I will go with 16" wheels and I'm leaning towards the AR Estrellas. I like the look of them because they are distinctive, yet not too flashy. I also like the idea of having the outside mirrors and lower cowl painted body color. I hate the look of the plain black plastic like what's on my mirrors. They seem out of place on the car. But, I think I'll do that at a later date. Good point about the tinting also being practical (less A/C). Now its easier to justify!
Sweet looking car Pat. Those mudflaps and wheels look great. I love that look. Sporty and agressive, yet still conservative and practical at heart. Thanks for the pics.
Thanks again for all the advice. I certainly am open to any more ideas and suggestions that any of you may have.
Rich
-mike
Visually, the rotors are BIG. They nearly fill the entire 16" rim.
I took a quick test drive, but not suprisingly, I didn't feel a massive difference in brake feel. They did seem more solid, but I was comparing his 50K old pads and warped rotors to the new ones. My guess is that the difference would only be felt under more severe usage.
The total labor + parts came out to about $500.
Ken
These tires are not cheap, a little over $150 each plus shipping which is not something I've paid for tires in some time. But this time I wanted a summer tire that met several very stringent criteria:
- very high grip in wet and dry
- crisp handling response and stability under hard cornering
- low noise, good ride quality
- long life for a summer tire; >25k miles
the list of contenders was pretty short, and I picked these based on past use of the original SZ50, iClub opinions, and the tirerack's survey data.
I might autocross them on the 17th, I only say might because I feel a little bad about beating on pricey tires. I usually buy the best summer tires I can get for less than $100 each and ignore treadlife, noise and road comfort. So far though, these tires seem to live up to the hype. More info to follow as the miles go on and I have to chance to try them in the rain, and maybe autocross.
I would post pics, but my car is only semi-clean after a mediocre spraying at the local carwash. It needs the soapy sponge treatment but it's too cold and I needed to get at least some of the salt off. Semi-clean isn't good enough with certain people reading this. (cough PAT cough cough) ;-)
-Colin
I'm asking because those are my exact criteria. It never gets driven in the snow, but I do want something quiet.
You mean you *gasp* went to the car wash? The OCD club is disappointed in you! ;-)
-juice
I haven't really ever looked at 185/60-14 tires but I presume they had more tires available a few years ago in that size than they do now. Take a look on the tirerack and discounttiredirect.com -- you're hosed. If I were you I'd start looking around for 15" wheels, OE takeoffs or aftermarket. 195/50-15 doesn't have great representation but at least there are some tires.
The 195/50-15 that matches my criteria the best is the Bridgestone RE730, $81 each plus shipping. That's one of the tires I considered for my Impreza, but I found the SZ50 EP to be better in every respect so I shelled out the premium for them.
-Colin
I may need new shocks. It's a '93, what do you think?
-juice
btw, little extra report on the SZ50s... there's an intersection right outside of work that I always make a left at coming back from lunch. it's rare to actually catch the light so that you can attack the corner with some gusto, but today was just such an occasion.
took the corner at 30, exited about 35-38 and not a chirp from the new tires. me likey!
-Colin
I picked up WRX rims for the new XT6 with Blowtenzas on them with 5K miles, so they'll last me til next winter, I hope.
-mike
I see you've been shopping again. :-) You mentioned these were summer tires -- wouldn't you expect even better grip once the ambient temperature gets closer to what the tread compound was designed for?
A car wash? Whazzat?
Ken
Yes I'd expect them to stick even better on hot asphalt this summer, not to mention after we get some heavy rain to wash off this residual salt and all the gravel.
I've taken that corner at >40 mph once last summer while I was daily driving my Kumho V700s. I was a nut and left them on between autocrosses... got caught in a downpour once, was lucky to stay on the road.
-Colin
-mike
I've been rained on in the Miata, so I'm not sure I'd accept poor wet grip. Also, my drive to work is along the Clara Barton freeway, and there is residual water after a rainfall, even on a dry day.
The catch is size - I have to get 185/60R14 or 195/55R14. Not much selection.
-juice
-mike
-juice
Cheers Pat.
-Frank P.
-Colin
-juice
I have a question about the 18mm sway bar for 01 Forester.
I just brought a sway bar from the dealer but it doesn't come with the bushing, is this normal? The part # for the sway bar is 20410aa050, is this correct? cause I've asked this question before but the part # that i've got from this newsgroup is 20450FA020. Did I get the right part???
Do any of you know what the part number is for the bushing? and how many does it comes with? (the dealer has no idea on it!) I found a part # (21047GA671) for the bushing somewhere but i want to make sure it's correct before they order it.
Also, any tips or links about installing the sway bar?
Thanks so much....
I got the number off the follow link:
http://www.ravensblade-impreza.com/index1.html
Installing the sway bar is very easy. Some tips:
- You don't need to put your Forester up on ramps. There's enough room to crawl under there and do the job.
- Remember to grease the bushings with some lithium grease to prevent squeaking.
- Wear eye protection. A lot of dirt comes falling down on your face when you're on your back and working on the bar.
- You'll need to unplug some of the hoses on the vapor recovery canister (the black thing on the passenger side). Don't forget to plug them back.
That's about it. It's a great mod -- you'll love it!
Ken
http://photos.yahoo.com/barresa62
Stephen
Jim
Stephen
Steve