I got a set of used Rota Battle (grey) with 215/45 Nitto 450's. I have a friend with 215/45/17 BFG comps on prodrive wheels. The BFG's stick a lot better but my combo is actually about 6.5lbs per corner lighter and my wagon rides a lot better...Don't know how much is due to the tires though.
My next and hopfully final step is going to be an xs stealth with Cobb's stage 2.
Took the new WRX home on the highway last night and in an attempt to vary my speed during break-in, I drove the car slow (55mph) and fast (85+mph). I was amazed at how hard the car pulled when I hit the gas at 85 - it had plenty of ponies left to run. I took it easy and now realize that impulse control is a big part of the WRX ownership experience.
This got me to wondering - how fast have you guys gone in your WRX's, either on the road or the track, and how did the car perform?
Speaking of that, ;-) when are the lucky owners of Sti's going to start posting. I'm interested in hearing how they are to live with compared to a "standard" WRX. They must be keeping a low profile from guilt ;-).
kevin111, When I was looking for used wheels I really didn't care for looks so I was open to all rota, superleggara and ssr wheels. I remember rotas to be in the 16~17lb range but I may be wrong....What I do know is that the battles with nitto 450 weigh about 3/4lbs less that stock...I balanced them on a seesaw scale using dumbell weights to figure the diff. They also weigh about 6.5lbs less than prodrive (P1 or p7...the one that has 1 spoke less than a superleggara) with bfg comps. Downsides to the rota battles are that the spokes bulge out and look like they are prone to chipping. Mine don't vibrate the steering wheel but there are more balancing weights on there than I would like (on one of them). Someone (not me) has taken them up to 3 digit speeds and there was no vibration even at those speeds. W/ 33/32psi the ride is close to stock w/ more road noise. W/ 36/34psi, smaller irregularities transmit more noise but the ride isn't harsh. I have heard that higher psi's are needed to protect the lower profile rims. I am still experimenting with pressures.
I could tell a slight difference in weight when I first installed them. I either got used to it, or maybe changed my shift points. I don't notice it anymore.
Saw my first STI a few days ago here in Japan, I pitty the poor thing. I dont know how many of you guys have been to Tokyo but there's just not much chance for a car like to 'stretch' its muscles.
I just purchased my Sti a week and a half ago. I think one word describes the feeling: LOVE. I would make love to the exhaust if I could, but that would screw up the rev note. I'm 28 and just got out of med school this year. And now, I have fun coming back from clubbing in Miami, and having kids pull up close to me and ask me if I want to race. I say, hell yeah! End result: 0-60 and quarter mile, they just see my tail lights in the distance. And that's without using my NO2 bottles under the passenger seat. Oops ... did I say that out loud
Mechanically, I can't complain about the gearbox one bit ... it's sikly smooth, but has enough feeling in it to let you feel connected to the car. I've changed my wheels to 18x8 SSR Competition (gold) with low-pro Yoko Paradas II. Kept the superb Brembo brakes on it though. I've taken 90 deg turns going 60 no problem, with minimal body roll.
My only complaint is the tail wing the size of my mom's ironing board ... it looks flashy, thinking of taking it off, although extra weight in the back for an AWD car is actually a good thing, esp to balance front to back weight ratio.
Boyz (and chickies too) ... I think you're all gonna have a new item on your wish list this Christmas (Chanukah for my Jew bros out there)
I think there are 4 holes for the bolts, and I've also heard they are the same as for the regular WRX engine.
A local guy, Justin, had an earlier RS, and his spoiler swapped with the STi aftermarket spoiler he purchased easily, same mounting holes. Verify before you buy, of course.
to swap the locks too if you swap a WRX trunk lid for your STi's lid! And think ahead to resale time too, assuming that you'll ever be able to part with the STi.
I plan to buy a WRX '04 lid (or mb '05 ... depending on when the prices stabilize) to replace that flamboyant STI lid, but I'll keep it, for the next owner/dealer. Consider looking ahead on this.
I washed and waxed my silver 03 yesterday and noticed that the hood is a slightly different color than the rest of the car. Very slight but you can see the difference. The doors matched the rest of the car perfectly. Any other colors like this? Any other silvers? Is it the aluminium hood or bad QC?
Aluminum requires a different primer. It may be a different colour too, and that will affect the final coat colour. My RX-7 also has an aluminum hood, and when the paint was "enhanced" (same colour, better depth of sparkle - mica or metal flake paint), the painter had to put many coats on the hood to match the body perfectly. I don't think a Subaru will get that kind of treatment on a production line. Maybe a Rolls or Audi, but not one of our "inexpensive" cars.
I'm pretty sure my wife's silver forester (03 XS) has an aluminum hood and liftgate, and they seem to be color matched OK. Same goes for my red WRX. Now, the paint is clearly not the highest quality on either car (seems quite thin), but it does appear to match across various materials.
By the way, I waxed my WRX with Klasse sealer last weekend, about 3 months after I had done an application of Klasse all-in-one cleaner wax. The sealer made a HUGE difference. I have never seen such a shiny car in my own garage! I do have some smudges to re-buff (the sealer leaves streaks if you're not careful), but overall it looks really good. Unlike other waxes which make the surface feel slippery, the Klasse sealer actually feels like an added layer on top of the paint. Pretty cool!
Just got back from a trip to Cape Cod. The P1's are 7". I went with Firehawk SZ50EP's after reading a lot of great reviews on nasioc and on here by Colin (former RS owner/Scooby Guru/M3 noob that still posts here :-)).
It's a cousin of the SO3 that uses similar technology. It's a UHP with a high treadwear rating that's only a little noisier than stock.
No kidding. I already have a paint chip on the rear driver's side door of my 04. I barely even use it!
Not to mention my first week having it I came out of a restaurant and someone had backed into the rear passenger side bumper! 360 bucks later it looked like new.
Bluesubie, When those tires slide do they screech? I like good grip, low rolling noise, smooth breakaway...etc. but I am also looking for a tire that slips quietly...or less loudly.
No screeching. Haven't had a chance to really push them really hard in the twisties yet. I'm hoping to take a drive to NW NJ soon.
Maybe we could meet up one of these days and you can check them out for yourself. That's one of the best things about the nasioc get together's. You can check out mods you're interested in.
-Dennis
edit: While these tires are quieter than a lot of UHP and MP tires, they're still slightly noisier than stock.
I live in north/central NJ and would like to meet some fellow owners. Is there a get-together coming up soon? Would anybody want to congregate in my town? There's a big parking lot that's pretty much empty in the evenings. On Fridays in the summer the main street hosts a classic car show; might be fun to do a near-direct comparison between the cars of different eras.
I just bought the Forester XT and was curious about oil changes. I like to do them myself and since this is the first turbo charged car I've owned, is there anything different that needs to be done or do I just unplug the drain, replace the filter, refill and go? Or,is there anything else I need to be aware of? Is changing the oil on a new car at 1000 miles a good idea or a waste of money? Any thoughts?
First change is supposed to be 3000, but I also did mine at 1000.
Subaru does not use break-in oil. We checked with a dealer employee a while back (I still miss Darlene) and she said Subies are shipped with plain ol' Havoline.
The XT has a more stressed engine, that may be a good candidate for synthetic oil. The two senior techs that hosted that chat actually recommended switching early if you do at all, because of the seals.
The filter is different than the N/A 2.5l, FWIW. You'll need a 17mm crush washer for the drain plug, too, though you could reuse the old one if you had to.
There's a dinner meet 7/12 at a Malaysian place on Rt.1 in Edison. If you want to go for a drive, there's a North meets South meet at South of the Border in SC.
"There's a dinner meet 7/12 at a Malaysian place on Rt.1 in Edison."
Do you mean Penang's Malaysian restaurant in front of Pep Boys? I live in Edison, NJ and I'm always at that restaurant. It would be nice to see their parking lot full of Subarus.
There's a dinner meet 7/12 at a Malaysian place on Rt.1 in Edison. If you want to go for a drive, there's a North meets South meet at South of the Border in SC.
Has anyone taken the stock shift knob off and replaced with a non- factory model. I have a 2004 WRX and I was getting ready to pull off the original knob and noticed it was more difficult than just using some WD-40 and sliding off. Do you think this a bad idea? Will I screw it up and then be cursing in my driveway?
The stock shift knob doesn't slide off... it's threaded, so you unscrew it. Before you do that, though, you're going to want to detach the shift boot from the base of the knob. The boot is attached by a plastic ring, so if you tug on it, it will come loose.
Hi, I need some advice to disable the DTRL. I tried to disconnect a wire to disable the DTRL. It works ok. However, the "Check Engin" light comes on. Is there other way to disable it but keeping the engin light away? Thanks for input.
I'm considering buying a 2003 WRX Wagon in the next month or so, if available. I like the bug-eyed look of the 2003s, and the Edmunds site shows people paying less than invoice for them at this point. Are there any mechanical improvements that should make me consider buying a 2004 instead?
you will be hard-pressed to find 2003s. The only 2003 WRXs I have seen are in the less popular colors, like Yellow.
the 2004 upgrades are - - Electronic Break Distribution? Not sure - Speed sensative steering (Power steering varies assist with speed of car) - New seats with different fabric - Tacometer now in center of instrument cluster vs. speedometer - Newly designed front, and slight modifications to rear taillights.
I believe that is about it. If you like the looks of a 2003 better, there is really no reason to go to the 2004 besides resale value (one year newer in car model).
Comments
My next and hopfully final step is going to be an xs stealth with Cobb's stage 2.
Don
This got me to wondering - how fast have you guys gone in your WRX's, either on the road or the track, and how did the car perform?
-jim
-Dennis
manuals low 140's is what i hear
Personally I've done 65mph
-Dave
If they weigh less than reported (close to stock) I might consider them when I upgrade. Currently now thinking of the Attacks or the SDRs.
Downsides to the rota battles are that the spokes bulge out and look like they are prone to chipping. Mine don't vibrate the steering wheel but there are more balancing weights on there than I would like (on one of them). Someone (not me) has taken them up to 3 digit speeds and there was no vibration even at those speeds.
W/ 33/32psi the ride is close to stock w/ more road noise. W/ 36/34psi, smaller irregularities transmit more noise but the ride isn't harsh. I have heard that higher psi's are needed to protect the lower profile rims. I am still experimenting with pressures.
Funny thing, the more I try finding alternatives to the Rotas, the more I end up comming back to them.
-Dennis
-Dennis
Don
-mike
I just purchased my Sti a week and a half ago. I think one word describes the feeling: LOVE. I would make love to the exhaust if I could, but that would screw up the rev note. I'm 28 and just got out of med school this year. And now, I have fun coming back from clubbing in Miami, and having kids pull up close to me and ask me if I want to race. I say, hell yeah! End result: 0-60 and quarter mile, they just see my tail lights in the distance. And that's without using my NO2 bottles under the passenger seat. Oops ... did I say that out loud
Mechanically, I can't complain about the gearbox one bit ... it's sikly smooth, but has enough feeling in it to let you feel connected to the car. I've changed my wheels to 18x8 SSR Competition (gold) with low-pro Yoko Paradas II. Kept the superb Brembo brakes on it though. I've taken 90 deg turns going 60 no problem, with minimal body roll.
My only complaint is the tail wing the size of my mom's ironing board ... it looks flashy, thinking of taking it off, although extra weight in the back for an AWD car is actually a good thing, esp to balance front to back weight ratio.
Boyz (and chickies too) ... I think you're all gonna have a new item on your wish list this Christmas (Chanukah for my Jew bros out there)
-BOSCO
A local guy, Justin, had an earlier RS, and his spoiler swapped with the STi aftermarket spoiler he purchased easily, same mounting holes. Verify before you buy, of course.
-juice
-mike
I plan to buy a WRX '04 lid (or mb '05 ... depending on when the prices stabilize) to replace that flamboyant STI lid, but I'll keep it, for the next owner/dealer. Consider looking ahead on this.
Don
-juice
By the way, I waxed my WRX with Klasse sealer last weekend, about 3 months after I had done an application of Klasse all-in-one cleaner wax. The sealer made a HUGE difference. I have never seen such a shiny car in my own garage! I do have some smudges to re-buff (the sealer leaves streaks if you're not careful), but overall it looks really good. Unlike other waxes which make the surface feel slippery, the Klasse sealer actually feels like an added layer on top of the paint. Pretty cool!
Craig
The P1's are 7". I went with Firehawk SZ50EP's after reading a lot of great reviews on nasioc and on here by Colin (former RS owner/Scooby Guru/M3 noob that still posts here :-)).
It's a cousin of the SO3 that uses similar technology. It's a UHP with a high treadwear rating that's only a little noisier than stock.
-Dennis
Not to mention my first week having it I came out of a restaurant and someone had backed into the rear passenger side bumper! 360 bucks later it looked like new.
When those tires slide do they screech? I like good grip, low rolling noise, smooth breakaway...etc. but I am also looking for a tire that slips quietly...or less loudly.
Maybe we could meet up one of these days and you can check them out for yourself. That's one of the best things about the nasioc get together's. You can check out mods you're interested in.
-Dennis
edit: While these tires are quieter than a lot of UHP and MP tires, they're still slightly noisier than stock.
DjB
Subaru does not use break-in oil. We checked with a dealer employee a while back (I still miss Darlene) and she said Subies are shipped with plain ol' Havoline.
The XT has a more stressed engine, that may be a good candidate for synthetic oil. The two senior techs that hosted that chat actually recommended switching early if you do at all, because of the seals.
The filter is different than the N/A 2.5l, FWIW. You'll need a 17mm crush washer for the drain plug, too, though you could reuse the old one if you had to.
-juice
If you want to go for a drive, there's a North meets South meet at South of the Border in SC.
Check the Tri-State forum on nasioc.
-Dennis
Do you mean Penang's Malaysian restaurant in front of Pep Boys? I live in Edison, NJ and I'm always at that restaurant. It would be nice to see their parking lot full of Subarus.
-James B.
-Dave
Also tonight Hypov and a few other subie nutz will be over at Chilis in Clark.
-mike
If you want to go for a drive, there's a North meets South meet at South of the Border in SC.
Check the Tri-State forum on nasioc.
Can you give me details about the 7/12 meeting?
Thankee
DjB
-juice
factory model. I have a 2004 WRX and I was getting ready to pull off the original knob and
noticed it was more difficult than just using some WD-40 and sliding
off. Do you think this a bad idea? Will I screw it up and then be
cursing in my driveway?
I'm considering buying a 2003 WRX Wagon in the next month or so, if available. I like the bug-eyed look of the 2003s, and the Edmunds site shows people paying less than invoice for them at this point. Are there any mechanical improvements that should make me consider buying a 2004 instead?
the 2004 upgrades are -
- Electronic Break Distribution? Not sure
- Speed sensative steering (Power steering varies assist with speed of car)
- New seats with different fabric
- Tacometer now in center of instrument cluster vs. speedometer
- Newly designed front, and slight modifications to rear taillights.
I believe that is about it. If you like the looks of a 2003 better, there is really no reason to go to the 2004 besides resale value (one year newer in car model).