Light mods on MY98 Impreza Wagon

[ScottyS]

*Update*
For those who come to this thread looking for pre-WRX Impreza mods/improvements, the solutions I'm adopting are shown in BOLD for easy reference. I hope to update the thread with pics, links, etc to make your task and visualization a bit easier...
Feel free to peruse the original post and replys for additional information.
ScottyS

Current mods and upgrades 08-16-05
Cost to date: $1234

1) Wheels: MY00/01 RS 6-spoke 16x7 +53mm (thanks Clive from San Jose!)
2) Tires: Bridgestone 16" take-offs (thanks Clive!)
3) WRX Wagon rear sway bar (thanks Sherman from Oakland!)
4) OEM Factory Cruise Control from subaruparts.com
5) Hella FF50 driving lamps from eBay
6) OEM Factory Performance Gauge Pack (Vac, Volt, Oil Temp) from allsubaru.com
7) '03 WRX Front Seats (thanks Tyson!)
Optima red top battery from Pep Boys
9) Tinted windows 35% front 25% rear from Thomas Kang, Reno
10) OEM Factory Keyless Entry + Security Upgrade (thanks James from I-Club!)
11) Redline Lightweight Shockproof transmission oil
12) 2003 WRX front brakes --- rotors, calipers, brackets, pads, fluid (thanks Kevin!)
13) Intake "Snorkus" delete
14) WRX axle-back muffler (thanks Khail!)

/start original post

First, a little introduction should be entirely appropriate, given the highly local and personal nature of this organization.........

Coincidently, I was told about this forum just as I have acquired another Subaru. I'm glad there is a local Subaru club with knowledgeable people! For starters, I'm just an everyday driver that likes Subys and prefers to maintain his own ride. One, I don't really trust most mechanics to do a careful and thorough job (I've spent enough time correcting little, yet critical mistakes); and two, I like to save money. I don't have the ability to drop money into a fast car, as my other hobbies (mountain climbing, shooting, computers) suck up too much already! Thus, I will not be able to "get into" the primary high-performance hardware mission of this club (I like the idea of high-perfomance driving education, though). As it stands, I've pretty much resigned my role in the Suby world to one of grocery-getting, although I have taken my old Legacy Wagon places that 4x4's fear to tread...

That should bring things up to the present, and give some rhyme to the reasoning. Now for the questions, right?

I just bought a 1998 Impreza Wagon from the original owner, and it has enough miles left in it that doing some minor modifications would be beneficial in the long run. So, I'm looking for suggestions/pointers/direction in this area. Also, I think that this may be more of a common topic than one would think, so I'll try to keep things organized for future searchers....

I've spent some time perusing at the NASIOC forums, but things seem to be very fragmented and specialized over there. I'll try to keep this simple, so as to waste as little of the replyers' time as possible (the more I write, the shorter the answers have to be, right ;-).

1) The car: "Plain Jane" 1998 Impreza L Wagon 2.2l 5spd bone stock
2) The objectives: perform various light upgrades for performance, cosmetics, and versatility. Car uses would range from cornering in the Spagetti Bowl to dirt roads in Nevada's outback.
3) Use mostly high-end Subaru take-off equipment as all the specialized race stuff is not needed, and take-offs would likely be less expensive
4) If an certain upgrade has a high-maintenance nature or a short life, or possibly negatively affects to related systems in the car, I'm probably not interested. Remember, we're not trying to wring out every last bit of HP, just take a stock Impreza and make it a little nicer.
5) Assume that I know nothing of available options and inter/intra-model compatibility
6) If we absolutely need to work on a budget, let's pick a nice round number like $1000 for upgrading funds

Let's hear the suggestions, according to catagory:

(these are not listed by priority or anything)

A. Wheels & Tires --- Currently 15" steel, would like alloy. Ride height must be maintained or increased slightly for more clearance. Stay with 15" and go same tires? Can taller tires be used? Would 16"s rub anything? What about this 55 offset thing?
Solutions: 15" or 16" take-offs from Outbacks, RS's, or WRX's, will fit, however Outback tires will be too tall for stock suspension.

Done: Found a set of stock 2001 RS takeoff 16" wheels with tires


B. Suspension --- Keep stock or wait for replacement time? Ride height must be same or higher, with ride quality not getting too much stiffer
Solutions:
1) Find stock WRX rear sway bar 18mm or 20mm ~free-$50
2) Steering rack bushings from Whiteline ~$30
3) Possibly Legacy OB stock takeoff struts --- not fully researched

Done: Found 17mm WRX wagon rear swaybar

C. Interior --- currently beige
1. How comfortable are WRX seats? They just drop in, right?
2. I don't know if a "short-throw" shifter is a must have
3. Already have a CD player
4. Extra gauges --- this would be nice (oil temp, trans temp etc), but I don't want to use the drain plugs as clearance is enough of a problem already!
5. Anything else? Flashy is not necassary as I'm alreay married ;-)
Solutions:
1) WRX seats don't match colors exactly, but do drop in, RS seats might be better than stock as well --- '04 WRX seats (black/black) match interior, but '02-'03 WRX seats are much more comfortable for thin folks!
2) Factory extra gauges dash mount for Foresters fits MY98

Done: Found 2003 WRX front seats, found a sale on factory performance gauge pack, found OEM security system/remote locks from a 2000 RS --- plugs right in

D. Exterior --- that forest green color
1. Has a luggage rack
2. There are holes in the bumper for fog lights, but I guess they came on sportier models
3. A sporty hood might be cool, but paint matching would be hard, I'll bet --- no idea as to model compatibility
4. "Rally" lights on the front? Has this been done?
5. ???
Solutions:
1) Larger, common factory fog lights would need RS bumper
2) A vented hood from an RS or OBS would work --- OBS paint: Acadia Green
3) Custom light mount on bumper or brush guard could be fabricated, use Hella 500's ~$70 + mounting

Done: Small profile 55w lights from Hella fit the stock bumper near the license plate. Use a reinforcement bar along the underside of the plastic to prevent long-term damage.

E. Engine --- 2.2l
1. I have a feeling that all these "chips" and "cold air" things are minimal increases that might mess with the computer control of the engine over the long term. Correct me if I'm wrong.
2. Sure, a supercharger or low-boost turbo for high-altitude would be great, but I have a feeling that they would cost almost as much as the car!
3. Anything obvious?
Solutions: Engine takes low priority, not many improvements to 2.2, maybe headers, cat-back exhaust

Done: "Snorkus" removed from fender, kept stock airbox; found a stock WRX muffler that had already been modified to fit (flange rotation, adjust hole spacing)

F. Drivetrain --- I don't know.....LSD???
Solutions: Light fly-wheel, Exedy clutch --- lower priority, upgrade if repair needed

G. Brakes --- the rear are drums, for heaven's sake. Can they be swapped for disks? Off of what models? Front upgrades? No ABS, I believe.
Solutions:
1) RS/Legacy rear disk conversion for 15" wheels (needs knuckle assembly)
2) WRX disks in front and rear for 16" wheels
3) Upgrade fluid, SS lines

Done: 2003 WRX front brakes

H. If I missed anything.


Replies: Thank you in advance. Say as much or as little as you want/have time for. Consider complexity of upgrade, local parts availability (or light weight for shipping!), and swaps from other Subaru models.

I have basic tools, but alas no shop. I've gone as far as changing the radiator, water pump, timing belt, and front mainseal of a 2.2l before, in addition to normal maintenance, but that's about it.

[/b]

/end original post

[MikeSTI]

Welcome to the Board!!
and you thought all that typing would generate a long response =P

I'm just not the one to help you out but wanted to say, Hi!

[MattR]

Hey There, and Welcome, your car is awesome, I know there's a handful of us (self included) on this board that would love to own a wagon like yours, there's tons of tweeks and mods that can be made that really will make a difference.,

I personally think your wagon would do well on 16's. I put the stock WRX wheels onto my friend Jesse's wagon, which is identical to yours, and the handling, ride and looks all improved. If you don't want to spend a lot, I'd say that some painted stock WRX wheels would be a good start. You will have no clearance issues with a setup of that size.

Also, a rally-inspired front light bar always looks sweet on those things, but I'm not sure what look you're going for.

As far as performance, lightened fly-wheel and a cold air intake will make a big difference on that motor.

happy motoring...

Matt

[Kevin M]

Best new member ever... this week! Just wanted to get that posted while I go back and try to answer as much of that as possible. Welcome aboard!

[sperry]

Wow, helluva 1st post!

So, first... welcome to the board! Don't feel like wanting a Subaru for non-performance-first reasons makes you less of a "Subaru Enthusiast", these things are unbeatable in the AWD grocery getter role, and a 2.2 Wagon is a great car for the job.

Since I'm not one of the "old schoolers" (I've only owned a WRX, the RS guys will know more about your vehicle than I) I will only be able to gloss over your list a bit, so keep that in mind.

A. Wheels & Tires ---

Alloys will be stronger and lighter than steelies. That means a little bit more acceleration, and a little better fuel mileage, as well as a little bit less of a chance of off-road failure. 16" WRX takeoffs are readily available, usually in the $300 for a set range. You will end up running a lower profile tire on the 16" rims, so that might reduce the car's off-road ability. Plus 16" tires are more expensive. Honestly, the best be would be some 15" alloys, but I can't think of anything short of expensive rally rims for a Subaru in 15".

B. Suspension ---

Again there are WRX takeoffs, but you'll need to swap the rear strut mounts as the GD mounts don't fit in older Imprezas. The WRX struts would be stiffer but not a lot... they'd increase the handling potential of the car on tarmac without losing very much off road capability. The next step would be STi takeoffs, or full coilovers, since pretty much all the other spring/strut combos are for lowering and stiffening.

C. Interior --- currently beige
1. WRX seats are pretty nice. Lots of side bolstering. I' not quite satisfied with the lumbar support, but I'm 6'4", so I'm the special case. I believe they bolt right in. Only thing to note, the WRX seats have integrated airbags... you won't be able to hook them up, so you might want to remove them... I don't know the procedure to safely remove them.

2. A short shifter probably wouldn't make a big difference for you. IT doesn't sound like you're racing or anything where the extra feedback and faster shifts would be important. Plus the short shifter bushings would just make more noise in the cockpit.

3. Already have a CD player
4. Extra gauges ---

You can get AutoMeter electric gauges for Oil Temp/Press and Trans Temp fairly cheaply. I figured out a way to convert an oil cooler bypass adapter into an oil temp/press gallery, so that's not hard. I'm not sure where the tranny temp probe would go though... it might have to go in the drain plug, which, as you mentioned, is in a vulnerable location. However, I don't thing a tranny temp gauge for a 5MT is that necessary. A better water temp gauge or a voltmeter might be more useful.

D. Exterior --- that forest green color
1. Has a luggage rack
2. You can us the existing locations in the bumper for a set of Hella rally style lights. The Hella 500's are just slightly larger than OEM Subaru fog lights and w/ minor work will bolth in there. The also sell 4 light patterns for the Hella 500s: fog, driving, cornering (I think) and pencil. The fog pattern lights up the ground down low, the driving is a middle pattern, the cornering light light up the sides and the pencil beam is very narrow and lights up objects very far away. I've got a set of Hella 500 driving lights to replace my factory fogs. $70 for the pair, and they're brighter than god! Note these lights (except the fogs) will pretty much blind all oncoming traffic... I've got mine wired to only come on w/ my high beams.

3. I think the '98-'01 2.5RS hoods are bolt on to your car. They'll give you a very v3/4 STi wagon look! Green will be hard to find. Steve got one on his Green L though... if he decides to sell his L, you might be able to trade him!

4. "Rally" lights on the front? Has this been done? -- see #2.. and there are plenty of options for light bars to hold additional lights!

E. Engine --- 2.2l

1. Reflashes probably won't help your car. The real benefit comes on the turbos where you can increase boost. On your car just concentrate on getting air in and out of the motor faster... that means intake and exhaust... which means noise...

2. Turbos and Superchargers are expensive... in addition to the compressor itself, you need engine management, fuel delivery upgrades, inter/after cooling (potentially), and probably a bunch of custom piping. It's been done, but it's not cheap... and IIRC the 2.2L is a bad platform for forced induction... runs like a champ unmolested, blowes up easy when you start boosting.

F. I doubt a LSD is worth it on you car for your purpose. Hell, the unit itself pretty much blows your budget, let alone the cost of installation.

G. I'm not sure what it takes to convert drums to rotors. I'll be that WRX brakes would fit on the front though... but there go your 15" rims!

Like I said... I'm just glossing over this all... I'm sure we'll all have more ideas over time. Try coming out to a meet! With the car in front of us, I'm sure we'll all have a ton of great ideas to spend your money on!

[Kevin M]

Originally Posted by ScottyS

1) The car: "Plain Jane" 1998 Impreza Wagon 2.2l 5spd bone stock
2) The objectives: perform various light upgrades for performance, cosmetics, and versatility. Car uses would range from cornering in the Spagetti Bowl to dirt roads in Nevada's outback.
3) Use mostly high-end Subaru take-off equipment as all the specialized race stuff is not needed, and take-offs would likely be less expensive
4) If an certain upgrade has a high-maintenance nature or a short life, or possibly negatively affects to related systems in the car, I'm probably not interested. Remember, we're not trying to wring out every last bit of HP, just take a stock Impreza and make it a little nicer.
5) Assume that I know nothing of available options and inter/intra-model compatibility
6) If we absolutely need to work on a budget, let's pick a nice round number like $1000 for upgrading funds

Let's hear the suggestions, according to catagory:

(these are not listed by priority or anything)

A. Wheels & Tires --- Currently 15" steel, would like alloy. Ride height must be maintained or increased slightly for more clearance. Stay with 15" and go same tires? Can taller tires be used? Would 16"s rub anything? What about this 55 offset thing?

B. Suspension --- Keep stock or wait for replacement time? Ride height must be same or higher, with ride quality not getting too much stiffer

C. Interior --- currently beige
1. How comfortable are WRX seats? They just drop in, right?
2. I don't know if a "short-throw" shifter is a must have
3. Already have a CD player
4. Extra gauges --- this would be nice (oil temp, trans temp etc), but I don't want to use the drain plugs as clearance is enough of a problem already!
5. Anything else? Flashy is not necassary as I'm alreay married ;-)

D. Exterior --- that forest green color
1. Has a luggage rack
2. There are holes in the bumper for fog lights, but I guess they came on sportier models
3. A sporty hood might be cool, but paint matching would be hard, I'll bet --- no idea as to model compatibility
4. "Rally" lights on the front? Has this been done?
5. ???

E. Engine --- 2.2l
1. I have a feeling that all these "chips" and "cold air" things are minimal increases that might mess with the computer control of the engine over the long term. Correct me if I'm wrong.
2. Sure, a supercharger or low-boost turbo for high-altitude would be great, but I have a feeling that they would cost almost as much as the car!
3. Anything obvious?

F. Drivetrain --- I don't know.....LSD???

G. Brakes --- the rear are drums, for heaven's sake. Can they be swapped for disks? Off of what models? Front upgrades? No ABS, I believe.

H. If I missed anything.


Replies: Thank you in advance. Say as much or as little as you want/have time for. Consider complexity of upgrade, local parts availability (or light weight for shipping!), and swaps from other Subaru models.

I have basic tools, but alas no shop. I've gone as far as changing the radiator, water pump, timing belt, and front mainseal of a 2.2l before, in addition to normal maintenance, but that's about it.

A) 16" subaru-intended wheels will be great for the car. Look into Rotas, or RS takeoff wheels when you can find them. They are 16x7 with the proper offset and 205/55R16 is the perfect tire size for your intentions. I wouldn't go with tires that are taller than your stock size, as this causes your speedo to read low, and makes the car slower than it is. I also am a believer in having dedicated winter wheels/tires so that the summer set can be a little more fun. Winter tires are also handy in the dirt. Your steelies probably have M+S tires on them now, so there's your rain/snow/gravel set. For the dry season, like I said RS takeoffs are great wheels, or you can find Rotas pretty cheap. New sets can be had at times under $450 and used ones for even less. Decent summer tires will run you less than $450 in 205/55 or 205/50. You'll want something like Falken Azenis Sports or Kumho MX if you plan to hit the autocross or trackdays with us (and we hope you do!).

B) I would stick to the stock suspension for now unless it's broken. You would have a hard time finding anything that has equal or greater ride height and still improves handling. For now I would suggest a WRX wagon rear sway bar (17 or 18mm depending on year), and some steering rack bushings, along with a good alignment.

C) WRX seats are really good unless you are like most of us and really concentrate on the high-performance stuff. They aren't too hard or too small, and they bolt right in. You can find them used as cheap as $150, but they are usually closer to $400. RS seats are similar, just a bit less cozy, and cheaper. You can usually find them at the recycler in Rancho Cordova. I like short throw shifters, but it's not something that makes you go faster, just a personal preference. For now, stick with stock or maybe get an RS/WRX stock shifter. Whatever head unit you have is fine, but the Subaru components suck. Even the cheaper stuff from Best Buy or Good Guys is a big improvement. Gauges are really unnecessary until you do lots of engine mods.

D) You could do a complete front end conversion to match an RS, and it looks really sweet on a wagon. Good luck finding the parts though, as there are more people looking for them than there are donor cars. Fog lights won't be that hard to find though. If you come out to the meet on Thursday night, 7 pm at Bully's in the mall, JC and I will be able to give you more advice on this stuff than you can possibly remember. But that's okay because you can always come back and ask us again.

E) Engine-wise, there's really very little you can do with it, but it's not what I would consider "anemic" anyway. Just a little underwhelming. I would just suggest some Borla headers (under $300 new) and a catback exhaust. Any 2.25" catback will do, pick the look and sound you want. Everybody's tastes are a little different on that point. You will get maybe 10 hp out of it and your car will sound wicked. That's the true beauty of the Subaru boxer motor. Since you're not after every last horsepower, there's really nothing else to do that's worth the money until you start talking forced induction and motor swaps. It's certainly possible to build yourself a 200 hp turbo kit, and it would probably be perfectly reliable, but the odds would eventually catch up with you. You could do it for under $1500 though if you were patient with acquiring the parts and careful in your planning. We can talk about that in great detail at the meet if you can make it out. And of course, there's the ever-popular WRX swap, but you're looking a $4-5k there before you're all said and done. Oh, and the EJ25 swap will get you 180 horsepower with basic mods, and cost you anywhere from $1000-3000 depending on the condition of the motor and whether or not you converted wiring and ECU.

F) Drivetrain- nothing much that's cheap enough to justify being added to your inexpensive daily driver. I'll find out if there's an OEM Subaru rear LSD that matches your ratio, butI would avoid LSDs if you want to get out and really do the 4WD thing, aside from gravel road runs. For that you'll need lockers, which doesn't help you anywhere but the mud and sometimes snow. Flywheels and clutches are great go-fast mods, but you're looking at $1000 minimum installed, and they make the car harder to drive in the winter by quite a bit. Not really worth it for you yet.

G) You have quite a few brake options, starting with rS/WRX disc conversions. The downside is, better brakes will require bigger and better wheels. For now, I would suggest an RS rear disc conversion. The details of that swap are posted around, but it's not difficult. Finding the parts is actually harder than doing the swap. Once you have discs all around, it's really just a matter of getting good pads and rotors and learning how to manage your brakes to make them last longer.

H) Not much you left out. Nothing that's cheap, easy, and obviously beneficial for you hasn't been covered already I don't think. If I was going to prioritize light mods to a daily driver L wagon, I'd go wheels/tires, swaybar, steering rack bushings, and catback exhaust. You can do all that quickly for under $1000 pretty easily, almost entirely with Subaru takeoffs. I'm a big fan of STi, Prodrive, and Whiteline, as you'll notice when I tick off the list of mods on my RS at the meet.

Don't worry about needing a shop. We're more than happy to lend fellow SECCS members a hand with most mods and maintenance chores, and for the really important stuff, we usually go to S-Squared Motorsports in Rancho Cordova. Long drive, but worth it for the quality of service. Feel free to ask us for any help you might want. I say "might" because sometimes we can be a bit overwhelming when it comes to helping out the new folks. :wink:

[Kevin M]

Scott was a lot quicker on the draw this time. Looks like we pretty much said the same things. As a group, we can lay out pretty much all the options you will have, but it will be up to you to decide which routes to take.

[JC]

Alright I'm gonna try and post at the same time as Kevin, let's see how close our responses are.

First off, welcome to the board. Nice to have another old schooler around. Be sure to come to the meet on thurs.


A. Wheels & Tires --- Get some 16s. You can find WRX take-offs for around $200 with stock tires, there is someone selling 6 2000 (6 spoke RS) 16s (wider than WRX wheels) for $225 with tires. They will give better performance but most importantly you can fit bigger brakes under there. They also won't bend like a steelie.

B. Suspension --- You can get a WRX rear swaybar for cheap or free and it will make a big difference. A swaybar with endlinks and some new rims and tires will really transform the car. You will have less articulation off-road though. Steering rack bushings from whiteline are also a cheap and noticable upgrade. If you want something more aggressive you can opt for a ground control and KYB AGX setup. You will have better handling and you can even raise the car if you wish. Probably around $700 more if you want top mounts, which you should get.

C. Interior --- WRX seats are nice upgrade. Of course they won't match your interior. They do drop right in though and are much better than your stockers. You need a short shifter. Buy a Kartboy with bushings. It's damn short though. I have stock RS shifter you can have for $10 if you want it. That should be fine for now.

D. Exterior --- Clear corners are cheap and make a big difference. There are optional fogs for your car but that would be quite a bit of money for a minor upgrade if you ask me. You can also fit a 2.5RS front bumper to your car. You can fit an RS hood too. Many people forget the 97+ OBS came with the same hood, it also came in forest green so you should be able to find one that matches. An RS bumper swap with some upgraded lights will improve looks and give you more lighting.

E. Engine --- You won't get a lot of power out of her without forced induction. I'd save this for last to be frank. An intake ane exhaust will help but money is better spent elsewhere at least initially IMHO.

F. Drivetrain --- Clutch and flywheel will make a big difference. Exedy makes a nice mild upgrade. LSD would be expensive for it's limited benefits on a low hp car like your IMO.

G. Brakes --- WRX front brake upgrade will be ideal. You will need at least 16s for it. You can swap the rear brakes I'm not sure what all you need to be honest. Mind as well go with the H6 rears while you are at it. Make sure you get SS line, a decent fluid, and nice pads while you do it.

[Kevin M]

We appear to be bulding quite a consensus here. Note that the things that JC listed that I didn't are great mods, but border on the high maintenance/ reduced daily driver function side. He and I both have an Exedy clutch/flywheel setup, same headers, both have catbacks (he has a catpipe, since he wasn't registered in CA like me) both have intakes, and both have suspension mods. JC's car is probably a tick faster thanks to his engine mods, but my car would destroy his on a racetrack. Different mods for different purposes.

[JC]

Originally Posted by BAN SUVS

We appear to be bulding quite a consensus here. Note that the things that JC listed that I didn't are great mods, but border on the high maintenance/ reduced daily driver function side. He and I both have an Exedy clutch/flywheel setup, same headers, both have catbacks (he has a catpipe, since he wasn't registered in CA like me) both have intakes, and both have suspension mods. JC's car is probably a tick faster thanks to his engine mods, but my car would destroy his on a racetrack. Different mods for different purposes.

What borders on high maintanince / reduced daily driver? I don't think you will destroy me on a track, just beat me handily and mine is still prettier.

[tysonK]

I have some WRX seats if you decide to upgrade.

And since you are a forum member and from the first post I can see you are a literate informed person I will give you a good deal.

Welcome to the Board!

And like you pointed out in your thread:

I'm glad there is a local Subaru club with knowledgeable people!

That's the truth! And not only knowledgeable but also helpful.

[Kevin M]

Originally Posted by JC

What borders on high maintanince / reduced daily driver? I don't think you will destroy me on a track, just beat me handily and mine is still prettier.

Light flywheels and stiffer clutches are harder to drive. Not saying it's impossible, but come snowfall time I'd really rather have the 30 pound flywheel back to aid those second and third gear starts. That's the only real downside, other than the $1000 that doesn't get you anywhere any faster, and makes the rock crawling stuff a lot harder. I just don't see it as a good mod for a daily driver, unless it's also a track car or serious autocross tool, like my RS. Other than my spring rates, my car makes more compromises on the street than at the track. I figured Scott wants his car the other way around. That's why I didn't mention springs, strut tops, bushings besides steeering rack, strut braces, harnesses, steel brakelines, etc. etc.

And how is being prettier better than being faster?

[tysonK]

And in case anyone didn't notice we have another Scott!

w00t.

[Kevin M]

Originally Posted by tysonK

And in case anyone didn't notice we have another Scott!

w00t.

Whew! We were about to run out there for a second!

Yeah, we should mention ScottyS that you are Scott number 4 here, I think.

[Kevin M]

IBanotherMattjoinstheboard

[ScottyS]

Talk about response! I figured I'd have to wait a couple days. :shock:

Lots to think about, and as the concensus builds I think that I will modify the original post with the solutions to better serve those who follow....

Just off of the cuff, it sounds like 16" wheels would be best for later brake conversions, unless 15" compatible brakes were used (Legacy-style). WRX seats sound good if I figure the airbag problem out and convince my wife to go with it (maybe get beige seat covers? arrrggh).

I have to head out to my Ultimate Frisbee league now, but I'll come back and address everything.

The get-togethers sounds cool, except that I am usually in Carson Valley on Thursday nights starting at 1930. Maybe I can work in something...not that a speed run through CC would be a good thing...

In the meantime, I'd like to thank all for the time in responding, and the offers of help! One more Scotty, eh? (Nice to be popular, for a change, all you Jennifers out there!)

[JC]

Originally Posted by BAN SUVS

Light flywheels and stiffer clutches are harder to drive. Not saying it's impossible, but come snowfall time I'd really rather have the 30 pound flywheel back to aid those second and third gear starts. That's the only real downside, other than the $1000 that doesn't get you anywhere any faster, and makes the rock crawling stuff a lot harder. I just don't see it as a good mod for a daily driver, unless it's also a track car or serious autocross tool, like my RS. Other than my spring rates, my car makes more compromises on the street than at the track. I figured Scott wants his car the other way around. That's why I didn't mention springs, strut tops, bushings besides steeering rack, strut braces, harnesses, steel brakelines, etc. etc.

And how is being prettier better than being faster?

Bah only if you suck at driving. I drove in snow with no problems and have never had to start in 2nd gear. An AWD car with snow tires won't ever problems starting in the snow on a hill if you can drive well. An Exedy clutch is barely stiffer than stock if any. Springs and top mounts will stiffen a car but the Impreza is soft from the factory IMHO. You can have a sitffer ride without it being uncomfortable.

Prettier gets more ladies. Girlies > cars

The airbag in the seats isn't a problem. It's not like it might go off at worst it's dead wieght. The color of course might be, especially with the blue in WRX seats.

[tysonK]

Sybir on this board has wrx seats in his Legacy wagon.

If you want you can always test fit them if you like, I'm guesing it would only take like twenty minutes to install one then you can see how it looks in there.

[sybir]

WRX seats dropped into my Legacy, and are a direct drop into the earlier Imprezas as well. I love them and they're a great upgrade from base Subaru seats.

Just wanted to make a couple other notes.

If you want alloys, and want to keep taller tires, get some Legacy Outback takeoff 15" alloys. They'll be 15x6, and they clear RS brakes (the stock units that came on Kevin's and JC's cars) so you can upgrade to discs at the rear and bigger discs in fornt with no clearance problems.

If you want a stiffer suspension that raises the car cheaply, check into a Legacy OB suspension. It will raise your car over an inch (possibly more) and will be far stiffer than stock L items. If I can find my stock struts, springs, and topmounts off my OB, you're welcome to them. Basically, they're off a bigger, heavier car that was raised from the factory, and they may just require different rear top mounts to work on your car.

Ground Controls are a really nice option, but aftermarket struts and a GC setup will pretty much kill your $1k budget all by themselves. I'm running WRX struts and GC's on my car, but it's lowered, so I'm not sure how well WRX struts would work if you were trying to raise the car.

You'll need to go to an RS bumper (the one with the big fogs) in order to run the 500's Sperry is talking about in the bumper itself, thoughyou can always fab a lightbar to hold as many lights as you want. Our local shop down here in Sac doe s alot of custom fab work, including brush gurads and light bars, if you'd like; the Reno guys can give you more info about S-Squared if you're interested, or contact the shop (closed until 7/27) at http://www.ss-ms.com

Hope I haven't added too much confusion, but it's always great to have new people in the club, and Legacy ownership is a big plus in my book

[LetItRev]

I know where you can get 4 OEM 98 Legacy Outback 15" alloy wheels. The come with Nokian Hakkapolita studded snow tires on them with about a year and a half of use.

(They're in my garage).

[ScottyS]

OK, I summarized current solutions in the original post, and will start working out the budget priorities.

JC --- I love the old-school Suby stuff. Sounds crazy, but I always thought that the coolest Subaru would be a 90-94 Touring Wagon with all the swaps! You know, down-play the exterior and idle noise to keep it fairly incognito, but have the 2.0 twin and 6spd underneath. Yikes.

tysonK --- thank you for the comments (I may be literate, but informed? Nah!) --- I'll talk to you about your seats, as well.

LetIt Rev --- wheels are still undecided, but I'll be talking to you for details.

sybir --- thanks for the offer on the OB suspension. If I actually get the details of such an installation figured out, I'd certainly go for it.

BAN SUVS --- thanks for all the explanations! Don't really think I'll be tearin' up the tracks, but since I'm certainly interested in better driving techniques, it might be good to show up and watch!

Wheels/tires: if I'm going to plan on swapping back & forth to steelies anyway, the 16" should be the most versitile, right? I just couldn't take them onto rocks
Plus, those 6 RS wheels sound like a good deal, JC.

Next would be a swaybar, steering bushings, perhaps a shifter (although the stock one ain't too bad!) such as JC's stock RS.

I like the "2 Hellas in front of the grill" look, so I'll be looking at that too.

It sounds like a green hood and rear brake swap will be longer-term parts searches.

If I can swing it, I'll try to fly by the meet by the Mall tomorrow. It would be cool to shake a few hands, for sure.

[sperry]

If you're doing a light bar... get something bigger than the Hella 500's... I think the Hella 1000's are discontinued, but you might be able to find some in stock somewhere. Check www.rallylights.com .

I don't believe the WRX shifter will fit in your car. At least Cobb's 2.5RS short shifter didn't fit in my WRX... the ball joint thingy is the wrong size.

Definately come out to a meet!

[JC]

I STILL want a 92-94 Turbo Legacy wagon. I'll get one someday. You can go off-road with the 16s, I still do it with 17s but then I'm crazy.

[JC]

These would look hot....
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33716

[ScottyS]

Also --- just wanted to let you guys know that it was cool meeting some of you last week. Seems like a tight group, but certainly way over my head, as I won't be sporting a tuned STi anytime soon! Impressive rides. :shock: Sorry I had to run, but this time of year the schedule's pretty tight.

We took the new Impreza on a little family vacation over the weekend to the Sonoma Coast, and it did fantastic on some of those steep single-lane back roads even with 3 passengers and gear (sea-level o2 was nice!). It's certainly a keeper!

On the mods side, I tried to arrange to pick up some wheels in the Bay Area on the way back, but timing just didn't work out. Hopefully I'll get that squared away sooner rather than later. Oh yeah, since so many people get things from CA, would it be "club etiquette" to let people know if I ever make a parts run down Bay Area way?

JC --- you mentioned various light-bars --- is there a place online that sells them, or have you just seen them fab'd up at places like S^2?

Tyson --- haven't forgotten about your seats, and thanks for the "feature pic". At least I know that may haircut turned out OK in the back --- I must have spent 45min on that part! :wink:

More questions in the future, I'm sure. Or how about right now? Is there some sort of index that has been developed showing MY changes to details such as lights, body components, etc? I'm just not up on what's compatible (clear corners, for instance). Is it something that you "just know" after dealing with it for a while? Sorry for the ignorance.

'late!