2000-2001 is just as expensive to mod =O its like legos what can a sti use i cant use haha
except the wheels and brake rotors

 

eugenile - thanks for the refreshing opinion. i do spend much time on evom and have followed the evolutions' evolution (lol). there is a high milage ix in roseville. it looks sick, but it is in roseville, and its tough for me to get off the hill to swoop in on these cars.

monstergc - i have said for years subies are like legos. such a great way to put the interchangability of subys.

as far as moding, i will be of ourse moding it, just in conservative stages. that is why an evo is sometimes apealing. exaust, reflash and an intake and you have some insane whp. and they motor is insanely strong in the long run.

insurance is also an issue i want to pretend doesnt exist. evo and sti's are expensve to insure.

j

 

Buy a 99-01 RS for 4-6K depending on the car. Buy an '06-07 sti drivetrain complete for 6-7K.

Do work.

Now you have a baller car for ~14k

I pay ~1100 per year to insure my swap and I'm 25 with two points.

 

STi if you want better daily and interior
The IX MR is such a great candidate if you want to make a lot of cheap HP

 

Doing a swap isn't just so easy and cut to the chase.

If you want a swapped GC to perform like a GD, you really need a roll cage in there due to the insane chassis flex with the GC, especially when you have a lot of power. My friend's swapped GC feels crazy when he gets on it, the whole car flexes like it's being twisted! Not a fun experience. After his cage was installed (real cage, not a bolt in) the car felt 100% different, super stiff and the power felt like it was being delivered easier.

It's not so easy to find an STi drivetrain in good condition (totaled STi, with roof damage and no drivetrain damage), and if you do, lets say the best case scenario and you get it for $7500. Now you have to take what's in that STi, take it all out (including the wiring harness which is the big PITA), remove everything from the GC just like the STi, and install everything from the STi into the GC. Sounds easy enough right? Well it's not. The wiring is the biggest nightmare on earth! The labor it will cost you, or if you do it alone, the time and effort it will cost you, you can't go around saying you got a swapped RSTi for $14.5K. Not to mention the suspension upgrades, brake upgrades (usually comes with an STi,), seats, interior, etc, etc... It's a money pit from hell. I considered doing it but got my STi instead. I got the STi because it was made to perform as is out of the box, I didnt have to do a damn thing, and dont have to worry about aftermarket nightmares, etc.

Unless I already had an RS fully souped up just missing the engine and tranny, I wouldn't do it... And even then, I might not do it.

 

Id get a 996 Carrera2. You can pick those up for between $18-$28k.

out of only those, though, Id get the Evo. Hate all you want, but it is so much easier to drive fast than the STi.

 

i simply dont have the time to do my own swap. i would probably pay someone to do it.

and even then, i had a swapped rs already, and now that bruce remonds me, it was SUPER flexy. i drove an evo and my rs back to back once, and it was night and day handling wise.

in the end, i might not have enough money for either, and can only get a wrx bugeye, or whatever i can get a smokin' deal on. paint is not an issue. i plan to flat black most anything i get. truckee winters are hard on cars clear coat.

j

 

Evo or STi. In that order.

I wouldn't waste the time with a WRX.

 

Daniel stated some of the reasons why I also abandoned the idea of investing in a swap for my car. That wiring is a nightmare and that's what makes the swap so damn expensive. I too have no space nor the time to do the swap myself (let alone do anything more than hooking up a CD player and performing an oil change). Just drive all those cars you wanted and sleep on it for a couple days. That's how I'd decide cuz in the end, it's your money and you're going to know what's practical for you.

 

interesting, my swap is stiff enough to lift both wheels when jacking from the lower door sill jackpoint, with control arm bushings and a rear subframe lock.

And sorry for lowballing the actual cost of a swap, it's that I bought my RS with the full monty suspension (albeit neglected) and a JC sports turbo kit. Made the swap way easier than from a stocker.

Helluve jealous you live in Truckee, Josh. I nabbed the squaw pass this year and might be looking for work around the N.lake area; if you do the swap I am well versed in the wiring.

 

hey knock

yeah. truckee is pretty sweet. i have a pass already @ squaw as well, but will more likely work there instead. i have worked there for 14 years off/on. i come from a heavy ski industry background, and want to get back into it soon.

we should meet up and such before the winter. i always have room at my or my parents house next door. we are in glenshire (10 min from town) so the drive to squaw is about 30 min. but we live in the middle of no where and its quite (we snomo @ night in the 'shire as well . we back up to mt rose nat forest). i also have been in the area for quite a while and could help you with work. PM what you are looking for, and i can keep the radar on.

and if you are in the area, a swap with someone else is ALWAYS more fun. heck, just installing an exhaust is more fun with another enthusiast around.

and as of today i have no clue what i am going to get.....

j

 

nice! I'm all about shredding; we'll have to get a lake-run/ ASI cheese wedge going sometime. Pm'd about jobs

 

Audi A3 S-Line

 

a3's are nice. i have been entertaining s4's. good buddy worked for stasis as a mechanic. he just rebuilt an s4 with 460 to the wheels. @ 90% boost the car is stupid....

j

 

Evo = time bomb