There is no good coilover in the $1k price range. For GD Imprezas there is one, but it does not offer adjustable damping, they do not hold up in winter, and you have to buy camber plates/top hats separate. For '08 body styles the starting budget for good coilovers is slightly more than on older body styles, $2,000. And Megans are no better than BCs. You can get better ride comfort, performance, and reliability (yes, all 3 together) in springs and struts.

You are past the mileage where coilovers generally need to be rebuilt. It varies based on ride height, stiffness, and use but generally it's ~30-45k miles. Tein has an official interval of 40k.

 

Just buy them new.

 

If i was in your shoes I would just get this If you are set on coils:
KW Variant 1 Coilovers - Circuit Motorsports - Affordable Performance

and if you favor handling:
GTWORX.COM : GTWORX/Bilstein Impreza WRX Cup Sport Kit

 

^ Nice, when did they start making V1s for '08s? They weren't a few months ago.

Keep in mind though, those are the same coilovers I mentioned that were ok on GDs that don't have adjustable damping or top hats.

 

I did what you're considering doing. I don't regret the decision. But I'm not happy.

Really depends on what you're looking to achieve.

 

so many options
i guess i've been so set on coilovers i've become a little stubborn Lol. are the strut and spring the same spring rate and the diffence between the two is adjustability? I am looking to lower my car, but not dump it. like a 1.5in from stock

problably my order of importance
1. stiffness/performance
2. height
3. ride comfort
4.adjustability

 

If you can stand to wait a little longer, just keep your eyes on the forums and CL. You're bound to run across a great deal on good quality coilovers, probably sooner than you think. I was able to pick up a practically brand new set of Cuscos for 900.

 

hmm, that is a really good deal. ill problably wait till the beginning of september before i really shell out the money. i wanna get everything situated before BAM2012 comes around

you guys definitely saved me some money again haha

 

based off this go with the GTworx kit.
2011 WRX - GTWORX Bilstein / RCE yellow install & review - NASIOC
the rear is also slightly height adjustable and just google it and you will see nothing but stellar reviews for them

 

If you want comfort with great handling get konis and a matching spring set like swifts rces pinks whatever.

If you want to dump your car like half the population get the bc/isc/fortune coils and a low offset done. Will they provide a drop and clearance? Yes, but will you be happy down the road? Probably not.

If you want coils to clear nice wheels and tires with great handling go with RCE Tarmacs (revalved KW) or as you know ast ohlins etc.

 

This is a good way to go too and will prob only be around 800 new. Plus, the ride will be more comfortable for daily driving. Just make sure you are going to be happy with the drop... My buddy has this exact setup with swift springs and he doesn't like that the rear is dropped more than the front, similar to eibach springs. Having the height adjustability on coilovers is a great feature, especially if you ever want to corner balance your car.

 

In reality its just how the fenders are. The Legacy ALWAYS looks lower in the rear but the side skirts are dead flat.

 

That's probably a contributing factor, but all springs are different. Eibachs for example are supposed to be about a 1.25/1.5 drop all around IIRC. My old prodrives were a half inch drop in the rear and 1.5 front. They really helped even out the horrible front fender gap on my 03. WRXs have a really nice ride height straight from the factory nowadays.

 

Your buddy doesn't like that the car sits level? The car is not higher in the front, the fenders just arch higher for more clearance for turning. If a car has more room in the back than in the front or has a visually even drop, then the car is actually raked and off balance.

Corner balancing means nothing if you get crappy coilovers.

Your Cuscos are no better than the BCs he was asking about. The have the same design issues and are just marked up a whole lot more than the BCs because of the brand name on them. Tein, HKS, Cusco, and JIC Magic are all over priced products that are poorly designed and made.

 

I agree with this, I figured that this was why companies like Eibach do all-around drops that make the car look lower in the rear (unless of course I am misinformed, and Eibach is also a crap company like Cusco?--according to you). Fact is- a lot of the time its about "looks". I told him that his car is probably better balanced than mine, but he still doesnt like the way it looks. Maybe he'll change his mind tomorrow after he drives it on the track.

Why buy an Invidia downpipe if you can get an eBay knockoff with the same design for 100 bucks?

Although their designs may be similar (which I am just taking your word for because I dont care enough to research right now), I find it VERY hard to believe that the extra $1000 you pay for a set of Cuscos is all branding. If in fact the designs are the same I would guess that the additional cost is due to higher quality materials and tighter tolerances, but again thats just a guess. I am a very firm believer in "you get what you pay for".