Impreza project
Guest
Posts: n/a
Impreza project
I think I will be going to school in Pittsburgh next year and this poses some challenges to me car-wise.
1st - Pittsburgh has snow and hills, so something that can navigate a winter climate would be nice
2nd - Pittsburgh has pot-holes and having driven over the pot-holes of Boston in my stiffly sprung civic, I would not want to have such a stiff suspension in the city
3rd - I have to have my fun. So far, this just consists of local auto-x, ice racing, and drag strips; but anything of the local unprofessional sort will do.
4rd - It's $500 a semester to have a car at Pitt, so not many people will have cars. Therefore, having a car will be a great way to meat people but the above factors have to be taken into consideration.
I've been looking for some kind of car to work on this summer, preferably one with a simple engine swap involved. The Impreza can fit many of the requirements above with AWD and 4 doors + I'm sure it can be made to handle well and as far as I know a WRX engine of some sort will fit nicely. As far as ride quality goes one option that made me think of an Impreza as my project car was a performance air bag suspension for the WRX. I'm not sure if this can work on the lower/older model Imprezas, but if so it would allow for easy ride height and confort adjustability. My budget would be around $13,000 and I'd like to know what you guys would do with those requirements and budget. Thanks.
1st - Pittsburgh has snow and hills, so something that can navigate a winter climate would be nice
2nd - Pittsburgh has pot-holes and having driven over the pot-holes of Boston in my stiffly sprung civic, I would not want to have such a stiff suspension in the city
3rd - I have to have my fun. So far, this just consists of local auto-x, ice racing, and drag strips; but anything of the local unprofessional sort will do.
4rd - It's $500 a semester to have a car at Pitt, so not many people will have cars. Therefore, having a car will be a great way to meat people but the above factors have to be taken into consideration.
I've been looking for some kind of car to work on this summer, preferably one with a simple engine swap involved. The Impreza can fit many of the requirements above with AWD and 4 doors + I'm sure it can be made to handle well and as far as I know a WRX engine of some sort will fit nicely. As far as ride quality goes one option that made me think of an Impreza as my project car was a performance air bag suspension for the WRX. I'm not sure if this can work on the lower/older model Imprezas, but if so it would allow for easy ride height and confort adjustability. My budget would be around $13,000 and I'd like to know what you guys would do with those requirements and budget. Thanks.
VIP Member
iTrader: (2)
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 15,425
From: Under your bed, in your closet, and in your head
Car Info: Corvette Z51
Just so you know, the WRX IS an Impreza. I assume you're in the market for an Impreza 2.5RS right? It's a very solid car and a joy to drive, and the AWD makes life much easier in snowy and hilly places like Pittsburgh.
You don't want an air suspension in your Impreza. Air suspensions are for behemoths that don't need to worry about tight handling and cornering. I suggest you go with adjustable dampers instead - they offer flexibility in your ride height and stiffness, and when properly set can offer you anything from a ride similar to the stock suspension to a lower race-oriented setting.
The 2.5RS is already quite well-powered, and its low rev torque line is superior to the WRX's. You should take this into consideration if you need to navigate snow and hills at low revs. An alternative to engine swapping with a WRX would be to turbocharge the stock 2.5 liter for more power up top.
Hope you enjoy your Impreza
You don't want an air suspension in your Impreza. Air suspensions are for behemoths that don't need to worry about tight handling and cornering. I suggest you go with adjustable dampers instead - they offer flexibility in your ride height and stiffness, and when properly set can offer you anything from a ride similar to the stock suspension to a lower race-oriented setting.
The 2.5RS is already quite well-powered, and its low rev torque line is superior to the WRX's. You should take this into consideration if you need to navigate snow and hills at low revs. An alternative to engine swapping with a WRX would be to turbocharge the stock 2.5 liter for more power up top.
Hope you enjoy your Impreza
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
no_way56
Hawaii Classifieds
16
Feb 11, 2015 10:34 PM
uselesstool
New Aftermarket Car Parts For Sale
3
Dec 3, 2009 10:01 AM
jimtweet
Ongoing Projects
16
Jun 29, 2006 05:59 PM
Weak Sauce
Bay Area
5
Feb 15, 2006 05:05 PM