intake
exhaust
lightened pulley
cams (very important)
turbo (not reccomended)
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Swed

 

Trade-in for a used/new WRX?

 

I hate to keep sounding like a poster boy for cobb tuning (especially since I don't own any of their parts... yet), but they are considered by many to be the best in the Subaru after market:

http://cobbtuning.com/impreza/powerpackage3.html

They claim that their stage 3 kit will put the RS/TS up over 200hp and maintain the reliability of the 2.5 engine. Of course it costs $4,000

I'm looking at getting their intake and Catback Exhaust this summer for about $900

The upside to upgrading the RS instead of trading in for a WRX??? Insurance rates won't go crazy, and cops won't zero in on the wrx hood scoop.

 

BTW... first mod to do on that car, if you live where it snows, get rid of the stock tires.

They suck beyond sucking in the snow. Why subaru developed and AWD car and the put on the worst snow tires they could find I will never know.

 

Surprisingly this is changing.. fast. I've had people come up to me and ask me if my car is a WRX.. if it's fast (expecting that it is).. etc, simply because of the Subaru badge on the front. I was kind of set back at first because I wanted to laugh (A wagon making barely 100hp to the wheels... fast?), but I realize that most outsiders get confused by the variety of the Impreza lineup.

 

Call me ignorant... but your saying that our cars have 65 hp loss in the drive train???

I know there is quite a bit of loss, but 65 seems high to me. On a perfect start (ie. slipping out just right at the right rpm) I can get a nice jump on just about every ricer I see. Can't hang with a fast 2WD car after that, but usually its enough to embarass them

On a side note,

I had some kid in a chevy truck (yeah I know, too easy) try to race at a light. I don't normally do it, but for some reason I indulged him. I then had another kid in a riced out ford escort, who was watching, pull beside me and ask if my car was a WRX (I drive a TS wagon).

 

I drive a 99 L Wagon (2.2L) which I believe only has 135bhp.

 

Cold Air Intake
Equal Length Headers
Lightweight Pullies
Camshaft
Turbo

Yes, I did say turbo. But its recommended only in 1 condition... You have to get a shortblock that can be turbo'd. COBB Tuning states that their Stage 3 short block can sustain over 600hp (~30psi). But its 5k for the shortblock not including the things you need to get it to run.

 

lol you are so right. i remember the first time i had ever driven in the snow the car still had stock (bald also) tires. the thing slid all over the place and scared the **** out of me. i put on some all season M+ S on later and it made a HUGE difference in grip. the difference was night and day.
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Washington Dispensaries