I always like to improve control before power, and good quality lowering springs is a good step towards control and also improves the look of the car a lot, getting rid of that horrid stock wheel well gap.

Ed

 

Im not sure, but won't lowering springs on a WRX kill the ride?

 

If you dump some stiff springs, then it would "feel" more, but it would protect any body kits or whatnot if you slammed your car.

 

Are you looking for style points, or a faster car? If you want to be faster, skip the intake, and don't do springs unless you do struts too. First thing to do is get an 18 or 20mm rear sway bar to dial out some of that horrible understeer. Then maybe a catback, Stromung or custom is best (with custom being far cheaper). Then scour the threads to get more ideas once you have the basics down.

 

arent eibach springs good even if you keep the stock struts-they arent as good as springs and struts but if $ is an issue he would be fine with just springs, right?? and a lightened flywheel, pulleys, and wheels are what i would do after the sway bar(if u want better handling) and catback exhaust...good luck

 

Eibachs aren't too bad on the stock struts, Handling will be marginally better, and the struts will wear faster, but not too fast (figure on getting maybe 40k with Eibachs, give or take). Pulley is a good cheap mod. Crank pulley only, and lightened, but not underdrive. A lightened flywheel on a near stock car is a luxury, not to mention very expensive. That comes much later. Cat back is a good idea though. Customs run around $300 installed, and the 'name brand' full catbacks from $500-600 for the parts. To race, definitely keep the stock wheels. You have to spend thousands to get wheels that are stronger and lighter. Stocks weigh about 16.5 pounds.

 

whats wrong with getting a ligher flywheel as one of the first mods?

 

There's nothing 'wrong' with it- in fact I wish I had one. But it's expensive, and the benefit really only shows up on a race track. There are mods with much better immediate value when you are just starting on a project car.

 

if you had a few mods like a catback, pulleys, silencer, wheels, etc...what mods on an n/a car would have better immediate value?