so im trying to figure out what to do to my 02 wagon, would like to do suspension and get to stage 2 performance. can anyone get me a list of items, manufactures, and prices so i can have something to refer to in my searches. thanks so much. and remember under $1500 for the things i really need.

 

Companys you can trust include but not limited to are:

Subaru / STi / SPT
Prodrive
Brembo
Cobb
Perrin
Cusco

First off I recomend you get an Cobb AcessPort. to reflash your ECU, get some HP and better gas milage at the same time. $700, near $400 for a used old version

Brakes always make for a good upgrade. Subaru 4-pots (the 2006 WRX brakes) are about $700 as well.

A Cat Back exhaust upgrade would be nice. get a bit more growl out for your beast and some HP while at it. there are tons of companies that make them.

I went Prodrive and enjoy it's sound very much. $500ish (not my video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gH-1thz9JA

And if you want it to sound like a real beast get Perrin's $700ish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gdo8rtVxTk

There are so many choices that you'll get ton of opinions form the members of i-club.

 

or......

Tactrix cable > 80 bucks.
Xpt stage 2 > 50 bucks.
Downpipe (erz) 140 bucks.
Exhaust (erx) 160 bucks.
================
$430

+
Springs
short shifter
sway bars
end links
---------------
500+?

 

newyorkreload has some good suggestions-the cobb acessport adds some serious hp to '02 engines,their sway bars really help a ton(personal experience) and good tires are another wonder (on this note go to tire rack and start reading all the reviews and stats on every applicable tire) real improvement can be had as low as @$70 per tire.There goes most or all of your $1500.

 

go for hks carbon ti... i'm using it now. It sound awsome. get some cobb stage 2. or you can get the same coilover like me, buddy club racing spec. you will like it(my opinion) not that expnsive. around 1100-1200 it worth it. and porject mu pad( super great).

 

Better exhaust like the HKS hi power catback.
Cobb Accessport for sure see some nice gains.
A good quality catless downpipe like the Cobb downpipe.
Better set of tires is always nice.

 

are you looking for quality? There are alot of options out there, even for your budget, but if youre like me, I like to put quality parts on my ride. If I were you, I would buy the accessport, and maybe some springs. Leave it at that for a little while then look into buying more parts after you save more and research more. I think alot of folks here will agree that its not always good to buy an assload of parts at the same time, especially when youre on a budget...take your time, do ALOT of research, save, then buy. If youre ever on NASIOC, I think it was Unabomber who said "Research 80% Purchase 20%"
Good luck with whatever you do

 

I think its important to keep in mind what your objectives are for the car. How do you plan to use it and what needs to change in order to allow the car to do that better?
Is this car going to be for zipping around town and just having fun? Or drag racing? Or AutoX Or rallyX Or track days- or even some combination of those?

I've found that it really helps prioritize and narrow down the different parts you'll need if you have an objective in mind.

 

It's really for a haveing a sick zippy car. i want to be able to school most drivers off the line, Get over snowy mountain passes fast, and maybe do a little (fun) rally type driving. dont plan to do any real racing. just want to get the full potential out of my wagon.

 

Steering Rack Bushings, They're only around $15-20. larger rear sway bar,nice set of springs, and like they said, open up the exhaust(UP, DP, cat-back) get a flash cable and re-flash the ecu, should be good to go.

I'd get some JDM projector headlights too!

 

(I'm assuming this is all for an 02 WRX wagon)

1) Cobb Access Port
2) Catted Downpipe (catless if you're not afraid of the law or wrecking the environment)
The downpipe will get you to the point where you can run stage 2 maps.
Helix has cat lower, which is better for power
Cobb has the cat higher, which is better for emissions. It also has a cast iron bell mouth at the top - which makes it quieter inside the car. but the Cobb also costs more.

If you have money left at this point, you could do springs or sway bars.

You can worry about the rest of the exhaust and uppipe (find a suitable stock STi for @$200ish) later when you have more money. Suitable STi takeoff suspension (not sure what years will fit exactly) will also work out pretty well for what you've described (you don't want to be too stiffly sprung in snow or dirt, plus it should be relatively comfortable for daily driving).