Garage - 02 PSM WRX
meilers
October 24, 2010
Year:
2002
Make:
Subaru
Model:
Impreza
Trim:
WRX
Vehicle nickname:
02 PSM WRX
State:
AZ
Current odometer reading:
130956
Insurance provider:
USAA
Driving Environment:
suburban
Transmission:
manual
2WD/4WD:
4WD
How fast do you drive?:
20
Highway / City %:
90
Tracking started on:
0000-00-00 00:00:00
Tell the world a little bit about your vehicle
According to the dealer, one of the first few WRXs sold in Arizona, bought it with 6 miles on the odometer. I waited until 36k before I did any modifications (the stock tires were incredibly bald by then). Daily driver on 90% highway, but I have driven it on dirt and gravel numerous times. All of my aftermarket parts are of extremely high quality; I used exclusively JDM or Australian parts, no Chinese knockoffs or eBay specials.
Engine/Drivetrain Modifications:
stock turbo, factory original clutch, '06 STI intercooler, "snorkel delete" elbow on intake, silicone Y pipe and throttle body pipe, water spray on intercooler (fed from windshield washer bottle with a second pump) that auto activates at 6 PSI; APS Full 3" Turboback exhaust with hi-flow cat; APS up-pipe (no catalytic convertor). ECUtek reflash, tuned to 220hp/198lb by Dyno-Comp in Scottsdale, AZ. I am obviously biased, but I think the APS 3" exhaust is the most stealthy (few people notice it at all, even police) and best-sounding exhaust you can possibly buy. It is factory quiet below 2200 RPM, but put your foot down and it absolutely roars. I've had people with 6-liter V8s pull up next to me at the stoplight and babble about how great the car sounds. "Two liters??? No f**kin way, man!"
Suspension Modifications:
Whiteline Ground Control springs over stock struts; Whiteline front strut bar, rear strut bar, steering rack bushings and adjustable rear sway bar; Whiteline solid endlinks.
Wheels/Tires Modifications:
17" Kosei K1-TS JDM wheels, 13.5lbs apiece and 7" wide. Continental Conti Extreme Contact DWS tires 225/45/17. I like these tires very much, but the best tires so far on the car were (sadly discontinued) Goodyear F1 Eagle GS-D3 which I ran oversized at 235. Other tire sets included the stock RE-50s (crap) and a set of Yokohama S-Drive tires (even worse). DBA 5000-series rotors in the front, 4000-series rotors in the rear; EBC GreenStuff pads.
Interior/Exterior Modifications:
100% stock interior except for the addition of a PSI3 Graphical ECUtec Dash Monitor. This goes in the place of the clock on the dash, and is a totally configurable ECU monitor with tuning and water injection/spray control capability. VERY rare and hard to find! Stock headunit, I have yet to find a non-factory stereo that does not look 100% out of place/corny in the double-DIN slot, so I just left it factory. I had the Subaru underseat subwoofer for about 3 years, but it died and I never replaced it. I also have 2 layers of Dynamat in the trunk, to tamp down the "highway drone" of the exhaust. Only exterior mods are the STI Hood Scoop (this is factory paint, but unfortunately it warped/melted slightly in the AZ heat) and OEM Fog Light Covers that I painted myself.
Future Modifications:
None. I may retune it, but the car is at the peak of its usable power; any more power or torque and the 5-speed manual will be destroyed. As it is I have to slip the clutch between 2nd and 3rd to avoid chirping the tires. Over time I have had to replace the rear, center and front differentials; according to my mechanic (100% of service done at the same shop) the rear differential had an installation issue from the factory, and as a result it failed at only 11k. That was replaced under warranty, but the uneven wear and the same alignment problem eventually took down the center and front differentials, at 45k and 68k. As a result I am extremely gun-shy about the transmission and do not want to put any more strain on it. However the engine is in perfect condition, it does not have a single oil leak and only consumes 1/4 a quart between changes; it could easily take additional power if I was foolish and wealthy enough to swap out the transmission for the 6 speed or repack it with the reinforced gearset.
2002
Make:
Subaru
Model:
Impreza
Trim:
WRX
Vehicle nickname:
02 PSM WRX
State:
AZ
Current odometer reading:
130956
Insurance provider:
USAA
Driving Environment:
suburban
Transmission:
manual
2WD/4WD:
4WD
How fast do you drive?:
20
Highway / City %:
90
Tracking started on:
0000-00-00 00:00:00
Tell the world a little bit about your vehicle
According to the dealer, one of the first few WRXs sold in Arizona, bought it with 6 miles on the odometer. I waited until 36k before I did any modifications (the stock tires were incredibly bald by then). Daily driver on 90% highway, but I have driven it on dirt and gravel numerous times. All of my aftermarket parts are of extremely high quality; I used exclusively JDM or Australian parts, no Chinese knockoffs or eBay specials.
Engine/Drivetrain Modifications:
stock turbo, factory original clutch, '06 STI intercooler, "snorkel delete" elbow on intake, silicone Y pipe and throttle body pipe, water spray on intercooler (fed from windshield washer bottle with a second pump) that auto activates at 6 PSI; APS Full 3" Turboback exhaust with hi-flow cat; APS up-pipe (no catalytic convertor). ECUtek reflash, tuned to 220hp/198lb by Dyno-Comp in Scottsdale, AZ. I am obviously biased, but I think the APS 3" exhaust is the most stealthy (few people notice it at all, even police) and best-sounding exhaust you can possibly buy. It is factory quiet below 2200 RPM, but put your foot down and it absolutely roars. I've had people with 6-liter V8s pull up next to me at the stoplight and babble about how great the car sounds. "Two liters??? No f**kin way, man!"
Suspension Modifications:
Whiteline Ground Control springs over stock struts; Whiteline front strut bar, rear strut bar, steering rack bushings and adjustable rear sway bar; Whiteline solid endlinks.
Wheels/Tires Modifications:
17" Kosei K1-TS JDM wheels, 13.5lbs apiece and 7" wide. Continental Conti Extreme Contact DWS tires 225/45/17. I like these tires very much, but the best tires so far on the car were (sadly discontinued) Goodyear F1 Eagle GS-D3 which I ran oversized at 235. Other tire sets included the stock RE-50s (crap) and a set of Yokohama S-Drive tires (even worse). DBA 5000-series rotors in the front, 4000-series rotors in the rear; EBC GreenStuff pads.
Interior/Exterior Modifications:
100% stock interior except for the addition of a PSI3 Graphical ECUtec Dash Monitor. This goes in the place of the clock on the dash, and is a totally configurable ECU monitor with tuning and water injection/spray control capability. VERY rare and hard to find! Stock headunit, I have yet to find a non-factory stereo that does not look 100% out of place/corny in the double-DIN slot, so I just left it factory. I had the Subaru underseat subwoofer for about 3 years, but it died and I never replaced it. I also have 2 layers of Dynamat in the trunk, to tamp down the "highway drone" of the exhaust. Only exterior mods are the STI Hood Scoop (this is factory paint, but unfortunately it warped/melted slightly in the AZ heat) and OEM Fog Light Covers that I painted myself.
Future Modifications:
None. I may retune it, but the car is at the peak of its usable power; any more power or torque and the 5-speed manual will be destroyed. As it is I have to slip the clutch between 2nd and 3rd to avoid chirping the tires. Over time I have had to replace the rear, center and front differentials; according to my mechanic (100% of service done at the same shop) the rear differential had an installation issue from the factory, and as a result it failed at only 11k. That was replaced under warranty, but the uneven wear and the same alignment problem eventually took down the center and front differentials, at 45k and 68k. As a result I am extremely gun-shy about the transmission and do not want to put any more strain on it. However the engine is in perfect condition, it does not have a single oil leak and only consumes 1/4 a quart between changes; it could easily take additional power if I was foolish and wealthy enough to swap out the transmission for the 6 speed or repack it with the reinforced gearset.
