What to do with an OBS + cash

how about:

Sell OBS, take 2500 cash, add to OBS sale. Then put a nice down payment on a WRX wag?
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While that would certainly affix a smile to my face to do, I don't want to go that route. A few reasons:

1.) It's about the journey. I want to take a normal (although old) car and make it into something that people can look at and say "wow, thought was put into this vehicle".

2.) If I go out and sell this, combine with money to buy a WRX (even if it's an '02) I won't have funds left over for fun stuff... like upgrades, mods, tires wheels, etc.

3.) It's about the experience I'll gain by getting myself involved with a vehicular-rubix-cube. I want to see what combinations work and what doesn't, what looks good as opposed to what I consider to look good.

Buying a WRX might fit for other people. Just not me... at least right now. Maybe when I get this bug out of my system...
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I missed this post earlier. Excellent plan!! 8)

 
make it turn > make it stop > make it fast > make it look good (now if i only followed that haha)

so first off ur gonna want to start with suspension, endlinks, sway bars, strut bars, spring and strut combo (or coilovers), or just a whole suspension setup from an STi. prob for everytrhing for less than $2000 depending on which route u go

you can get brakes from an STti as well, prob about $1200 used

but an STi motor swap is gonna run u a little less than $6000, plus labor. so ur looking at a total of about $9200

there is other options for motors like a WRX or a none turbo 2.5, but its still not gonna be on ur buget

 
make it turn > make it stop > make it fast > make it look good (now if i only followed that haha)

so first off ur gonna want to start with suspension, endlinks, sway bars, strut bars, spring and strut combo (or coilovers), or just a whole suspension setup from an STi. prob for everytrhing for less than $2000 depending on which route u go

you can get brakes from an STti as well, prob about $1200 used

but an STi motor swap is gonna run u a little less than $6000, plus labor. so ur looking at a total of about $9200

there is other options for motors like a WRX or a none turbo 2.5, but its still not gonna be on ur buget
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way overboard on the brakes. Stock brakes with upgraded pads->WRX sliding calipers and upgraded pads->4Pot WRX reds +pads.

the Sti calipers preclude you from buying a reasonable size snow tire for the winter. you don't really want to be stuck with 17's.

Now I know the STI fanboi's will get on me for this. but my WRX with 15" snows will out accellerate and out brake an STI in the snow/ice

 
yes u could just get pads, but if u want an sti swap then it is best to have as best breaks as u can.

cuz if u have the power u might want to be able to stop

it all depends on what u want with ur car.

wheater u want to focus on power, or if u want to go out and autox all time

but if u want the power ur still gonna need to be able to turn

 
I don't want an STI swap.

If I go turbo (which I'm not sure I will.... found a good 2.5L engine on RS25 for $600) it would just be a regular NA 2.2L with a small amount of boost. Which is why I'm not so sure I'll do that. A 2.5L sounds more up my ability ally (and finances too) so that's more likely to happen.

I don't need anything more than a slight upgrade to my brakes. I haven't experienced any brake fade so far, but I'm not pushing the car _that_ hard. There are a ton of nice backroads up here though. ;D

 
What do you guys think of these?

http://www.rs25.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=15028&sort=1&cat=5&page=1

Posted these a month ago, no luck so I lowered the price!!

Seriously these brakes are as close to new as you are going to get. Great cheap upgrade of those RS brakes.

03 WRX OEM brakes. Looking at around 4K miles on these, They were swapped for a big brake kit soon after the car was purchased. You get all 4 rotors/calipers brake lines etc. 250.00 for everything buyer pays shipping and paypal fee's
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What do you guys think of these?

http://www.rs25.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=15028&sort=1&cat=5&page=1

Posted these a month ago, no luck so I lowered the price!!

Seriously these brakes are as close to new as you are going to get. Great cheap upgrade of those RS brakes.

03 WRX OEM brakes. Looking at around 4K miles on these, They were swapped for a big brake kit soon after the car was purchased. You get all 4 rotors/calipers brake lines etc. 250.00 for everything buyer pays shipping and paypal fee's
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good price, but be sure you don't have 14" wheels or 15" for the most part. (there are very few 15" wheels that will fit over the WRX brakes. 16" wheels will be fine (any WRX fittment 16" wheel)

and if you want to go real cheap, snag some EBC Green, Red; Hawk HPS pads or somethign like that. Pads will make more of a difference than you would really think.

 
Should I just keep stock rotors (mine are nearly new) and just get some better pads? Will different brake fluid make much of a difference? If so, which?

 
Should I just keep stock rotors (mine are nearly new) and just get some better pads? Will different brake fluid make much of a difference? If so, which?
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depending on how long the last bleed/change was. i would recommend a change of fluid you really don't need anything too special. and some GOOD pads.

wear those untill it is in need of a change and see where you want to go from there.

I am an EBC brake pad fan. I run EBC reds in my Miata (I autoX that). and as soon as the WRX needs pads i will be doing the same with that.

 
I have had aboslutly no complaints runnin stock RS brakes. I have upgraded that pads but otherwise they are more than enough for what you want.

Spend what money you have wisely, go for the "biggest bang fo rthe buck" mentality. New wrx brakes won't do much than dent your wallet.

 
in my opinion best bang for you money rs or WRX calipers, and wrx rotors. with upgraded brake pads. your a little lucky that you don't have to do a drum to disk conversion or anything.

right now, just get some good pads and run it, it will do everything you need and more.

while everyone is throwing ideas at you, you need to think what do you want out of the car. a fun daily driver?? an autox machine? a rally X machaine? a street monster. then tailor your mods to what you want.

if you just want a fun daily driver.

rear sway bar. $100

GR2's-$270( if i remember) for a set of 4

prodrive springs/sti GC springs -$250

EBC brake pads- $130 or less.

exaust- $200-$400

RS bumpers are cheep from the dealer you just need to paint them, a RS hood and a STI wagon wing and you'd be in pretty good shape and still have money for the 25L swap and everything and have a fun car.

my two cents

 
One of my mistakes, as an OBS owner is getting overwhelmed with the amount of things you can do to your vehicle and where to start. Speedpants is most likely right on the money with his statement of "you need to think what do you want out of the car".

I'm assuming (hopefully correctly) that you are looking to make this into a good looking/performing daily driver. What do you intend on doing with it, with the final product (should that day arrive... lol)?

1.) Auto-X or Tarmac sports

2.) Rally-X or Off-Road use

3.) Show car / weekend driver

4.) All-around nice/well-done car that has everyday use

5.) Other

I'm guessing you're looking for #4? If so, that might prove to be a difficult path to stick with, since you'll constantly be posed with different levels of product to choose from. That's me, anyhow... :-

 
I think I'm looking for a good mix of #'s 1 & 4.

I'd like a nice looking daily driver that I can take to an Auto-x (when they happen around here... bleh) on occassion. I'd like to have something that provides a good base for an all out swap, should the funds occur/allow. Here's how I'd like to sit...

I don't want to go into a WRX swap right now. If I went turbp, I'd rather it be out of a TLeg or an NA2.2 with a kit. I don't need/want a 6 speed right now. I don't need/want an LSD or any DCCD stuff. I don't need/want an STI or WRX interior conversion. My current dash, although greatly lacking storage capacity and armrest, is fine if I change its color. I'll most likely dye my rear seats black and get front RS seats. Door cards will be re-done, so will the headliner.

I'll most likely remove the roof rack. I'll tint the windows, put on an RS hood/bumper/headlights and get some silver WRX rims to contrast with a nice paint job (need some color ideas on this).

I'll upgrade the struts/springs, get a rear sway to start, change over the bushings as suggested and change the tranny & diff fluid. I need to track down and eliminate (or greatly reduce) the oil leaks that are occurring. My power steering pump seems to be losing fluid slowly too. I've already got a 2004 double-tip WRX cat-back that I'll get put onto the car.

I figure this:

Hood/Bumper/Headlights - $400

Struts/Springs (WRX most likely) - $150-200

Sway - $50

Bushings - $?????????

Fluids - $50

______________________

Total - $700 + bushings

So, what's left is a lot of DIY stuff. Dye, upholstery, etc. I'll get the engine leaks squared away ASAP, as I'd like to have some peace of mind with that. Then I'll start tackling the body repair (dings, etc) and prep it for paint. A good sanding would be in order, along with some touch-up on the primer.

So, I think I've got a ball rolling here. Now to keep up the momentum.

 
I think I'm looking for a good mix of #'s 1 & 4.

Struts/Springs (WRX most likely) - $150-200
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That's not really the best setup for DD and an occasional autox. Even though the WRX setup is stiffer then stock it makes the GCs sit pretty high. Even though it's pretty fun in the winter and gravel, the car would be pretty top heavy and woudl have quite a bit of travel making it hard to autox.

But, given your time frame you might get the suspension in just in time for winter. Then you could rethink Struts/Spring come spring.

Link to pics of OBS with WRX struts and springs:

http://xsorbit27.com/users5/subarutunersofmaine/index.php?topic=2315.0

 
Hmm. Yah that's higher than I thought it'd be. That's not so much a problem right now though. Were you running those right up until the roll-over? Or did you have something different on there?

I read about what happened to your wagon, man. I hate bad endings for cars. Too bad most of the ends are like that though... :-

What parts do you have left from the wagon that could be sold off?

 
That was not the setup i was running when she rolled. Just this past April i set it up for autox. AGX struts, prodrive springs, tightened the RSB, front brembo rotors, Red stuff pads, Superblue brake fluid, RS six spokes w/yoko AVS ES100s, etc... She handled awesome!! Which was the problem really. I saw the corner, but with no sign i had no reason to slow down as i could usually take any road corner pretty fast. Oh well, life goes on.

Nearly all of the upgraded parts have made their way to my wife's 2000 RS which we both now autox, What's left for fun stuff, which is pretty much the red stuffs and pullies, will fit on the 93 leg.

But i do have many stock obs parts including the engine and tranny. I really need to get around to starting a thread to sell the stuff, but it's hard when most of parts work on the cars i still have. If you need something though please ask, and i will see what i have.

 
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