'98 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS

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totalburnout

totalburnout

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Anyone who has experience with this car, what are your thoughts on it?

Its a '98 the last year with the DOHC motor in it. 83k on the odometer. Black with the gold rims like the first year of the wrx. Short throw shifter. New head thats been polished and has new valve springs and some other things done to it I believe. Pretty much everything else is stock.



My friend owns it and has been looking to sell it for awhile now and I'll get it for well under the blue book if I buy it. It has a couple blotches where the paint is bad and the regular other scratches for the year. With 80,000 miles blue books for $7000 but if I get it I should be able to get it for $5800-6000.

I havent even driven in it yet, so thats obviously the first step. I'm looking mainly for a daily driver and liked the appeal of the AWD because I do drive in the snow quite a bit. Obviously I'd much prefer a WRX or EVO right now but unfortunately the budget is going to allow for something like that. I just want something thats moderately fast and will handle well, plus be able to go 90mph on the highway without getting all shakey and noisey.

If i do get the car, I figure for christmas I'll get some KYB AGX struts and will follow up with some sway bars on the car and that'll be about the extent of the mods for now.

Think this car could be a car that suites that needs above?
 
I think it'd be an awesome car to get, if those are your conditions. It's got a good amount of torque down low, and the HP numbers are decent. I love that generation of Imprezas, especially the headlights and taillights.

However, don't get the idea that you can turbo that engine relatively easily. It's alot tougher than it seems, and requires an extensive rebuild to handle the boost. If you ever get the turbo bug down the line, you'd be better off swapping in a factory-turboed Subaru engine.

Aside from that, it should be an awesome buy. TTIWWOP! :)
 
Originally posted by dohcvtec_accord@Oct 18 2004, 01:03 PM
I think it'd be an awesome car to get, if those are your conditions. It's got a good amount of torque down low, and the HP numbers are decent. I love that generation of Imprezas, especially the headlights and taillights.

However, don't get the idea that you can turbo that engine relatively easily. It's alot tougher than it seems, and requires an extensive rebuild to handle the boost. If you ever get the turbo bug down the line, you'd be better off swapping in a factory-turboed Subaru engine.

Aside from that, it should be an awesome buy. TTIWWOP! :)
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Really its that difficult to turbo? They sell kits for it for like boosting 9psi which would put me up where above where a normal wrx is probably....the 9psi kit doesnt even have an intercooler but for like $600 u can upgrade to one. Problem is the kit is 3grand and theres no way I have that kind of money sitting around or I'd just buy the wrx.

As for the headlights, I actually like the newer headlights and fogs better but I can deal with it as long as the car is everything I expect performance wise. I think it'll run like a 15 sec 1/4 mile and get 28mpg from what my research on the net shows.

Ohhh also the guy has an unorthodox pulley kit to go with it that was previously installed but he had it uninstalled so the factory would do work on it without bitching. So it has the built head (he got tapped by some girl that fucked up his radiator and when the radiator was worked on they didnt fix it properly so he had some bent valves and what not and had a well known performance engine builder in jersey rebuild the head for him) short throw shifter and the unorthodox pullies. plus like i said I'll probably throw some kyb struts on there and perhaps a wrx front and rear sway bar and then call it a day. unless i run into some extra money for turbo. :ph34r: :ph34r: :ph34r:

http://tinypic.com/d7kva pic of the car. it needs to be cleaned up but i can live with it especially for $1200 below book with a new head on it.
 
You are a fucker.

J/K, I personally like those the best out of all subies. If it had a buy it now button, I'd force you to click it. :thumbsup: Get it!!!!!
 
Originally posted by dohcvtec_accord@Oct 18 2004, 01:03 PM
you'd be better off swapping in a factory-turboed Subaru engine.

Aside from that, it should be an awesome buy. TTIWWOP! :)
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:withstupid: An 04 STi 2.5 motor should fit in there fairly well.

if you haven't already bought it. get it, now... for all our sakes. :p
 
Alright well its been sitting for about a month and I know he doesnt want to let it go for $5800 but when I can put that cash in his hand at anytime i want. money talks and BS walks so he may bite.


I was supposed to test drive it today but shit didnt work out. Tomorrow hopefully and hopefully its all that I expect. I'll have to spend the extra money and have a mechanic look at it as well.


as for the '04 sti engine...for the price of that jeez i'd just buy a wrx or evo 8. but honestly like i said before they have the kit for 3000 that boosts 9psi and would give me more than enough power for what i need/want. Need to keep the good gas mileage for a daily driver.

but since all you guys said to hop on it, its reassuring. all my friends around here and my girlfriend didnt want me to touch it but i've been dieing for it.
 
Originally posted by New2TheCarScene@Oct 18 2004, 11:12 PM
my girlfriend didnt want me to touch it but i've been dieing for it.
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I'm picking mine up tomorrow! Wish you luck if you get it!!
 
The 2.5RS is one of the coolest cars out there. I've ridden in one at an autocross, and wow- good low end torque, and it stuck like glue.
 
Originally posted by Calesta@Oct 18 2004, 11:50 PM
The 2.5RS is one of the coolest cars out there. I've ridden in one at an autocross, and wow- good low end torque, and it stuck like glue.
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Thats good to hear. I wanted it to do 90 on the highway no problem and not noisey as hell, ride smooth, and be able to handle well. Sounds like it could be all I hoped for. I'm like a little kid the day before christmas.

In my heart I really want the sti or evo 8 obviously but since i cant afford it, I see this as the next best thing and really hope its what i've been dieing for and waiting for. hope everything checks out with the mechanic and I can get it at the price that i want.
 
Originally posted by New2TheCarScene@Oct 18 2004, 11:59 PM
Thats good to hear. I wanted it to do 90 on the highway no problem and not noisey as hell, ride smooth, and be able to handle well. Sounds like it could be all I hoped for. I'm like a little kid the day before christmas.
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Well, my Civic and even my little pickup are totally stable at 90 on the highway without too much noise....
 
Originally posted by Calesta+Oct 19 2004, 01:42 AM-->
Calesta @ Oct 19 2004 said:
New2TheCarScene
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Calesta @ Oct 19 2004 said:
@Oct 18 2004, 11:59 PM
Thats good to hear. I wanted it to do 90 on the highway no problem and not noisey as hell, ride smooth, and be able to handle well. Sounds like it could be all I hoped for. I'm like a little kid the day before christmas.
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Well, my Civic and even my little pickup are totally stable at 90 on the highway without too much noise....
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the del sol was loud as hell for me. that drove me out of my head
 
Hmm. You might want to hit some of the Subaru forums to compare- the 2.5RS is still built on the Impreza platform. The Impreza was still an economy car for Subaru, so it might be just as noisy at 90 as your del Sol. Go find out before you commit to one.
 
Originally posted by New2TheCarScene@Oct 18 2004, 09:12 PM
as for the '04 sti engine...for the price of that jeez i'd just buy a wrx or evo 8. but honestly like i said before they have the kit for 3000 that boosts 9psi and would give me more than enough power for what i need/want. Need to keep the good gas mileage for a daily driver.
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I wasn't talking about the '04 STi engine (the EJ257). You're right, it's ridiculously expensive. I was talking more along the lines of the WRX engine (EJ205), or possibly one of the older turbo 2.2L engines (the EJ22). You can find those for a much better price, and they drop right in.

True, you can buy the kit for the 2.5RS, but 9psi is all you'll be able to do on the stock engine, and I wouldn't even be pushing that kind of pressure without proper engine management.
 
Originally posted by Calesta@Oct 19 2004, 08:18 AM
Hmm. You might want to hit some of the Subaru forums to compare- the 2.5RS is still built on the Impreza platform. The Impreza was still an economy car for Subaru, so it might be just as noisy at 90 as your del Sol. Go find out before you commit to one.
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Point noted. I was thinking of this myself as well. Thanks.
 
Originally posted by dohcvtec_accord+Oct 19 2004, 08:35 AM-->
dohcvtec_accord @ Oct 19 2004 said:
New2TheCarScene
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dohcvtec_accord @ Oct 19 2004 said:
@Oct 18 2004, 09:12 PM
as for the '04 sti engine...for the price of that jeez i'd just buy a wrx or evo 8. but honestly like i said before they have the kit for 3000 that boosts 9psi and would give me more than enough power for what i need/want. Need to keep the good gas mileage for a daily driver.
[post=404521]Quoted post[/post]​
Click to expand...


I wasn't talking about the '04 STi engine (the EJ257). You're right, it's ridiculously expensive. I was talking more along the lines of the WRX engine (EJ205), or possibly one of the older turbo 2.2L engines (the EJ22). You can find those for a much better price, and they drop right in.

True, you can buy the kit for the 2.5RS, but 9psi is all you'll be able to do on the stock engine, and I wouldn't even be pushing that kind of pressure without proper engine management.
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:(
Completely forgot about the 2.2L Turbo'd engines. Wonder if I could find one for a decent price with low miles... oh well that'll still be awhile down the line but something to think about as long as the body doesnt rust out like my del sol did :ph34r: :huh:
 
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