First off, hello all, i'm coming over here from the jeep world..looking to seal the deal on an 04 come august or september.. so i have plenty of time to do more and more reading (on top of the hours i have already) and carefully select the right vehicle (unlike the jeep selection). You see, had i of discovered forums before buying a the jeep, i would have the sport model, with the stronger rear.. etc. As far as mod's..i guess you can say the jeep is not stock..4.88's detriot locked, 33's, fully adjustable control arms, tri-link'ed rear, 4.5"..etc.
So back to why I am posting, and back to my plan. Come september, the jeep will be for sale, or parted out back to stock so i can put a nice down payment down and traded in as stock.
I've wanted a wrx for years since i drove my friends in high school, (i am currently 20 years old, college student)
I've done some homework, i've read the how to buy a used wrx threads, and i've done some reading, the only way to learn. I know the 04's were the first year they got that tranny bug out, the 02-03 had a weak second gear/whole transmission.
Looking to buy a stock 04 5spd, mod's will be basic bolt on's when the time comes, but there will be no rush, as i need something economical and practical, yet still a blast to drive.
So some questions.. i know the wrx's really haven't been around long enough to see what kind of mileage the engines are capable of. In the jeep world, the 4.0L straight 6cyl is proven bullet proof..250,000 miles + still running great, but that engine has been around for over 15 years. So what exactly is "high mileage" in the wrx world
I have a great mechanic who i just got off the phone with who built an sti, he does performance, etc, who I will be taking the wrx to prior to buying to do the run through of checking fluids, boost leaks, signs of the vehicle previously being modded then taken back to stock (exhaust manifold bolts, turbo heat shield, etc)
So basically, besides this post being an introduction, i am looking to find some answers as far as what is your limit on mileage on a wrx when buying personally, and other things that you can chime in that will allow me to further narrow my search/pursuit for the right 04 for me.
and heres some pictures of the jeep in case your curious..
Well, welcome first off, and second, high mileage could be classified as anything above 100k miles basically (on the 02-03) If you are looking for a reliable car that's going to last you, look for 02-03's in the 0-80k mile range, and the 04's in the same range also... I persoanlly wouldn't buy a WRX with more than 90k miles, not necessarily because they tend to break down or anything, it's just my personal preference for being safe.
And also, with the WRX, the "basic bolt-ons" don't really consist of what other cars use. The WRX doesn't perform any better with a Cold-Air-Intake for instance. It makes the car run too lean. And also, BOVs (blow-off-valves) are one of the more argued subjects in the forums, supposedly they create a momentary rich* condition and can damage your car (low chances) *i don't remember if it's rich or lean.... So basically most the majority will tell you to stay away from intakes and BOVs, the stock intake box can be functional up to 300hp... The first mods that most will advise will be a upgrade DownPipe, and then Engine Management. For EM, the common thing to do is to get the COBB Accessport. And after you get the DownPipe, you can flash to the Stage2 map, and make some serious horsepower....
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"Raise your standards, Lower your VW"
It's something like 90% of the subarus ever made are still on the road. The engines are very long lived. High mileage is a specific term for a car with >12k miles per year of age.
They are many members here with WRX's that have >100k miles and are still running strong. In fact, I cannot name a single one who's posted saying the engine died of old age
True, i have seen WRXs with 150k+ mileage and still going strong while being modified. Like I said, it's just my preference to buy one with low mileage, just in case. As long as you don't buy one with a crapload of mileage, like 150+k miles, then yuo should be fine. Not saying NOT to buy one with that much mileage, i'd just make sure you buy it for dirt cheap.
edit- Also, my brother works at a exhaust shop and fixes cats, and overall anything on a lot of Chevy's and Fords, but he even said, that he has NEVER done one Subaru, not even Outbacks, or Foresters, not ONE Subaru in the whole year-ish he has worked there...
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"Raise your standards, Lower your VW"
Last edited by SuBeast : 05-14-2008 at 04:24 PM.
Reason: Added Stuff
hey guys, thanks for the welcome and the heads up on the mileage thing.
About the intake and BOV's, i failed to mention in the original post that i was well aware of that as well from reading and searching the forums. Thank you for the advice on first mods, whats the down pipe run $$? and the cobb access port $ ?
I actually just held this conversation with my father again about me getting a new to me car, and instead of selling/parting out my jeep, he wants to keep it in the family for my brother (freshman) to drive when he gets his license to keep him out of speeding ticket troubles, etc.
Which is great news, the only downside is that i will not get as much for the jeep, but it will be a nice chunk to throw as a down payment on the car.
Downpipe and AP both vary. With the DP depends on brand, if you are buying it new or not catted or catless. Just when buying one, make sure its a bellmouth design. As far as the AP goes, there is V1 and V2, V2 being newer and with more functions and more expensive, $695 is what I paid for mine. Not sure what the V1 goes for.
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Joshua
"Im back and its great."
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