I picked up an ’07 WRX about a year ago..been looking for 2-3 months and I saw an ad on CG and went and about it the next morning. My previous car was ’12 Mustang GT and I haven’t even sold it at the time. I’ve always wanted a Subaru so this was very exciting for me. My main goal was to keep it DD-like with light modifications. The car definitely had a lot of imperfections when I first got it: -Bent lateral link -Leaking shocks -rusted pads and rotors and driver’s front caliper seized -rusted exhaust You get the idea. The car had around 170k miles and it was from the North. I started with the brakes. Purchased DBA T3 slotted rotors with Hawk HPS not too long after the purchase and installed it with a couple of friends over the weekend. Everything went okay except I started leaking brake fluid on the seized caliper (wasn’t sure it was seized until later). I wasn’t sure why it was leaking so I started doing my research. A month passed by, I was coming home from work and the car in front of me stopped suddenly. I tried stopping but my brakes failed on me so I ended up rear ending the person in front of me. Later I found out the caliper was seized. The car sat for about a month and a half at the shop. I was shopping for parts (bumper/hood/headlights) and I was getting my entire car painted. I had insane number of dings and dents and they fixed every single one of them. I was originally going to go Aspen White but I decided to go even whiter, so the shop helped me pick out a paint color that I was looking for. It is insanely white, especially when it is clean and it’s almost blinding in the sun! After I got my car back, I rebuilt the seized caliper. For some reason it was still leaking. I eventually found out it was because I was missing an 0-ring that went between the calipers. I fabbed one up fromHome depot and it’s fixed the problem and not have given me any trouble since. Not too long after, my car started running rough and giving me code (cam position sensor). I was told it may have been belt skipping/banjo bolt/etc. I took everything apart and put it back together but no success. After getting it taken look at by different shops and after a month or so, I decided to go with a new OEM shortblock along with new clutch. (the compression test came back something like 120ish on two cylinders and the other 2 100ish). I got a couple of things done while I was getting the new shortblock put in: mishimoto radiator/perrin turbo inlet/cobb catted dp/pro tune. The radiator I had originally was a cheap aftermarket that was thinner than OEM. My main reason for modding this car is really to replace parts rather than upgrade haha. I got the car back and finally got to install my KW Clubsports along with Goodridge SS lines and Motul 600 fluid. A group of friends (including crzyazn) helped me install the coilovers. I got clunkings at first in the rear only to find out I should not have modified the Group N tophats. I ended up getting the OEM tophats in the rear. Only recently I finally got to bring it all together. Fixed the lateral bent link/got an alignment/adjusted my coilovers. Plus Michelin Pilot Super Sports. The car grips amazing and handles amazing. Now it’s up to me to have some seat time and I know my car is not the coolest or prettiest out there but it functions appropriately to my pleasure. I’ve had minor issues like power steering pump malfunctioning/my car ran rough even after the shortblock, found out it was a piece of broken banjo bolt stuck on ACVS solenoid/etc) but they are all fixed up now. There are still a couple of things I want to get done but it is pretty close to how I want the car to be at least for now. When I first got it rotors and pads installed Purchased a cheap catback...Jchon helped me with the install! had some fun in the snow last year! Freshly painted!
spend your money on good suspension and brakes, leave the motor alone for now. Don't get too carried away in this rain, the bastard will bite back especially on hard cheap tires
Wasn't planning on doing motorwise...It has too many miles on the car to do that. As soon as I get some extra cash, I will be getting some Conti DWs or even MPSS. I would put them on my stock wheels but I want to have two different sets, which means I need to get the wheels first.
Whew that's a lot of miles. Set aside some money for a shortblock and turbo or even build one on the side
Yep. That's what I plan to do after I fix it up a little bit. I had it looked by AllProSubaru and Brandon said the motor is a little loud but it's pulling real hard and it's in a good condition. I baby it as much as possible.
Those stock brakes are very capable so a BBK is not really a big upgrade. Get some good rotors, Hawk HPS or HP+ pads and stainless lines. You will then stop PLENTY. Enjoy the car. Convert that turbo to the STi VF39 with the supporting mods and it'll be a pure blast.
nice car! i just recently bought a hawkeye too about a year ago. get caught up on the maintenance (if you havent already) and maybe do some suspension mods. youll enjoy it for sure!
Nice man.i think I've seen your car in that shopping center where there's a kroger and a quicklys?your car looks familiar.