"tinted and douched-out" does not imply that "tinted" = "douched out"
"tinted and douched-out" does not imply that "tinted" = "douched out"
Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:
It appears that ebay is the preferred source for a timing belt kit if you want an OEM belt and quality bearings (the consensus is that the quality of the Gates belts has declined).
lol....After a decade-plus hanging around Subaru forums, I came to regard "the consensus" on most of the big ones as mostly complete bullE36 M3 passed on like the game "telephone." One dude breaks a timing belt for unknown reasons, 10 people read about that and feel obliged to mention it when someone else asks about timing belts, and it keeps multiplying - meanwhile 99% of the people posting about stuff like that have never "had it happen to them" lol. Like "the consensus" that WRX transmissions are weak (I never met a non-racing Subaru owner who broke one, and know guys pushing 500hp on stock transmission for 100k miles no problem - but according to everyone it "happens all the time" (because morons like to do 5k rpm drops off the line in an AWD car...).... or even that WRX clutches only last 30k miles (mine was at 50% when replaced at 110k miles, maybe subie fanbois just can't use 3 pedals well). . You get a few loudmouths who probably can't drive for E36 M3, or don't do their car work correctly and they drown out the other 99% of people who obviously don't make a new thread called "My timing belt didn't break" or "my clutch is still good at 100k miles..." lol. Most of the things on NASIOC I read that were "common problems" on WRX I really don't know anyone who has actually HAD these problems other than those who race/rally their Subarus. Everyone there just likes to parrot stuff they heard so they sound smart. It's like the Rota wheels thing: "Oh, everyone breaks them." Evidence: like 3 internet pictures of broken Rotas out of a million sold, mostly from accidents/curbs and the say-so of the Volk fanclub lol.
FWIW I used a Gates timing kit/water pump on my stage 2 WRX (installed them around 80k miles) and sold the car with 180k miles with no issues from that stuff. Never made a thread about it ;).
MachV in Sterling, VA is a good Subaru shop in my experience www.fastwrx.com
z31maniac said:DirtyBird222 said:Dave M (Forum Supporter) said:Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:Wow, I wish I would have posted this the week I bought the car! All kinds of great sounding leads.
I'd been kind of discouraged when I started looking for some online guidance. Like I said, it all seemed to be sort of a monoculture: turn up the wick until it blows, whine on line, then repeat. I felt like I had fallen into a pulling tractor crowd.
This is one of the reasons that I sold my WRX (besides it not depreciating ever)! I did find the clubwrx crowd to be much more helpful than the NASIOC crowd, although both were up there with a bodybuilding forum for level of intelligent discourse. But in my area, pretty much every WRX is tuned, tinted and douched-out, and at a track day, yep, there's a high likelihood that someone who shows up in a WRX or a GTI will spend part of the day ripping their engine bay apart after something blew.
Great car! Particularly in the snow, not that you have that to worry about.
I didn't know putting window tint on my car was douchey. TIL.
I don't think it's douchey, but I don't tint the windows on my fun cars. Don't care for the look.
it's only douchey if you refer to them at "tints" or "tintz"
In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :
Three words: "Uncle Scotty's Cocktail"
irish44j (Forum Supporter) said:z31maniac said:DirtyBird222 said:Dave M (Forum Supporter) said:Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:Wow, I wish I would have posted this the week I bought the car! All kinds of great sounding leads.
I'd been kind of discouraged when I started looking for some online guidance. Like I said, it all seemed to be sort of a monoculture: turn up the wick until it blows, whine on line, then repeat. I felt like I had fallen into a pulling tractor crowd.
This is one of the reasons that I sold my WRX (besides it not depreciating ever)! I did find the clubwrx crowd to be much more helpful than the NASIOC crowd, although both were up there with a bodybuilding forum for level of intelligent discourse. But in my area, pretty much every WRX is tuned, tinted and douched-out, and at a track day, yep, there's a high likelihood that someone who shows up in a WRX or a GTI will spend part of the day ripping their engine bay apart after something blew.
Great car! Particularly in the snow, not that you have that to worry about.
I didn't know putting window tint on my car was douchey. TIL.
I don't think it's douchey, but I don't tint the windows on my fun cars. Don't care for the look.
it's only douchey if you refer to them at "tints" or "tintz"
Oh god. I literally cringe when I see people type "tints."
Why is communicating at a 4th grade level of English considered cool?
z31maniac said:DirtyBird222 said:Dave M (Forum Supporter) said:Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:Wow, I wish I would have posted this the week I bought the car! All kinds of great sounding leads.
I'd been kind of discouraged when I started looking for some online guidance. Like I said, it all seemed to be sort of a monoculture: turn up the wick until it blows, whine on line, then repeat. I felt like I had fallen into a pulling tractor crowd.
This is one of the reasons that I sold my WRX (besides it not depreciating ever)! I did find the clubwrx crowd to be much more helpful than the NASIOC crowd, although both were up there with a bodybuilding forum for level of intelligent discourse. But in my area, pretty much every WRX is tuned, tinted and douched-out, and at a track day, yep, there's a high likelihood that someone who shows up in a WRX or a GTI will spend part of the day ripping their engine bay apart after something blew.
Great car! Particularly in the snow, not that you have that to worry about.
I didn't know putting window tint on my car was douchey. TIL.
I don't think it's douchey, but I don't tint the windows on my fun cars. Don't care for the look.
I'm not in Florida or Arizona! The rules are different in the Sunbelt. Around here, it's synonymous with a slammed WRX.
Not exactly what you are looking for, but if you ever want to see what it takes to build high quality Subaru motors for racing applications check out the Subie-Performance channel on Youtube... Not a fan of boxer engines, but I can watch that channel all day long...even if half the content is in German..
Oh yeah, decidedly not your average 'grassroots' engine builder...
Here's how to do a closed deck...
I tint all my cars windows. Too damn hot here!
Tony Sestito said:In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :
Three words: "Uncle Scotty's Cocktail"
Hahah - for sure. USC was basically the Subaru variant of a guy in the Wild West who put rubbing alcohol and whiskey in a fancy bottle and sold it to everyone as a magic elixir and cure for herpes.......and it was probably also called "Uncle Scotty's Magic Elixir" or something like that. Rule of thumb: anything named after an uncle, is probably bullE36 M3!
Dave M (Forum Supporter) said:z31maniac said:DirtyBird222 said:Dave M (Forum Supporter) said:Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:Wow, I wish I would have posted this the week I bought the car! All kinds of great sounding leads.
I'd been kind of discouraged when I started looking for some online guidance. Like I said, it all seemed to be sort of a monoculture: turn up the wick until it blows, whine on line, then repeat. I felt like I had fallen into a pulling tractor crowd.
This is one of the reasons that I sold my WRX (besides it not depreciating ever)! I did find the clubwrx crowd to be much more helpful than the NASIOC crowd, although both were up there with a bodybuilding forum for level of intelligent discourse. But in my area, pretty much every WRX is tuned, tinted and douched-out, and at a track day, yep, there's a high likelihood that someone who shows up in a WRX or a GTI will spend part of the day ripping their engine bay apart after something blew.
Great car! Particularly in the snow, not that you have that to worry about.
I didn't know putting window tint on my car was douchey. TIL.
I don't think it's douchey, but I don't tint the windows on my fun cars. Don't care for the look.
I'm not in Florida or Arizona! The rules are different in the Sunbelt. Around here, it's synonymous with a slammed WRX.
All of my vehicles are split between Central Florida and Southern California. Tint for all because of 1) the sun 2) prying eyes 3) some level of filtering from lifted trucks with improperly aimed lights/morons who drive with high beams on all the time 4) I don't care for people watching me pick my nose.
Back on topic, it is extremely difficult to find reputable Subaru shops, mechanics, etc. Most of it is the "bro/bruh/bra" crowd. In central Florida, I've found that all of the rally peeps are the ones to network with and work on my Subies if I can't do it myself due to wherever I may be in the world.
In reply to DirtyBird222 :
You have a commercial shop that you can recommend? It's been 20 years since I sold my last Subaru.
I'm considering doing the timing belt and axles myself, and if I don't (I don't have any shade on the driveway), I believe that my regular shop can do that. I'd like to know who to use if bigger problems show up.
Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to DirtyBird222 :
You have a commercial shop that you can recommend? It's been 20 years since I sold my last Subaru.
I'm considering doing the timing belt and axles myself, and if I don't (I don't have any shade on the driveway), I believe that my regular shop can do that. I'd like to know who to use if bigger problems show up.
TST Auto down on OBT are great dudes. They run a boatload of Subies in CFR-SCCA Rally as well. The guys at RevWorks in Longwood/Winter Springs do some good work as well even though they ran an E36 in Champcar lol. There's a new shop called "Higher Ground" that focuses on Subies but haven't heard much feedback on them.
In reply to DirtyBird222 :
I've tried to reach TST Auto, and Revworks. No answers on the phones. Revworks phone message directs you to facebook. Tried that, no replies.
TST auto doesn't have a voicemail, phone just rings for a while, then stops and beeps. Maybe it's the right number? Doesn't give me confidence in their business management. Tried facebook messenger with them too, no reply.
I'd really like to get established with someone that works on these. Not working out.
In reply to z31maniac :
My fourth grader converses at a higher level of English than a lot of adults...
Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to DirtyBird222 :
I've tried to reach TST Auto, and Revworks. No answers on the phones. Revworks phone message directs you to facebook. Tried that, no replies.
TST auto doesn't have a voicemail, phone just rings for a while, then stops and beeps. Maybe it's the right number? Doesn't give me confidence in their business management. Tried facebook messenger with them too, no reply.
I'd really like to get established with someone that works on these. Not working out.
I've never used their services, but I did meet the owner of TST at the rallycross event at the Firm 1-2 months ago. Super nice guy and answered all of my dumb Subaru questions. That doesn't solve the lack of response but I got the impression that he knows that make well.
a lot of the stock stuff on those cars is pretty dang robust considering what its intended purpose was. back when i was active on NASIOC i recall someone with an '02 still on the factory timing belt at 220k miles and counting...i think he was on a mission to see how long it would take to break!
i'd be certain to run a robust 30 weight or light 40 weight oil in any turbo boxer. they have relatively small rod bearing surface area and do well on a thicker oil if you intend to run it hard. keep that oil level right at the top. the trans should see new factory fluid every 2 years or so. every so called expert's got some kind of special sauce and most of it is pure garbage. just keep it fresh.
i liked TurnIn Concepts a lot for suspension upgrades. their bushings were an improvement and quiet to boot. i also really enjoyed an upgraded shifter on that 5 speed compared to stock.
might be time to look at replacing the radiator if its still original, can't go wrong with an aluminum unit, but frankly if the stocker has lasted this long, i'd just get another one of those.
Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:
Does it really make sense to keep it stock, or is the car massively improved in every way with a tune and some conservative mods?
If you're happy with the power then absolutely leave the engine alone, do the suspension with the dampers/springs/stabars you want, and leave it at that. Use it for what is was intended for which is spirited street driving in all weather conditions. If you're competitive in an ES Miata in autocross I wouldn't take the Subaru to a trackday as that leads down the path of turning it into something it was not intended to be, which is a reliable, inexpensive track car. If you take the car to a racetrack and run a good pace the brakes are insufficient, same with the engine cooling, the diff arrangement doesn't let you rotate it easily, if you run sticky tires and good suspension then it will feel slow at stock power levels, the engine oiling system becomes a concern, the drivetrain in general requires constant R&R, etc etc.
It is possible to turn a WRX into something that is reliable for daily driving, relatively fast and fun in a (paved) motorsport environment, but not on a budget.
Update: the wagon went to TST Auto in Orlando on Monday. I didn't want to risk driving it that far with the original timing belt, so I called AAA and had it hauled down on a ramp truck.
Report from mid-week is that compression is excellent, minor oil leak at the oil cooler, front axles were run dry too long to replace the boots, so it's going to get some chinese axles. 50% left on the brakes.
No surprises. I'm happy and relieved.
I'm also having the diff and transmission fluid replaced along with the TB, water pump, thermostat/housing and spark plugs.
I changed the oil when I brought it home, I'm going to have that done again with some Motul. The only fluid that will be unchanged will be the brake and clutch.
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