First thing to buy for my Impreza?

I just got a 2002 WRX. What's the cheapest/best thing I should be to improve performance? Just looking for opinions.

Reply to
Patrick F. Clarin
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Gas. It really helps. ;-)

What kind of performance boost are you looking for? Power, handling, braking? Personally I'd spend money on a better sound system if I had any to spend. Then better tires, then better brakes...

Reply to
powertrain

That's the last thing a 2002 WRX needs, or would need if it were protoplasm instead of steel. ;>

I think I'd vote for a good sound system, if the car hasn't got one already.

Reply to
Catherine Hampton

Reply to
Tony Hwang

Bigger rear swaybar and solid endlinks, cheap and easy to install, Kartboy shifter bushing, even cheaper. And better tires, the best single thing you can do to perk up your car. Start replacing the exhaust system, there's a lot of horsepower bottled up there. Stainless steel braided brake lines, I haven't done them yet, but they are on the list.

Reply to
Jerry and Bea

Reply to
Tony Hwang

A radar speed trap detector !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Reply to
Marcus

Reply to
Edward Hayes

A tire gauge

Reply to
Jim Stewart

Reply to
Rodrigo Diaz

Better house with bigger garage

Reply to
Apu

Reply to
Tony Hwang

My opinion would be rims & tires...or maybe just tires because the stock tires SUCK!! Falken Azenis are relatively inexpensive (under $100/tire) and fairly sticky. That will make a world of difference in the handling department. If you want to continue upgrading the handling I would recommend sway bars front and rear as well as some STi springs (1.5" drop, much better handling). If you want cheap HP go for a catback and up-pipe (gets rid of the cat before the turbo). Next on the list of HP gains would be a UTEC or similar ECU, well worth the money IMHO. Then I would say downpipe (catless if you think you can get away with it) and maybe better injectors (STi injectors will be fine). At this point I would recommend upgrading intercoolers to a large top mount (TMIC) or front mount (FMIC). Finally, I would reommend replacing the factory turbo with an 18G or 20G for some serious horsepower. Somewhere along the lines you are going to want a good boost gauge, egt gauge and oil pressure gauge (autometer is fine).

There you have it folks, the best way to spend a lot of money on your WRX and get wicked HP.

Reply to
WRXtreme

Actually, someone stealing those Bridgestone re92's that come stock on a WRX is doing you a favor.

Reply to
Jerry and Bea

For straight-line performance check out:

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At turboxs look at getting a UTEC for 999. They have dyno plots that will show you the gains you get.

At vishnu look at the stage zero for 1095. That includes a remapped ECU, underdrive pulley and uppipe kit.

For "curvy" performance look at getting strut braces, blahblahblah as others here have mentioned :D

Reply to
Jason Kavanaugh

YEP!

Reply to
WRXtreme

I would have to say Cobb stage 1 ECU reflash, 260 HP for $400.00 and plug-and-play, no complicated pipes/pulleys to install, and way cheaper than turboxs or vishnu

Jas>> I just got a 2002 WRX. What's the cheapest/best thing I should be to

Reply to
<ddd

This is true, you can get a reflash inexpensively, however for about $950 you can get a TurboXS UTEC that you can program yourself and won't ever have to send back in for reprogramming and thus cause the reflashes to cost more in the long run. Do the ECU reflash if its the only thing you plan on doing to your car, get a utec (or similar) if you want to be able to tweak down the road as well.

Reply to
WRXtreme

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