I'm gonna start a thread just to document my WRX saga. I'm so stoked for my future WRX!!! I just kinda gotta let it out! :D

Where can I start? Well, the first time I saw a WRX was on a Subaru commercial. YES! Normally car commercials annoy the heck out of me, but this one... I dunno. I was in love right away.

I've been researching it and reading reviews, looking at pictures and carsoup.com ads... waiting, wanting, convincing the wife... :)

I don't like spending money I don't have, but I figure I gotta have a performance car while I'm young, darnit!!

Here's a list of cars I've driven primarily...
1) ~1990 Ford Tempo (Baby Blue!)
2) 1987 Ford F250 Supercab Longbox (felt like I owned the road, it was fun)
3) 1987 Toyota Camry - drove it 'til it died (212,800 miles or so)
4) 1988 Toyota Celica - current vehicle

So, that's basically it, for now. As my signature currently states, I'm waiting 'til I'm 25 (July of 2004) to get it, as everybody tells me that's when insurance drops. So, feel free to root me on!

I convinced my better half by playing up the safety aspects of the car. The Subaru corporate website had some great animations that illustrated the superior handling characteristics of the car, from a safety and comfort point-of-view, but I can’t find them anymore. But check out www.subaru-global.com and www.fhi.co.jp/subaru/safety. And www.highwaysafety.org (the IIHS’s web site) gives the Impreza ‘Best Pick’ status with their top score in every major category. Of course, the AWD is a real safety plus for us in higher latitudes. Last winter, during a major snowstorm, we were easily able to get up a steep hill near our house while other cars just spun their wheels. That alone convinced my wife that we had made the right choice.

Remember, your not buying an Impreza for yourself. Your buying it because you want her to be safe. (Convincing her you need the turbo is your fight).

I had to do the same convincing in regars to the Turbo...it took me a while, but I got it!

Once you drive a Subaru all wheel drive Turbo...there's no going back.


Scooby Doo

Yeah, I've been telling everybody that I plan on getting it "next year". And whenever Rachel's right by, she sort of rolls her eyes. She wants me to get the car because she can see how much I want it, but we both know that we'll only get it when we are sure we can afford it.

Recently, I've become aware of the safety of newer cars; I've driven cars that have largely been without the safety features that matter (at least to insurance agents.) Like, air bags, anti-lock brakes, etc.

And yes, AWD will rock here in MN. While I plan to take great care of my WRX, I'm still gonna bring it out in the snow and ice! :)

Man, wouldn't it suck if next year came around and I couldn't afford anything? :( Let's not think about that!!! lol

Dang it... I was doing SOOOO good with my driving record, and come labor day, I get nailed by a speed trap!!!

Speed? 52 in a 30. :headshake: The road could easily be a 45 MPH zone. It's like a short service road between on-ramps onto an interstate. 2 lanes, maybe a mile long, only one scarcely used road has access between the stop signs.

The cop read me a well practiced line about failing to pay and getting a warrant for my arrest, and I just sat there in my Celica with my wife and shook my head. How could such an unreasonable thing happen to me, a very good and safe driver???

Well, the human part of me wants to pull all the tricks in the book (that I've heard) to get out of the ticket. At least keep it off my record. But the Christian part of me has to accept it for what it is. There's no denying I was going 50+ in a 30. End of story.

Oh well. I'll pay it and hope my rates don't go up... <sigh>

Why is fighting a traffic ticket morally wrong? Just because a police officer gives you a ticket doesn't mean your guilty. The courts are there to make that decision. If you can successfully argue to a judge (without lying - which would be morally wrong) that you were in no way endangering anyones life or interfering with other peoples rights, then more power to you. The judge may agree that the speed limit along that stretch of road IS too low. The real question is: Is it worth the effort to fight the ticket? Your time vs. ticket payment and possible insurance increase.

Well, I look at it like this; the speed zone was 30. I was going 52. The cop knows it, I know it. Maybe it really is different for other folks, but it would be wrong for me to try and get out of paying for it.

I plan on going in and asking for it to not go on my record, but I won't deny I was speeding.

if your state is anything like mine they offer a drivers impovment class. you end up paying the court like 50 bux and the class is like 50 bux. your admiting to speeding you spend a few hours in a class room and learn how to improve your driving and how to save your own life if your ever involved in an accident and they dont send the ticket to the DMV and it doesnt go on your driving record. a fully reasonable and not morraly wrong way out of messing up your record.

<sigh> I ended up being a wuss and payed the $130 ticket. O well.

My wife and I have been looking into different insurance policies, and some weird stuff is showing up. Like, American Family looked up our records or whatever and they don't see my new ticket yet (it only shows one for my wife). Does anybody know how long it takes for tickets to show up in "the system"?

Reason I ask is 'cause the insurance agent told my wife that as long as we get in with American Family before the new ticket shows up, we're "in", meaning a guaranteed rate or something. Should I be wary in doing this? The last thing I want is to get stung when the ticket shows up and get thrown on a high-risk plan or something...

The other maddening thing is that just by living in the city, my rates are like double that of a suburb. Any place in Minneapolis proper is really high. We're moving soon, so I'm happy about moving more then ever now.

Still planning on the WRX... :D

As my signature currently states, I'm waiting 'til I'm 25 (July of 2004) to get it, as everybody tells me that's when insurance drops. So, feel free to root me on!I just learned this myself: it's not when you turn 25; it's when you have 9 years of driving experience. "At 25" assumes you got your license on your 16th birthday.

I just turned 25, and when my policy came due I asked about it, and since I didn't get me license until I was almost 17, I don't get the "25" break until I'm 25.5. :(

Just FYI! :wave:

[QUOTE=jay@af]I just learned this myself: it's not when you turn 25; it's when you have 9 years of driving experience. "At 25" assumes you got yuor license on your 16th birthday.
QUOTE]

This actually varies state to state, and likely company to company. Here in NH, I got my insurance break at 25, and didn't get my license until I was 17.

my uncle had a subaru justy he picked it up at an auction man that thing was fun it was a festiva with awd too bad the head gasket went

Holy crap, my wife got me a 2003 WRX for Valentine's Day!!!
28,279 miles... 5 speed manual, rally blue... umm... it rocks... I will post pics of the dealer snapping shots while I grin like a fool LOL. Didn't think it would ever happen... still kind of in shock!

you have a great wife

Dammit, man, post some pictures

PS - the true secret to getting stuff from your S.O., as our thread-starter has recently discovered, is to work really hard to convince her that you both want it and that it will be practical. Good job, dude. You'll love it.

Gah, I've been trying to get those pictures the dealer took when I picked up the car... I'll try to get them up asap.

I LOVE the car. It's a blast to punch it and keep the RPMs high. You're at 80 MPH in no time! And of course, taking it through some tight turns at high speeds is especially exhilirating.

About the gift aspect of it from my wife; it was definitely extremely generous and giving of her to do that for me. Obviously based on this thread, I've wanted this car for a long time, and we even had a savings account called "Matt's Car Fund". But it's been at $0.00 because we (or more acurately, my wife) has been spending over our budget and we haven't been saving. Personally, I have the discipline to spend the bare minimum and save up, but Rachel likes the purses and clothes and bla bla bla. So, that's been very frustrating for me.

However, we have been going through a tough time with our marriage, and as things have gotten better and we both have been treating each other better, Rachel had the idea of doing this for me. I won't go into much more detail, but that's the gist of it anyway. :) It's a sweet car, but it has much more meaning to me because of the way she did this for me.

By the way, on the steering column is mounted a turbo boost gage by Lamco... that's not exactly stock is it?

It's good to hear everything in your marriage is improving, getting the car is great but to hear it's the culmination of far bigger things makes it even better!
I hope everything stays on its current course of improvement.

The WRX does come with an optional column mounted boost gauge, does it look like this?
http://www.subaru.com/images/shop/impreza/accessories/H5010FE057.jpg

Dammit, man, post some pictures

I posted my pic in the pictures thread. :)
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=2832695&postcount=43

That turbo gage is indeed the one you posted, freakray. It's a nice touch on the car, and makes it feel more like a street racer, haha.

I'm having a blast with the WRX... I was driving my friends around on a joyride a couple nights ago and was able to peel out on all 4 wheels! Man what a rush.

Anyway, I think I'm gonna start using the forum as it was intended and not continue to horde my own thread for general WRX stuff... :)

I'd say avoid the 4-wheel burnouts in the future. Once or twice should be OK, but that clutch/transmission would prefer that you didn't. Nice ride, though. Love that World Rally Blue bugeyed look!

Dude, that's sweet! You DO have a nice wife. Now, don't be going around speeding in that car...it's very tempting---actually, you don't have a choice, it just happens. Just be careful.