Well got my ass in a good job right now, and ive decided to move away from my Integra LS
so... im siriously considering a 2002-2003 wrx(i really like the bubble headlights)
so far.. ive found a few that i would consider for what i think to be ... ok prices..
how does 16-18 grand sound for you guys?
i dunno but ive heard nothing but good things about the Subie...
except for the.. tranny
which when i got to this board... i saw many threads about..
is it REALLY a problem..
i read about it in the FAQ
but since i dont know how to drive stick.. im worried...
and when the tranny does go... is it just the clutch... or what?
also... i was wondering about how much gain do boost controllers actully provide?
i wouldnt go as far as to invest in a whole new turbo... but a turbo controller would be fun...
far is too far to take the boost?
and how much does it effect the power of the car?

The boost controller does quite a bit, but I wouldn't get one until you're familiar with the car because you can overboost and blow things up. The transmission isn't that bad, but I would take it easy until you learned how to drive the car. Go to a driver's education or two. SCCA puts them on, as do many other racing organizations. Whatever you do, don't get an automatic. 16-18k sounds reasonable for a WRX in good condition.

ohh an automatic was never an option... i fuckin hate driving a automatic right now..so boring...
but anyways... my dads been driving stick for over 20 years... and im sure he will be able to teach me how to properly drive it...
only thing im worried about is tearing up the clutch like my first week or something

If you've never driven manual before, don't do it in a WRX you just got. I had driven manual briefly, and it still took a while to adjust. Is it just me or does the WRX clutch bite like a mofo?

But seriously, DO NOT learn to drive manual in the WRX. Take it from a guy who knows. Every jerk and bunny hop will be like a knife through your heart, and especially since you know the tranny isn't the best thing to mess around with, it will just make it that much more painful.

And yeah, and when the tranny does go... is it just the clutch... or what?Anybody know??

Damn... i dunno... havent really had a chance to learn stick to this point...but i guess i can beg my friend to learn on his 2001 civic....
i doubt that he will be happy about it...
no one really wants to let someone learn to drive on their expence..
but ill resort to begging
this sucks...

Damn... i dunno... havent really had a chance to learn stick to this point...but i guess i can beg my friend to learn on his 2001 civic....
i doubt that he will be happy about it...
no one really wants to let someone learn to drive on their expence..
but ill resort to begging
this sucks...

Civic would be a great car to learn how to drive a stick in, they shift smooth and are very "driver friendly". As far as the transmission issue goes, the stock tranmission will be fine, even if it does break your under warranty. The issue of the transmission comes into play when you start to make more power. In my experiences the transmission held up for me just fine, I had an upgraded turbo, totally catless, upgraded ECU and various little other things. I also didn't thrash the car everyday.....

What many people are saying is around 280 whp you serious need to start considering to upgrade the tranmission because that is where alot of people run into the problems. So if this is your first WRX and first experience driving a stick I don't see you anytime soon making 280 awhp, so you'll be fine. :sunglasse

Well I just looked through the original post again and saw that you wanted to buy a used one. Now that comes into play just make sure the WRX you were buying wasn't modded and preferably driven by a 97 year old lady and you'll be fine. :grinyes:

Damn... i dunno... havent really had a chance to learn stick to this point...but i guess i can beg my friend to learn on his 2001 civic....
i doubt that he will be happy about it...
no one really wants to let someone learn to drive on their expence..
but ill resort to begging
this sucks...

Yup, this decision sucks huh? I was in that same predicament...I obviously took my chances:icon16:

Start begging! Or the only other choice is to get some driving lessons. Not for too long, just so you can take off and shift without too much drama. Then practice heaps with your new WRX.

The WRX transmission isn't that bad. Just don't play too rough with it when you're first starting out. You'll be fine. You can also learn on the WRX. It just means you'll have to re-learn when you get in a car with less feedback (say, a Civic or my Saturn or something).

Too bad you're all the way over in Arizona or I'd sell you mine, I've got an '02 I'm looking to part with (love the car just need something a little bigger for work). The biggest thing is do not buy one with engine mods, even if you want to mod it out and find one with the same mods that you want, just don't do it. Buy one that hasn't had any mods and do it yourself. Once you start messing with the boost you can damage an engine fast if you don't know what you're doing.

thanks guys for all the replys..
and i wouldnt mind driving out somewhere to get a good deal.. but u know the thing is... might be stereo typical.. but i really wouldnt buy from a teenager.. or someone barely in their 20s
cause honestly... its a preety sure thing that its been abused..
but thanks alot for the help and all

thanks guys for all the replys..
and i wouldnt mind driving out somewhere to get a good deal.. but u know the thing is... might be stereo typical.. but i really wouldnt buy from a teenager.. or someone barely in their 20s
cause honestly... its a preety sure thing that its been abused..
but thanks alot for the help and all

I'm pretty sure almost every WRX has been abused...it all just depends on how much and how bad:iceslolan

Depends on what you mean by abused, if you plan on going out and finding one just drivin to church on Sundays well good luck. People buy the car for it's performance and that's it, it is no luxury car, so if someone doesn't plan on driving their car hard then they don't buy a WRX.

I've had my 2004 (non-modded) WRX for over a year, but I can't quite say that I've abused it. I'm 30, married with a kid, make >250k/year, so I don't see a whole lot of people in my demographics driving a WRX--they seem to prefer G35's and M3's and such. So...it is possible to find an "adult-driven" WRX, but whenever I see a WRX on the road, it's being driven by a 20 something guy, so I would agree that it would be difficult to find a mod-virgin WRX that has been tamely driven.

To your other point...I don't think that it would be a problem to learn to drive a stick on the WRX. It's not quite as smooth as a honda or a toyota transmission, and you have to watch out for the boost when it comes, but it's not that bad, not that hard, and you have to learn it sometime. You won't hurt it unless you are really uncoordinated, or ruthless.