i know there is about a $6000 difference in price, but is it worth it for all the STI mods you get?.. can anyone tell me what $6000 can do for a WRX that can make it better than the STI

Not enough in my opinion.

Just get the STI and I am sure you'll be smiling everywhere you go.

I own a 2004 WRX STi and I can tell you that nothing really compares, modified or not. The is NO WAY you could touch all the technical improvements over the WRX for $6000. The upgrade from standard WRX to STi is a genuine bargain!

:Pete

2004 WRX STi
white/silver

Vishnu Stage II with Signature Series exhaust ($4600, 297awhp)
Some sort of rims (~$1000)
S-03 Pole Positions (good street tires, $600)
Vishnu suspension: (~$2000)

A little more money, a little more power and handling than the STi. Remember, the STi with a little tuning will be much better than a stock WRX can be. I'd go for an STi and mod it.

with the $6000 difference
STi does the mods for you WITH factory warranty
or you can modify it yourself with your own warranty
your pick!

I spent about $10,000 in my 02 WRX.
STi has 6sp and that is worth $6000 itself, WRX 5sp sucks ass!!!!
Here is my conclusion: get an STi

Vishnu Stage II with Signature Series exhaust ($4600, 297awhp)
Some sort of rims (~$1000)
S-03 Pole Positions (good street tires, $600)
Vishnu suspension: (~$2000)

A little more money, a little more power and handling than the STi. Remember, the STi with a little tuning will be much better than a stock WRX can be. I'd go for an STi and mod it.


Uh... my calculator says that comes to $8200, and it's still missing a lot of the STi goodies.

:Pete

2004 WRX STi
white/silver

The 6 speed alone is worth nearly $6,000 on the aftermarket.

thx guys good info, but does anyone know if i were to move the intercooler to a front mount instead of top mounted? because in the WRC the intercooler is front mounted and the hood scoop is only cosmetic.. so is it better to convert to a front mount? and when u have a front mounted intercooler.. does it block air from also hitting your radiator? or does it just pass thru the intercooler/ac/radiator?

No, it doesn't block [much] air going to your radiator. As discussed in another thread, a FMIC fills the big bumper opening. There are pros and cons associated with FMICs... the pros outweigh the cons in my book. Switch it if you want.

Hi,anyone can tell me where to get a buyer for Sti parts for 5,6,7 version please eamil me.Thanks

There's a lot you can do to the wrx over the STi ie. vf30 turbo ($1,000) HKS downpipe ($150) perrincatback exhaust ($400) GFB BOV ($70) Greddy Profec B Boost Controller ($150) Borla Header ($300) Gimme Gears Tranny Gears for 5 speed ($3700) Spec stage 4 Clutch Kit ($425) and Jun lightweight flywheel ($465) AEM coldair intake and lightweight pulleys, ($300) and STi intercooler ($464). There are the engine parts and now for suspension. Tein type flex coilovers ($1700) EDFC dampers for coilovers ($380) hotchkis sway bars ($355) STi titanium strut tower bars ($150) There you go, beats the sti even though it is over the $6000 dollar budget but this setup will smoke most street cars out there including a a stock or even slighlty modified STi. Handling wise thise setup should make the car a dream that can surpass even the best of foreign and domestic cars. I forgot some smaller stuff but i didnt want to make the list any longer.

I think a normal WRX because i have a dad that used to race motorcycles and an uncle that owns MJM turbos the largest distributer of turbos and superchargers on the east coast.With $6,000 you can do alot to a WRX like a new turbo,exhaust,etc, and i would bet that after you do that it would beat a stock STi.And ldelaysionl why do u need an after market 6 speed?It is just more gears to worry about.

Having driven and instructed in stock and modded WRX's and driven an STi on track, there STi is a much better starting platform than the WRX. The 6-speed is a HUGE improvement over the 5-speed, and as far as available mods go, the only reason there's not much for the STi is that it's so new, there are very few test vehicles out there. The DCCD is also a huge improvement, being able to adjust the balance of the car on the fly. Everything you get for the extra $6k is a bargain.

Uh... my calculator says that comes to $8200, and it's still missing a lot of the STi goodies.

:Pete

2004 WRX STi
white/silver

Did you read my post? For a little more money, you get a little more power and better handling.

With my list you get what STi cant offer, better stuff, better handling and a hell of a lot more power.

You didn't mention any fuel mods or engine management, so I doubt you're gonna make as much power as a stock STi, and even if you did, it wouldn't be as reliable. Plus you still don't get the stronger 6 speed, the adjustable center diff, the mechanical rear LSD, the suretrac front LSD, the brembo brakes, or the sticky tires, so it's not gonna handle as good either.

This is only counting performance stuff, there is a lot more the STi offers. Body parts, interior (the STi seats alone are worth a grap)

Now do you realize how much of a bargain the STi is? Hell you even get a warranty with it if something breaks. Try getting Subaru to fix your WRX for free when you break it with those mods you mentioned.

Not sure if you're talking to me or not, but fuel mods and engine management are contained within stage 2. You're right about the brakes, but there's only a 1 foot difference in 60-0 stops with the mods contained. And yes, it will handle better.

Regardless, as I said, the STi is still a much much much better value.

Ok, then $300 for 800cc injectors and another $80 for the 255lph fuel pump, my car now makes just as much power as a Sti and has less mods. The mods i mentioned make it better. The 6 speed has no use in a drag race, the gimme gears tranny gears can for one, handle a hell of a lot more power, ae more reliable and are cheaper. the only use for a 6 speed is for fuel economy and be able to say you have one, its pointless. The new 2004 STi isnt anything special, I've seen them at tracks and i'd take a 2002, such as mine, anyday let alone get ahold of an STi of my year or earlier.

...the only use for a 6 speed is for fuel economy and be able to say you have one, its pointless. The new 2004 STi isnt anything special, I've seen them at tracks and i'd take a 2002, such as mine, anyday let alone get ahold of an STi of my year or earlier.

Are you talking drag racing or road course? My bone stock STi with the stock tires was 1.2 sec/lap faster than a WRX with electronics, exhaust, springs, shocks, DOT track tires (Kuhmo Victoracers, alone good for 3-4 sec/lap over the RE070's), racing brake pads, sway bars, and a few other goodies I'm sure I'm leaving out (est. 275 HP). Having driven both on the track, the 6-speed keeps the engine in the powerband MUCH better than the standard WRX 5-speed. In a drag race, it may not make a difference because of the extra shift, but from 40 MPH-115 MPH it makes a HUGE difference in acceleration coming off the corner. And this was at NHIS, a slow, point-and squirt road course with no long straights or high speed corners.

The 6-speed in the C-5 Corvette is for fuel economy. The 6-speed in the STi is not. At 70 MPH, I'm turning a fuel economy blistering 200 RPM's less in the STi than I did in my 99 2.5 RS :rolleyes: . By my calculations, the 7000 RPM redline in 6th gear is somewhere between 150-160 MPH, something the STi is capable of reaching.

BTW I have physically seen seen turboback exhaust, Tein coilover, BOV, header, and an STi intercooler on STi's, and I haven't looked for sway bars or strut tower braces, but they can't be too far off if they're not currently available.

As far as the two thing I would do to an STi to make it faster on track or at the drag strip, for $800 buy a set of Hoosier AS303's, and for $170 a set of front racing brake pads. I'll take those two mods on my STi over all the mods on your car with stock tires.

I should have rephrased it, i would take my car at a drag racing track over an STi. A stock WRX of course cant beat an STi on a road course but give the WRX the right susspension mods and engine mods i mentioned and it could. Sure, the STi is a good deal for only $6,000 more than the WRX but if you plan on ever modding the car, the WRX is the best way to go. Why bother paying an extra 6 grand for a car and replacing a lot of the engine parts and suspesion? Point is, it's silly to buy an STi if you ever plan on doing heavy modification to your car.

Ok, then $300 for 800cc injectors and another $80 for the 255lph fuel pump, my car now makes just as much power as a Sti and has less mods. The mods i mentioned make it better. The 6 speed has no use in a drag race, the gimme gears tranny gears can for one, handle a hell of a lot more power, ae more reliable and are cheaper. the only use for a 6 speed is for fuel economy and be able to say you have one, its pointless. The new 2004 STi isnt anything special, I've seen them at tracks and i'd take a 2002, such as mine, anyday let alone get ahold of an STi of my year or earlier.

Still no engine management. Standalone ECU's aren't cheap, and good friggin luck controlling 800 cc injectors without a full standalone.

The 6 speed is definately useful on a road course. If you're only worried about drag racing, you should have bought a Z28, it's a much better drag racing value than either.

And stiff sway bars aren't enough suspension mods to be able to out handle the STi with the DCCD, mech rear LSD as opposed to the WRX's viscous, and front LSD as opposed to the WRX's open. Not to mention the better power curve and throttle response of the STi's larger displacement engine.

if you plan on ever modding the car, the WRX is the best way to go.

Completely disagree. The 2.5 has way more power potential than the 2.0. Most people in search of extremely high power from the WRX either buy a stroker kit or do a complete 2.5 engine swap. If you're gonna replace everything, why not spend even less money and get an RS? THAT makes way more sense to me. You get the big engine, without having to pay more for the turbo and suspension parts that you're gonna replace anyways. Isn't that you're argument for why the WRX is better? If you're gonna replace all that stuff, why pay more for it? Well then that logic easily puts the RS as better than the WRX.

You can buy the Turboxs ECU for 2 or $300 used. There's engine management. Barely anyone does the stroker kit for the 2.0L so that shouldnt even be an argument, it is quite easy to produce power out of the 2.0l just the same as the 2.5, the 2.5 is better for top end however, muscle cars have proven that engine size isnt always a factor and the same applies here. I had mentioned not just strut tower braces either, i added in completely new coil overs, lowered and sway bars. z28 camaros are good for drag racing but few bolt on mods will make it do 11's, no fun. If i wanted itto be easy i would have bought a 68 firebird 400 and blown it to make it do 9's or 10's. Buddy of mine has a 2000 firebird formula, already runs a 12.3 with no traction and all he did was put a 125 shot of n2o, 3800 stall converter and some tires and a chip. Anyways, Sti WRX's and normal WRX's all have their strong and weak points but who cares, we love them all the same otherwise we wouldn't drive them :P