Clutch Replacement

Hey guys, looks like it's time for a clutch replacement (Please last until I get my tax return!). I'm not getting any decent power to the wheels in any gear other than 1st when I can see the tach reaching for greatness and it's really starting to piss me off. Anyhow, on to my question... Anyone know of a "heavy-duty" option instead of going with a factory piece. I don't want anything fancy, but I will need something that can stand up to my mother's "Yes I can drive a stick. Your father showed me how 20+ years ago." The OEM jobber obviously ain't got the heart after dying in about 15k miles. That is, assuming of course, the dealership was telling the truth when they told me they replaced the clutch after it was traded in at ~30,000 miles. A mechanic friend of mine told me I should look into whether or not an STi clutch would fit my car as that would surely put up with more abuse. However, I haven't been able to come up with any info. All the places I've found so far are only talking OEM pieces and the kit #s for the 2 cars are different. I mean, is it just me, or are the organic materials no match for someone who only has a vague understanding of the concepts involved in driving a stick-shift?

Here's what I'm driving: 2000 Impreza wagon, 5-speed, w/ 2.5 liter motor. Let me know if you need an other info.

Oh, and as an aside, this same friend told me the only way to stretch the clutch out for a few more weeks would be to shift as follows: Obviously, start off normal in 1st gear. When ready to shift, pull shifter into neutral as you let off gas. Hold shifter against 2nd gear "gate" and wait for it to slide in (without clutching it) as the RPMs fall off and then get back on the gas. Now I done this a few times, It will jump at lower gears, but the higher up is better. For instance, I've never noticed a jump going from 4th to 5th. But I have to wonder: Is this ok? Am I saving the clutch at the expense of some other costly piece(s)? Or should I just stick with what's gotten me this far and shift normally? I'm sorry this is so wordy and I appreciate the help. Thank you all in advance.

dont shift like that anymore for one, not good for the tranny, also did u swap the motor into the impreza cuz the 2000 has a 2.2 liter, j/w, also a couple of good clutches are clutch masters, exedy, ACT, etc. you might wanna try hopupracing.com, cobbtuning.com, or xcceleration.com, they might have them for that year car.....No the STI clutch wont fit......also if those websites dont have them just go to the manufacturers page and check the applications chart, if they make it you can find a dealer through that website...good luck

You can get an SPT clutch from Subaru that is better than what you already had. However, your understanding of transmissions is very limited. Do some research. You'll find that transmissions should last a very, very long time with proper care and feeding. Shift like a normal person: clutch in (not all the way to the floor, just far enough to disengage the transmission), move the lever, clutch out. Smooth and easy. I have a Saturn that I've flogged daily for over 115,000 miles. Original clutch. For that matter, original everything else, too, almost. And if you want to be really nice to your transmission (but not to your brakes), learn to heel-toe.

...your understanding of transmissions is very limited... You'll find that transmissions should last a very, very long time with proper care and feeding. Shift like a normal person: clutch in (not all the way to the floor, just far enough to disengage the transmission), move the lever, clutch out. Smooth and easy... And if you want to be really nice to your transmission (but not to your brakes), learn to heel-toe.

Yes, I know my understanding is somewhat limited, but I do know that it should last damn near forever. Unfortunately, I'm about the only one in the house who actually knows how to drive it. If I had known before hand how often someone else would be driving it, I would have bought an automatic. As far as how I shift, that's exactly how I do it. That's why I asked about what the other guy said. But I do dearly love the way my mother drives it. It sounds like it's revved up to about 4000rpm before she "drags" the clutch out. I can just picture the shrapnel that I'm gonna find when they pull it out in a couple of weeks. And then I let a friend of mine drive home from Vermont a couple weeks back cuz I was exhausted. It was horrible. Every time he came off the clutch the whole car felt like it was leaping forward with a loud *bang*. After about 20 minutes I finally told him to pull over, I couldn't take it anymore. Again, thank you guys (and gals) for your help. It is much appreciated.

Oh, I almost forgot. The car that I have is the sportwagon, which the book says comes with the 2.5 motor.

OBS - Outback Sport. Impreza 2.5 liter engine.