newer front end swap

speedphreak · #1 02-23-2005, 12:41 AM

Hey,I am an owner of a 2003 wrx sedan. I am getting some body work done. I already need a new hood , headlights, and front bumper. All i need after that if I were to do a 04 05 front end swap would be the fenders correct? If I am wrong please let me know....if I end up doing this, i would need to order the parts ASAP, so I need quick responses

. Also, I am doing a full color change.....I am stuck on this one. Alot of wrx owners who have done this do the gunmetal thing and all. I want something much different. Any suggestions, I kinda wanted to go with the lime green from my previous veedub. Thanks in advance!

-Chris

freakray · #2 02-23-2005, 06:21 AM

Should be just the fenders extra you'll need
I know somebody local who's done this already, looks pretty wild with the '03 backend and '04 front.

SabreKhan · #3 02-23-2005, 10:14 AM

Lime green would look pretty slick if you did it right. Get you some '04 fenders and party on, man! Post pictures here when it's done. I want to see.

SteveK2003 · #4 02-23-2005, 11:43 AM

So does that mean the 9-2X front end can be bolted on to a '02 Impreza? I'd love to see a sedan with that snout.

SabreKhan · #5 02-23-2005, 02:32 PM

I would assume the 9-2x would fit, but it wouldn't have the flares like a sedan. It's a wagon front end.

speedphreak · #6 02-23-2005, 06:37 PM

My deal is this. I am getting a complete paintjob, its running me around 4,700.00 Doorjams and all...everything but under the hood basically. I have seen jobs this shop has done. Top notch! Its a full rotisserie restoration shop basically. I dont need that, but thats the kind of work they do there. I figured, I need a new hood, headlights, bumper (bumper Beam)...why not fenders and make it an 9-X2 front end conversion. Is the price a lot different say if I were to just get the bug eye front end versus the 9-x2 front? Oh, and thanks for the positive reply on the lime green, its a thought....I had it on my 02 turbo bug, pretty sweet color

-Chris

SteveK2003 · #7 02-23-2005, 07:57 PM

Ah, I missed that you had the sedan. Definitely keep us posted on how this turns out, and what the Saab parts cost.

I wonder if there is any way to graft the flares in to the Saab front clip?

freakray · #8 02-23-2005, 08:25 PM

I don't see why you need the flares, the track is the same up front between the sedan and wagon, it's just the wagon's fenders are formed with a smooth transision whereas the sedan is formed with flares.
It's only the actual forming that's different, nothing more. You could more than likely use the flared fenders on the wagon if you wanted.

SabreKhan · #9 02-24-2005, 09:34 AM

You can indeed use the flared fenders on the wagon, and vice versa. But it looks... wrong. Which is why Subaru didn't give the wagon flares. The wagon front end on a sedan would make the back end look significantly wider than the front end (whether it would actually be wider, I don't know). People have put the sedan fenders on the wagon and it looks unbalanced because there's no way to get the rear fenders to work. I'm assuming that would be true the other way around, too.

speedphreak · #10 02-24-2005, 01:41 PM

So, could I use the WRX sedan fenders instead of the wagon fenders? Or, do you guys think the wagon fenders would make the car look more aggressive in the rear....thats a pretty cool concept also.

-Chris

speedphreak · #11 02-24-2005, 02:14 PM

I just read somewhere that the radiator support needs to be modified for the newer 04 headlights to fit! Can any one confirm this. Also read that the fenders would bolt right up, but somewhere else, not to sure where, but some holes dont match up correctly. Read that it would take 50-100 hours to complete the swap!!! Could anyone that has had this swap done please let me know and confirm this with me? Thanks in advance!

-Chris

SabreKhan · #12 02-26-2005, 07:38 AM

As I recall, all the front end stuff is interchangeable, as long as you swap all of it. You might have to make some very minor "custom" alterations, but even so it shouldn't take anywhere near 50 hrs. If you do end up with the 9-2x front end on a sedan, post some pictures so we could all see what that looked like. Or, if someone is Photoshop-savvy, they could do it for you via computer.

freakray · #13 02-26-2005, 09:35 AM

If you switch out the rad support too, it doesn't require modification.
But otherwise, yes it will need modification.

speedphreak · #14 03-07-2005, 12:39 PM

Ok, car went into the shop today....they are going to start it tommorow morning. I am doing the 05 sti front conversion, minus the HID's...too damn expensive, but the appearance of the wrx and the sti lights are identical for 2005. Anyways, I have come to 2 paint colors for the wrx. One is Plum Crazy, they had a 70 cuda at the shop that color, i love it. OR, Lambo orange. Maybe I might do Sapphire pearl from the 96-97 toyota supra.

-Chris

SabreKhan · #15 03-08-2005, 09:17 AM

Sapphire pearl

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