Anyone actually own a STi ?

[InfestedShadow]

yes ? no ?
any mods ?

[freakray]

Wow, you didn't read the other thread of yours did you?
2 owners of STI's posted in that thread!

[InfestedShadow]

yeah I did read, they never said they do own it, I thought they only know all the precious infos lol

[freakray]

Meh, I know most of the precious info but don't own one Actually, right now I don't even own an Impreza as I sold mine a month ago (long story).

kfoote owns an STI though

[kfoote]

yep, I own an STi, I put new front Porterfield brake pads and the summer wheels and tires on last night. I have a Bilstein PSS9 coilover kit on it modified to fit and work with the STi and Stoptech SS brake lines, but otherwise, it's stock. It's my daily driver, and it's got enough power for the street where I really don't have any huge desire to do any engine mods. I'm thinking about putting a stereo in it, but that's going to depend on how much I end up spending on the Miata engine to get it running better.

[SabreKhan]

"Other than the Bilstein coilovers, it's stock..." I just laughed out loud at work. My co-workers think I'm crazy now. I know that means it's really much closer to stock than your other cars, but it's still pretty funny considering that's a four-digit dollar-amount massively perormance changing upgrade for the average peon.

[kfoote]

Well, I do work for a major Bilstein distributor, as a test to see how it would work on the STi, so I didn't pay full price for the kit

Normally on these boards, people are all interested in power mods, and have very little interest in brakes/suspension/chassis, etc. Yes, it's a major mod, but doesn't have nearly the glory as a lot of the other mods get. (exhaust, intake, BOV, 20" chrome wheels, underbody pulsing neon kit, etc...) As an example, I currently own 3 cars, and have a grand total of zero car stereos.

Except for the unintended bodywork that the previous owner did to the car, the Porsche is the closest to stock of the cars I own, and is basically being repaired to stock specs. The other 944 I recently sold was the most modded car, as it was set up as an SCCA ITS car. The Miata runs in SSB, so there's not really much done to it. Except for the roll cage and tires, I probably have more $$$ in mods in the STi than in the Miata due to the rules package.

My budget isn't nearly what a lot of my competitors is (my $15k Miata against at least one $40k Miata), it's just that cars and racing are always what I've been into, and what I spend virtually all of my disposable income on.

[freakray]

Originally Posted by kfoote

Normally on these boards, people are all interested in power mods, and have very little interest in brakes/suspension/chassis, etc.

Unfortunately, that statement is too true.

If only those people realised that they can make their car quicker just by improving the handling, and then once the handling is dialed, they can improve the power proportinally.

[InfestedShadow]

do people owning a STi REALLY take care of it ?
because I might wont be able tobuy one before at least 2 years, and I wish when I buy it, it look like new. anoyone to cheer me :'( ?

[SabreKhan]

In two years, you can save up for a new one. I'm sure, though, that some old fart bought an STi to revisit his youth and that you can buy it from him in great condition for a song.

As far as power mods being greater than suspension mods, that's because most of the people on these boards have never actually been on a real live racetrack for any length of time, and they think their "sport-tuned suspension" is awesome. I, on the other hand, have seen the light. I know that the suspension mods are worth their weight in gold. And I wish I had the $$ necessary to upgrade my WRX's suspension.

[kfoote]

Originally Posted by InfestedShadow

do people owning a STi REALLY take care of it ?
because I might wont be able tobuy one before at least 2 years, and I wish when I buy it, it look like new. anoyone to cheer me :'( ?

A lot of the people who are buying and have bought STi's are car people. Subaru hasn't really marketed the STi to the masses because they haven't needed to; most of the advertising has been on the WRX and Outback, and I'm sure you'll start to see more Legacy ads in the next 12-18 months.

The result of this is that a lot of the cars are well maintained and well taken care of. Though a showroom-condition one may be hard to find for reasonable money, you should be able to find one in good mechanical condition. As far as the known trouble spots, when buying, make sure to ask:
Oil change interval (this will give a good indication of general maintenance)
Any transmission problems (weakest point of the drivetrain)
Any clutch issues (a sign of bad driving or repeated hard drag or auto-x launches)
When test driving the car, note clutch slippage, and how smooth the 4-5 gear shift is. In most of these cars, 5th is the gear where the most problems happen.

I'm glad to see that there are at least a few people that recognize the benefits of chassis and suspension mods. Maybe there is hope after all

[InfestedShadow]

of course suspension give better handling...
I drive my father Ford Focus ZXT I have difficulty driving the car, and it feel harder under the feet.

I drive my sister Mazda protege, she have smooth suspension and it's a reel pleasure driving it, less trouble turning corners too...

well i'm a newbie at driving, but i'll learn

[InfestedShadow]

Originally Posted by SabreKhan

In two years, you can save up for a new one. I'm sure, though, that some old fart bought an STi to revisit his youth and that you can buy it from him in great condition for a song.

As far as power mods being greater than suspension mods, that's because most of the people on these boards have never actually been on a real live racetrack for any length of time, and they think their "sport-tuned suspension" is awesome. I, on the other hand, have seen the light. I know that the suspension mods are worth their weight in gold. And I wish I had the $$ necessary to upgrade my WRX's suspension.

a new one ? you mean a brand new one ? huh...hopefully the car in 2007 will look the same as the actual model

[KiTsuNe]

i own an sti, GDF blue on gold. Workin on gettin a scoobysport turboback and TEIN type flex damper kit. My mom likes to drive my car LOL

[MightyMetallica]

Originally Posted by InfestedShadow

do people owning a STi REALLY take care of it ?
because I might wont be able tobuy one before at least 2 years, and I wish when I buy it, it look like new. anoyone to cheer me :'( ?

InfestedShadow: I don't know how old you are, but if you're around the neighborhood of 20 and are able to save up $32k (appox. cost of new STi) in two years, please tell me your secret haha. Anyway, about getting a used STi, just a piece of advice -- if the car is a "kid's car" (as in very fast and sporty looking), most likely you will get one that has been run into the ground. If you buy from a dealership, you pay more, but you get some kind of warranty under lemon law, but you're unsure of the previous driver, which means you could get a car that had been abused. If you buy from a private seller, it's cheaper, you have a general idea of the previous owner, but the warranty you get is a taillight one (as soon as they don't see your taillights, you are SOL). Best bet, if you're going to buy an STi, save up until you can afford to purchase a new one, and baby it until your first oil change. I have a 2003 WRX and I didn't really hit the turbo (which kicks in around 3500 RPM) until my first oil change. After the first oil change, you can play with your car a little bit without having to worry about damaging your engine. Best of luck to you, and I hope my advice helped.