Closest model to non turbo WRX?

motas · Post by **motas** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 7:20 pm

Hey guys just joined here and considering buying an Impreza for my first "street" car. I am about to buy my second car, another jeep, and want something a bit nicer to drive daily. I am hoping to spend $6000-$8000 and want a performance car which handles very well and is P plate legal in Victoria. Obviously I'd like a WRX but they are illegal due to the turbo. I've been trying to figure out what the closest model to this is without the turbo but the different models are very confusing for a noob, I'm sure I'll get the hang of it at some point but for now I have to ask. I tried googling it but didn't come up with any reliable answers. So would anyone be able to tell me which one I'm looking for? And if possible the differences between this and the WRX?
Thanks for any help.

thunder039 · Post by **thunder039** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 7:52 pm

depending on year. the older models were the rx, were the later ones (from the bug eye model i believe) were the rs.
the difference, suspension, and running gear, engine, gearbox and diffs.
hope this helps

Harold · Post by **Harold** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 7:57 pm

Yeah, the RS models that started with the bug eye in 2000 has the same suspension as the WRX but no turbo, so P plate friendly

Post by **Captain Obvious** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 8:01 pm

look for a RS impreza, 2.5l N/A motor and they go allright!

bryan

motas · Post by **motas** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 9:33 pm

Thanks I thought the RS was what I was looking for. When I'm off my Ps I would like to do some performance modifications. So what are the key differences between them? I assume the suspension, drive train and body are the same. Obviously the engine has different tuning and parts to compensate for the lack of turbo. Is the interior the same as the WRX? To convert to WRX spec does it just need the WRX engine and ECU or more parts as well? I am looking at the pre face lift bug eye model, around 2002 if I'm not mistaken.
Thanks for all the help.

thunder039 · Post by **thunder039** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 9:40 pm

motas wrote:Thanks I thought the RS was what I was looking for. When I'm off my Ps I would like to do some performance modifications. So what are the key differences between them? I assume the suspension, drive train and body are the same. Obviously the engine has different tuning and parts to compensate for the lack of turbo. Is the interior the same as the WRX? To convert to WRX spec does it just need the WRX engine and ECU or more parts as well? I am looking at the pre face lift bug eye model, around 2002 if I'm not mistaken.
Thanks for all the help.

yea to get it to wrx standard needs a transplant. interior is the same.

motas · Post by **motas** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 9:44 pm

And I assume itd be dead easy swap. Pull stock engine and ecu out and replace with wrx spec?
I think this is the car for me! Best get saving, only 8 months till I need it.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 11:39 pm

motas wrote:Obviously I'd like a WRX but they are illegal due to the turbo.

I saw a dude in benders (bendigo) last weekend in an early WRX, red in colour without the rear wing, everything else looked bog standard on it. He had the loudest exhaust but it sounded awesome. For a P plater with a vehicle on the illegal list he certainly drove it like he stole it. Flying under the radar with that driving style and the loud exhaust won't be for long!

motas wrote:And I assume itd be dead easy swap. Pull stock engine and ecu out and replace with wrx spec?

The wiring would be the issue. But if you get a half cut of the same year it *should* be all plug and play. You'll have all the exhaust and crossmember bits you need too.

Do plenty of research, ask sensible questions and you'll know exactly what you'll need by the time you get this subi in your possession

Cheers

Bennie

motas · Post by **motas** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 8:21 am

Its suprsingly easy to not get caught with a turbo. My brother has a 1jz cressida and just got off his Ps. A cop pulled him over to check out his car. Opened the bonnet shined his torch directly on the intercooler, then on the snail. Didnt notice a thing wrong. He did get caught eventually when he drifted a round about at like 3am and a cop was there lol. Im just gonna stick to being legal though its much easier for the few years i have to.
Ill try and track a wrecked one down through work (panel shop) so should be easy.
Thanks.

motas · Post by **motas** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 4:45 pm

Hey again. Had another question. This is just an idea and with my limited knowledge I'm not sure if its a good one. If I was to buy an STI model, how hard would it be to put an RS motor in temporarily while I'm on my Ps? After this I'd bolt all the STI parts back in and have a real STI. I would like to do this for the pre installed upgrades and better handling while I'm on my Ps and more power when I'm off. Would mean I don't need to swap or modify cars later and any mods I do could remain on the car. Would save me money in the long run and I'd have a better car the whole time. I assume the RS crossmember and engine will bolt in but I'd have to get it wired properly. The work I can do isnt much of an issue, we have a hoist and engine crane and everything we need to do it well and enough room to store the motor while its out.
So whats the verdict? Good or bad idea?
Thanks.

Post by **Alex** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 5:45 pm

motas wrote:Hey again. Had another question. This is just an idea and with my limited knowledge I'm not sure if its a good one. If I was to buy an STI model, how hard would it be to put an RS motor in temporarily while I'm on my Ps? After this I'd bolt all the STI parts back in and have a real STI. I would like to do this for the pre installed upgrades and better handling while I'm on my Ps and more power when I'm off. Would mean I don't need to swap or modify cars later and any mods I do could remain on the car. Would save me money in the long run and I'd have a better car the whole time. I assume the RS crossmember and engine will bolt in but I'd have to get it wired properly. The work I can do isnt much of an issue, we have a hoist and engine crane and everything we need to do it well and enough room to store the motor while its out.
So whats the verdict? Good or bad idea?
Thanks.

lol no.

your best bet is buy a RS now, sell it when youre off your Ps and buy a WRX. There are a great deal of differences between the models.

Nothing is ever as simple and plug and play. There are, wiring, gearboxes, crossmembers, brakes, suspension bla bla bla to consider and it will end costing more in the long run, and youll still have a less reliable/dodgyer car than if you were to buy a stock model WRX and modify from there.

alex

thunder039 · Post by **thunder039** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 5:55 pm

Alex wrote:lol no.

your best bet is buy a RS now, sell it when youre off your Ps and buy a WRX. There are a great deal of differences between the models.

Nothing is ever as simple and plug and play. There are, wiring, gearboxes, crossmembers, brakes, suspension bla bla bla to consider and it will end costing more in the long run, and youll still have a less reliable/dodgyer car than if you were to buy a stock model WRX and modify from there.

alex

agree better off buying a car now and live with it for a few years then buy a turbo car, rather then spend time doing the conversion

motas · Post by **motas** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 6:14 pm

The time doesnt worry me i have more than enough of it lol.
Also just to clarify because i think you talking about the wrong thing. I was asking whether it would be a good idea to buy an sti model now and temporarily put a non turbo motor in till im off my ps then swap back to stock.

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 6:32 pm

Nah bad idea. Not likey that you will get away with it either because it is still a turbo on your papers. Even then, you will still be cop bait because it looks like an STi

motas · Post by **motas** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 6:42 pm

You can legally put an engine from the same model car in without engineering so papers wouldnt say turbo and even if its cop bait they cant book me for anything if i dont modify it.

thunder039 · Post by **thunder039** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 7:06 pm

do what you wish but seems like a waste of time to me converting a car twice, were it would be much easier with less issues to buy and sell the car when your off your p's

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 7:33 pm

Alex wrote:lol no.

your best bet is buy a RS now, sell it when youre off your Ps and buy a WRX. There are a great deal of differences between the models.

Nothing is ever as simple and plug and play. There are, wiring, gearboxes, crossmembers, brakes, suspension bla bla bla to consider and it will end costing more in the long run, and youll still have a less reliable/dodgyer car than if you were to buy a stock model WRX and modify from there.

thunder039 wrote:agree better off buying a car now and live with it for a few years then buy a turbo car, rather then spend time doing the conversion

But each to their own! Yes that is one way to go about it. But if the RS turns out to be a great car why not turbo it with the use of a half cut? Personally this would be the way I'd do it if I were in this situation.

motas wrote:The time doesnt worry me i have more than enough of it lol.
Also just to clarify because i think you talking about the wrong thing. I was asking whether it would be a good idea to buy an sti model now and temporarily put a non turbo motor in till im off my ps then swap back to stock.

I guess you could do this, I don't know how well the NA engine would run - and I've pulled my car apart enough times to change wiring etc to not want to be doing it again any time soon. Another subi wouldn't be an issue though, a project with an upgrade is always a good time in my book.

So with what you want to do it could get complicated - two sets of wiring looms for the two different engines. If you have to mod the body harness for the NA wiring, you'll have to reverse the mod when it comes to returning to the turbo wiring. Then there's the storage of the hardware while you're not using it.

What you might also find is that the police go by the compliance plate, not what they see under the bonnet - that's if they're getting really technical.

Cheers

Bennie

motas · Post by **motas** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 7:34 pm

I was just checking how much work and cost it would be. I think you might be right though i think ill just get an rs and then sell it and get an sti. All the intercooler and everything to do with the turbo would have to be removed to and would probably cost a bit to get it rewired.
Thanks for your help.

thunder039 · Post by **thunder039** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 7:37 pm

motas wrote:I was just checking how much work and cost it would be. I think you might be right though i think ill just get an rs and then sell it and get an sti. All the intercooler and everything to do with the turbo would have to be removed to and would probably cost a bit to get it rewired.
Thanks for your help.

seems like a wise decision

motas · Post by **motas** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 7:44 pm

El_Freddo wrote:But each to their own! Yes that is one way to go about it. But if the RS turns out to be a great car why not turbo it with the use of a half cut? Personally this would be the way I'd do it if I were in this situation.

I guess you could do this, I don't know how well the NA engine would run - and I've pulled my car apart enough times to change wiring etc to not want to be doing it again any time soon. Another subi wouldn't be an issue though, a project with an upgrade is always a good time in my book.

So with what you want to do it could get complicated - two sets of wiring looms for the two different engines. If you have to mod the body harness for the NA wiring, you'll have to reverse the mod when it comes to returning to the turbo wiring. Then there's the storage of the hardware while you're not using it.

What you might also find is that the police go by the compliance plate, not what they see under the bonnet - that's if they're getting really technical.

Cheers

Bennie

Sorry missed your post. Ive decided I want an sti in the long run and it is far too much work to convert a rs to a sti. The na should run fine if it has the rs computer in it shouldnt it? The hardware is easy we have plenty of room to store it but the wiring is the biggest issue making me not want to do it. The mechanical swapping of components is easy to do and i have no worries doing that as long as I dont have to fab (I am capable of it but that requires engineering etc etc) but I have no experience wiring and this is not the car i want to learn on. Ill probably wire my future cj myself since it is a whole lot simpler but the wrx would have so much more things to wire id probably stuff it up.
If it is registered as non turbo and they can clearly see it doesnt have a turbo I shouldnt get booked should I? Cops arent that bad from what ive seen, im yet to get a canary on my jeep with clearanced fenders and 33s which stick out past my flares by a few inches

.
I dont know what to do though