My first car/subie, help and advice please!
11 April 2016, 05:02 PM
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My first car/subie, help and advice please!
Hey, i'm brand new to the this forum so i'm sorry if this is the wrong category to post this in. Nonetheless i'm 18 and after graduating high school I've had a lot of spare time and I've sparked an interest in cars. I've been driving my moms car since i got my license and i think it's about time i got something for myself.
There's something about subaru's that i love that i can't explain, and i think i have it narrowed down to two, maybe three cars. 00' Bugeye wrx, Legacy b4 RSK, and maybe a GC8. I think they all could be a good fit for me but i have some concerns i've tried finding the answer's to, but was unsucessful. So i was hoping you lovely people could help me out.
1) Where i live the highest Octane i can find is 94 [RARE] (and that's if i drive 45 minutes into the city), or 91 which is pretty much at every pump. I've read that over in Japan the cars are tuned for 100 RON and i know i can't get my hands on that. So is there any way to run 91 Octane and not have my engine blow up? How would i go abouts it?
2) I was planning on having the car imported from Japan to Vancouver, so is there anything i should look out for when browsing my choices?
3) Unfortunately i've never had the opportunity to drive stick, and i feel like if i got an auto (in the RSK) i would be missing out on a lot of fun. The thing is i have nobody to teach me, and since i do a lot of daily driving in high traffic/rollercoaster-type roads, is picking up a stick ethical? or should i just dive into it?
4) I'm leaning towards the RSK because it seems to blend in more, be more sleeperish than a wrx, plus i'm sure the insurance would cost less (and the car), so should i cheap out and get the RSK or go all in for an wrx?
5) Considering i am a uni student would these cars even be worth trying to get into? Because it will probably be my daily for the next 4-5 years at least.
6) What would be the best bang-for-my-buck mods? I was planning on leaving the engine and all the tech stuff stock and doing suspension, wheels, interior first, maybe exhaust for that godlike sound. What would you do?
7) Any advice or comments i would really appreciate, especially if you took the time to bear with me. I really want a subie but there's just too much to consider and i'd love the help! Thanks in advance!
There's something about subaru's that i love that i can't explain, and i think i have it narrowed down to two, maybe three cars. 00' Bugeye wrx, Legacy b4 RSK, and maybe a GC8. I think they all could be a good fit for me but i have some concerns i've tried finding the answer's to, but was unsucessful. So i was hoping you lovely people could help me out.
1) Where i live the highest Octane i can find is 94 [RARE] (and that's if i drive 45 minutes into the city), or 91 which is pretty much at every pump. I've read that over in Japan the cars are tuned for 100 RON and i know i can't get my hands on that. So is there any way to run 91 Octane and not have my engine blow up? How would i go abouts it?
2) I was planning on having the car imported from Japan to Vancouver, so is there anything i should look out for when browsing my choices?
3) Unfortunately i've never had the opportunity to drive stick, and i feel like if i got an auto (in the RSK) i would be missing out on a lot of fun. The thing is i have nobody to teach me, and since i do a lot of daily driving in high traffic/rollercoaster-type roads, is picking up a stick ethical? or should i just dive into it?
4) I'm leaning towards the RSK because it seems to blend in more, be more sleeperish than a wrx, plus i'm sure the insurance would cost less (and the car), so should i cheap out and get the RSK or go all in for an wrx?
5) Considering i am a uni student would these cars even be worth trying to get into? Because it will probably be my daily for the next 4-5 years at least.
6) What would be the best bang-for-my-buck mods? I was planning on leaving the engine and all the tech stuff stock and doing suspension, wheels, interior first, maybe exhaust for that godlike sound. What would you do?
7) Any advice or comments i would really appreciate, especially if you took the time to bear with me. I really want a subie but there's just too much to consider and i'd love the help! Thanks in advance!
11 April 2016, 05:17 PM
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Hey, i'm brand new to the this forum so i'm sorry if this is the wrong category to post this in. Nonetheless i'm 18 and after graduating high school I've had a lot of spare time and I've sparked an interest in cars. I've been driving my moms car since i got my license and i think it's about time i got something for myself.
There's something about subaru's that i love that i can't explain, and i think i have it narrowed down to two, maybe three cars. 00' Bugeye wrx, Legacy b4 RSK, and maybe a GC8. I think they all could be a good fit for me but i have some concerns i've tried finding the answer's to, but was unsucessful. So i was hoping you lovely people could help me out.
1) Where i live the highest Octane i can find is 94 [RARE] (and that's if i drive 45 minutes into the city), or 91 which is pretty much at every pump. I've read that over in Japan the cars are tuned for 100 RON and i know i can't get my hands on that. So is there any way to run 91 Octane and not have my engine blow up? How would i go abouts it?
2) I was planning on having the car imported from Japan to Vancouver, so is there anything i should look out for when browsing my choices?
3) Unfortunately i've never had the opportunity to drive stick, and i feel like if i got an auto (in the RSK) i would be missing out on a lot of fun. The thing is i have nobody to teach me, and since i do a lot of daily driving in high traffic/rollercoaster-type roads, is picking up a stick ethical? or should i just dive into it?
4) I'm leaning towards the RSK because it seems to blend in more, be more sleeperish than a wrx, plus i'm sure the insurance would cost less (and the car), so should i cheap out and get the RSK or go all in for an wrx?
5) Considering i am a uni student would these cars even be worth trying to get into? Because it will probably be my daily for the next 4-5 years at least.
6) What would be the best bang-for-my-buck mods? I was planning on leaving the engine and all the tech stuff stock and doing suspension, wheels, interior first, maybe exhaust for that godlike sound. What would you do?
7) Any advice or comments i would really appreciate, especially if you took the time to bear with me. I really want a subie but there's just too much to consider and i'd love the help! Thanks in advance!
There's something about subaru's that i love that i can't explain, and i think i have it narrowed down to two, maybe three cars. 00' Bugeye wrx, Legacy b4 RSK, and maybe a GC8. I think they all could be a good fit for me but i have some concerns i've tried finding the answer's to, but was unsucessful. So i was hoping you lovely people could help me out.
1) Where i live the highest Octane i can find is 94 [RARE] (and that's if i drive 45 minutes into the city), or 91 which is pretty much at every pump. I've read that over in Japan the cars are tuned for 100 RON and i know i can't get my hands on that. So is there any way to run 91 Octane and not have my engine blow up? How would i go abouts it?
2) I was planning on having the car imported from Japan to Vancouver, so is there anything i should look out for when browsing my choices?
3) Unfortunately i've never had the opportunity to drive stick, and i feel like if i got an auto (in the RSK) i would be missing out on a lot of fun. The thing is i have nobody to teach me, and since i do a lot of daily driving in high traffic/rollercoaster-type roads, is picking up a stick ethical? or should i just dive into it?
4) I'm leaning towards the RSK because it seems to blend in more, be more sleeperish than a wrx, plus i'm sure the insurance would cost less (and the car), so should i cheap out and get the RSK or go all in for an wrx?
5) Considering i am a uni student would these cars even be worth trying to get into? Because it will probably be my daily for the next 4-5 years at least.
6) What would be the best bang-for-my-buck mods? I was planning on leaving the engine and all the tech stuff stock and doing suspension, wheels, interior first, maybe exhaust for that godlike sound. What would you do?
7) Any advice or comments i would really appreciate, especially if you took the time to bear with me. I really want a subie but there's just too much to consider and i'd love the help! Thanks in advance!
- Driving manual isn't hard, I hope you have a full UK driving license and not one for auto only? You must have driven manual before to get the full license so you should have no problems. Driving manual in traffic and such is not anywhere near as much of a hassle as people make it out to be, it becomes second nature after a few months and you don't really notice it
- at 18 any decently powerful subaru will be incredibly expensive to insure, you have to pay yearly for insurance AND tax which as a uni student you will detest doing. High performance imprezas tend to not get the most fantastic mileage either and require high octane
- Performance jap cars from the 90's are mapped to 102 RON fuel that Japan used, they tend to have very aggressive ignition timing/tunes done so using normal fuel in the UK will cause you knock especially if you drive it like you stole it. Tesco do a 99 RON which is about the best you will get, no idea how bad or good that is for the car
- The cars are also expensive unless you really are enthusiastic about them, to buy and run.
- My car never got any damage except when it was at Uni where it got keyed, ran into, bashed and general abused by the drunken idiots that tend to live near student accommodation.
- Best mods full stop will always be performance tires, performance coilovers and performance brakes in that order. If you know how to set them up and maek use of them fully
- I tend to stay away from loud obnoxious exhausts because they tend to attract the attention you don't want to attract
- You won't get insured on a WRX at student accommodation with mods.
11 April 2016, 06:06 PM
#3
Welcome. The OP lives in Canada, so insurance may well be different.
Do plenty of research if you are going to import; use an agent who can check your chosen car out. Get it mapped for your local fuel by a respected mapper. Don`t try to map or maintain on the cheap; it will lead to pain.
Legacys are great; if you pay for a decent wrx , do you have enough income to look after it well? If not, have a 4 year plan so you can save up for a goodun, instead of wasting money on a dog now.
Get it undersealed for Vancouver asap; it will melt away with the road salt. Jap cars from the south ( never buy from north) have no underseal as the roads don`t need salting.
Good luck
Do plenty of research if you are going to import; use an agent who can check your chosen car out. Get it mapped for your local fuel by a respected mapper. Don`t try to map or maintain on the cheap; it will lead to pain.
Legacys are great; if you pay for a decent wrx , do you have enough income to look after it well? If not, have a 4 year plan so you can save up for a goodun, instead of wasting money on a dog now.
Get it undersealed for Vancouver asap; it will melt away with the road salt. Jap cars from the south ( never buy from north) have no underseal as the roads don`t need salting.
Good luck
11 April 2016, 06:06 PM
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A few things
- Driving manual isn't hard, I hope you have a full UK driving license and not one for auto only? You must have driven manual before to get the full license so you should have no problems. Driving manual in traffic and such is not anywhere near as much of a hassle as people make it out to be, it becomes second nature after a few months and you don't really notice it
- at 18 any decently powerful subaru will be incredibly expensive to insure, you have to pay yearly for insurance AND tax which as a uni student you will detest doing. High performance imprezas tend to not get the most fantastic mileage either and require high octane
- Performance jap cars from the 90's are mapped to 102 RON fuel that Japan used, they tend to have very aggressive ignition timing/tunes done so using normal fuel in the UK will cause you knock especially if you drive it like you stole it. Tesco do a 99 RON which is about the best you will get, no idea how bad or good that is for the car
- The cars are also expensive unless you really are enthusiastic about them, to buy and run.
- My car never got any damage except when it was at Uni where it got keyed, ran into, bashed and general abused by the drunken idiots that tend to live near student accommodation.
- Best mods full stop will always be performance tires, performance coilovers and performance brakes in that order. If you know how to set them up and maek use of them fully
- I tend to stay away from loud obnoxious exhausts because they tend to attract the attention you don't want to attract
- You won't get insured on a WRX at student accommodation with mods.
- Driving manual isn't hard, I hope you have a full UK driving license and not one for auto only? You must have driven manual before to get the full license so you should have no problems. Driving manual in traffic and such is not anywhere near as much of a hassle as people make it out to be, it becomes second nature after a few months and you don't really notice it
- at 18 any decently powerful subaru will be incredibly expensive to insure, you have to pay yearly for insurance AND tax which as a uni student you will detest doing. High performance imprezas tend to not get the most fantastic mileage either and require high octane
- Performance jap cars from the 90's are mapped to 102 RON fuel that Japan used, they tend to have very aggressive ignition timing/tunes done so using normal fuel in the UK will cause you knock especially if you drive it like you stole it. Tesco do a 99 RON which is about the best you will get, no idea how bad or good that is for the car
- The cars are also expensive unless you really are enthusiastic about them, to buy and run.
- My car never got any damage except when it was at Uni where it got keyed, ran into, bashed and general abused by the drunken idiots that tend to live near student accommodation.
- Best mods full stop will always be performance tires, performance coilovers and performance brakes in that order. If you know how to set them up and maek use of them fully
- I tend to stay away from loud obnoxious exhausts because they tend to attract the attention you don't want to attract
- You won't get insured on a WRX at student accommodation with mods.
- Insurance i've been told i'm looking at 200-300$ monthly, and i'm 90% sure mods don't affect insurance rates in B.C. We stopped doing emmisions when i was maybe 12/13, maybe even sooner, and still besides that nobody ever inspects a car (unless it's been imported out of province for a safety inspection.)
- Thanks for the mod suggestions! If i may ask why that order? And i guess you're right about the exhaust, but it would be nice to have something subtle but not muted :/.
- As for driving stick i guess i technically know how to drive a manual but i've never actually done it. I'm just afraid of stalling after i throw my money at some guy and putting a fat dent in my new(-ish) car :/
11 April 2016, 06:12 PM
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Welcome. The OP lives in Canada, so insurance may well be different.
Do plenty of research if you are going to import; use an agent who can check your chosen car out. Get it mapped for your local fuel by a respected mapper. Don`t try to map or maintain on the cheap; it will lead to pain.
Legacys are great; if you pay for a decent wrx , do you have enough income to look after it well? If not, have a 4 year plan so you can save up for a goodun, instead of wasting money on a dog now.
Get it undersealed for Vancouver asap; it will melt away with the road salt. Jap cars from the south ( never buy from north) have no underseal as the roads don`t need salting.
Good luck
Do plenty of research if you are going to import; use an agent who can check your chosen car out. Get it mapped for your local fuel by a respected mapper. Don`t try to map or maintain on the cheap; it will lead to pain.
Legacys are great; if you pay for a decent wrx , do you have enough income to look after it well? If not, have a 4 year plan so you can save up for a goodun, instead of wasting money on a dog now.
Get it undersealed for Vancouver asap; it will melt away with the road salt. Jap cars from the south ( never buy from north) have no underseal as the roads don`t need salting.
Good luck
Do you have any advice on finding a good importer? Aswell as how to find somebody to map a car? How much is it going to hurt the wallet to have the car mapped? And when you say 4 year plan what exactly do you mean?
+Good tip on the underseal, is that something i should get a professional to do aswell?
11 April 2016, 06:13 PM
#6
I`d say brakes and tyres 1st, if on a budget
Why have a performance subaru and go auto ? It defeats the point of the car, but that`s a UK thing, or me, maybe.
If money is no object, get a panel filter, decat/sportscat exhaust and custom remap and you`ll be away.
I spent a bit of time in Kelowna, and visited Vancouver....cheese on everything !!
Why have a performance subaru and go auto ? It defeats the point of the car, but that`s a UK thing, or me, maybe.
If money is no object, get a panel filter, decat/sportscat exhaust and custom remap and you`ll be away.
I spent a bit of time in Kelowna, and visited Vancouver....cheese on everything !!
11 April 2016, 06:20 PM
#7
Look for recommendations for independant Subaru specialists on your local forums; google is good!
4 yr plan; what I meant was don`t throw all your savings into something you can`t afford to run properly... so maybe a RSK would be a better choice if costs are lower on it. I wouldnt have been able to maimtain a wrx when I was a student, but in a few years your insurance will be cheaper and you should be earning well, if you dont **** about at uni too much !!
4 yr plan; what I meant was don`t throw all your savings into something you can`t afford to run properly... so maybe a RSK would be a better choice if costs are lower on it. I wouldnt have been able to maimtain a wrx when I was a student, but in a few years your insurance will be cheaper and you should be earning well, if you dont **** about at uni too much !!
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