25 replies to this topic

[Dewback9]

What's up guys, name's John. I'm from Indiana where everyone that wants to be cool and drift has a 240. I'm 22 and am currently a senior in college and currently drive an '06 Impreza as my DD. It's slow and non-turbo and I'm fed up with driving a slow ass car that everyone thinks is an STi because no one ever has a decent looking NA Subaru. I have also come to the realization that 1) every Subaru that is decent looks the exact same & 2) they are way too expensive to make decent power and do basically anything fun with. I've had the thought of swapping it and going RWD basically from day 1 but $6,000+ for 400whp just doesn't seem very logical when I can invest half that and have twice as much fun. Anyway I'm on the prowl for an MX83, but can't seem to find one that is decent for the right price yet, but I did manage to pick up a ton of MK3 stuff (R154, rear diff, driveshaft, clutch pedal & master cylinder, oil cooler) for dirt cheap, so the project is at least underway. I've already started tearing down the trans to check it out and so far everything seems to be good to go. I'm now just waiting to pull the trigger on a good chassis and hopefully I can pick one up soon and get to work on swapping it. Anyway onto some pics:

My car as it sits now:







And all the goodies I got for a measly $150:

[aphxero]

Woah neat! At least you got the hard part done!

[Mitch]

Suby doesnt look half bad, your cress might be decent as well.

don't bother looking for the perfect cress for your project. It doesn't exist, just find a straight one with litttle to no rust and go from there.

[redbullx83]

Nice I miss mine but welcome

[rayray]

if your cressida looks good as the bubaru, but is also fast, i think you'll be onto something

ps, never understood the lure of matching painted trim, but at least yours isn't red like the other million and a half and is tasteful


what i find more amazing is how the fuck people transition from a new car like that with zero headaches to a pos like a cressida lol

[Dewback9]

Yeah I know the perfect creampuff car doesn't exist, but one did show up not too long ago and it was gold and had like 50,000 miles but the guy wanted like 4k for it or something. I know there will be rust so that isn't the issue. It's just finding one in the area that's the hard part. I have seen 2 on the road in like 2 years and craigslist only has like 2-3 for sale at a time and they are all a minimum of 5 hours away and the price is always north of $1,400 for sometimes a car that doesn't even run. I'm just waiting for one that has a blown engine, rusted out exhaust, yada yada yada where they only want like $500 for it because I'm gonna swap it anyway so I don't need everything still in working order.

As to the Subaru, I've just come to a crossroads. I've been itching to get down and dirty and do some actual modification and tuning but I just can't with this car. It's just too damn expensive and is my only car. A 20 year old sedan that has been cast aside and mostly forgotten that I can pick up for around $500 and easily make 500hp with just seems like too much fun to pass up. Yeah it's gonna have problems and I'm probably going to be regretting everything when I get to wiring in a 1J but the first time it fires up and lays rubber for like 200 feet I will have the biggest smile on my face. And everyone that sees it won't know what the fuck it even is, which is the best part.

The Subaru on the other hand would just be another '06. To do what I'd want to do to my Impreza would entail the car no longer being my DD and it getting A LOT of work done and being out of commission for a long while, which isn't going to happen anytime soon. And it would still be just another '06 Impreza, looking just like a lot of others. But I do love Subarus and I think I will always own one. I used to have a Jeep Grand Cherokee and I can honestly say this thing beats the shit out of it in the snow. I live in northern Indiana, which gets hammered with lake effect snow, so having AWD is a necessity so my next car will most likely be something like a Forester or Outback, lightly modded of course, that I can use as a utility/tow vehicle so I can take the Cress to events and pick up rusty parts. And the good thing is that almost everything I have on my Impreza will bolt right up to either of those, so it would be perfect.

[Bill]

IS300? it's basically just a new cressida that looks just as ugly and takes the same drivetrain etc..

the IS300 can handle snow. I live in Ottawa and drove my old one through one of our worst winters no problem.

just throwing that out. i do get your plan to have something different though.

[cianide]

That looks like TF in that one picture up there?

[Hen(Tai)]

jailbait?

[ChriSOL]

saw your feature in Stanceworks. You have one of the best looking Subies I have ever seen, so congrats on that!

GL on your vehicle search, there were a couple complete JZX83's up for sale recently but I don't go into those threads because they depress me.

[leon.borden*]

That subaru doesn't look half bad... thats actually the body style I hate too. It looks like you've already got a good bit of money in the Subaru as well. An equivalent budget placed into a X chassis is always profitable. Also, a smart call by swapping to a tow pig. If you parted that Subaru out, returned it stock, swapped alot of the universal stuff over to the X83, you'd already have a good start.

One more bit of advice, coming from an X7 guy. Even though a non running car is the better deal initially, keep in mind you don't know how long its been since its been on the road. Sometimes its worth paying an extra 700 or so to prevent having to worry about seized up caliper, flushing fuel tanks, rusted out everything, etc. etc. Generally if ones been running, the rest of the car has been atleast halfway taken care of. Then you can always sell the running 7m to some MKII or X3/X6/X7 guy.

[Dewback9]

IS300?

I have thought of that as well but I want to get a second car I can beat on and have fun with.

That looks like TF in that one picture up there?

You would be correct sir.

jailbait?

Cheeseburger hat:

Even though a non running car is the better deal initially, keep in mind you don't know how long its been since its been on the road. Sometimes its worth paying an extra 700 or so to prevent having to worry about seized up caliper, flushing fuel tanks, rusted out everything, etc. etc. Generally if ones been running, the rest of the car has been atleast halfway taken care of. Then you can always sell the running 7m to some MKII or X3/X6/X7 guy.

I would totally agree with you there. Hopefully I can find one where "the car drives great but on long drives it gets hot and you need to add water" is part of the description. That way, like you mentioned, I know the car is in working order but will obviously need an overhaul which will be to my advantage. I have found a few listings that are like that but they are just too far away. That may change though, because I have a buddy that is always down for a road trip and wants to get this project started as much as I do and if I can get one for the right price I'd definitely be willing to drive 6+ hours to pick it up if it runs or can be limped home. But the funny thing is that if a dealer has one, they always ask like $2,000 for a piece of shit because that's what they blue book for. I laugh every time I see those haha. It's like "Yeah right buddy, sure I'll pay 2k for the same thing I can get for $700. Good luck unloading it!!"

[Mo]

Sweet Subie, terrible cheeseburger hat.

[ChriSOL]

true story, a dealer had a burgundy cressida, no sunroof, cloth seats, no extra options and listed with a "v6" engine here on craigslist for $4,550. i tried to explain he would maybe get 1/10th of that since it sounded like he was covering up signs of bhg and knocking, but he never dropped the price for the full year it was posted, and im pretty sure it got sent to the junkyard shortly after it disappeared from CL.

if you see a dealer asking anything more than $1000 for the most immaculate example you can imagine, do them a favor and steal it.

[Dewback9]

That's awesome. Craigslist is famous for people saying "V6 fast car engines in demand for race application. $2,800." But yesterday must have been my lucky day. Got a response to a craigslist WTB ad with a n '89 for $500 that's 35 minutes away. Engine runs but really rough (might have rod knock,) minimal rust will everything straight, and good interior. So I may be the proud owner of one of these shit stains tonight if all goes well.

[leon.borden*]

Dont hesitate, just go buy it.

[Dewback9]

That's the plan. I don't know if the guy knows it or not but he will when my buddy and I pull up in a diesel truck with a trailer lol.

[Dewback9]

Well looked at the car yesterday. She's a little rough on the edges, but the underbody is minty fresh and the headgasket just blew like 3 weeks ago. Minimal rust with the only major spot in the rear drivers quarter behind the tire down low. Other than that most of the panels are straight or easily fillable/fixable but thats a little down the road from now. Got the guy down to $380 for it and will be picking it up either Sunday or Monday.

[ChriSOL]

You're not official until it's in your driveway or garage with the 7m on the ground next to it and you giving it the finger.

[Dewback9]

You're not official until it's in your driveway or garage with the 7m on the ground next to it and you giving it the finger.

QFT....I agree 100%. I might fix the head gasket and beat the hell out of it until the winter/the swap. And I find it ironic that I'm excited over a 21 yr old piece of shit ghetto cruiser that everyone else will look at and say "You paid money for THAT?!" lol. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess.....