StageaTypeS

Try this place for car audio, I have bought a few bits of gear from there and always found them to be the cheapest. FYI last purchase was a Polk 800watt 4way amp and alpine reference series components way cheaper here than anywhere else I could find. A lot better brands and prices than JB or autobarn in my opinion. http://www.sonicelectronix.com/

I just had my stereo installed by riverside customs in werribee. I am no audio expert but they did a really good job in my opinion really neat work and they didn't take any shortcuts they take their time and make up all their own spacers etc.. They are apparently one of the few installer in Melbourne that still specialize in large fiberglass custom installs. Anyway I had installed a kenwood ddx8036bt headunit, alpine type X components, Polk 500.4 amp and morel rears. What really impressed me was that when I went to pick the car up they told me they dropped a bit of solder on the driver side scuff panel and it had made a mark. They told me they had fixed it best they could and had ordered me a new replacement one. I couldn't believe it when I had a look as I could not see anything even when it was pointed out to me. In my book that alone makes them someone worth talking to as I think it is so hard finding honest people that will do a good honest job these days. I will definitely go back to these guys in the future and they are worth speaking to if you live out west.

Don't get me wrong I love driving the evo, only problem is in Melbourne most of that time is spent in traffic or crawling around under the speed limit as there are so many bloody speed cameras. For that sort of driving a comfortable lounge on wheels with an RB26 in it is very appealing. I must admit I have never been in an M35 so I don't know how they compare to a C34 but I always thought my C34 handled pretty good although they are definitely a big heavy car compared to the evo. Ultimately they are both different cars for different purposes, if you wanna take something to the track Evo, if you wanna sit in traffic and look cool and maybe through a mountain bike in the boot Stagea. Plus the Stagea boot is massive and the seats fold flat, if you are lucky you also get the factory dark tints. What better car to take the missus out to a romantic spot for the evening for a bit of back seat action, can't do that in an evo (Stagea is the best shagging wagon ever made lol)

I went from a stagea type s (series 2 manual) to an Evo 9. I must admit I miss the stagea and am considering getting rid of the Evo for a 260. Stageas have a quality feel that is sadly lacking in the Mitsubishi. Also I find the Mitsubishi a bit tiresome for daily driving whereas the stagea was just as happy cruising round the city as exploring country roads. Plus the boot space in the stagea is awesome, Evo boots are crap.

FYI, I found 8kg front with 6kg rear to be a good mix, thats what is in Smokeys car as it used to be mine. It was running R33 GTR Greddy Coilovers, these come with linear front springs and progressive rears, I swapped the rears out for 6kg linear eibach springs. Eibach springs are probably about the best you can get if you are after springs as they have springs in almost every weight, diameter, length and they are awesome quality too. Also they are not that much probably pay around $4-500 for a set all around I reckon.

Make sure you post pics of what you do to it. On the Nistune I have heard they are good also, They were still only new when I got the emanage fitted but if I had my time over I would seriously consider one. Trent at Status does them, also he does a bit of work with the Hypergear turbos so you might consider looking him up if you want a highflow. The hypergear stuff is good value and I have heard heaps of people on here claim good results from them.

Hey that was my car lol.... My driveway feels so empty now....

I have never actually seen a bayside blue stagea in the fleshso I can't really comment, but the colour is nice. The stagea white is a great colour though also it has a slight silver pearl in it and looks really good under the sun or lights at night.

Let me know if your interested and you can take mine for a spin. I could be convinced to sell it for a good price especially if it is going to a good home. (Hate to see all the money I have put into it not be appreciated). Fuel wise I get around 450km a tank normal driving. I think everyone will tell you that Stageas do drink fuel if you have a heavy foot, e.g. Big Car and Turbo Engine not the best combination for fuel economy but on the whole not so bad in my opinion. Drivetrain wise I love the AWD especially in the wet it does make you feel alot more secure. Also being a factory manual mine has the same setup as the R33 GTR so a pretty much bulletproof drive train for most people. Not sure about the black wired alarm it may be a myth (Although I do know mine is a black wired Viper with pager remote ) . My insurance through Just Car which I just renewed in May was just under $1300 which included all modifications and wheels. I am 29 and have no history of accidents though so not sure how it would compare to others trying to insure a similar car. Hope that helps

Mine had the lower Dayz Driving lights. They come with factory switches inside all quite a neat setup. You will have trouble with a front mount if you try and keep them though as they stick out the back quite a bit. Mine are still in the shed if anyone is interested. Also the Manual Stagea interior is alot better then R32 GTR in my opinion. The Seat style is very similar to that of the R34GTT but with better headrests. They have great side support that normal Stagea Seats lack also the sport suede (perforated grey on blue) looks pretty good.

I am about to start advertising mine as I have lost interest in modifying it and need somthing more practical for work. The details are below. I was going to advertise it for $17500 ono. Give me a call if you want to know anymore (I have PM'd you also with my number) 1999 Stagea Type S (Factory Manual, which has all the good bits of the RS260 only no gtr engine and brembos) First OZ owner bought car 3 years ago at 58,000km currently has 102,000kms It had a major service at 89,000kms by Chasers e.g. Cambelt, Water pump, all fluids, plugs.... Freshly serviced and Reg till June 2011 GTR Brake Conversion (Slotted Rotors and Rebuilt Calipers) Twin sunroofs Greddy Coilovers Greddy Front Mount Greddy Blow Off Valve Greddy E-Manage Ultimate (Tuned by Status) Fujitsubo Front Pipe and Cat Back Gizzmo Electronic Boost Control Kenwood CD Player Remote Alarm with Pager 19 Inch Rims Nismo Sideskirts (Still have factory ones if your interested) Whiteline Subframe kit If anyone else is interested please PM me for details Cheers Justin

R33 GTR shocks will be fine you prob won't notice the difference, you may find an issue bolting them in though as the strut tops on r33 gtr rear shocks are wider than on stageas. you might need to find some different strut tops. FYI I have custom modified R33 GTR Greddy Type S coilovers in my Stagea Type S and I had custom fabricated rear strut tops as the GTR ones would not fit.

The ones I am interested in are here http://www.uniqueautosports.com under the braking section. They are the Stage 1 Brake Upgrade Kit for Skylines. I would be keen to know if anyone has tried them . Cheers Justin

The ones I am interested in are here http://www.uniqueautosports.com under the braking section. They are the Stage 1 Brake Upgrade Kit for Skylines. I would be keen to know if anyone has tried them . Cheers Justin

Hey have a look at Unique Autosports Stage 1 kit. It comes with dog bones for R33 Calipers and 324mm dba discs for $795. If I had known about this I would have got these when I did my brake conversion (Rebuilt R33 Calipers F&R and RDA slotted rotors all around). That setup would be way better than GTT fronts as you will be running bigger disks e.g. 324mm as opposed to 310mm GTT. You may even be able to order the dog bones custom drilled which would make fitting on S2 Stageas simple.