Thinking Of Selling & Buying A My00 Rex

[Bendar]

I was wondering what everyone else's opinion is, recently I have pondering the thought of selling my S1 R33 GTS25-t & purchasing a MY00 or MY99 WRX.

The reasoning behind my madness is that I would like a 4 door 4WD car that would be a quick point to point machine, I don't want to do any serious mods to the rex just the basic stuff like exhaust, PFC & maybe larger top mount intercooler. My skyline currently at the moment has 3" exhaust, FMIC & boost controller. I also have a 400R front bar which leads to other thinking of making a swap, I recently cracked the front bar which is the second I have trashed & I'm just so over this fibreglass crap & would rather standard plastic bumpers, the S1 bumper looks crappy IMO & to get a gen GTR front bar will cost a mint. which brings me back to the rex, I'm basically after a fun daily driver that is sprinty, excellent on the tight twisty mountain roads, does not take forever to wind up & get going & at the end of the day can be a easy car to live with day in & day out. I'm not really into massive horsepower, big numbers & huge top end just more interested in torque & drivability.

And before anyone says get an STI or EVO I would be looking at a max budget of 17k to spend on the rex.

Any advice would be great guys cheers.

[Black Widow]

Ok well let me start by saying the WRX is great for all those things you listed. From what i know there arent that many problems with the rexes..the only downfall i guess is the security system. In a way its good because it is definitely a quality system, but if you disconnect the battery, or the battery goes flat it becomes a real pain.

i guess its up to you tho mate...are you ready for AWD...or are you still enjoying rear wheel?

[Bendar]

RWD are fun & have good handling characteristics but it's not like that I get the chance to step the arse end out everywhere on the roads. I like the idea of grip and traction in all sorts of adverse conditions... In saying that I wonder about how bad the low end torque is on a rex, some ppl say its really really doughy, I wonder with a few light mods would sort that issue out? IMO I think that the R33 take a little to wind up and get going.

Ok well let me start by saying the WRX is great for all those things you listed. From what i know there arent that many problems with the rexes..the only downfall i guess is the security system. In a way its good because it is definitely a quality system, but if you disconnect the battery, or the battery goes flat it becomes a real pain.

i guess its up to you tho mate...are you ready for AWD...or are you still enjoying rear wheel?

[Crans]

I have a 2003 bugeye trust me a standard wrx is nothing special at all. They are slow and need quite abit of money spent on the to get them going.

TMIC $1000

Exhaust $1000

Injectors $800

TD05 16g turbo $1400

Initial tune on stock ecu $1000

might need a fuel pump $500

+ labour

+ 2 - 3 hours on the dyno $500 - $750

+My brand new turbo is fault so add extra costs to get that replaced.

Expecting 280hp at all 4's running around 1.4bar of boost.

With this new power i will probably need a new clutch soon.

hopefully gearbox will last as im capping it at 280hp so i dont need to buy a replacement

if you have your heats set on a wrx go buy an old sti money would be better spent there

[TTT]

If you keep the stock Turbo on the rex (TD04), you will not have lag.

it will be slightly doughy compared to the RB25 at revs below 2500rpm, but still, it's not as bad as you'd think.

the downside of the stock turbo is, the max power you will make is about 150-160awkw at most.

and that will be at boosts of around 18psi.

(all of the above figures are once tuned with the PFC as you said)

some work on suspension and antisway bars and anti lift kits etc will have the rex handling pretty good in the situations you talk about.

AND, keeping the stock turbo with that sort of power, and using a NON BUTTON clutch, will have the gearbox stay in one piece even after hard launches as there is always some slip in non button clutches...

an STI top mount IC would be pretty good.

and while it is off, upgrade the "Y" pipe (turbo to intercooler pipe) to an STI aluminium item or an aftermarket Silicon one.

You could also invest in an STI IC water spray kit.

Don't lower the car any more than say 1-1.5 inches and you won't hit anything, you don't get hassled, you won't ruin the handling.

if you do decide to upgrade turbo, cheapest option is a TD05, this turbo on same mods as above and same boost will bring power close to 180awkw and not too much lag.. maybe 400-500rpm extra.

other than that, the turbo upgrades get expensive.

many in the VF range to choose from like the STI stock turbo and most peoples favourite VF34.

The EJ engines are pretty reliable.

Mine has 323,000kms on it. (was rebuilt about 50,000kms ago due to the previous owner doing alot of long distance trips and wanted peace of mind.)

I think you'll enjoy the change from rwd to 4wd and 2 door to 4 door.

Very important.!!!

Do not buy an exhaust with a cannon muffler.

do not buy an exhaust that DOESN'T have a centre muffler.

these things can really Drone is the exhaust isn't done right.

My one keeps it's mouth shut as I have a factory STI muffler bolted to the rear.

flows plenty but is almost factory quiet.

[Bendar]

If you keep the stock Turbo on the rex (TD04), you will not have lag.

it will be slightly doughy compared to the RB25 at revs below 2500rpm, but still, it's not as bad as you'd think.

the downside of the stock turbo is, the max power you will make is about 150-160awkw at most.

and that will be at boosts of around 18psi.

(all of the above figures are once tuned with the PFC as you said)

some work on suspension and antisway bars and anti lift kits etc will have the rex handling pretty good in the situations you talk about.

AND, keeping the stock turbo with that sort of power, and using a NON BUTTON clutch, will have the gearbox stay in one piece even after hard launches as there is always some slip in non button clutches...

an STI top mount IC would be pretty good.

and while it is off, upgrade the "Y" pipe (turbo to intercooler pipe) to an STI aluminium item or an aftermarket Silicon one.

You could also invest in an STI IC water spray kit.

Don't lower the car any more than say 1-1.5 inches and you won't hit anything, you don't get hassled, you won't ruin the handling.

if you do decide to upgrade turbo, cheapest option is a TD05, this turbo on same mods as above and same boost will bring power close to 180awkw and not too much lag.. maybe 400-500rpm extra.

other than that, the turbo upgrades get expensive.

many in the VF range to choose from like the STI stock turbo and most peoples favourite VF34.

The EJ engines are pretty reliable.

Mine has 323,000kms on it. (was rebuilt about 50,000kms ago due to the previous owner doing alot of long distance trips and wanted peace of mind.)

I think you'll enjoy the change from rwd to 4wd and 2 door to 4 door.

Very important.!!!

Do not buy an exhaust with a cannon muffler.

do not buy an exhaust that DOESN'T have a centre muffler.

these things can really Drone is the exhaust isn't done right.

My one keeps it's mouth shut as I have a factory STI muffler bolted to the rear.

flows plenty but is almost factory quiet.

Cheers for that advice, I'm wouldn't be to keen in upgrading the turbo, I would much rather spend the money on suspension & brakes as I still want as much throttle response as possible... With the doughy low end of the rexies would a lightened flywheel and light weight pulley kit help sort this issue out?

[Crans]

Upgrade the turbo max power on stock turbo is very dissapointing

I hardly notice lag difference between the td04 and td05.

Dont bother putting an aftermarket ecu in it get the stock one reflashed

[Bendar]

Upgrade the turbo max power on stock turbo is very dissapointing

I hardly notice lag difference between the td04 and td05.

Dont bother putting an aftermarket ecu in it get the stock one reflashed

I like the idea of having flexible tunability of the ECU hence why I would go PFC. Putting max power aside, what is the drivability between the 2 turbos?

[TTT]

couple of hundred extra RPM between stock and td05. in terms of coming on to boost that is.

then the TD05 has a greater midrange, and greater top end.

nothing stoping you from getting the best from the tdo4 first though.. except the cost of 2 tunes.

Brakes are already 4 piston and about 300mm discs.

good pads and good fluid would be a good place to start, and not too expensive.

Don't do the ecu flash thing.

well unless more places other than MRT do it these days.

PFC would also be my choice.

Edited February 25, 2008 by GTST

[WazR32GTSt]

what about an older-model audi S4? does that fit into your price bracket?

AWD + TT V6 sounds like a bag of fun and in a classy package that is very easy to live with everyday..

[Crans]

Here in WA we have good options for stock ecu tuning.

Getting launch control in my after turbo has been replaced.

Anti lag is on its way aswell

[RB30-POWER]

only downfall is working on the prick boxer engines, wouldn't matter if you don't spin your own spanners, but dam, plus you couldn't show your mates your engine bay, because it looks like one big brothel.

my00 is the pick if you want the best looking shape, albeit dated looking now, but it also got the 4 pot brakes plus the other little things the early pov pack wrxs lacked.

they would honestly have to be starting to date by now, unless you can find a well looked after low km model.

r33 would technically be the better car and better built in most areas, especially chassis wise (early wrx are shit in this area), but i have seen some abortions of r33 as well.

[Haysey]

what about an older-model audi S4? does that fit into your price bracket?

AWD + TT V6 sounds like a bag of fun and in a classy package that is very easy to live with everyday..

Leather clad recaros.. twin turbos that hit full boost at 1800rpm, cops dont look twice.. better build quality, and they were a $130,000 car new which can be picked up cheap now...

IMO Driving an S4 is like having a big dick, no one knows you've got it, untill you use it... then not much needs to be explained afterwards...

[Snowman]

You know I have both my GT-R and a WRX (MY03 Hatch) which is my daily. And the WRX is nice but for me it just doesn't feel like a car I want to modify. And in many ways thats a good thing. The only thing I've ever thought of doing was chucking some handling mods at it but even then I've resisted and so after owning it for over 4 years it's still 100% stock. But it does the trick as its nice to drive every day but it is still ok fun if I decide to give it a bit.

However - its much easier for me as if I do want a real lot of fun I've always got the GT-R to jump into. But I do think they are almost a better car left standard.

[mad082]

also factor into having to replace the gearbox at every oil change, LOL.

a guy i know with an earlier model wrx is on his 3rd box, but he gives it pretty hard time.

[Marco-R34GTT]

Go Evo VII!!!

[andz]

+1

get the WRX

[R338OY]

Get the big dick.

[BAMR33]

If you're tall don't get a rex they're hell to get in and out of and the seating position is weird. They have heaps of mechanical issues and hard to work on, I liked they're exhaust note originally but since every person with a rex has an aftermarket exhaust, I'm tired of the sound of them, they are the main reasons I've stayed away.

[lcy]

Save the planet!

Lower the carbon emission!

Take public transport!

+1 for big dick (if u wan some luxury)