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Old 03-05-2008, 08:01 PM   #1
adWRXi
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Default protune stage 2 vs. stage 2.5 WRX

hi. so these are the specs.

2004 5-speed WRX w/ 49k miles
-vf-39 turbo
-sti pink injectors
-sti tmic
-walbro 255lph fuel pump
-catless UP
-catless DP
-catless/resonatorless catback
-GM bcs
-XPT stage 2.5 flash w/ launch control

vs.

2004 5-speed WRX w/ 49k miles
-td-04 turbo
-catless UP
-catless DP
-catless/resonatorless catback
-GM bcs
-protune

im a senior in highschool going to college in the fall. i work at super target 12 hours a week at 8 dollars an hour. i pay for gas.

my car has been a stage 2 for about a year and i came across a good package deal consisting of a vf39, sti tmic, injectors, blablabla.. so i jumped on it.

im not an aggressive driver at all. and im extremely paranoid with the setup i have now. i have yet to go past 1/2 throttle after having this setup for almost a week. im terrified for the tranny, because there is no way i can afford to get it fixed if something were to go. back to my driving habits.. i pretty much slug around when i drive, and racing is not a big thing to me. but heck why not once in a while. im more of a 1-3 gear person. high speed aggressive driving is a definite no no for me. MY ideal race is from a first or 2nd gear roll to somewhere in 4th gear.. in a closed or safe course of course.

so which of the 2 setups from above is best from me. and how does performance compare between the 2?
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Old 03-05-2008, 08:26 PM   #2
Joshwrx04
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iam in the same spot i have a 05 wrx stg.2.1 and iam going w bigger turbo and supporting mods, u dont have to go fast to have fun just that u know u have the power and 1-3 gears in fun too.
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Old 03-05-2008, 08:34 PM   #3
2007bluewrx
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stop being scaried and drive the car.... Treat the tranny with care and she will last
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Old 03-05-2008, 08:40 PM   #4
adWRXi
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Default

i hear this a lot.. what exactly does it mean to "treat it well?" does "dont smash on the gas" fit into that category? cuz i want to give all the gears wot every once in a while.. i know banging through gears is not treating it well.. but WHAT ABOUT WOT?!
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Old 03-05-2008, 09:42 PM   #5
dru_hill
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Quote:
Originally Posted by adWRXi View Post
i hear this a lot.. what exactly does it mean to "treat it well?" does "dont smash on the gas" fit into that category? cuz i want to give all the gears wot every once in a while.. i know banging through gears is not treating it well.. but WHAT ABOUT WOT?!
You'll be fine. Treat it well means no jamming gears that don't want to go, no powershifting, no 6500 rpm clutch sidesteps, etc. If you smash on the gas while your in (all the way in, not in the middle of shifting poorly) the right gear and the transmission blew up, Subaru would never sell another car

On a side note, if you don't have money to fix stuff that breaks (and it will) maybe this isn't the car for you. $96 a week isn't a whole lot when it costs $50 to fill up the tank I'm not saying you need to be able to afford a new motor every year, but eventually something will happen. If you get a ticket, can you afford insurance hikes? If you get in a fender bender, can you afford insurance hikes and your deductible? Can you afford to put a tire on if you pick up a nail? What about 2 nails in a month? (It happened to me, that was a spendy month ) If you need a clutch in 15,000 more miles, can you afford it? Not being a downer, maybe you have help from the parents or a trust or something, do all your own work, etc., but these are things to think of that can bite you badly.
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Old 03-05-2008, 10:48 PM   #6
adWRXi
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Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by dru_hill View Post
You'll be fine. Treat it well means no jamming gears that don't want to go, no powershifting, no 6500 rpm clutch sidesteps, etc. If you smash on the gas while your in (all the way in, not in the middle of shifting poorly) the right gear and the transmission blew up, Subaru would never sell another car
this makes me feel a lot better!! lol. i just hope its true. can more ppl confirm?

and yea. the car is paid off and my parents handle insurance and i pay for gas.. its just that theyre totally against me modding the car cuz its "unnecessary." so if something breaks they want me to suffer lol. BUT COME ON ITS A SUBARU!!! its definetly necessary!! =)

speaking of emergency situations.. yesterday i got a flat. brought it to discount tire, and they said the wear bar is showing so they cant fix the hole and i need new tires. 512 dollars out my rear end!! so i borrow rims to temporarily use till i find a new set of rims/tires instead of spending 512 putting tires on these extremo ugly stock 04s.. well anyway.. this morning Mr. Front Passenger gunmetal 17" rim meets Mr. Biggest Pothole on the Planet. DENT. CRACK. probably the worse 2 days of my life.
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Old 03-06-2008, 12:07 AM   #7
SDgoods
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Im in pretty much the exact situation that you are, except im not really stressing. I work only 3 hours a day and make 8.75 so roughly a 100 bucks a week. Im a senior in HS and have a pro tuned stg 2 05 wrx (that im currently putting a catless up pipe in) and i like to do 1-3 gear pulls once in a while. . I dont beat the crap out of it and just respect my transmission as much as i can and it seems to be lasting. However, as the saying goes, **** happens and somtimes you gota improvise. I was planning on doing a vf34 + supporting mods but realized that id most likely get a speeding ticket or do something stupid with the new power, so i decided to have a more drivable protuned car.
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Old 03-06-2008, 07:18 AM   #8
Unabomber
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Based on your desires and income, I'd vote for protuned stock turbo. It is easier and cheaper and is still a huge upgrade to what you are doing now. Talk to your tuner and see how he feels about giving you a hot tune to 19-21PSI or so. I think that's your best bet.
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Old 03-06-2008, 08:36 AM   #9
04westchesterwrx
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Money sucks. Im in the same situation but in college already and have way less money than when i was in high school. Do it now before it's too late. haha.
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Old 03-06-2008, 09:23 AM   #10
yut_to_that
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i would say stick with the stock turbo setup and work on doing some suspension instead. If you really dont plan on racing, theres not really a need for all the added power.
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Old 03-06-2008, 09:56 AM   #11
polish pete
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i guess ill input too, i have an 05wrx and i just got out of highschool first year of college, dont have much money and bad luck has been on my shoulder, first a hit and run then a pothole destroyed my suspension, and i just got into an accident. if it werent for parents and the money i have put away i wouldnt be anywhere right now. so i think why bother taking the risk of speeding and blowing something up, its going to happen eventually with a 39. if you dont have suspension work on your car now, man get on that, its so much fun to have some work in it to just drive around town with. its fast enough stage2 anyway.
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Old 03-06-2008, 10:18 AM   #12
AWDWRXLOVER
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if you like to tool around at low rpms then getting a bigger turbo was a waste. the car will pull hard form 3700-7000 now instead of 2500-5000 rpms. dont be afraid to mash on it. just shift smooth and dont launch if your so scared. i have a 39 2.0 and have beat on it hard for the last 50 thousand miles with no motor issues.(90 grand now) i never broke the tranny and had 100+ launches/races on it. slip first and go easy into second is the way to go.
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Old 03-06-2008, 03:34 PM   #13
karl750
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I've had my current vf30 set up for 17k miles. No problems with the tranny and no issues. I've taken her to the strip and beat her up a little on the road.

If you are worried about money, don't buy anything at all. You're too young with not enough income as a safety net if something breaks. You're setting yourself up to be car-poor before you even get to college.

With your limited income, i'd spend it as follows:

college bars and chicks > your wrx
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Old 03-06-2008, 04:05 PM   #14
smurfwrx
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Unabomber View Post
Based on your desires and income, I'd vote for protuned stock turbo. It is easier and cheaper and is still a huge upgrade to what you are doing now. Talk to your tuner and see how he feels about giving you a hot tune to 19-21PSI or so. I think that's your best bet.

^^ Good call. OP: If you're on a budget, you're on a budget. Don't get yourself in a bind. Also, you may want to P&P your TD04. Quick as hell spool with a little more punch and less $$$ than a turbo upgrade.
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Old 03-06-2008, 04:23 PM   #15
Str8Gone
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Stick with the stock turbo, it has the potential to run 12s. When I get a nail in my tire I simply get it patched.... 20$ at the most.
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Old 03-06-2008, 07:06 PM   #16
alphagoose
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ive been in the same bind for a few weeks now. still dont know what ill end up doing
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