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Old 12-01-2009, 05:45 PM   #51
D72
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Beaverboy View Post
Have you driven an '08? The '09 is an upgrade.. but you're fooling yourself if you think it's more than $1500 in mods better than an '08.
I'd say it is:
Just to get equal tires as the 09 on an 08 will cost you $800
Then you need to upgrade the suspension.
Then you need to upgrade the turbo.
Then you'd need to upgrade the seats (IIRC the seats in the 09 similiar in support but different trim to the STI's but the 08's are not).
Not sure about the brakes, but people here keep mentioning the 09+ brakes are better than the 08's
Then you'd need to tune the 08 to make the power of the 09.
And I'm sure there are other details too, not even taking the better body kit on the 09's which make them look nearly like an STI except without the wide body. 08 WRX looks a lot like a base Impreza by comparison.

I think it would cost you FAR more than $1,500 to bring an 08 WRX up to the level of the 09+ WRX
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Old 12-01-2009, 06:45 PM   #52
theotherguy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by D72 View Post
I think it would cost you FAR more than $1,500 to bring an 08 WRX up to the level of the 09+ WRX
No, I don't think so. I'd put mine up against any stage 2 09 wrx and it costs a hell of a lot less. Sways, springs, tires, rims, intercooler, turbo, dp, catback and tune for less than $1500. I shop, build and install, that makes a big difference in final cost but anybody can do what I've done. I don't like the body kit, I prefer the factory splash/mud guards, factory painted front lip, a dark grill and cover for the rear chrome strip.

The 3G transmission shares 1st thru 4th with the legacy gt with the same 3.90 final drive ratio. Look up a couple of threads on the lgt trans, they come with ra sti gears, stock. Most think they're stronger, some don't, I do. Ones going into my rs with 4.44 fd. I have read that the unabomber is a fan of the "keanigenie" transmission and these gears. He also acknowledges them coming stock in the '08+. http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show...=legacy+gt+LGT

A lot of new '09 guys talk a lot about their cars but don't seem to know much about them.
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Old 12-01-2009, 07:26 PM   #53
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Originally Posted by ohnonothimagain View Post
Thanks for the HID info-maybe the 2011 WRX prem is for me. By the way-here's my SERIOUS choices for a new vehicle purchase, which I'm trying hard to nail down.

2010 WRX Premium
2010 STi
2010 BMW M3 Coupe
2010 Corvette GrandSport
2010 Cadillac STS-V
I know I sound rich-but I'm older and this purchase will likely be my last car purchase(as far as I know). What a dilemma, huh ?
2010 BMW M3 Coupe' e' e' e' plzors. Don't be the old guy driving a corvette or caddy. Don't be the old guy looking out of place in an STi. And the WRX doesn't even belong on that list.

Quote:
Originally Posted by theotherguy View Post

The 3G transmission shares 1st thru 4th with the legacy gt with the same 3.90 final drive ratio. Look up a couple of threads on the lgt trans, they come with ra sti gears, stock. Most think they're stronger, some don't, I do. Ones going into my rs with 4.44 fd. I have read that the unabomber is a fan of the "keanigenie" transmission and these gears. He also acknowledges them coming stock in the '08+. http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show...=legacy+gt+LGT

A lot of new '09 guys talk a lot about their cars but don't seem to know much about them.
Be specific on what is stronger... the gears themselves are not stronger. The transmission as a whole is. All you have to do is look at the parts numbers and cross-reference. I thought RA width was standard on 03+, but RA ratios (if that exists) were not until the 08+.
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Old 12-01-2009, 08:05 PM   #54
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Originally Posted by theotherguy View Post
No, I don't think so. I'd put mine up against any stage 2 09 wrx and it costs a hell of a lot less. Sways, springs, tires, rims, intercooler, turbo, dp, catback and tune for less than $1500. I shop, build and install, that makes a big difference in final cost but anybody can do what I've done. I don't like the body kit, I prefer the factory splash/mud guards, factory painted front lip, a dark grill and cover for the rear chrome strip.

The 3G transmission shares 1st thru 4th with the legacy gt with the same 3.90 final drive ratio. Look up a couple of threads on the lgt trans, they come with ra sti gears, stock. Most think they're stronger, some don't, I do. Ones going into my rs with 4.44 fd. I have read that the unabomber is a fan of the "keanigenie" transmission and these gears. He also acknowledges them coming stock in the '08+. http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show...=legacy+gt+LGT

A lot of new '09 guys talk a lot about their cars but don't seem to know much about them.
If you got an upgraded:
Sways, springs, tires, rims, intercooler, turbo, dp, catback and tune for less than $1,500 you either stole quite a bit of s--t, bought them 2nd or 3rd hand, or did some "favors" to some vendors for the deals.
And you are surely not the norm in that department to get all those things for $1,500, that's for sure.
And then as you said, 95% of 08 WRX owners wouldn't then want or be able to install all those things on their cars themselves, for free, so they'd have to pay probably close to or more than $1,500 to have it all installed on their car to boot.

It's hard for a lot of 09 owners to know a lot about their cars at this point, well at least for me, since I've had it only a month or so and have 1,300 miles on it. I'm pretty sure had you known that the 09 WRX was going to get all the upgrades it got over the 08 WRX for FREE (essentially no price increase) you would not have gotten the 2008.
And personally had I been shopping for a WRX in late 2007 or early to mid 2008 (and not known about what Subaru was doing for the 2009 WRX), I would of spent the extra $10k and gotten an STI then, as the $10k difference for the STI was way worth it considering what you got in a stock 2008 WRX.

Last edited by D72; 12-01-2009 at 09:48 PM.
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Old 12-01-2009, 09:06 PM   #55
theotherguy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nimbus09 View Post
Be specific on what is stronger... the gears themselves are not stronger. The transmission as a whole is. All you have to do is look at the parts numbers and cross-reference. I thought RA width was standard on 03+, but RA ratios (if that exists) were not until the 08+.

WRX ratios have an awkwardly long rpm drop between 1st and 2nd gears, and 2nd to 3rd could be a bit closer as well. The LGT ratios are a much better match to each other as far as the ratios go, as they are more evenly spaced... in other words you get a similar rpm drop in each gear. How does that make things stronger? Because the larger the rpm drop in between gears the harder you are hammering the gears with the weight of your flywheel.
Lower rpm drop = less shock load. Why? Because slowing the flywheel down by 1500rpm dissapates less energy into the gears than slowing that same flywheel down by 2000rpm (assuming the same clutch actuation and type).
The LGT gears are also a little bit thicker at the roots of the gear teeth in the lower gears. The LGT/standard STI 5mt (non-RA) gearset is not a huge jump in strength, but it is stronger, and just the better gear ratios alone are well worth it. (jhargis)

1st 3.454
2nd 1.947
3rd 1.366
4th 0.972
5th 0.738
'02-05 FD - 3.90
'06-07 FD - 3.70

Same gears and a 3.7 fd equals more strain on the gears with a bigger, more powerful engine.

1st - 3.166
2nd - 1.882
3rd - 1.296
4th - 0.972
5th - 0.78
'08 FD- 3.900

Add the dual mass flywheel to soften gear shock on shifts and the 08/09/10 transmission is not weak.

There is pages and pages on this subject, I think we got an upgrade over the previous years.





Quote:
Originally Posted by D72 View Post
If you got an upgraded:
Sways, springs, tires, rims, intercooler, turbo, dp, catback and tune for less than $1,500 you either stole quite a bit of ****e, bought them 2nd or 3rd hand, or did some "favors" to some vendors for the deals.
And you are surely not the norm in that department to get all those things for $1,500, that's for sure.
And then as you said, 95% of 08 WRX owners wouldn't then want or be able to install all those things on their cars themselves, for free, so they'd have to pay probably close to or more than $1,500 to have it all installed on their car to boot.

It's hard for a lot of 09 owners to know a lot about their cars at this point, well at least for me, since I've had it only a month or so and have 1,300 miles on it. I'm pretty sure had you known that the 09 WRX was going to get all the upgrades it got over the 08 WRX for FREE (essentially no price increase) you would not have gotten the 2008.
And personally had I been shopping for a WRX in late 2007 or early to mid 2008 (and not known about what Subaru was doing for the 2009 WRX), I would of spent the extra $10k and gotten an STI then, as the $10k difference for the STI was way worth it considering what you got in a stock 2008 WRX.
For a while there, parts for the '08 were cheap. Rallitek sways for $269 shipped, sti springs were $180, spt catbacks were $333, my vf39 setup with intercooler, tsudo dp and internet tune was under $600, rims and tires were from another nasioc member. Well, I'm a little over $1500.
I agree with the STI being the far superior car and worth the price difference but the '08 is a good car that can be made better. I don't think it should be automatically discounted at the price that they can be had for.

I didn't mean to insult '09 owners at all, just some weird stuff posted lately and I should have explained it a bit better. Again, I think we have an upgraded transmission over previous years.
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Old 12-01-2009, 10:44 PM   #56
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Doesn't the 08 have a smaller engine as well? I thought the fact the sti and wrx had the exact same engine this time was another big thing...
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Old 12-02-2009, 12:00 PM   #57
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I dont know what happened to this thread but thanks for those who stayed on topic...
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Old 12-02-2009, 12:24 PM   #58
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Originally Posted by mentalcase87 View Post
Doesn't the 08 have a smaller engine as well? I thought the fact the sti and wrx had the exact same engine this time was another big thing...
The '09+ WRX got a larger turbo (same impeller as STI.. different housing) and a high flow cat in the downpipe. The engine is otherwise identical to the '08 WRX.

Everyone hated the '08 WRX because it had a chrome grille and soft suspension. The power delivery was actually fantastic for a street car. I could rip sub 6 second 0-60s all day long with the Stage 1 Perrin flash without slipping the clutch much at all. It's awesome that the '09s got more power.. but there is a tradeoff in low-end torque.
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Old 12-03-2009, 12:36 PM   #59
Eclem
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People tend to compare things that are'nt comparable - The 2009 & up WRX's are such an improvement over the 2008's - don't compare 2008's to anything - they were simply nothot.com. The 2009's are faster, tighter, and have sport tuned suspension - and the 5 speed delivers a "just right" power curve for spirited driving everyday. (mine is a 2009 5D Premium Stock).

Which is better? ... an '09 or '10 WRX or same model year(s) STI ? - the STI is plain & simple a true enthusiast's car - you are wasting $$ unless you appreciate what the car is.
They are not to be compared - but a little consideration - a dream on the wild side - is fun. (hey: If folks still ask what's the difference between an STI and a WRX? The easy answer is $200 a month)
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Old 12-03-2009, 01:38 PM   #60
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One key thing if you do want to take it to the track is bearings/ hubs which are much stronger on the STi. Then there's all the other stuff that's already been mentioned. The STi will stand up much better to track abuse.
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Old 03-05-2010, 05:00 AM   #61
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Before you decide, maybe you should look at this:

http://elementtuning.com/2010/01/19/...h-08-wrx-1108/

It just so happens that an 08 WRX holds the record lap at summit point. Sure, it is slightly modified, but the point is that the 08 WRX wasn't as bad as everyone is making it out to be.

sorry.... didn't read the dates of the last post....
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Old 06-10-2010, 12:39 PM   #62
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Old 06-11-2010, 11:54 PM   #63
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i didnt see anything comparing the 08 sti and 2010 wrx....
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Old 06-12-2010, 12:00 AM   #64
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Just get the 2010 STI SE. Cheapest STI and better everything than the Standrad 09 WRX.

Spec-C Suspension, Brakes, LSD, stronger drivetrain and wider fenders and wheels are reasons enough.
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Old 10-03-2012, 05:27 PM   #65
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I got an 08 WRX with basic bolt ons and a pro tune. I love that car. Weak transmission aside i cant get enough of the car. I put an FX300 clutch in it and for an every day car its awesome. I dont drag race it (at least not from a launch) if i do race it its from a roll and i feather the clutch as so not to put too much stress on the gears. The car was dyno'd at 298hp and 312TQ and for an every day driver its perfect. I really dont know why so many people say **** the 2008.
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Old 10-03-2012, 05:52 PM   #66
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Originally Posted by Paincake View Post
I got an 08 WRX with basic bolt ons and a pro tune. I love that car. Weak transmission aside i cant get enough of the car. I put an FX300 clutch in it and for an every day car its awesome. I dont drag race it (at least not from a launch) if i do race it its from a roll and i feather the clutch as so not to put too much stress on the gears. The car was dyno'd at 298hp and 312TQ and for an every day driver its perfect. I really dont know why so many people say **** the 2008.
Sorry to run off topic but, Paincake, how do you like that clutch? I'm looking into clutch and flywheel combos right now and I've had my eye on the FX300 for the friction material and because its segmented and not pucked. Also wondering if you've got it on a lightweight flywheel?
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Old 10-03-2012, 10:14 PM   #67
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Ack a zombie thread! Kill it!
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