Bugeye01WRX

February 12, 2023

Hey guys

I haven't been driving my car much, maybe only once a week lately. I've been super busy with work and other things and totally forgot to check my fluids like I usually do every week or 2.

I took the car for a big drive, 2 hours the other night. I had not had the car out for a good spirited drive in a while so I was doing pulls and that. I was hearing this sloshing/water sound and had no idea what it was.

I checked my fluids this morning and realized my coolant was quite low! It was below the 2nd line by about 1 inch. I still had coolant in there but it was below the line.

I never had my temperature gauge go up or coolant light come on but I am a bit concerned at the damage I could have done during that time.

Is it likely to have caused damage or because I still had some coolant and I have not driven much I might be ok?

December 19, 2022

Hey guys

I'm just wanting some recommendations on some new lug nuts. Mine are pretty worn out and yuck and I'm just about to have black rims so want to get some red lug nuts to add some flair and because red lug nuts look good on black.

Anyway, I didn't want to cheap out or get a crap brand seeing as they are LITERALLY the only thing holding the wheels onto the vehicle.

I'm specifically after a more extended or "bullet/spiked" style looked but anything Red will do as long the quality is good!

I've come across many brands like TORQ, CIrcuit performance, Rays, BLOX, Cusco, Gorilla etc etc.

I know to get steel NOT aluminium and to get closed end not open ended.

But the prices range from $50 up to $200 and unsure if these $50 steel ones are fine or crap.

Any recommendations?

Thanks!

November 15, 2022

56 minutes ago, Loren said:

wet belts?

Yeah that is maybe what I thought actually.

No issues with that I assume? Will just dry off and continue as normal?

Weird it was only doing it first to second gear. I'll see how to the car drives tomorrow. If sound is gone, can chalk it down to that.

If not, well we'll get to that later hehe.

November 15, 2022

Hey guys

I was wondering if anyone had heard of this sort of noise before and could tell me what maybe it was?

I drive my car home as usual, decided to give it a wash then I had to go for a small drive to the shop. It was after washing it I heard this weird noise.

It is kinda hard to explain but it isn't a clunk, crunch or anything it sounds like if you grabbed a plastic belt and quickly pulled it along a table and creates that kind of noise.

Or like if you start a small ICE engine with a pull cable and it doesn't quite start it makes a sort of "ngeow" and dies.

That is the sound that the trans started randomly making. The ONLY thing I did was wash the car so unless some water has got in somehwere it shouldn't have I can't think why it would have just started.

Anyone know what the sound is? Unless it isn't coming from the transmission at all and it is engine related?

October 2, 2022

Hey everyone

I'm about to purchase some SEM Trim paint to redo my window trims etc.

Been touching up a lot of things around the vehicle lately including painting some interior bits to colour match, some lips and diffusers and now I'm onto the horrible window trims.

Mine are peeling/have chrome showing and look awful.

I can't decide between going gloss black or satin black for the trims.

Would gloss black look out of place or nice?

Or would the sleek satin look be more fitting?

Thanks!

September 23, 2022

Hey everyone

I've been in the market for new rims for a LONG while now. My Bugeye still has these awful and ugly 17x7.5 rims since I got the car and I just haven't upgraded yet for various reasons.

I decided to go 18x8 as I like the 18 inch look.

I'm after a nice concave (not insanely concave), with the smaller spoke design.

Kudos Tokyo are my favourite wheel as an example of the style I like.

Anyway, I have not upgraded as I:

1. Can't seem to find a wheel I want in the right size, width, offset, stud pattern and color.

2. Am a bit stuck on how big I can go, in regards to rubbing, clearance, etc etc.

So, I was wondering if I can go 18x8.5 on a Bugeye without modding, or with minimal modding?

I'm on stock ride height currently.

Also, I've been adverse to going TOO big or TOO wide because I kept hearing about performance loss due to heavier rims/tyres and a greater rotating mass.

How much of a performance difference would 18x8.5 be compared to 17x7.5?

Cheers!

July 23, 2022

Sorted, Voltex type 7 swan neck

July 11, 2022

53 minutes ago, boon said:

Guess they just changed year to year? If I remember right it was like, 2 or 3 wires I had to cut and join.

EDIT edit: It might just be a little length of adaptor loom? You might be able to swap it if you can get like 25cm deep in the back of the headlight and around a corner. I just cut and joined it.

Oh yeah! If I wont get an increased Light output I might just go back to my original idea and paint the housing myself.

Thanks Boon

July 11, 2022

42 minutes ago, boon said:

It's not a WRX/STI thing. My 01 STI had the chrome backed ones, the '02 has the black backed ones, as well as the better-looking one-piece grill. The connector is different for one of the bulbs, I did the swap on mine years and years ago and I definitely had to cut something.

EDIT: Although maybe only the '02 STI got the black ones.... unsure.

The light output is the same. Get better bulbs. Your low beams should be HIDs and I've always thought mine were really good so maybe you have trash bulbs.

Oh sweet so the HID lights I have are exactly the same as the STI ones? How come they have different connectors I would have thought that might have had something to do with light ouput.

yeah I might check my bulbs because they do feel pretty s***.

July 10, 2022

Hey everyone

I was wondering if anyone can help me with the different types of Headlights for bugeyes. I have what I have been told are "factory HID WRX headlights."

They are chrome housed and have the 2 circle lights at the bottom with the half moon at the top.

I also see a lot of Bugeye WRXs especially USDM or NZDM ones with these uglier looking ones.

Anyway, I've been wanting to black out the housing of my lights and was gonna just paint my existing lights but was thinking it might cost just as much to get a pair of already black housed lights.

It seems it is the JDM STI headlights that come with the black housing??

Is that correct? Can they be wired directly up to WRXs or do they have different connectors etc?

Is the light output from STI headlights any better? I find my low beam on my WRX to be absolute and utter garbage that I can barely see infront of me at night, however my high beams are amazing.

Any help would be appreciated!

June 23, 2022

5 hours ago, Loren said:

I think the quality you get from mag and turbo is fine. Anything really nice and expensive will either get smashed against a curb within a week or be stolen within a month.

That is a good and sad point tbh.

https://www.amazon.com/Kics-WHPF3BL50-Kyokugen-Heptagon-Length/dp/B00EQ4NJZ4

These would stop a potential thief for a bit as they are heptagon (7 sided) and not many tools are :P.

I'll have another look at some of the wheel shops and see what else I like. I quite like the rota-gforce from mag & turbo

June 22, 2022

On 9/06/2022 at 7:04 PM, NTYCME said:

Sorry, dont come on here much, yup that pic is the stock seats im talking about

Where are you located? I might be able to source you a set

And yes all seats from 2001-2007 impreza will bolt straight in (bug, blob and hawk eye chassis's)

Hey bro so sorry missed this message didn't get a notification!

Palmy mate but can travel and have the means to pick them up.

I'd be keen on a set are they good seats for a daily you reckon? How do they compared to the bugeye ones?

June 22, 2022

On 20/06/2022 at 2:23 PM, boon said:

So there's replicas which are just... extremely close stylistically, but branded as what they are. See Rota Grid vs Rays TE37. While completely unoriginal, at least they're honest about where they're made.

Then you have what I will call "fakes" where the rim actually claims to be something like Rays and has that brand cast into the rim etc, but is not made by them. The issue you have here is that if a manufacturer is prepared to blatantly infringe on a trademark, they probably don't give a damn about things like metallurgy and various safety standards, so the rim might just be a complete turd.

Replicas like Rota, where they aren't claiming to be the rim they're copying.... are largely fine from a mechanical/safety perspective, just people with genuine wheels will turn their nose up at you, and you're kinda perpetuating a s****y business practice by giving them your money.

EDIT: As long as you don't drive like an idiot, street driving is way easier on your rims than track.

Ahh gotcha so there is more Replicas and Fakes. That makes sense!

If you had a budget of around $1,000 - $1.500 for four rims, what would be the best to get in your opinion? Rotas or Enkei seem popular.

On 20/06/2022 at 12:19 PM, Loren said:

Replicas could be cheap knock offs, i.e. a wheel labelled as a Volk but not a Volk. You won't find those in a legit NZ store, but you will def find cheap wheels that are copying the style of a better quality wheel.

I also think that if you are buying cheaper (made in china) wheels from Mag and Turbo, that the quality should be ok... but I don't know for sure. I tend to stick to Subaru wheels or cheap used good quality wheels...

I have had subaru wheels, compomotive wheels, speedline wheels, volk wheels and maybe some OZ racing wheels.

A good list of wheel brands is here. https://www.demon-tweeks.com/nz/performance/wheels-accessories/alloy-wheels/

Good wheels locally here https://www.allports.nz

Thanks for those links!

So basically the top wheel brands like Volk, Work etc are extremely hard to get in NZ and you usually have to import from Japan etc?

So all the "wheel shops" like Mag & Turbo etc just have replica rims etc that are pretty average quality then?

It is tough because I try and keep an eye out for second hand rims Volks, rays, bbs etc and when they do come up they are either still very pricey or they are not the style I am wanting.

If I was gonna get a decent looking set that was ok quality wise for the moment just so my car stops looking like ass, and saving for new rims, what would you recommend? If say you were to spend $1,000 - $1,500 on a new set of 4 rims. Rotas and Enkei seem popular around that price. XXR seem to have really good reviews and really s****y reviews.

June 19, 2022

On 18/06/2022 at 3:20 PM, Loren said:

Palmside have decent wheels. https://palmside.co.nz/collections/18-inch-wheels

Can you elaborate more on reps. I get very confused by them as I am constantly seeing the word "rep" thrown around and no idea what is actually a rep etc.

To me, I thought rep meant replica so if we took for example the Volks, I thought a rep would be a company in CHina making wheels that look and are branded as Volk but are not as they are replica/knockoffs.

But I keep seeing comments like, "rotas are reps" or "Kudos" are reps and when I search these rims they seem both popular and also they are their own brand and don't seem to be mimicking other established rims.

So yeah I get a bit confused. I've seen it mentioned that a single wheel should cost a grand to be genuine but that seems insanely expensive as I check most wheel and tyre shops like Mag & Turbo etc etc the rims are usually around $1,000 - $2,000 for MOST sets of 4.

If I wanted absolutely genuine wheels, can you list me the brands?

And if I didn't want to fork out $4,000 for a set of rims, what would be some good brands?

I'm not planning on tracking the car it is purely a daily driver.

June 17, 2022

Hey guys

I've been in the market for some upgraded rims for a while now. I still have the ugly rims on my car since I bought it and just never got around to upgrading the rims.

Well I have narrowed down my choice to a nice set of 18x8 with an offset of +38 - 42. Anyway, I've been keeping an eye on some second hand rims but nothing has come up in the style and specs I want for months no so thinking of buying new from like Mag & turbo or something.

Anyway, I really like the Work Kiwami or Kudos Tokyo style with the small spokes and the nice concave look but the Works are way too pricey and the Kudos don't come in 8 width.

Anyway, I found these Orbit Senna's on Mag & Turbo that are 18x8 with a +38 offset and nice design.

Anyone got a review on orbit? Are they reps or genuine? (https://magandturbo.com/wheels/orbit-senna)

May 26, 2022

On 27/04/2022 at 9:59 AM, Joker said:

be about as much work to get the dim working wouldn't it? (1x wire to dash or light ring on the Ciggy lighter)

prosport gauges apparantly don't like to have dimmers added as it affects readings haha.

May 26, 2022

A throwback for the fans...

...6 speed semi-automatic gearbox

...25 produced

May 25, 2022

On 8/05/2022 at 10:30 PM, NTYCME said:

stock seats from a v9 wrx are black, well the wagons are so I assume the sedans are

ive got fixed back brides in my wrx, not ideal for daily driving but its only a weekend car for me

Oooh I didn't know about those! They would probably be the perfect cheap option. These are the ones I assume you are talking about? Are they more comfy than the Bugeye ones? Less comfy? More snug? Less snug?

Do the rails fit straight into my bugeye?

And is it only the MY05 WRX that has these?

On 6/05/2022 at 9:13 AM, Andy_Mac said:

If you can get hold of recaro rails compatible with your chassis then the GR/GV Recaro’s are very supportive for a factory option seat. Deep enough for decent support without being too uncomfortable or hard to get out of

Thanks I'll check those out!!

On 3/05/2022 at 9:30 AM, boon said:

Basically anything more supportive is going to be a downgrade comfort-wise. It's just the nature of the beast. I've planted my arse in quite a few aftermarket bucket seats (I was shopping for one a few years ago and Tokyo car tuning shops have lots and lots of them because reasons) so I have a decent sampling. The only ones that I thought were both more supportive and more comfortable than the stock WRX/STI bucket seats were some insanely expensive Recaros. Cheaper Recaro, any of your "JDM" brands like Bride, and any fixed-back bucket seat is less comfortable, they're narrower and have less padding so that's unsurprising.

The closest I got to "woah this is really really supportive but the comfort is acceptable" in a fixed back was the Racetech RT4009XW, which they don't even make any more. The RT4100 probably gets close, I just wish they did it in a wide-but-not-tall because Racetech's not-wide is very snug for anything but dedicated track work if you occasionally eat a pie or two.

Oh wow those are definitely pricey! When you say less comfortable, I assume there is a bit of a trade off so would you consider any of the cheaper ones to still be good enough for daily driving? I'd be ok if they were more snug and only a bit less comfortable. Or are they quite a lot less comfortable?

If so, I got advised to try these MY05 WRX seats that seem perfect for what I am trying to achieve (black interior)

May 24, 2022

4 minutes ago, boon said:

Most commonly from taking cheap "adjustable" suspension and turning the adjustment way up. Or fitting wildly inappropriate struts.

Bump travel is how far the wheel is able to move upward when you hit a bump. You need to have enough bump travel to handle most bumps you can expect to hit without running into the bump stops. When that happens you effectively don't have suspension on that wheel any more and your car can get very unsettled.

The reason this all goes together is because often what people do is they lower the s*** out of the car by just putting short springs in which leaves the car with very little useful suspension travel. Then because they get sick of bottoming out the car they put in extremely firm springs and wind the compression damping all the way up.

Something like a KYB AGX is going to be valved/damped appropriately for the car for "spirited" use, and if you don't sack it on its arse you'll have plenty of travel.

Generally speaking you don't use the coil springs to prevent body roll. That's literally the sway bar's job - sometimes they're known as an "anti-roll bar". Appropriate spring rates is pretty complex topic but the nuts and bolts of it is that for a street car you should really be running a fairly soft spring for maximum comfort and the best handling.

Awesome that really explains it!!

Sorry for all the questions!! Just had one more

I'm just wondering now which pinks to get.

I'm torn between getting JDM and USDM Pinks. I am leaning more towards the USDM ones because they drop the car less (15 - 20mm apparently) vs the JDM ones which drop the car 30mm. The big reason I don't want to drop too much is my exhaust is angled and hands quite low at the flange by the muffler and midpipe.

Also, I'm a bit confused on what "pinks" there are. Seems like there are WRX Pinks, STI Pinks, STI Lowered Pinks, JDM Pinks, 02 - 03 USDM Pinks and 04-07 USDM pinks.

Or should I just go for the JDM ones?

Haha definitely do not want to sack it on its arse I want to be able to continue daily driving without scraping at every speed bump or driveway etc.

So the AGX/Pinks combo is perfect for daily driving but improving handling for the occasional spirited drive?

Cheers man!

May 24, 2022

4 minutes ago, boon said:

Bouncy is primarily too much compression damping or not enough rebound damping, followed by excessive spring rate, followed by no bump travel.

Ok so it sounds like the way to prevent that is having new struts? Or could new struts do that if they were set incorrectly? Or is that from failed struts.

And then getting a good spring that isn't too high a spring rate then?

I do like the STI Pinks. However, should I get USDM or JDM ones? JDM ones seem to lower the car 30mm vs the USDM which are 15 - 20mm and are not quite as harsh as the JDM ones.

Thinking the USDM ones might suit me better.

What is bump travel?

May 24, 2022

47 minutes ago, MichaelJS said:

225/40 won't be super skinny, but 225/45s should fit in the guard no worries. likely wouldn't need much guard rolling if any for 235s on a sedan though.

Stiffer springs help with body roll/keeping the car flat amongst other things, but bouncy is bad for grip and keeping your teeth in your skull lol.

Spring rates etc aren't generally available for lowering springs from what I know, but you can't go too far wrong, especially not with sti pink springs

Ok sweet! Any benefit to going 225/45 over 225/40s?

Sweet I'm definitely aiming to reduce body roll with a nice spring/strut & swaybar upgrade.

What creates a bouncy car? I don't wanna go bouncy if it is bad for grip etc.

Also, just wondering do you go spring/struts or Coilovers? I looked and STI pinks seem to be around $400 second hand and the AGX are around $400 each here. SO that is around $2,000 and it seems I could buy a great set of coilovers at that price.

I always thought coilovers were better but just been reading and seems they are not worth it and sometimes worse than Daily Driving compared to shock/struts?

May 24, 2022

1 hour ago, boon said:

22 or 23mm rear swaybar, do the swaybar bushes and links as well as there's not much point increasing the bar rate if it's just squishing around in 20 year old flogged out bushings.

Then... I think the "not going crazy" option is KYB AGX struts and the STI pink springs? Slight lowering, increase in spring rate, without being heinously bouncy.

18x8 with presumably around a 235 will need a decent pull on your arches. I put 235/45R17 on 17x8 on my STI (which is wider? I think? Yours is a wagon right?) and I had to roll the rear guards to not rub.

Honestly I'd run the stock front swaybar and see how it feels. I have an incredibly w**ked suspension setup but still run the stock front swaybar with a 23mm rear and I like the balance.

Thanks for this!! Yup I actually have some poly swaybar bushings from Superpro to go on when I get new swaybars!

Oh yup 22mm sounds good factory is 20mm right? I have a Sedan not a Wagon :).

I was looking at 225/40/18 tyres or is that too low profile?

Oh cool! I'll look into the AGX and sti pinks combo.

I'll definintely try the 22mm rear and stock front. That will eliminate the factory understeer I assume? Any issues with snap oversteer going with the thicker rear bar?

Also, probably something I need to read more on but am not very knowledgeable on is springs and struts. I get the general idea, but spring rate, ride harshness, etc etc confuse me. What I mean is, I assumed a lowered car would always ride harsh but I rode in my friends Miata that was REALLY low but it was so smooth and felt great over bumps.

What does a really stiff spring add? Pros and cons?

What are the pros and cons of softer springs/struts.

Also what causes "a bouncy ride," and is a bouncy ride always bad? Do you want it really firm etc?

Thanks!

May 24, 2022

I was hoping to get some advice on a suspension and wheel setup as I am wanting to improve handling now.

I'm looking at adjusting the following:

1. Swaybars
2. Springs
3. Wheels

I recently posted asking about size to go and 17x8 looked to be the go however I am thinking 18x8 now as 17s are SO HARD to get compared to 18s, and I quite like the look of the 18s.

Now, I was hoping to ask about a setup to achieve the following:

1. I want to improve handling first and foremost and eliminate body roll.
2. I want the improve the aesthetics of the car

Currently, I really HATE my suspension and Wheels. They sit too far inward (offset is too high for my liking) and the gap between the fender and wheel looks gross.

I do want to lower the car, however after reading a lot of FAQs and experiences, I'm unsure if I should. Apparantly from what I father, our cars do not like to be lowered. I'm not after the "Hella Flush" look, just wanting to maybe lower 10mm.

But I'm aiming to improve my suspension. Currently I am sitting on stock springs with KYB rear struts and OEM Subaru at front. My struts are starting to go so I am using this as an opporunity to get a good spring/strut setup. What would be a nice improvement. I want to improve handling but don't want to be too hard a ride.

As for wheels, if I am going for around 18x8 with a +35 - +40 offset would that be a good setup?

Do I need to get Forged wheels? I do not track the car but it seems like cast are prone to cracking etc. I am wanting the Kudos Tokyo, XXR 527 or Work Kiwami style (Nice concave with smaller spokes).

And finally, Im looking to upgrade the swaybars, especially rear ones first. WHat should I go for to get a nice improve in handling.

Basically overall, if I want to do a spring/shock, and swaybar setup with new wheels, what is a good setup to improve handling, lower body roll and improve the look of the vehicle as well!

April 26, 2022

Hey guys

I'm removing my gauges off the A Pillar (too distracting at night as my gauges don't dim) and looking to move them somewhere else.

I'm also probably going to get new gauges anyway to match my cluster color and interior Lighting I just finished.

I was looking at the clock pod with 60mm gauges as an option. Can anyone comment? I heard to go for 60mm for the centre instead of 52mm. Anyone got either and could recommend?

The other pod I am looking at is the SMY DUal pod for the Steering Colum. That looks really simple and tidy but wondering if the steering wheel/indicator levers get in the way. Anyone done that gauge pod and can comment?

Cheers!

April 24, 2022

3 hours ago, Joker said:

Dyed my V3 Greys Black : no issues aye

Legacy seats? will be less snug but more comfy so not sure what you're looking for tbh

I want something nice and snug but not uncomfortable. The Bugeye WRX seats are pretty much how I like it tho I could go a little snugger.

What paint/dye did you use?

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