1 Lucky Texan

How refreshing! Most folks just post problems. So far, no MAJOR problems with either of my soobs.

so far, I have no issues with my '06's throttle-by-wire but I DO wonder what kinda safeguards are in place. Aren't commercial aircraft nowadays pretty much EVERYTHING by wire? I guess if it meets or exceeds the reliabilty of mechanical/hydraulic systems I have no problem with it - except it's harder to work on in my garage! It's not like throttle cables can't break or get stuck or brake lines/master cylinders etc. can't go bad. We don't have perfection now - so its unreasonable to compare 'wire' systems to perfection.

Seems odd to me tthat the Techron consistently helps matters(even though its temporary). Wouldn't that point to injectors or possibly ignition? When the car is idling, can you pull, push and twist sensor wiring and create any problems? In what manner were the plugs bad? just worn down? carboned up? etc. I dunno

^^^yeah^^^ Plus, how's the initial 'bite'? Are they OK for daily driving? And how much dust and what COLOR is the dust? (I have white wheels on my WRX) tia

Sometimes there are 'group buys' of aftermarket katzkins (sp?) leather covers at www.nasioc.com . Or maybe find someone who is putting some racing seats in and might sell you their old seats complete. I dunno what models will swap in to your car - someone here or at nasioc will. just another thought

a 93 could easily have bad struts I'd think. As an experiment, put the MAX pressure in the tires and go for a drive. That might take sidewall and traction issues out of the equation somewhat. Uh - temporarily mind you. Of course it will sound and feel differnet, but if the 'swaying' is still present - likely it is suspension parts/bushings and maybe not tires.

Does it smell like toasted marhmallows? (sweet) That's coolant. Also, is it stronger near the driver's door or near the coin tray? I think there have been a coupla fires in OBWs centered near the drivers door - info is still scarce on that though. Maybe some plastic debris or something got caught on the exhaust?

I swear on most cars even today, I can detect throttle lag versus all those carburetted cars I've owned. And it seems like cars are now 'binary' everything is fine and then - nothing. The older cars would be OK, then sorta be sluggish to start or miss a little, then gradually performance would decline - until you decided it needed a 'tune up'. At least we can get a code now to help troubleshoot. But the 80s were the worst! Not really enough sensors and computing power to help, but too 'different' from the old days to be familiar! I sometimes long for a vehicle with only 1 vacuum line (going to the distributer!) and enough room to get IN the engine compartment while working on it!

hah - I once saw a car (sorry - can't recall the model) in an auto museum that had electromagnetic shift. Push in the clucth, push a button for 1-2-3 gear. i think it was late 20s early 30s model!

THAT....is a nmad shame. hope you get back on the road soon.

We once owned a Colt Vista Wagon that had the oil sender switch begin leaking. So I put in an aftermarket one. Got the oil light (BTW - I guess we're gonna use that crazy Aladdin's lamp symbol for a few more generations huh? Isn't that left over from steam locomotive days?) and talked to a mech about the issue. Seems some oil pressure senders have very tiny openings that get clogged easily if some gunk is disturbed in just the right part of the 'circulatory system. And, after getting a look at 3 brands, I could immediately tell a difference. So, yeah, either gunk in the switch or possibly bad wiring?

Yep, that will get pretty close - could possibly throw the - um - track or something off. I guess you would be balancing tire wear against some kinda thrust alignment issue. There are also camber plates which could be installed at the top of the struts - likely not required. I guess they confirmed you have no bent struts or links or other parts? If you have more negative camber - try driving aggressively to even out the wear! hah!

Can they not fit an aftermarket 'crash bolt'? I've read of many people doing this after lowering a car to bring rear camber back closer to spec. basically its the same as the offset bolt described. example:http://www.vividracing.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/65

I suppose you've already tried to narrow down the problem by placing it in failure mode and pulling/pushing/twisting/thumping all the areas of interest? (cables,bulbs,connectors,etc.) If there were no change detected doing the above, I would strongly suspect the trailer wiring 'black box'.

That's a lot of stress on the center differential. Do you experience a jerking/catching feeling when doing tight figure eights in a parking lot?

You might take a look at the pricing and features listed over at http://www.cars101.com . maybe something there about the light s too - I dunno.

You might ask on the appropriate forum at http://www.nasioc.com . Sometimes the marketplace over there will have seats available as folks swap in racing seats too.

If 'real' offroad means mud, gravel,dirt and not rock crawling, most of those will do well. I think the Legacy may have the lowest ride of them. Actually, I think you should check out the OBW, Forester and maybe the Baja. The turbo Foresters are rockets! We like our '03 OBW just fine.

certain bulbs are dual filament and if one 'droops' or breaks and then touches the other filament, you can get some weird lighting issues. I dunno.

Does anyone else drive this car? have u looked at the sidewall and rim closely for 'rash'? maybe someone tagged a curb hard. I dunno

Thepower drops off steeply a few hundred rpm before the rev limit - so actually a lot of cars might have better -what?- 0-60 or 1/4mile whatever times shifting just before the redline anyway. If you were autocrossing and a section could ber run a little easier if you weren't forced to upshift then immediately downshift and decided to stay in the lower gear and bounce off the limiter - well, you're autox ing and if the shop finds out you're racing they may balk at covering warranty work - I dunno. I doubt doing it occasionally is a HUGE issue - at the same time, I doubt doing it regularly is beneficial for 'racing' or necessary for performance.

I think you're right, but there are other differences besides the power. Of course, that may be good enough for the 1/8 or 1/4 mile track (I'm SURE the OP isn't interested in street racing!) if that's his goal. Plus, might wanna go ahead and follow the down pipe with 3" exhaust all the way out the back. Under 3" likely too restrictive for 300+ HP. At least from what I've read. Additional issues might be CEL 'fixes', but those can done.

Some folks maintain you can, but likely it would end up costing more than the difference up front. The STI has a different center diff, different brakes, different suspension parts, 6 speed tranny, IC spray, is noisier, lighter (IIRC), underbody aero stuff as well as the roof deflector and 'whale tail'. check; http://www.cars101.com . Of course, it's the kind of thing you can do - literally and figuratively - in 'stages'. Many companies (Cobb is a good example) put together tuner/mod 'kits' they often refer to as stage 1, stage 2,etc. Eventually getting into ECU reflashing/piggyback electronics and larger turbos, IC water spray, etc. I think some folks on thise forum have experience with that (I do not) but a LOT of that info is readily found at www.nasioc.com . I'd recommend reading the FAQs in various forums there before asking potentially 'noob' type questions - it will minimize (not eliminate) smart-alec replies. I love my '06 WRX wagon. I think I made a good choice for a daily driver. Even though its more money up front, the STI is the likely the closest thing to a store-bought race car until you begin to spend $55-$60K.

Good question. maybe it's one of those things that could remain 'english' for a long time - like 1/4-20 tripod sockets for cameras. I dunno

It clearly is not meant to be an acronym - it is an initialism. both are forms of abreviation. By definition, acronyms are pronounceable and often words (not always) which already have a meaning. NASA is an acronym NAACP is an initialism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acronym Carl