1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS

View and post your Nissan/Datsun project(s)
Post Reply
User avatar
5&dime
Posts: 201
Joined: 14 Jun 2005 19:58
Location: Colorado

1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS

Post by 5&dime »

Hi all.

Well some of you might remember me as the annoying 14-17yr old that crowded your website with big hopes and dreams for a 510, starting with my mom buying me a 510. I am 18 now, almost 19, and well obviously that never happened. My 1st car was a 1996 Isuzu Trooper with a 3" lift, and 35" tires. That was sold due to bad gas mileage. For my new vehicle I wanted something that would be small, quick and sporty and probably AWD for colorado winters. I immediately thought of the Impreza 2.5 RS. These are pretty sought after and somewhat rare cars for only being 7-10 years old.

I found one after looking for about a month. It was a 1998, the 1st year of the 2.5 RS. It had some damage, and just under 130k miles. But I fell in love. I picked up the car for a CHEAP $3300. I had the body damage fixed within 2 weeks of owning the car, and had the whole car repainted.

This car has become my project and my baby. And the Subaru family has introduced me to two of my best friends. This car has been tons of fun and will continue to do so, as I have just started collecting parts for a major project.(explained later)

As of now:

Exterior Mods:
-Debadged
-Pink "i" grill badge(how they came in japan)
-Square fog lights
-painted sideskirts
-Rally Roger "pig" on driver side mirror
-Clear corner lights

Interior Mods:
-Custom shift Knob I turned on a lathe

Engine:
-Short Ram Intake
-Unequal Length Headers
-Catless Track pipe(not installed anymore, but I will post aa sound clip for y'all)
-2.25" Catback exhaust to a generic ebay can muffler

Suspension:
-Kyb GR2 Springs

So I have not done much, but as I said earlier, a big project will be coming on soon. I have just started piecing together parts for a turbo kit. SO far I have collected:

-Sti internals(pistons, rods, crank) to drop compression
-Greddy Emanage Ultimate ECU
-Extra block for the build.

I will also be getting:
-Turbo kit from local subaru performance shop
-Walbro 255 fuel pump

That setup will put me around 220awhp. But that is with the turbo that comes with the kit(a stock wrx td04 turbo). With a larger turbo and bigger injectors(coming soon enough) I will be close to 350awhp. I am expecting for all of his to be finished around december of this year. Along with brakes, coilovers, and some nice exterior mods, I should be set!

Now for the pictures(and a sound clip):

Right after new paint:

Image

And newest pics...really bad pictures.

Image

Image

Image

And the sound clip...super loud and raspy. Headers, and catless. I have my catalytic converter back in now(other setup was too loud for everyday....cops hated it.)

Image

Hope y'all enjoy!

-Brenton Kowitz

PS: I still have dreams of one day owning a 510 coupe. But it will wait probably until after college...but hopefully sooner!
I really want a 510 Coupe!!!
User avatar
okayfine
Supporter
Posts: 14154
Joined: 12 Nov 2007 23:02
Location: Newbury Park, CA

Re: 1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS

Post by okayfine »

Nice RS. I have a MY2000 RS. Solid car. Never did like the '98 front bumper, but there were only ~800 '98 RSs sold, so there is some rareness there. Was hoping for the unicorn "green" '98 RS :lol:
Because when you spend a silly amount of money on a silly, trivial thing that will help you not one jot, you are demonstrating that you have a soul and a heart and that you are the sort of person who has no time for Which? magazine. – Jeremy Clarkson
User avatar
5&dime
Posts: 201
Joined: 14 Jun 2005 19:58
Location: Colorado

Re: 1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS

Post by 5&dime »

Yah, I want to get the newer style front end.

Yah unicorns are rare, but I'm not a fan of the green. My favorite colors are my black and the rally blue pearl.
I really want a 510 Coupe!!!
User avatar
okayfine
Supporter
Posts: 14154
Joined: 12 Nov 2007 23:02
Location: Newbury Park, CA

Re: 1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS

Post by okayfine »

5&dime wrote:rally blue pearl.
...stupid MY2000 Blue Ridge Pearl...

Image
Because when you spend a silly amount of money on a silly, trivial thing that will help you not one jot, you are demonstrating that you have a soul and a heart and that you are the sort of person who has no time for Which? magazine. – Jeremy Clarkson
User avatar
5&dime
Posts: 201
Joined: 14 Jun 2005 19:58
Location: Colorado

Re: 1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS

Post by 5&dime »

No way BRP is really nice, but my color and RBP are the best
I really want a 510 Coupe!!!
User avatar
jonmorine
Posts: 173
Joined: 16 Aug 2007 10:55
Location: New Brunswick Canada

Re: 1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS

Post by jonmorine »

Nice 98.

I am on my 3rd impreza.

I have owned a PSM 04 WRX, a WRB 07 WRX and a DGM 09 STI. Its nice to see some suby love on a 510 site.
2009 Subaru STI
1969 Datsun 510
2009 VW Rabbit
User avatar
5&dime
Posts: 201
Joined: 14 Jun 2005 19:58
Location: Colorado

Re: 1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS

Post by 5&dime »

Yah, your lucky haha

you've got the subaru and the 510!!
I really want a 510 Coupe!!!
wbr911
Posts: 125
Joined: 28 Jun 2006 14:31
Location: Wisconsin

Re: 1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS

Post by wbr911 »

i picked up a 2004 2.5 rs a couple of mouths ago have not done any thing to it other the some sports tires but i love it, rides nice and good gas milage fun on the turns but not nearly as fast as my 510. have fun with yours, love the color. have the subi blue
User avatar
Byron510
Moderator
Posts: 12658
Joined: 01 Jul 2003 23:06
Location: Maple Ridge, BC

Re: 1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS

Post by Byron510 »

jonmorine wrote:Nice 98.

I am on my 3rd impreza.

I have owned a PSM 04 WRX, a WRB 07 WRX and a DGM 09 STI. Its nice to see some suby love on a 510 site.
I have caged no less than 9 of these cars - I should have made templates!
From a floor pan point of view, man have these cars evolved over the years. The earliest model I did was a 95 RS, and the latest one was a 2006 WRX (I think that was the model – that car came fresh off the dealer floor!) Anyways, this difference in the floor pan over the years is huge! Especially in the area where the rocker panel box section meets the fire wall area inside the car. The 95 Subaru Impreza had a strait box section that just terminated into the firewall, somewhere around 98, the box section took a curve, increasing in area as it approached the fire wall (~ the last 150mm rearward from the fire wall).By the time 2004 rolled around, this curved section had doubled in size. If you look at the area in front of the firewall at this area, you'll see that this is where the front "frame rails" terminate into the fire wall - a hugely structural area of the car. This increase in box section size over the years is an obvious design change to increase torsional rigidity, and overall strength. The early rally cars folded, literally, in this area, especially cars that were jumped repeatedly with nose dives (which is really hard to avoid in a car like a suby where the 3/4 of the entire drive train is ahead of the front axle).

My first cage in a Impreza was roughly a 2000 model, and at that time I thought that the car couldn't last, because the sheet metal on nearly ever part of the floor pan and rear strut towers was so thin (I had to double the size of the plates at the usual cage termination points for fear that they just would not hold). Well, that car is still in competition today! Good engineering does prevail - but any kind of rust in these cars I feel would be seriously detrimental!

Overall though (and not ever having been an owner or even driven of one of these cars), I feel the package is pretty good.

Byron
Love people and use things,
because the opposite never works.
ichorid
Supporter
Posts: 341
Joined: 04 Sep 2008 13:12
Location: Eagle Rock

Re: 1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS

Post by ichorid »

Very nice RS, I would have bought for the price too.
4 door 72 510 -- gathering parts for KA-T project
User avatar
5&dime
Posts: 201
Joined: 14 Jun 2005 19:58
Location: Colorado

Re: 1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS

Post by 5&dime »

Thanks for all the comments!

I will keep y'all updated, on my build, and when its done post my dyno sheet. My dream would be to own this and a 2dr 510.

Byron, I don't think car is going to be getting a cage! This is just my daily driver(that will soon be pretty fast..haha) and most likely this summer some autocrossing.

Thanks again!
-Kowitz
I really want a 510 Coupe!!!
User avatar
5&dime
Posts: 201
Joined: 14 Jun 2005 19:58
Location: Colorado

Re: 1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS

Post by 5&dime »

I'm still looking for a 510, but realistically this will not happen until after college, and now, after my RS is done. One update, I have the newer style front bumper on now(large round fog lights) and a front lip. I think its looking mighty fine now! I also decided against the turbo kit I spoke about in my 1st post. I am now saving for a wrx or sti motor swap. It is more money, but also more reliable. Onto the new pictures(sorry for the bad quality and the missing section on the driver side of my front lip pictured is for a tow hook cover that was lost by the previous owner):

Image
Image
Image
I really want a 510 Coupe!!!
User avatar
5&dime
Posts: 201
Joined: 14 Jun 2005 19:58
Location: Colorado

Re: 1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS

Post by 5&dime »

Well, I haven't updated this in a while, but the car is in project mode. It is in the middle of receiving a 2002 wrx motor. I did the wiring merge myself, and if you know about these cars and the wiring, you know this is quite the job!

Motor coming out
Image

And out:
[imghttp://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1/HaroF4/P8170584.jpg[/img]

New motor...Turbo :evil:
Image

The wiring mess(this is the wrx harness, which will be "merged and spliced" into my 2.5RS bulkhead harness
Image

Labled and merging:
Image

Box of "junk" wires:
[imghttp://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1/HaroF4/P8220595.jpg[/img]

Wiring back in car:
Image

New Clutch/flywheel(ACT HD, streetlight flywheel), Catless uppipe:
Image
Image

Motor back in:
Image

I need to get more pictures, but the car runs!(but it is stuck in limp mode) I'll update soon I hope! :D

-Brenton

EDIT: It looks like my pictures might be a little to big, they are being cut off
I really want a 510 Coupe!!!
User avatar
thisismatt
Supporter
Posts: 3438
Joined: 22 Jul 2006 18:12
Location: Santa Barbara, CA

Re: 1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS

Post by thisismatt »

Yeah, unfortunately it's the forum software...see sig :D
I'm your huckleberry.
User avatar
5&dime
Posts: 201
Joined: 14 Jun 2005 19:58
Location: Colorado

Re: 1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS

Post by 5&dime »

Here are some updates! I still want a 510 haha, but here is the process on my Subaru.

I got the swap finished in September of 2010. Here is the engine bay. I cleaned it up a bit and got a battery tie down since this photo.

Image


Just some pictures of it!
Image
Image


And As of January 1st 2011, I haven't been around my car really at all. I enlisted into the Marine Corps, so that has not allowed me to have my car. I am hoping to be able to go get it around Labor Day!

But, my dad surprised me with a gift while I was in bootcamp, and I came home to some new wheels and tires! Here they are.(Rolling shots thanks to my buddy)
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

Up next for the car is brakes and suspension(I want coilovers) And after that, I will be looking for more power. Maybe after the Marine Corps, I can start a 510 project!
I really want a 510 Coupe!!!
Post Reply