Subaru Impreza GC8 & RS Forum & Community banner

My 50K mile RS Sedan

54K views 154 replies 39 participants last post by  NobleMan 
#1 · (Edited)
Okay so I finally got around to this since I needed to make a login to buy more parts! I've got myself a 2001 RS that I managed to find with a manual gearbox and only 50K miles, from the original owner with no accidents on the CarFax or AutoCheck.

There were some serious bumps in the road getting it road-worthy however, but now that it's all settled, here's a few pictures. I'm looking forward to keeping this car a very, very long time. Enough chat, here's some photos from the day I got the car to just a few days ago:













I've only done a few things so far:

  • New Exedy clutch kit and ACT StreetLite flywheel
  • Replaced hard brake lines
  • K&N air filter
  • Extended armrest
  • Yellow Lamin-X on the fog lights, clears on the headlights
  • Various OEM parts purchased new to replace worn items, minor things
Overall I'm very happy with the car, been wanting a GC8 for some time now. Plans are in the works, but nothing crazy, I'd like to keep this car as original as possible with OEM+ styling without going overboard, like my old car.

Before this I drove an E30, good times:







Looking forward to learning a lot from this board and others like it! And if anyone knows where I can get a black coupe wing...!
 

Attachments

See less See more
10
#7 ·
Thank you!

To answer your questions - I noticed the clutch point was high and shuddered when getting into gear. It was enough for a local specialty shop (DPS) to agree it could use replacing. I wanted to get this thing completely put together as I'll have a longer commute soon.

They did see the clutch that came out was in good shape, but the flywheel was not. That and the throwout bearings as well were in really poor shape, so much so the shop noted it was a bit dangerous driving on it. Sadly I still have the notorious noise after all that.

I found the extended arm rest via a craigslist ad for rear spats! I ended up selling the spats, but I kept the armrest. Of course the tab is broken though. Looking for a proper fix, not just velcro.

Thanks y'all
 
#9 ·
I've got my Blizzak WS70's in and my brand new 5-hole steelies ready to go! Just have to get them mounted up and I'll post some pics.

Next up is a set of rubber mats. Anyone got a pic of the '08+ rubber mats in a GC8? I've seen the '02+ mats but heard they are bulky and can get in the way of the pedals sometimes.

Anyone got a pic?
 
#13 ·
That's an interesting question. The main difference is the AWD/RWD variation between the two.

I feel much more confident in the RS of course, but the E30 had a much more refined interior in my opinion that was very ergonomic and driver focused. The RS does this but not as much as the E30.

My E30's handling was on par with the RS now, very planted in the corners and very preditcable, but that's comparing coilovers to standard RS suspension.

Of course powersliding is a blast in the E30. In all there's a 10 year difference in age from my E30, which was a slower 318iS but with a ~2500lb curb weight.

They're a very capable and easy to work on car. Its much, much harder to get into one now than when I got mine in 2003. If you have any more specific questions I can try and answer them, or head to R3Vlimited forums for more. I was on there for many many years.
 
#14 ·
Got my winter wheel setup together! Found the Subaru steelies new in their boxes with the part numbers off craigslist, and the winter tires are Blizzak WS70's.

Looking to remove the spoiler and find appropriate plugs for the holes as well, took measurements of everything earlier. I'll be moving soon so I won't have my garage! I am saddened.

Regardless I did have another question. Anyone out there who has the ORIGINAL key and alarm? Just wondering what came with these from the factory.

 
#15 ·
Cool, thanks for the reply on the RS/E30 comparison.


My 2001 RS had a lock/unlock fob like this. The buttons say lock/unlock on them when new...but rub off in like a week.



The key is like the one on top (pic came up in google search but someone posted it here originally)

 
#17 ·
My 2001 RS had a lock/unlock fob like this. The buttons say lock/unlock on them when new...but rub off in like a week.

The key is like the one on top (pic came up in google search but someone posted it here originally)
I gotta get my hands on that key, I can't find a blank anywhere. Same for the lock/unlock, my car's old alarm keeps going off when I unlock it with the key.

Are you putting a new spoiler on? Or is it going to be a flat deck?
For winter I'd like to just plug the holes. For the spring season I want to get my hands on a coupe spoiler but they seem hard to find.

Anyways I'm moving this weekend, and I'll be without a garage! I'll have to make the best of it but dammit if I'm not worried about salt this winter eating my car up.
 
#18 ·
Damn, that is an amazingly clean find.

Overall I'm very happy with the car, been wanting a GC8 for some time now. Plans are in the works, but nothing crazy, I'd like to keep this car as original as possible with OEM+ styling without going overboard, like my old car.
can I just say that this is nice to hear for a change?! :) I was dreading scrolling down and finding pics of the whole thing torn apart and a bunch of the stock parts up for sale....

'course I always say the sedan spoiler gets no respect
 
#20 ·
I found the key blank! And its lighted! Lets see how long the light works...I also got a lead on the keyless entry too.

All that for OEM goodness, I'm weird like that. Coupe spoiler found, but a bit pricey. I'll wait for a black one to pop up.
 
#25 ·
Did you mean transponder? The keyless entry is separate from the key itself, so I don't believe it is a transponder. That's what I like about these cars...its before the advent of extraneous digital gadgets like that, a very analog car!
 
#29 ·


I'll admit it was a bit nerve-wracking taking sandpaper to a nearly new exhaust, but I'm painting it black with VHT exhaust spray to give it a more OEM style look. The worst part was getting the line straight on the exhaust tip itself with the tape, and sanding that line just next to the tape. I wanted to paint over that weld spot as seen on many other exhausts that have black boxes and such.

Thanks to Rob (Uni98RS) for the exhaust at a great price!
 
#31 ·
Well...Village Subaru in MA was a complete and utter nightmare to me when I bought it. Their GM John Olesen was very difficult to deal with and would not support a used car I just bought. This was my first time working with a dealership.

The car has significant rust (SHOCK) on the rear subframe. It took quite a lot of money to get it back to running condition. It had leaking brake lines! And the rear left brake caliper was so far gone it was sticking while driving along. I had a master tech look over the car, only to find these problems later. So much for a helping hand. These were serious concerns as brake components were in dire need of replacing, making it very hazardous to drive.

The worst part was that MD Inspection actually PASSED the car, so I had no foot to stand on with the dealership, that gave me only a couple hundred bucks amount of compensation. They always reiterated that "MD says your car is safe" and that the rust concerns were negated by saying "In MA that is not considered rust".

Long story short, they ****ed me over and while it was a learning experience, they did not do the right thing, and wanted me to send the car back for repairs, by SHIPPING it back. I feared they would hold it hostage, then if I wanted it back I'd have to pay to ship it back AGAIN. When I discussed returning the car, with only 300 miles put on it at that time, they would not offer me a full refund but more than $2K less than what I paid.

So yeah, a little bad luck, but now I'm enjoying the car. ANYWAYS.
 
#32 ·
That stuff cures with heat so you'll have to handle it carefully until you get it on and run it for a while. Should look great though. Working up the gumption to do the same thing with my scoobysport. Good luck and let us see the results.
 
#33 · (Edited)
While I didn't take detailed pictures, the results came out great! It only took half a can, and I had gave it plenty of coats. Also, when I let it dry for three hours, when I put it on, it did peel off at the hanger area because there was WD40/PB Blaster on one, paint stripped right off. Gonna touch it up later.

I also used Kartboy long hangers, which I don't think were needed here. I have standard ones on the way, want to fill the gap between the tip and the body of the car (about 35-40mm now).




And this piece of junk was so rotted it had no internal "guts" anymore, it was just dust.



Anyways I'm happy with the product, its a little drone-y at highway speed but not so much so. It was a hassle to get on for just one part though.

Does anyone have a part number for the LEFT hanger bracket? The piece that holds the bolt which the hanger sits on? I couldn't find it on OpposedForces, but that thing was so stuck on I couldn't get that hanger replaced, and bent it up because that bracket is old and rusty. Anyone out there that can help?

EDIT: Found it, of course: 50828FA000
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top