Pics first!











Moved to an area that snows so I had to get a car to match. Was really wanting a 4WD Fit but it doesn't come with a manual transmission.

 

So you're in Hachinohe now? Not 100% sure but I was able to glean that from your Impreza's license plate.

I hear you on the lack of 4WD Fits with manual gearboxes, I think they only offer those with CVTs in Japan.

Nice find!

 

Nice find man. Is that the 1st or 2nd gen WRX? Are you in the military, or moved there for other reasons? lol. Anyway it looks nice there and I wish you the best. Any plans on coming back stateside?

 

Niiice
How does that compare spec-wise to the first-gen WRXs we got in the US? The Impreza generation you have, in the US we got some sort of "sport" model but it wasn't taken anywhere as seriously by gearheads. WRX was a big deal when it launched.

 

SO Jealous!!! My all time favorite cars.... My friend in HS had a '99 2.5RS that as of last night just finally finished a full conversion to turbo swapped

An like DoYouFit? said, any chance we will catch you stateside again?

 

IIRC, the first WRX sold in the US were the second gens (GD8s/Bug Eyes). One of my friends had one and I traded my MR2 for his WRX for 1 week. What I got is a first gen/GC8B. From what I remember, my friends WRX had more room. Driving feel is the same, steering is way too light for my taste.

And the move was due to military. I'll be back in the states in a few years, hopefully in California again.

 

You are 100% correct. The Bug Eye was the first WRX sold in the US and is what I was shopping for when I bought the FIT >_< In the US they sold an " Impreza 2.5 RS" from '98-2000 based on the GC8C I believe. In '99 the 2.5 RS was updated to look identical to a Japanese version 6 STI. It had the 2.5 SOHC engine and the matching front cross member. My friend just finished swapping a 2.0 turbo out of a 2002 wagon into his '99 coupe

Moving happens, but if/when your back in CA hope we can still catch up!

 

Wikipedia states that the 2.5RS had more HP than the 1st gen WRX's 227. Somehow I feel this is not correct, but going back any further than the WRX and I am starting near 0 with my own knowledge

 

Hmm... with a very well constructed equal length race header and matched exhaust +intake mods my friends made barely 130ish wheel horse power... so I doubt it gave any WRX's a challenge in the power department

 

I messed up two separate lines of Wikipedia. The 2.5RS, yeah, not lots of power. Just a larger engine than the base Impreza of the time, so a little more.

But the WRX existed prior to coming to the US. In 1992, apparently, and at the time making more than the 2000 WRX we got here.

"GC8A (11/1992-9/1993) The WRX debuted in November 1992 with 240 PS (176.5 kW; 236.7 hp)."