I’ve been hunting for almost ten years, and I finally got a 1995 Impreza 2-door coupe in good shape to work on. I’m planning to build it into a track-only WRX STI-style car. I’ll turn this old 2.2L base model into something more aggressive. If anyone here has experience building rally or race cars, I’d really appreciate your input.
Check the GC8 groups and forums — you probably already know about the old ones like rs25, type-ra, and that forum with tons of info on JDM engines and gearboxes. I also have an old book full of parts lists for GC chassis cars — it’s dated, but the info is still helpful. I just picked up a JDM STI myself so I’m relearning all this after being into Subarus for years. Oh, and by the way — awesome find!
@Rav4Rider
Thanks! That really helps. I was active on those forums years ago, but it’s been so long that I could use a refresher. I can’t wait to get started on the project.
Let me know if you plan to swap out the dash or door panels for newer ones — I’m interested in the original door cards. Great find by the way. I got mine back in 2015.
Clay said:
Let me know if you plan to swap out the dash or door panels for newer ones — I’m interested in the original door cards. Great find by the way. I got mine back in 2015.
I probably will at some point — I’ll keep you in mind when I do.
Clay said:
Let me know if you plan to swap out the dash or door panels for newer ones — I’m interested in the original door cards. Great find by the way. I got mine back in 2015.
What exactly is a door card?
@Fane
It’s the inner part of the door — where the switches, handle, and armrest are.
Sloan said:
@Fane
It’s the inner part of the door — where the switches, handle, and armrest are.
Ah, got it. Thanks.
Hope it’s a manual. Everything’s cool until the wiring harness mess shows up.
If you’re not planning to use those fog lights, I’d love to take them. And yeah, everyone swaps out the glass headlights for lighter plastic ones, but I still love my glass ones — they’re crystal clear on my ‘95.
I used to work at a shop that imported JDM engines and did swaps, so I got to drive a lot of these builds. My favorite setup was the JDM V7 (bugeye) — great sound and more modern gearbox. The later ones were faster but lost that classic noise. The GC STI setups were good too, just more raw. The 5-speed gearboxes don’t hold up as well though. The 4.44 gear sets are rare and short — good for rally but not for long drives. If I had to choose now, I’d go with a V7 setup. Still, the 6-cylinder swaps are cool too. We got some crazy fast cars back then. Some were nuts… some exploded.
@Ziv
Great info, thanks! I’ll be starting with basic repairs like the subframe and body first while I save for the more expensive parts.
There’s a guy on YouTube called Smeedia working on something similar right now. Might be worth checking out for ideas.
StephCOPELAND said:
There’s a guy on YouTube called Smeedia working on something similar right now. Might be worth checking out for ideas.
Yeah but that guy has money to burn. Just grabbing an STI for parts is already a big cost.
@Fitz
True, but I was thinking more for general tips rather than copying everything he does.
StephCOPELAND said:
@Fitz
True, but I was thinking more for general tips rather than copying everything he does.
Yeah that makes sense.
That’s a great find. I was after the same thing back in 2002. I’ve got a full JDM setup — AVCS wiring, twinscroll turbo, supporting mods, and a really nice exhaust that could be trimmed to fit. Only thing is, the clutch is stuck and it’s been sitting in Canada for a while, waiting to be rescued. You’d need a tow or be okay working on it where it sits.
Was it a 95 or a 96?
Lucypiper said:
Was it a 95 or a 96?
It’s a 95.