[Lug_Nuts_23]

Hello all, been lurking and reading threads for some time and just decided to create an account.
Currently I have an old WRX as my daily driver, but it's got about as many issues as I'm comfortable with a daily driver having, and suspect it's only a matter of time before it will need an engine rebuild. I'm often not extremely passionate about brands, but definitely lean Honda and Toyota in general.
I wish I had a cool collection of vehicles but I only really have one and am looking to replace it with something fun that can handle all weather well, move a few friends and things, and has a manual transmission.
The GRC basically checks all the boxes I would want very nicely, and I'm probably more excited for it than any other recent car.
Maybe if I can't get my hands on a GRC someone here will be selling a cool vehicle I can get instead.


(If anyone's curious about the profile picture, it's from a McLaren/Williams rivalry in F1.)

 

[ArtJDM]

Welcome to the forum. I too am not fortunate enough to have track toys as well as a daily driver, and I don't want to track my current daily driver. Glad to have you.

 

[Lug_Nuts_23]

Thanks!

If anyone wants entertaining/horror stories about vehicles I've worked on, I do have plenty. My latest adventure was spending probably 5 hours to replace a part on my WRX that was intermittently causing a CEL, and using unconventional tools to do so. Basically a $50 part that would probably have cost $500+ in labor.

 

[Jeonsa]

Welcome to the party

 

[Wynorrific]

Welcome aboard!

 

[ryno9100]

Welcome to the party. Looks like we have a few current/former Subaru WRX owners aboard the hype train.

 

[gazoo]

Welcome

 

[Lug_Nuts_23]

Thanks all!

 

[Lug_Nuts_23]

Welcome to the party. Looks like we have a few current/former Subaru WRX owners aboard the hype train.

Yes, though I'm not exactly a hardcore Subaru guy so I don't really know how it is for them. Mine was a conveniently available purchase a few years back and it's been great fun on snow.

 

[FlawlessPlanGarage]

it's only a matter of time before it will need an engine rebuild.

This is 100% true. The only question is if it will need a transmission rebuild first.

Source - I've rebuilt like 5 Subaru EJ engines and swapped maybe a dozen of them. I don't even own any Subarus currently, and I still have at least 4 engines laying around.

 

[Lug_Nuts_23]

This is 100% true. The only question is if it will need a transmission rebuild first.

Source - I've rebuilt like 5 Subaru EJ engines and swapped maybe a dozen of them. I don't even own any Subarus currently, and I still have at least 4 engines laying around.

Funny you should say that. IMO the transmission is about as worn as it can be and still mostly function as desired. Push the gearshift too far sideways and it grinds. 1st gear synchro doesn't do much--it's double-clutch/rev-match to get 1st while in motion, and some gears randomly feel a bit crunchy.

What kind of engines do you have lying around, and how long did they last after rebuild? (Which is in no way a shot at your skills--I've just heard tales of rebuilds not going great or the bores being out-of-round once reassembled after honing. Not to mention my own experience with a supposedly professionally-rebuilt engine in this car.)

 

[FlawlessPlanGarage]

Funny you should say that. IMO the transmission is about as worn as it can be and still mostly function as desired. Push the gearshift too far sideways and it grinds. 1st gear synchro doesn't do much--it's double-clutch/rev-match to get 1st while in motion, and some gears randomly feel a bit crunchy.

What kind of engines do you have lying around, and how long did they last after rebuild? (Which is in no way a shot at your skills--I've just heard tales of rebuilds not going great or the bores being out-of-round once reassembled after honing. Not to mention my own experience with a supposedly professionally-rebuilt engine in this car.)

1 I did as cheap as possible, reusing everything but the rings and bearings, 35k later it was still going ok but I don't know the final outcome.

1 I did cheap with a buddy but at least did new pistons too - the bores were in pretty good shape so it just got a quick hone. I think a ring might have failed or something, but he ran it out of oil and it grenaded.

2-3 of them I did by shipping the block to a machine shop in Colorado that had the correct bore plates to bore and hone correctly, then I did everything else. I didn't own them for long after, but they ran like new and one of them a friend is still driving after like 5 years and 60k or so.

Mostly I have cores left from cars where it made more sense to swap in a JDM engine rather than rebuild. I think I have an EJ20, 2 25s, and an EZ30R. Some day I want to put that EZ in a Corvair.