Bathroom jokes, technical dives, memes, history, meatslicer 9000s, actual comments on driving experience on a real proper "road". Yeah this channel still got it.
I had an 06 STI when I lived in the backwoods of Germany. Literally nothing better on those German B roads. When I moved back to the States, I had to leave it in Germany. So now I have a 2016 STI. I love it, but it lacks the unhinged insanity that my 06 had. The 2016 is far more civilized and easier to live with on a daily basis. And it still does great on the mountain roads here in Colorado. But it's not quite as much crazy fun as the 06 was.
The wrist strap on the access port is because they originally used a generic chinesium single board computer that was meant to be a media player. While the side of the case where the headphone jack used to be was eventually redesigned for the OBD connector the top casing had a spot for a wrist strap that was presumably left in place to save money remolding the second half of the casing.
@@MichaelEilers Never bothered but then again I was one of those nerds who figured out how to backup my tunes and flash them to multiple DMEs because my old man and I would always have one engine being built while we played with the other...Not sure if anyone else found this way around the DRM.
@@funfun5656that’s amazing, there’s absolutely zero talk about Cobb’s DRM online these days but I only started using the V3 a few years ago so I probably missed the development community’s peak.
I understand chasing horsepower but as a platform to do that with, the WRX STI is not meant for it. I always saw it as a balanced, sporty, fun car whose engine that you are meant to leave the Hell alone.
Yeah, lots of WRX owners where I am go by that philosophy. They do mod them, but not for numbers on a dyno. They usually tell people who ask questions about modding a WRX for dyno numbers to get a different car.
I got 400whp (yes, that is 200whp per liter) from my 2002 WRX EJ205 with a Legacy turbo, STI intercooler, 800cc injectors, high pressure fuel pump and upgraded intake. On the stock headgasket. For 5 years, no failures. You can absolutely make big power with a boxer motor.
the entire reason i went with a new gr corolla was /because/ every STI on the planet has been modded to shit like this lol, if they kept making it or i could find one still stock for not ungodly expensive I would have done that in a heartbeat
Owned a 04 STI for about 5 years. The smile it put on my face every time I drove it is something I will never forget. You just can’t get the sound and raw feel from any other car.
This was my dream car in high school, since I didn’t think owning a Skyline would have ever been possible. I never bought one of these but I did get a 2015 WRX when they first came out. I went down the rabbit hole with the CAI, down pipe, bigger FMIC, etc. I had the Accessport mounted on my windshield on my windshield. I kept it locked away when I wasn’t driving because people actually stole them for resale purposes. I eventually sold my WRX to buy my dream car, the R33 GTR. I sometimes do miss my WRX and even considered trying to find it and buying it back. But unfortunately it ended up getting wrecked by the next owner somewhere in SoCal.
I’m the other way around. I trade my jdm legacy for an r33 skyline last summer but if someone ever offers me a jdm bugeye or blob eye with a 207 im trading 100%
@@Ballsack44 Meanwhile, my buddy has both! 2011 WRX sedan, 1999 Skyline GT-T. He originally wanted the R33 as that is his favourite, but the deal he got on the R34 was too good to pass up.
I owned an '05. Slightly more creature comforts like an auto-dimming rearview mirror but pretty close to barebones like an '04. I drove that thing for ten years and still miss it. The acceleration in that thing was violent. There were no driver aids other than ABS. The DCCD was great in a midwestern winter and I'll never forget my first time driving it in the fresh unplowed snow of an early morning, a new set of Blizzaks ready to meet the cold. The thing was unstoppable.
I owned a ‘68 Firebird with a 350/4 as well as a modded WRX with 285hp. The Firebird had tire spinning torque and a fearsome exhaust note, but the WRX would be doing 70mph while the ‘bird was still at the start line spinning its tires. I now own an S197 Mustang GT (4.6l, 300hp) and an STi (300hp) and the power delivery is completely different. The Mustang is easier to launch but after 25mph, it wants to get sideways and do Mustang things. The STi is tougher to launch, and costly if you get it wrong, but once you hit 25mph, you’re in full boost and the car feels planted and always in control. That turbo surge is great, but the NA V8 torque is a lot of fun too. That said, the new Mustang has around 500hp, so playing with 300hp is not fast by today’s standards, though still fun in a generally lightweight car.
@stephen3164 i have a 2015 Mustang GT. It's definitely such a difference from the old V8s or the newer turbo cars. Im getting the urge to try something new, though and maybe go with something AWD. Curious to see what the 2025 announcements are.
@@House_of_Schmidt - sadly, if you want crazy acceleration and awd, there’s one very easy answer: EV. Stupid things are lifeless, but they’re damn fast, especially the performance ones. Drove one and have ridden in a few. Their party trick is super quick acceleration without a noise, but that got boring for me after doing it once. There’s some fine comfortable EVs out there for getting from A to B, and having that silent power, but if I ever got one, I’d need a slower car with a V8, or that Subaru EJ rumble and a manual to actually enjoy driving. 757’s are very fast too, but also not much fun.
@stephen3164 very true. Im not crazy about EVs. They seem to be aging like milk too. I was thinking something like the Audi RS3 although ill be waiting a year for one at least.
@@House_of_Schmidt - I’ve heard good things about the RS3, but it seems like a high price tag. I’m still remembering when I bought my WRX and then my BRZ for under $30k, so I need to adjust my reference pricing points to 2024, though my salary hasn’t changed much in the last 12 years. :-/
The song at the end had the punchline in the title, yet I still cracked up when it happened. Thank you for keeping the spirit of this show the same throughout the years, even as it evolves and only gets better with time. You guys are the BEST!
My step mother bought one of these brand new. She let me drive it home right off the dealer lot. It was a fun car. She kept it until it had about 150K. We later heard from the second owner that the head gasket blew at 164K and the engine was burning A LOT of oil as well… He had to do a full rebuild.
The stock headgaskets are a common faulty part. They should be replaced for aftermarket versions which are more durable. If you buy a WRX used, you should always find out if the headgaskets have been replaced, and if they have, are they just another set of stock ones bound to break soon, or if they are proper ones. If they haven't been fixed, you should ASAP get it done. If you can, DIY it. If you can't, it might cost you even a couple thousand € depending on where you live. But it is definitely worth it. Once the headgasket issue has been solved, the car will easily do 300k+ kilometers, given that you change oil regularly, check and top off the oil when the car is warm. And overall just never drive it hard before it has warmed up to operating temp.
@poltergeist3194 the version 4 was a late 97 model in Japan iirc. So it looks like what we got as the 2.5rs. I want to say the version 3 didn't last long as my version 2 was a 96 and my buddies version 5 was a 98 model.
Honestly, the favorite activity of an STi is to break in new, exciting and expensive ways, followed closely by gas station stops. 2020 STi, 61,800 miles and in the last month I have had the bottom fall out of the clutch hydraulic circuit (while driving), and then had a crankshaft or connecting rod bearing get destroyed, necesitating a new shortblock. I was running the stock tune for my entire time of ownership, but I also had to buy it used since they were discontinued, so I have no idea what the previous owner had done to it. You have to love the car as more than just an appliance, or else you end up feeling bitter about it.
@@TDT0188 Good to know, but I'm probably in a little bit of a grey area since I am the second owner. I bought the car expecting that it would need a new shortblock at some point since I knew that I was going to track days. Fortunately, I live near a shop which does blueprinted builds for a relatively reasonable price, so now I'm going to have a platform I enjoy driving, a motor I know the complete history of, including internal modifications to address the largest known issues (rod bearings, ringland failure, oil pickup displacement, poor oil pan baffle layout, overall oil capacity).
These cars are routinely modded and abused by owner. Modding without a tune (very sensitive engine - needs a tune even for an intake), cheap ebay parts for cheap power - ie, catless downpipe causing boost creep. Heck, many first time manual drivers and first time turbo-4 drivers. The trouble many get in to is flooring it at 3000 rpm (or under!) and/or flooring it in 6th gear on the highway. High load / low rpm = boom. “I just did a pull on the highway, and 5 minutes later my check engine light was on, and car was knocking badly!” “Did you do the pull in 6th gear?” “Uh, yeah… why?” 🤦♂️
Bought a new WRX wagon in 2003. Kept 14 years. Modified it to 285hp. Sold it and 2 years later bought a used STi hatch which I’ve had for 5+ years. Awesome awesome fun car. Just gotta know what the EJ likes and doesn’t like to keep it from blowing. I drive with s-drive S#, and Auto - dccd for more rotation. Also, DON’T lock your diff unless you are in loose dirt or snow, bc taking turns on dry pavement with the diff locked will eat your diff. Auto+ is fine for wet and snow. Auto- for dry. Reg Auto for cold tires on dry roads.
Found a '98 Impreza 2.4 RS for 3k back in '06 for my (now) wife (if she didn't buy it, I would have). Best canyon car ever- carved Montana mountain passes overcoming lines of cars stuck behind semis and trailers, and able to blip out and in with 360 degree vision. Stability coming down a tight canyon is unsurpassed. My father-in law is a corvette guy, and has trouble understanding the reality of what the car is doing up or down. Shrugs off snow and ice and 20 below in high wind. Still driving it, with the help of a local subaru-only garage.
You guys should try and do a collab with Dankpods/Garbage Time when you're in Australia. I know he's in Adelaide, not Melbourne, but I think you guys would make an excellent collab!
@@RegularCarsI believe Wade has mentioned RCR on one of his channels before. I'd genuinely be surprised if he didn't know you considering he knows of Mighty Car Mods and a number of American car channels.
Dear Mr. Regular, I'm sorry to inform you that the hero car of the first ten minutes of Baby Driver is actually a Red Hawkeye Imreza WRX with an engine issue, not a Blobeye WRX STi. I know this because I worship Baby Driver and orthodoxly watch the first ten minutes of it at least once a month.
@@rcfp2006 He mentioned that it was a Hawkeye, not that it aslo wasn't a STi. I'm sorry, I can't help it, I do this completely involuntarily. My inner Baby Driver is out of control.
@@ileutur6863 Yeah. A bunch of them actually, it had a squeaking timing belt, very prominent rod knocking, also probably some issues with valves and a heap of other stuff. It was also piss-poor in terms of how good interior was, it literally looked like somebody took a dump on the car's upholstery and especially the headliner. Still would drive though.
I've had my 05 STi for almost 16 years. I've had other cars along side it that have come and gone but the STi is the one i can't see ever being sold. Its my favorite for sure. Even after driving newer STi's, the GD chassis is perfection.
Ah, thats a common reaction for non subaru / evo guys. Thats the external wastegate spring opening and closing in resonance with the boost controller. I personally prefer the scream so I had it tuned to do so but the flutters great.
I currently own an 07 WRX Wagon with a JDM EJ205 making about 300hp after taxes LOL. Had it for about 4 years+ and has never skipped a beat. I even drove it from California to Virginia. Ive done so many long road trips in it I have lost count. I even take it to Boxerfest PA every year. Side note, the first time I attended Boxerfest, I was volunteering and I saw you!! I was geeking out to my wife telling her "MR REGULAR IS IN THAT TOYOTA!!" As Mr Regular proceeds to open the gulwing style doors LOL. I am still in disbelief you let me take a selfie with you! An unforgettable experience. Thank you Mr. Regular.
the upper cup holder is only really meant to hold a standard size 12 or 16oz can, or a paper coffee cup. Anything else WILL fall out, but those fit perfectly (and at highway speed, it constantly shakes your drink).
Knew a guy who had an 04 worked over by Perrin, 500hp, came on like being rear-ended by a semi - I’ve driven fast cars and that was the craziest car I’ve ever driven, only problem with having the suspension dialed into the inths is it gripped TOO hard, all the power, no slide, wanted to pull you into the right side ditch on a right turn regardless of speed - thing was EPIC
I owned a 04 STi for 13 years. Somehow it was both the best and the worst car I ever owned. Thankfully and maybe surprisingly it was reliable. I only put 70,000 miles on it and it only ever got regular oil changes, a transmission and diff oil change, and that's about it. I think back to it as an exgf that was crazy, hot, and wanted to kill me. It was great for a time in my life when I needed that.
This makes me nostalgic - in my high school years me and my buddies were really into these cars although we were too young to drive lol. Here in Switzerland you still see a lot of them (and other older Subie's) in the mountain regions. Perfect for the narrow, steep roads and the snow, and probably more durable than the modern cars!
I have a 2015 STI myself, and while not as ridiculous and violent as the GD chassis cars, it is still brash, aggressive, unrefined, and violent in all the right ways. The boost hits like a freight train, the brakes feel just right, the AWD is point and shoot accurate in bad weather, the steering feel is second to none, and body roll is almost nonexistent. Modified, these cars are a blast, but in stock form, I feel like they’re nipping at the toes of automotive perfection. I’ve left mine mechanically stock because I don’t want to lose the charm that Subaru gave it from the factory. I’ve also got a Legacy wagon (that I just finished replacing the engine in) that does have some stuff done to it, and even though it’s more of a grandpa car daily driver, the extra power with the bigger turbo and miscellaneous stuff done to it make that car a lot of fun as well. These cars are a blast, but you’ve gotta be committed to them, and drive them how they want to be driven, or they will make you regret it. Subarus always will remind you that they’re in control, not you 😂😂
I drive an RS and this is still my dream car. I’m sitting in my RS, with Apple play, and I’m daydreaming about my STi, with no iPad in the center console, blowing a head gasket because I’m an idiot 😂
Subaru's drivers won the championship in 01 and 03. Also, the fia went to a 1.6L engine size limit which killed it for the impreza platform. Also, David Higgins was the head driver for the ARA with Subaru for years before Pastrana joined. Bucky Lasek and Dave Mirra actually drove for them at this time too.
yeah, Subaru then did GT300 with BRZ in Japan, Nurburgring attempts with VA STI (and other time trials), then did the rallying in USA along with Hoonigan and USA time trials. So they still kept some motorsport. Just not WRC. And even today, WRC is dead, there are like only 3 car brands in it and no one watches it. Which is a shame, but they basically destroyed it via regulation etc. Although they do have the rally cross now (still run by FIA) which is more popular I think. I've seen Subaru in that a few times also (with the US team).
I'm going to be honest here as someone who has been subscribed from almost the very beginning (waaay before the EP3 Si), I've left a ton of your videos midway in the last year or two. It felt like you were going in the a direction where more vulgar or more political means better. This feels like the first RCR in a long time that is comparable to the videos of old and I absolutely love it.
I have a true gen1 impreza. It has a td04l and a top mount (got a front mount just not the piping). So your "this is a gen1 sti" made me glance out the window and chuckle a bit. I use mine as a desert car. Currently it's the fastest arroyo vehicle amongst my friend group.
Giving it's a Subaru, arguably the best iteration of the STi, I would have that turbo flutter under load checked before the giveaway. Tuning with the COBB and perhaps a different blowoff spring should take care of that.
@@Mikeskennebellcobra is right. That flutter is because that boxer 4 has unequal headers which makes an unequal pulse that “confuse” the External wastegate, in difference to an inline 4 for example that lets the excessive exhaust gasses “scream” out while regulating the boost.
Being Subaru the latest Gen STi pretty much has the same Center Diff Control, just with a modern nob control and not a dial and switch they jammed into the holes that normally would have housed the heated Seats controls.
I got to drive one of these and it's still one of my favorites next to the Hellcat with the red key FOB. That turbo noise in the beginning really brought back some good memories. Thanks RCR
Drove a 2004 from 2006 to 2014. I miss it, especially when big snow hits. You could tell it was designed from the ground up for rally. With good left foot braking the precision you could dance the car around with was the most fun I’ve ever had driving.
Is it just me when I think of the pre-facelift, 2nd gen Impreza? I grew up with Gran Turismo 3 and when I hear Impreza, I think about the circular headlights and especially the prototype rally car with its mostly blacked out headlights that contrasts brilliantly with the paint.
Brings back so many memories. Traded my typhoon in for an 04 sti in wrc blue with silver wheels. No radio, no niceties. Road tripped it to Denver to visit my parents and we did pikes peak before it was paved to the top. Such a fun car.
I mean lets face it this is the best car. People gawk over all the 90's jdm cars but they all built up to a battle between the subaru and the evo and we all know what happened to the evo.
I had an 05 STi 7 years ago and I plan to buy another 05. So much character in that car and I miss it. It’s not a first Gen Impreza STi though, 04 was simply the first STi brought into America. The DCCD was great for driving in the snow. If you put it in Locked, it just wouldn’t want to get sideways at all. If you wanted to have fun, you put it the fully unlocked position which allows the rear biased AWD let you get easily sideways for having fun.
15:02 Thanks to WRC's Rule set not allowing the boxer engine layout. Subaru would have to redesign an entire new chassis and engine specifically for rally. Talking going back to homologation stuff... They just said Eff it. As you mentioned too much money for no return. Though there is some rumors of them coming back in the Electric Wrc..
IMO 2005 was the best. 5x114.3 bolt pattern, better center console, better steering wheel, mechanically the "most reliable", the rear subtle fender flares to distinguish it from a regular WRX. As much as I swore off Subarus over a decade ago, the two I'd buy are either a bugeye wagon, or a 2005 STI
you're absolutely right about the headlight height control, you keep it set at 0, adjust the headlights and use it only if the back of the car's full or you're using a trailer
"Whichever way he goes... I'm not" 😁 Had an '05 WRB STi back in 2008, this vid brings back great memories of cruising around the PA backroads. I can still smell that Alcantara interior!
9:01 I can't really speak for the GD (I'm a GC8 guy. I restore/rebuild them), but those are just covers to protect the foglights from gravel during daylight/bright light conditions. They should be removable. On the GC8s, we have thumb screws to remove the fog light covers.
If you go to Australia and don´t meet up with MCM i swear i´m gonna complain about it in a funny way on every video you put out from then on. Please please try to get a hold of them somehow.
0:44 Coming from turbo cars that aren't Subarus, hearing compressor surge put me in a panic. I didn't know it until after watching this video and looking it up; replacing the stock BOV with an EWG that vents to atmosphere makes this sound and it's completely fine, specifically with the WRX/STI.
Get Entered to WIN this awesome Subaru STI!
go.getenteredtowin.com/regula...
DEADLINE to ENTER is February 21st @ 11:59pm (PST).
The D stands for Dics
Dan Arnetts
any specs listed anywhere?
Can I enter from Canada?
nope usa only, according to the rules.@@kirkgriffith9434
I never expected him to review another blobeye sti honestly. Og's remember the GAINSWICH JR.
His Subaru videos are the beat, especially from older eras
CHICKEN BREASTS, NUTELLA, AND VITAMINS. ALL YOU NEED!
4 wheel driftaru!
@@captaindreadnought212 Came here to make that exact reply ❤
SUBARU IMPOSSIBR-- _video removed_
Bathroom jokes, technical dives, memes, history, meatslicer 9000s, actual comments on driving experience on a real proper "road". Yeah this channel still got it.
Thank you!
Yeah the cutaways brought back some of that OG RCR energy.
“Whichever way he goes: I’m not.”
I have said that to myself so many times.
YEP!
same. Don't give a shit if it takes longer, as long as it's faster. 😂
I had an 06 STI when I lived in the backwoods of Germany. Literally nothing better on those German B roads. When I moved back to the States, I had to leave it in Germany. So now I have a 2016 STI. I love it, but it lacks the unhinged insanity that my 06 had. The 2016 is far more civilized and easier to live with on a daily basis. And it still does great on the mountain roads here in Colorado. But it's not quite as much crazy fun as the 06 was.
too stereotypical in Colorado. you and every other 20 something year old with rich parents or in the military.
@@iamatlantis1 I'm in my 50s and was never in the military. I also don't own a vape in case that was the next question. 😁
@@justinkey4895thank you for having a sense of humour
@@justinkey4895mmmmm das BROWWNN!!!!!!!!!
@@justinkey4895also in colorado here… great mountain roads!
Baby Driver wasn't Edgar Wright's first WRX. There was a blobeye in Hot Fuzz.
Just at the end though
Correct good sir, the dream police car at the end
Hot fuzz also being his best movie. I love wright, but mr regular's remark is on point.
Cannot go wrong with Hot Fuzz.
The wrist strap on the access port is because they originally used a generic chinesium single board computer that was meant to be a media player. While the side of the case where the headphone jack used to be was eventually redesigned for the OBD connector the top casing had a spot for a wrist strap that was presumably left in place to save money remolding the second half of the casing.
HA
Also, you DID take it with you, if someone stole it you were HOSED
@@MichaelEilers Never bothered but then again I was one of those nerds who figured out how to backup my tunes and flash them to multiple DMEs because my old man and I would always have one engine being built while we played with the other...Not sure if anyone else found this way around the DRM.
@@funfun5656that’s amazing, there’s absolutely zero talk about Cobb’s DRM online these days but I only started using the V3 a few years ago so I probably missed the development community’s peak.
I understand chasing horsepower but as a platform to do that with, the WRX STI is not meant for it. I always saw it as a balanced, sporty, fun car whose engine that you are meant to leave the Hell alone.
Yeah, lots of WRX owners where I am go by that philosophy. They do mod them, but not for numbers on a dyno. They usually tell people who ask questions about modding a WRX for dyno numbers to get a different car.
Murican horsepower culture has people thinking these cars are fragile. No, you're just not meant to push 500+ in them
@@ileutur6863 You can do 500+ but you need ALL the supporting mods before dialing it up to that, and there are much cheaper platforms to get to 500
I got 400whp (yes, that is 200whp per liter) from my 2002 WRX EJ205 with a Legacy turbo, STI intercooler, 800cc injectors, high pressure fuel pump and upgraded intake. On the stock headgasket. For 5 years, no failures. You can absolutely make big power with a boxer motor.
the entire reason i went with a new gr corolla was /because/ every STI on the planet has been modded to shit like this lol, if they kept making it or i could find one still stock for not ungodly expensive I would have done that in a heartbeat
Owned a 04 STI for about 5 years. The smile it put on my face every time I drove it is something I will never forget. You just can’t get the sound and raw feel from any other car.
This was my dream car in high school, since I didn’t think owning a Skyline would have ever been possible. I never bought one of these but I did get a 2015 WRX when they first came out. I went down the rabbit hole with the CAI, down pipe, bigger FMIC, etc. I had the Accessport mounted on my windshield on my windshield. I kept it locked away when I wasn’t driving because people actually stole them for resale purposes.
I eventually sold my WRX to buy my dream car, the R33 GTR.
I sometimes do miss my WRX and even considered trying to find it and buying it back. But unfortunately it ended up getting wrecked by the next owner somewhere in SoCal.
I’m the other way around. I trade my jdm legacy for an r33 skyline last summer but if someone ever offers me a jdm bugeye or blob eye with a 207 im trading 100%
@@Ballsack44 Meanwhile, my buddy has both! 2011 WRX sedan, 1999 Skyline GT-T. He originally wanted the R33 as that is his favourite, but the deal he got on the R34 was too good to pass up.
I owned an '05. Slightly more creature comforts like an auto-dimming rearview mirror but pretty close to barebones like an '04. I drove that thing for ten years and still miss it. The acceleration in that thing was violent. There were no driver aids other than ABS. The DCCD was great in a midwestern winter and I'll never forget my first time driving it in the fresh unplowed snow of an early morning, a new set of Blizzaks ready to meet the cold. The thing was unstoppable.
When i was 16, i had a 67 camaro with a 350 and raced a kid who had a new 04 wrx sti and got my ass handed to me. Fond memories.
I owned a ‘68 Firebird with a 350/4 as well as a modded WRX with 285hp. The Firebird had tire spinning torque and a fearsome exhaust note, but the WRX would be doing 70mph while the ‘bird was still at the start line spinning its tires.
I now own an S197 Mustang GT (4.6l, 300hp) and an STi (300hp) and the power delivery is completely different. The Mustang is easier to launch but after 25mph, it wants to get sideways and do Mustang things. The STi is tougher to launch, and costly if you get it wrong, but once you hit 25mph, you’re in full boost and the car feels planted and always in control. That turbo surge is great, but the NA V8 torque is a lot of fun too.
That said, the new Mustang has around 500hp, so playing with 300hp is not fast by today’s standards, though still fun in a generally lightweight car.
@stephen3164 i have a 2015 Mustang GT. It's definitely such a difference from the old V8s or the newer turbo cars. Im getting the urge to try something new, though and maybe go with something AWD. Curious to see what the 2025 announcements are.
@@House_of_Schmidt - sadly, if you want crazy acceleration and awd, there’s one very easy answer: EV. Stupid things are lifeless, but they’re damn fast, especially the performance ones. Drove one and have ridden in a few. Their party trick is super quick acceleration without a noise, but that got boring for me after doing it once. There’s some fine comfortable EVs out there for getting from A to B, and having that silent power, but if I ever got one, I’d need a slower car with a V8, or that Subaru EJ rumble and a manual to actually enjoy driving. 757’s are very fast too, but also not much fun.
@stephen3164 very true. Im not crazy about EVs. They seem to be aging like milk too. I was thinking something like the Audi RS3 although ill be waiting a year for one at least.
@@House_of_Schmidt - I’ve heard good things about the RS3, but it seems like a high price tag. I’m still remembering when I bought my WRX and then my BRZ for under $30k, so I need to adjust my reference pricing points to 2024, though my salary hasn’t changed much in the last 12 years. :-/
The song at the end had the punchline in the title, yet I still cracked up when it happened. Thank you for keeping the spirit of this show the same throughout the years, even as it evolves and only gets better with time. You guys are the BEST!
My step mother bought one of these brand new. She let me drive it home right off the dealer lot. It was a fun car. She kept it until it had about 150K. We later heard from the second owner that the head gasket blew at 164K and the engine was burning A LOT of oil as well… He had to do a full rebuild.
The stock headgaskets are a common faulty part. They should be replaced for aftermarket versions which are more durable. If you buy a WRX used, you should always find out if the headgaskets have been replaced, and if they have, are they just another set of stock ones bound to break soon, or if they are proper ones.
If they haven't been fixed, you should ASAP get it done. If you can, DIY it. If you can't, it might cost you even a couple thousand € depending on where you live. But it is definitely worth it. Once the headgasket issue has been solved, the car will easily do 300k+ kilometers, given that you change oil regularly, check and top off the oil when the car is warm. And overall just never drive it hard before it has warmed up to operating temp.
Second best looking Impreza since the 1997 Impreza RS.
98 is the first year for the 2.5RS btw.
@@DrCoolHands I stand corrected. I’m old and my memory is getting presidential.
@poltergeist3194 the version 4 was a late 97 model in Japan iirc. So it looks like what we got as the 2.5rs.
I want to say the version 3 didn't last long as my version 2 was a 96 and my buddies version 5 was a 98 model.
WRB Hawkeye 06-07 is #1
05 STi is the best looking in my eyes.
Honestly, the favorite activity of an STi is to break in new, exciting and expensive ways, followed closely by gas station stops. 2020 STi, 61,800 miles and in the last month I have had the bottom fall out of the clutch hydraulic circuit (while driving), and then had a crankshaft or connecting rod bearing get destroyed, necesitating a new shortblock. I was running the stock tune for my entire time of ownership, but I also had to buy it used since they were discontinued, so I have no idea what the previous owner had done to it. You have to love the car as more than just an appliance, or else you end up feeling bitter about it.
Oem rod and main bearings had a class action lawsuit....
@@TDT0188 Good to know, but I'm probably in a little bit of a grey area since I am the second owner. I bought the car expecting that it would need a new shortblock at some point since I knew that I was going to track days. Fortunately, I live near a shop which does blueprinted builds for a relatively reasonable price, so now I'm going to have a platform I enjoy driving, a motor I know the complete history of, including internal modifications to address the largest known issues (rod bearings, ringland failure, oil pickup displacement, poor oil pan baffle layout, overall oil capacity).
These cars are routinely modded and abused by owner. Modding without a tune (very sensitive engine - needs a tune even for an intake), cheap ebay parts for cheap power - ie, catless downpipe causing boost creep. Heck, many first time manual drivers and first time turbo-4 drivers. The trouble many get in to is flooring it at 3000 rpm (or under!) and/or flooring it in 6th gear on the highway. High load / low rpm = boom. “I just did a pull on the highway, and 5 minutes later my check engine light was on, and car was knocking badly!” “Did you do the pull in 6th gear?” “Uh, yeah… why?” 🤦♂️
I had 80k on mine when someone totaled it while it was parked and never missed a beat. Stock tune, put 30k miles on it
The build quality seems to have gone off a cliff over the years. My 06 was totally bulletproof out past 130k miles, even tuned.
Bought a new WRX wagon in 2003. Kept 14 years. Modified it to 285hp. Sold it and 2 years later bought a used STi hatch which I’ve had for 5+ years. Awesome awesome fun car. Just gotta know what the EJ likes and doesn’t like to keep it from blowing.
I drive with s-drive S#, and Auto - dccd for more rotation. Also, DON’T lock your diff unless you are in loose dirt or snow, bc taking turns on dry pavement with the diff locked will eat your diff. Auto+ is fine for wet and snow. Auto- for dry. Reg Auto for cold tires on dry roads.
This is my dream car. Ever since being a little boy and playing Grand Turismo, this is what I always aspired to. What a beautiful car!
Found a '98 Impreza 2.4 RS for 3k back in '06 for my (now) wife (if she didn't buy it, I would have). Best canyon car ever- carved Montana mountain passes overcoming lines of cars stuck behind semis and trailers, and able to blip out and in with 360 degree vision. Stability coming down a tight canyon is unsurpassed. My father-in law is a corvette guy, and has trouble understanding the reality of what the car is doing up or down. Shrugs off snow and ice and 20 below in high wind. Still driving it, with the help of a local subaru-only garage.
I still have my 03 blob eye from 9 yrs ago, was my first car over 315,000 now still runs perfect❤
only in PA can a simple trip to the store be either a white knuckle adrenaline fest, or a frustrating 10mph convoy.
Oregon here, that’s BS. 😊
Best state in the us pa is
I lived in PA for years. Hated it.
Western NY checking, basically PA. So you right
@@williamkampert1475definitely not. Ever heard of Philadelphia?
You guys should try and do a collab with Dankpods/Garbage Time when you're in Australia. I know he's in Adelaide, not Melbourne, but I think you guys would make an excellent collab!
Let's be real. At this point you kinda have to review Tony, Bruce 2 and the rest.
@@captainevenslower4400 I want to! Do they know about me?
@@RegularCars I would sure hope so. You are both staples in the crappy car YT world.
RCR and Garbage time are my two favorite car channels and it's not even close
@@RegularCarsI believe Wade has mentioned RCR on one of his channels before. I'd genuinely be surprised if he didn't know you considering he knows of Mighty Car Mods and a number of American car channels.
dude i miss mine so much. i had a silver '04. i had to rebuild it twice. it was a relationship strengthened through strife.
Dear Mr. Regular, I'm sorry to inform you that the hero car of the first ten minutes of Baby Driver is actually a Red Hawkeye Imreza WRX with an engine issue, not a Blobeye WRX STi.
I know this because I worship Baby Driver and orthodoxly watch the first ten minutes of it at least once a month.
Yeah. He mentioned that.
He says that in the video
@@rcfp2006 He mentioned that it was a Hawkeye, not that it aslo wasn't a STi.
I'm sorry, I can't help it, I do this completely involuntarily. My inner Baby Driver is out of control.
@@konyina with an... engine issue?
@@ileutur6863 Yeah. A bunch of them actually, it had a squeaking timing belt, very prominent rod knocking, also probably some issues with valves and a heap of other stuff.
It was also piss-poor in terms of how good interior was, it literally looked like somebody took a dump on the car's upholstery and especially the headliner.
Still would drive though.
I've had my 05 STi for almost 16 years. I've had other cars along side it that have come and gone but the STi is the one i can't see ever being sold. Its my favorite for sure. Even after driving newer STi's, the GD chassis is perfection.
This is delightfully _classic_ RCR experience
Thank you! Want more? I miss doing random stuff
@@RegularCars yesplz! The random unhinged moments are some of my favorite!
That boost surge tho...
sounds like an electronic mac valve boost controller.
its an external wastegate fluttering to control boost
yes, controlled by an electronic boost controller @@aregaminghd
Ah, thats a common reaction for non subaru / evo guys. Thats the external wastegate spring opening and closing in resonance with the boost controller. I personally prefer the scream so I had it tuned to do so but the flutters great.
"Nobody cared about these until baby driver." Bro WHAT
Right every boy in highschool drooled over this car when it came out
Baby Driver paid homage to the sheer volume of worship these cars received from middle schoolers... I should know! XD
No, everybody always wanted one of these
Bruh I watched Baby driver only Because I own an STI 😂 you’re welcome Baby driver ✌️
For real, these have been basically unobtanium since day one.
I currently own an 07 WRX Wagon with a JDM EJ205 making about 300hp after taxes LOL. Had it for about 4 years+ and has never skipped a beat. I even drove it from California to Virginia. Ive done so many long road trips in it I have lost count. I even take it to Boxerfest PA every year. Side note, the first time I attended Boxerfest, I was volunteering and I saw you!! I was geeking out to my wife telling her "MR REGULAR IS IN THAT TOYOTA!!" As Mr Regular proceeds to open the gulwing style doors LOL. I am still in disbelief you let me take a selfie with you! An unforgettable experience. Thank you Mr. Regular.
the upper cup holder is only really meant to hold a standard size 12 or 16oz can, or a paper coffee cup. Anything else WILL fall out, but those fit perfectly (and at highway speed, it constantly shakes your drink).
Knew a guy who had an 04 worked over by Perrin, 500hp, came on like being rear-ended by a semi - I’ve driven fast cars and that was the craziest car I’ve ever driven, only problem with having the suspension dialed into the inths is it gripped TOO hard, all the power, no slide, wanted to pull you into the right side ditch on a right turn regardless of speed - thing was EPIC
Brought back a lot of nostalgia for my 03 WRX. It was my first manual that i owned and so much fun to row gears on Vermont and upstate NY back roads.
This things going to grenade itself soon.
I owned a 04 STi for 13 years. Somehow it was both the best and the worst car I ever owned. Thankfully and maybe surprisingly it was reliable. I only put 70,000 miles on it and it only ever got regular oil changes, a transmission and diff oil change, and that's about it. I think back to it as an exgf that was crazy, hot, and wanted to kill me. It was great for a time in my life when I needed that.
This makes me nostalgic - in my high school years me and my buddies were really into these cars although we were too young to drive lol. Here in Switzerland you still see a lot of them (and other older Subie's) in the mountain regions. Perfect for the narrow, steep roads and the snow, and probably more durable than the modern cars!
I had a new 04 STI, I grew up and bought corvettes, BMWs and hellcats. It was a gateway drug to zero sensibility.
This is the Monster Energy logo flat brim cap of cars.
I didn't get into cars until later in life than most (18) and it was THIS car I saw in a magazine that drew me in
I have a 2015 STI myself, and while not as ridiculous and violent as the GD chassis cars, it is still brash, aggressive, unrefined, and violent in all the right ways. The boost hits like a freight train, the brakes feel just right, the AWD is point and shoot accurate in bad weather, the steering feel is second to none, and body roll is almost nonexistent. Modified, these cars are a blast, but in stock form, I feel like they’re nipping at the toes of automotive perfection. I’ve left mine mechanically stock because I don’t want to lose the charm that Subaru gave it from the factory. I’ve also got a Legacy wagon (that I just finished replacing the engine in) that does have some stuff done to it, and even though it’s more of a grandpa car daily driver, the extra power with the bigger turbo and miscellaneous stuff done to it make that car a lot of fun as well. These cars are a blast, but you’ve gotta be committed to them, and drive them how they want to be driven, or they will make you regret it. Subarus always will remind you that they’re in control, not you 😂😂
I drive an RS and this is still my dream car. I’m sitting in my RS, with Apple play, and I’m daydreaming about my STi, with no iPad in the center console, blowing a head gasket because I’m an idiot 😂
I can't believe it didn't blow cylinder #4 during your filming. So lucky!
"...you bought it, because there was something wrong with you....". LMAO. Gold .
Subaru's drivers won the championship in 01 and 03. Also, the fia went to a 1.6L engine size limit which killed it for the impreza platform. Also, David Higgins was the head driver for the ARA with Subaru for years before Pastrana joined. Bucky Lasek and Dave Mirra actually drove for them at this time too.
yeah, Subaru then did GT300 with BRZ in Japan, Nurburgring attempts with VA STI (and other time trials), then did the rallying in USA along with Hoonigan and USA time trials. So they still kept some motorsport. Just not WRC. And even today, WRC is dead, there are like only 3 car brands in it and no one watches it. Which is a shame, but they basically destroyed it via regulation etc. Although they do have the rally cross now (still run by FIA) which is more popular I think. I've seen Subaru in that a few times also (with the US team).
Damn it.....gonna have to order 100 mugs
I hope you are kidding. That shit is a scam.
Yeah, you didn’t watch the video to say that.
I'm going to be honest here as someone who has been subscribed from almost the very beginning (waaay before the EP3 Si), I've left a ton of your videos midway in the last year or two. It felt like you were going in the a direction where more vulgar or more political means better. This feels like the first RCR in a long time that is comparable to the videos of old and I absolutely love it.
I have a true gen1 impreza. It has a td04l and a top mount (got a front mount just not the piping).
So your "this is a gen1 sti" made me glance out the window and chuckle a bit.
I use mine as a desert car. Currently it's the fastest arroyo vehicle amongst my friend group.
Thank you. I’ve been scrolling the comments waiting for someone to correct him lol
That sti has boost flutter and honestly needs to be fixed
Agreed, that turbo is on borrowed time
External wastegate.
sounds like a mac valve ebc
mr regular has been on tumblr it seems. that lovehonk ending killed me
Not tumblr. Lovehonk is a cohost original.
Giving it's a Subaru, arguably the best iteration of the STi, I would have that turbo flutter under load checked before the giveaway. Tuning with the COBB and perhaps a different blowoff spring should take care of that.
That’s not a turbo flutter, that’s the sound of a external waste gate being controlled by a electrical boost control solenoid
@@Mikeskennebellcobra Controlled by an electrical solenoid or not, you can hear the flutter. The COBB should be able to take care of it.
Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen the boost gauge flutter like that under load. I'm assuming its a boost leak somewhere?
it's a non-issue. the stock ECU doesn't have the processing speed to perfectly keep the boost in check.
@@Mikeskennebellcobra is right. That flutter is because that boxer 4 has unequal headers which makes an unequal pulse that “confuse” the External wastegate, in difference to an inline 4 for example that lets the excessive exhaust gasses “scream” out while regulating the boost.
I love a nice smoke top indica
Being Subaru the latest Gen STi pretty much has the same Center Diff Control, just with a modern nob control and not a dial and switch they jammed into the holes that normally would have housed the heated Seats controls.
yes! Love the classic RCR weirdness. and a video that isn't 40 minutes long, fantastic!
I got to drive one of these and it's still one of my favorites next to the Hellcat with the red key FOB. That turbo noise in the beginning really brought back some good memories. Thanks RCR
I always loved these. Alaskans love these. We use them how they were designed.
Drove a 2004 from 2006 to 2014. I miss it, especially when big snow hits. You could tell it was designed from the ground up for rally. With good left foot braking the precision you could dance the car around with was the most fun I’ve ever had driving.
Is it just me when I think of the pre-facelift, 2nd gen Impreza? I grew up with Gran Turismo 3 and when I hear Impreza, I think about the circular headlights and especially the prototype rally car with its mostly blacked out headlights that contrasts brilliantly with the paint.
You have to really admire the skill it takes to come up with so many acronyms for STI and being able to join them together to make sense
Really channeled the 2018 RCR vibes for this one. Thank you daddy.
The first time I rolled that switch to the rear wheels, I spun out going 45 and ended up facing the other way in on coming traffic. Fun times.
I bought an SRT4 some time after seeing the review for it, really fun to see the blobeye revisited after I just picked up an '05 for myself last year.
Brings back so many memories. Traded my typhoon in for an 04 sti in wrc blue with silver wheels. No radio, no niceties. Road tripped it to Denver to visit my parents and we did pikes peak before it was paved to the top. Such a fun car.
I mean lets face it this is the best car. People gawk over all the 90's jdm cars but they all built up to a battle between the subaru and the evo and we all know what happened to the evo.
I had an 05 STi 7 years ago and I plan to buy another 05. So much character in that car and I miss it.
It’s not a first Gen Impreza STi though, 04 was simply the first STi brought into America.
The DCCD was great for driving in the snow. If you put it in Locked, it just wouldn’t want to get sideways at all. If you wanted to have fun, you put it the fully unlocked position which allows the rear biased AWD let you get easily sideways for having fun.
15:02 Thanks to WRC's Rule set not allowing the boxer engine layout. Subaru would have to redesign an entire new chassis and engine specifically for rally. Talking going back to homologation stuff... They just said Eff it. As you mentioned too much money for no return. Though there is some rumors of them coming back in the Electric Wrc..
0:10 Thank you! I feel like one of the few people that couldnt stand the baby driver movie.
any subaru rcr video is always legendary
IMO 2005 was the best. 5x114.3 bolt pattern, better center console, better steering wheel, mechanically the "most reliable", the rear subtle fender flares to distinguish it from a regular WRX. As much as I swore off Subarus over a decade ago, the two I'd buy are either a bugeye wagon, or a 2005 STI
had an 04 back when they were new for 5 years, best car ever, my 2018 sti cant come close to the feeling that car gave you
Kinda high while watching this. Am I just tripping or are the bathroom bedroom snippets out of nowhere with no context???
welcome to the channel!
@@teneksi7803 thank you.
you're absolutely right about the headlight height control, you keep it set at 0, adjust the headlights and use it only if the back of the car's full or you're using a trailer
I miss my 04 STI, super fun, and an absolute beast in the snow.
Nostalgic ! I love these and have had many.
Writing is always on point, love the throwback. Literally can’t wait for Australia
"Whichever way he goes... I'm not" 😁 Had an '05 WRB STi back in 2008, this vid brings back great memories of cruising around the PA backroads. I can still smell that Alcantara interior!
Best giveaway car ever. But, as a former EJ wrx owner, that compressor surge on boost is a bit worrying.
It’s more likely external wastegate that hasn’t had its frequency tuned properly to eliminate that stupid sound
compressor surge happens when you let off the throttle, not when you get on throttle.
"When the turbo lights it lights, good luck chucklenuts" is an amazing one liner
Thank you for the correct Star Wars references!!
The only problem this car has ever had is not having bugeyes.
I bought a VB WRX last year and I love it. My favorite car I’ve ever owned.
The STI Blobeye has a timeless design IMHO, still looks menacing today with that large legendary hood scoop.
Loved mine in 04, felt like a rocketship almost as fast as a contemporary 911. 4x100 hubs can suck it though
"Someone's going to win this STI.. "
Phrasing! 😂
This felt very old RCR, love it
9:01 I can't really speak for the GD (I'm a GC8 guy. I restore/rebuild them), but those are just covers to protect the foglights from gravel during daylight/bright light conditions. They should be removable.
On the GC8s, we have thumb screws to remove the fog light covers.
I could be way off the mark here but that turbo flutter under throttle is quite concerning.
A new yearly engine is expected soon anyway
Its supposed to sound like that. It has an external wastegate.
Blobeye is best eye. I miss my old WRX every day.
that old tuner reminded me of when I found the old tuning cards still attached to the wiring in my NB that must've had a supercharger in the 2000s
This is deadass what my cars gonna sound like
The waste gate dump sounds like cracking a whip
Thankyou for explaining the DCCD properly! It's commonly misunderstood. It's doesn't not control bias, it controls slip!
Had an '01 bugeye WRX UK300 for almost 4 years now. Easily the most fun car I've ever driven.
3:45 As someone who spent 2 hours yesterday absolutley sending my wrx down twisty backroads, I approve this message.
NOTHING says 2004 more than every technological gadget coming with a wrist strap that no one ever even thought of using.
As a mazda 3 owner I found it funny the mazda showing up and passing the STI at the beginning lol
Every once and a while there's a reference that catches me off guard and today it's Love Honk. I see you, Mr. Regular. I see you.
If you go to Australia and don´t meet up with MCM i swear i´m gonna complain about it in a funny way on every video you put out from then on. Please please try to get a hold of them somehow.
0:44 Coming from turbo cars that aren't Subarus, hearing compressor surge put me in a panic. I didn't know it until after watching this video and looking it up; replacing the stock BOV with an EWG that vents to atmosphere makes this sound and it's completely fine, specifically with the WRX/STI.
"EA sports, its in the game"
and now everyone knows Im watching a video at the office because I'm laughing uncontrollably.
Boy oh boy, I hope I win. The car would be awesome, but the real prize would be meeting Mr.Regular!
I remember watching Petter Solberg destroy a bunch of these in WRC 2005.