I am looking to have some performance upgrades done to my 2004 Subaru WRX Wagon, any suggestions?

Question

Leaning toward exhaust first...

Answer 1

Exhaust is a great idea and always a great first upgrade(usually around a 9-12hp upgrade). I would recommend a cat back for the wrx. They're so many upgrades..where to start. Well its sounds strange but new wheels will make a big difference in how it handles, stops, accelerates/decelerates. Also a new blow off valve will help will your supercharger, it will save your turbo from back pressure, and reduces turbo spool-up in between shifts (and makes a great sound when you change gears). A simple upgrade is always the cold air intake, easy to install, around 250$ and will give u an extra 9-15 hp. The Wrx's engine is a boxer and there are so many things you can do to it. Simple hoses will give you a good 6-12 hp by smoothing out the turbo/intercooling flow. Good luck, and have fun while your making your wagon even more powerful!

Answer 2

you can get the exhaust but first you need to learn how to handle the wrx wagon. not sure what your level of driving experience is, but fully utilize what you have first before you begin modding it out. its an awd car and turbo.

after you think you know what you are doing, do suspension first. engine second. dont listen to the guy who suggested the cold air intake (the stock MAF is way too sensitive) or blow off valve (you're not going to replace the turbo are you? BOV's are only good if you are pushing 25+ psi; stock turbo reaches only 17 psi MAX). its a waste of money. go buy the short shifter with bushings for better driving experience. then get a rear sway bar. you will feel the difference right away. if you really want to see why ppl talk so highly of wrx's, do the following:

-short shifter and short shifter bushings
-steering rack bushings
-rear sway bar with endlinks
-new tires, preferbly 225/55/16s
-catless exhaust
-piggyback ecu tuned to fully utilize the stock turbo
-manual or electronic boost controller (dont do a boost tap)

if you do all this, you will have a very balanced car that will handle very well and have great power.

Answer 3

Everybody wants more power first, well ok then. exhuast really helps this car, i live in Nevada and am not subject to smog test, so a catless exhuast adds real power without making the ecu freak out. Avoid blow off valves, they make the engine run rich and dont add much power. Running a cold air intake has too many bends to get to the fender, short ram is only marginally effective. Oh yea wrx's rock

Answer 4

A boost tap is maybe the coolest thing for a turbo, it would allow your boost preasure to go from 10pound to 18pound an the flick of a switch, maybe a bigger turbo too, or just a "pod" filter (costs under$300)
Or an upgraded computer.

Answer 5

What would you like more of, what would you like less of, and what do you do with the car? That's what you should be asking. The sheer amount of stuff available for these cars is staggering, as you know if you've ever looked through Sport Compact Car or Subiesport (or NASIOC or...). So think about this:

1 - It's always best (as another answer says) to start with handling and brakes before adding power. So for my first mod, I did a very mild handling upgrade on its first anniversary, going with 17 x 7 Rota Tarmac IIs, a more aggressive brake pad, and Eibach Progressive springs. FAR from the ultimate, but at the time I was making 10-hour drives every month, so Tein coilovers would have put me in the hospital. Also, I drive in all KINDS of conditions; not only do I live in Portland, OR where it snows a little and rains a LOT, but I also do TSD rally, rallycross, autocross, track days, and the occasional Friday Night drags at Portland International Raceway. I'm about ready to upgrade the shocks, and I've just about settled on KYB AGXs for their adjustability; it'd let me change the settings for rallycross and autocross, for example, without having to choose which of 16 different settings was exactly right between runs.

2 - Once you've got a basis for improved control, the single best bang-for-your-buck performance mod you can do to these cars is to reprogram the ECU. I got an EcuTek reflash from PDX Tuning (http://www.pdxtuning.com), who happen to be local, which made it easier: one of their tech guys hooked up his laptop to my OBD-II port, downloaded some software, and wham, +40 wheel horsepower. Yeah, it's expensive, but I started thinking about what it would cost to get 40 bhp from one of my Alfas, and it would involve tearing down the engine, machining the valves, etc. etc. etc., and about three times as much money, not to mention months of disassembly and reassembly, followed by hours of tuning and testing. With a reflash, it's about as much work as downloading a plugin for your browser. (What it does: it changes the settings for boost, fuel, and ignition timing, taking into account throttle position and load setting, and then lets the factory ECU stay in control of everything. So you still have most of the factory safeguards, you just let it run a little hotter, a little more advanced, and a little richer -- and the power comes up.)

3 - I've had mixed results with the hardware mods. The one I'm happiest about is the ScoobySport axle-back, which I bought used; it sounds AWESOME, and the first 50 miles I spent driving it, I could feel the computer "hunting" to find the right settings of boost and advance, right at the 2800-3000 RPM level that ScoobySport says they're optimized for. After that it's run flawlessly.

I also ran a Perrin short-ram. Pluses: super easy to install, sounds FANTASTIC, and feels as if there's less resistance in the mid- and upper-range breathing. Minuses: because it sucks air from under the hood and behind the radiator, on hot days the computer dials out so much advance (to prevent detonation) that the car is boggy off the line. The short-ram is off the car now but is going back on for next year's SCCA STX competition, because launching isn't a big deal but having more mid- and top-range throttle response IS.

I also am currently running -- and will be removing -- a USDM STI TMIC (that's U. S. domestic market STI top-mounted intercooler, if you haven't yet learned Subie alphabet soup :-). It fit great, but I didn't/don't have enough other mods to make the larger intercooler a useful addition (e.g. bigger turbo, etc.). And it's illegal in STX, so it's going back on the shelf and my stock EJ20 TMIC will go back in.

When that happens, I'll also upgrade to the Perrin turbo inlet that's in my garage, and I'll do the Perrin up-pipe and ScoobySport downpipe. Those (all legal mods in STX) should really free up the turbocharger, getting gas to it faster and from it faster still. The ScoobySport pipes create a low-pressure zone at the exit of the turbo, which helps spool it up quickly. I can't wait...

So think about what you want to do with it; if you're looking to compete in a particular class, make sure you don't spend money on something that'll get you protested. Think about what you want to end up with -- I went for drivability, comfort, control, and responsiveness, but I have friends who go for the big numbers. It's all in what matters to you -- and these cars are so tuneable, you can have whatever you like.

All the best!

Answer 6

yes that then put a short throw shifter if its a stick or a stage 2 turbo

Answer 7

Trade it in for an STI.