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Old 02-20-2022, 04:45 AM   #1
Mikku
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 528920
Join Date: Feb 2022
Chapter/Region: International
Location: Japan
Vehicle:
2005 WRX Wagon
World rally blue

Default Hello from Japan!

First post on here. I’m a Brit living in Japan, and until December, drove an '03 JDM Forester Cross Sports (2 litre EJ20 turbo) which I loved but got fed up with the very competent but boring auto box. After flirting with but failing to find a decent Forester STi within my budget, I decided to go in another direction, namely Impreza WRX Wagons. With similar-ish luggage space as the Forester (I race BMX, so need to get all my bike gear in the back), a manual Impreza seemed to tick all the boxes. I looked at a few cars before finally settling on an '05 Hawkeye WRX in the iconic world rally blue. A 2-owner car with 111K km (69K miles) on the clock, it’s stock apart from an STi Genome rear box but is noticeably sportier, lower, lighter and louder than the Forester. Although they basically share the same engine, the 5-speed box brings the EJ20 turbo alive. Not that the Forester was slow, but the WRX feels so much faster. That gorgeous exhaust note no doubt helps but two months later and I’m still loving it!
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Old 02-22-2022, 03:49 PM   #2
Natty1974
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 528777
Join Date: Feb 2022
Chapter/Region: AKIC
Vehicle:
2006 WRX Wagon
OBP

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Welcome
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Old 02-22-2022, 04:20 PM   #3
WaxyAgenda
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 523722
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Saginaw, MI
Vehicle:
2021 Sti
CWP

Default

Welcome. Pics are a must homie!
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Old 02-22-2022, 10:53 PM   #4
AliBenn
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 487
Join Date: Nov 1999
Chapter/Region: TXIC
Location: Houston TX
Vehicle:
1998 /2005 STunIcorn
Acadia Green USDM 22b

Default

Jeez bro
PM me if you can lay your hands on some GC8 parts and you need finder/middle man $$$!!!
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Old 02-23-2022, 10:15 PM   #5
Kochi_STi
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 369411
Join Date: Sep 2013
Chapter/Region: International
Location: Kochi, Japan
Vehicle:
2002 WRX STi Limited
Silver

Default

Welcome.
Also in Japan on Shikoku.
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Old 05-24-2022, 08:58 AM   #6
Mikku
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 528920
Join Date: Feb 2022
Chapter/Region: International
Location: Japan
Vehicle:
2005 WRX Wagon
World rally blue

Default

Hi guys, and thanks for the replies! Apologies for the delay - I lost my password and have also been struggling (and am continuing to struggle) to open an account so that I can upload images!

Anyway, three months on down the line and I'm still loving my WRX Wagon! I fitted a Kartboy short shifter and WC Lathe Werks knob, which makes shifting so much more fun, though the former was a royal pita to install!

Have also just ordered some KB endlinks, KB diff outrigger bushes and an STi pitch stop mount, all with a view to tightening up things a little. I'm also looking at a sway bar upgrade (Cusco is currently at the top of my list, being easy to get over here) and possibly a new suspension set-up, so may start a new thread about that.

@Kochi_STi, can I ask where you tend to source your parts from, both OEM and aftermarket? The purchases mentioned above have all been shipped over from the States, though I've got small OEM parts such as bushes and plastic clips from Yahoo Auctions and Amazon Japan. I would also love to find a Subaru specialist near me but have so far had no luck.
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Old 06-24-2022, 07:59 AM   #7
Mikku
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 528920
Join Date: Feb 2022
Chapter/Region: International
Location: Japan
Vehicle:
2005 WRX Wagon
World rally blue

Default

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Old 06-24-2022, 08:12 AM   #8
DrTrae
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Member#: 454659
Join Date: Sep 2016
Chapter/Region: MWSOC
Location: Loves Park, IL
Vehicle:
2004 WRX Wagon
Java Black Pearl

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikku View Post
Yeeeeesh, she's gorgeous. Super clean!
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Old 06-24-2022, 08:23 AM   #9
Mikku
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 528920
Join Date: Feb 2022
Chapter/Region: International
Location: Japan
Vehicle:
2005 WRX Wagon
World rally blue

Default

Thanks DT! She's clean from a distance though shows her age when you get up close, but then don't we all!

Let's see if you can actually see this one here:-



EDIT:- Hmmm, may need to have a rethink on that! Here's what I was trying (and failed) to insert:-

https://photos.app.goo.gl/P8fhSVUegU14UstL9
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Old 06-24-2022, 10:58 AM   #10
K3rm1tth3fr0g
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 508105
Join Date: Nov 2019
Chapter/Region: NWIC
Location: Greater Seattle Area
Vehicle:
Link G4X flex tuned
02' EJ205 20G 6MT wagon

Default

If you right click the image, you can grab the actual image URL and embed it as long as it's public.

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Old 06-24-2022, 06:50 PM   #11
Mikku
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 528920
Join Date: Feb 2022
Chapter/Region: International
Location: Japan
Vehicle:
2005 WRX Wagon
World rally blue

Default

Thanks for that! Let's see if this works:-

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw...-no?authuser=1

Or this:-

https://photos.google.com/u/1/share/...xSZGo0QkFjWDB3

Well, that didn't quite go to plan. Okay, I'll give it a rest for now.
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Old 06-24-2022, 07:28 PM   #12
K3rm1tth3fr0g
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 508105
Join Date: Nov 2019
Chapter/Region: NWIC
Location: Greater Seattle Area
Vehicle:
Link G4X flex tuned
02' EJ205 20G 6MT wagon

Default

Make sure to use the embed button which will add the necessary brackets and text required to embed it
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Old 06-24-2022, 10:46 PM   #13
Mikku
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 528920
Join Date: Feb 2022
Chapter/Region: International
Location: Japan
Vehicle:
2005 WRX Wagon
World rally blue

Default

Houston, I think we had a problem but have now fixed it!!





In which case it may be time to stop posting here and start up a new build thread!
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Old 06-24-2022, 11:46 PM   #14
AZ-GT
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 192
Join Date: Aug 1999
Chapter/Region: SWIC
Location: Las Vegas, NV.
Vehicle:
2011 WRX, 05 FOZ XT,
00 Impreza 2.5RS

Default

Looks good. Enjoy!
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Old 06-25-2022, 06:59 PM   #15
tacoma_trash
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Member#: 501399
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Washington
Vehicle:
2009 Forester xt
White

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Looks good
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Old 06-25-2022, 08:05 PM   #16
Nick51xx
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Member#: 530493
Join Date: Jun 2022
Default

Konichiwa from Australia!

Beautiful car and colour
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Old 07-08-2022, 01:07 PM   #17
Cruddy
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 282216
Join Date: May 2011
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: Upstate NY
Vehicle:
2011 WRX/STI
WR Blue

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Welcome!
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Old 07-09-2022, 07:26 AM   #18
Mikku
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 528920
Join Date: Feb 2022
Chapter/Region: International
Location: Japan
Vehicle:
2005 WRX Wagon
World rally blue

Default

Thanks guys! It's now sitting a bit lower (and looking better for it) courtesy of some HKS coilovers! Pics to follow!
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Old 08-23-2022, 07:35 AM   #19
Mikku
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 528920
Join Date: Feb 2022
Chapter/Region: International
Location: Japan
Vehicle:
2005 WRX Wagon
World rally blue

Default

Here are a couple of those pics of the wagon with its new, improved and lower suspension!



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Old 08-23-2022, 09:04 AM   #20
timpala11
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 512891
Join Date: Mar 2020
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: Philly
Vehicle:
2010 STi/21 Passport
RIP 19 WRX & 16 FXT

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikku View Post
Here are a couple of those pics of the wagon with its new, improved and lower suspension!



Looks great mate! How are you liking Japan? I did a semester abroad there back in 2013 and I fell in love with it, hope I get to go back for an extended stay someday!
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Old 08-23-2022, 05:59 PM   #21
AliBenn
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 487
Join Date: Nov 1999
Chapter/Region: TXIC
Location: Houston TX
Vehicle:
1998 /2005 STunIcorn
Acadia Green USDM 22b

Default

LOVE those wheels.
so classic
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Old 08-23-2022, 07:03 PM   #22
Mikku
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 528920
Join Date: Feb 2022
Chapter/Region: International
Location: Japan
Vehicle:
2005 WRX Wagon
World rally blue

Default

Thanks guys! It's my first world rally blue Impreza (my first Impreza for that matter), so I needed to get the iconic gold wheel combination out of my system.

Quote:
Originally Posted by timpala11 View Post
Looks great mate! How are you liking Japan? I did a semester abroad there back in 2013 and I fell in love with it, hope I get to go back for an extended stay someday!
Like you, I also fell in love with it, which is why I'm still here some 12 years after first arriving!! Nowhere's perfect, of course, but the pros outweigh the cons by some way, at least for this Impreza-lover!
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