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What’s up everyone?! My name is Louie and I have been here at 4 Wheel Parts for about 6 months and so far I love it. Being an avid off-road enthusiast and a gear head, 4 Wheel Parts is a very good fit for me. I haven’t always been an off-road enthusiast but have always had a passion for cars and making them perform better.
My first taste of off-road driving came in 2005 when I went on a camping trip with some friends. At the time I had a 2004 Subaru WRX and it handled great on the street. Then we came across some red clay fire roads and I was hooked! It was crazy at the time, sliding sideways with 4 people in the car and a fully loaded trunk, but it was a blast.
Fast forward 2 years, a totaled car, and one mistake later to when I purchased my second Subaru, a 2000 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS. This car was destined to be my off-roading beast. I bought the car in February of 2007 and within 2 weeks I attended the California Rally Series Rally School and participated in the rallycross that followed. My addiction grew even stronger from that point on! I attended every race that year and ended up taking home second place in the stock class. Not bad for a rookie with no organized racing experience and a car with autocross tires.
I also joined DirtyImpreza.com. This forum helped me to connect with other off-road & rally enthusiasts and further cemented me in the rally community. We held 2 DI meets that first year, the second of which was at Gorman OHV. This is where my car caught air for the first time. I was surprised at how level the car flew and how smooth the landings were. Even though the car felt good, there is always room for improvement so that winter I began to modify the car in preparation for the next year's RallyX season. Check out my next post to see the first modification I made to my Subaru.
2009 wasn’t exactly a great year for upgrades on the rally car. Unfortunately, unemployment has a way of doing that. However, 2010 is shaping up a lot better. The car has been gutted, the sound deadening removed, all the seams have been prepped for seam welding, and Kyle from Jackson Rally has begun the cage construction.
Read Off Road Upgrades To My Subaru Impreza 2.5RS
Before I entered my 2nd season of RallyX, I decided to upgrade my suspension. Based on that experience, here is a little how-to for those interested. When you get into it, it’s really not that daunting of a task but I can see how some people might be intimidated. All you need are the right tools, the right info, and some time. Let’s get started.
Read Subaru Impreza’s Suspension Upgrade
In anticipation of the new RallyX season, I was ready to make some upgrades on my Subaru. I started by swapping out the clutch and adding a lightweight flywheel and crank pulley. This really freed the engine up, allowing it to rev easily. I also added a Borla header, a track pipe, and a Greddy Evo2 ca-back to free up the exhaust and allow the engine to breathe better.
Read Subaru Impreza Upgrades
