Hey everyone, took a trip to the Poconos and the Subaru fit right in! Highly recommend before the seasons change.

Following up on a recent inquiry about lifting my 2002 Impreza Outback, and I settled on the Subaru Forester struts + socks method that several of you recommended. Please see the photo with the side by side comparison of the stock ride height, next to the Forester’s.

I conducted a test fitting today, and it seems like it’ll fit well with enough grit and elbow grease. However, I don’t want to cause strain or damage to my current suspension setup with the added height.

Which parts are recommended to swap out to minimize suspension strain and allow for more flexibility, for a daily driver? It’d be pretty tight to force the Forester struts in as is.

Thank you all for your suggestions and support, it’s been a fun journey!

Back in June I made a regrettable impulse purchase at a local dealer for this 98 Impreza OBS. It has 193k miles and a pretty extensive service history, including the work I just had done to it this summer at a local Subaru specialist (AISIN timing belt, water pump, rack boots, cam seals). It also has the 5 speed and is pretty much rust free underneath. I’ll include the original marketplace description at the bottom for reference.

It idles and runs very smooth. The only flaws I’ve noticed are some minor dings and a very slight seep from the rear of the engine (likely backing plate or RMS; I was gonna leave it until it needed a clutch since it’s not enough to notice on the dip stick).

Even so, I think I paid too much at $4300 (I know, ouch) when I’ve seen comparable ones selling for $2500 or less. All in all I’m about 6k into it, so selling now would force me to realize at least a 2k loss.

I also have a beater 07 Corolla (ugly but dead reliable) and a 1996 Tacoma 4x4 that needs some stiff here and there but is also solid and rust free.

Just wondering how severely I overpaid and whether it’d be worth keeping. It runs better than either of my other cars but also seems like the most expendable since the fuel economy isn’t as good as the Corolla, but it’s also not as capable on rough roads as the Tacoma, making it a bit neither fish nor fowl.

The original marketplace ad:

1998 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport

Over 40 service records on hand

Clean title / clean carfax
0 accidents
192k miles
2 owner (same owner last 25 years)
2.2L EJ22 engine (one of Subaru’s best engines)
AWD
5 speed manual
Heat & A/C work
Cruise control
Power windows, mirrors, locks, etc
Roof racks
Fantastic service history, all services done at Subaru dealer
New Headgaskets, camshaft seals, timing belt, A/C compressor & CV boots @ 148k
New serpentine belt & axles @ 172k
New power steering pump, transmission fluid, stabilizer bar links, sway bar links & valve cover gaskets @ 175k
New tires, front brake rotors & pads & diff fluid @ 190k
New crankshaft, camshaft & knock sensors @ 192k
Runs and drives great, really impressive car for the year.

I have a 2014 Impreza Sport Premium and am looking to replace the rear door speakers as one is not working. I recently replaced the fronts with the Kenwood KFC-1666S, they have been fine, nothing too special. Should I get another pair or look at something else like the JBL Club 64FSL? I do not have a sub or amplifier and don’t intend on adding one. Thanks

Does anyone know of a aftermarket rear sway bar that can work in the rear as I am looking for something stiffer then the rs update

hello everybody i own a 2008 subaru impreza hatchback 1.5L, its slow obviously and I’m trying to figure out how i can mod my car safely while also having it work properly. it is N/A and apparently anything i do will not really have much effect engine wise, i was thinking about getting a throttle controller so i can at least get rid of that delay. I’m kind of embarrassed about my car it’s an automatic and I’ve only done slight cosmetics to it, i painted the grille black, replaced my worn and peeled shift knob for a sparco knob, carbon wrap on the mirrors to cover damages (seen in last photo) and black wheels. idk if my car is ‘riced’ or not so i need some opinions on what i should do. so far my next plans is the throttle controller, yellow fog lights, a better sounding muffler, and some good coil overs.

please give me some feedback i feel lost at this point.

Purchased car with 170K, pretty clean, didn’t pay much. Purchased after 30 mile test drive, very tight, ran well.

Sat for a week before I took her for a drive.

After 50 miles, P0016. Dang, possible timing chain issue. Drove another 100 miles, no issues. Quick start-up, no chain slap, no hesitation, smooth and quiet operation.

Erased codes, drove 30-40 miles, code returned.

Got an oil change, erased code, code returned after about 75 miles.

My thoughts, intermittent nature and lack of other symptoms kinda points at intake OCV.

Instead of swapping banks, just gonna buy an OEM OCV.

Anybody wanna share their P0016 stories, good or bad?