[STi_FTW]

New photos added 8-14-08:
I wanted to wait until I had given her a really good wash, polish, and wax before I took a bunch of pix, but I'm happy with her enough now. She was washed, clayed, polished, and for the final step I polished/waxed her with Liquid Glass, she has 2 coats on her ATM. She has also been washed and dried again after the waxing to get the powdery crap off. (BTW, thanks to Peleg for the Liquid Glass recommendation in the detailing thread, even if you don't use it anymore)

BTW, this is probably the best my car will look, she has 60k on her and the previous owner didn't take good care of the wheels, so there is some brake dust perma-stuck on them. Also the camera used was just my cheap 3.2mp digi-cam. I probably spent about 20 hours washing, polishing, and waxing last week.

[STi_FTW]

Here is my super long story about wanting and getting my STi...

I've personally never even known anyone that had a Subaru or rode in one until recently. The first time I played GT1 (or 2, whichever one had the rally racing) and started rally racing, the only car I would use was the WRX, and I pawned with it too. Ever since then I've wanted a Subaru.

The past 4 1/2 years I've been driving a 99 Eclipse RS, AT, non-turbo, no sunroof, stripped down model Long story short, I could not get a loan at 20 cause I didn't have enough credit (I made plenty of money and had decent credit, just nobody had ever lent me a large sum of money), my dad refused to co-sign too. Finally after getting turned down about 20 times by every dealer he finally agreed to co-sign. We looked at alot of cars over the next week, but nothing I really wanted or that was in my price range that I wanted. My dad loved the Eclipse and really wanted me to get it since he's friend was the dealer, lol, so I kinda caved and settled for the Eclipse so I could at least build my credit. I ended up paying it off 13 months early of my 4 year loan

So my Eclipse has been paid off for the last year and I've been dying to get something else. Like I said, I kinda settled on the Eclipse. Last summer I was really thinking about getting a GSX (most of you know it's about the same setup as an STi, turbo and AWD) to start with and mod the hell out of it, but then again I really hate my Eclipse for several reasons (broken door handles, rare random shutdown anywhere while driving). So I began to look at other cars...

TBH I really didn't know much about STis and was looking into getting a WRX. After reading about WRXs a bit, I kept coming across a lot of STi talk, so I began to look more into the STi. After buying a RS Eclipse and being left unsatisfied (wanting a GSX model), I decided I'd rather get the STi. I also watched a friend of mine go through the Mustang to Cobra transition before too, lol, so I know I would have regretting getting a WRX (no offense to you WRX guys ). But once I found this site, I knew for sure my next car HAD to be a STi... I also knew from reading on here that I wanted an 05, no other year would do, the cupholders in the 04 instantly killed that, and I personally hate the 06/07 front end, and don't get me started on the 08, lol (no offense to you 06-08 owners).

I would have bought an STi nearly a year ago if I could afford to, but there was just no way. I was about $4k in CC debt and lived by myself, so I was barely making enough to get by. My goal over the last 8 months or so has been to get out of debt and then get the STi. Things were going pretty good till about 3 weeks ago, I had paid all but $2k of my debt and then my tranny started slipping in the Eclipse

When my tranny began to go I didn't know WTF to do. I really didn't want to do anymore work to the Eclipse, but then on the other hand I'm not really in the position to get the STi just yet. IMO I felt nobody would give me a car loan for $20k (that is a tad low, but you CAN find them in that area, they just usually have a few more miles) when I still owe $2k in CC debt. I was honestly scared I was going to have to go out and buy a $10k car to get me by, and then end up stuck in a loan for a few years, which would mean more years I would not be able to get my dream STi (this was really what I though was going to happen).

After talking to my dad a bit, he convinced me that my credit has to be at least OK since I've been renting forever (I know most of you disapprove of renting, I don't care to hear it, no offense) and I'm never late on payments and I should have some credit after paying off my Eclipse. Last Monday I said F it and bit the bullet and applied for a $20k loan online with my bank. I applied about 8:30 that morning and got a call around 11. "Hi, this is such and such from XX bank, I'm calling about your loan", instantly I think "yep, knew I wouldn't get it, at least I tried, better than never knowing and always wondering if I could have been approved". And here it comes, "I'm sorry Mr. XXXXX we denied your intial request for $20k, but...", holy ****, there's a but , "we did approve you for $16k". I can't express how happy and sad I was at the same time, lol. On one hand I was getting approved for $16k, but on the other there is no F'n way I'm getting an STi for that.

So the next few days I began to hunt for an 05 STi under $20k, and preferrably never modded. I searched and searched and could not even come close to under $20k, most were $23.5+. Finally I found a good deal, 05 CGM on craigslist for $19k, stock except for an AP which came with the car when the first owner sold it. It did have 61k miles though, but I didn't really expect to find a low milage one for cheap, and since it hadn't been modded I feel a lot more comfortable with the miles over a 40k mile one that had been modded out. I had also seen that he had dropped the price from $20k after not selling it in 1 month. IMO I think he was having a hard time selling since it wasn't on any of the big online sites (ebay, autotrader, etc.) and he lived in somewhat BFE.

So I sent an email to the guy selling and asked if he would consider $18k. I would have been glad to give him $19k, but considering the bank would only lend me $16k I couldn't see coming up with the other $3k, $2k I could do. He replied promptly and said it was still for sale, and let me know it had 2 very minor dings in it and sent me plenty of pix of her. He also said he could do $18k After looking at the pix I said "well now I know why he's selling it so low", they looked pretty bad, nothing that couldn't be fixed though. I set everthing up with the bank and went to buy the car Friday (neat how the loan works, they hand me a check made to him and if I want the car I give him the check, if not I bring it back and it never happened).

Friday I left work early at 11 so I could go get my dream car , you couldn't slap the "**** eatin' grin" off of my face I was so happy, lol. I had to meet him about 2 hours from where I live and about 30 minutes before we got there, my moms car blew a tire. We were already running a few minutes late, so as soon as the car stopped I jumped out and threw the trunk open to get the jack/wrench. I get everything out and take the 4 way tire-iron and start to get the lugs off, WTF none of the 4 sizes fits, the lugs are too small. Even when we do get the right size wrench, we still can't get the wheel off cause some dumbass that put her tires on torqued the lugs way too tight (we broke a ratchet and bent a wrench, they only came off with a air wrench). So it ended up taking 3 hours to change a freaking tire, the whole time I was telling the guy I had to meet that it should only be a few more minutes (and it did legitemently seem like it would only be a few).

We took so long with the tire that by the time we could meet, there just wasn't enough time to look at the car, drive it, and still make it to his bank. So we just agreed that I'd test drive the car and we'll see if I still want it.

The test drive was funny as hell. When he told me I could go ahead and drive it, I told him I'd rather not just yet, lol. The fastest car I'd been in ever was a 97 Cobra (full exhaust), and that car was fast as **** and scared the hell out of me (my friend was a nut with it too). Also I hadn't driven a stick in 4 1/2 years, so it's not like I would really be able to hear a bad sound with my crappy shifting. He and his wife laughed there asses off and finally said, "well, OK". I just wanted to ride with them at first to see what the car could do before I get behind the wheel and floor it and total it, lol, remember the fastest thing I've ever driven is my (non turbo) Eclipse. So after a short while she pulled over and let me drive.

I got behind the wheel... OMG this is going to be the first time I get to experience this holy grail of a car, and then I did it, the one thing I was so scared I was going to do... I stalled out Damn that was embarrising as hell. We all laughed and I tried again, this time was successful. I then pulled onto the road and when I hit 2nd and lightly hit the gas I was like "oh ****", I could not believe how much this car pulls I got to drive through some twisties for a bit, then get on interstate. I went on the upramp from a stop at the light and was hitting 80mph before I even got to the end, and I really wasn't even getting on her all the way. When the test drive was over I told him, "I'm definitely buying this car". I didn't hear any problems with the car at all, it didn't appear to be modded at all according to the buyers guide sticky (not even snorkel delete) and was visually in like new condition, the interior was mint. BTW those 2 dings I thought were kinda bad in the pix, they weren't bad at all, I probably wouldn't even have noticed if he didn't point them out. We agreed to meet on Tuesday for another shot at buying it.

My mom kept telling me that it was a bad sign that I didn't get to buy it Friday. I have serious bad luck and kinda brushed it off, but was still a little worried in the back of my head. As she kept telling me, things always happen for a reason, well she was right... Since I'd never bought an expensive used car from a private seller, I wasn't fully aware of sales tax. So if I had bought it Friday, I would have given him the $18k and gotten the title only for DMV to not give me tags, I wouldn't have had the $$$ for the car taxes. I checked online and it was 3%, which would mean $540 more I'd have to come up with. I squeezed over the weekend and got the money to cover that and my tags. So she was right, things do happen for a reason.

Sleeping last night was like the night before X-Mas when I was a kid (every night since last Monday has been really, but last night I KNEW I was getting my dream car), must have taken me at least 3 hours to fall asleep. When I woke up this morning that "**** eatin' grin" was back in full force, lol. I drove up to meet his wife and buy the car (he had to work), everthing was OK this time, no flats, lol. After getting the title and taking forever at DMV, I finally got to go put my plates on, my dream car was finally mine.

The 2 hour ride home was fun, lol. Although only Stock/Stage 1 (I've got the AP, just not sure if a Stage 1 map has been flashed or not), this car is scary fast for me ATM. I can't even imagine Stage 2 It's insane how much power this car has, I'm going 60 and go to pass someone and when I look back down I'm doing 90 And I'm getting much more used to driving a stick again today, I didn't stall out once Thank god too, I couldn't stand driving an AT the past few years.

Can't even say how much I love the car so far though, it's everything I thought it would be and more, lol. I've had a blast driving it around today and can't wait to go to work tomorrow just so I can drive her.

I'll have to get some new tires before I can begin modding, but my first mod will definitely be the silencer delete if I can get some time this weekend.

Sorry for the long ass post, but that's my STi story, hope you enjoyed it.

BTW, I feel really sorry for the guy who sold me the STi, the day I bought it was his B-Day

Cliffnotes: I've been dying to get an STi for about 10 months now, but couldn't afford to due to debts I needed to finish paying. My transmission started to go in my Eclipse and I went ahead and applied for a loan and got approved. I then bought my dream car, an STi. Had lots of fun driving it so far, lol, that about the best I can do for cliffnotes.

[STi_FTW]

Here are some pix of her. These are just from the seller, I'll try to get some better pix over the next few days. Damn I can't wait to get some rims so I don't look like every other STi, lol.

[fourseasonsandles]

STI FTW indeed! Now get some damn pics up and congrats!

[slyguySTI]

lookin good man. pretty good deal you got too. Wait till the mod bug Hits, hahah...

[Parker]

that's one hell of a story...now, I didn't read it at all, but the length is, well...lengthy.

Cliffnotes?

[Bishop]

i didn't even skim lol, welcome

[Einobaka]

I read it man! Congrats on the purchase, it sounds like the STi will have a great owner

[STi_FTW]

Originally Posted by Parker

that's one hell of a story...now, I didn't read it at all, but the length is, well...lengthy.

Cliffnotes?

Added cliffnotes

[stiboost21]

Originally Posted by STi_FTW

I've had a blast driving it around today and can't wait to go to work tomorrow just so I can drive her.

I find myself doing this for every activity that requires me driving somewhere. Congrats and enjoy it, keep us updated on any mods or questions.

[Szumita]

congrats on the new car!

[stiboost21]

How To: Stock Intake Silencer Delete (pics)

Here is something to get you started. I have done this mod and although there is no performance increase or decrease, the audio from the turbo has increased big time.

[II-Savy]

Great story. Reminds me of how I felt when I got my STi.

I just about crapped my pants when the guy drove up that stock white 06 STi down my driveway with only 2k on the clock!

[RFFG]

Wow dude, after reading all that I actually feel happy you got your STI!!!

Congratulations!!!


Some advice...get to know / drive the car a lot before you go into modifying it. This place is the holy grail on STI information and it's full of nice people. I know exactly how you feel b/c I felt the same way when I got my 04, yes 04... I like it more

It was a sad day when I sold it but it was for my own good...well what do you know, I never left the forum and I'm back in a Subaru again (1998 GF8, check my journal) and I'm as happy and stoked as I was when I got my STI...

Now about that swap

Then I'll forget about the STI...

Again, congratulation and be safe.

EDIT:

Oh chet I just saw your username

[Parker]

Originally Posted by STi_FTW

Added cliffnotes

ahhhhh, cool. that's much easier to read!