818 Donor Kits to be available

[cmcintyre]

Got to the Open House and talked to Andrew and Tim from AJW Performance at their booth. Their site for Donor Kits is

http://www.818donors.com

While the site just came up yesterday, they spoke as if these kits are available now.

A lot of good info from Dave and Jim as well, soon to be posted, I'm sure. If not, I'll add my newbie 2 cents...

[thestigwins]

This is cool, I would love to be able to purchase the necessary pieces without having to deal with tearing apart a donor.

[Xusia]

indeed!

[shim2]

Very cool indeed! I'm pretty curious about price as I haven't yet pulled the trigger on a donor.

[shinn497]

me too, but I can't help but think that those will be more expensive... Here is hoping for price information soon...

[riptide motorsport]

Im sure Cypress auto salvage will provide them ( donor pallet) also as they have beem doing for years for the roadster/////many guys live in HOA's that wont allow donors sitting around.

[07FIREBLADE]

^^^ just moved to such a location. Trying to figure out the donor situation. This would be great for people who don't have the room or time to deal with the donor. Hopefully prices will be available by the time SEMA comes rolling around.

[apexanimal]

their prices on parts aren't too bad...

i would imagine that the staged kits would be a bit more expensive than sourcing it yourself... BUT they do seem to be doing quite a few quality/safety checks on everything for you (comp/leakdown, clutch, oil/filter, blt'd, etc)...

[skullandbones]

That is a fairly attractive alternative. It would fit my needs more than some of you guys since I have almost no hands on experience with this technology. The part that makes me interested is the guarantee. When you get a donor pallet, the condition of the components is the real value or cost issue. It would be one of those cases where you would have to be ready to build. You wouldn't want to waste your guarantee time with the pallet sitting in the garage. One of the stage builds might be the way to go. Prices would be good to know. WEK.

[metalmaker12]

That is a fairly attractive alternative. It would fit my needs more than some of you guys since I have almost no hands on experience with this technology. The part that makes me interested is the guarantee. When you get a donor pallet, the condition of the components is the real value or cost issue. It would be one of those cases where you would have to be ready to build. You wouldn't want to waste your guarantee time with the pallet sitting in the garage. One of the stage builds might be the way to go. Prices would be good to know. WEK.

Yea price would be great to know is right. It all sounds good, but how much. I have almost all the parts in good condition and i spent 6k
Sti engine, all needed parts and new wheel bearings and hub,whiteline rear lower control arms and laterals, sti front control arms. all i need is the wilwood brake kit and a new set of rear spindles with the parking brake, so like another 1,800 or so. So if the can put it together for say 7-8k for the wrx one, it might be worth it with that guarantee.

[Ray]

...The part that makes me interested is the guarantee...It would be one of those cases where you would have to be ready to build. You wouldn't want to waste your guarantee time with the pallet sitting in the garage...WEK.

I just copied this from the Cypress Auto site (http://www.cypressautorecyclers.com)

"Since 1996, Cypress Auto Recyclers (CAR) has supplied in excess of 400 complete and partial donors!

CAR is able to offer all types of vehicles and every possible level of kit needed, from complete donor lists to individual parts.

COBRA DONOR PROGRAM TURN KEY WARRANTY

This CAR warranty is a basic 6-month warranty that commences from the moment that you turn the key in your vehicle. CAR understands that many of its FFR customers need time to put their kit cars together and a warranty that starts from the moment you purchase your kit is of very little use. To this end CAR offers this unique Turn Key Warranty.

The following parts are NOT covered by this warranty: Motor Mount, Clutch, Brakes Shocks and Struts, Cooling Hoses, Radiator Hoses or Water Pump."

I didn't see any 818 donor pallets available but I'm sure a phone call to them could get them going on one.

Ray

[Xusia]

I'm fairly certain an enterprising individual can find a donor, or the individual parts, cheaper than AJW or Cypress will offer them for. That's not the point to those considering this option (such as me). Many have other considerations, such as time (as in, lack of time or desire to look for a donor and/or recondition/replace parts), space, appropriate knowledge, ease of assembly, etc. Once prices are posted, each individual will have to decide if that price is worth it, given their individual considerations/situation.

[vozproto]

I cant seem to find any price estimates for the donor kit.
Anyone see one?

This looks like a great option if you dont wanna deal with parting out a car afterward. Or have limited garage space like me...

[StatGSR]

^ im sure they are holding out until the kit is actually launched, or at least way closer to launch than we are right now. i would expect the "cheaper" ones to be just shy of 10k, but then again, idk if they are going to give you a fresh motor or not.

[shim2]

To be honest, if the base is more than 6k, IMO that's a bit of a rip considering you can get a pretty decent donor for 3-4k

[leetfade]

If they are affiliated with FFR in any way I would think they would try to hit the $5k mark for minimalistic parts to assist with the $15k target. Depending on their source that may not be profitable enough but I would hope they are getting their donors in the $2-4k range, selling off the non needed parts netting a $1-2k ish cost per kit and then selling for 5k is quite a good profit.

[jimgood]

I'm hoping a recycler like Cypress would be able to offer a better price than 10k on used WRX parts. Their donor pallet for the Roadsters runs about $3k.

[NonProfit]

I would pay a small premium over parting out the donor myself, but not much.

[Smitty911]

I would pay a small premium over parting out the donor myself, but not much.

Yup, I'm with you. All depends on the cost / time ratio.

Smitty

[PhyrraM]

For the ultimate low buck build?

1996-2004 2.5 liter Legacy/Outback/Baja. (2000-2004 would need seperate donor rear suspension, but shuld be easy for a yard to do so)

Auction cost to yard: less than $1000

Parts pallet cost to consumer: $1500
Other non-donor parts sold and scrap value: hopefully more than $500

Seems like a good balance between profit and value to consumer.

[vozproto]

I agree with all of ya.
Jimgood... if they are gonna be in the same ballpark as their Roadster donor pallets (~$3k) I think its a great value.

As all of those above commented, I'd be willing to pay a 20% premium on the convenience of not having to sell off or part out a shell.
No matter how easy it would be here in colorado.

[StatGSR]

i feel like you guys are forgetting about the cost of labor, especially when there needs to be profit made on labor as well as the parts themselves. We all consider that labor "free" when we do it but in reality, you have to pay for it if you not going to do it. A labor rate of 75 bux is common for any place that does maintenance, so even if you say its $50 an hour and that it takes 20 hours to strip it (considering we are doing full dash removal to get the harness i think that my be on the light side), that's $1000 right there. Also there is the overhead for housing the cars to do the work and storing the parts etc etc...

I don't really know what parts Cypress is giving out for $3000 (what parts and their value, as well as the man hours to to pull those parts). I just don't see the kinda price happening here for anybody that actually wants to make money, unless its for a fairly high mileage NA 2.5.

Just saying that in general, i think the "convenience" cost is going to be a little more some are expecting. In any case, only time will tell, i hope i am proved wrong.

[Mechie3]

y2kimports.com (millenium Auto) parts out Subarus. They specialized in motor swaps from the WRX/STI to the earlier 2.5RS. For ~$4k I got an 06 WRX motor, front engine crossmember, steering rack, ECU, full wiring harness, full exhaust, turbo, intercooler. Rebuilt 5 speeds sell for ~$1200, used ones sell for less (~$800). Add in the other parts needed (seats, suspension bits, knuckles, rotors, brakes, steering wheel, steering column) and I seriously doubt you'd get a packaged kit for less than $6k.

Yes, the target price is $5k for a donor, but there's a fair amount of labor involved. I wouldn't think a pallet kit would be forced to meet the $5k donor target given all the additional labor, shipping, etc.

[shim2]

I emailed cypress and Mike replied to me saying it would be anywhere from 7-10k. He said he'd have to do more research. So I'd expect AJW to be around the same price. Given the labor that is involved I can understand the cost. I just wouldn't pay it.

[jimgood]

I think 7k is pretty steep. More than that and I'd have to think twice about the convenience of a donor pallet.

[Someday I Suppose]

It will be interesting for sure to see where they are able to come in at. By my way of thinking, they probably can't get the cars for much less then we could from an auction house, then labor to pull it apart, plus they need to make some profit on it. Of course they have the advantage of being able to part out the rest of the car, so that also goes into their profit margin.

Phryya, interesting on the NA budget build. When the project was first announced I had the idea that it could be fun to do a budget build and see just how low you could build one of these for. I am wondering after parting out the donor, etc. if under say $12 - $13K is possible...

[Mechie3]

I think 7k is pretty steep. More than that and I'd have to think twice about the convenience of a donor pallet.

It's certainly a lot of money, but not a ripoff. I'm still at the point of my life where I tend to be stingy when it comes to money vs time. Buying a product? Sure, I'll pay for it. Paying for a service I can do myself and I have the free time? Becomes hard for me to justify. I'd rather use that money for more parts. :lol:


I am wondering after parting out the donor, etc. if under say $12 - $13K is possible...

I'd say yes. So far I got my 06 WRX donor for $4095. Kit is $10k. That's roughly $14000. Lots of parts you can sell and make $50 here and there and a few parts that can fetch a few hundred (full doors, etc).

[timmy318]

Crap...... Hopefully I can sell my subaru because I like this alternitaive a lot better than the on

[prematureapex]

I think 7k is pretty steep. More than that and I'd have to think twice about the convenience of a donor pallet.

Not sure I agree. Yes, it's alot of money, but I think the price adds up. If you get with a private sale, you can find an EJ20 (02-05 WRX engine), for 1500-2000 with about 75-100k miles on it. Nicer ones, or ones from engine distributors are going to be 2000-2500. There's a limited supply of them out there, and they cost a lot to ship, etc.

There's certainly hundered and hundreds of dollars of other parts that would nee to be included, which again, take a lot of time and money to procure, package, and send.

If they had to hunt down all of these components, I'd consider $7k pretty darn cheap, all things considered (shipping alone for the engine/trans would be huge).

Now, I'm sure they'll look to rebuild bad motors, or hopefully buy donor vehicles themselves to break down and package.

However, with the price a running 2.0l WRX being around 4-5k, you honestly expect them to have the car shipped to them, broken down, inspected, cleaned, packaged, and provided to your door for a less than a few thousand dollars on top of the price of your donor? Can't see how that's at all possible, nor sustainable as a business model.

Me, personally, if I have the space, I can't live with giving up all the extra $$$ to be made selling off the unneeded parts of the donor. But if I could, well, it avoids a HUGE PITA of dissassembly/parting/removal of shell, etc. to have a nice pallet shipped to me for $7-8 grand.

[Oppenheimer]

I think he is saying that the price is steep for what is offered, what it costs the vendor to provide the service, but rather simply that its more than he is willing to pay. One POV is to look at what the vendor has to do, and how much that effort should cost. Another POV is to compare the cost of pallet service to the alternative cost (in both time, effort, space, and $).

For some, that equation works out to pallet = bargain (no space, or time, etc). For others, the room, the time, don't have as much value as actual $. It should be very easy to acquire a donor (and sell off the unused parts) for way cheaper than $7K, if you have the time and space and are willing to perform the work.

I think you two are saying the same thing. The pallet service is attractive, but its value to each builder varies with their size of their garage, the size of their wallet, and the size of their spare time.

[vozproto]

I'd say yes. So far I got my 06 WRX donor for $4095. Kit is $10k. That's roughly $1400. Lots of parts you can sell and make $50 here and there and a few parts that can fetch a few hundred (full doors, etc).

Damn. Thats a killer deal. Did you buy it wrecked or did you wreck it and buy it back from insurance?

[timmy318]

I bought my Subaru Impreza 2002 for $5K..... -.-, but it had only one owner and had only 35,000 miles on it so I mean I guess for that it was a pretty good deal, also no damage whatsoever

[shim2]

I bought my Subaru Impreza 2002 for $5K..... -.-, but it had only one owner and had only 35,000 miles on it so I mean I guess for that it was a pretty good deal, also no damage whatsoever

You're going to strip a non salvaged car?

[PhyrraM]

You're going to strip a non salvaged car?

Any reason not to if the price is right?

[shim2]

Any reason not to if the price is right?

No not at all. I just assumed most would only use salvaged cars.

[NonProfit]

Any reason not to if the price is right?
I would prefer to source a wreck instead dismantling a running vehicle, but if the right donor came along I could be convinced otherwise.

[AJW Performance]

Thanks for the post cmcintyre, it was nice meeting you at the event, we had a great time and FFR had a great showing, could not ask for better weather.
I read over these posts and you all have some valid points and questions.
We appreciate your patience while we build the 818 specific site, www.818donors.com. It will evolve tremendously with content as we all move forward. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns in regards to any content, or have any questions for us about what we will offer (send us an email so we do not go off topic on the original posters thread)
Although I completely understand that price is a main concern for many of us, it is not our main objective to deliver "the cheapest" donor possible (the cheapest donor possible will always be a great find on a complete/ partial car that you source, dismantle and work on yourself and do all your own maintenance to get it to where it should be).
We WILL in fact have donor kits available which fit into the FFR goal of a complete cost for around 15,000.00, but it is not our primary focus. One of our largest goals is to offer a donor kit which literally is ready to install, and ready to last. Just because you get a donor that YOU are ready to install on your 818 doesn't mean the donor itself is worthy and ready. We know the weak points and needed maintenance of these Subaru platforms as well as what "goes first", or is prone to being a potential issue. Our vision is to offer not only convenience, but peace of mind receiving a donor kit that is worth running, and will be reliable if you take care of it into the future. I can foresee it being very frustrating for some completing their 818 build and having (Subaru) running gear issues which limit the fun factor.
Another goal which ties into these postings is the convenience "time is money" factor. Our target customer is an individual who does not have the space, time or willingness to completely dismantle a wrecked donor, take what is needed and discard or sell off the rest of it. Hence the "everything you need and nothing you don't" quote you see on the site.
Will we have some donor kits for 5,000.00? The answer is yes there will be, but there will also be 15,000.00 packages and custom options which will lead to much more than that. It is all about meeting the customer’s needs and building the donor package or complete 818 vehicle to their vision/use, within their budget of course.
All in all our business model will be worth it for some, others it will not. Hope this helped!
Thanks,
Andrew Wallace

[Xusia]

A good post! Thanks, Andrew. I look forward to seeing more on your site. :)

[Vman7]

Thanks cmcintyre for telling us about AJW Performance's new up and coming service at their new site www.818donors.com. Thanks AJW Performance for offering such a service.

I made sure I bookmarked it for future reference.

David

[Mechie3]

Damn. Thats a killer deal. Did you buy it wrecked or did you wreck it and buy it back from insurance?

Technically the lady that ran the red light wrecked it, but I was driving it at the time. Bought it new in 06. First new car. It will live again! I bought it back from insurance. Price was determined by recent sales of similar make/model at a local auction house used by my insurance.


Also, that $1400 should say $14000 total. I edited my original post.

[AJW Performance]

Thanks cmcintyre for telling us about AJW Performance's new up and coming service at their new site www.818donors.com. Thanks AJW Performance for offering such a service.

I made sure I bookmarked it for future reference.

David

No problem, we are really excited about this as well!

[shinn497]

Oh cool a post. Would you guys ever offer just a straight donor for those of us that want to do all the parting out ourselves? I'm looking for the cheapest possible impreza/legacy since I will source the engine on my own...

also car to chime in on pricing for the packaged kits?

[Someday I Suppose]

Andrew, sorry I didnt get a chance to say hello at the open house, but it sounds like you have a great plan in place. As you said, some guys tearing down the donor and final cost will be the most important thing, but I think you are right, there will be plenty of customers looking to start building their 818 and a donor package that is basically ready to start building with will be a huge step up in meeting their goals. I look forward to see how the packages come together!

-Scott


Thanks for the post cmcintyre, it was nice meeting you at the event, we had a great time and FFR had a great showing, could not ask for better weather.
I read over these posts and you all have some valid points and questions.
We appreciate your patience while we build the 818 specific site, www.818donors.com (http://www.818donors.com). It will evolve tremendously with content as we all move forward. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns in regards to any content, or have any questions for us about what we will offer (send us an email so we do not go off topic on the original posters thread)
Although I completely understand that price is a main concern for many of us, it is not our main objective to deliver "the cheapest" donor possible (the cheapest donor possible will always be a great find on a complete/ partial car that you source, dismantle and work on yourself and do all your own maintenance to get it to where it should be).
We WILL in fact have donor kits available which fit into the FFR goal of a complete cost for around 15,000.00, but it is not our primary focus. One of our largest goals is to offer a donor kit which literally is ready to install, and ready to last. Just because you get a donor that YOU are ready to install on your 818 doesn't mean the donor itself is worthy and ready. We know the weak points and needed maintenance of these Subaru platforms as well as what "goes first", or is prone to being a potential issue. Our vision is to offer not only convenience, but peace of mind receiving a donor kit that is worth running, and will be reliable if you take care of it into the future. I can foresee it being very frustrating for some completing their 818 build and having (Subaru) running gear issues which limit the fun factor.
Another goal which ties into these postings is the convenience "time is money" factor. Our target customer is an individual who does not have the space, time or willingness to completely dismantle a wrecked donor, take what is needed and discard or sell off the rest of it. Hence the "everything you need and nothing you don't" quote you see on the site.
Will we have some donor kits for 5,000.00? The answer is yes there will be, but there will also be 15,000.00 packages and custom options which will lead to much more than that. It is all about meeting the customer’s needs and building the donor package or complete 818 vehicle to their vision/use, within their budget of course.
All in all our business model will be worth it for some, others it will not. Hope this helped!
Thanks,
Andrew Wallace

[AJW Performance]

Oh cool a post. Would you guys ever offer just a straight donor for those of us that want to do all the parting out ourselves? I'm looking for the cheapest possible impreza/legacy since I will source the engine on my own...

also car to chime in on pricing for the packaged kits?

Offering a straight donor will be a possibility, although we will not specialize in that since anyone can source a donor. Our goal is to take it further by providing our services which will focus on increasing reliability, performance and convenience for customers who are not interested in stripping down a full donor of their own, and "worrying" or spending the time and labor on what needs to be done to it to make it worthy of installing in their new 818 platform (timing belts, spark plugs, clutches, etc). It could also be someone who simply knows what power range they want their 818 to be in, but does not know what steps should be taken to get there safely, so that is where we come in and design a kit based on your needs.

below is a quote in regards to pricing (Pricing will be on the site in the next few months as we finalize our packages, but will always be reflected by what changes we make or the customer wants us to make to their all in one donor package. So as I see it right now, prices will vary on a unit to unit bases.

"Will we have some donor kits for 5,000.00? The answer is yes there will be, but there will also be 15,000.00 packages and custom options which will lead to much more than that. It is all about meeting the customer’s needs and building the donor package or complete 818 vehicle to their vision/use, within their budget of course."

Thanks,
Andrew

[Oppenheimer]

AJW, can you commenton something that was mentioned in this thread, that another vendor offers a warranty that starts, not when you get the parts, but when you get your car running. Will you offer something similar?

It occurs to me this is another strong selling point to going with a donor crate. You are rolling the dice a bit on your donor if you source it yourself. A wrecked car was probably driven hard, and there could be issues with some of the components, that you won't know about until you take things apart. What looks like a good deal could easily not be. But a warranty from a vendor like yourselves takes that worry out of the picture. If a part is bad, you just send us another one.

I would think your target market would include guys without a lot of Subie experience, so this aspect of the crate service could be seen as cheap insurance. You know your donor cost going in,and you know those costs aren't going to go up if there is a problem. Plus you guys are Subie experts, so you can weed out most issues ahead of time before the parts are shipped to us.

[leetfade]

I would imagine it is very difficult to start a warranty based on when the customer says it started. How could the seller possibly know, for a fact, when that occurred? You would also have the issue of people just sitting on it and taking months to years to finish the project. You can't keep that warranty outstanding for that duration.

The only real way for the distributor to cover themselves is based on the last confirmed date of transaction which is delivery date.

[Oppenheimer]

I would imagine it is very difficult to start a warranty based on when the customer says it started.

Yet that is what another similar vendor offers, as quoted in this thread (post #11).

I imagine this works only because the target market is FFR builders, not the larger public at large.

[leetfade]

It's an interesting concept and definitely customer-centric, but it only takes one bad deal for the company for that to get revoked, unfortunately.

[AJW Performance]

Yet that is what another similar vendor offers, as quoted in this thread (post #11).

I imagine this works only because the target market is FFR builders, not the larger public at large.

The odometer reading would be used as a tool.
All of our donors are going to have documented odometer readings for both our records and the customer.
We do in fact have the same guarantee on our products/ kits, and of course the products we use have their own warranties as well more often than not for 1 year.

[Someday I Suppose]

What if I don't use the factory gauges in my build? Just throwing it out there.



The odometer reading would be used as a tool.
All of our donors are going to have documented odometer readings for both our records and the customer.
We do in fact have the same guarantee on our products/ kits, and of course the products we use have their own warranties as well more often than not for 1 year.

[Xusia]

Then wouldn't that odometer start at zero? The only I case I could see this being a problem is if the odometer used and comes from a different donor. But why would anyone choose to use the odometer from a different donor when they have a perfectly working one right in front of them?

[305mouse]

If they liked the looks and sweep of the STI gauge cluster you might find people swapping out the clusters.

[Oppenheimer]

But then a guy wanting to use a used odometer (from STi or whatever) that also was a guy that wanted to use crate service would probably just ask crate vendor to supply from multiple donors. Request a crate with WRX drivetrain, but STi gauges, etc (if that would even function).

Point being that ethier AJW would likely be supplying the odo otherwise the odo would be new. So the odo reading should work in most any realistic scenario.

[shim2]

From what I read, I'm not sure if it's true or not. The odometer reading is also stored in the ecu, if the odo reading differs from what is on the ecu, it will be set to what is stored on the ECU. Again, not sure if that's true or not. Just something I read and found interesting.

[Mechie3]

Believe it is only stored in the cluster. I've had my cluster in and out many times and wrote a rather extensive DIY on how to color mod the gauges without hot spotting or dark needles. Used to do it for others for a fee too.

No matter what cluster they send you, they'll have the serial number of the cluster on the scan tag on back and it's odo reading. If you choose to use something else then you might be voiding your warranty. Just like when you modify parts on a street car, you can be denied warranty claims on the basis that you changed parts that led to the failure.

[Someday I Suppose]

I guess my question was what if you decide not to use the cluster at all and use aftermarket guages? We haven't seen yet what the plans are for the interior and dash of the car, and I don't know if the sube cluster is the same in all the donors listed, if its not then I suspect like on the roadster FFR will provide a dash that you can pull the cluster apart and stick the gauges into. If they go that route, then using aftermarket gauges and building your own dash panel will be easy to do as well. Not trying to hi-jack the thread, just thought it was something to consider, I love that AJW wants to provide these kits with a warrenty, it is awesome, but something to consider as well.

-Scott

[StatGSR]

^ the cluster is the same for all approved donors listed (02-07 imprezas)

[shim2]

I'm pretty sure they're going to use the stock gauge cluster to keep costs down. The tachometer moves to the center in 04+ wrx models

[Silvertop]

I REALLY like the the idea of the "donor pallet". And I really DON'T like the car stripping and hulk disposal components of the build project. I'll be taking a very close look at this before I buy a donor and strip it myself. And there appear to be at least two vendors already in place. That means competition, which is good for us!

[NonProfit]

I guess my question was what if you decide not to use the cluster at all and use aftermarket guages?
Good question Scott.

In the H6 thread, PhyrraM said:


First, the Engine ECU does not recieve a speed sensor signal directly. It most likely recieves this over the CANBUS from either the auto-transmission ECU (tranny sensors) or the ABS/traction control ECU (wheel sensors). Maybe both? The speedometer in the cluster also seems to get its ECM info (speed, fuel level, temp, etc) through the CANBUS.

Whatever inter-relationships the Engine ECU and the Tranny ECU have (might as well add the Traction control ECU too), they communicate through the CANBUS network.

The coded key immobilizer also communicates all the 'secret numbers' though the CANBUS. Even the instrument cluster is somehow involved in starting the car (through the CANBUS, of course). Also interesting is that BOTH the engine ECU and the transmission ECU can enable the immobilizer relay.

Is a stock cluster required?

[Mechie3]

I could be wrong, but I do not believe Canbus was on the 02-07 imprezas/wrx. I know for a fact, my 06 WRX ECU has an input for VSS directly on the ECU. I tapped into it for a heads up display at one point.

[AJW Performance]

I REALLY like the the idea of the "donor pallet". And I really DON'T like the car stripping and hulk disposal components of the build project. I'll be taking a very close look at this before I buy a donor and strip it myself. And there appear to be at least two vendors already in place. That means competition, which is good for us!

Sounds good, happy to help!

[PhyrraM]

My quote was from the H6 thread. It applies to 3.0R and 3.6 motors. None of the "appoved donor" '02-'07 Imprezas were CANBUS.

[NonProfit]

My quote was from the H6 thread. It applies to 3.0R and 3.6 motors. None of the "appoved donor" '02-'07 Imprezas were CANBUS.
Sweet! Thanks for the info Mechie3 and PhyrraM!

[Mechie3]

My quote was from the H6 thread. It applies to 3.0R and 3.6 motors. None of the "appoved donor" '02-'07 Imprezas were CANBUS.

Just wanted to make sure people new. The 08 FXT (turbo Forester) uses the a 2.5, 5speed and would likely be a good donor but does use Canbus. Not sure if all 08+ do as the forester often got newer tech before the impreza did.

EDIT: Finding a 5 spd 08 FXT will be hard enough though.

[soul strife]

This is perfect for me. I work a lot of hours and this would save time. Time = money for me. So, this is good news. 300HP and all I do is order it.

[PhyrraM]

.... The 08 FXT (turbo Forester) uses the a 2.5, 5speed and would likely be a good donor but does use Canbus. Not sure if all 08+ do as the forester often got newer tech before the impreza did..

Are you sure? '08 would be the last year on the 'old' '03-'08 chassis. I would be suprised if Subaru added CANBUS for one year on an outgoing model. They may have though. '09 was a brand new Forester (based on the '08+ Impreza) so I would think that would have been the Forester CANBUS introduction.

[vozproto]

If I could still hit my $15k target I would totally be down for ordering a standard wrx pallet!
I don't really have the room to be parting out a car AND building a car.

[AJW Performance]

This is perfect for me. I work a lot of hours and this would save time. Time = money for me. So, this is good news. 300HP and all I do is order it.

Yes, agreed!
Let us know if you need any support in the future we would be happy to help:)

[Mechie3]

Are you sure? '08 would be the last year on the 'old' '03-'08 chassis. I would be suprised if Subaru added CANBUS for one year on an outgoing model. They may have though. '09 was a brand new Forester (based on the '08+ Impreza) so I would think that would have been the Forester CANBUS introduction.

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/79305-post12.html

Looks like a lot of cars got it in 07. Wrx got it in 08.
Friend had a wrb 5mt 08 txt. He didn't know what canbus was but liked saying it to be funny.

[apexanimal]

what gauge wire should you typically use for pcm wiring?

[txjeepn]

Yes, agreed!
Let us know if you need any support in the future we would be happy to help:)

I will keep you guys in mind as well. My hardest decision is going to be does the S2000 or the MX-5 get sold to make room for the 818R.

[Mechie3]

what gauge wire should you typically use for pcm wiring?

When I did a wire tuck on my Subaru (extended main harness 2 feet, ran wires through fender) I think I used mostly 14 to 18. I tried to match what was already used and anything that was shielded with a ground braid was re-shielded on the extensions (mostly MAF wires IIRC).

[RM1SepEx]

It's certainly a lot of money, but not a ripoff. I'm still at the point of my life where I tend to be stingy when it comes to money vs time. Buying a product? Sure, I'll pay for it. Paying for a service I can do myself and I have the free time? Becomes hard for me to justify. I'd rather use that money for more parts. :lol:



I'd say yes. So far I got my 06 WRX donor for $4095. Kit is $10k. That's roughly $14000. Lots of parts you can sell and make $50 here and there and a few parts that can fetch a few hundred (full doors, etc).

I'm in the same boat, I have the time so stripping a salvage vehicle works for me. I have $3500 + in my 05 wrx with 70,000 miles. It needs a front driver's control arm and I see used aluminum ones on EBay for $230...

I have some parts that will be sold off but not many...

The Bendpak 4 post lift is in my garage and will be set up and operational in a few days! Should help quite a bit with the stripping activity. I have powder coating capability so I'm going to PC everything that I can! Shouldn't need much reconditioning with 70k miles but I'll go over everything, as AJW quoted on this forum you need to make sure everything is up to snuff vs doing a build with used un-evaluated components. I enjoy taking the time to do that suff, others want to buy preprepped ready to install parts. To each their own... I have more time than money and plan on being pretty close to $17,000 for the build

[apexanimal]

When I did a wire tuck on my Subaru (extended main harness 2 feet, ran wires through fender) I think I used mostly 14 to 18. I tried to match what was already used and anything that was shielded with a ground braid was re-shielded on the extensions (mostly MAF wires IIRC).

thanks mechie!

[txjeepn]

"Will we have some donor kits for 5,000.00? The answer is yes there will be, but there will also be 15,000.00 packages and custom options which will lead to much more than that. It is all about meeting the customer’s needs and building the donor package or complete 818 vehicle to their vision/use, within their budget of course."

Thanks,
Andrew

With the ballpark cost of the donor kits, do you have a ballpark cost on the turnkey pricing yet?

[AJW Performance]

On topic with the Original Poster

Donor Kit Beta Program: (Launched this last night):

http://818donors.com/donor-beta-program/

Check it out, let us know your thoughts. Full kits starting at 5,000.00 and going up from there based on the donor and what packages you choose.

A link explaining how pricing works:

http://818donors.com/warranty-faq/

Thanks!
Andrew

[Evan78]

Looks like a good start. Unless I missed it, I didn't see any info on returning a deposit, you may want to add some clarification on that issue.

[AJW Performance]

Thank you
Yes it is located on the application form at the bottom of the beta donor kit page

[wallace18]

Does this mean only those who buy your Beta donor kit will get first dibs on the 818 kit? I bought my own donor and performance parts from you. Does that count?

[xscott]

On topic with the Original Poster

Donor Kit Beta Program: (Launched this last night):

http://818donors.com/donor-beta-program/

Check it out, let us know your thoughts. Full kits starting at 5,000.00 and going up from there based on the donor and what packages you choose.

A link explaining how pricing works:

http://818donors.com/warranty-faq/

Thanks!
Andrew

Will the deposit be a hold charge or an actual charge? So ou will be collecting 10 participants at $5,000 each and hold it until the kit comes available + the time it takes for your donor pallets to be ready? Looking for clarification, Thanks

[Vman7]

wow this thread is really taking off :)

Amazing how the 818 already has 3rd party support and the car isn't even out yet.

[riptide motorsport]

So someone is going to give you $5000 in one months time on a kit that doesn't exist...might come to fruition in 6 moths at best. Your going to hold $50,000.00- $75,000.00 for 6 months....ARE giving the depositors their escrow money? Yup I'd be up to give a new business model $5000.00 to hold on a donor kit for a product I haven't even bought or seen. Hell even FFR only takes a$1000.00 deposit.......CRAZY!!!!!!

[SkiRideDrive]

I'm a bit skeptical too myself, especially considering the side of the transaction with the best ability to forecast risk and availability of donors is placing the risk of potential price fluctuation on a customer who has already submitted a deposit.

[AJW Performance]

Does this mean only those who buy your Beta donor kit will get first dibs on the 818 kit? I bought my own donor and performance parts from you. Does that count?

Tom,
our donor kit run has no relation to FFR making their 818 betas or their 818 production run, so no worries there!
How are you making out with the new goodies?

[AJW Performance]

So someone is going to give you $5000 in one months time on a kit that doesn't exist...might come to fruition in 6 moths at best. Your going to hold $50,000.00- $75,000.00 for 6 months....ARE giving the depositors their escrow money? Yup I'd be up to give a new business model $5000.00 to hold on a donor kit for a product I haven't even bought or seen. Hell even FFR only takes a$1000.00 deposit.......CRAZY!!!!!!

We actually had no real intention of releasing donor kits until the 818 was actually in production. After the open house we saw a lot of demand with people asking us if they can get a donor kit ASAP. This could not be a reality for these people if our company had to invest 50,000.00 in donors prior to the 818 hitting production and selling. The only way we could offer 818 donor kits PRIOR to the release of the FFR 818 production (for people who want to have their donor 100% ready for the minute the 818 is released by FFR) was to have people pay in full, or close to it. Working capital is prevalent for many small businesses (and it is nothing to be ashamed of IMO), so paying for a product/service up front (like you see in most business transactions in the world), then waiting to have it made by us is the only way it will work.
I even ran this by Dave at FFR, to see his view on the concept of a small production run for those who demanded it, as well as the concept of the deposit to help get the ball rolling. Not trying to step on any toes here.
I was simply offering this to help the community out for the select individuals who are looking for a donor NOW, as opposed to waiting until the 818 is out to get this going.

For the people who asked me to launch this small "pre-production" project, and the people it may interest- These customers are not concerned about "if the 818 will work" or
"it's not out yet, its going to take forever"; these people know FFR, they know it’s the next car, and they know they are building one, maybe even two. This option for a beta donor kit is great for those people who want their donor 100% ready to go, even months before the 818 shows up at their door (IMO at least).

We have been in business for 5 years now, and love working with Subaru enthusiasts and auto enthusiast alike, and are really excited about the 818. If you do not like our donor beta project, I politely request you do not bash our new exciting venture. Give us a call, or come by if you would like to meet us or learn more about who we are and what we do.

"CRAZY!!!!"... Yes, the 818 is going to be crazy, in almost every aspect; and we cant wait!

Thanks,
Andrew

[SkiRideDrive]

Thanks for the clarification.

[AJW Performance]

no problem sir :)

[BrandonDrums]

Crap...... Hopefully I can sell my subaru because I like this alternitaive a lot better than the on

Good for convenience but you can probably make up some good dough by parting out the donor parts you don't use. All the good stuff is being put on the 818 but body panels, interior bits etc. can add up even though it's a pain...

[Zodiac]

so what about someone who just needs evything EXCEPT the engine and tranny? some might be building or sourcing those themselves or something you know.

[AJW Performance]

Thats not a problem Zodiac

[shinn497]

Yeah I put a query about this on the website with no response. I'm wondering of the costs or if I should just source an impreza myself.

[AJW Performance]

Strange did not see it, sorry about that, feel free to shoot me an email.

[Nelff]

Honestly, most of the parts that I'm going to put on are going to be re-built, modded, street rod sourced, so having a source to go to to get the rest of the parts that I need is a very good thing for me. The major thing that I'll be looking for is a wiring harness, (including engine management) and a rebuilt/modded engine/transmission. Everything else is going to be sourced from Street Rodding manufacturers.

[AJW Performance]

Sounds good, we would be happy to help whichever direction you take. The build your own route is what we offer for people in your position, with our online store containing over 3,000 "street rod" performance products to choose from.

donor kit beta deposits are starting to trickle in, stay tuned!

[SkiRideDrive]

Sounds good, we would be happy to help whichever direction you take. The build your own route is what we offer for people in your position, with our online store containing over 3,000 "street rod" performance products to choose from.

donor kit beta deposits are starting to trickle in, stay tuned!

You might want to double check your oil cooler kit, unless you intend to sell it for $8,000. Otherwise site is looking good.

[AJW Performance]

Figured that was a good deal for that ;)

thanks!

[ccgillett]

For what it's worth, going the sourced-donor-parts route is likely to result in a much more pleasant build experience. I bought a 65 Coupe Kit and used my Mustang racecar as the donor. Tearing down the donor, cleaning up everything, parting out the remains that we didn't need, selling off the body shell, rehabilitating weak parts, replacing broken stuff, cleaning even more, etc. absolutely sucked the life out of those of us that were originally involved. Ultimately I wound up hiring a builder to finish the car for me. If we had a nice palette of clean and properly fitting parts (either new or used) ready to go all that energy would have gone into assembly and the car would have been done a long time ago.

[AJW Performance]

Thanks for the input ccgillett, I can see where your coming from. Others who have built past kits and plan to build the 818 have said similiar statements and are planning on going donor pallet for the 818 their second time around