Better donor 02 or 04

[Greg P]

02 wrx sedan or 04 wrx wagon?
The 02 has a very slight hit in the front (bumper and fender mostly) the 04 is not wrecked.
Both cars run and drive well and have about 120k on them.
I have access to both and need to make a choice.

[2006 WRB 818]

I'm not sure about the wagon/sedan differences, I remember someone saying something is a little different. Maybe the axles? But the 04 would have a little stronger transmission. And I would assume you will be able to make a little more reselling your unused parts from the 04. I would definitely go with the 04.

[shim2]

I'd go with the wagon. The differences aren't that major.

[Evan78]

Any difference in price?

Wagon sounds like the better deal.

04 should have better transmission (not sure how much better) while wagon has slightly different suspension. If I were in your shoes, I'd prioritize the better transmission since they're more expensive then the suspension components and a whole lot harder to swap out.

Plus, less body damage means there's more parts to sell off. Front end damage seems much more common than rear, so there's usually some demand for front bumper covers.

[agepag]

So what would be the best donor, 02-03-04-05-06-07? And why?

[SkiRideDrive]

So what would be the best donor, 02-03-04-05-06-07? And why?

I'm aiming 06. Taller final drive ratio, and bigger displacement engine for torque and to spool the turbo faster. Also some other differences like alum control arms and whatnot.

[2006 WRB 818]

I'm aiming 06. Taller final drive ratio, and bigger displacement engine for torque and to spool the turbo faster. Also some other differences like alum control arms and whatnot.

Also, 32 bit ecu, strengthened transmission, 4 piston front and 2 piston rear calipers, etc, and I'm sure there are other advantages. That's why I got an 06 donor and I would believe that's why Factory Five chose an 06 for their prototype.

[PhyrraM]

'02 sedan...Wider track than a wagon.

'02-'03 ECUs can take exhaust mods without a tune. '04+ have issues with open/closed loop switching (leading to lean conditions) if too much is changed. (non-issue if planning a tune)

'02-'03 has more supportive, but also more pedestrian looking, seats.

'04+ instrument cluster moved the tach to the center, '02-'03 had the speedo center and tach offset. Basically swapped positions.

Early '02 had different front brakes than later cars. Same size and effectiveness, but different calipers and pads.

Transmission updates mentioned above as far as gears and syncros, but same input shafts and differentials. (depending on who you choose to believe in The Neverending Transmission Debate) Updated clutch parts on the '04 due to a random chattering issue reported to dealers on some cars (shouldn't be an issue with any replacement clutch).

'02-'03 have a MOMO labeled steering wheel, but I think the '04 WRX has the same wheel without the label.

[RM1SepEx]

my 05 has a Momo labeled wheel ...

[AgentH]

I'm aiming 06. Taller final drive ratio, and bigger displacement engine for torque and to spool the turbo faster. Also some other differences like alum control arms and whatnot.

So why do you want a taller FD ratio? Higher top speed or better MPG? Granted the low-end torque of the 2.5 and the car's light weight won't hinder it much, but won't you lose low end performance?

I think transmission wise, it depends on what motor you put into it.

[PhyrraM]

At 1800 pounds, first will go REALLY fast (likely second too). Longer gearing should improve performance by spacing out the shifts. The WRX was geared to get good magazine 0-60 times in a 3300 pound car.