Why the RS?

It's no secret.  I haven't really been a "car guy" for a long time... or at least I didn't really know what made 'em tick before.  I liked cars, driving, looking at cool designs, going to auto shows, that sorta stuff.  I didn't really know how things worked, what things felt like when they didn't work, and how to fix those things, and that's a big reason why I really find working on this 2000 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS Coupe quite the adventure.

My car ownership history is quite short for time I've spent behind the wheel.  My first car as a '92 Aerostar that was vantastic.  Then I drove that off a cliff and got a '97 4Runner with rear-wheel drive, so it was more of a 2Runner.  Soon after, gas prices punched us in the gut so I sold that and got my dad's '00 Celica, which was quite fun... but impractical for all the stuff I wanted to do.  Some extensive research, some influence from fellow friends who owned Subarus, and a quick trip to a local dealership landed me in a '12 Impreza.  I've had the Subaru fever ever since with no signs of it letting up.

The Impreza satisfied my adventurous side, exploring local parks, roads, and sort-of- roads... but with it being brand new, there wasn't a lot of things to wrench on.  I was getting increasingly interested in learning my way around the mechanical side of Subarus (and cars in general), so diving in to this needy RS has really wound up being a great experience so far.  Sure the car needs a lot, but there's an abundance of resources that I've tapped into online and within the local community here in Omaha.

Enthusiast forums like NASIOC, Dirty Impreza, and RS25 have been infinitely helpful so far with finding answers as well as being a great source for used parts.  I also think what has helped the RS platform be so much fun is that there's a lot of potential for the car and lots of improvements that can be made for it.  From suspension to swaps to different motorsport setups, the 1st Generation Impreza is quite the versatile car.  This design has been out since 1993 and they finally switched over to the 2nd Generation Impreza in 2002, so there's nearly a decade worth of parts out there for this car.  Plus, Subarus are like Legos, so many parts before and after this car was made are interchangeable and make for easy modifications.

It's also at a good point in it's life as a car, as they're cheap enough to attain for folks starting out.  There are a lot of rally teams that use the GC and GF chassis, and for good reason.  Every time I look at the roster for an upcoming Rally-America series, there's a handful of 1st Generation Imprezas among the ranks.  Fetela Rally Team, River Valley Rally Team, and a handful of others have been throwing dirt and gravel with these cars.  For a design that's 20 years old, it's a testament to the rally-bred nature of this car and the great potential it has.  Potential that I personally appreciate and enjoy tapping into with this project!