RS Revival: June Bugs

Things are coming along with the Impreza 2.5 RS Coupe, although progress has slowed quite a bit.  To be fair, there were a lot of things to address that needed immediate attention when things started out.  Fixing the drivers-side window, the windshield and rust around the frame, and suspension were at the top of that list last fall.  Now, as the car has improved and even able to complete in local Rallycross events, there's two bigger items on the to-do list that the sights have been set on: body work and rebuilding the engine.  The idea is to at least have one of these addressed before June 15th for the "June Bug" Rallycross event.

When this car first changed hands last fall, it was obvious the body needed some TLC.  Looks weren't the primary concern when the rear quarter panel rust was getting bad enough to not even connect to the edges of the back bumper any longer.  There are large portions of rust on each rear quarter panel and along spots on the bottom of the side skirts, wheel wells, and doors that need to be addressed before they spread further.

The second part tackles the motor.  After learning of the engine problems from a compression test, it was decided that building the current motor would take a bit more work than we wanted, so a second 2.5 RS shortblock was sourced.  The "new" motor (which has 120k on it) will be built more for Rallycross and remain N/A instead of the more common STI or WRX swap these kinds of cars often see.  

The RS also has some new goodies on the way outside of these two big-ticket items.  There's a new front fender to replace the bent and rusted one that's on there now.  There are also a set of Gravel Tires to be mounted on 15x7 wheels that should make trips on dry dirt and rocks a LOT more fun!  The RS also gets used for general adventuring which often entails driving on gravel and dirt back roads when it's not being used for Rallycross.