Posted: 7/5/2017 3:12:22 PM EDT
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My 2004 Subaru WRX needs a new cat. I've had two techs recommend that I go with a downpipe and a Cobb Accessport instead of staying OEM.
Staying OEM is a good percentage of the vehicle's value. I want reliability. Thoughts? |
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If you remove the cat, it may not pass emissions (depending on what state you are in).
The access port tuning can be flashed back to factory. Although a simple tune will make the care more fun to drive. (I have an 07 STi that I modded...a lot...) You won't break anything with what you're proposing. |
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hks hi power exhaust with down pipe and Perrin header. Car sounds great after that.
eta: do bolt ons. and pro tune while your at it. Car really wakes up. Mine has over 100k. Pretty built motor but never gave me a problem. I rarely beat on it though. Who drives stock tuner cars anyway? |
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Downpipe and an accessport are, bang for your buck, the best mods you can do.
They are also a gateway drug. To turbo back exhaust, headers, up pipe and EWG, fuel pump and injectors, e85 fmic, bigger turbo, ebcs, built motor after glocking your current one, etc. Don't look back. |
| If you are planning to resell someday ask yourself, if I were going to buy an 04 WRX, would I get the one that had been modded and probably beat half to death? Stock will have a much higher value. Two or so grand over blue book. Save your mods for a younger model. |
| Depends a lot on what your plans are. Are you going to be keeping the car for another 10 years , does it have a ton of miles? If so then resale doesn't really matter, have fun. If you plan on selling it in the near future then go stock. Also going back to stock from a downpipe and tune is really easy. |
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Quoted:
My 2004 Subaru WRX needs a new cat. I've had two techs recommend that I go with a downpipe and a Cobb Accessport instead of staying OEM. Staying OEM is a good percentage of the vehicle's value. I want reliability. Thoughts? Also, check if your car falls within the Subaru sketchy headgasket range, reliability is going to come from that as well as changing your timing belt at the correct interval. |
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I did it 80K miles ago. I'd do the uppipe too as the cat in there can kill your turbo if it goes. AP is convenient but opensource is available for '04 and is my preference. Either will clear the CELs but you can fail a sniffer or visual inspection. The car won't be worth more than a couple grand after a few more years no matter what. It is an easy safe 50hp.
If you are in WNC I would flash you for free. The cable you need otherwise is link - it will work with ECUFLash, Romraider (logger and map editor) and learning view. I also have a full stock exhaust from an '03 with 40K miles. |
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There's no value to be maintained with oem exhaust that will overcome 13 years of depreciation. Also, check if your car falls within the Subaru sketchy headgasket range, reliability is going to come from that as well as changing your timing belt at the correct interval. |
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I thought WRXs had multiple cats in the factory downpipe. I wouldn't get rid of both, but if the downpipe they recommend has a cat then I would do it. 
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WRX headgaskets are GTG (the 2.5 NA motor was bad until recently - we did one Outback and the second came with the work done). Quoted:
Quoted:
There's no value to be maintained with oem exhaust that will overcome 13 years of depreciation. Also, check if your car falls within the Subaru sketchy headgasket range, reliability is going to come from that as well as changing your timing belt at the correct interval. |