Stripping our 2002 Subaru WRX body for parts

[@stevem1362]

Spent near a decade in my 2002 WRX Sedan. Took me through so many miles and memories. Driving through foot deep slush with studded tires at speeds that no other car could match and then into and back out of near zero visibility blizzards, it was a wonderful little car; always happy to make huge sideways drifts, the mechanical differentials could be felt working in unison to keep grip through the Momo steering wheel. That boxer sound with a tuned exhaust still burbles through my head (to the dismay of my entire neighborhood block). I will always miss that car. Cheers to that World Rally Blue EcuTek tuned 2002 Subaru WRX, my old friend, wherever you are now 🍻.

[@skoparweaver7692]

Tripleson

[@TML34]

The real 'tip of the day' is, don't buy rusty cars, ever! Even if you own a body shop, just no.

[@crxtodd16]

As a Subaru owner myself, I kinda feel like it's rare to find a body that ISN'T totally rusted. Lol. These things are cheap, but I guess that's part of the appeal.

[@jwszewczyk]

I can't say this is bad advice however it's tough living in the rust belt

[@TML34]

@@jwszewczyk Fellow rustbeltian here, I know the horrors.

[@bachelorchownowwithflavor3712]

@@TML34 Another Rustbeltian here. Planning a move south. I'm sick of this place.

[@LeakyWadersAdventureClub]

As a person from the Midwest I just drive the hours out of state to get a vehicle lol

[@aaronredbaron]

The entire drivetrain will fit in any Impreza from 1995-2001, you could do the popular swap like I did! Find a clean base model Impreza and drop in the drivetrain and fuel tank to build the first gen WRX we never got in the US. Be sure to pull the fuel pump controller from the right side of the trunk area! If you want to have the harness merged with another year impreza, you might consider talking to iwire, I went to them for my harness merge and my swap fired up on the first attempt! :)

[@all-flat-engines]

This!!! Planing the same with an Impreza 2.5RS (coupe) except with an 05 - STI underpinnings, add some body panels and you've got a 22B

[@aaronredbaron]

@@all-flat-engines I found a clean base model '98 coupe with a blown engine for $900 and did this exact swap! My car has everything from the 02 WRX including the front and rear sub frames and brakes and suspension and engine and transmission. I still have a long way to go to make it nice, but at least it has the nice fancy looking pedals! 😂

[@ZILLA....]

@@aaronredbaron The pedals are so nice that Subaru still uses them in their new cars, 20 years later :D

[@austinpeterson4898]

@@all-flat-engines I’ve been wanting to do that for a while. Hope it goes well!

[@kieranmann9761]

The amount of wiring in a "modern" car is amazing!! Love this Subaru series!!

[@iangarcia2708]

We have a family car with only the Wire Harness responsible for the engine and the light and gauges, and AC. No ECU, only a fuse box and is fuel injected, although it was direct fuel injection and not electric fuel injection. We've bought it 2017 brand new

[@802Garage]

If you think Subaru wiring is bad, I'd love to see you work on a BMW! Hahaha. Other than being very confused why you cut the exhaust hangers, I like the way you work though. Actually taking stuff apart instead of just cutting and tearing. Would have loved to take all the extra parts off you.

[@ramrodson5461]

Exact same car I had in 2002, gosh I miss that little wagon. Unfortunately the transmission went in just 8k miles, and the dealer replaced it under warranty but wanted me to sign a good faith letter that stated if the trans pooped out again they would not cover it. It was my daily so I traded it for a 2004 R32 which my friend’s son bought from me 3 years ago, and still has it.

[@sadlerbw9]

Can't speak for anyone else, but I at least liked the Outback joke!

[@spoolindsm127]

Same!

[@timheilman2089]

He converted an Impreza into an 'outback'

[@rogue13131313]

Nope

[@ZMAN24250]

Still a few good parts there. Keep the moment steering wheel, the pedal box, gauge cluster, headlights, etc. I'm sure someone would pay a few bucks for what is left and part it out.

[@Treeplanter73]

Subaru had its issues with head gaskets in its past. But they make great vehicles, my wifes Forester will blast through any depth of snow, its bulletproof.

[@aaronredbaron]

I did all of this by myself on jackstands for my Coupe swap... I can't believe I figured it all out!

[@garyburrus9379]

Those interior parts are worth $$ it's getting very hard to find nice interior pieces!

[@salspec3381]

Same thought went through my head.

[@Hagerty]

They're all yours if you wanna come get them!

[@garyburrus9379]

@@Hagerty I don't need them now, I spent a long time finding non trashed parts for my bugeye. You'll definitely have takers on just about everything inside that car though!

[@garyburrus9379]

@Giovanny Rosales window switches, dash parts, depending on the seats and door cards they may be worth something. The wagon isn't as desirable as the sedan, but they do share a lot of parts. Rear subframes are also worth some money, especially for those that live in the rust belt.

[@TrentTationnaiseXization]

3d printing is a thing.

[@daniesalex7073]

Seeing the torch burn up the rusty and stuck bolts and stuff gives me happiness

[@fm9572]

For the record, *Haltech* makes an excellent aftermarket universal *Programmable* computer that many "tuners" use for this engine. It allows you to program the fuel and ignition tables for things like more boost, nitrous, etc. They have their own KZbin channel. and their customer service is excellent.

[@all-flat-engines]

It's an awesome ECU but its also 4500usd, which is probably more than this entire car is worth. You can tune the hell out of the OEM ECU for the price of a tatrix cable and a laptop

[@scottimusgarrett15]

I am absolutely amazed that ANY of those bolts came out without breaking. That thing looks like it spent a lot of time in the Midwest, for sure. What a waste! Thanks, Davin! ✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦

[@treaves2175]

Obviously you’re not a Subaru guy, but I’m really loving this series!

[@chrisrhodes5464]

It is always fun to strip a car down I pulled the entire wiring harness from a 72 Olds Vista station wagon years ago to use in a 46 Chevy truck my dad and I rebuilt

[@tflo9543]

@ 4:30 The way that sway bar mount came off with the unibody rail attached is nuts!

[@802Garage]

I have seen more incredibly rusty Subarus than I can count, many much worse than this one, and that's actually the first time I have seen the frame rust that badly at the sway bar mount. Strange one to me. Wonder if it took a hit from something underneath at some point or if that area of the car got under water.

[@jeremyclose705]

Put it all on a 93-2001 Impreza!

[@chronoso]

Looking forward to the eventual FactoryFive 818 build from all this

[@andrewlee88]

the mystery of where this is going, keeps getting better.

[@slickraft]

Still driving a 2003 WRX wagon in 2022. Just turned 200K on original, untouched engine. Of course it's World Ralley Blue with gold rims. Arizona car all the way so no rust here.

[@clank4442]

I feel like you could retrofit that engine into a Meyers Manx or a old beetle and have a really fun classic car. That said if you find a gutted Porsche. . . These videos are fun, can't wait to see what you do next.

[@Mistabushi]

it's amazing that we were able to see cars that were 50 yrs old brought back to life even tho they were falling apart. When it comes to modern cars tho, when you remove the harness and some interior plastic you will end up with couple of dust pans of Iron oxide.

[@802Garage]

Just has to do with where they live. Get a Subaru from the South and it will look factory. Get a 50s car from the North... Oh wait they don't exist because they rusted away, hahaha. Subaru interiors actually hold up incredibly well. Every 90s Subaru I own has all factory interior with no cracks or failing parts, other than seat wear. The worst one came from the Southwest desert and has some sun and heat damage, but it's still all in tact, just a little dry.

[@rickfulton2353]

i hope we get to see you put the engine into something

[@peteygonemadarts4765]

I got to rewire my wire harness on my 97 Integra. I'm gonna be pulling motor and doing a full race grade head replacement, computer and clutch . So just gonna trace a bad wire and replace whole length while I have easy access to it . In case you're wondering bottom half of my b18b1 is already rebuilt to SPOON Specs and I have a 97 type r Trans so yeah full race spec head and computer are warranted 🙃

[@erikb8701]

I imagine bears searching through camp grounds look pretty much just like that hunt for the harness.

[@vettekid3326]

Back in the 1970's we used to strip VW beetles out like that. After dropping the engine out and removing the seats and battery along with the fuel tank we would just roll it on its side and strip out the trans axel and front suspension or if it had a good body pan unbolt it from the body at that point. You could sell a good body pan complete with transaxle and front end along with the steering column and wiring harness for a dune buggy for more than the whole car was worth.

[@hennricc-5238]

The wheel spacers lol. Noticed them on the front in a prior video. Real nice mods!

[@sadubone]

Thank you for that Subaru outback joke. that was hilarious. I can't wait to see what the engine is going to be used for now. I had wondered if it was maybe a Beck Spyder a few videos back. Maybe a kit car? Maybe not. Love to guess anyways. Thanks for the videos.

[@bigredwrx4313]

Good effort on the video I get you don't like the subies much, there not all rusted out like that it's just the climate in some areas

[@richardbrowne3641]

Man, you pick the wrong year Subaru WRX STI to work on. That's sad! I can't believe how rusted out it is. I changed my mind. I can believe it. My 1981 Subaru GLF was totally rusted out on the floors and torsion bars. I went to a auto body shop and they said it would cost $4,300.00 to replace the rusted metal with new metal. I drove it for 2 years and traded it in for a 1988 Toyota HILUX.

[@DarrinHowells]

You can tell Davin doesn't have too much enthusiasm for this project. 😄

[@MrCunningham4]

For me, it will never not be a little heart breaking to see a car thats dead, no matter what kind of car, everything it ever was is gone now, unless someone saves it

[@FanatikBuilds]

Think I know where this is going, and I can’t wait! 😄✌️

[@JoseRivera-ym3wj]

Yeah, it's understandable that the body structure underneath makes the wagon unsalvagable. It's kinda sad, really. But it was the expected fate after the inspection on the first lift. And while the it's unsalvagable, you still have good body parts. I hope you didn't throw it all away, because some may be used or put for sale. Once the project is over is when it can be scrapped. Can't wait what will come next.

[@joeroad6618]

given the condition of the car and questionable mods, how badly was the wire harness hacked up?

[@802Garage]

Typically not much faffing with wiring on a Subaru unless someone has done an aftermarket computer or lighting for example. Luckily it's not like Hondas and DSMs where for some reason the wiring is always hacked and spliced in a million ways. Subaru wiring is also incredibly reliable.

[@marioverschuren5739]

Like the music! Great episode as always

[@christopherspaeth7238]

I wonder if they are doing a Factory Five Racing 818?

[@ravennexusmh]

it's in much better condition then the suabaru baja that was one hoovies garage.

[@sl33per1]

Those are Focal wheels. They were really popular for a minute back in the late 90s early 00s.

[@salspec3381]

It's really sad to see a GD chassis in this shape. I feel like these were the perfect balance. They were still svelt enough to be lively, but had a stiff chassis with just enough modernization, i.e. no traction control etc..

[@ldnwholesale8552]

That one has a full flexible chassis

[@Christosan88]

If you can put the powertrain in a Impreza GC coupe. Thats a classic Subaru chassis that won the WRC.

[@RigallDesign]

Your level of enthusiasm for this flat 4 sporty car is obvious. Can you make it into, starting from a better car, a rally car? That would be worth watching!

[@-AstroLogical-]

Aww man... That broke my heart😥

[@sadlerbw9]

Wait a minute...you are throwing the whole body away!?!? I feel like that probably wasn't the original plan, but I am super-excited to see what the NEW plan is!

[@Hagerty]

Definitely wasn't the original plan. But it's too far gone to mess with! Send us your ideas for what we should do with the engine and drivetrain!

[@mattstidham8041]

@@Hagerty modern day dirt track (rally) car. Beef up the engine, drop it in a custom frame and body , and then do a comparison between the vintage diet track car and the wrx rally car.

[@sadlerbw9]

@@Hagerty As fun as it would be to see it shoehorned into a Subaru BRZ, those are still a lot of money. Maybe buy an '04-'05 Forrester from somewhere in the south that doesn't use salt and swap in the WRX drivetrain. Stick some tall struts on it and call it a Japanese Jeep? I'm not sure if there is something like a Locost or other Lotus 7-style kit that will take the Subaru motor, but that would also be fun. They aren't super-popular for swaps into other cars because the engine is so wide compared to most other layouts.

[@KAuto26]

@@Hagerty put it in that beetle in the background

[@MediumHalf]

@@Hagerty unholy swap into Mitsubishi Evo

[@evinduggins2431]

The windows doors and switches are hot items, and they don’t make the rear hatch window anymore, definitely get that thing if you can.

[@talfacprez]

I was very Impreza with your humor at the beginning.

[@jimr8198]

My sister had a Subaru and it was about 6 years old. The bottom 1/3 of the 4 doors was rusted away, and the rear end howled so loud you couldn't hear the radio. This was during the time when Vermonters were trading in their SAABs and Volvos for Subarus because they were such great cars in the snow, and the hippeies thought they were Kool.

[@marcryvon]

Living in Vermont and NOT having a car rust proofed ?? 😳 I live in Québec and rust proofing is a must !

[@n19811978]

When that EJ20 is all done it would look really good the back of that VW.

[@DustinSeiger]

I can’t wait to see where you put that motor and drivetrain!

[@beachboardfan9544]

Use that engine and drivetrain to make an awd 300 hp caterham!!!

[@shadowred1980]

I might be thinking of a different model, but it might need the body ecu as well as the engine ecu for the engine to fire and run.

[@chesspiece81]

Oh Chop Cut Rebuild. I haven't thought about that show since they build that Bricklin that the host immediately sold because it wasn't to his liking.

[@rjdgreek]

I have a 2002 Impreza Outback Sport that I drive every day that you guys can buy and use for the rebuild

[@kevkoala]

Aww bugger...I need the water bottle from that thing! :P :D

[@norherman]

Wires and the harness. How long are they good for? A lot of nasty stories on modern car wires and harnesses.

[@marcryvon]

Not on Japanese made cars.

[@seangray933]

Said it in the first vid and even more now. Factory Five 818!!!!

[@gshsr1]

May I Ask why an inspection was not conducted underneath before anything was started?

[@marcryvon]

Because he's in engine resto, not cars.

[@MrBblhed]

I was wondering if you were ever going to use a battery powered tool on this job, so happy when you did. I have been slowly getting rid of my air tools and I do not miss dragging out a compressor every time I want to get some work done. Also, please start wearing gloves, you would be amazed by how much petroleum is in your system already because you are not wearing them.

[@s0nnyburnett]

Air is basically free and batteries certainly are not. Gloves are for pussies, gotta feel it or the car won't respect you and offer up its parts.

[@xprettylightsx]

Great video

[@kheff46]

Pull the pedal box assy. People convert autos often and or replace their cable Impreza version for the hydraulic WRX ones. Save all the parts!

[@chrismcgowan5180]

how did manage to put your glasses there?

[@ekscalybur]

Chances this becomes a WRX STI Forrester? :P

[@djjmsimon]

You should build a [4cyl awd] dirt racer under a different [old] shell to race with the other [v8 rwd] dirt track race car you have been rebuilding.

[@jpwhre]

Dry day 😂 Must have been recorded yesterday. Should have planned ahead.

[@funkyzero]

you should totally save the hood and get a standard subaru wagon to make a sleeper out of

[@WilberNStella]

Outside of windows that subi is irio oxide so why waste time in it? 😬. Great job Davin

[@rhubarbpie2027]

I'll just show myself out afterwards, but... why not inspect it more thoroughly before comitting time and resources to rebuilding it?

[@vogs72]

Instantly followed by an ad for the new electric Subaru 🤣

[@sidneysanders5726]

Hows that jeep cherokee going do far? I saw it back there! Thanks for taking the advice on doing a stroker on it! Sorry about the subaru! Would have been a cool project to see yall do in typical bad ass redline fashion! Hope you can find a better body to.put it in, or get what you want, financially out of it atleast! Keep up the good work davin, and camera guy!

[@patrickfitzwater5511]

ive watched a few epesoids including the newest one (as of now) with you starting the engine on the stand. So what are the plans for the engine?

[@kfolkjr]

If you're going to swap the engine into something else, save yourself some time and send the wiring harness to Autoventures LLC in Wisconsin Dells. They did the harness for my Subaru into Vanagon swap and it was plug and play.

[@spoolindsm127]

What's funny is that some teenager would've bought this and modded it up thinking it's the best thing ever. Perspective

[@rturner4205]

And then crash it after a week of trying to show off.

[@TrentTationnaiseXization]

Mine is getting bad. Control arm just dropped. Id put effort into it b4 dropping it.

[@عبدالرحمنالغامدي-ع1ك]

I wish if you can do rebuild of Mercedes M120 engine that will be cool.

[@oldskier695]

Are you going to build a Factory 5 818 roadster??

[@ЖекаБеларус-х8ц]

Вы Мистер, похудели, нет так не пойдет!!!:)

[@patrickphelps4684]

Surprised that you put this much work into that chassis. Once you decided that the car wasn't worth fixing, it would probably have made more sense to see what kind of chassis you could get (from a state without all those rust issues!). You may have been able to find an Impreza, STI, 2.5RS, Outback Sport, Forester, etc. that someone bought for parts. Heck, with your network, you may have gotten the hook up on a nice car that just needed an engine + ecm.

[@charlessadler4277]

You will probably need the throttle petal for the test stand

[@CliftonRobertsPhoto]

I’m curious what the restomod project is… VW?

[@johnschutt9187]

Can't you sell the doors and/or the glass?

[@gvxclassics]

So, you were going to fix this thing.. Now what? Do you have another chassis?

[@TheRunner72]

eBay the lights,interior pieces. Find a Texas shell

[@billydotcom9612]

Please do the VW boxer swap!!!

[@Kickinpony66]

@2:33... You have a Hard Head! 😉😉@4:03... It can't be stuck, if it's LIQUID!!! I need a Tetanus Shot, after watching this video!

[@blackscotydog]

I got a mint 96 2 door impreza......That drivetrain would be great for.....But its my daily 30 mpg is better than my truck can do!

[@fauxvier8519]

Love the vid

[@domcol3892]

I'm sorry this project went sideways. I wanted to see the car get a new life.

[@drew1224]

I’m drooling for that pair of roof rack cross bars. Sure would look good on my 04

[@christophertownley6734]

Hey Davin, are you making a beach buggy?

[@carlstrohm3785]

Am I the only one sad to see it go away like that? I don't care what car it is, I hate to see any car rust away and get scrapped. But I see it all the time living in the rustbelt of MN. Time to move I guess 😆

[@evoman44]

It's a shame to see this WRX in this condition. This could had been prevented had the previous owners done some preventative rust treatment. But judging by how the faded and pealing the paint was that car had never even been waxed before. By comparison my 2005 WRX still looks very shinny because it's been waxed 2 times a year. And just recently I treated the little rust it had underneath. People are always shocked when I tell them it's a 2005.

[@dawnnadir]

Restore the estate body shell!

[@ittotaq]

can i buy the stock struts?

[@xxthrillxx]

Ill take that tow hitch if you dont need it!

[@jakez8659]

I vote an AWD dune buggy project

[@geoffwatches]

Terrible opening gag, but such a likeable chap - he gets a pass

[@jeffreymoorbeck5039]

Are you going to find another body? Or just rebuild the engine and sell it?

[@marcryvon]

Would fit in a Westfalia camper. Many did the swap.

[@michellemieux1544]

Make a baja buggy out of it 🙃

[@andyvoytko]

looks like a donor for a Factory Five 818